Sacred Valley Driver / Guide
Jun 29, 2016 | 7:45 am
#46
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Atl, GA
Programs: AA EP, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 129
It all sounds rather expensive to me. My tour (posted above) was only $210 for 3 pax. (i.e. $70 per pax.) We had a private tour.
Points to consider:
- The bus at Aguas Clientes is $12 each way. It's very easy to buy your tickets at the booth but make sure you take crisp, new bills. They will complain / reject your money if it's folded or otherwise "used".
- I concur that 3h is insufficient time to properly explore MP.
- If you want the iconic picture of MP, take the path that turns sharply left (and goes up) as you enter. If you want an easier walk, go straight ahead.
- For the various sites in the Sacred Valley, a boleros truisticos is (I seem to recall) 110 Soles per person. It's relatively expensive but not a fortune by any means.
- Entrance to the sale mines costs an extra 10 or 20 Soles per person
- If you buy your own MP train tickets, buy them now. Don't wait! Train tix sell out quickly.
- I didn't do it myself, but my research of Huayna Picchu leads me to believe it's 2h up and 45 to 60 min down. There are only 2 timed entries to get there. The climb did not look straightforward to me.
Points to consider:
- The bus at Aguas Clientes is $12 each way. It's very easy to buy your tickets at the booth but make sure you take crisp, new bills. They will complain / reject your money if it's folded or otherwise "used".
- I concur that 3h is insufficient time to properly explore MP.
- If you want the iconic picture of MP, take the path that turns sharply left (and goes up) as you enter. If you want an easier walk, go straight ahead.
- For the various sites in the Sacred Valley, a boleros truisticos is (I seem to recall) 110 Soles per person. It's relatively expensive but not a fortune by any means.
- Entrance to the sale mines costs an extra 10 or 20 Soles per person
- If you buy your own MP train tickets, buy them now. Don't wait! Train tix sell out quickly.
- I didn't do it myself, but my research of Huayna Picchu leads me to believe it's 2h up and 45 to 60 min down. There are only 2 timed entries to get there. The climb did not look straightforward to me.
Jul 7, 2016 | 7:41 am
#47
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Atl, GA
Programs: AA EP, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 129
Ok so I'm on the cusp of booking with Mario. It will be $395 total for 3 days. He mentioned that he usually asks for a 50% deposit through Western Union. Any thoughts on this? Not sure how comfortable I am sending that large an amt 2 months in advance.
Jul 7, 2016 | 7:12 pm
#48
Moderator: Travel Buzz
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 3,176
I wish I could go back! I have really enjoyed my two trips to Peru. It's beautiful, friendly and a bargain. I hope to return someday soon.
Jul 8, 2016 | 10:25 am
#49
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Atl, GA
Programs: AA EP, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 129
Yeah a little bit of both I guess.
What part makes you uncomfortable? Sending the money, or are you concerned that something might happen that would keep you from arriving? I've had to send money for good guides in several places, and was glad to have the guides that I got. Of course it's nice to hang on to your money until the day you arrive, but I understand that the guides will book up and you have to pay to get a reservation with a good one. Peru is getting very popular, so I imagine the guides want to minimize their risk.
I wish I could go back! I have really enjoyed my two trips to Peru. It's beautiful, friendly and a bargain. I hope to return someday soon.
I wish I could go back! I have really enjoyed my two trips to Peru. It's beautiful, friendly and a bargain. I hope to return someday soon.
Jul 8, 2016 | 11:04 am
#50
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,774
I've gone three times now and I agree that it is an amazing place to visit. I'm sure having a great guide could really add to the experience. If the driver/tour guide has enough positive reviews I'd feel fine sending a deposit.
Jul 11, 2016 | 9:20 pm
#51
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,169
If you're concerned that your plans may change, you can simply ask him if the deposit is refundable in any way. He'll likely make reasonable accommodation. I wouldn't necessarily expect a 100% refund - he's blocking his time and theoretically turning other potential customers away after all. But I think he'll be reasonable.
$395 for 3d sounds reasonable to me as does a 50% deposit.
Sep 7, 2016 | 10:46 am
#53
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Atl, GA
Programs: AA EP, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 129
just got back from our trip, Mario was an excellent guide and I'm glad we decided to go with him. incredible how much we were able to pack into just a few short days and having a knowledgeable guide really does help. had troubles with western union and wasn't able to get him a deposit (which he said was fine), so he's beyond reasonable and trusted that we'd go through w/ our plans, would recommend him to anyone.