FlyerTalker55

FTers-

My wife and I are headed to Peru in April of '15 to fulfill her bucket list desire to see MP. Used AA and BA points to get some great airfare. Before I book the last pieces of our itinerary and secure some non refundable reservations, I would appreciate some input to ensure I am not overlooking anything.

As I said, main desire is to see MP, but other ruins, and enjoying Peruvian culture is a priority. Wife doesn't like rushed travel. I have traveled extensively in developing world and spend summers in the Middle East for work (not the nice part , so I am used to rougher conditions, but want this to be a nicer experience for the lady. Wife speaks Spanish.

Here's what I have so far, all bookings are refundable and for a trip in April '15-

Saturday night- Arrive LIM, check into Radisson Decapolis (chose for location/quality)
Sunday- Explore Miraflores, beach, fly to CUZ mid afternoon, taxi to Urubamba, check into Tambo Del Inka (or somewhere else?)
Monday- MP (taxi to Olly, train to AC, return to Tambo that night)
Tuesday- Leisurely morning, take a taxi and SV tour to Cusco, check in Best Western
Wednesday- Explore Cusco/nearby area
Thursday- Explore Cusco/nearby area
Friday- Fly CUZ-LIM, city tour with guide, kill time until very late departure back to US

-Will we enjoy Tambo del Inka enough to justify staying there with the current itinerary? There don't seem to be a great deal of nice hotels in the SV.
-Taxi and train to Aguas will take about 2.5 hours from the Tambo?
-I got the Best Western for cheap, anyone here have personal experience with it? Reviews seem mostly good. Open to other options.
-Wife really wants to see Cusco. Two full days a good compromise with the other things in itinerary? Not too long or short?

Thoughts? Anything I am overlooking? I originally set out to do more, but with our time, not wanting to rush, and reading threads here this seemed ideal.

IncaTrails

Overall good itinerary and choices! I would change/recommend the following:
-The Radisson Decapolis is nice, but if you really want to give a "nicer experience for the lady" I would go for the Belmond Miraflores. You will note the price difference but I thought it was worth every penny.
-Sunday through Wednesday is perfect. Tambo del Inka is great, as is a full day to explore Cusco and nearby. In Cusco, I would recommend the Marriott (have not stayed at the Best Western). Not sure about 2 days--it all depends on your research and how much you want to cover, as opposed to 2 days in Lima. It could also depend on whether you think you may return to Lima at some point (easier to do), than to Cusco.
-I would suggest returning CUS-LIM on Thursday night to have an entire day in LIM. Personally, I would avoid airport in the morning and airport at night as driving out of LIM and into the city, and getting back in for your international dep. can be very time consuming (traffic).
-Lastly, this could be of some help: http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/...hu-picchu.html.

There is plenty of time from here on to April and hope we are able to answer other questions you may have. Still, research as much as you can!

Dieuwer

I stayed at the Radisson last May. Modern, but bit of a hipster place.
Miraflores is nice, but if you have seen Santa Monica there is no need to go there. Instead, I suggest staying right in old town on Saturday in one of the classy 5* hotels and explore the center on Sunday.
On Friday, take it easy in the morning and just enjoy Cusco a little longer. Then, take a late afternoon flight to LIM and connect to an international flight.

FlyerTalker55

Thanks to both of you for the thoughts! Based on your suggestions, I will probably upgrade the hotel in Cusco (JW Marriott) and look into nicer hotels in Lima. Seems like a 5 star experience is more reasonable than what I am used to expecting (but I wouldn't know very well ). The Belmond looks amazing and is on the coast, which seems great.

Sounds like a great idea! I wasn't able to find any nice hotels near the historic centre though, save for the Sheraton. Seems like most are in Miraflores or San Isidro. Checked using google, tripadvisor hotel map, etc. It must be my lack of familiarity with the city though- any suggestions?

I appreciate the tip concerning traffic around LIM in the morning, hand't considered that. British Airways hasn't been given LAN award space for our dates yet, so I don't know what times will be available.

Thanks again! I will let you guys know if I run into anything else, but these tips have helped sharpen what I had planned. Any thoughts or suggestions from other people are appreciated as well!

Dieuwer

The Sheraton is the nicest hotel in that area IMO. I stayed there the first night of my trip. Easy walk to the historic center.
The problem with staying in Miraflores is that although the area and nightlife is great, it is VERY FAR from the historic center. At least 30-60 mins by taxi depending on traffic. Also, Miraflores is quit the trek form/to the airport.

That's why I suggest you stay the first night at the Sheraton (only 15~20 mins by cab) and see the historic center the next day.
If you insist on seeing Miraflores, do that at the end of your trip and arrive after the morning rush hour. Maybe you can extend your trip with a day or two?

Have you decided on your flights already?

FlyerTalker55

That is certainly quite the trek, especially after a long haul flight and quick turn around back to the airport. The Sheraton certainly seems like a great option, and the historic center more of an interest for us. Plus, I could nab it with Starpoints.

Flights are all through AA/LAN with no change penalties. Already switched origin airport once due to work. We arrive LIM at midnight and leave around the same time. LIM-CUZ is at 4pm now. We could extend the trip a day- your suggestion would be sleep in Lima the extra night and spend time in Miraflores, after seeing the historic center our first full day in-country? Or even skipping Miraflores/beach altogether? We have both traveled extensively internationally and have no desire to simply see an upper class neighborhood, but if its the trendy and vibrant heartbeat of Peru it may be cool. The historic center is far more of our interest though.

Thanks!

Dieuwer

The most important thing to ask yourself is: What do I want to experience during my trip to Peru? What kinda person am I?

For me, the most important thing was to a) see Machu Picchu, and b) not to be bored at night during weekends. Note: I am a single guy late 30's, early 40's.
That's why I stayed my first night (Saturday) at the Sheraton: after I arrived I went out for fun and see old town. Then I departed for the Sacred Valley until the following Friday. The final weekend I spend in Miraflores to have more fun, did some minor neighborhood sightseeing and walk around the cliffs to relax.

FlyerTalker55

Thanks again to all who offered help. To update and offer another itinerary for other FTers, I opted to extend the trip a day and burn through some starpoints for hotels.

-Arrive in Lima, stay at the Sheraton, and walk/explore the historic city
-Fly to Cusco, drive to Tambo Del Inka, relax a day/explore the area, then do MP, sleep at Tambo and depart next day for Cusco (Three nights at Tambo Del Inka)
-Do a full day Sacred Valley tour on the way to Cusco, stay at Palacio Del Inka for three nights and see Cusco, explore the area (Cusco is a priority for us)
-Return to LIM on last day and do a full day private city tour to include Miraflores and coast

Excited to stay at Tambo Del Inka and glad I opted for the Palacio Del Inka. Cash and points made it easy and cheap. This itinerary should get us to the places we want to see and keep issues to a minimum. Lima city tour sounds fun and will make for a long day, but we can sleep on the plane

Trip is awhile off, but I will post a report after its all been enjoyed!

HaleiwaFlyer

I am currently at LIM after finishing a Sacred Valley/MP/Cusco/Barranco trip with the wife.

As others have said, it really depends on how hiking extensive you guys want to be per time period. I did stay at Tambo del Inka and also Palacio del Inka, and highly recommend those as a SPG member (they gave me an upgrade as a gold member), and you will be treated very well.

Do get the extended tourist ticket to visit all of the sacred valley/Cusco sites

Things I would recommend:
1)Try to fly into Cusco early, and when you drive to Tambo del Inka, see if you can get a Sacred Valley Trip with negotiation with the taxi driver or a private tour guide (we hired Duptours.com, Sabino). This will save you a day. We ended up seeing Chincero/Moray/Moras/Salt Mines while heading to Urubamba (where Tambo del Inka is located).
2)I would look into seeing the Ollyantambo ruins when you drive back to Cusco as they are spectacular, having pre Inca stone work (perfect stone joints), face carved into the mountain...
3)Cusco: Palacio del Inka is right across from the Sun Temple, and you can walk to most museums on the tourist ticket. I would recommend hiring your own driver/tour guide for the surrounding areas so you could spend as much time as you want at each site. Spend extra time at Sacsayhumain as there are alot of areas to explore (natural slides, carved rocks away from the main site); 2 hours minimum. I would also recommend Tipon (one of the most amazing things in Peru is the Inca canal and waterworks; I wished I had more time to hike up to the source of the Inca canal)
4)I would try to convince you to stay at Barranco rather than MiraFlores (much more romantic than Mira Flores, quieter, and is safe). Depends on how much luxury you want, a boutique place (not super Luxury, but nice, and very well priced at 80-90 USD/night) is 3B Hotel. It is walking distance to art museums, romantic parks, ocean views...You can always get a taxi to MiraFlores (8-10 Soles) from Barranco.

Hope this helps, and enjoy Peru; its a great country with good people!

benzemalyonnais

While the centro of Lima has more cool stuff to see, it's not completely secure at night and I don't know if I'd recommend staying in the very-tired but refurbished Sheraton over anything in Miraflores. I'd even stay in the basic Casa Andina over it frankly.

That being said, your itinerary really makes it frustrating to enjoy much of the evening activities in Miraflores, dining, Peruvian-style bars, walking around. That 4PM flight is going to make it awfully annoying since you'll have to add in a bit of time for traffic when returning to the airport. It might make sense to push the CUZ flight back a day, and put the last day of your original itinerary to the beginning. A nice meal or 5 is a must in Lima!

Also, another tip would be to buy Avianca miles CUZ-LIM if their availability fits the schedule better. Believe it or not, the price can be less (3500 miles) than with Avios (4500). Or just fly Star Peru which costs about $95 one-way from CUZ-LIM.

FlyerTalker55

Thanks for the continued input! It has certainly helped!

What a shame the Sheraton and surrounding area are deteriorating. I was excited to stay so close to the historic center. However, based on benzemalyonnais's advice, and after more research over the weekend, it doesn't seem as compelling of an idea.

Went ahead and booked another night at the Radisson Decapolis and will spend a full day seeing Miraflores, museums, and maybe jaunting over to the historic center. Will definitely find a great restaurant to eat at and a bar for some pisco sours in Miraflores.

Booked the Tambo and Palacio and have some tours lined up based on what people have said here and online.

I also have a private city tour schedule for our last day in Peru- after flying CUZ-LIM driver will pick us up and we will craft a full day (be back at LIM around 9pm) of seeing/experiencing whatever we missed.

Planning on using 'Left Luggage' in LIM as a way to store our bags while out touring. I haven't heard any negative reviews for this service, but if someone has had an issue, please do share.

Thanks for the Star Peru tip. I hadn't seen them yet, as everyone online talks about using Avios on LAN. No availability still with BA and agents are saying they may not get seats for my dates. Will probably just get two seats on Star Peru and bank the Avios. Thanks!

benzemalyonnais

It's not exactly deteriorating, it's just that at night it's not active nor as nice as Miraflores or the other nicer neighborhoods. I'm not trying to tell you to stay away, just that it's a lot nicer and easier for dining and evening activities staying in Miraflores. A taxi to the center from Miraflores is 15 soles and should take 20 minutes, more if the traffic is bad. The other day I took a tourist friend, on the new public city buses (free this week!), to the Parque de la Reserva for the water fountains (highly recommended at night). It's safe and easy, it's just the possibility of something happening is much higher than in one of the more policed areas.

Also, Avianca is having a 100% lifemiles buy miles bonus right now. If there is low availability on your dates (check on lifemiles.com), the flights can be had for $65 each way by buying the miles (3,500 each way). This is actually a better deal than the BA deal, but the bloggers can't push Avianca credit cards

FlyerTalker55

OP checking back in after our trip! Thanks again for all your help fellow FTers. It definitely paid off. We had an incredible time and my wife thought the itinerary was perfect (she hates trip planning, whereas I love it, so she had no idea what we were doing).

To aid others planning a trip, here is what we ended up doing-

Friday night- Arrive LIM, check into Westin, taxi to restaurant
Saturday- Explore historic center, lunch at nice restaurant, walk Miraflores along the beach in the afternoon, grab drinks at Larcomar and eat dinner at Huaca Pucllana (VERY glad we did this)
Sunday- Explore San Isidro and Miraflores in AM, fly to CUZ mid afternoon, taxi to Urubamba, check into Tambo Del Inka (just stay here... do it.)
Monday- Leisurely morning to see Urubamba, take a Sacred Valley tour, grab drinks and alpaca burgers at Tambo bar (very good)
Tuesday- MP (train from Urubamba, and Cusco at night), check into Palacio
Wednesday- Explore Cusco/nearby area
Thursday- Explore Cusco/nearby area
Friday- Fly CUZ-LIM, city tour with guide, kill time until very late departure back to US

Thoughts-

-We were upgraded to a corner room on the 26th floor of the Westin and the view was amazing
-Dinner at Huaca Pucllana was awesome
-Historic Center of Lima was cool, but didn't deserve an entire 9-5 day. We were happy to eat a late lunch there and leave. We visited several of the churches and did the catacombs, along with walking the side streets. Felt 'finished' after that
-Stay at the Tambo. Just do it. Incredible hotel. Gold got us a ground floor room (walk out with patio).
-Gold status got us upgraded to a junior suite at the Palacio. Room 7 on the second floor. Great room, but interior without a direct window into the courtyard (there was a side door that let out into the hallway). Mixed on whether we liked it- no noise whatsoever, but no morning light and no privacy when the side door was open, as its a hallway.
-The bar food at the Tambo was great- especially the alpaca burgers
-Sacred Valley tour is a must
-Cafe Valeriana by Palacio Del Inka was an awesome spot for coffee and breakfast/snacks
-We ate curry alpaca fillet at a killer place in the San Blas plaza


Thanks again guys. Really killer. Loved the SPG property and burned through a ton of points. Really worth it though.

Given when our flights were, I probably wouldn't have changed anything. Maybe one less night in Cusco to stay at the Tambo longer. Definitely rushed there.

FrogProf

Hi MotownMan. Thanks for coming back to write about your experience. This caught my attention:

-Dinner at Huaca Pucllana was awesome

I'm looking for a nice place to have a farewell dinner for my group and given your satisfaction/recommendation, Huaca Pucllana might be a good choice. I've got a couple of questions.

1) What would be a reasonable budget for a meal with a starter, entree, and drinks? I think we have a pretty reasonable budget, but I have no idea what an average dinner costs and their online menu doesn't have prices.

2) My group is 30. Did the place look big enough to accommodate us?

FlyerTalker55

Great pick. Pretty magical place IMHO. Sure, there are more famous places in Lima, but the atmosphere is incredible.

You probably saw their website, which has pictures of their dining area- http://www.resthuacapucllana.com/en/

Definitely big enough for that large of a group, but I am guessing you'll need reservations. We just had two people.

Can't recall exact prices... We ate out a lot and paid *solely* (pun intended) in cash. Maybe $40 bucks with apps, mains, and drinks? Maybe plan on a smidgen more if you need to ensure precision? Other people may know the menu better.