Peru / inca trail

catoutthebag

Partner and I decided we'd like to go to peru next year.

No idea where to start, haven't done long haul for 3-4 years.

Looking at these trails, we'd like to do the 2dayer rather than classical 10 day jaunt, if this is still worthwhile. Quick look at one of the many operators suggest this is 475$.

That's all we know (apart from we'd like a total stay of 7-10 nights - short I know, but we're saving a deposit too)

So where else to visit too? Bolivia? Chile? Igazu(sp?) falls?

Can the trail be done cheaper nearer time?

Flights and hotel, better to whack on cc now or book couple months before? We're looking at hotels rather than hostels.

No idea....any been, any advice re trail/prices, when to book, where else to stay/see?

Is £1500 each being stupidly optimistic for 7-10nights?!

benjus

Personally, I would only use organised tours for the things that you really need to have planned in advance, like Machu Picchu/Inca Trail. Living costs in countries like Peru and Bolivia are low, and tour companies put a huge mark-up on services.

South America is a very big place... if you only have 7-10 days you should try not to be too ambitious, or you'll be stressed out travelling the whole time. For example, you should probably forget about getting Peru and Iguazu in the same trip.

Bolivia is well worth seeing - fewer tourists than Peru but lots to do/see. However, even Bolivia will take several days to make it worthwhile - you might be better off just limiting your trip to Peru.

Flights to South America are generally expensive - if you find a good price, grab it quickly, don't wait.

I'm not really sure what the 10 day and 2 day options for the Inca Trail are - the classic IT is 4 days (3 hiking, 1 at Machu Picchu). Things have changed a lot since I did it - back then you could just turn up with your tent in a backpack and get going, while now you must use an organised tour company and numbers are restricted. This is one thing to definitely book in advance.

catoutthebag

Thank you for that

Yes I've just read the 4 day is the classical one

Although I'm fit enough (and probably partner too :rotfl: ), Not keen on camping for medical reasons, so 4 days is likely out

Though people say its so worth doing the 4day, I'll have to overcome the disappointment

I've read the tour should be booked 4 month in advance

What ballpark are flights for say June to peru?!

You're right - big ol world, one place at a time - 2 day trail and 5-6 nights elsewhere in peru - suggestions?! Decent beaches too ?

Ty

Proxy

The fitness isn't the biggest issue - it's the altitude. The highest point is 4000m above sea level, so you need to acclimatise. Don't assume you can jump off a plane and go do some trekking straight away.

For the four day trek you need to book 6 months in advance, but for other treks (which are generally cheaper because they're not the classic one which has a tourist limit and is very popular) you don't need so much notice.

I flew to Cusco in September about 3 years ago and it was about £700 return.

I would recommend as the above poster that Bolvia is well worth going to. Peru was a bit busy and rude for me (and i got robbed by police!). But there's loads of see in Bolivia - you can head to the pampas, lake titicaca and the salt flats, to name a few things.

However 7-10 days is ambitious for getting much in at all. Everything is cheaper out there. The biggest cost is flights so an extra week is nothing in comparison.

Gavin83

I did the classical 4 day trail last year. I would recommend doing this if possible, it is an excellent experience. We paid about $500 which included everything and the company we went with were excellent. We had 3 course lunch and dinners and they even made us a cake on the last day. I can't remember the name of the company but if you want it I'll dig it out. It was pretty simple for a technical standpoint, everything was carried for you and your tent was setup before you arrived in camp. We only had to carry our personal items. We booked this around 6 months in advance and this is about normal, there are limited places, they fill up quickly and you have to go with a tour agency.

You do need to have a reasonable level of fitness though, it isn't an easy trail made all the more difficult by the altitude.

I didn't do the 2 day trek but from what I understand the first day is spent walking through the forest, arriving in the town near Machu Picchu and the second hiking up the road to the monument. If you can't camp this is probably your only option.

Just so you know, you'll need a few days in Cusco before you even attempt any walking. The altitude is high and you need some time to get used to it. Cusco is a nice enough town to spend a few days in though.

As for money, it's not a cheap trip. Flights to South America are expensive, as is the trek itself. Compared to European standards food and accomodation is cheap but honestly not as cheap as you'd expect. You wouldn't get the trip + flights for £1500 each to be honest.

As for the surrounding countries they're excellent (I preferred them to Peru to be honest) but they are definately seperate holidays. Bolivia in particular is excellent. It's extremely cheap, unimaginably beautiful, has loads to do and the people are nice. I'd probably recommend going before it becomes a tourist hotspot which probably isn't that far off. You will however need a better grasp of Spanish than you would for Peru, although even for Peru a basic understand is extremely helpful.

Chile is also an excellent country, although I preferred the South (The Patagonia region) to the North, although the desert regions close to the Bolivian border are well worth a visit. It is painfully expensive at the moment though. Expect to be paying more than you would for a holiday to any European country for example.

As a final note, if your going on holiday make sure you fly everywhere. It's a big country and getting from one city to another can result in day long bus journeys, seriously eating into your travelling time. Our bus from Lima to Cusco took 21 hours for example.

catoutthebag

Thanks guys, lots to think about!

I think if we decide on 2 dayer, altitude Is lower & so acclimatisation less necessary? Whether 2 dayer is still worth it, I think so still..

Yeah, think one thing at a time...but lake titicaca can still be done if planned correctly as it's on the border?

If a 2dayer is £300pp (475$ according to one tourer) & flights ~600, maybe a week can be done on £1500?

Then the comments on Bolivia make me think...

Proxy

Perhaps *less* necessary but it honestly affects people in different ways. You'll arrive in Cuzco and some people will be fine and others will be feeling awful for a few days.

Don't book any tours for the next day, even 2 day treks.

callum9999

Confirming what Proxy said, it's literally a case of some people struggling to walk down the road while some people are completely fine with doing a 5 day trek immediately.

Most people will be somewhere between those but as Cuzco is such a nice town, spending a few days acclimatising there is no chore!

I only spent 2 weeks in Peru and was sorely disappointed I couldn't stay longer. Although you're saving for a deposit, Peru isn't an expensive country so you could stay longer for not much more. Especially if you economise - I didn't see anything about a 2 day inca trail but I can't imagine it's overly worth it, so just doing a day or overnight tour to Macchu Pichu will save a bit.

Gavin83

catoutthebag wrote: »

Yeah, think one thing at a time...but lake titicaca can still be done if planned correctly as it's on the border?

Where are you thinking of going?

This is one bit I'd recommend going into Bolivia for. Puno, which is the obvious lake Titicaca town is a bit of a dump to be honest. It does have the floating island tour which is nice enough but I wouldn't bother on holiday to be honest. Copacabana on the other hand is an excellent lakeside town. It's right near the border so not too far to go and has some excellent trekking, Isle del Sol is well worth a visit.

I spent about 6 weeks in Peru last year so I'm happy to offer advice on where to go, etc.

catoutthebag

Thanks guys!

Gav: would you say the 2 day trail is still worth it - or just go spend a day/night in machu pichu?

We normally do 2 (or 3) holidays a year, so don't mind saving just for one.

This morning though, we had a talk about doing 2 (or 3) weeks split over peru and somewhere else. Peru and 2 other countries, but that would be stupid/rushed/expensive.

I think peru & Bolivia do able in 2 weeks? Lima, Cuzco, pichu, then la Paz & salt planes (if we figure out costings & get cash together)...

- most will say that's still rushed...as we don't get to see that part of the world due to cost/distance, is doing peru & Bolivia still doable / justifiable over 2?

- is doing inca over 1n/2d still worth it or not?

- hypothetically doing both countries: would internal flights have to be booked in advance? How long before for both London to Lima & internal flights? Good prices for some of the itinary mentioned for next June or July?

- with salt plane tours : what lengths are available? Seems just 3 days? Is it dangerous as some reports say? Does it involve camping & no water access as I've read ?

Thanks again

benjus

Gavin83 wrote: »

This is one bit I'd recommend going into Bolivia for. Puno, which is the obvious lake Titicaca town is a bit of a dump to be honest. It does have the floating island tour which is nice enough but I wouldn't bother on holiday to be honest. Copacabana on the other hand is an excellent lakeside town. It's right near the border so not too far to go and has some excellent trekking, Isle del Sol is well worth a visit.

Agreed - Copacabana is much nicer than Puno (incidentally, the famous beach area in Rio de Janeiro was named after this small town in Bolivia).

Tiwanaku is also near Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and might be worth a visit. There's not a huge amount to see (compared to the Inca ruins in Peru), but the Tiwanaku civilization is much older than the Inca.

Exploring further into Bolivia would require you to travel further from the lake, and would probably take too much time to fit your itinerary. The de facto capital, La Paz, seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it kind of place. Personally I loved it - the spectacular setting in the mountains, the people, the strange mix of Andean and European cultures. It doesn't have the grandeur of Buenos Aires or Rio, but it's a very interesting place.