Machu Picchu

Some recommendations on doing Machu Picchu right:

1. Visit Machu Picchu in one day.

The guidebooks recommend taking two days to visit Machu Picchu, staying over night in Aguas Calientes. I think this is a waste of time, unless you want to explore the ruins for more than one full day.

Not to mention, Aguas Calientes is a tourist trap of a town. The hot spring are gross. The only other thing to do there is visit the Machu Picchu Museum, which is lovely, albeit out of the way. (See 3.)

2. Take the train to Aguas Calientes from Ollantaytambo instead of Cusco.

• This cuts about an hour of travel time. There is a series of switchbacks on the train between Ollantaytambo and Cusco that are slow going.
• You will need to hire a taxi to/from Cusco and Ollantaytambo. This costs $20 and takes about 1.5hrs.
• Tickets to Aguas Calientes from Ollantaytambo are also much more frequent, and sell out less quickly. (I booked them for travel in April two weeks ahead of time, for example.)
• If you have to take the bus from Cusco, book your tickets with Peru Rail well in advance!

3. Visit the Machu Picchu Museum in Aguas Calientes.

• Unfortunately the museum is located in a very inconvenient location, next to the bridge just before the switchbacks up to Machu Picchu. It’s about a 20 minute walk from the bridge in Aguas Calientes.

4. Bring water and snacks, but keep them hidden when entering.

• We were hassled at the entrance because the guards could see that we were carrying food in a plastic bag. Everybody else had food with them, but had it concealed in daypacks. (I saw a family picnicking on one of the terraces.)
• Water is permitted, and when the sun is out you will want lots of it.

Inca Trail

We booked our Inca Trail hike through Your Peru in Arequipa, Peru. They passed us on to Comfort Tours in Peru, who passed us on to another operator. I can’t remember the name at this moment. In hindsight, I would recommend booking straight with the Inca Trail operator that is going to take you on the trail. Ask around for this.

Some questions to ask when booking:

• Porter treatment
• Total group count (not just guides per travelers). For example, we were told there would be 6-9 people in our group. There ended up being 19 people with two guides.
• What exactly is included (ticket to MP, train back, transport to AC, food, lodging).

Also, hire a porter to carry your stuff! If you’re wavering on doing this or not, do it. Days 2 and 3 for me were much more enjoyable less my heavy pack.

What to Pack for Inca Trail Hike

We seriously over packed, and regretted bringing so much stuff. Here’s the lighter load I would have preferred:

• One change of clothes (dry, wicking material for everything)
• New pair of socks for every day
• Good hiking boots
• Rain gear: jacket, pant gators, pack cover
• Fleece jacket and hat
• Sunglasses & bandana
• Camera, extra battery and memory cards
• Ipod (for when it really gets rough)
• Water bottle. There are many places to buy water along the way, and often times your tour operator will have boiled water ready for you in the mornings. You will not need any kind of water purification system.
• Snacks & coca leaves. Again, you can buy along the way.
• Flashlight
• Toilet paper / tissues
• Personal items: deodorant, soap, altitude sickness meds
• Walking stick with nub on end. The locals sell wooden sticks at the beginning of the trail. I think this is incredibly wasteful, as I’m guessing 95% are thrown away at the end. Bring a collapsible walking stick, and remember to have a "nub" of sorts on the end so as not to ruin the trail.