Hi ny1002,

Here are my thoughts based on my trip with my husband in May.

1. We contemplate going first to Arequipa by plane and exploring Santa Catalina convent and then on to Colca Canyon.
Q. How much time is reasonable for this phase? Once off the plane, how do we get around? Is a guide and driver needed? I read that the Colca Canyon is at a high altitude and a previous post had suggested going first to Cusco to acclimate, but I don't know which route makes most sense in our case. A few years back, I did feel the effects of altitude sickess in Lhasa, but that was at 14,000 ft. This time I plan to use Diamox, avoid alcohol, eat light, and take it easy for a while as many have recommended.

--> If you know you will use the Diamox, ask your physician how you should take it preventatively. I believe it's one pill vs. two (for treatment). But you do want to start taking it before getting at altitude. (We didn't make it to Arequipa so I can't comment on that.)

2. We thought about going next to Puno, boat ride on LakeTiticaca and perhaps overnight on Amantani. Some have said it is a bit too touristy, but still worth the trip.
Q. Once again, any suggestions on allocation of time? How to get around? When to get tours or guides?

--> Highly recommend doing an overnight on Amantani. It's not touristy. The only thing "touristy" would be the fact that they put on a dance that night where the whole group comes together. But it's really a great way to see how the island locals live. We really loved our stay. The tour is two full days (you get back to Puno around 5:00PM the second day.) You must go through a tour agency. Highly recommend Allways Tours. Their company has you pay your host family directly for their portion (room & board). Other tour companies say they will pay them, but there's no proof they actually do or that they compensate them fairly.

3. On to Cusco. I have read about the Inka Express Bus. Do you recommend the bus over taking a train? From what I have read, most suggest several days in this area and in particular, staying in Ollantaytambo.
Q. Is it better to leave from Cusco on the train to MP or spend the the night in AC and get the train there? I suspect that a guide at MP is a must. Where and when to get one?

--> Recommend the Inka Express bus. It's much cheaper than the train and follows the same route. You're right beside the tracks most of the way. And you get to make stops at archaeological sites which were very interesting. The train runs from Cusco to Ollantaytambo to Aquas Calientes. Once you're in AC, you take a bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu. A guide can be good or a waste of money. I recommend hiring one before you leave. Look for reviews here or on TripAdvisor. (We didn't use one because our guide from the Inca Trail gave us a tour.)

4. Back to Olly. Poster back in April mentioned Chinchero, Moray, Maras, and either Huilloc or Patacancha.
Q. As can be seen, the itinerary is in a primitive form and still quite fluid. If other locations are of greater value, should I consider eliminating some of the above and substituting a few days in the Amazon in the north or perhaps the Nazca lines???

--> Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo itself, Pisac, Tipon, Pikillacta... all are amazing sites in the Sacred Valley. (There are more than those, too.) I would not skip them in favor of going somewhere else. However, we did see Nasca and the Lines and were extremely impressed by them as well as other sites in the area (aqueducts, etc).

We did not see the Chinchero market (couldn't go on one of their days), but the Pisac market was great. Very big.

It looks like you have done some good research.

To answer questions you posed

1. Arequipa/Colca. At a minimum, allow a full day in Arequipa (ie two nights) For Colca at a minimum a 2 day/1 night tour and then transfer to Puno. (Personally I enjoyed Colca Canyon and recommend adding a second night, which will advance your adjustment to altitude and prepare you for Puno (3800 m or 12,500 feet at the lake surface). RE altitude: Colca and Cusco are at similar altitudes, most hotels at the upper end of the Colca Canyon (such as in Chivay) location of your hotel. Eg Yanque, where Killawasi Lodge is located, is At the top of the pass between Arequipa and Chivay, you will reach 16,000 feet. Most people are going to have symptoms at this pass (even our guide didn't feel well). This may be limited to a slight headache, but nausea isn't uncommon. Ask if your bus has oxygen (both Giardino and 4-M do carry). They have a few stops at the highest altitudes, but try to limit the exposure time.

Have your hotel arrange a pickup at Arequipa airport. If you stay between the Plaza de Armas and Santa Catalina Convent you can walk to attractions. (NB this rules out Casa Arequipa B&B). You do not want to hail street taxis in Arequipa.

For Colca Canyon it's easiest to book a tour. There are small group tours (such as Giardino), pool bus tours, and private tours. Any tour can tack on your transfer to Puno.

Sorry about the above typos in the middle of that paragraph, I had a finger slip! I was trying to convey that most hotels in Colca Canyon range from 3400 to 3600 meters, depending on the location, higher at the Chivay end. BTW you can check the elevation of any hotel by using Terrain View on Google Maps.

Continuing to Q 2

The floating Uros Islands on Lake Titicaca are touristy. (I would not overnight there). If you have the time, many people rave about the overnight stays on Amantani, and I defer to shutterbug on this. I went to the Bolivian side and Isla del Sol, skipped Amantani and Taquille, and ran out of time to visit them on the return.

3. I prefer to take the train from Ollantaytambo since you have a wider range of times. Unless you have an urge to be at Machu Picchu at sunrise, the first train from Ollantaytambo will get you up there at about 8:30 to 9 am and you can stay until 5 pm and take a late train back to Ollantaytambo (and spend the night there. But there is divided opinion on Aguas Calientes, I think especially since the flood it has been cleaned up a bit and is more pleasant than my first visit.

4. Huilloc is no longer the quaint village that it once was, and in fact now is seldom visited by cultural tourists (ah, the price of economic development). You've probably seen my recommendation to Awamaki NGO for cultural tours to Patacancha above Ollantaytambo.

5. I've never made it to the Chinchero market (it was on the agenda but I never made it). I visited Chinchero on an off day in low season, and there were a few vendors in the square. I was happy with my recent visit this past May to Pisac, because I was finally able to see the Mayors arriving to the chapel for Quecha Mass. Perhaps due to the floods, the center of Pisac has also been spiffed up and the Sunday market still draws from the community. I spent Saturday and Sunday night in Pisac so I could see the town in the morning and afternoon, and also visit the ruins.

As to the other places, I'd lay out a relaxed agenda and then see if you really have time for another one. I really like Lima (especially for food and museums) so if there are just a few days I might spend them there.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kiwifann/ColcaCanyon
http://picasaweb.google.com/kiwifann/ArequipaPeruSantaCatalinaMonastery

Some general photos of Arequipa. The first is a map put out by Patio del Ekeko, see if you can find a copy at the AQP airport. It's great for walking around and finding the antique sillar churches and patios.

https://picasaweb.google.com/kiwifann/Arequipa

Thank you all! I value your assistance and the enticing photos. Shutterbug, I will certainly give thought to Allway tours and the Nasca lines, as well as Katherine's suggestion of a visit to the jungle. At this point, I will make up a few somewhat different itineraries, using variable nights of stay at these locations.(My spreadsheets are a bit over the top, but planning gives me alot of pleasure) I will save some time for Lima either at the beginning or end of our trip. If there is extra time, I may add another module. I must confess that I have read many of your posts, mlgb, and see that you have given advice even when questions are redundant, like mine. I will study the information and once I get the itinerary set, I will work on lodging. I have had good luck with Tripadvisor. BTW, I am a shopaholic. Instead of many souvenirs, I try to find one or two items that I find special, especially a piece of artwork. I always enjoy the hunt!

Shopaholics anonymous! In Arequipa's main square some of the watercolor guys were really pretty good. Unfortunately my walls are full.

We spent a night on Amantani and it was truly one of the highlights of our visit to Peru.

If you like to shop be sure to go to the weaving cooperative in Chinchero - the pieces they sell are lovely and the money goes directly to the weaver (minus a percentage for the cooperative as we understand it). It's called Centro de Tejedoras Chinchero.

We bought a lovely piece that is unfinished (intentionally) to show how the weaving works.....pic here

http://lizandrichardsa.typepad.com/liz_and_richard_in_south_/2006/01/chinchero.html

Hi Everyone,

After a brief hiatus, I am finally getting back to the business of Peru. As you will see, the itinerary needs quite a bit of fine tuning, especially since I do not know the ease of transfering from one town to another. My preliminary schedule is as follows:
Day 1- Flights from Boston to Lima arriving at 11:05 pm
Day 2- Full day in Lima
Day 3- Flight to Arequipa. As mentioned by other posters,I
will spend 2 nights here. I like the idea of
finding a hotel between the Plaza de Armas and Santa
Catalina Convent in order to walk to the attractions.
ANY SUGGESTIONS?
Day 4- Arequipa 2nd overnight
Day 5- Begin Colca Canyon tour (2 days,1 night). I WILL CHECK
OUT GIARDINO TOURS(OXYGEN ON BOARD IS GREAT TO KNOW)
UNLESS ANYONE HAS OTHER SUGGESTIONS.
DO THEY HAVE A SELECTED PLACE TO STAY OVERNIGHT?
Day 6- Second day of Colca tour and overnight in Puno
Day 7- On the advice of both Shutterbug and Elizabeth, I will
tentatively plan for the overnight in Amantani.
Will check out Allways Tours.
Day 8- Second day of tour. DO I NEED TO RETURN TO PUNO OR CAN
I GO DIRECTLY TO CUSCO?
Day 9- If not, I will travel to Cusco today. WHAT IS THE
DISTANCE AND HOW BEST TO GET THERE? Overnight in Cusco
Day 10- To Ollantaytambo(by Inka Express bus) overnight here
Day 11- Olly overnight again
Day 12- Olly to Lima in late afternoon HOW LONG DOES IT
TAKE TO GET TO LIMA?
Day 13- Lima- To airport at 9:30 pm.

Will plan to see Machu Picchu on Day 11 (hopefully)
As you can see, I do not have much time in the Sacred Valley.
WHERE DID I GO WRONG?

Can't comment on the travel times until Puno, but based on our trip we returned from Amantani to Puno and overnighted there as it was mid afternoon. Perhaps if you have a private driver you could drive but it's long (and would be dark?)

So Puno/Amantani is 3 nights I think.

And while I might have recommended Amantani, it's not at the expense of Machu Picchu.

I would start your whole trip planning backwards - scope out the time in MP/SV and then see if you have the time for Puno/Amantani. Also I would assess how important that one day of sightseeing in Lima is to you - it could be added into your other locations.

Day 7- On the advice of both Shutterbug and Elizabeth, I will
tentatively plan for the overnight in Amantani.
Will check out Allways Tours.
Day 8- Second day of tour. DO I NEED TO RETURN TO PUNO OR CAN
I GO DIRECTLY TO CUSCO?

>> You'll love overnighting at Amantani! Our tour got us back to Puno around 4:30PM so we stayed the night there and took the Inka Express to Cusco the next morning. There are buses which go overnight between Puno and Cusco, but I wouldn't recommend it. We did one the opposite direction and didn't get much sleep. Very crowded and not comfortable.

Day 9- If not, I will travel to Cusco today. WHAT IS THE
DISTANCE AND HOW BEST TO GET THERE? Overnight in Cusco

>> We took Inka Express. Bus ride takes about 10 hours and includes stops a multiple archaeological sites. Well worth it to see the sites. Direct buses only take about 7 hours.

Day 10- To Ollantaytambo(by Inka Express bus) overnight here
Day 11- Olly overnight again
Day 12- Olly to Lima in late afternoon HOW LONG DOES IT
TAKE TO GET TO LIMA?

>> Are you flying to Lima? It's about an hour flight. Try to book the earliest flight you can in the morning as the weather gets tougher for departures later in the day. I heard the bus is around 23 hours and was not recommended so we flew.

Hmmmm. It looks like I need to rethink this. I may just leave Lima until the end. Unfortunately, one cannot see everything that a country offers in a short period of time, nor do I want to rush everywhere. Better to savor the sights in a sane fashion esp with regards MP/SV. If I fly to Arequipa on day 2, this will give me one more day in SV.

Day 1- Flights from Boston to Lima arriving at 11:05 pm
Day 2 Flight to Arequipa. As mentioned by other posters,I
will spend 2 nights here. I like the idea of
finding a hotel between the Plaza de Armas and Santa
Catalina Convent in order to walk to the attractions.
ANY SUGGESTIONS?
Day 3 Arequipa 2nd overnight
Day 4 Begin Colca Canyon tour (2 days,1 night). I WILL CHECK
OUT GIARDINO TOURS(OXYGEN ON BOARD IS GREAT TO KNOW)
UNLESS ANYONE HAS OTHER SUGGESTIONS.
DO THEY HAVE A SELECTED PLACE TO STAY OVERNIGHT?
Day 5 Second day of Colca tour and overnight in Puno
Day 6 On the advice of both Shutterbug and Elizabeth, I will
tentatively plan for the overnight in Amantani.
Will check out Allways Tours.
Day 7 Second day of tour,overnight in Puno
Day 8 Travel to Cusco Since it is a transfer day and one never knows when one will return, I should opt for the 10 hour trip I ASSUME THERE ARE REST STOPS ALONG THE WAY???
Overnight in Cusco
Day 9 Explore Cusco
Day 10 To Ollantaytambo stopping in Pisac (should be a Thurs market day)Olly overnight
Day 11 Machu Picchu Olly overnight
Day 12 To Cusco airport Enroute, will visit Moray and Maras, perhaps Chinchero and fly to Lima-overnight Lima
Day 13- Lima- one day to explore To airport at 9:30 pm. Back to Boston

Day 12 - I don't think there is time to leave Aguas Caliente and get to Cusco, stopping in Moray, Maras and Chincerho on the way and fly out that same day. If I'm not mistaken most flights from Cusco finish early afternoon due to fog/other climate conditions.

Actually we would be leaving from Ollantaytambo, but the timing may also apply from there as well. I will have to check out the flight times. Thanks for the heads up!

How is it you're leaving from Ollanta? Not staying in AC?

I read that there is no great advantage to staying in AC and that Ollanta is a bit nicer. Have never been to Peru, so I try to get advice and read what everyone has to say. Not sure what works the best in my case.

Basically I think you are trying to cram to much into the time you have available. I would suggest adding a few days or dropping one of your proposed destination. Otherwise you risk using up a lot of your holiday time traveling from place to place and waiting around in airports and bus stations. Travel times always take longer than anticipated and delays are a common occurrence.

Cusco, the sacred valley and Macchu Picchu are must sees for most people. Ollantaytambo is a great place to base yourself for visiting the sites in the SV and is a destination in itself, but One night in AC is probably advisable if you want to make the most of MP (even if AC itself is a bit of a dump ).

Taking the Inka Express from Cusco to Puno is an experience in itself and is highly recommended and it is easy to get a bus from Puno down the Arequipa but if you did this then I doubt you would have time for Colca.

Here is a link to my blog with details of a similar route we took and some more detail (Peru starts at entry 55).

A possible schedule might be:

2 nts Cusco
3 nts Olly
1 nt AC
1 nt Cusco
2 nts Puno
2 nts Arequipa

Hope this helps a little rather than complicating things further.

Crellston, how do I get to your blog to read about your trip?
I suspect that you are right about doing too much with too little time. You can see why I am seeking advice from this forum. I need to trim things down and make a decision where to do it. I appreciate your thoughts.

ny1002, I think your revised itinerary works, although there isn't a lot of time for missed connections, you do have that first free day in Arequipa as well as one in Cusco, and you are returning to Lima the night before.

In Arequipa I stayed at La Casa de Melgar, the have a driver who does airport pickups, which I recommend (Casa de Melgar is very popular, so hope you can get it). They are on booking.com or you can book by email. The center of Arequipa and Santa Catalina are both relatively easy walks from Melgar.

Giardino Tours puts you in there own lodging in Corporaque, Mama Yacchi, which is a small town on the far side of Chivay. There are views from all of the rooms. I liked the guide I had very much (maybe I was lucky) and the fact that Giardino has dedicated van transport and doesn't put you on a pool tour. It was very affordable, something like $50 for the room and the tour together (not including dinner, which you must eat at the hotel). I really enjoyed the afternoon walk through the terraces in Corporaque near the hotel. Try to book this one in advance by email. I stayed a second night in Killawasi in Yanque which is equally nice, but I don't have experience with their transfer services and quides. The Giardino tour includes a pickup at your hotel in Arequipa, no waiting around and bus stations.

There is now a tourist bus service (4-M) directly from the town center in Chivay to the Puno bus station (I believe you can pay extra to be dropped off at your hotel, or the 4-M guide can help you get a safe taxi). This was very efficient - again no waiting around at a bus station.

In Puno I stayed at a small locally owned hotel near the Plaza de Armas, Hotel Qelqatani. There are probably nicer hotels in Puno, but the staff there was really helpful and they made an early breakfast for me both days that I left before regular hours.

As far as the SV and MP, I have been to MP twice, and both times did it as a day trip from Ollantaytambo leaving on the early (6am) train. The most recent visit I returned after the site closed at 5 pm and had time to hike to the Sun Gate in the morning (if you want to hire a guide at the gate I think you'll have to do the 2 or 3 hour tour first).

I might switch up the SV order a bit (even though it means missing Thursday in Pisac, this is not the day when the locals come from the towns.)

On Day 9 would go from Cusco with stops at Moray, Salineras and Chinchero on to Ollantaytambo on your arrival day. Coming from Chivay and Puno, you should be fully acclimated. After checking in to your Olly hotel, visit the ruins in Olly and have a walk through the old Inca Town sector. The most convenient hotel in Olly for taking the early train is El Albergue, but there is also Pakaritampu, Hotel Sauce, and KB Tambo (the upgraded view rooms).

Day 10 go to Machu Picchu and return to Olly at the end of the day.

An alternative for your overnight on Day 10 is to taxi to Pisac and spend the night there.

This allows you on Day 11 to hike the Pisac ruins in the morning while your bags are stored. From Pisac you could hire a driver to stop at the ruins between Pisac and Cusco, such as Sacsayhuaman. You would have the evening in Cusco, as well as the next morning to see the city sights (Qoricancha and the cathedral) before your flight to Lima.

Some photos of Arequipa and Colca Canyon
http://picasaweb.google.com/kiwifann/Arequipa
http://picasaweb.google.com/kiwifann/ArequipaPeruSantaCatalinaMonastery
http://picasaweb.google.com/kiwifann/ColcaCanyon

BTW it is MUCH easier to find a tour from Arequipa to Colca Canyon than the reverse direction (Puno to Chivay). Also Arequipa as a good altitude to start your acclimitization, although you will still feel altitude at the high pass between Arequipa and Chivay. I would consider diamox for these first few days.

crellston didn't put the link in - but here it is

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/candcthai/1/tpod.html

Thanks Elizabeth!!!

Once again, thanks to all!

mlgb- I want to especially tell you how much I appreciate your input. Hopefully, I can extend the same assistance to you at a future time. I gather you live on the West Coast and if ever I can help you with info for places on the East coast (or other places I have been), I am at your service (as well as to anyone else who wants my 2 cents). I am keenly aware that these forums are for that purpose, but I can see that you took a long hard look at my itinerary. I had gotten to the point that I was considering postponing the trip to a future time when I could get a few more days. Presently, I have 2 tickets on hold using FF miles with the lowest number of miles needed for this trip. This I must redeem by midnight tonight. I prefer not to buy more miles to extend the trip. Nevertheless, I feel that I can go and make it happen, albeit a little tight with connections.

Just to let everyone know- I went on to the government website that sells MP entrance tickets. A pop up stated that due to fraudulent VISA credit card problems, tickets are not being sold online at this time. They hope to resolve this issue in the future

Also, I checked out El Albergue, but they are closed for several days just when I will be there. There are still many options and I have plenty of time to arrange accomodations.

My revised revised version is as follows:

Day 1- Flights from Boston to Lima arriving at 11:05 pm Probably best to stay at airport hotel

Day 2- Flight to Arequipa. As mentioned by other posters,I
will spend 2 nights here.

Day 3- Arequipa- 2nd overnight

Day 4- Begin Colca Canyon tour (2 days,1 night). I WILL CHECK
OUT GIARDINO TOURS(OXYGEN ON BOARD IS GREAT TO KNOW)
UNLESS ANYONE HAS OTHER SUGGESTIONS.

Day 5- Second day of Colca tour and overnight in Puno

Day 6- On the advice of both Shutterbug and Elizabeth, I will
tentatively plan for the overnight in Amantani.
Will check out Allways Tours.

Day 7- Second day of tour,overnight in Puno

Day 8- Travel to Cusco Since it is a transfer day and one never knows when one will return, I should opt for the 10 hour trip Overnight in Cusco

Day 9- Explore Cusco- Travel and overnight in Ollantaytambo

Day 10- To Machu Picchu and Olly overnight ( I still have day 11 should anything curtail my plans)

Day 11- Explore Sacred Valley- Olly overnight

Day 12- To Cusco airport and fly to Lima-overnight Lima

Day 13- Explore Lima- to airport at 9:30 pm. Back to Boston

A few more questions.

How much time is needed to explore Cusco before traveling to Olly?

On Day 11, do you recommend getting a private driver and a guide for the day in order to see the most sights? If so, would you go through the hotel or use one of the guides mentioned frequently in this forum ie. David Ramos, David Choque, Percy Salas or Vidal?

Oh you can definitely go for it! You're itinerary is perfectly doable.

For Cusco, the Plaza de Armas, Koricancha and the Cathedral can be done in 2-3 hours. Not sure what time the bus arrives into Cusco, but you can also walk around the Plaza de Armas in the evening (Greens is a good place to try alpaca).

If you are seeing Cusco in the morning on Day 9, I would not bother with a guide (just a taxi), have them take you over the high road to Olly and try to have two or three hours to explore the Olly ruins that afternoon before they close (maybe at 5 pm?).

On Day 11 I would not overnight in Olly, but instead I would use a private driver (with or without guide) to take you to sightsee all day on the way back to Cusco. You can visit Pisac, Salineras, Moray, Chinchero, and possibly Sacsayhuaman as well (just depends on how much time you want to spend hiking). It really is better to be in Cusco the night before your flight out.

Not sure if you will have luck with the oft recommended guides for just a one-day excursion, but you never know. The hotels will at least be able to hook you up with reliable drivers, or perhasp as well with a guide.

I would reserve your train ticket as far ahead as possible, for a day trip to maximize time in MP> The good times sell out. If you have trouble with Peru Rail, the other two services have early/late trains. Inka Rail was fine.

You can buy your MP tickets in Cusco when you arrive if you don't have a hotel or guide able to do that for you.

I hope you love Peru as much as I do! (Going back again in September on that cheap TACA air fare).

Note that with this schedule you'll be buying the full "boleto turistico".

Here is a link for Killawasi Lodge in Yanque. I stayed there for my second night in Colca Canyon before going on to Puno. I don't know the details of their tours (such as who they use for transport), but I liked the hotel and it is supposed to have an excellent restaurant. I imagine there are reviews of the tour piece of Killawasi on Tripadvisor. They are slightly mre

http://www.killawasilodge.com/eng/index.php

Finger slip again...slightly more expensive than Giardino, but you are closer to Condor Cross so probably don't have to get up quite so early. The bathrooms at Killawasi are fantastic!

Crellston- Thanks to Elizabeth I am reading your blog. All I can say is OMG! I have not finished it entirely, but the story of Miguel, the guide, was truly heartwarming. Good hearted souls still exist in this world.

mlgb- How clever of you to point out that it is far more sensible to stay overnight in Cusco on day 11! It will be done, assuming no major surprises along the way. After 35 years of traveling here and there, I've had my share. Well, the die is cast. Got my tickets to ride!!

I have no doubt that I will love Peru as much as you do. Your feelings are almost palpable when I read your entries. I hope you will post more info when you return from your September trip.

At some point in time, I need to discover everyone's shopping secrets in Peru. The watercolor artists in Arequipa will be on my list. I,too, have filled up my walls and may have to resort to the ceilings. I become crazed when I find something that I really want. In China, to the horror and dismay of my husband and children, I bargained for 7 hours for a silk on wool rug. After the fact, it is now enjoyed by the family and a beautiful reminder of the trip.

As Elizabeth chose her unfinished weaving, so, too, will I seek out that special item that will call back memories of my time in Peru.

I will continue to research and make reservations for my two domestic flights, train tickets, and lodging.

We were delighted with David Choque - suggest you email him regarding some of your plans. For example he could get the train tickets in advance and the MP tickets and do some of your transportation. Also I found he got better hotel rates than I could get on the internet.

In Ollanta we stayed at Hotel Sauce and loved it

http://www.hostalsauce.com.pe/