Isaak

Just came back from a trip to Peru and want to thank all contributors to this forum - your posts and advice in preparation for our trip were priceless! Special thanks for recommending Percy Salas ([email protected]) - he was a perfect guide for us - helpful, knowledgeable, very accommodating and genuinely interested in the history of the area.

Here is a summary of our trip - if anyone has specific questions, please e-mail or post to this site, we'll be glad to provide details.

day 0 - American Airlines flights: Phila - Miami, Miami - Lima

day 1 - Early morning Star Peru flight Lima - Cusco. Met at the airport by Percy Salas for a day tour of the Sacred Valley, including Alpaca farm, Pisac market and ruins, and Ollantaytambo. Hotel - Tambo del Inca in Urubamba.

day 2 - Continue Sacred valley tour with Percy Salas - Seminario Ceramic Workshop, Chinchero, Salt Mines and Moray Terraces.

day 3 - Bus/train to Machu Picchu. Sightseeing at Machu Picchu. Overnight at the Sanctuary Hotel

day 4 - Morning climb to Wayna Picchu. Afternoon - a private guided tour of Machu Picchu. Late afternoon - train/car transfer to Cusco. Overnight at Terra Andina hotel in Cusco.

day 5 - 11 - a tour of Manu National Park with InkaNatura Travel. In - by bus, return - by plane. Great adventure and our InkaNatura guides Michel and William were great!

day 12 - 13 - in Cusco, Hotel Terra Andina. Cusco Inca sites tour with Percy Salas. Sightseeing, shopping and dining on a guinea pig

day 14 - 15 - in Lima, Hotel Sheraton Lima, private city tour with Lima Tours. Larco Museum. Change of Guard at the Presidential Palace. Ceviche dinners at Cebicheria del Mar and Al Fresco.

Again, thanks a lot for sharing... and I will be glad to answer any questions.

qwovadis

GREAT report everyone loves Percy..thanks for posting.

hairamhc

Issak...sounds like you have a great trip. We stayed three nights at The Sanctuary Lodge and really took out time "investigating" the ruins and avoiding as much of the crowds as possible.

I can't believe a lot of visitors skip the trek and climb up Huayna Picchu...aren't you please you did it!

Did you really think Chinchero, Salt Mines and Moray Terraces was worth you time and money? We're returning to the Sacred Valley this fall and are considering visiting these destinations.

fyi...think you have a typo with the email address forPercy Salas...shouldn't it be[email protected])

shelleyk

The salt mines and Moray terraces are easy to do with a taxi from the Sacred Valley. You do not need a guide. It is not very expensive that way. We hired a driver for 3 hours from our Yucay hotel. It took 3 hours to see both. Cost-$35 for the driver (He did not speak English, but we speak a little Spanish) 10S each for admission to Moray and 5S each for admission to the salt pans. Definately worth less than $50 to see both unique sights. Bring a guidebook for descriptions of both. As far as Chinchero, it is an interesting market town. If you go, I would recommend going early on Sunday. It's worth about a 1-2 hour stop.

Isaak

Chinchero, Salt Mines and Moray Terraces are definitely worth a visit. The sites are spread out and you do spend a lot of time driving, but the mountain scenery is beautiful. One ticket good for two days allows admission to the ruins of Ollntaytambo, Moray, Pisac and Chinchero. It is called Boleto Parcial Circuito III and costs 70 Soles. There was a just small market in Chinchero (it was a Monday), so Sunday is probably a better day if you want to see the market.

mlgb

The chapel in Chinchero is also worth a look inside, and there is a lady who offers chicha sampling for tourists in the area (Descanso), most guides and taxi drivers know where it is.

I was happy to only spend the one day in MP and used the extra days to explore the Sacred Valley, walking around Ollantaytambo, hiking down from Pisac, etc. There is much more to the area than MP.