We are going to MP with our two kids. We want to be sure that we have a knowledgeable guide with us for the day. Would you suggest booking a guide ahead of time, seems a bit pricey includes transportation and entrance or just hoping to find one of the many guides at the entrance. We do no want to take a chance to travel all the distance and not have a great guide, but do not want to throught money away either. Thanks

How old are your children?

You know if you do your homework on Machu Picchu and read some good website with good pictures, you can learn enough that you do not need a guide.

An easy to read booklet on Machu Picchu and a simple map wil be good.

Some guides go into a lot of detail that you may not want to know or remember later.

I mean it is not like you are asking about all of the Sacred Valley, you only want to take the train to Machu Picchu and know what you are looking at.
Let me know if you have found some good websites.
Percy

thanks for the reply My childeren are adults 19,and 22. I meant specifically are the guides available at the entrance knowledgeable enough and abundant. Thanks

My travel was booked by Lost World Adventures. The young man, Humberto, who was my guide in Cusco and in MP was educated in the Peruvian university system and was an exceptional guide. His knowledge of history, architecture and culture was wonderful and he had a great narrative style. His English was also excellent. Although I read about MP extensively before my visit, his guidance made the trip much more meaningful to me. It is the trip of a lifetime and I think it worth a little extra money to be sure you have a first rate guide. I do not have any contact information for Humberto as all my dealings were direct with the agency. Buen viaje.

I was at Machu Picchu in March and I did my homework very well and the good guide I had added little to what I did not know( But that's Me)....AND

I would not argue about getting a guide.

Also ,I read your other posts and I would "wake up" early both days, there is something about seeing the sunrise over Machu Picchu.

By the 3 PM train ride back to Cusco you will have had enough.

Percy.

Percy: <I was at Machu Picchu in March >

Can you tell me about the weather in March? That is when we will be in Peru.

Thanks, Rod

tatersalad:

Well you know how weather is..ever changing BUT we had good weather in Cusco , The Sacred Valley and all the way to Macchu Pichu.

I just took a look at some of the pictures I took at Macchu Pichu and I was wearing only slack and a shirt...no sweater,so the weather was good.

Good Luck
Percy

wylie, sorry to hijack your thread, but I have yet a couple of questions for Percy.

Percy: did you also go to Lake Titicaca, Arequipa or Colca Valley? Were you there in early, mid or late March? We will arrive on 9 March and Depart on 25 March and plan to visit the locations I mention here as will as Cusco, S.V. and M.P.

Thanks again,
Rod

Hi tatersalad:

To answer your question ...No I did not get to the lovely city of Arequipa nor to the Colca Valley which as you know is just about 90 miles NW of Arequipa.

The reason is because I spent a few days touring Lima and then spent the rest of my time in Peru in the Scared Valley and Macchu Pichu.

I had a tour guide with me and we did all the towns and places and markets from Pisac all through the Sacred Valley that runs from Pisca to Ollantaytambo ( we saw the ruins here).

I visited all the towns and went into many people's houses and saw how they lived.

Some homes had Guinea pigs right in their living room ....living with them!!!, in one home there were 67 (!!) in a circle in the living room.
What do they do with them?
They eat them !

It is a nice train ride(Perurail, a blue train)) from Ollantaytambo ( or even from Cusco ) to Macchu Pichu.

If you are going to be at Macchu Pichu on March 21st, then keep in mind that at Macchu Pichu at the "Hitching Post of the Sun"...there willbe no shadow cast by this "post" as the sun is directly above !

Have a nice trip.

from Cusco I flew back to Lima and then on to Buenos Aires.

Percy