Hi all

I'll have two full free days in Peru. I can either stay in Lima and explore (never been) or fly to MP and (presumably) take a bus trip - not enough time to hike, surely.

what do you think - stay in Lima & explore, or go for broke and try to visit Macchu Picchu in only two days? I'd fly out in the AM from Lima to Cusco, and stay overnight only one night - fly back the next day.

if you've done this trip in a hurry, how did you do it? are there actually buses which take you up? or is it a long drawn out ordeal best left to a full week, etc. I am in fairly decent shape but have not hiked since the spring time - and definitely not at altitude!

thanks

ah, should mention - this will be next week. is this a good time of year to do this, or not? thanks.

flygirl: If you will get to Peru again, then svae MP for a time when you will have more time. You can do Lima justice in two days. If not, then "go for broke" and see MP. It is fantatsic. Try to stay overnight at MP so you will have the evening and morning bus-free periods. Have a great trip.

If you won't return to Peru for a while, go to Machu Pichu even for 2 days. I was there last December, hiked the 4 days Inca Trail to MP with a guide and 3 other hikers. Amazing. Weather should be okay now, bring rain gear, but watch out for altitude, most likely, you will only get a nasty headache. Drink lots of fluid a few days before and during your visit.

For you, fly to Cuzco then join a day tour from Cuzco that will most likely include the bus and admission ticket as a package to MP, I think that will be a good way to save time and hassle since you have so little time. There are numerous travel agencies you can pick from. Ask around and compare, chances are they will lump you together anyway. If you are adventurous, take the train or bus to Aguas Caliente, the town below MP, and stay the night. Depending on when you arrive and has to fly out the next day, keep in mind it could take 3 hours by train or bus to go between Aguas Caliente & Cuzco. On the way back from MP to Cuzco, the train will stop at Poroy station and there is a bus waiting there for people who wants to pay a few dollars to shave 1 hour off the last segment of the long train ride. I took it and it was worth it as I was on a tight schedule that night to get back. I think it is better to go with a guide as I learned more than if I just walked around by myself inside MP. Enjoy.

I think you will really struggle logistically to do MP in two days. This is because you will fly up from Lima on day one in the morning. You will not get to Cuzco until mid/late morning. If you want to get to MP you will need to head of immeidately. However, the trains will probably have stopped by then as they leave early in the morning. You may be able to catch a taxi to Ollantaytambo and overtake the train and jump on it but this is far from certain. So you will have to charter a helicopter if you miss the train. You really shouldn't do this as the helicopter is not very safe by western standards (althought I have flown on much worse) but apparently the vibrations of the rotors are bad for MP.

Youcan't stay at MP as you need to be back in Cuzco on Day one as all flights from Cuzco to Lima go very early in the morning and so you will need to be back in Cuzco to check in at 7am.

I personally think the idea of trying to do MP in two days from Lima is one of the most stupid ideas I have ever heard in my life!!!

THANK YOU UKUKUK for telling me this. if this is true, it's a waste of my time & I'll save it for a real trip, not a few free days on a business trip.

I appreciate all of your replies...

I think you are best staying in Lima - it is an interesting city. Stay in Miraflores is my advice.

Whilst it is feasible that you might make it to MP from Lima in two days so many things could go wrong that I think it is a bad idea.

Really big problems to consider are:

1) You may well miss the train and may well not be able to arrange a helicopter in such a short space of time.

2) You may get to Cuzco and feel faint due to the altitude and so won't feel like facing the prospect of carrying onto MP.

3) Your return flight from Cuzco to Lima may get cancelled (they often are) and you may miss your connecting flight from Lima to home.

You may be able to find a tour rep in Lima that will get you up and back in two days but I think it will be pricey. I persoannly would wait as you will miss out on Cuzco. Take a week or more and go up to Cuzco another time and then go and visit MP and make the trip more worthwhile is my advice...

Thanks again.

by any chance, did you come across any places to ride horses there, in your travels? I'd like to ride outside of an arena - on the beach, if possible.

the guidebooks I've lokoed at don't say much about just hiring a horse for a few hours - they only mention guided tours, which I won't have time for...

thank you!

I didn't.

In fact I did not come across many horses in Peru compared to Chile and Argentina.

Whilst in Lima, I went to a small beach resort for one night which was about 60kms south of Lima. I just took a taxi there. I went there to go fishing but I think I may have been able to hire a hore there. Unfortunatley I can not remember the name of this town. But, if you go to a small town outside of Lima I think you will be able to find some horses to hire.

I doubt you will find many horses to hire in Lima - it is a place where you would not want to have to ride due to the traffic and fumes.

Come to think of it, I agree it is not worth it to do MP in 2 days. Logistically, it is difficult. Now having said that, if your flights into Cuzco arrives before 10 am on day 1, you may be able to quickly arrange a half day tour of the Cuzco and/or the surrounding area including the Sacred Valley - Saqsayhuaman is one of the site worth visiting and close by. I remember doing a half day tour that started at Noon or 1 pm from the Plaza de Armas and ended at 7 pm that night. The bus took around 20 people and waited for us at each stop as the guide took us to different sites. There are a lots of travel companies that will be able to arrange it on the spot, as they lump people into one big tour anyway. Cost is very inexpensive. The key is what time do you arrive in Cuzco on day 1 and when do you fly out on day 2 and if your return home flight leaves on day 3 (don't cut it too close). If you arrive past 10 am on day 1, I would not fly to Cuzco either as there might be plane delays. There is also altitude to contend with. It depends on how badly you want to see a bit of the Inca history and when will you return. I believe seeing Cuzco and Sacred Valley is worth the effort if the flight logistics can be worked out and if you can handle the headaches you are bound to have, and if you will not return for a long long time. I tend to be the type of person who tries to make the most of my trip if it can be done without jeopardizing the rest of the itinerary.

Here are a few phone numbers I found from my Cuzco Attraction pass
Airport info 084-222611
Tourism office info 084-263176
Airline Lan Peru 084-255552

One more thought, if you are returning soon, just wait and spend as the other poster suggested one whole week at a more relaxing pace to do MP and Cuzco justice. You can even do the 4 day hike too to MP.