Need your comments on Peru Itinerary
 

Hello Fodorites,

I am in the beginning stages of planning a 10 day trip to Peru in early June 2008. I practically have carpal tunnel syndrome from all of my clicking and searching around this website, but I am so grateful for all of the information.

We are early 40’s and taking our two children (boy – 10 and girl -9). We are relatively fit and active and our kids have some international travel experience (Europe and Asia). We don’t necessarily have to have kid-centric activities; they will love the walking, exploring, climbing and scenery. However, if there are kid-specific things to do we’d love to know about them. We do not speak any Spanish (yet), but I may try to fit in a class or two this fall.

June 6 arrive Lima late evening - hotel Second Home Peru
June 7 tour Lima
June 8 late morning flight to Cusco; go straight to Sacred Valley
June 8 -11 (three nights) Ollantaytambo ( hotel - Sol y Luna)
June 11 Early AM Vistadome train to Machu Picchu ( Sanctuary Lodge one night)
June 12 Late afternoon train to Cusco
June 12 – 15 Cusco???
June 16 Fly to Los Angeles

I would appreciate answers to the following questions and welcome your additional ideas or comments.

1) Comments on Second Home Peru? What should we do with our 1 day in Lima?

2) I like the idea of going straight to SV as it will give them a chance to roam and explore the great outdoors as well as acclimate to the elevation a bit. Yes or No?

3) What were your favorite experiences in the Sacred Valley? We would like to visit a local school and bring some gifts…What would you recommend besides crayons and stickers? Soccer balls? Books? Educational posters in Spanish from the teacher supply store?

4) Besides shopping and colonial architecture, what else can we do in the Cusco vicinity? I read somewhere about an Alpaca Farm? Is Sacsaywaman a full or half day excursion?

5) Should we cut down the number of nights in Cusco and fly to Arequipa for one night? We have not made flight arrangements yet, so I can extend the trip by a night or two if need be (we have generally found that about 11 days works for us before the kids start to get ancy)

6) I would like to see the Nazca Lines but my son and I get motion sickness in small planes……how bad (and how long) is that flight?

Thank you all in advance for your help!
Kelly

Hello,
I'm glad to read that you and your family aren't rushed. I would spend more time in Cusco than the Sacred Valley. I did enjoy both, though would spend a little more time in Cusco, or at least equal time.

As far as acclimation goes. I got into Cusco, my friend was suffering from Altitude Sickness right on, I was fine. So we decided to jump on a Sacred Valley tour, then I got really sick. My own opinion would be to stay in Cusco for the full day of arriving, then heading out to the Sacred Valley the following day, not right away.

I hiked the Inka Trail, so cannot comment on the train to Machu Picchu.

Regarding gifts, I would take postcards of where you are from, or surrounding big cities (or even NYC, Miami, whatever you have available). They're fairly inexpensive but I think they would do great, I took a couple of postcards with me and showed them to new friends that I met throughout Peru and they loved it.

Happy traveling!

1) See the Larco Museum

2)I went straight to the Sacred Valley. It's lower in elevation than Cusco so easier to acclimate.

3) White water rafting on the Urubamba River. The ruins of Ollantaytambo. The market and ruins at Pisac.

4) Sacsayhuaman is a half day excursion. It didn't impress me much.

5 & 6) I haven't done these.

Note Sol y Luna is in Urubamba not Ollantaytambo.

2 - Yes, go directly to SV to help acclimate.

4 - Sacasayhuaman is right outside Cusco -- wasn't impressed with it and it took maybe an hour to walk around with a guide. There are other ruins outside Cusco maybe 30-40 minutes that are worth seeing. TAMBOMACHAY was fascinating as was TIPON. We also visitied THE PIKILLACTA RUINS which are pre-Inca ruins. It was interesting to see the differences in the stone work.
5 - Flying to Arequipa for 1 night doesn't seem worth it. I would either spend more time in the SV or in Cusco.

I agree, one night in Arequipa isn't worth it. I'd cut one night out of Ollantaytambo and only stay in Cusco for 2 nights. If you could add on a night or two, that would give you plenty of time to add another area. With kids, I might go to the Amazon as it would be so different and interesting for them.

I get motion sickness easily, but didn't have any problems. I think part of it was that I was so focused on looking out the window and taking pictures. My friend in the back was not so lucky, but I think it was partially because he was in the back row and partially because he didn't spend the trip to and from the lines staring out the window and taking pictures like I did. He was looking down and futzing around with his ipod.

When I go fishing or scuba diving, I take a motion sickness pill or else I'm sick as a dog as soon as the boat stops and starts rocking in the waves. I even took them as a kid and was perfectly safe. Ask your pediatrician for a recommendation for your son.

Oh, make sure you take them to the alpaca/vicuna/llama farm just out cusco on the way to the Sacred Valley.

And save some money for silver shopping at Ilaria and alpaca wraps from Alpaca 111 (they even have a few in the international terminal in Lima). Don't bother with the "alpaca factory" in Cusco...it's a bit of a scam and not great quality or fit. You'll find much more nicer sweaters and wraps at Alpaca 111. The wraps are so much nicer than the cashmere ones we find in the states.

In Lima - not much to see, except Mira Flores area - one day is perfect as you can see the main attractions and get the hell out of there :-P

Since you'll only be in Cusco primarily, I wouldn't worry too much about pre-planning as SV is easily accessible fro Cusco.


In Cusco, purchase a Boleto Turistico / Touristic Ticket - it used to be $10USD but within a few months has double in priced to S/70 and can only be bought in soles not USD. This ticket is good for 10 days and you can visit several musuems and ruins.

Alternatively, you can buy the one day pass for S/40.

On the this ticket you can see Saqsaywaman, Q'enqo, Pukapukara, Tambomachay, Chincero, Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, Tipon and Pilillacta and several musuems. It's definitely worth it if you're spending more than 2 days in Cusco.

This ticket can be purchased from any of the sites mentioned above or from the tourist office on El Sol and Casa Garcilaso.

I think it's worth it to take a day tour to see Ollanyantambo, Chincero and Pisaq. I went with Naty's Travel Agency on Triunfo, 338 (right by the Plaza de Armas. It's 10 USD and you will leave 9am and return around 7pm. Best days to go are Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday when the Pisaq markets are open.

To see Saqsaywaman, Q'enqo, Pukapukara, Tambomachay, from the city centre you can take a bus to Tambomachay (the farthest ruin) and walk down the road and hit Pukapukar which is right across and another 6kms to Q'enqo and then Saqsaywaman...you can also walk up to Cristo Blanco after.

I personally love Lima. But I've been lucky enough to visit it with locals (twice), so I think I got a different perspective.

Nontheless, here's my recommendations for one day:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34975512

In Lima see the Gold Museum and visit the Plaza de Armas, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

I would NOT stay more than one night in Ollantaytambo. It is so tiny and so poor I was quite saddened. However, the ruins are spectacular.

I don't know how you are planning on getting to the Scared Valley from Cusco. However, I believe that if you purchase a train ticket from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, you cannot get off at Ollantaytambo and then use the same ticket from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.

I really enjoyed the market in Pisic and the ruins there were spectacular also.

Be sure and drink as much coca tea as you can. It will help with the acclimatization (Is that a word?). You can also buy coca leaves to chew. But be sure to get the "libta". It is a special rock. You scrape a little piece off with your teeth. Then you fold several cocoa leaves around it and chew it. If you try chewing coca leaves without the libta all you will get is a mouthful of leaves.

I really wanted to eat cuy (guinea pig) and drink cicha beer (fermented corn) but my guide would not let me. He said it would make me ill.

Peru is so poor I am sure that anything you bring the school children will be greatly appreciated. I immediately think of pencils (not the plain yellow ones but colorful ones) & erasers (the kind that come in different shapes). Soccor balls & posters sound fabulous! How about some jacks or jump rope for the girls?

Wow - just reading all of these posts made me dizzy. This is Nina from Ancient Summit - www.ancientsummit.com. I lived in Peru for 6 years and have traveled back and forth over the last 24. How you do it is a personal experience and you need to tailor it to your own needs. Having helped families before, I do know that after a while, too many ruins just start looking all the same. If you have good guides, they are very interesting. Sol y Luna has it's own school project and loads of activities going on right from there. Be aware that their services cost more than others. It's a hotel ofcourse. I would recommend not staying the first day in Lima and getting right into the mountains. Save Lima for the return so that you and the family can start re-entering back into reality. That is how I do it with all of my travelers. There are 2-3 hour tours of Colonial Lima and then you can pick and choose some of the Museums you might want to see. Larco Herera is a good choice and has a good restaurant for lunch. I can go on and on as this is what I do all day, except not here on the forums. Also, I think you and the kids would have a richer experience if you stay at El Pueblo and not the Sanctuary. There is much more for them to do there and much more freedom with space. I would do the 2 day Inca trail which is really only one day of hiking. No camping - you stay at the hotel overnight and then bus back up for Sunrise. At least you can say you hiked the Trail. I have kids that age do it and no problems. The dollar store is a wonderful thing for bringing gifts. Also, wear clothes that you wont mind leaving behind. Gives you room for shopping and filling your suitcases with wonderful things. Hope all this helps.

WOW...thanks to all for the incredible (albeit varied) opinions and ideas. I wish I were going next month and not next year!

Regarding staying in the Sacred Valley area for a few days: our plan is to stay at the Hotel Sol y Luna in Urubamba, which looks to have lovely grounds, horseback riding, close to ruins, and lovely views of the Andes. I just want to make sure I am not spending too much time in a small place that would get boring after a day and a half.

In my mind the plan looks like this: Arrive Cusco mid day Saturday and hire a driver to take us to Urubamba; check into hotel and use the afternoon for kicking back around the hotel and getting used to the elevation. On Sunday, I would have someone take us to the Pisac market (how much time would I need there and does anyone know how early they start?...I love to shop! is there anything my husband and kids can do if they get tired of shopping?) If I only need about 1/2 day for Pisac what could we do with the afternoon?

Again, in my mind I am picturing seeing some ruins (maybe with a guide to make it more interesting for the kids?) Then on Monday visit the school children and what else? Tuesday, I plan to leave early for Machu Pichu on the train from Ollantaytambo. After one night in MP we would go to Cuzco for a few days (still working that part out).

Ancient Summit; I looked at the Machu Picchu Pueblo hotel you mentioned, and loved the walks and things they have to do there. We kind of thought that it might be hard to get my son (gets very carsick very easily) to go up and down on the winding road to MP a second time, and although the price for the 4 of us is outrageous, I think we will plan to stay at Sanctuary Lodge. Do you know if the Pueblo allows non guest to see the grounds and the Speckeled Bear etc? Just how winding is that road anyway? I am assuming that the bus cannot go very fast on it, so that might cut down on the naseau factor.

Hills27...Thanks for the shopping advice. Is Ilaria a store or a section of town? Any advice on best things to buy at Pisac?

Again, many thanks to everyone for their responses!

On the way to the hotel, I would have your driver stop at the llama/alpaca/vicuna farm. Your kids will love it, get them very excited about the week to come, and it is a good stopping point to go to the bathroom and get a cold drink. Also, make sure your driver stops at the lookout point as you enter the Sacred Valley because you won't get another chance at that view. Notice the terracing down the mountainside...that's been there since Incan times.

There are lots of ruins around Ollantaytambo, Pisac and Urubamba - note, all these areas are very close. The Pisac ruins are my fave. Definitely get a guide to take you there. The ruins in the center of Ollantaytambo are also interesting. Two and a half days in the Sacred Valley is probably perfect with kids. More and the kids might get bored.

At certain times of the year, you can go rafting. My friends went in May, so I assume June would be fine.

Ilaria is a store. I so wish I had bought more.

Pisac is good for trinkets, rugs, alpaca blankets, and alpaca teddy bears and stuffed llamas. Bargain hard and don't be afraid to walk away. Keep in mind you'll see the same things over and over, as well as in Cusco. Also, the vendors can be very aggressive. If you've been to Asia, then you know the drill. Btw, wait until you go to Alpaca 111 (stores in Cusco, Lima, the airport, etc.) for sweaters and wraps - much better quality and a proper fit. The "baby alpaca" they sell on the streets and at the alpaca "factory" is never really baby alpaca according to my Peruvian friends.

The things I bought in Peru that I love the most are my alpaca wraps, an alpaca blanket in a grey and white Incan design, a watercolor of Cusco that I bought on the main square, two wood carved llamas with silver bells on their necks that I bought at Ilaria, and silver jewelry that I bought at Ilaria. I also have some fun alpaca ski hats with llamas on them - these also make great gifts. My mom bought these "antique" cows that you'll see on the roofs of the houses. We know they are probably not real antiques, but they have a great weathered look and a different design than the new ones you see in at the markets. The store she bought them at was just to the right of Hotel Monasterio in Cusco. The store wrapped them in newspaper and we carried them onto the plane in a small duffle.

Definitely pack a big empty duffle in case you buy a few blankets, etc.

The crafts market in Lima had some beautiful and very inexpensive christmas ornaments.

As I said, I get carsick easily and the ride up and down the mountain did not make me sick (and I've been up and down four times). You're so fascinated with the scenery, you don't get sick. Plus, these are very modern air-conditioned buses.

I think two nights in Cusco would be plenty. That would give you enough time to go to another area if you wish. There's a great article in this month's National Geographic Traveler about lodges in the Peruvian Amazon. The Inkaterra one sounds great.

Btw, book yourself a massage at Sol y Luna the afternoon you arrive. Send your husband to the pool with the kids. :-) Then go have a pisco sour for me.

we went last summer and went to lake titicaca and stayed with a host family on one of the islands. we met a french couple who traveled with kids about the ages of your children. the family appeared very happy traveling. on the island they were placed with a host family who also had kids. we didn't stay in lima and really enjoyed the cusco area.
good luck with your trip.