Hi,
My husband and I are thinking of going on a week long trip to Peru, at the end of summer. The plan is to land in Lima late in the night, take a flight on to Cuzco the next morning, and go straight to the sacred valley to acclimatize. A few questions:
1. We are planning to spend the first few days in Ollaytantambo, and go to MP from there, and spend the last few in Cusco. Is this a good idea?
2. So far, the places we have shortlisted to visit are Cusco, 1 day in Lima, MP of course, Chinchero, Ollaytantambo, Pisac and Moray. Are there any other must-dos?
3. We are vegetarian (but do eat eggs). Cusco and Lima seem to have a wider selection of vegetarian food. Any tips on that?

Thanks a lot!

Sounds like a good plan
1 - yes
2 - how much total time do u have?
3- Cant help on the vegetarian question.

Thanks!. We are there for 7 days.

I am not a vegetarian but I can help with that question. I have recently returned from Peru and there were vegetarians in my travel group. They had no difficulty whatsoever finding good food in any part of Peru.

Thanks. Its good to know we won't have to worry much about getting vegetarian food.

Also, having never been to South America before, would you recommend going there by ourselves, without a tour group?

If you usually travel without a tour group, you'll be fine in Peru. People are very friendly and helpful. In the tourist areas there are usually folks who speak English. You can pick up tour guides for various sites upon arrival if you wish. You can also get drivers to take you around when you get there. We usually travel on our own, but for Peru we got a guide for parts of it. We had a guide for the Pisac ruins, parts of Cusco and half day in MP. I found having a guide greatly enhanced our trip, but we would have been fine without him, just wouldn't have gotten as much information and history.
I think your itinerary is fine for a weeks stay.

We spent one week in Peru last September and had a wonderful time!
We did not go with a tour, and went to all of the places you mention.

Here is the link to my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35085466

Hopefully some of this info will help you.
Good luck and
Happy, safe travels!

>-
www.luv2globetrot.com

Hi, I found tons of veggies and fruits everywhere we went during our trip to Peru as I prefer that over Meats,etc. We spent 3 nights in Sacred Valley and I was impressed by all the veggie offerings. Sometimes you have to ask, but there is no problem being served a dish w/o the chic or meat.

We planned everything by reading this forum, trip reports, etc. and found terrific guides once we were there.
Awesome trip; have a great time planning and just enjoy the experience.
Cc

Govinda's was a decent Vegetarian/Hari Krishna restaurant in Aguas Calientes, the town you stop in before ascending to Machupicchu the next day.

I also had no problem -- there is a lot of avocado, quinoa, bananas, rice, cooked veggies. Also, Greens in Cusco is a fantastic veggie restaurant.

Thanks everyone!!
Another question - we were thinking of first going to Ollaytantambo on arrival in Cusco. What hotels do you recommend there? I saw great reviews for Pakaritampu, but we are looking for a slightly cheaper option.

Hi To_S

We also drove directly to Sacred Valley touring amazing sites along the way; Moray, Maras, Chinchero (a lovely village with a church, lots of locals and a market)...We stayed at Sol Y Luna and loved it in Urubamba-- but there are plenty of less expensive options; one that gets a lot of good rec's on trip ad. is Kuchy Rumi ( I think that is the spelling)and the owners are locals that can set up guides, etc.
The entire area is delightful and if you google it you will come up with plenty of options.
Have a great trip!
Cc

We stayed at Munay Tika in Ollanta in May. It was nice and inexpensive -- like under $40 USD for a double w/ private bath, including breakfast. We actually got a triple room on the 2nd floor overlooking the courtyard w/ a view of the Ollanta ruins.

The courtyard area is very pleasant w/ flowers.

The hotel is a short walk to the main plaza and the ruins, and it's right next to the river. The lady who manages it is very nice.

They also kept our luggage when we went to Machu Picchu.

In Ollanta, check out Hearts Cafe right in the main plaza. It has a lot of fresh, vegetarian options. It's also run as a charity for children. We ate and snacked there for most of our 3 days stay in Ollanta.

We're not vegeterians, but when traveling to developing countries we prefer to eat veggies because we don't trust the meats out there -- poor refrigeration, etc. unless we eat at reputable, higher-end restaurants.

to_switzerland - yes, going to Ollanta first to acclimatize is a great idea. We stayed at Las Orquideas, a great budget option. We paid about $35-40, as I remember. They don't have a website or even email, but we hired a private tour guide who arranged the reservations. They also have a phone number (but don't speak much English). Rooms are basic but very clean and the location is great. There's a very nice garden courtyard.
I'd also recommend Hotel Sauce, which looked quite nice - I think it's about $80 or something like that.
As for other sites, you might want to see the salt pans (salineras de maras). They can be combined with the trip to Moray.
My trip report covers our time in the Sacred Valley and also at MP - in quite a bit of detail. Here's the link:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35080146

And if you're interested in my photos (there's a shot of the hotel in Ollantaytambo):
http://kbutler1122.zenfolio.com/

Good luck with your planning!
Karen

Actually, we paid $32 at Las Orquideas. It was quite a deal.

Thanks for all the hotel suggestions... this forum has been a great help!
A question on Munay Tika for JC98 - In general, did you find the hotel to be clean?
I will also look into Las Orquideas and Hotel Sauce. Thanks!
Very informative trip report Karen.

Yes, our room and the Munay Tika in general were clean and well-kept. It's recommended in Fodor's guidebook and many other travel guides.

Again, the room was basic--bare hardwood floor, no shampoo or conditioner, etc. (Bring your own.) But the shower was decent with hot water.

I think althom's hotel is right next to Munay Tika on the same street and facing the river. They sound pretty similar with a garden courtyard.

Besides Karen's excellent trip report, you may want to check out my post too. We traveled on our own in Peru, and it was our first trip to South America too.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35134708

Bookmarking thanks