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Feedback Request: Machu Picchu Itinerary
Good evening fellow Fodorites
We are planning to visit Machu Picchu in August and have sketched out the following itinerary based upon our online research. Please let us know if there are any "gotchas" or nuances that would make our visit better. Thank you! Visit Overview:
Day 1
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- Are you asking whether to book your train in advance? I would! What if it’s full?
· Unless things are very much different when you are there than when I was, I would seriously doubt that you can arrive in Aguas Calientas at 9:15 and catch a bus at 9:30; I think the 10 a.m time is also questionable. You have to get from the train station to the office for bus tickets (not far at all, but its easy to get lost in the market that surrounds the train station). When I was there, the line to buy bus tickets took well over ½ hour. Then one changes to the bus boarding line, where waits are the norm. · Buses are (or at least were!) not reserved – you need a ticket and then stand in line. · I believe that you can buy your bus ticket only if you have (and show) a confirmed ticket to enter Machu Picchu; your hotel reservation might also work (I didn't stay at the lodge). · Are unguided tours still allowed? I thought they were eliminating that option. Even so, I would very strongly recommend working with a guide – and I don’t usually like working with guides! I saw and learned a lot that I hadn’t found in any printed material. · The line for buses to reach Aguas Calientas from Machu Picchu was over an hour long when I visited. I’m sure your hotel can give you better advice than I can. Hope that helps! |
A few random observations.
1. It will likely take a lot longer to than 15 - 45 mins to queue for the bus on arrival. 2. I don’t think it matters that much which way you take the Vistadome train. We went vista to AC and Expedition back. IMO the views on the vistadome are not that much better so I would pay more heed to the timings. 3. Unless they have introduced a super express service from AC to Cusco, I think your quoted times for your return trip I.e. 3.37 to 5.02pm are out. I am pretty sure it takes around 3.5 hours for that trip. 4. I think read somewhere that you can now book bus tickets online and although that probably won’t remove the need to queue, at least you won’t have to waste time buying them on arrival. 5. It is a long time since I visited MP but I do remember the queues for buses being horrendous at certain times of the day. Allow for that esp. early morning and late afternoons. As suggested by KJA above, it may be worth contacting Belmond to find out what there guests usually do and whether they can assist in anyway. One final thought is that if the train you intend to take back to Cusco does arrive later than you would hope, get the train back to Ollantaymbo. This would have two major benefits: A) you could then do a taxi tour of the major Sacred Valley sights on your way back to Cusco the next day - our blog provides some details of one of our more recent trips https://accidentalnomads.com/2016/08...sacred-valley/ B) Luggage space on the trains is very limited so you could leave your main bags at the ollantaytambo hotel and pick them up on the way back. |
Good morning kja
Thanks so much for the insight re the Aguas Calientas bus transfer process! Our plan is to purchase all tickets in advance and/or online (all that are possible - PeruRail, MP entrance tickets, etc...). Would appreciate your insight on the following:
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Good morning Crellston
Thank you so much for your insight - especially your tips re: staying in Ollantaytambo for our return from Machu Picchu! Makes a ton of sense! Any insight on the ability and required ticket group to allow an early afternoon hike (start at 1-2pm) to Mt Machu Picchu and stay in the park until closing? Much appreciated! |
Originally Posted by dmiclat
(Post 16868781)
Is it possible to purchase the Aguas Calientas to Machu Picchu bus transfer tickets online/in advance?
It might be helpful to understand that there is a virtually continuous stream of buses going between AC and MP: The line forms, a bus pulls in, on-site personnel make sure that every seat is filled, the bus heads out, another bus pulls in. I think there is an underlying schedule that would call for buses to start every 5 or 10 minutes, but that schedule gets thrown off whenever one is delayed for whatever reason, and it makes no difference -- the buses pull in, are filled, and pull out. Or at least, that's how it was last May. |
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