How's my itinerary?
 

I am a solo female traveler, getting ready for my first trip to Peru. I have agonized over how to spend the time and have finally come up with the following rough itinerary. Any suggestions would be most welcome.

For context: I like traveling independently as much as possible. I tend to be very cheap when I travel but don't mind spending more when it makes sense (I like to splurge on at least one or two great meals). I am in good shape; I walk everywhere in my home city and like doing long day hikes. I have college Spanish but need to brush up.

I love cities, ruins, beautiful views, and great food (but only vegetarian). I really love wildlife too, but, after much deliberating, decided not to do a jungle stay on this trip.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

<b>11/19, Saturday - sleep in <i>Lima</i></b>
Arrive late (11 p.m.) and transfer to the Gran Bolívar Hotel in central Lima, or possibly La Familia Rodríguez hotel in that same area. I realize that Central Lima will be noisier than Miraflores and probably a bit less safe, but I like the idea of being in the middle of the city near so many sites.

<b>11/20, Sunday - Lima</b>
Visit the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, la Iglesia de la Merced, and watch the changing of the guard at noon. In the afternoon, walk to the Plaza San Martín and visit the Museo Andrés Del Castillo *or* continue south and see MALI (not sure both can be done in one afternoon)? Walk a few blocks further south and see the illuminated fountains at dusk (hopefully that's safe enough...). Have dinner somewhere around there... or somewhere else.

<b>11/21, Monday - Lima</b>
In the morning, head east by bus to see the Museo de la Nación. In the afternoon, head to San Isidro by bus or taxi to see the Museo Larco. Have dinner someplace with an ocean view.

<b>11/22, Tuesday - Ollantaytambo</b>
Fly to Cuzco midmorning on Taca. Taxi to KB Tambo Hostal in Ollantaytambo (or have them collect me). Chelax for the rest of that day.

<b>11/23, Wednesday - Ollantaytambo</b>
Visit the Ollanta ruins on foot, get boleto turístico there (hopefully this is possible...).

<b>11/24, Thursday - Aguas Calientes</b>
Taxi or bus to Chinchero for the morning. In the afternoon, taxi-or-bus to Moray. From there walk to Salineras. Taxi-or-bus back to Olly in time for 7 p.m. Expedition train to AC. (Not yet sure where I should stay). If this seems like too much for one day (and to still make that train...), I may cut Chinchero.

<b>11/25, Friday - Aquas Calientes</b>
Take 5:30 a.m. bus to Machu Picchu. Try to see if I can find a decent English-language guide at the gate. Stay again that night in AC. (I want to stay a second night in case it rains too much on Friday -- to increase my chances of having at least one great day at Machu Picchu!)

<b>11/26, Saturday - Cuzco</b>
Assuming the first day was nice, I'll use the second day try to hike Wayna Picchu and/or Cerra Machu Picchu. Then I'll bus back to AC and take the 5:27 p.m. expedition to Cuzco. I'll stay at Piccolo Locanda.

<b>11/27, Sunday - Cuzco</b>
Visit the in-town sights, including the Cathedral, Qorikancha, etc.

<b>11/28, Monday - Cuzco</b>
Board a Pisac bus and get out at Tambomachay. Walk back to Cuzco via Q'Enqo, Pukapukara and Sacsaywamán.

<b>11/29, Tuesday - Cuzco</b>
Just relax... perhaps see additional in-town sites that I didn't get to the first day.

<b>11/30, Wednesday - Cuzco</b>
Take the bus to Pisac, and walk to the ruins. (I'm purposely opting for a day when I think it will be less crowded... hopefully this is the right approach.)

<b>12/1, Thursday - Paracas</b>
Take the 8 a.m. Taca flight to Lima. Take the 1:30 p.m. Cruz del Sur bus to Paracas. Transfer to Brisas de la Bahia Hostal.

<b>12/2, Friday - Lima</b>
Visit the Islas Ballestas (everyone seems to suggest this doesn't need to be reserved in advance -- I am assuming this is true). Find someone who can provide a tour around the peninsula. Take the 7:45 p.m. bus back to Lima (that's the last one of the night... not sure if that's risky). Go back to central Lima or stay somewhere else for variety, such as the Hostal El Patio in Miraflores.

<b>12/3, Saturday - Home</b>
Take it easy, wander about, see any can't-miss sights that I missed before, possibly the catacombs. In the evening, retrieve my luggage from whatever hotel I stayed at, then head back to the airport for a midnight flight home.

Any and all input is welcome!!

thanks so much,
Sasha

Hi Sasha,
First, yes you can get the boleto turístico at the Ollanta ruins (or could when I was there a few years ago).

Regarding the day you want to go to Chinchero and Moray, I know you're on a budget, but suggest that hiring a taxi for the day or finding a driver would make that day much easier and enable you to do/see more.

I didn't spend much time in Lima (just slept there the first night), but will mention that I thoroughly enjoyed our bus trip and overnight homestay on Lake Titicaca. Unless you really enjoy cities, you might consider an alternative location such as Puno.

We had no problem getting an English speaking guide at the entrance to MP.

Good luck!

Looks like a great, well though out trip. Like althom says you can get the bolleta touristica at Olly, or indeed any of the sites listed on the ticket.
% nights is a great amount of time to get to know Cusco but in the context of your overall time in the country, a little too much. Like althom, I would seriously consider including Puno in your itinerary. I doubt you will regret it as it is one of the most spectacular places in SA. Use the Inka Express bus to get there and you will get a fanastice trip accross teh altiplano to get there (added bonus is that it stops at a number of interesting places along the way.

www.saexplorersclub.org is worth a look to consider joining for use of teh clubhouses in Lima & Cusco and for the many genuine discounts on food, accomodation an tours. Also a great place to meet other travelles and get up to date info.

During our time there we used www.hostelworld.com and www.hostelbookers.com to booke accommodation and found them both to be excellent.

For veggie food in Olly I highly recommend http://www.heartscafe.org/ one of teh few places with hygeine standards up to western standards and a good cause too!

Local buses are very cheap but out in the SV tend to leave on a "when full" basis (sometimes VERY full!) so it can take a bit of time to get around. Taxis are not expensive and it might make sense to hire one for the day to get around the SV and see a great deal in one go.

Do take the usual care on local buses which can be rife with pickpockets particuarly in the towns. Also, definitely get your hostal to collect you AND make sure they identify themselves to you there are lots of scams at the airport and there have been one or two quite nasty occurences with female tourists there.
A link to our blog with some more info and some photos

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...ai/1/tpod.html

Entrie 55-64 relate to Peru.

Have fun it is an amzing part of the world.

Just a few comments overall it looks good

The combi vans in Lima are cheap easy to use although can be crowded at times, so watch your stuff. But for me I preferred them to a taxi for solo female as long as your lodging is not on a dark side street. Bolivar is on a well lit square, I want to try it my next stay, good location for seeing the centro. There are a few websites for Lima that I like, one is www.limaeasy.com which has a tons of links, including the following which explains how to use the combis & new Metropolitano http://www.rutasrecomendables.com/blog/ Even though you walk you may find it handy to jump on a combi for a rest especially for the walk between centro and the ocean.
I would try to see MALI, it doesn't take too long, and also pop into the free Italian museum. If you can make time I also would take the Metropolitano and visit Barranco and Pedro de Osma museum. Maybe you could do this your last day in Lima.

I used the combis in Lima to get from centro to Miraflores and Barranco (now the Metropolitano is a good way to get between Barranco and the center).

Around the Plaza de Armas there is an 8 soles Mirabus which you will enjoy from the top level, take it around dusk, it is a good way to take photos without worrying about your camera. They have been nice about letting me get off along the route (probably on the way back it will go near Bolivar, it also goes near the fountains).

Walking in Lima, be sure to ask at the hotel about no go zones, one side of a street can be fine and the other not so. Jiron de la Union is fine during the day for walking there are some interesting churches between the two plazas.

Food is great in Lima at all budget levels, look especially for the lunch menus around 12 to 14 soles. Although not sure how easy it is to do veggie, a lot of things may have a little meat in them.. and no meat can be interpreted there as fish and chicken don't count!Take a proper taxi to your lodging when carrying luggage.

Another endorsement for Hearts Cafe/Olly. Quinoa soup.

I would go to the Pisac or Chinchero market on Sunday, for me it was less aboutshopping and more the locals from the villages who come in to trade & sell produce.

adventures.worldnomads.com/destination/168/itinerary/23.aspx

Hey Sasha looks good what you are proposing is known as a

"reverse" Gringo Trail... most do it the opposite way for

several reasons mainly to adjust to altitude better and save

the best for last... mdtravelhralth.com for alitude illness

issues but flying from LIM at sea level quickly to CUZ

sickens many for several days... some nice budget hotels

for you on your way...

hotelsanantonioabad.com FREE LIM pick up

Santa Maria Hostal nice on the ocean for Ballestas

Brabant Hostal and Nasca Flight $55 with them last year

CAREFUL many scammers around Nasca Brabant is run by a

wonderful Dutch lady and her Peruvian husband great time there

at a great price. bothyhostel.com Arequipa Chivay/Colca

on your way to titicacaperu.com via 4m-express.com Bothy

nice there too in Puno. Might consider an overnite in Taquile

was cheap awesome for me a Unesco world heritage site.

Then inkaexpress.com to Cusco ninoshotel.com rumipunku.com

Apulodge.com Ollantaytanbo for MP visit

Presidente hostel best in MP for me peru-exploerer.com

Might also consider incalandadventures.com with Flavio $300

for me last awesome to come into MP through the Sun Gate

insuremytrip.com always wise keep your wits about you

www.cruzdelsur.com.pe best bus downstairs VIP seats.

Careful many touts scammers do not befriend stangers on bus

share cab use labeled cabs only buy your own drinks if you

drink and watch them mixed. travel.state.gov for a heads up

on all this. I always travel with a money belt and a no fee

visa capitalone.com works fine for me big bank money change

only USD $20 new no tears best %50 $100 not taken due to

counterfeiting... Fly back from CUZ to LIM.

Have a blast be careful!

mdtravelhealth.com for health/altiude issues

If I flew direct CUZ(11000 ft!) I would take Diamox

to prevent altitude illness truly a drag in many ways.

Lastly if you could make more time your experience would

be more wonderful...

Thank you all so much for the input!

althom1122 and crellston, I have seriously thought about a Lake Titicaca stop... My main concern about trying to do it as part of this trip has been that I don't want to cram too many things in, and I also figured I could see it during a future Peru-Bolivia trip. Ideally, I would like to do the homestay and also spend a few days just relaxing on the lake -- the Lonely Planet guide makes the Capachica Peninsula sound like a wonderful place to hang out for a while. However, I have to admit I'm tempted to try to fit it in anyway, as I'm not exactly sure when exactly I'll be getting back to this part of the world.

A question -- do you think it can be done adequately with only two nights spent there? (I can imagine shaving two nights off Cuzco and the Sacred Valley, but I'd rather not take time away from Lima. I used to live near Madrid and have really been looking forward to seeing another of the world's great Spanish-speaking cities!)

Another concern I had was about the Inka Express bus -- it sounds like a wonderful way to travel south, with the views and the stops. But I've spent a lot of time reading the TripAdvisor Peru forum, and there are contributors there who make it sound like you're practically signing your death warrant if you get on a long-distance bus in Peru. Did bus safety concern either of you?

mlgb, thank you for the Lima tips! Also for the Pisac/Chinchero tips. With Pisac, I actually wasn't sure how long I'd have for the market, since I wanted to hike to the ruins, spend a few hours or so there, then hike back. I was hoping to avoid tour groups at the ruins... but maybe I will rethink this part.

qwovadis, so many good ideas -- thank you! To answer your last point, trust me I would LOVE another week, but I was pushing to get two!

Thanks again, all,
Sasha

At Pisac I took a taxi to the top and walked down, carried my purchases but didn't have a lot. You can start early and then shop when you've walked down to the market. Don't do a group tour at Pisac, I think they are just going to walk you around the top.

BTW I started out trying to walk UP to Pisac from the market and after maybe 20 minutes changed my mind. But on the way up a shop keeper offered to hold my purchases for me. ( This was a storefront tourist shop with nicer things, on the right hand side as you head out of town toward the ruins) Didn't feel comfortable doing it, but it was probably okay.

Sasha - I guess I am biased because I didn't really take to Lima and much preferred other places in Peru. Personally I would lose a day in Lima and one in Cusco to fit in a trip to Titicaca. It does take a while to get there but is definitely worth it we spent two nights there travelling from Cusco via Inka Express and then on by bus to Arequipa. Both were great journeys with spectacular scenery en route.

As far as safety is concerned, we travelled extensively by bus throughout 5 months in South America and encountered no problems whatsover. The inter city buses such as the IE and the Puno - Arequipa route were in modern, very comfortable buses. The buses around town in Cusco were a different case. Our Spanish teachers had warned us of the pickpocket problems and this was very evident on a number of the buses. Other local buses seemed fine. We stayed in Urumbamba for about 3 weeks and commuted daily to Ollantaytambo by local bus - very crowded and "atmospheric" but no problems whatsoever.

I agree - nice, well -researched, well - thought out trip.

I enjoyed Lima but i agree that you don't need that much time there. Make sure you add the tour of San Francisco to your Lima plan - it is possible that you have already, as you mention catacombs on your return. On your return I would definitely stay in Barranco over Miraflores.

Ollanta is really wonderful. 2 days is really the bare minimum so please do not take time away from this amazing place. The town is so interesting. The ruins are really spectacular. There are other minor ruins on the other side of town that may interest you too. The views of the major ruins from up there is really good.

Wise to spend 2 nights in AC, just in case.

I was really happy with 5 days in Cusco. Some people only spend a day or 2 there, which is OK if that's all the time they have, but it seems way too short to me.

But if I were to add Titicaca, I would just add a few more days to the trip. If I absolutely had to, I would cut a day or 2 from Lima and a day (ouch) from Cusco. I would not cut a minute from Ollanta.

Make sure you bring your camera.

I like Lima. I could easily spend a week there.

If you want to cut days I would cut Paracas, actually.

Thank you everyone for the additional ideas!

robertino, just curious, is there a hostal in Ollanta that you particularly recommend?

mlgb, that is funny that you suggest cutting Paracas... I have been thinking of doing that, mainly because the idea of spending just one night there at the end of the trip might feel rushed. Dropping Paracas and ending with two days in Lima might be more relaxing (like you, I expect to really enjoy the city). On the other hand, I do want to see the sea lions and red-sand beach -- but sadly the town of Paracas seems to get lukewarm-to-bad reviews (which is why I originally budgeted only one night for it, not two). It might be worth it though... it's just hard to decide.

Maybe you could just leave that unscheduled, and decide how you feel about Lima when you arrive.

Hi sa -

I really liked the Alberque Ollantaytambo and would stay there again. They will pick you up at the Cusco airport. Rustic charm. Excellent restaurant and bar. Great Pisco Sours. Pretty garden. Eucalyptus sauna. Also, right next to the train station. The advantage is, well, you're right there. The disadvantage is that you're about - hmmm... a quarter mile I guess, maybe a little more - from the center of town. Not a big deal though. I nice walk. And there are always tuk tuks around. I think I paid about $60 US about 2 years ago, plus about $30 for the ride from the airport.

I also liked El Albergue. I think they are charging more for that transfer now? If Room#8 is available it's still under $50 but the other rooms are more now. I liked Room#8 it's in the garden, quieter, but no view. And you have to go thru a covered breezeway to get to the bathroom.

KB Tambo you should request one of the nicer rooms, the cheap ones are a bit dungeon-like.

El Albergue looks beautiful!

Just curious, did it feel safe walking back and forth between the hotel and the town at night?

Also, did either of you feel you were missing out on anything by not staying right in town -- or was it just nice to get away someplace quiet during the evenings?

thanks!
Sasha

Felt perfectly fine walking up and down that street (although there isn't all that much reason to do it after dark, especially if you have dinner at El Albergue's excellent restaurant).

It's a short walk up to the plaza, Ollantaytambo is tiny! Even better, going back to the hotel is downhill. I was happy to have stayed there at the platform because I took the first train in the morning right after breakfast.

I am just back from Peru and a stay at El Albergue. There was one stretch of the street up to town from the hotel where the lights were out for the 4 days we were there. It was very dark and I would not have wanted to be walking alone after 6 pm. It was the only time I felt unsafe in the town. You can catch a tut tut back to the hotel for 1 soles.

I enjoyed my stay at the hotel and felt very safe there. I was in a room that was on the train side and would not recommend that if you are a light sleeper. Train noise started before 5Am and ended after midnight. My sister was on the garden side and hardly knew we were staying in a train station.

The town is tiny. There didn't seem to be too much activity going on there and I didn't feel I was missing out by not being right in the center.

Hi Sasha -

Yes, the road is safe. There are usually other people walking it. There are a couple of other hotels and restaurants on it. And you can always use a tuk tuk.

Nope, never felt the least bit isolated. It's really only about a 12-15 minute walk, tops.

On a different subject for your visit to Lima at the end of trip, you MUST stay in Second Home Peru in Barranco. It's like sleeping in a museum, and has a view of the coast. I don't think you'll miss Paracas if you can get in there. There is a nice museum in Barranco as well, Pedro de Osma.

http://www.secondhomeperu.com/

There are links on what to do in Barranco on their website, but #1 is to tour the grounds and the workshop of Victor Delfin at SHP.

Thank you again! All this input is really helpful!

I've just booked El Albergue and Second Home Peru and am really excited about both choices. Also, mlgb, I love your Lima photos -- especially of that museum.

It looks like Lake Titicaca will definitely be part of my next South America trip instead of this one. I'll miss seeing it this time, but I'm happy with how this has shaped up -- I'll be able to give Lake Titicaca the proper amount of time on the next trip.

Thanks again for all the suggestions!
Sasha

It's gratifying to help another lover of cities, museums and ruins!

I think on your next trip to Peru you MUST go to the Trujillo/Chiclayo area aka the Egypt of Peru. And definitely "La Señora de Cao", that area is deserving of 3 to 4 days.

http://www.fundacionwiese.com/in/arq...asradecao.html

mlgb, just to check, you mentioned that the 8 soles Mirabus in Lima's Plaza de Armas is a good place to take photos at dusk "without worrying about your camera." Did you mean that it's not a good idea to flash a camera around Lima? I just want to make sure I understand that part.

La Señora looks amazing!!

I think your itinerary sounds great! I did the same trip in
Peru last year and it was fantastic. from Lima to Cusco I took a bus and visited paracas and Nazca, Once I arrived to Cusco my friend contacted Mythical trails peru to organize a tour to Machu Picchu, i heard that tourist have to book in advance and secure a place forthe train and Machu Picchu. so it was good because we got our tickets for Machu Picchu and the train as soon we arrive to Cusco and everything was ready fro us.
http://mythicaltrailsperu.com/machup...ress-3-day.htm

MTP helped us with our conection to Puno, you should contact Inca express bus company, they offer a nice tour to Puno.

Sasark, I was paranoid in Lima on my first trip, with everyone talking about how dangerous it was. When you are up on the top of the bus you can snap away without fear of attracting attention. On reflection, I think Lima is far safer than many other large South Amercian cities (for example Buenos Aires). On my second trip, I carried my little point and shoot everywhere and wore it with a neck strap inside my shirt when not in use. I was glad I had when I went to the supermarket and there was a celebration with live music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvZ5pDChVS4

frank21, thank you!

mlgb, thanks yet again -- what a great video!