marigross

Hi all, first time posting in the SA forum! Most of our travels have been to Europe and now is (past) time that we start visiting other destinations. We are looking to visit Perú for 3 weeks and touring the major cities and sites (a.k.a. The Gringo Trail). After reading countless posts and a few guidebooks I have come to terms with the fact that we will be exclusively using public transportation, a first for us as we have always rented a car and driven ourselves around.

We are slow(ish) travelers. By this I mean we do not enjoy the 'It's Tuesday it must be Belgium' type of moving around but we travel light and are not opposed to 1-nighters if they make sense. Food, archaeological sights, and natural beauty (well, wine ought to be in the list too) are the reasons we travel. DH is beginning to slow down a little with the climbing up and down hills; he is perfectly physically capable and will do so if it is worthwhile but he is -at 72- not really needing to know what is behind every hill anymore. I'm (49) physically fit and still up for some adventuring with one big caveat: I'm very uncomfortable around heights. Yeahhhhh…. great destination for this, lol. I soldier through my fear and have worked hard enough at it so that it is not paralyzing anymore.

After several long trips we have come to the conclusion that we do not enjoy much more than 3-weeks of moving around. So technically we could add a few more days but I do not want to go over 4-weeks. Besides, the cat sitting bill gets way too high, lol.

We are looking at November to do this trip. My preference would be Sept/Oct but DH refuses to be away from home during peak season after last year's hurricane debacle (we live in Puerto Rico). And the trip is also a gift for my big five-O bday in December. I know this is shoulder/rainy season, I'm thinking that the garúa in Lima would not be too bad then, maybe? And then the weather is nuts these days so who knows....

This is the preliminary itinerary, and would love all the feedback I can get. I'm having troubles with the Puno-Colca Canyon-Arequipa portion.

Lima: 3 nights in Miraflores or Barranco (we will most likely alternate location at the end of the trip when we return to Lima)

Ollantaytambo: Fly to Cuzco and taxi to Ollanta for 4 nights of acclimatization and visiting the nearby attractions, ending with 1-Day Inca Trail

Aguas Calientes: 1 night after the 1-Day Inca Trail (just me, DH has declined and I will be terrified every step of the way) and the visit to Machu Picchu in the
AM.

Cuzco: 4 nights followed by bus or train to...

Puno: 2 nights mostly to go visit Titicaca. I think we'll pass on the homestay experience. I'm even debating whether this is a worthwhile detour.

Colca Canyon Area: 1 night (are there enough things to see for 2 nights?) (I'm not sure if doing the Colca canyon from Arequipa is a better option)

Arequipa: 3 nights. If doing the Colca from Arequipa is better, I'll probably need to return 1 night to Arequipa for repositioning followed by bus to..

Nazca: 1 night to see the museum PM and fly over the lines in the morning. Or maybe we can do this from another airport without staying in Nazca?

Ica/Huacachina: 1 night. Maybe. I kind of like the idea of sand-duning but I don't want to be stuck in a crazy, loud, teenage backpacker extravaganza. OTHOH it sort of makes sense when looking at a (flat) map. Thoughts?

Paracas: 2 nights

Lima: 3 nights to relax before coming home, possibly in Barranco

Any tweaks, do-overs, and suggestions will be most welcome!

kja

I'm just back from Peru, and found it fascinating -- I trust you will, too!

If it helps, my final itinerary (more or less) can be found at post # 11 of this thread:
Help! Travel times are wreaking havoc on my plans for Peru and Bolivia !

FWIW, I had 4 days in Cusco and thought that at least 1 day, if not 2 days, too many for the city itself. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there; it's just that two days would have met my needs.

I had difficulty finding a route from Puno through the Colca Canyon to Arequipa, whereas it was relatively easy to travel in the reverse direction (Arequipa through the Colca Canyon to Puno). I don't know if the difficulties I had were specific to my time frame....

I was awed by Machu Picchu. Perhaps your husband would be willing to see it without hiking? There are frequent busses from Aguas Calientas.

crellston

Yours looks like a very well paced itinerary. You are not rushing anywhere and have plenty of times to enjoy the sights. As the weather could possibly affect some of your plans, I think it is very wise to leave some wiggle room along the way.

Lima Bookending the trip with a few days in different locations in Lima is an excellent idea. We love Barranco and usually stay there. Great restaurants and bars and a really laid back atmosphere. Relatively easy to get to other parts of the city using the Metropolitano. Miraflores is more built up and has te bigger hotels, many, many restaurants.again, easy to get around.

Ollantaytambo is a great little Inca town. We spent a month or so there doing some voluntary work and loved it. The ruins are best explored in the early morning or late afternoon after the tour buses have gone (or both!). A relaxed day for the ruins, another for other sites in the SV - Moray, Maras, Chinchero Etc. Another for getting out elsewhere in the the area, the weaving coops Etc.

Cusco four nights is an ideal amount of time. There is a lot to see on the Boleto Turistico inside and outside the city. A great day out from the city is to get the bus or a taxi to Pisac, explore the ruins. On the way back you could get teh taxi to stop at Tambo Machay, Q’enka , Puka Puccara and Sacsayhuaman- all well worth seeing. Lots of market are worth exploring, Santa Clara, Wanchaq, Molinos. Jus wandering the streets of San Blas soaking up the atmosphere is a nic way to while away a few hour.

Puno and Titicaca the city is much better than it used to be and I would agree with not doing a Homestay.Uros islandsa are just a tourist trap but wort a brief visit before sailing to one te island like Taquile. For me the lake itself was the star. Is it wort it just for that? Probably not and it would free up time for somewhere else - maybe the amazon?

Colca lots to see in the Canyon. We did a tour from Arequipa to Puno with https://www.killawasilodge.com/tours.html . We did two nights there but our activities were curtailed by the earthquake a couple of days previously. Some photos on our blog along with some of ten other places we have visited in Peru overnight the years https://accidentalnomads.com/category/peru/

If you skipped Puno you could fly or bus Direct from Cusco,. If not then from Cusco you could do the Inka Express tour bus to Puno and then a Killawasi or similar tour from Puno via the Canyon. Bear in mind that if not flying, there is a lot of time spent on buses between these places.

Arequipa is a wonderful city. There is alway some fiesta happening. Don’t miss Monasterio de Santa Catalina. The Plaza de Armas is one of the most beautiful in Peru, if not South America.

Really not sure about the trip back up the coast. Nazca doesn’t interest me and I share you concerns re Ica/Huanchachina and the backpacker scene which is perhaps why I have avoided. We have usually either flown or taken the overnight bus between Lima And Arequipa. Again, if you skipped this then it would perhaps open up other options

The weather in November is possibly not going to be the best . You are likely to get some rain, just a question of how much and how often. People do travel at that time of year. We visited one year on the cusp of the seasons in early May. We did get heavy rain for a few.

As an aside, it was Interesting to learn that you pay your cat sitters in Puerto Rico! - ""Besides, the cat sitting bill gets way too high, lol."
Between our travels, my wife and I return to the U.K. for several months of the year and, as we have rented out our own house we house and pet sit when we are back. Everything from dogs and cats to chickens and even a lizard! Maybe we are doing something wrong?

mlgb

I've done parts of your itinerary on different trips, not all strung together.

The Arequipa-Colca-Lake Titicaca I strung together with Bolivia. It was a mid to late November Trip (Thanksgiving cruise on LT). I flew round trip between Arequipa from Lima to do that trip (was able to tack it onto my international flight at not much more cost). The weather at that time of year in that region can include rain especially in the afternoon and overnight. There was a scary thunderstorm as we were nearing the dock in Puno..I barely made it back to my hotel. Also November is nesting season in Colca for the condors, which means you may see only a few juveniles as the adults may be mostly on the nest. In Arequipa the weather was pretty nice, although if there is rain it can be very cold at altitude (or turn into snow on the peaks which is pretty to look at). Older hotels if they do not have modern heating and are made of stone (or sillar) can be cold if it has been raining. The do give you heavy blankets and often have radiator-type heat. But since you are from PR I would be careful to read hotel reviews for whether it was cold at night, in all of the higher altitudes..Puno, Colca and Cusco.

The coast (Ica and Nazca) I did as out and back trip from Lima in October. I liked Ica and the sand buggy ride on the dunes ending at around sunset, but I am an adrenalin junkie! I stayed at Hotel Villa Jazmin in Ica rather than the backpacker hotels in Huacachina. Took a taxi from there to Huacachina and back..should not be a problem. The weather should be nice in November..not too hot (it's the desert). Nazca was okay, but it's a very short flight (some people get a little airsick)..I'm glad I did it but it wasn't a high priority until I had been to Peru multiple times. I thought the cemetery and the Cantalloc Aqueducts were just as interesting, and the tour included a stop at some of the lines. If you have an interest in the Nazca culture I think it's worth going there and seeing those, not just doing a flight from Ica or Lima. BTW the seafood in Ica and Nazca as well as on the Paracas Peninsula at Lagunillas..fabulous! Peru isn't really known for wines but I think there are some wineries around Ica.

Cusco etc I've done in January (rained) and May (perfect month). Both times it was roundtrip flying, not combining with other destinations like Puno.

Paracas I did in September, as a separate out and back from Lima (combined with a trip to Ayacucho). Liked the Ballestas Islands and the Peninsula both. We didn't have heavy overcast.

Doing the entire loop at once in 3 weeks would be a lot for me. It will take up most of the day to get into Colca from either Puno or Arequipa. Same if you are going Puno direct to Arequipa (you can ask to be dropped off at the AQP airport on the return, which is outside of town). I liked having 2 nights there. I also really like Arequipa. For me at least 3 nights there. Stay in the old historic center.

And the Sacred Valley. I am not that much a fan of Cusco city, agree with kja on that. As far as sights in Cusco itself, one or two days is plenty. I did stay one Saturday night in Pisac and enjoyed that experience, including walking into town early Sunday when the vendors also were arriving. Two nights there would also be okay, arrive Saturday and then also Sunday after the market day. You can take a local bus from Pisac to Ollantaytambo on Monday. Or do a tour/transfer visiting Moray and the Salineras, ending in Ollantaytambo. I am not sure if I would suggest the one-day Inca Trail in possibly rainy season (haven't done it). Why don't you and your husband both do the train up...you both could probably go up to the Sun Gate where the IT hikers enter. If you spend one night in MP then maybe you could do Huayna Picchu? Hiking down from the Pisac ruins is a great experience, also. (You can taxi up and maybe you can hike down while husband takes taxi back).

Re Lima..I'd be inclined to continue on to your first destination when your arrive if the flights work, I think it is easiest to fly into Cusco and go straight to the SV, either Pisac or Ollantaytambo. A few easy days there will get you on track to acclimatize (Do NOT start by sleeping in Cusco!) If you decide not to hike the IT then you can save Cusco for the end. Flying into Arequipa doesn't help much to acclimatize in my opinion although it is easier to do the transfer to the north from there. You may struggle a bit in Chivay so take the hiking easy! If you spend two nights in Chivay and then go to Puno you can have just the one day to see Titicaca in the morning and then take the tourist bus to Cusco (you might need 2 nights in Puno to do this). You may still struggle a bit with altitude in Puno (many people find it just that much higher and have issues only there) After Punoyou will be plenty acclimatized to do any hiking around MP etc.

Good luck!

marigross

Hi kja, thanks! My husband will go to Machu Picchu, its the trecking that he does not want to do. He has been to MP before (in the 70's) and loved Cuzco, so I might just schedule a relaxing time in the city even if we run out of things to do (I see pisco sours in our future....)

I noticed that too, there are tons of options for the Colca starting in Arequipa but not as many from Puno. There is a tour from Killawasi that looks great (and the property seems lovely!).

marigross

Hi crellston! I have enjoyed your travel blog and pictures tremendously! DH has blackballed any detour to the Amazon on this trip ('let's just stick to the basics', 'please don't overreach with your planning', 'nice and easy', and 'I'm not getting vaccinated for anything this year').

I understand that the train/bus from Cuzco to Puno is highly scenic and worth the (very long) time sitting to get there. Is this so? If not we could fly, at that point I might just go to Arequipa and scratch Puno and the lake. I did a social studies project (do they still have that class?) in the 6th grade on Lake Titicaca so the visit has some (very vague and utterly ridiculous) sentimental value. Though not enough to take it out if it turns inconvenient.

I looked at that 3d/2n package from Killawasi lodge and it looks amazing! The November nesting is a bummer!!!!! I looooooove condors. Looking at them was my personal highlight of the Grand Canyon visit. I might need to rethink this if the chances of spotting them is slim.

Confession time: My interest in Nazca is not based on a historically accurate search for knowledge, lol. It comes from a childhood and teenage years filled with too much science fiction/fantasy reading and hanging out with alienologists, lol. Chariots of the Gods.... I have outgrown it by now. Mostly.

Yes, we pay the catsitter, lol. She is a young 20something still living with her parents a couple of streets away from us. $50 per week. Only a fraction of what the boarding of 3 kitties would cost and it also take care of the outside cat. We live in the outer suburbs of San Juan and have never been successful in getting someone to stay in the house while we are away though we have offered 3 months of free rent. Go figure.

marigross

Hi mlgb! I'm still thinking about those days in Lima at the beginning. But we will most likely arrive through Miami and I scheduling a flight to Cuzco might be a risky and also a lot.

I love Condors!!!! I was mesmerized by them in the Grand Canyon. Thank you for bringing the nesting time issue, I would be very bummed out if I miss the adults flying! I need to think about this.

We are not used to the cold at all (my Swiss husband has gone native in PR!) so I will triple check for heaters.

I would definitely stay in Ica if we do this trip. I read somewhere that it would take almost as long to do this as a trip from Lima as doing the bus trip from Arequipa. I wonder.

I will look up the Cantalloc aqueducts! (Not that I need to add even more to this schedule). I already confessed my silly interest in Nazca to crellston. Embarrassing.

mlgb

Even without the alien connection the Nazca culture is fascinating..might be fun to learn what the local archaeologists think about the lines.

The Spanish conquerors didn't want anyone to know how advanced all of the different indigenous peoples were. Many people just know about the Inca, but for example in Colca Canyon you learn that there are two preexisting cultures (Collagua and Cabana). The older ladies wear a particular hat which identifies their group.

I liked the Giardino Tour I took.. and added a night at Killawasi.. kja was also going to use them. We were lucky (just 2 tourists) a driver and guide... we decided to walk a little along the edge of the canyon rather than driving to the parking lot and we saw condors while alot of people on the pool tour buses missed them! Our guide had some good info on what time they were showing up that day.. and the juveniles are pretty big..just brown instead of black and white..

amyb

I’m just back from Peru. My itinerary was MP and the Sacred Valley plus Tambopata (Amazon). I had 3 1/2 days in Cuzco and probably could have stayed longer. The Inka Museum and Machu Picchu Museum were great, as well as the cathedral in the Plaza de Armas, Koricancha, Pukapukara, Sachsayhuaman, Q’enco, etc. I sat for ages just people watching in the plaza.

I flew directly to Cuzco and stayed there, as that itinerary worked out for me better and I had no problem with altitude. I got winded once doing stairs the first day but that was it.

I stayed at Ollaytantambo for one night and that was too much; it was convenient only to move on to Aguas Calientes and a good midway point between Cuzco and AC. I don’t know what you’d do there for 4 unless you do day trips from there. We saw Ollaytantambo ruins in the afternoon and stayed in the hotel nearest the train station (Hotel Pakaritampu). We walked up to the square and that was no where I’d want to linger, so ate at the hotel and was on an early train out to Aguas Calientes. Meals were great at the hotel and grounds were very pretty.

kja

I’m glad your husband has, and will, visit Machu Picchu!

Just to be clear: My comment about the time for Cusco was specific to the city itself, not any of the other parts of the Sacred Valley.

At mlgb’s much appreciated recommendation, I took the Giardino tour from Arequipa with an overnight in the Colca Canyon and on the next day to Puno. That tour worked very well for my purposes! During our stop at the condor lookout, there was one time when I could see 25 different condors at once -- awesome! Rather than taking the train from Puno to Cusco, I used InkaExpress and was pleased with the guide and the stops along the way.

I have no idea what the temperatures will be like when you plan on going, but FWIW, I found the nights incredibly cold in the highlands. Many of the hotels I stayed in offered heat only during the deepest hours of the night, so I often needed two layers of silk thermals, a duvet, and 3 or 4 blankets just to feel reasonably comfortable – and I’m accustomed to cold weather!

marigross

Thanks for the replies!

After our -ahem- experience after hiking the Samaria gorge in Crete we made a note-to-file to never, ever schedule busy days or activities after a long hike. So I will take the 4 days in Cuzco even if they turn to lazy days. If I run out of things to see I could just go rafting, or maybe to that Rainbow mountain trek... we'll see.

My sister will be joining us for a week so that she can hold my hand during the Inca Trail so we will need to make allowances for her travel days.

I think I'm going to scrap the Ica/Nazca overnights. It seems that I can just fly from Arequipa to Paracas to spend a few days and from Paracas, I could take a flight over the Nazca lines.

kja, I will make sure to pack many layers to keep warm!

mglb, thanks for the Condor info. I'm really looking forward to seeing them, even if they are not black/white yet.

I've begun contacting tour operators for the 2d/1n Inca Trail and so far Alpaca Travels has been the most diligent/detailed response. Any feedback?

mlgb

I believe there is an airport in Pisco which is just north of Paracas. If you decide to do it this way (saves you about 3 hours each way on the bus from Lima) be sure to include some touring of Paracas itself. However since you are really interested in Nazca culture, I still would consider going all the way to Nazca...

I'm not sure about Arequipa to Pisco.. did you find a nonstop flight? I see LATAM showing that they fly from Cusco a few days a week(surprise) so maybe you can do it that way.. however check the seasonality and timing...it may be just as efficient to do your Nazca leg from Lima by bus, because of the timings...

crellston

Hi Maricross,

Glad you enjoyed our blog and thanks for sharing your reasons for your interest in Nazca. Almost makes me want to pay the area a visit!

I haven’t heard of Alapaca Travel but have found this website to be quite helpful in the past Machu Picchu Tour Operators here is a lot of info on the site but they seem to have redesigned it and I can’t seem to find stuff as easily as before.

If you do decide to include Titicaca and don’t want an overnight Homestay, then this company have a number of non touristy options for Puno. All Ways Travel Titicaca Peru Highly recommended local tour operator for cultural exchange and socially responsible tours and family travel . I am pretty sure the6 could also book your Inka Express tickets as well which may make the process a little easier - definitely worth going by IE .


I am surprised you couldn’t find housesitters to look after your place for three monts. I knew very little about Puerto Rico ( apart , obviously from the tragic devastation cause by the hurricanes which was big news here) until my wife was approached to do a house sit their by a friend of a friend. It looks like a beautiful place.Sadly it didn’t work out for us because of the dates and other family commitments. If you do feel the urge to get away for three months do give me a call.

As an aside "I see pisco sours in our future...." spoilt for choice in Cusco but I would try Chicha, the Gaston Acurio place for Piscos and dinner.

In Lima one of our favourite restaurants is La Cuadra de Salvador ? STEAKHOUSE great food but they also have an amazing array of Piscos behind the bar. When asked which one we wanted we said we didn’t have a clue so they let us taste 5 or 6 before picking one for our "Chilcanos" and Piscos - a ploy that has worked on several repeat visits!

marigross

mlgb, thank you for making me double check! I put 'arequipa' and 'paracas' in the search engine and it showed a ton of flights. When I looked again I noticed that the airport is Lima! That would have been a level-10 rookie mistake.

Now I have to rethink the entire thing again. The overnight bus could be an option. I do want to spend some time in Paracas -enough to go to the Islas Ballestas and tour the peninsula- but a quick search of hotels in Booking . com left me a little cold. We are not big resort people but we are not backpackers either. I do not like to take apartments for less than 5 days, too much trouble figuring things out.

Crellston, I have been trying to arrange the sitting with adult children of friends, and that has proved to be a challenge. But if you want to spend 3 months in PR, we can certainly talk about it. We usually take our 'long' trip between mid or late March and June... just sayin'.

mlgb

I took a Cruz del Sur bus Lima to Paracas..they have the station in town. I prebooked with Zarcillo Tours (they had an office at the station). I arrived in time for the Peninsula tour. Next morning I did the Ballestas Islands (usually only in the morning).

Some people also take the 3:45 am bus which gets them to Paracas in time for a morning Ballestas Tour...but since I was willing to spend the night I did the approx 7 am bus.

I liked Zarcillo's guide and boat.. we had the daughter..but wasn't that thrilled with their lodgings . Since they have the bus station they probably can hold an overnight bag for you there... If Returning to Lima you will be able to store your main luggage in Lima. When you return from your first tour you can then check into a nicer hotel...

I know there are some very nice and expensive hotels around Paracas..but have no advice

But in Lima I hope you are looking at 3B..the rooms just sleep 2 people but staff is so....nice...

crellston

We have used Cruz Del Sur on the route from Lima to Arequipa and VV a couple of times. It’s a comfortable trip as far as overnight bus trips go. Pretty straight 4oads in decen5 condition for most of the way. Even I got some sleep. Book A few weeks in advance to get the Crusero Suite/VIP/ Ejecutivo seats which are spacious lie flat ( almost) the food provided isn’t great so we took our own supplies.

Most Cruz Del Sur offices will store bags for you. They are also bout the only bus companies I would trust not to lose them!

I will send you a personal massage over the weekend re house sitting. I checked with my wife who tells me that we are booked out until mid Feb 2019 so March -June could work very well for us .

marigross

Hi Crellston! I 'think' I replied to you private message but now I cannot find anywhere my response.

crellston

I had the same problem! I think I have found, lost it and have now found it again! I will email you which will be a lot easier

marigross

So this is the pre-Final (lol) itinerary (as it stands right now), feedback continues to be greatly appreciated:

• Lima - 3 nights at 3B Barranco
• Ollantaytambo - 4 nights (altitude gives me headaches so I want to take it really slow) at Sol Natura Hotel (Albergue is booked already and I needed 1 more room as my sister will join me for the trek)
• 1day Inka Trek to Machu Picchu with Alpaca Expeditions with a night in Aguas Calientes (they book the room, it will be forgettable most likely, hopefully lol)
• Cuzco - 4 nights at El Andariego
• Inka Express to Puno
• Puno - 2 nights at Libertador (1 full day tour of Titicaca islands with All Ways)
• transfer to Colca (coordinated with Killawasi)
• Yanque - 3 nights at Killawasi Lodge
• transfer to Arequipa (coordinated with Killawasi)
• Arequipa - 3 nights at Palla Boutique Hotel
• transfer to Nasca with Peru Hop (maybe, price for the 3 hops and stops seems quite reasonable)
• Nasca - 1 night at dm Hoteles Nasca (early AM flight and bus to Huacachina for sand buggy-ing in the PM)
• Huacachina - 1 night at Hotel El Huacachinero
• transfer to Paracas with Peru Hop
• Paracas - 3 nights at Bamboo Lodge Paracas (I want to see as much wildlife as I can; though not in the 'girls gone wild' kind)
• transfer to Lima with Peru Hop
• Lima or somewhere else for the final 3 nights of the trip, this will be decided during the trip.

kja

I'm not sure you need a tour to see the islands -- there are regular ferries that you can take. Your call!