wkwb42a

Has anyone used Peru Tourism for arranging a trip to Peru?

Thank you all so much for your excellent trip reports which I have been reading and greatly enjoying while trying to organize our trip. I appreciate your advice and recommendations.

My husband and I are planning a trip to MP, Sacred Valley, Cusco, and Lima for Jan. 2012.
Here is our tentative schedule.
Day 1 (Wed.) - Arrive in Lima - Hotel Costa del Sol Ramada (airport)
Day 2 (Thurs.) - Fly to Cusco (am)
Transport to Ollantaytambo - Hotel Pakaritampu
Day 3 (Fri.) - Vistadome to Aguas Calientes (am)
El Mapi Casa Andina (if this is hotel run by Inkaterra MP Hotel?)
Go to Machu Picchu
Day 4 (Sat.) - Machu Picchu (am, at sunrise)
Train to back to Olly
Hotel Pakaritampu - touring with guide in Sacred Valley
Day 5 (Sun.) - Hotel Pakaritampu - touring w. guide (incl. Pisac & Chinchero, etc.)
Day 6 (Mon.) - Transport to Cusco
Casa Andina San Blas (or other?)
Touring with guide
Day 7 (Tues.) - Casa Andina San Blas (?) - Cusco
Touring
Day 8 (Wed.) - Casa Andina San Blas (?) - Cusco
Touring
Day 9 (Thurs.) - Fly back to Lima (am ?)
Sheraton Hotel (with points)
Touring
Day 10 (Fri.) - Lima - Sheraton Hotel
Touring
Day 11 (Sat.) - Lima - Sheraton Hotel
Touring
Day 12 (Sun.) - Fly home to NJ, USA

How does this plan sound?
Does this proposal offer us the right amount of time in each place?
We plan to have a guide in MP, SV, & Cusco. Do we need a guide in Lima?
We are flexible with hotels (& everything), as I have not booked yet.

Thank you very much for your advice in advance.

mellyhard

sounds nice! if you looking for travel agency to organize this trip I would recommend Mythical trails Peru, they organize this kind of tours in Peru.
you should start in the Sacred valley then Machu Picchu and Cusco city at the end.

mlgb

Sorry never heard of them, is there any particular reason they were selected? Also, if you already have a schedule and hotels why not book online directly, hotels can arrange guides and transport. In most cases you can book flights, trains, and MP tickets yourself online, assuming the credit card is accepted, or your hotel can help.

Or use one of the recommended local guides for a few days, eg Percy Salas,etc.

wkwb42a

Thank you so much. I had contacted Percy and just heard back from him. I think that we will use him, and he can help us with the reservations and arrangements.

We may stay 3 nights in Olly, after flight from Cusco. Then the Vistadome to AC, stay 1 night, and then Vistadome right to Cusco, then stay 3 nights there. We'll end with another 2 nights in Lima. How does this time frame sound? Thanx.

qwovadis

weather2travel.com Peru Climate guides rain issues fog

in late Jan from personal experience.

Perutourism complaints a few on the boards mostly TA

might search them over there.

Percy Salas in Cusco for tours good

perubesttours.com Mike

peruforless.com

kuodatours.com

best reviewed on the boards year in year out

Do go as early as you can in Jan in Feb MP closes

rains come in tracks get washed away sometimes.

NEVER wire money always pay with CC and insuremytrip.com

Happy Travels!

Jackie

Glad you heard back from Percy. He asked me how I got his name. I told him he came highly recomended thru fodors, both he and David C 's name came up all the time. Maybe that had something to do with the timing.

We left Ollay yesterday and all thought we could have spent the week there. In Cusco, we walked past Casa Andina last night. It looked very nice and is across from cathedral. It crossed my mind that it would be a nice place to stay. We are at second home in San blas which is a 10 minute uphill walk. Walking that hill was tough; hope it will be better second time around.

We have our last tour with Percy today-- a half day tour of city. I feel "ruined" out at this point. Have fun planning.

ss

We took the Hiram Bingham train vs the Vistadome. It was such a lovely experience, very luxurious, food and service not to be beat. The train ride is so beautiful it took my breath away. Also did the very long train ride from Puno to Cusco and it was just as luxurious, but just tooo long! They do provide entertainment, but it's a very long time to not be able to lie down.
In Aguas Calientes we stayed at the Inkaterra premium suite with a fireplace and outdoor bed and shower - WOW! Beyond my expectations and we have stayed at some pretty great hotels. The dinner and breakfast there too, top notch!
the one thing I would change on our trip is not to stay overnight in Lima. The drive from LIM airport to Miraflores is about 1 hour with so much traffic at 3pm! Also expensive. We were told to be very careful outside of the Miraflores area.
Sorry you are not going to Puno/Lake Titicaca, that was my favorite!
I would not rush this trip, Peru is so amazing, the people and their culture are lovely, and the food is the best!

jwhitt

I've been there 4 times and I agree about Titicaca. My favorite place. I like the tourist bus ride from Cusco to Puno. It stops along the way and you get to see the Peruvian countryside. I stay in Ollantaytambo because I like to walk around the town. The resorts in the Sacred Valley are "self-contained" so there is no option to go out unless you have vehicle/driver. But if you enjoy that kind of travel experience, then by all means do it.
Also consider stopping in the village of Chinchero, where the weavers are. If you hit it on a Sunday, they have a great authentic market.

wkwb42a

Thanx so much for all your replies! Looks like it will work out better for us (schedule-wise) if we go to Peru 2 days earlier; so then unfortunately we won't be able to be at Pisac and Chinchero on a Sunday. Hopefully, these 2 market areas will still be worthwhile on a Thursday?

I don't think that we will have time to go to Lake Titicaca on this trip. How long is the bus ride there from Cusco anyway? Any other good route to get there?

Right now here is the plan we have in mind:
Lima - 2 nights
Ollantaytambo - 3 nights
Aguas Calientes - 1 night (M.P.on arrival, & sunrise next day)
Cusco - 3 nights
Lima - 2 nights

Again, many thanks.

mlgb

Is there a particular reason you switched to split the Lima into two and two? Unless it is so that you can catch a Sunday market in the SV I would go back to one night and 3. Assuming you are coming in late from NJ, stay near the airport as with your plan and leave early the next day.

This gives you more leeway for delays in the SV, and also with a block of 3 days you will get more time to sightsee in Lima rather than travel. (It takes nearly an hour to transfer from the airport to the sightseeing areas in Lima).

wkwb42a

We switched to stay 2 nights in the beginning and then 2 nights at the end (in Lima) because my husband (and the other couple who might be joining us) think that we should be somewhat well-rested before we begin our journey to SV and MP. We'll be staying at the Sheraton Lima (on points) in the Centro area. Unfortunately, we won't be able to be at Pisac and Chinchero on a Sunday. I feel bad about that. (I think that we'll be in Olly on a Tues., Wed., & Thurs.). Thank you again.

mlgb

If you are in Cusco on a Sunday it is actually easier to get to Pisac from there. I would recommend it. (I think you have more than enough time in Cusco and giving up half a day won't be a big deal).

sdkiki

I have friends (and their friends) who used PeruTourism. All were very pleased with the planning of the trip and the guides, hotels and activities while in Peru.

wkwb42a

sdkiki,
So glad to hear that! We are a group of 4, and we have recently booked our trip through them. The TA has been very efficient and has promptly answered all my emails and questions. I appreciate your comment above. We are all greatly looking forward to our visit to Peru.