My husband and I are leaving in two days for Peru. We have purchased our tickets to and from Lima (9 day vacation). We would love to see Machu Picchu, Colca Canyon, and Lake Titicacca (if time allows), but I'm not sure how to make it work in this time frame. We've travelled Europe (so easy with the Eurail pass!) - what is the best way to get to each of these sites? I know we have to fly from Lima to Cusco, then somehow take a train to Machu Picchu... I have found several 10 day itineraries online and in guide books, but they don't tell how to get from point A to point B. Thank you so much for your help!

Suggest you email our guide/travel planner David Choque in Cusco quickly - he can arrange it for you

http://www.cuscotoptravelperu.com/index.html

[email protected]

David just did an itinerary for a friend of ours who was on a cruise ship - short but it might be something you're interested in.....

-Early am departure from Lima to Cusco
-Pickup by David at Cusco and transfer to Ollantaytambo (90+ minute drive) - overnight Ollantaytambo (stop at sites on the way/tour ruins at Ollantaytambo in afternoon)
-Early morning train to Aguas Calientes (MP town) - met by guide and tour MP - departure back to Cusco at 4pm/Cusco hotel that night
-Quick Cusco tour in the morning/back to Lima

Sorry - I misread your post - thought you wanted just MP. My advice is the same - email or phone David quickly and get him to organize it.

Wow .... I've seen some last minute planners on Lonely Planet's travel forum ('Thorntree') but you really are waiting 'til the last hurrah.

When I went several years ago, did so with a package .... however have seen quite a few other posters on this forum who have used David Choque's services. If you still prefer to put it all together on your own, then do research LP's Thorntree group.

It is possible to get to MP as a daytrip from Cusco, but that makes for a VERY long day. Best to do as outlined above and take the train from Cusco to Ollantaytambo (overnite there) ... OR from Cusco to Agua Calientes (overnite there) .... to actually get up to the MP ruins there is a bus that leaves from Agua Calientes and drops you off at front gate.

VERY IMPORTANT .... you need to purchase tickets to MP before you arrive at the entrance gate (can do so in Agua Calientes). Be aware there is limited amount of tickets sold for each day, so hopefully you will be able to get tickets ... (another good reason to use David's services).

http://www.machupicchu-inca.com/mach...ce-ticket.html

Didn't visit Colca Canyon, so don't have any suggestions on that. OH, surely you'd planned on exploring Cusco for a day (or two)? Lake Titicaca .... will need to get to Puno, the town adjacent. Again, in my situation, travel logistics were planned for me. We flew into Juliaca and then were picked up and driven to Puno. Can also get there via bus, however I'm not sure of time it'll take to get there.

After MP, you get back to Cusco by train. From Cusco, you can take a bus, maybe Inka Express, to Puno to visit Titicaca. From Puno you can then travel, either plane or bus, to Arequipa and do the Colca Canyon trip from there. (I flew. Not You can easily ask your hotel at each location to provide a pick up from the airport or bus station.

I suggest you follow Elizabeth_S suggestion and contact a guide urgently to arrnage all of this or you could end up being very disappointed.

Seeing all three sites is pushing it IMHO. Having done this circuit albeit ove a much longer timespan I would stick with Cusco, The Sacred Valley, MP and Titicaca and forego Arequipa (much as I love the place), otherwise you will spend a dispropotionate amont of your vacation on buses, planes & airports.

my recommendation would be to fly to Cusco and get a taxi from the airport to Ollantaytambo which should get you there fro mid-late pm. Check in and give yourself time to acclimatise a little so you can enjoy the sights in comfort. If you are not too fussy then it will be possible to find somewhere to stay on arrival, otherwise book somewhere NOW.

The next day, hire a car and driver from plaza de Armas in the centre of Olly (or arrange from your hotel)to tour the SV. this can be done in one very long day but I would recommend two. Pisac is a must, Chinchero, Moray, Moras etc are all worth seeing and maybe a visit to Urumbamba town. olly itself needs at least half a day to explore properly. Pisca coul perhaps be incorportaed into your trip back to Cusco. In all I would suggest 2 or even 3 nights in Olly as a base.

You need to sort out transport to MP by car or bus as I doubt train tikets will be available. One night in AC was more than enough for me and then head back to Cusco which itself deserves a couple of days. You could fly to Puno or get the Inka Express which takes 8 hours but does stop at a number of worthwhile sites along the way. the trip itself is spectacular!

It is easy enough to arrange a bot trip on Titicaca visiting Uros Taquile etc. From there you could fly back to Cusco or, get teh bus to Arequipa which takes about 5 hours (again quite a nice trip.

A bit more detail and some photos on our blog:

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

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Have a great time and be sure to post a trip report when you return to let us know how it went.

Geez-uz. Good luck. At the virtual busiest season, you will need to find, and purchase IN ADVANCE plane tix Lima-Cusco; PeruRail tickets, and now Machu Picchu Tickets.

The MP ticket purchase requirement IS SOMETHING NEW that just started, although in slow season you might chance waiting, they are reaching the 2500 capacity limit. So either contract with an agent or spend today on the internet.

http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/ (MP tix)
http://www.perurail.com/en/ (train)
www.lan.com plane (expensive but best bet at short notice)