Ret2Go

If I had only 7 days and wanted to visit both countries how would I do this?

I don't want to go at this thinking I'm 20 years old, I'm not, far from it in fact, but my mind thinks otherwise. I lived in England for a while and became accustomed to taking trips over to the mainland where it would last 3 or 4 days at most. I would select a city and take in as much as I could manage on foot. It involved getting up early and breakfast was usually on the road, so was lunch and I'd return to the hotel/rented vacation apartment about 16:00 or 17:00. Rest for a bit while researching dinner options. Get dinner in and then a little night time walking before turning in about 22:00 or 23:00.

I understand the altitude will slow me down some but I'm fine with sitting at a café and doing some people watching to recover.

Can it be done? Lima with a trip to Cusco then head to Santiago and a trip out to the wine region?

tripplanner001

Hi Ret2Go, I feel that what you've set out to do is next to impossible, unless you're content with spending all of your time on transport. I'm planning a trip to Peru myself and am allocating 9 nights for Cuzco and the surrounding area alone, including Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. While I've never visited either country myself, and I'm sure others will give you feedback as well, but I feel that 7 days isn't enough for Peru itself let alone adding Chile. I suppose Santiago and the surrounding area can be done in 7 days, but then you would be going all the way to Chile and not seeing some of what the country is famous for, including the Atacama Desert and Patagonia.

Ret2Go

Ok, so maybe 7 days would be pushing it for both....how about 10 for both? ;-}

tripplanner001

Ultimately this is your trip, but I don't think anything less than two full weeks is reasonable, and even that is pushing it.

Kathie

It may be logistically possible, but you won't have much experience of either place and will spend a significant amount of time in transit. In fact for 10 days, I'd recommend spending all of it in Peru.

crellston

It is possible, it is just not advisable, unless of course you love sitting in buses, taxis, airports etc.

Peru is a huge country and whilst there is a well worn gringo trail, travelling between places can take longer than expected, even if they do go smoothly. With 7 days you could pay a whistles too tour of Cusco and the Sacred Valley along the following lines;

Day 1 - overnight flight to Lima with an early morning connection to Cusco. No time to go into Lima. Take it easy in Cusco as the altitude WILL affect you. It is just a question of how much

Day 2 - explore Cusco and its major sites. You really need 2-3 days but you don't have them. Santa Catalina, Qoricancha, Cathedral etc. Also try to take in one of the markets

Day 3 - head out Pisac. Sunday is the busy market day but any day will be good.get a taxi to the top car park and walk back down through the ruins. Takes half a day before getting a taxi or bus back to Cusco but get them to drop you off at. Tambo Machay so you can walk back down into. Cusco stopping at Sacsayhuaman on the way ( or get the taxi to take you to each of the sights along the way of you don't fancy walking.

Day 4 - overnight in Cusco. Get an early morning start with a driver guide to take you through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo stoping at Chinchero, Maras, Moray, Urumbamba. Takes the best part of the day.

Day 5 - Overnight in Ollantaytambo. Get up early visit the ruins before the hordes arrive. Get the train to Aguas Calientes overnight there and get an early morning start to Macchu Picchu. Visit the citadel, return to AC to get the train back to Cusco

Day 6 a day and overnight in Cusco to see the places you will inevitably have missed on day 3. Do not underestimate the amount there is to see in Cusco. It is one of the most history rich places to see in South America, if not the world. Maybe leave Sacsayhuaman until this day when you are more acclimatised.

Day 7 - early morning flight back to Lima.

If you can fit Chile somewhere into that schedule, good luck to you but I really don't know what you would leave out. Even with 10 days, I think it would be way to rushed to include Chile and would either add in a couple of days for Lima or spend more time in the SV.

PS loved your comment re living in. England and "travelling over to the mainland" having lived in England for much of my life I don't think I have ever heard it referred to in quite that way !

Ret2Go

Oh my! I guess I just got busy with 'life' and forgot to check responses. *hangs head in shame*

Looks like we've decided on a 10 to 12 day trip for late September.

Fly into Santiago from Los Angeles and take a quick hop to Mendoza for about 3 days, hop to BA for a few more with a day out to Iguaçu Falls, total about 4, maybe 5. Then a longer hop to Lima for an over night stay before going to Cusco for a 3 or 4 days.

Still in the planning stages but I do appreciate your guidance!

Ret2Go

oh - one more thing....

Hotel recommendations for:
Mendoza, we may want to stay in the vineyards.
Hotel in BA, something with old world charm without the dust and lumpy beds.
Possibly hotel in Iguacu Falls area.
Then lastly hotel in Cusco.

Budget is about $150USD per night.

Thanks!

crellston

Whilst I appreciate the desire to pack in as much as possible into the time you have available, by my reckoning you are going to lose around 4 days just flying from place to place. Your "quick hops"s are going to take the best part of a day if you count travel to and from airports/ hotels and the almost inevitable flight delays. I suppose you could mitigate this somewhat by getting a really early flight each time if possible.

Iguazu is spectacular but can't really be done in a day. You need at least one night there, preferably two.

I know there are some flight direct form Salta to Iguazu but not sure about Mendoza - you may like to check as that would save a little time.

There is probably no need to do an overnight in Lima. Get an early flight and you could probably make it to Cusco in one day.

Can't help with hotels as I rarely pay that much these days! $150 pn should buy you some nice places though..

mlgb

I agree that you are underestimating the transit time required for these "hops" . eg just getting to Lima airport is an hour from the main hotel district (..assumes that you wish to see something of Lima). Plus you need to 3 hours before an international flight. So that is half a day not even including your flight time!

The Sacred Valley, Cusco and Machu Picchu I would want at least 5 days plus two days that you lose going in and out of Lima.

It sounds like you are retired btw? It might be worth thinking about splitting this in to two trips, from the west coast you can get to Chile and Peru without going thru Miami. LAN is the best option on a short trip (nonstop) Then do
Argentina as another trip.

Re hotels look at staying first in Ollantaytambo (not Cusco) as the altitude is lower. El Albergue should be in your price point. In Cusco Terra Viva is a local chain that gets good reviews.

Have fun, South America is a great destination. Don't forget Ecuador or Bolivia are also there!

Ret2Go

Once I lay it all out on paper where I can see times and such I'll know more about how much time to give us to get from one place to the other and deal with the airports.

No, I'm not retired, not even close. That said I'm not in my 30's either...but we're both fit and have done plenty of trips through Europe and know how to research. (like what i'm doing here for great suggestions!).

We both know that we can't see <i>everything</i> in one trip and if we like where we've been we can always go back and catch the stuff we didn't see(notice I didn't say 'missed').

I'm reading travel boards, guide books and asking questions. You've all been great!

sf7307

The Sacred Valley, Cusco and Machu Picchu I would want at least 5 days plus two days that you lose going in and out of Lima.

We are far from "slow travelers" and still would want at least 5 days in this area - 2 for Cusco, 1 for Machu Picchu, 1 for Ollantaytambo and 1 for the remainder of the Sacred Valley.

I highly recommend El Albuergue in Ollantaytambo (mentioned by mlgb). It's a lovely eco-inn, with a terrific restaurant (they grow their own vegetables on a farm "over the wall" from the restaurant) and nice little coffee house attached. The link is to a couple of pictures of and from our room.

https://plus.google.com/photos/10434...CNeIu9zu-rCSQg

Huentetu

I am having trouble understanding why you would fly into Santiago and then immediately move on to Argentina and Perú. There is no point in flying into Santiago if you aren't going anywhere else in Chile. What if you flew into Lima and did Perú first and then Argentina? You could do an open jaw ticket.

Ret2Go

Huentetu - this is why I'm posting my questions! Yes, I agree, that is logical to go into Lima.

I like to look at all options.