Hi Julie,

"top choices" A difficult one, as I really loved all our time in the country but different places held different fascinations for us. Arequipa for the Santa Catalina convent and the fiesta, Pisac and the rest of the Sacred Valley (so much to see in such a small area!!), the bus ride to Puno for Titicaca goes through some of the most amazing scenery as it crosses the altiplano. Ollantaytambo was my favourite town by a long way and the trek there from Lares was one of the most memorable 3 days I have ever spent. I am probably in a minority but I much preferred Pisac to MP (and Aquas Calientes was definitely my least favourite place.

Here is a link to our blog:


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

Entries #55 onwards cover Peru which is pretty much my trip report plus some photos

Is this a recipe for altitude sickness?

Day 1 Depart O'Hare
Day 2 Arrive Lima at 4:30 in the morning, take afternoon flt to Cuzco and relax
Day 3 Day trip to Machu Picchu and return to Cuzco for night
Day 4 Fly out of Cuzco for the rest of the Peru trip

What do you all know about the Inca Quarry route to MP? That would require more time, of course.

Yes. But enjoy the bedrest.

Bedrest I can do at home. So no thanks. But thank you for advice here and on other threads.

A Zampoña is the Spanish equivalent of Zamboni. I think the word is feminine in Spanish -- go figure. I'm surprised Cold doesn't know this.

Hey <b>Colduphere,</b> certainly you have not stormed off in a huff over a Zampoña or a Zamboni. Please return.

The wiser atravelynn will now advise the clueless atravelynn and in the process maybe help out some other Philistine, business traveler with only a couple days to spare, or vacation-impoverished soul who stumbles upon this post.

First of all, macaws is spelled with only one c.

That 4-day Rube Tour would work and probably <u>not</u> induce altitude sickness because you'd be leaving the 11,050-ish ft. Cuzco quickly to DESCEND to the 9,150-ish ft. Ollantaytambo before reaching the 8,000-ish ft. goal of Machu Picchu.

After arriving Lima at 4-something in the morning, there is a 7:20 am and an 8:35 am flt from Lima to Cuzco on LAN. Fly time is approx 90 minutes which would mean arrival is too late to catch the train that leaves from Poroy, about 20-30 minutes away from Cuzco.

Train schedule
https://www.perurail.com/en/booking.php

So as was advised above by many MP gurus, take a taxi from the airport, of which there are many, to Ollantaytambo (60 miles).

THAT'S DAY 1 FOR LEAVING HOME AND DAY 2 FOR ARRIVING LIMA AND GETTING TO OLLANTAYTAMBO.
----------

Take a morning train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, the last stop. Get off the train, cross the street with the crowd, and take the shuttle bus (leaves ever 5 minutes or so) to Machu Pichhu (8,000-ish feet)
https://www.perurail.com/en/booking.php

Spend the day and take the shuttle bus back down (leaves every 5 minutes or so) for an evening train back to Cuzco, about 3 hours. The stop to get off is Poroy. Take a taxi to hotel.
THAT'S DAY 3, IN MACHU PICCHU

Fly out early on DAY 4 so that by midday, DAY 4, you are somewhere else.

But, Clueless Atravelynn, that is not the option that Wiser Atravelynn did. The thought was why make all that effort to get to Machu Picchu and (a) have a one-day opportunity to see it and risk bad weather, heavy fog, no light, etc. & (b) why not spend just one more day to get a better feel for the surroundings and the culture?

So the Wiser Atravelynn stuck Machu Picchu in between a north jungle activity and a south jungle activity, all arranged through Green Tracks.

Day 1. Arrive Cuzco and do city & environs tour. o/nt Cuzco
Day 2. Sacred Valley trip enroute to Machu Picchu with guide and driver. o/nt Ollantaytambo
Day 3. Vistadome train to MP & guided tour in morning. o/nt Aguas Calientes
Day 4. Go to MP on own and depart on train about 4:20 pm for Cuzco. o/nt Cuzco
Day 5. Depart Cuzco very early and fly to jungle activities that commence before noon.

Had I skipped MP when I had 17 days in the country, I would have felt I had made an error in judgment. But even the above is not a "lingering in Cuzco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu" trip.

There is a trip report in the works for Fodors. Here's a link to the whole trip, including MP, on safaritalk, illustrated with photos.

http://safaritalk.net/topic/9397-per...jungle-lodges/

I agree! For those of us who didn't hike the inca trail..I would spend 2 days at Machu Picchu....Day 1...Hike to the Sun Gate and then later, do a guided tour. Day 2...Hike Wayna Picchu and then explore MP on your own.