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All that to say, you're probably going to be fine, but if it is a concern, talk to your doctor about getting an altitude sickness medication beforehand and plan on spending 48 hours in Cusco (which is great advice anyways as it's a worthy stop).
There is a preventative you can take in Peru to help reduce the effects of altitude sickness. It's not exactly a legal substance in the States, but is in Peru. I will say that I had some in Cusco and my wife did not. I adjusted to the altitude with no problems and my wife did not.
For context, this is the description on the 3 day option. It includes one night in a hotel on the first night I believe.
Day 1: The Sacred Valley
Today you will witness the beauty of the Sacred Valley not only through its incredible scenery, but also by immersing yourself in its history and customs. Spend the day exploring a local community and touring impressive ruins in the beautiful valley, before you begin your trek. (this is not really a super specific description, but I'm generally speaking okay with being surprised as long as the tour is active and interesting)
Day 2: Today you will get to experience the Inca Trail firsthand. Participate in a moderate hike along the famous route, enjoy stunning views, and witness fascinating Inca ruins along the way. The hike will be about five hours along the same path that the Incas used to walk to get to Machu Picchu. Along the way, your local guide will take you to the ruins of Llacapata, where you will enjoy a tasty picnic lunch. After a full day of hiking and enjoying the beauty of the surrounding landscape you will set up camp, enjoy a delicious dinner, and rest up.
I'm guessing this is at a campsite which I like doing at least for one night. It looks like it is a longer stretch of the Inca Trail than some, since it mentions 5 hours of hiking, and it passes a ruin site along the way.
Then, Day 3 of course is Machu Picchu and I am assuming we then either stay the night in Aguas Calientes or return to Cusco that evening.
I may ask this group more specifics prior to booking, of course also.
It mentions walking up to Wallyabamba. It also mentions walking up to the Sun Gate and watching sunrise over MP. So, maybe our day(s) of hiking are basically: start of Inca Trail to Wallyabamba, and walking up to Sun Gate and exploring the site itself. So we would be getting Day 1 and Day 4 of the Inca Trail, and not 2/3, but in lieu of that we would see Sacred Valley and have an extra day in Cusco Region. Maybe that clarifies it a bit more, or others have thoughts on those spots.
Last edited by theurbanfiles; 01-30-2019 at 10:07 AM..
There is a preventative you can take in Peru to help reduce the effects of altitude sickness. It's not exactly a legal substance in the States, but is in Peru. I will say that I had some in Cusco and my wife did not. I adjusted to the altitude with no problems and my wife did not.
Ah yes, there is that too. I had some tea as it was offered to us at our hotel. I've read varying degrees of results from using either chewing the leaves or the tea and that, best case, the effects are similar to aspirin or other low dose pain relief. The locals seem to swear by it though.
One other thing I just remembered, you'll see canned air being sold at the airport and other tourist spots in Cusco. Like the coca tea, your mileage may vary but I recall reading several articles before my trip and basically deciding that it helps some people, but others it has no effect.
So how about safety in the cities themselves? In Lima, I am staying in a chain hotel fronting Exposition Park, across from the Supreme Court, and not far from Historic Center (you can walk, it seems). On our other night in Lima we are staying in Miraflores, a few blocks from the ocean and the Larcomar Shopping Complex. In Cusco, we are considering staying a block or two south of the Plaza de Armas, right near the ChocoMuseo. Are all those places relatively safe with reasonable precaution?
So how about safety in the cities themselves? In Lima, I am staying in a chain hotel fronting Exposition Park, across from the Supreme Court, and not far from Historic Center (you can walk, it seems). On our other night in Lima we are staying in Miraflores, a few blocks from the ocean and the Larcomar Shopping Complex. In Cusco, we are considering staying a block or two south of the Plaza de Armas, right near the ChocoMuseo. Are all those places relatively safe with reasonable precaution?
Can't tell you about about Lima, only used the airport waiting for connecting flights. As for Cusco, I stayed north of the plaza and cathedral, forget the name of the hotel, but it was 3-4 blocks north. I felt safe and walked around the "touristy" areas of the city at various times of day with no issues and problems. You will undoubtedly get little kids trying to sell you trinkets, paintings and cigarettes in and around the plaza with their English a lot better than my Spanish, which is zilch.
So how about safety in the cities themselves? In Lima, I am staying in a chain hotel fronting Exposition Park, across from the Supreme Court, and not far from Historic Center (you can walk, it seems). On our other night in Lima we are staying in Miraflores, a few blocks from the ocean and the Larcomar Shopping Complex. In Cusco, we are considering staying a block or two south of the Plaza de Armas, right near the ChocoMuseo. Are all those places relatively safe with reasonable precaution?
We didn't spend much time in Lima, but we felt reasonably safe in Cusco. There are many street vendors in Cusco and some of them can get pretty pushy. One particularly persistent artist would not leave us alone so we ended up buying something from him just to get him to stop.
Also be aware that some locals will gladly pose for pictures, then expect some money afterwards (see photo).
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Originally Posted by billl
There is a preventative you can take in Peru to help reduce the effects of altitude sickness. It's not exactly a legal substance in the States, but is in Peru. I will say that I had some in Cusco and my wife did not. I adjusted to the altitude with no problems and my wife did not.
So how about safety in the cities themselves? In Lima, I am staying in a chain hotel fronting Exposition Park, across from the Supreme Court, and not far from Historic Center (you can walk, it seems). On our other night in Lima we are staying in Miraflores, a few blocks from the ocean and the Larcomar Shopping Complex.
Your should be fine in both locations in Lima. The first spot is near lots of museums as well. Also close to the National Stadium (wouldn't advise going to a futbol match there, though...).
Miraflores is definitely the most North American part of Lima. Plenty of shopping, NA restaurants, etc. Very safe. Definitely check out the Inca markets near the Parque de Kennedy to buy some souvenirs and spend some time gazing at the ocean at Parque de Amor. You'll also find some of the finest high end restaurants in South America in this area.
Other areas of Lima popular among tourists are Barranco and San Isidro.
I'd also urge you to do 2 more things while there. First, recognize even though you're in very safe areas you still need to exercise caution and good judgment. Again, citing my mission trip experience from several years ago (I've since been back to Lima 3x) the only issue our group had was in a McDonald's in Miraflores...one of the students had her backpack stolen losing a very expensive camera and her passport. This, after well over a week spent in some of the rougher parts of the city where one might expect crime.
Second, (and this may sound counter-intuitive considering my last paragraph) is to try to experience some of Lima as a real local might. If you have the opportunity to get a trustworthy local guide to take you into some of the other neighborhoods to get a feel for how the average Peruvian lives, then do so. Having spent several weeks in working class Lima, it kind of bothers me when I see travel show hosts visiting Lima and extolling the City of Kings when they haven't even ventured outside of Miraflores. It is a city worth visiting and loving, but I think it's also important to see the struggles of Peruvians first-hand.
Finally, food! If you haven't read about it yet, you will...but Peruvian cuisine is some of the best in the world. Ceviche, lomo saltado, aji de gallina, pollo a la brasa, anticuchos, cuy (this is something to try more in Cusco)...and so many more. Some of the best meals I've ever had were in semi sketchy restaurants in Lima.
You'll have a truly amazing and once in a lifetime trip I'm sure!
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