Any visit to
Machu Picchu begins in Cusco, the capital of the Inca empire that at its
height stretched from modern day Argentina to Ecuador. To the Spanish
Conquistadors, Cusco was a major source of golden idols that were melted
down and shipped to Europe as bullion. For me, 11,000-foot Cusco is a base
for altitude adjustment. Flying in from Lima, the seaside
Peruvian capital,
I'm hopped up on Diamox, to ward off the effects of the thin air.
Where overnight in Cusco ? Surf our
suggested hotels and resort list and also the
travelogues section
When the Spanish looted Cusco, they found plenty of wealth, but they
never found Machu Picchu. These days, of course, Cusco travel agents are
more than happy to point you in the right
direction and get you there by
practically any means you like. Wanting to walk, I sign up for a budget
backpacker tour. For $80 a piece, the outfitter agrees to provide food and
shelter for
the four-day hike, plus transportation to the trailhead near the
base of the Sacred Valley — a fertile plain that has produced much of the
highland region's crops since Inca times.
Cusco Cathedral
I set out for the Sacred Valley one day early to see a bit more of the
country and shed some of Cusco's altitude. I spend a night at Ollantaytambo,
a small village framed by the Inca fortress that
rises just steps from the
town's square. It's an historic area of its own — the endpoint of the
Spanish explorations in this area. The next morning, at 8 a.m., I rendezvous
with the bus carrying
fellow trekkers, and we drive to the trailhead.
If one were to follow the Urubamba River, as the train tracks do, the
hike would be a gradual descent into the lush jungle that surrounds the
ruins: Machu Picchu is at a significantly lower altitude
than Ollyantantambo.
But the Inca Trail takes the high road, then low road, then the high road,
making for a tough journey, especially when battling altitude. The trail,
which at points retains the
cobblestones laid by the Incas, traverses
several steep Andean valleys and features three passes over 12,000 feet.
It's difficult hiking, to be sure; in return, one is rewarded with
spectacular views
of the Urubamba gorge and the neighboring Andean peaks.
Or so I was told. The first day, clear views capture our eyes and
imaginations, but then rain and clouds start moving in. This is unusual for
August (the South American winter), which is supposedly the
best time to
visit. And the crowds (another staple of the high season) are as much in
evidence as the clouds. Competition for camping spaces is so intense that
our tour leader sends out
porters a day
in advance in an effort to secure
the best ones.
But the fourth day brings the prospect of reaching Machu Picchu. We wake
before dawn to hike the final stretch Check us out in
Frommers
cusco hostal we got everything you are looking for to make your stay
comfortable
Program |
Duration |
Highlights |
CUSCO
CITY TOUR HALF DAY |
Half Day |
Cusco, archaeological
centers and museums |
MACHUPICCHU
TOUR FULL DAY |
Full Day |
Cusco, Sacred Valley of
Urubamba, Aguas Calientes, Ciudadela of Machu Picchu |
RAFTING IN URUBAMBA RIVER 2 DAYS (private service) |
2 Days and 1 Nights |
Cusco,
Rafting in Urubamba River, Camping, Chuquicahuana |
Machu Picchu Classic 4 Days |
4 Days and 3
Nights |
Cusco, Machu
Picchu, Sacred Valley |
New Pisaq & Machupicchu 4 Days |
4 Days and 3 Nights |
Cusco, Ruins of Pisac,
Urubamba Valley, Ollantaytambo, Maras, Moray ruins,
Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes |
New Pisaq & Machupicchu 5 Days |
5 Days and 4 Nights |
Cusco, Ruins of Pisac,
Sacred Valley of the Inkas, Ollantaytambo, Maras, Machu
Picchu, Sacred Valley of Urubamba, Aguas Calientes, |
Cusco The Incas Empire 5 Days |
5 Days and 4 Nights |
Cusco, Koricancha,
Sacsayhuaman, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay, Urubamba
Valley, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes |
Cusco Soft Adventure 5 Days |
5 Days and 4 NightS |
Short Inca Trail to Machu
Picchu (2 days), Cusco, Sacred Valley |
Machu Picchu Total Excursion 6 Days |
6 Days and 5 Nights |
Cusco, Moray, Maras,
Salinas, Aguas Calientes, Mandor, Putukusi, Wayna Picchu,
Intipunku, Machu Picchu |
Machu
Picchu Light Adventure 6 Days |
6 Days and 5 Nights |
Cusco , Horse Back riding
to Cusco Ruins, Sacsayhuaman, Agus calientes, Machu
Picchu. |
Cusco Unknown 6 Days |
6 Days and 5 Nights |
Cusco , Koricancha,
Lares, Huacahuasi, Patacancha, Ollantaytambo, Aguas
Calientes, Machu Picchu |
Cusco Nature 7 Days |
7 Days and 6 Nights |
Cusco, Koricancha,
Sacsayhuaman Fortress, horse riding adventure, short
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu |
Cusco
Archeological 7 Days |
7 Days and 6 Nights |
Cusco, Machu Picchu with
overnight stay, Sacred Valley |
Cusco Adventure Budget 8 Days |
8 Days and 7 Nights |
Cusco, Inca Trail hike up
to Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Rafting |
Salkantay
Adventure Budget 8 Days |
8 Days and 7 Nights |
Cusco, Rafting, Salkantay,
Soraypampa, Chaullay, Aguas Calientes, machu Picchu. |
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