Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Sunday, November 14, 2021
How to Prepare for a Trip to Peru
1. Tips on documents you should bring for your trip
A valid passport is required to enter Peru. Depending on the country of your citizenship, you may need a visa to come to Peru. (Citizens of the USA, Canada, and the European Union do not need a VISA). Check with your local travel agency for more information, or simply check online at the website: Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://www.rree.gob.pe/SitePages/home.aspx) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country of citizenship. You should always carry your passport with you in case of random checks. You should take your medical records if you need medicine or have a health problem.
2. Tips on buying travel insurance
It is recommended that you purchase travel insurance. When purchasing your travel insurance, make sure that the minimum coverage includes: trip cancellation or interruption, baggage delay, theft or loss of baggage or documents, medical expenses, emergency assistance, accidental death, and dismemberment. We recommend having a copy of your insurance policy on hand throughout your trip.
3. Money exchange tips
You can change money from your home country to Peru. ATMs, banks, and money changers are in the main tourist areas. It is a good idea to always have some cash for food and shopping. We recommend carrying only a small amount of money. U.S. dollars are accepted in some stores and restaurants in Peru, but not all, so changing your cash and moving soles (official Peruvian currency) is best. Major credit cards are widely accepted. Ensure your Peruvian currency bills are clean and free of any tears or damage, as they may not be accepted by many stores or vendors.
4. Tips for your luggage and packing
Airlines and trains have weight limits on luggage per person and other restrictions. Domestic flights in Peru generally have lower weight limits than international flights. You will have to carry your own suitcases or backpacks on some trips, so it is good to carry light luggage.
5. Tips for carrying clothing
Depending on the month and place you visit Peru, you can expect anything from weighty rains to intense heat. Because Peru also has drastic altitude differences, different temperatures can be recorded in the same area. In addition, temperatures are often distant during the day and at night. It can be pretty hot at times and quite cold at night, so it is good to have some clothing for both types of weather. Bring a bathing suit to visit a place with hot springs (for example, our package to Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes) or a swimming pool.
6. What types of shoes to bring for a hike
Many historical sites, such as Machu Picchu, are located in areas with changing terrain. Therefore hiking is challenging (Good option: Machu Picchu Inca Trail), and appropriate hiking shoes are necessary for your safety and enjoyable travel experience. Shoes should be comfortable, with good tread. Closed shoes are the best way to keep your feet warm, safe, and protected.
7. Tips for weather and climate in Peru
Peru has a rainy season, but it can rain any day. It is better to carry a rain poncho than an umbrella, as you will have your hands free and can move freely, especially if you are hiking the Inca Trail. You can carry it in your backpack if it is not raining.
Tours and Excursions to Machu Picchu with its varieties
Machu Picchu Tour 2 Days
Machu Picchu Tour 3 Days
Machu Picchu Tour 4 Days
Machu Picchu Tour 5 Days
Machu Picchu Tour 6 Days
Machu Picchu Photographic Tour
Tour to Machu Picchu on the Belomnd Hiram Bhingam Train
When is the best time to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu?
When is the best time to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu?
May to September (dry season) is ideal for hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. These months are generally good for the trek due to the infrequency of rainfall.
November to March is the summer (rainy season). This season tends to be very rainy, which makes the hike and access difficult. You will not even be able to hike the Inca Trail in February due to rainfall and maintenance work.
When to book the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu?
The Inca Trail is one of the best treks on the planet. That is why there is a great demand for tickets. That is why you should book your entrance tickets well in advance.
Please note the following before booking your Inca Trail ticket:
Inca Trail tickets are sold out 6 months in advance. Remember that only 500 people can walk this route each day.
Only 200 people will enter Machu Picchu by this route, as the rest belong to the support team, cooks, porters, and guides.
The entrance to the Inca Trail only includes the Inca City of Machu Picchu. If you want to visit Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu, request it from the tourist agency.
The purchase of entrance tickets to the Inca Trail is through the website of an authorized tourist agency.
How long is the Inca Trail?
The Classic or traditional Inca Trail is 40 kilometers long and takes 4 days of trekking (18 to 24 hours approximately). The route will take you through the mountains until you reach Machu Picchu in the Amazonian jungle of Peru.
Some information about the Inca Trail:
The route crosses archaeological sites such as Llactapata, Runkurakay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, and Wiñaywayna.
The end of the road is the entrance to Machu Picchu through the Intipunku (Sun Gate). This was the main gate in Inca times. The scenery there is incredible.
In most cases, you will return to Cusco by train after walking the Inca Trail.
Some people decide to stay and relax in the thermal baths of Aguas Calientes before returning to Cusco the next day.
About tickets to enter the Inca Trail
Due to the high ticket demand, you should get your Inca Trail entrance tickets well in advance (6 months). Tickets can only be purchased online through the website of an authorized travel agency.
A total of 500 explorers entered the Inca Trail every day. Of these, only 200 are trekkers. The rest are support staff, such as cooks, indigenous porters, and tour guides. The ticket to enter the Inca Trail includes the support staff.
Did you find availability to make the Inca Trail? The only way to enter the Wonder of the World is by train through the Sacred Valley of the Incas or by the alternative route from Santa Maria to Machu Picchu. Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu must also be booked in advance.
What is the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu like?
The Inca Trail shows rugged geography with ascents and descents next to cliffs. The mountains reach great heights with wild stretches. In the jungle areas, you will see a variety of shades of green in the tropical forests.
Day 1: Cusco - Wayllabamba (13 kilometers)
The Inca Trail begins at kilometer 82 of the railroad, leading to Machu Picchu (2 hours and 30 minutes by bus from Cusco). Then the ascent to the Cusichaca Valley begins. The visitor will visit the ruins of Llactapata (2,840 m.a.s.l.) until the village of Huayllabamba (3,057 m.a.s.l.).
Day 2: Wayllabamba - Pacaymayo (11 kilometers)
The second day is the most difficult due to the physical demands. The tourist will ascend to the Warmiwañuska ('Pass of the dead woman'). This is the highest point of the route (4,215 m.a.s.l.). From this point, it is possible to see the archaeological site of Runkurakay (3,760 m.a.s.l.).
Day 3: Pacaymayo - Wiñay Huayna (16 kilometers)
On the third day, the descent will be vertiginous to the Pacaymayo river valley. The stretch goes down a steep slope of almost 1,600 meters to the Sayaqmarca site (3,625 m.a.s.l.). Here the view is extraordinary.
Day 4: Wiñay Huayna - Machu Picchu (03 kilometers)
The last day hides some of the best Inca samples: Phuyupatamarka, Wiñaywayna. Leaving these ruins, you will start a gradual descent that will become more complicated at the end. Finally, you will arrive at Intipunku or Sun Gate. From there, you will walk for another 30 minutes to the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu.
After visiting Machu Picchu, the visitor returns to Cusco by train and bus. The duration of the trip is approximately 03 hours. These services are included in the Inca Trail tours.
During the 04 days of the Inca Trail, you will experience fatigue and shallow temperatures (between the Andes Mountains and the Amazonian forests.
Good tips to visit Machu Picchu
That Machu Picchu is a wonder is attested to because it is a World Heritage Site. The thousands of visitors who come to this Inca site each year and the millions of fantastic photos you have seen of the ruins of Machu Picchu with Mount Huayna Picchu as a backdrop.
We, who have been there, can corroborate it. Machu Picchu is a must-see wonder on a trip to Peru! However, only some things are as fantastic as you read in the tourist brochures. Queues, the need to book the entrance ticket well in advance, difficulties to access, exorbitant prices, and a crowd of tourists who access and visit Machu Picchu simultaneously... That is what they do not tell you and what we will show you in this article. However, our intention is not to make you desist from traveling to Machu Picchu, which would be a blunder, but to avoid bitter surprises that ruin your trip to such a fascinating place.
What recommendations do I need to know to go to Machu Picchu?
Purchasing your ticket to Machu Picchu and your train tickets in advance is vital. Especially if the visit is in high season (May - September).
Always carry your documents with you, whether your passport, university student card, or ID card.
You must arrive 30 minutes before departure and present your ticket and identification document at the train station. Otherwise, you will not be able to board the train.
You can carry cash to make various purchases, especially in Peruvian currency )soles) in small denominations because most places in Aguas Calientes do not accept cards. However, you will find many ATMs in Cusco, Ollantaytambo, and Aguas Calientes.
The most frequently visited Machu Picchu is between 10:00 - 14:00 hrs. Therefore, going up to the Inca City early in the morning or afternoon is recommended to enjoy your guided tour at your leisure.
You will not need a VISA if you are American or belong to the European Community. You can stay up to 90 days in the country. If you come from countries that make up the Andean Community (CAN), you can enter by presenting your identity document.
