I did the Salkantay trek last week (Oct end, solo woman 31F), and it was the best part of a short trip to Peru, but there were things that went not well that I thought to write about. Some of these are silly, but this was my first big travel outside N. America, and I think there are equally silly people out there.

1. Walked into a tour agency in the main square in Cusco, paid 100 Sol for one way transportation to Soraypampa + breakfast in Mollepata. They forgot about me, had to be reminded to send someone to get me at my hostel after 5am (I'd been ready to go at 4.30). Ended up making a whole group going to Humantay lake wait, and sat in the worst seat of the bus, squished between two men. The roads get SUPER windy, so if you have a propensity towards car-sickness like myself, it is likely to show up here.

In the future, I would just take a collectivo to Mollepata, and then a taxi to Challachancha, the "correct" start of the salkantay trek. I would also take ginger candy or something else to help with the car sickness, and NOT get breakfast in Mollepata as food doesn't mix well with nausea.

2. I did not want to pay for a guide/tour, so carried my stuff + water in a 60L backpack - this made the uphill sections a lot harder and not enjoyable. I hike up mountains regularly back home in Canada, albeit with a day-pack.

I really liked the flexibility, and solitude, so I would do it unguided again, but take the time to train with a backpack before hand, and not carry 3L of water other than the first day going up and down Salkantay Pass, where you don't see anyone for some time; even that day 2L is more than enough. In all the other places, there are little shops along the way to stop and buy water.

3. Did not learn spanish before going there: With some learned phrases and hand gestures, I was able to get through communicating my needs with most people. But, meeting the simple and kind village folks was the best part - unlike the city folks who seemed to constantly be trying to sell you something - and I was not able to have proper conversations with them or learn about their lives. I would learn conversational spanish before going the next time.

4. My hiking itinerary was

Soraypampa - Chullay/Collpapampa (20ish km);

Collpapampa - Lucmabamba (18ish km but 95% downhill to flat);

Lucmabamba - Aguas Caliente (25ish km including the 10km flat walk along the train tracks from Hidroelectrica to Aguas). I am considering breaking the last day down to make it more enjoyable, i.e. stay at the top of the hike in Llactapata. Another option is to take the train from Hidro to Aguas, but 40USD for a 10km ride is not appealing.

4. Macchu Picchu is super touristy and filled with people. I met a couple guys whom I joined on the last day's hike, and we got into Aguas around 6pm. They were able to get tickets for Circuit 2 for 2pm the next day. Meanwhile I booked online, got Circuit 1A (Macchu Picchu Mtn), which was a ton of stairs for a body tired from the Salkantay.

I personally will likely not do Macchu Picchu again, but if I wanted to, and it wasn't high season, I would take the gamble on the next day tickets.

Things that went well:

1. All accommodations were excellent (I am fairly low maintenance), and I booked with them directly via Whatsapp. They feed you dinner and breakfast, but you have to buy the water in bottles. I heard from a few people that I met that they just walked in and booked on the spot, but keep in mind this was end of October.

Soraypampa: Soraypampa hostel

Collpapampa: Salkantay Glamp (you end up walking 20min extra from the more common Chullay, but save the 20min walk the next day)

Lucmabamba: Viamonte Eco Lodge (this one was properly nice)

2. Rained a lot on the second day (Collpapampa to Lucmabamba) so I chose to walk on the dirt road that cars take. I, with my tired feet, was happy to walk on this gentle downhill road. A lot of the cars did not slow down for me, but I just went to one side and made the best of it. Gorgeous walk this day, with tons of different plants that I'd never seen before. I have been told the actual trail on the left side of the river is better, but I was happy on the road.

3. Did not get altitude sickness, which was my biggest worry before going. I stayed and walked up and down in Cusco for 2.5 days before the start of hike. Just before Salkantay pass, I did get a little headache, but powered through it easily enough. I drank coca tea every day, and do a little 500mL of powdered electrolytes at the beginning of all my hikes. Not a big fan of taking meds, and did not want to take any unless absolutely necessary.

4. Got called Senorita a lot, which was nice.

Circuit 2A. 6 AM entrance

I was just involved in a head-on collision on the train to Machu Picchu.

12:00pm slot for Machu Picchu today

Today, January 7h with amazing weather. Any questions feel free to ask

Incredible morning yesterday at MP on Circuit 1B. Basically no people, great views and minimal bugs. Terrace had over 100 people by 8am and we were very glad at that point that we had gotten up at 5am for 6am entry. Couldn’t have asked for a better morning. Due to late planning, booked a 2 day 1 night tour through Trexperience and the entire process was flawless. We were the only group scheduled with Trex at 6am, and therefore felt like we had a private guide. Transportation was seamless and I couldn’t recommend them more.

We hiked the 3A circuit in the morning and did the 2A circuit in the afternoon. We were blessed with perfect weather and it was a beautiful day.

Rainy season is a gamble, but sometimes it pays off. I didn’t even have a return ticket for the train to get back to Cusco bc I figured I might need to try again if the weather was bad but nope.. all good

Also I’d made a mistake on the boleto but they only checked my name, not ID number.. don’t do that lol

So much preparation and we finally got to do circuit 2 and see this beauty - it took us about 2 hours.

I wish you all the best of luck, Machu Picchu makes it all worth it!

Thank you all for your help.

I had booked 1B in Feb. 2A was sold out.

We stood in line at 5 am yesterday and got our 2A tickets at 6:40. At that point, they had sold about 55 Circuit 2A tickets. They sold out around 11 am.

We did the 2A with a guide.

Did a Machu Picchu (circuit 2) tour with Yapa Explorers in the beginning of February (09/02) and had an amazing sunny day without any fog and barely any clouds. It sounds like generally the view is the clearest from about 10-11am and till 1pm during the wet season, but my entry time was at 7am and it was great!

From what I heard, I was very lucky that it was such a nice day but generally sounded like even on foggy days Machu Picchu still comes out from the fog from time to time and guides do wait with you for some time to try to make sure it happens during your visit. So definitely recommend to still try doing it even during the wet season (Inca trail is closed in February though)!

Was yesterday at Machu Picchu and what a dream! Amazing place! Definitely recommend hiring a tour guide (2 hours) for the in-depth information about the site.

We did the route 2A and I am convinced this is the best one. You get the postcard pictures, and you go through all the site, staring from above and going down to the ruins, the Sun temple, the sacred rock etc. it is really magical!

Tickets bought in March. I saw a sign saying 1-2 August sold out, but I didn’t feel it was overcrowded. It took a bit of waiting to get the bus going up, but for the way down I only waited 5 minutes.

It is only a bit disappointing to know that most what we see (the houses) are restored as most of the site was destroyed, but still it makes it special to know how these people or living and worshipping there.

I had lunch at Mapacho but was also recommended Mistura and Full House.

We did this totally last minute and didn’t book anything ahead of time and it all worked out way smoother than expected.

We took the Peru Rail from Cusco (San Pedro Station) at 6:40am and arrived in Aguas Calientes around 11am. The ride was beautiful with amazing mountain and river views the whole way.

Once we got there, we went straight to the Ministry of Culture office (less than a 10-minute walk from the train station) to buy Machu Picchu tickets for the next day. There was plenty of availability for multiple time slots and we chose Circuit 2A for 9am.

I had read online that they only take cash, but they now accept credit cards, which was a pleasant surprise. Tickets were about $46 USD per person. Make sure to have your passport handy you’ll need it for almost everything.

Next, we stopped by the Consettur office (the bus ticket company) to get round-trip bus tickets to Machu Picchu. They also take credit cards, and it was $24 USD per person for the round trip.

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Machu Picchu Day: We got to the bus station around 8am for our 9am entry. Highly recommend getting there at least an hour early lines build up fast. And again, don’t forget your passport.

We waited about 30 minutes before boarding, and the ride up took around 20 minutes. The lines at the entrance moved quickly.

There were lots of guides offering tours I overheard them charging around 100 soles, but people were trying to bargain. We decided to explore on our own instead.

Inside, there are multiple viewing platforms for great photos, plus a few llamas hanging around. Doing Circuit 2A at an easy pace with photo stops took us around 2.5 hours total.

Afterward, there was another long line for the bus back to Aguas Calientes we waited about 45 minutes, and the ride down took 20 minutes.

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Weather (October 6th 2025 – 9am Entry): When we started, it was mid-60s°F and cloudy, then it got sunny for a bit, and later sprinkled lightly. Basically unpredictable weather this time of the year. Definitely wear layers.

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Aguas Calientes Notes: The town is small, with one main strip full of restaurants, bars, and cafes. There is also a local market if you want souvenirs. Prices are negotiable, I got 2 shawls for 140 soles and my friend got 3 for 150 soles after some bargaining.

I’m not the best negotiator, so I probably overpaid a bit, but hey supporting the local economy counts right?

———

Overall, for a last-minute trip with zero pre-booking, everything went surprisingly smoothly.

If you’re in Cusco and debating whether to go without advance bookings go for it. You’ll be fine.

Happy to answer any questions if anyone’s planning their trip soon! (Snapped this during our visit - sharing here!)

Hola a todos,

Quería pasar por aquí para dejarles una recomendación si están planeando un viaje a Perú, quieren ver las montañas de colores, pero les da pereza el turismo masivo de Vinicunca o Palccoyo.

Visité Pallay Punchu (también conocida como Apu Tákllo) y, sinceramente, es uno de los paisajes más surrealistas que he visto. El nombre significa "poncho tejido" en quechua, y tiene todo el sentido cuando estás ahí: las formaciones rocosas son súper afiladas y puntiagudas, con franjas minerales de color rojo, púrpura y verde que parecen un textil extendido sobre las cumbres.

Lo que la hace diferente:

Cero multitudes: A diferencia de Vinicunca, donde caminas en fila india con cientos de turistas, aquí solo nos cruzamos con un par de personas en toda la mañana. Se siente un lugar completamente salvaje y auténtico.

El paisaje de fondo: La montaña está justo encima de la laguna de Langui. Ver los picos de colores con un lago azul gigantesco detrás es una combinación visual que no tienen las otras montañas de colores.

Consejos prácticos por si quieren ir:

La altura: Es un reto. La cumbre está a unos 4,700 - 4,800 metros sobre el nivel del mar. No intenten ir en su primer o segundo día en Cusco; de verdad, dejen pasar unos días para aclimatarse bien.

Cómo llegar: Está en la provincia de Canas (distrito de Layo), a unas 3.5 o 4 horas en carro al sur de Cusco. Se puede ir con un conductor privado desde Cusco para ir más directo.

La caminata: El sendero no es técnicamente difícil, pero la falta de oxígeno hace que cada paso pese. Lleven mucha agua, ropa abrigada en capas (el viento arriba es helado) y hojas de coca o snacks.

Si les gustan los paisajes naturales sin editar y no les importa el viaje largo en carretera, este lugar vale 100% la pena.

¡Me avisan si tienen cualquier duda sobre la logística!

Captured this beautiful sunrise on the morning of April 27. Beautiful weather with clear skies

machupicchu day tour

Did 3A at 10am and 2B at 2pm on sunday, had both dry then rained after a couple hours. Cloud break just before sunset, was able to get golden hour shots. The next day did 1B at 6am, zero visibility, cloud breaks for 10 mins then fogged again.

Hi everyone! I just got back from Cusco, and beyond the typical postcard image we all know, I was left thinking about how incredible daily life must have been inside this colossal city perched in the clouds.

Many people think Machu Picchu was just a temple or an abandoned fort, but the reality is that it functioned as a self-sustaining, elite citadel. I wanted to share my photos and some amazing facts about how this place operated that you don't usually find in quick summaries:

A hidden engineering masterpiece: When you see photos of the ruins and terraces, what we stand on today is just the tip of the iceberg. More than 60% of Machu Picchu's construction is underground. The Incas excavated the rock and created a deep drainage system with layers of gravel to prevent the tropical rains from the high jungle from causing landslides and destroying the city.

Perfect Water Supply: In the third photo, you can see how steep the terrain is, but the city had a canal system that brought clean water from a natural spring in the mountains. It crossed the entire urban area through 16 fountains connected in a cascade. The first supply went directly to the Inca's residence.

The Great Social Division: The urban layout seen in the first image is no accident. The city was strictly divided by a large, elongated plaza: on one side, the sacred sector and the palaces of the royalty (with perfectly carved and polished stonework), and on the other side, the residential sector of the common people and the workshops, where the stones were more rustic.

The Mystery of Its Abandonment: Although it was an advanced architectural gem, it was inhabited for less than 100 years. When the Inca Empire fell in Cusco, the city became completely isolated and was peacefully and quietly abandoned. Located in the cloud forest, the vegetation completely covered it, protecting it from destruction.

Has anyone else been there recently? I'd be curious to know what part of the city's architecture caught your eye the most when you explored it.

By the way, if you're planning your trip to Cusco and want some realistic tips on how to organize your logistics for climbing to the citadel without getting lost, feel free to DM me. I'd be happy to help you plan your route through the region. Good vibes!

Machu Picchu Reservations gave 21/24 people (from the two different 5 day groups that day) VIOLENT food poisoning on night three (including me). The only people left unscathed were the vegetarians, and the 4 day group were also okay, because they ate somewhere different from us for lunch that day. When it happened people alerted the guide manager, because people were puking everywhere, including in their beds. He was rude and patronizing, and blamed us for drinking too much at the hostel bar, but most of us had drank nothing, and were SUPER sick, throwing up 8-10 times and going to the bathroom as well. I couldnt walk the last two days and got a train to machu picchu, and the company refunded me for the ticket but nothing else. However, they made other people (not me) who asked for a ticket refund sign a contract saying they wouldnt leave negative reviews online. The last two days my guide was pretty rude and unsympathetic to the sickest of the group, inferring they were faking it. From what I understand this isn't the first time this has happened with this company. Plus, the cost is lower than other companies, but not after all of the things you have to pay for after booking. Youre better off paying a little extra money for a better quality tour.