machu pichu hotels ??

[catergirl]

i know the sanctuary lodge is a popular one, but after reading the cost$$$$ im having second thoughts. i was wondering about the hotels listed at the machu pichu hot springs. is this close to MP? are they OK? would you suggest any in particular if so? any help would be great. another relating question...when we fly in to cusco, would it be wise to go down near MP to stay at the lower elevation to avoid(hopefully) altitude sickness? any help, thanks martha

[shepp]

The town of Macchu Pichu (Aguas Calientes) is a full-blown tourist town replete with many hotels in many categories and plenty of bars and pizzerias. "Are they OK?" is basically meaningless. (E.G., "Are hotels in New York OK?")

 

The town is at the base of the mountain. You will have to take a bus to and from the ruins. I suggest you do some more research on your own. There's plenty of info out there: we had no trouble booking an appropriate hotel that we were satisfied with: I have no idea whether it would suit your needs.

 

And I suggest you talk to your doctor about taking diamox as a preventative against altitude sickness.

[FlightMedic555]

We returned a few weeks ago. For us about 5-6 hours was sufficient in Machu Picchu. We stayed in Ollyantambo at the El Albegue which is on the train station. An early train up and an early evening back was great.

 

You are correct. Tour around Cusco but stay at a lower elevation such as in Olly.

[Coolcruise02]

We stayed in Ollyantambo at the El Albegue which is on the train station. An early train up and an early evening back was great.

 

We did the same thing! Highly recommend El Albergue!!

 

http://www.elalbergue.com/en/

[catergirl]

thanks for your help. so how far away fromMP is the hotel? do they have transfers? approx cost per night? so i was thinking 2 nights, would that work? i know granam always recommends doing nothing the 1st day to avoid altitude sickness, MP the next day, sound about right? thanks martha

[FlightMedic555]

We did a quick trip. We arrived at the airport in Cusco at about 11:30 am and had our guide meet us there. We did a tour which got us to the El Albergue at about 6:30 pm. We stopped at a number of sites in Cusco and en route to the hotel. The next morning we took the train (90 minutes) to Machu Picchu. This is the only way to get there. We arrived in MP at about 9:00 am and were in the gates (after the bus ride) at about 9:30 am. We were done by 3:00 pm but had scheduled a 5:30 train back and could not change it.

 

The next day our guide took us to more sites en route back to the airport for our 3:00 pm flight back to Lima. That meant 2 nights at the hotel.

[1982CruzStart]

Last April we did a quick trip to MP off our cruise ship. We did the big splurge and stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge and felt it was well worth the money from the point of maximizing our time on the site. We stayed in the Sacred Valley outside Ollyantambo the first night (beautiful hotel), caught a fairly early train up the mountain and were onsite around 11.

 

One of the advantages to staying on the mountain is that you can stay within the site until it closes and go back in the morning right when it opens. The best time on the mountain was once most people had left for the day to catch their trains. It was a lot less crowded and easier to get around. The next day we had from first thing in the morning until we had to leave to catch our train back to Cusco to enjoy the site. We were there over Easter weekend which is free entrance for locals so was quite busy. I can't imagine what it is like as the weather gets warmer.

 

Unlike a previous poster I couldn't get enough time on the site. It is an amazing place and I think what really made it for us was that we had the absolutely best tour guide that was with us the whole time we were on site. Pay for a guide it is important to really get the most out of the site.

 

It was a once in a lifetime trip for us so spending the money to stay at 2 great places was well worth it. We stayed at a lovely but very inexpensive place in Cusco the night before a very early morning flight to catch up with our ship.

 

We all took the prescribed medication and none of us had any issues with altitude sickness. I think it does help to stay at the lower elevations in the Sacred Valley and at MP.

 

Have a great trip.

[catergirl]

Last April we did a quick trip to MP off our cruise ship. We did the big splurge and stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge and felt it was well worth the money from the point of maximizing our time on the site. We stayed in the Sacred Valley outside Ollyantambo the first night (beautiful hotel), caught a fairly early train up the mountain and were onsite around 11.

 

One of the advantages to staying on the mountain is that you can stay within the site until it closes and go back in the morning right when it opens. The best time on the mountain was once most people had left for the day to catch their trains. It was a lot less crowded and easier to get around. The next day we had from first thing in the morning until we had to leave to catch our train back to Cusco to enjoy the site. We were there over Easter weekend which is free entrance for locals so was quite busy. I can't imagine what it is like as the weather gets warmer.

 

Unlike a previous poster I couldn't get enough time on the site. It is an amazing place and I think what really made it for us was that we had the absolutely best tour guide that was with us the whole time we were on site. Pay for a guide it is important to really get the most out of the site.

 

It was a once in a lifetime trip for us so spending the money to stay at 2 great places was well worth it. We stayed at a lovely but very inexpensive place in Cusco the night before a very early morning flight to catch up with our ship.

 

We all took the prescribed medication and none of us had any issues with altitude sickness. I think it does help to stay at the lower elevations in the Sacred Valley and at MP.

 

Have a great trip.

 

what was the name of your guide? i was thinking the same thing, to get a guide. usually the best way to understand the area you are in, thanks martha

[1982CruzStart]

what was the name of your guide? i was thinking the same thing, to get a guide. usually the best way to understand the area you are in, thanks martha

 

We used Jimmy Vasquez Calderon at peruincawonder.com. He met us at the airport, arranged for a driver whenever we needed one and was with us until we checked into the hotel in Cusco the night before leaving. Because we stayed at the Sanctuary and took more expensive trains he didn't stay at MP with us or ride on the trains with us but was there when we got off the train and again first thing in the morning at MP. He was great. We toured on our way to our hotel in the Sacred Valley so got to see some of the sites. Don't miss the ruins at Ollyantambo, they are also fantastic.

 

There is just so much to see. Have a great trip.

[catergirl]

thanks:D

[shepp]

Last April we did a quick trip to MP off our cruise ship. We did the big splurge and stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge and felt it was well worth the money from the point of maximizing our time on the site. We stayed in the Sacred Valley outside Ollyantambo the first night (beautiful hotel), caught a fairly early train up the mountain and were onsite around 11.

 

One of the advantages to staying on the mountain is that you can stay within the site until it closes and go back in the morning right when it opens. The best time on the mountain was once most people had left for the day to catch their trains. It was a lot less crowded and easier to get around. The next day we had from first thing in the morning until we had to leave to catch our train back to Cusco to enjoy the site. We were there over Easter weekend which is free entrance for locals so was quite busy. I can't imagine what it is like as the weather gets warmer.

 

Unlike a previous poster I couldn't get enough time on the site. It is an amazing place and I think what really made it for us was that we had the absolutely best tour guide that was with us the whole time we were on site. Pay for a guide it is important to really get the most out of the site.

 

I'm with you: a full day at the site was not a second too long. However, if a traveler doesn't want to shell out big bucks for the mountaintop Lodge, it's worth noting that buses from town up to the site start running very early in the morning and head back down until the site closes. We got to the site well before the first trainload of day trippers arrived and were atop Huayna Picchu (the mountain that looms over the site) when the boatloads of package tourists were beginning to flood the place. By the end of the day, it was pretty much us and the llamas. I was very happy to have booked a hotel in town for two nights as part of a week we spent exploring the Sacred Valley...which again, was not a moment too long.

 

We went armed with a good guidebook and map (and some previous study), and I never felt lacking for a human guide. After all, not much is definitely known about the details of the ruins, anyway: there's a lot of surmise and theory. And some of the guides' "facts" that I overheard were pretty obviously stuff made up for the delight of tourists.

 

What really made it for me was that we had a full day to wander around on our own at our own pace, avoiding the midday crowds and soaking in the atmosphere.