Cusco Travel Forum

There are 2-5 of us traveling to Cusco/Machu Picchu in mid-August. We would prefer to remain independent rather than traveling as part of a tour group. We are thinking of spending Wednesday in Cusco, Thursday in the Sacred Valley, Friday at Machu Picchu, and returning to Cusco/Lima on Saturday. We would like to spend nights in Cusco (Wednesday), Pisac or Ollantaytambo (Thursday), and Aguas Calientes (Friday). Where can I find information on buses or taxis between Cusco and the Sacred Valley?? I know we can take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. Also, is it possible to hire a guide for Machu Picchu without being part of a tour?

Try to check with your hotel/hostel in Cusco if they can hail a taxi for you & your group or if they can pre-arrange a private tour w/ driver for your Cusco-Sacred Valley sightseeing.

Yes, guides are available upon arrival at the Machu Picchu ruins for a reasonable fee; however you need to pre-purchase your MP entrance tickets in advance as they are no longer available at the entrance. Also, pre-book your Peru Rail tickets in advance as the tickets sell fast. The Peru Rail website does not appear to support on-line purchases, but you can either call them from your home country, confirm the reservations in Lima, & pay for it once you arrive in Cusco OR have your hotel/hostel buy it for you in advance. Please see my tips for independent MP travelers under "general tips" section in my Aguas Calientes page. Feel free to browse through my Lima, Cusco, AC, MP pages, etc. if you want additional tips.

As for your one day stay in Cusco, I'm afraid you won't have enough time to acclimatize properly before conducting those tours/activities. Here's my suggestion: either you can opt to go on lower elevated places first (e.g., Sacred Valley/Ollantantaybo/AC/MP area OR take one extra day to rest before doing the tours in Cusco. See my Cusco page for some tips on alleviating altitude sickness.

Goodluck & enjoy beautiful Peru!

There are frequent local buses from Cusco to different towns in the Sacred Valley and a good number of buses between towns. The prices are low but the seat size small. Since you only are planning one night in the valley and you do have a group you should seriously consider hiring a taxi for the day. Starting in Cusco and finishing in Ollantaytambo. You will have to do some serious bargaining to get a fair price, but it can be done. (Remember a fair price in Peru is far less than you would imagine in Europe or the USA, that is why it can be recommended.)

It is easy to find a taxi for a good budget. But I strongly suggest you to consider stay in Cuzco at least 3 days. In Cuzco are too many things to do. The city is wonderful and sorroundings deserves a day trip. Sacsihuaman, museums, churches, walking for the street.
In the other hand, try the website to make a reservation for the train. I was a lucky guy... After 15 days I could do it. If you arent, after your hotel check in in Cuzco, go to the train station and buy the tickets for the day after. It is almost impossible to find for the same day.
If you come from a city at the sea level, In Lima Airport you can buy "sorochi pills" in the airport drugstore and take it before to go to Cuzco.
Have a good trip.

Thanks so much for the suggestions!

Thank you very much. I'll check out your other pages for additional tips.

Thanks for your help. How do I go about arranging a private taxi for the day?

We took a local bus to Ollyantaytambo, started walking down the road towards Km88 and were picked up by a local in his pick-up and taken a bit further, then walked the last 6km. Then we walked the trail.

I guess there are three ways to hire a taxi (car and driver) for a day: 1)Ask a number of taxis yourself. (This would be easiest if you spoke Spanish, but it still might be worth a try in English.) 2)Ask your hotel or hostel if they know of anyone,and 3)Approach a travel agency. Of course, it is important that the services you require and the price is specified. Do not accept the first offer you receive.

It is important that you learn about altitude sickness before you make this trip. By the way, "sorochi pills" have 3 active ingredients: aspirin, an aspirin conjugate and caffein. Not exactly a placebo as it should effect some symptoms, but there is no evidence that it will prevent an attack.

The easiest way to arrange a private car w/ driver or taxi service for your one day SV tour is through your hostel/hotel. They know what the going rates are & if you don't speak Spanish, they will negotiate the best price for you in advance.

I believe from around Cusco to Pisac, the taxi cab fare is about $20/RT Again, goodluck & enjoy beautiful Peru.

Note: Check my MP page for the warning on the MP entrance tickets & where you can buy them in either Cusco or Aguas Calientes.

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