Featured guide Machu Picchu Tickets: Circuits, Entry Times and How to Buy
How Machu Picchu tickets work: circuits, entry times, mountains, required ID and where to buy them through official channels.
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Cusco & Machu Picchu Travel Guides
Practical, up-to-date information to plan your trip: tickets, how to get there, weather, altitude, routes and local expert tips.
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Machu Picchu
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How to Get to Machu Picchu from Cusco: All Options
Train from Cusco or Ollantaytambo, the Inca Trail, the Hidroeléctrica route and the shuttle bus: times, pros and which to choose.
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Staying in Aguas Calientes or Going Back to Cusco the Same Day?
Staying in Aguas Calientes or doing Machu Picchu in one day from Cusco: real train and bus times, pros, cons and when a night in…
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Machu Picchu with Kids: Tips for Family Travel
How to visit Machu Picchu with kids: tickets by age, which route to choose, altitude, transportation and what isn’t allowed…
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Bus to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes: Schedules and Fares
The Consettur bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu: uphill and downhill schedules, ride time, reference fares, where to buy…
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The Hidroeléctrica Route to Machu Picchu: The Budget Option
How to get to Machu Picchu via Hidroeléctrica: a bus to Santa María, shared vans to Santa Teresa and Hidroeléctrica, then a walk…
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Machu Picchu Tickets: Circuits, Entry Times and How to Buy
How Machu Picchu tickets work: circuits, entry times, mountains, required ID and where to buy them through official channels.
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Machu Picchu Circuits: All 10 Routes Explained
The 3 official circuits and 10 routes at Machu Picchu: what each route covers, distance, effort level, maximum time allowed and…
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Machu Picchu Ticket Types: Foreigners, Kids, Peruvians and CAN
Which ticket applies to you based on your age and nationality, what ID to bring, and how rates work for children, seniors, CAN…
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What Not to Bring to Machu Picchu: Rules and Banned Items
Maximum backpack size, prohibited items and the Ministry of Culture’s code of conduct at Machu Picchu, plus what you actually…
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Machu Picchu Mountain: Route 1-A, Difficulty and Tips
What the Machu Picchu Mountain climb (Route 1-A) is like: 3.8 km round trip, high effort, up to 7 hours inside and views of the…
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Huayna Picchu vs. Machu Picchu Mountain: Which to Choose
A side-by-side look at Machu Picchu’s two mountains: distance, effort, time allowed, views, vertigo and which part of the…
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Huchuy Picchu: The Easiest Mountain at Machu Picchu
Route 3-D to Huchuy Picchu: 1.7 km round trip, moderate effort, a maximum stay of 3 h 30 min and available only in peak season.
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Intipunku, the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu: Route 1-C
How to reach Intipunku from the citadel on Route 1-C: 3.4 km round trip, moderate effort, peak season only, and how it connects…
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The Inca Bridge at Machu Picchu: Route 1-D
Route 1-D to the Inca Bridge: 2.6 km round trip, moderate effort, a maximum stay of 3 hours and available only in peak season.
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The Great Cavern at Machu Picchu: Route 3-C
Route 3-C to the Great Cavern, also known as the Temple of the Moon: 3 km round trip, high effort and available only in peak…
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Train to Machu Picchu: PeruRail and Inca Rail, Classes and Schedules
Your guide to the train to Machu Picchu: stations, travel times, PeruRail and Inca Rail classes, luggage allowance, the bimodal…
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Travel tips
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Cusco Itinerary: 3, 5 and 7 Days
Cusco itineraries for 3, 5 and 7 days with Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake, in the right…
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Is Cusco Safe? Real Risks for Travelers and How to Avoid Them
Is Cusco safe? What U.S., UK, Canadian and Spanish travel advisories say about Peru, the real risks for tourists in Cusco and…
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Peru Entry Requirements: Passport, Visa, Vaccines and Customs
Peru entry requirements: passport, visa rules by nationality, length of stay, minors, yellow fever and customs, all checked…
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Lake Titicaca from Cusco: How to Get There, What to See, How Long
Lake Titicaca from Cusco: bus, tourist bus or train to Puno, the Uros, Taquile and Amantaní islands, how many days you need and…
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Money in Peru: Currency, Exchange, ATMs, Cards and Tipping
Peru’s currency is the sol (S/, PEN). Where to change money in Cusco, ATMs, cards, what to pay in cash, US dollars, fake bills…
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Arequipa and Colca Canyon: How to Combine Them with Cusco
How to add Arequipa and Colca Canyon to your Cusco trip: distances, bus or plane, days and itineraries, the altitude at…
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The Amazon from Cusco: Tambopata or Manu, Which to Choose
Visiting the Peruvian Amazon from Cusco: how to reach Tambopata and Manu, how many days you need, the best season, vaccines and…
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Coca Leaf in Cusco: Coca Tea, Tradition and What the Science Says
What the coca leaf is, how it’s used in Cusco, what the evidence says about coca tea for altitude sickness and why you can’t…
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Cusco Weather by Month: When to Go
The dry and rainy seasons, temperatures by month and the best time for Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail and Rainbow Mountain.
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Altitude Sickness in Cusco: How to Prevent Soroche
Symptoms of soroche, how to acclimatize in Cusco, what to eat and drink, and when to see a doctor.
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How to Get from Lima to Cusco: Plane or Bus
How to travel from Lima to Cusco: nonstop flights of 1 h 20 min, a bus ride of about 20 hours, airport transfers and how to…
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Treks to Machu Picchu Compared
The Inca Trail, Salkantay, Lares, Inca Jungle and Choquequirao compared: days, maximum altitude, difficulty, permits and who…
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What to Pack for Cusco: A Packing List by Season
A packing list for Cusco and Machu Picchu: layers for each season, documents, a first-aid kit for the altitude, outlets and gear…
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Machu Picchu with Kids: Tips for Family Travel
How to visit Machu Picchu with kids: tickets by age, which route to choose, altitude, transportation and what isn’t allowed…
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Budget for a Trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu
How much a trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu costs: where your budget goes, reference prices for tours, how to save and what to…
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What Not to Bring to Machu Picchu: Rules and Banned Items
Maximum backpack size, prohibited items and the Ministry of Culture’s code of conduct at Machu Picchu, plus what you actually…
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Cusco
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Things to Do in Cusco: 12 Must-See Places
The places you can’t miss in Cusco and the surrounding area, with tips for planning your days.
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Inca History and Culture: A Traveler’s Guide from Cusco
Inca culture for travelers: Inca history, a Tawantinsuyu timeline, religion, stonework and where to see the living legacy of the…
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Llamas and Alpacas in Cusco: Differences, Where to See Them
Llamas and alpacas in Cusco: how to tell the four Andean camelids apart, where to see them responsibly and how to buy genuine…
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Guinea Pig (Cuy) in Cusco: The Andean Dish Everyone Wants to Try
What cuy is, its history in the Andes, roasted or fried guinea pig, where to eat it in Cusco and Tipón, National Cuy Day and its…
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Cusco Festivals: A Month-by-Month Calendar of Celebrations
Cusco festivals month by month: carnival, the Lord of the Earthquakes, Qoyllur Rit’i, Corpus Christi, Inti Raymi and…
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Cusco Tourist Ticket: What’s Included and How to Use It
Which sites the Cusco Tourist Ticket includes, the ticket types (full and partial), how long it’s valid and which sites aren’t…
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Cusco Weather by Month: When to Go
The dry and rainy seasons, temperatures by month and the best time for Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail and Rainbow Mountain.
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Inti Raymi: The Festival of the Sun in Cusco
Inti Raymi, Cusco’s Festival of the Sun, held every June 24: its history, the three venues, how to watch it and tips for booking.
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Traditional Cusco Food: 12 Dishes and Where to Try Them
The traditional Cusco dishes you have to try: chiri uchu, roast guinea pig, adobo, chicharrón, lechón, rocoto relleno and drinks…
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Cusco at Night: What to Do After the Sun Goes Down
Things to do in Cusco at night: the illuminated Plaza de Armas, dances at the Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo, peñas, San Blas bars…
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All guides
Travel tips
Is Cusco Safe? Real Risks for Travelers and How to Avoid Them
Is Cusco safe? What U.S., UK, Canadian and Spanish travel advisories say about Peru, the real risks for tourists in Cusco and…
Read guide →
Travel tips
Peru Entry Requirements: Passport, Visa, Vaccines and Customs
Peru entry requirements: passport, visa rules by nationality, length of stay, minors, yellow fever and customs, all checked…
Read guide →
Travel tips
Lake Titicaca from Cusco: How to Get There, What to See, How Long
Lake Titicaca from Cusco: bus, tourist bus or train to Puno, the Uros, Taquile and Amantaní islands, how many days you need and…
Read guide →
Travel tips
Money in Peru: Currency, Exchange, ATMs, Cards and Tipping
Peru’s currency is the sol (S/, PEN). Where to change money in Cusco, ATMs, cards, what to pay in cash, US dollars, fake bills…
Read guide →
Travel tips
Arequipa and Colca Canyon: How to Combine Them with Cusco
How to add Arequipa and Colca Canyon to your Cusco trip: distances, bus or plane, days and itineraries, the altitude at…
Read guide →
Travel tips
The Amazon from Cusco: Tambopata or Manu, Which to Choose
Visiting the Peruvian Amazon from Cusco: how to reach Tambopata and Manu, how many days you need, the best season, vaccines and…
Read guide →
Cusco
Inca History and Culture: A Traveler’s Guide from Cusco
Inca culture for travelers: Inca history, a Tawantinsuyu timeline, religion, stonework and where to see the living legacy of the…
Read guide →
Cusco
Llamas and Alpacas in Cusco: Differences, Where to See Them
Llamas and alpacas in Cusco: how to tell the four Andean camelids apart, where to see them responsibly and how to buy genuine…
Read guide →
Travel tips
Coca Leaf in Cusco: Coca Tea, Tradition and What the Science Says
What the coca leaf is, how it’s used in Cusco, what the evidence says about coca tea for altitude sickness and why you can’t…
Read guide →
Cusco
Guinea Pig (Cuy) in Cusco: The Andean Dish Everyone Wants to Try
What cuy is, its history in the Andes, roasted or fried guinea pig, where to eat it in Cusco and Tipón, National Cuy Day and its…
Read guide →
Machu Picchu
Staying in Aguas Calientes or Going Back to Cusco the Same Day?
Staying in Aguas Calientes or doing Machu Picchu in one day from Cusco: real train and bus times, pros, cons and when a night in…
Read guide →
Cusco
Cusco Festivals: A Month-by-Month Calendar of Celebrations
Cusco festivals month by month: carnival, the Lord of the Earthquakes, Qoyllur Rit’i, Corpus Christi, Inti Raymi and…
Read guide →
Cusco
Cusco Tourist Ticket: What’s Included and How to Use It
Which sites the Cusco Tourist Ticket includes, the ticket types (full and partial), how long it’s valid and which sites aren’t…
Read guide →
Cusco
Things to Do in Cusco: 12 Must-See Places
The places you can’t miss in Cusco and the surrounding area, with tips for planning your days.
Read guide →
Cusco
Cusco Weather by Month: When to Go
The dry and rainy seasons, temperatures by month and the best time for Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail and Rainbow Mountain.
Read guide →
Travel tips
Altitude Sickness in Cusco: How to Prevent Soroche
Symptoms of soroche, how to acclimatize in Cusco, what to eat and drink, and when to see a doctor.
Read guide →
Cusco
Inti Raymi: The Festival of the Sun in Cusco
Inti Raymi, Cusco’s Festival of the Sun, held every June 24: its history, the three venues, how to watch it and tips for booking.
Read guide →
Cusco
Traditional Cusco Food: 12 Dishes and Where to Try Them
The traditional Cusco dishes you have to try: chiri uchu, roast guinea pig, adobo, chicharrón, lechón, rocoto relleno and drinks…
Read guide →