Help me get started on planning my trip to Machu Picchu
December 26, 2013 10:02 AM
My cousin and I want to visit the ancient site in March. How shall we start?
My cousin is from Ecuador and we've recently decided to plan a trip to Machu Picchu for March. We're going with a friend of his also, and while they are experienced hikers - I'm a beginner. The whole trip is going to be for a week. We're not going to spend the whole week in Peru, we're heading up to Ecuador to visit family at some point. Ideally, we'd like to possibly camp out overnight on a trail. If we have to find a nearby hotel or hostel for the night, that's fine. We're not looking for anything luxurious, we just want to be outdoors as much as possible. I've been doing some research and I've heard that you need to hire a guide and that you need a permit to hike/camp. I've also read about altitude sickness and how you should give yourself a day or two to adjust.
We want to keep this trip at a low cost. We've looked into a couple of camping/hiking packages but the ones we've found so far are pretty damn expensive. I want to know if what we're looking for is realistic. Or if there are any good recommendations for trails or possible places to stay? What kind of weather should we expect if we go in March? (I've read that the rainy season starts at around that time). Basically, I want to get going on planning this trip - and I feel like I know nothing so far. It'd be awesome if someone were to share their experience or point us in the right direction.
Thank you
My cousin is from Ecuador and we've recently decided to plan a trip to Machu Picchu for March. We're going with a friend of his also, and while they are experienced hikers - I'm a beginner. The whole trip is going to be for a week. We're not going to spend the whole week in Peru, we're heading up to Ecuador to visit family at some point. Ideally, we'd like to possibly camp out overnight on a trail. If we have to find a nearby hotel or hostel for the night, that's fine. We're not looking for anything luxurious, we just want to be outdoors as much as possible. I've been doing some research and I've heard that you need to hire a guide and that you need a permit to hike/camp. I've also read about altitude sickness and how you should give yourself a day or two to adjust.
We want to keep this trip at a low cost. We've looked into a couple of camping/hiking packages but the ones we've found so far are pretty damn expensive. I want to know if what we're looking for is realistic. Or if there are any good recommendations for trails or possible places to stay? What kind of weather should we expect if we go in March? (I've read that the rainy season starts at around that time). Basically, I want to get going on planning this trip - and I feel like I know nothing so far. It'd be awesome if someone were to share their experience or point us in the right direction.
Thank you
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