Travel Tips and Guides
Practical, up-to-date advice for Machu Picchu and Peru — written by our team in Cusco. No commissions, no booking pressure, just real local knowledge.
If this is your first trip to Machu Picchu, the planning process can feel overwhelming. There are circuits to choose, tickets to book in the right order, trains to compare, and a real chance of altitude sickness if you don't pace your first days in Cusco. The guides below are the same ones we share with travelers who message us on WhatsApp every week — distilled into self-serve articles you can read at your own pace.
If you only read three things before booking, make it these:
Visiting Machu Picchu in 2026 takes a little more planning than it did a decade ago — timed-entry circuits, daily caps, and Aguas Calientes shuttle quotas all matter. Most first-timers do best with…
Read more →Machu Picchu now runs on a strict three-circuit system, and your ticket is tied to a specific route, entry time and (in many cases) sub-route — there's no longer a generic "any-route" pass. Circuit…
Read more →The classic answer is May and September — clear skies plus manageable crowds. June through August has the driest weather but the heaviest tourist volume and the highest prices. February is the wett…
Read more →Itineraries, transport between Lima and Cusco, ticket logistics, and the practical decisions that shape a Peru trip. See all planning guides →
Two weeks is the sweet spot for Peru — long enough to acclimatize naturally, layer in coast and Andes, and reach Machu Picchu without the breathless feeling of a rushed long weekend. This guide map…
Read more →Five days in Peru is short, but it's enough to see the country's two headline destinations — Lima and Machu Picchu — without feeling rushed at every turn. The smartest plan flies you from Lima to C…
Read more →Seven days is the inflection point where Peru opens up. With one week, you can travel overland from Lima down the Pacific coast to the desert, then up into the Andes to Cusco and Machu Picchu — wit…
Read more →Cusco is the historic capital of the Inca Empire and the launchpad for nearly every Machu Picchu trip, but its 3,399-meter (11,151-foot) altitude catches many travelers off guard. This guide walks…
Read more →The right base for Machu Picchu depends almost entirely on how much time you have and whether you want sunrise at the citadel without a 4 a.m. start. Cusco offers more food, history, and accommodat…
Read more →Peru has four realistic transport modes for visitors — domestic flights, hop-on/hop-off tourist buses, public intercity buses, and a small (but spectacular) train network. For most first-time trave…
Read more →The towns and regions on a typical Machu Picchu trip — Aguas Calientes at the foot of the citadel and the Sacred Valley between Cusco and the ruins. See all destinations →
Aguas Calientes (officially Machu Picchu Pueblo) is the small town at the base of Machu Picchu. Most visitors spend at least one night here before heading up to the ruins early in the morning.
Read more →The Sacred Valley of the Incas stretches between Cusco and Machu Picchu. It's home to some of the most impressive Inca ruins outside of Machu Picchu itself.
Read more →If your situation is unusual — tight connections, mobility concerns, big groups, kids in tow — message us on WhatsApp and we'll answer directly. We're a small team in Cusco, not a chatbot, and we don't charge for advice.