Before I give you a review of the G Adventures tour, I must disclose that I went on their Machu Picchu trip as one of their seven selected 2018 Brand Ambassadors. That in no way reflects my unbiased opinion but did want to be up front about that. First and foremost, if you are interested in booking this trip please reach out to me. Happy to help. Now for the review…
Day 1 – Arrive in Lima, Peru
I arrived in Lima, Peru around 8:00 PM. Kudos to the customs department at LIM. The time between landing and passport stamp was about 14 minutes. That has to be a record for me! So efficient. I had arranged for shared shuttle transportation so I wouldn’t have to rely on a cab late in the evening. The company used was Viajes Pacifico and I highly recommend. I missed the group’s meet and greet orientation and dinner which was at 6:00 PM. Bummer. So I do recommend arriving the day before a G Adventures trip begins so you can fully get acquainted with your group. I eventually learned the ins and outs of everyone: what they did for work, where they lived, likes/dislikes, etc. But being there on Day 1 would’ve been a nice introduction.
In Lima, the group stayed at a property called Casa Bonita Colonial. I’d rate it 3/10 stars. Many of the group members encountered mold in the shower and had no hot water. One member even found moldy pizza in the fridge of the room. I found that the room was decent. It was comfy enough and in the safe Miraflores neighborhood of Lima. I met my roommate, Elissabeth, who happened to be from Mexico City and we both immediately went to sleep.
Day 2 – Cusco, Peru
Day 2 seemed like Day 1. It was when the official Machu Picchu Trip began! The alarm went off bright and early as we had to make it to the LIM Airport by 8:30 AM to catch our flight to Cusco. We rode LATAM Airlines and it was plenty comfy. A little turbulence, which is to be expected. We were briefed by our Lima Tour Guide, Javier Matos (who is now my official Facebook friend for life). He told us about the altitude sickness, and how to best prepare for that. It didn’t come as shock to anyone. Think most of the people on this tour was pretty well traveled and had already read about the high elevation in Cusco, Peru.
High Altitude
The moment we landed in Cusco, we saw a sign that said to take a few coca leaves to chew on. This is a local, holistic remedy Peruvians use to help with the high elevation. I don’t want to say it was nasty, so let’s just say it tasted “Earthy.” As in, it tasted like dirt. One of my friends said the trick is to chew it with gum. I know I had it in my tea several times. When we arrived in Cusco, the first thing I noticed was the abundance of rainbow flags. As an LGBTQ ally I was very happy to see there’s yet another place I can confidently send my gay clients too. And while Peru seemed to be very open and friendly to everyone, after further research it turns out there is another reason behind the rainbow flag. Which is another type of pride. Either way, my LGBTQ friends: come to Peru. You’ll be welcomed.
We found our fearless GAdventures leader Alexander Nunez (Chocho), also known as Our Inca Warrior. holding up a G Adventures sign. We were then boarded on the G Wagon. After a 25-minute drive into the city center of Cusco, we checked into our hotel, which basically meant:
- Hand our passports to Chocho for check in
- Receive Wi-Fi code and Hotel Keys from staff (in that order…)
The Festival of the Sun
After checking into our hotel, we had the rest of the afternoon at leisure. The Machu Picchu trip included a quick walk around the cute town. I will say Cusco is towards the top of my list in terms of picturesque, quaint towns. Apparently, June is a very busy month in Cusco. The Festival of the Sun (Inti Raymi) is officially June 24, but celebrations go on for days before and afterward, with Inca folk dancing, large parades, and costumes. We saw many children in their school uniform practicing and dancing in what seemed like a competition.
Lunch in Cusco
After walking around town for a bit and getting a lay of the land, the Machu Picchu trip continued and the group went to a restaurant called Nuna Raymi (highly recommend). When you walk in, it’s nice air airy/spacious. There’s potted plants on the table, a small herb garden when you walk in. The food tasted so fresh. I ordered the Lomo Saltado, which is a local Peruvian dish. I saw everyone get this purple drink and thought, What On Earth Is That?? It turns out it’s a drink called Chicha Morada, which is made from purple corn.
After lunch, we all went our separate ways for a chance to see the city on our own. I checked out the Museo Inka. It was a tad bit boring, but to be completely fair I’m not a history buff and don’t generally enjoy museums. But for 10 Peruvian Sols (about $3 USD) I couldn’t resist a “must see” in Cusco. Also, all artifacts are translated in English which was nice. Around 6:00 PM, I headed back to the hotel. I started to get a major headache/migraine and decided to skip the Pisco Sour Bar happy hour with the group. I can’t confirm nor deny if the coca leaves helped me with the high elevation/altitude. All I know is, the worst I got was a migraine and missed happy hour so I’ll take it. If you experience dizziness and/or nausea, it’s much more serious and you should seek medical attention. I also want to stress that no one is exempt from altitude sickness, regardless of your age and physical health. So do listen to your body and don’t overdo it the first day in Cusco. I just went to sleep around 8:00 Pm and called it a night.
Day 3 Cusco > Ollantaytambo
Cristo Blanco
Our Machu Picchu trip continued early in the morning with a guided tour of the Sacred Valley. The first stop on the way to the G-Adventures-supported women’s weaving co-op was a stop to see Cristo Blanco, “White Christ.” In a city with about 95% Christians, it’s no surprise that they would have a huge statue of Christ overlooking their city. It made me think of Christ The Redeemer in Brazil, except much smaller.
Cristo Blanco was designed by local artist Francisco Olazo Allende. Apparently, Pukamoqo Hill, which is where you will find this statue, was a spiritual location for the Incas. Local myth says that the hill holds soil samples from all the 4 quarters of the Inca Empire or what the Incas called “Tawantinsuyo.” We just took a few minutes at this stop before we were on our way…
After we spent time on Pukamoqo Hill, we boarded back up on the bus, continued to learn more about local life in Cusco. Chocho told us some quick facts:
- Average salary a Peruvian living in Cusco is about 1000 Sols (currently ~$300 USD)
- But average rent amount is 500 Sols, so about half of the take home pay. That’s why it’s very common for multi generations to live in the same home. Hmm… similar to how USA is becoming…
- Education is mandatory for K-12. Was happy to hear that
- College education is MUCH more selective. And only students who are top of the class will get to go to college and get a good job. The rest of the jobs will be tourism-related, I’ve found.
Ccaccaccollo Women’s Weaving Co-Op
After weaving (pun most definitely intended) through the streets on the G wagon, we finally made it to the Ccaccaccollo Weaving co-op, which is one of G Adventures’ G for Good projects. This is where women are taught skills such as weaving and dyeing so they can sell finished products to tourist and make a sustainable income. Did you know… G Adventures has a 50 In 5 Plan? They plan to add 50 New Projects within 5 Years and with a start-up budget of $5 Million. Check it out.
Also, do you see the hat of the woman below? When the orange part is down like that it means she is married. When it is raised up, it means she is single.
Parwa Community
There will be lots of markets and craft shops for you to buy warm sweaters, ponchos, scarves, and more. But I actually felt GOOD spending my money here. I could see where my funds were going and how these women truly earned the money for themselves based on THEIR own skill set. I could see the pride they had in what they did. It was an incredible thing to witness.
There were cute llamas hanging out on site, and a small guinea pig farm (more on guinea pig later…). After spending time here we then visited another G for Good project, visiting a local pottery making community. This community was quite unique. It was a mixture of just a few families but they all lived in harmony in this area where they made crafts to sell to tourists. While someone was rolling the clay, another person was burning the pottery, and another person would paint the pottery after it dried. They all split their profits with the rest of the “family.” It had a nice community feel and made me wonder why neighbors don’t feel the need to split their hard-earned income with me. I’m clearly living in the wrong country…
After visiting the pottery community, we made our way to a G Adventures-supported Parwa community restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. Now, while the weaving co-op and pottery community are a little ways out, this restaurant is a bit more central and completely open to the public (not just G Adventures passengers). The food was tasty with a capital TASTE. They fed us tamales with a fresh salsa, potato square thingies with plantain chip, salad with cheese, eggs, and fresh veggies from their onsite garden, soup, and chile rellenos (one of my new favorite dishes).
Back to Ollantaytambo
We then took the bus to our new stop for the night, Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo was a beautiful little town. I don’t have many pics because my camera died at this point, and I have an iPhone 6 so we aren’t even going to talk about the pic quality from my phone. Basically, the biggest draw to Ollantaytambo is the massive Inca fortress with large stone terraces on a hillside. It was pretty much pouring during our walk around this area so I really just wanted a hot shower and bed. But was glad I stuck it out as Chocho was sharing his knowledge on the day in the life in this area.
We stayed in a hotel called Inka Paradise Hotel. Not sure it felt like paradise as I was FREEZING from the rain, and the fact that it’s June so basically late fall/early winter in Peru, and there were no heaters in the room. Yikes! They did have some big throw blankets for the bed so I guess thanks for that. It’s partly my fault as I didn’t plan for the weather. Maps deceived me! I thought Peru was pretty darn close to the Equator next to Ecuador so hmm it must be warm year round (duh). Spoiler alert: IT IS NOT THAT CLOSE TO THE EQUATOR. If I had spent more time checking out the weather, and not picking out which sun dresses I would be bringing, I might have been more prepared. Another spoiler alert: I never wore a single dress while I was there. Precious carry-on suitcase space wasted. Thumbs down emoji.
Day 4 Ollantaytambo > Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes
Can you believe we are only on Day 4 of the Machu Picchu trip? Am I the longest winded person you’ve ever read from? So.. continuing with Day 4, this was actually a chill day. Early in the morning we left Ollantaytambo and took the Peru Rail for 1.5 hours to a town called Aguas Calientes. The train was nicer than I thought it would be. Felt like I was riding a first class train in Europe. Very spacious and they had complimentary chocolate chip cookies with basic drinks, coca tea, coffee, water, and an assortment of juices. Coca tea please!
After we arrived in Aguas Calientes, we checked into our hotel and enjoyed free time. The two biggest things this town is known for is their large market and the hot springs, hence the Spanish translation of Aguas Calientes – “Hot Water.” I declined the hot springs as that tends to be like a cess pool/petri dish with germs (similar to Jacuzzis). Instead, I had a 60-minute spa at a little dive spot for 40 Peruvian Sols (~$12 USD). Not bad, eh? It was pretty relaxing, they had a nice CD soundtrack playing in the back. The hot stones were a little hot for me but I got used to it. Here’s a snapshot I took standing on a bridge in Aguas Calientes.
Optional Inca Trail
Please note: Everyone had the option to pay more and do the Inca Trail trek for a day. That means you could sneak up to see the Sun Gate before the rest of the group the following day. It is a full 8 hour day from 9:00 AM – 5:00 Pm and there was a box lunch for everyone.
After getting cleaned up, the group all went to dinner at a French-Peruvian restaurant called Indio Feliz. The BEST meal I had on the whole Machu Picchu trip. Definitely make a stop when in Aguas Calientes.
Day 5 Machu Picchu
Ahh… the day we’ve all been waiting for the day we get to explore Machu Picchu. The whole point of the trip! We left our hotel around 6:00 AM. And waited in a somewhat long-ish line to board buses. The buses can NOT be pre-booked. To all my organized, Type A, list checkers, trust me. I feel your pain. I wish we could pre-book this somehow. However, it is truly on a first come, first serve basis. Chocho told us it made no sense to leave the hotel before 6:00 AM because there would be people lined up the NIGHT before so they could be guaranteed on the first bus and therefore grab the best pictures without crowds.
Passport Stamp
Travel tip: Don’t forget to bring your passport as you will need it to check in to Machu Picchu. For all my stamp-obsessed travelers, you will be excited to know that you will get to stamp your passport with a Machu Picchu stamp. Please don’t hold up the line by dabbing the stamp pad a million times. Once is enough, I promise the ink will be dark enough. Also, do so at your own risk. Technically, it de-legitimizes your passport when you have stamps that are not for actual countries.
Once we got off the bus, Chocho (pictured with me below!) walked with us through the admissions area and we did a quick hike to the picturesque area of Machu Picchu. Everyone got all of the pictures out of their system. Like so…
NOT featured in the pic of the llama: a security guard blowing his whistle at me to get off the lawn as I was trying to get a closer shot of the llama. #Whoops #StupidAmerican
Learning About the Incan Empire
We spent more than 3 hours just touring Machu Picchu and learning about the Incan Empire. While I’m not much of a history buff, as stated above, I was genuinely interested in how a society without modern technology and tools built their houses. After we had our fill of Machu Picchu, we took the 25-minute bus ride back to Aguas Calientes, where we had lunch at a restaurant called Hot Springs II.
What’s on the menu, you ask? For my non-vegetarians, how about trying the roasted guinea pig, also known as “Cuy.” Cuy is not a regular dish but it is generally served for special occasions. It started off tasting like chicken but had a distinct “rodent” after taste that I do not wish to repeat. So after 1 bite I was done. Luckily, the group shared it (and the cost) so it wasn’t a big hit on the wallet. Does it look appetizing to ya – photo below!
After lunch, we caught the 1.5 hour rail back to Ollantaytambo, then caught the 2 hour bus back to the cute town of Cusco. We checked back in to Hotel Prisma (the same hotel we spent the night on Day 2 of the itinerary).
Day 6 Cusco
We had the entire day at leisure. I headed to a coffee shop where I had some coca tea to start my day and sponge off their good Wi-Fi so I could upload some pictures. Then walked around the city some more. I decided to participate in a 2.5 hour chocolate workshop at ChocoMuseo. Price was only $25 USD I couldn’t resist.
The rest of the day was spent leisurely walking around, grabbing last minute souvenirs. We had a group farewell dinner at a nice Steakhouse where they brought out your meal on little brick skillets. Was so delicious. Every single restaurant Chocho recommended was a hit with the group. I don’t even care if he made a cut for bringing us there. All restaurants were truly local, great food, cute ambiances. Loved each one.
Day 7 Cusco > Lima
Early in the morning, we caught the bus and headed back to the Cusco Airport to head back to Lima. The rest of the day here was spent at leisure. I had all these ideas for what I wanted to do when I visited Lima:
- Visit the world famous cat park and feel like The Crazy Cat Lady for a day
- Try good, authentic ceviche
- Visit Plaza Mayor
- Visit Larcomar, one of the most beautiful malls in South America
- Catch a light and water show at Parque de la Reserva
What I actually did: relaxed in the hotel charging all of my devices, grabbed a quick Americanized dinner in walking distance to my hotel where I could bum Wi-Fi, and Went to bed. I’ll have to make another trip out to Lima at some point!
Day 8 Depart from Lima, Peru
My flight left at 10:13 AM, meaning I had to be at the LIM airport at 7:00 AM, meaning I had to leave the hotel at 6:00 AM. After a quick layover in San Salvador, El Salvador I finally made it back to ‘Murica. So Colombia, check. Peru, check. Special thank you to G Adventures for the opportunity and thank you to those of you reading!
Next South American country to explore: it’s between Ecuador and Brazil. Any recommendations/suggestions? Is there another South American country I should see next? Let me know in the comments below.
Recommended Machu Picchu Luxury Hotels
Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel
Unwind in the shady of the Lost City. Sanctuary Lodge is the only hotel located next to the mystifying Inca citadel. As the only Machu Picchu hotel, you’ll be perfectly positioned to feel the heartbeat of this ancient wonder. Sit out on the terrace and savor Peruvian cuisine based on produce grown on the Lodge’s own plot.
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
This enchanting Andean village hotel is located within 12.3 acres of pristine cloud forest. The spectacular grounds are laced with paths that wind past waterfalls and trails, and organic gardens that wander through the misty forest. A place to relax, while exploring nature and encountering the wonders of the Incan civilization, experiencing authentic travel.
Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel
Sumaq Machu Picchu hotel, named one of South America’s best hotels by Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure, is located at the foot of the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu near the beautiful Vilcanota River, and offers impressive views of the mountains and landscapes.
6 COMMENTS
Wow! This looks amazing!! I love supporting locals too and it was cool to see you supporting local women and their own crafts! Machhu Picchu is FOR SURE on my bucket list and has been for a while! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for your comment. Yes definitely keep that on your list. Cusco is the cutest little town too! But after spending some time in Cusco, the “popular” route is to take the bus to Ollantaytambo then the train to Aguas Calientes. The town that’s known for hot springs. Enjoy!
Hi! I know I’m SO late to this post but I’m currently thinking about doing the same trip next month. How was G Adventures overall to work with? Did they help you schedule transportation from the airport to the hotel? It would be my first time to South America which makes me a bit nervous.
Hi Allie,
And I’m SO late to your reply (my apologies)! This trip was incredible – very organized, you have a local tour guide called a “CEO” that actually lives there. That’s one of the things that makes G Adventures differentiated from other similar companies. During our many trips on the bus, it was great getting to pick his brain on what it’s like living in Cuzco. We also visited a local weaving co-op that empowered women to being independent by making money weaving clothes that we were able to purchase directly. I felt good knowing that our funds went to the very deserving women. Round-trip airport transportation from Lima Airport was not included, however I booked a transportation company called Viajes Pacifico (booked through Viator) and they were fantastic. They have a 4.5 star rating on TripAdvisor and as a woman traveling alone I felt very safe by their professional driver. Overall, this trip was incredible. My only regret was not booking a few pre or post nights in Lima. I was just too nervous to stay there by myself. I definitely want to go back and visit Lima – heard the food and shopping is incredible. Safe travels and maybe you can report back here after your trip 🙂
Thanks for this great trip description! I’m doing this trip on Sunday! Question about the train to Aguas Calientes – did you have to pack a day bag and leave your main luggage somewhere else?
Hi Celeste,
How exciting! We took all of our luggage with us from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. Because we ended up staying overnight in Cusco later that night after exploring the ruins. It just depends on the route. By now, you should have your full GAdventures itinerary with the hotel stays for each night. But the train was an incredible experience, and you can leave your luggage on the side of the train as you relax, grab a drink, and just check out the views. Very relaxing being in the mountain/countryside of Peru! Safe travels and enjoy!