Us in front of huge rock in Sacsayhuaman-CuzcoWe woke-up at 6am and went to have breakfast. Nice little buffet with pastries, eggs, all sorts of tea including mate de coca (coca tea). Having read that coca tea is very helpful for high elevation, I decided to have one that morning. On the envelope, it also specifies that coca tea is good for digestion system, energy level to only name a few.
At 7am, we had checked-out, and crossed the street to the airport. At 7:15am we were ready to go to Cuzco. Our flight was at 9:05am…I really felt the vacation approaching fast. In few hours we would be in Cuzco, having our first visit of Peru with our private guide.
Lima-Cuzco flight was smooth and exciting. We even had a snack (for only 1:20mins flight). Cuzco airport is doing some renovations, so there was a little delay in getting our bags. We did not mind…we were in Peru!!! After 20 minutes we spotted our bags, picked them up and reached the exit door to feel the warmth of the air of Cuzco and read my husband’s name on a sign. Here is our transfer. Very nice guy who walked-us to the taxi and we left. 10 minutes later, we arrived to Taypikala Hotel. Got our room and met our guide: Marco Palomino. He asked us what we wanted to see in Cuzco. My husband asked him if we could go to Sacsayhuaman, Quarikanchan (temple of the sun, moon), and Santo Domingo Convent with the Virgin of Pomata. Marco’s eyes just opened wide and were very excited to hear about those suggestions. Had another coca tea and agreed on a time to meet.
At 2:30pm we headed-up to Sacsayhuaman. It was a warm sunny afternoon, perfect to explore this first Inca architecture. Amazing giant stone work perfectly fitting together without using any cement or mud. After few hours there, we went up to Q’enqo. We saw our first lamas. Ending back to town to visit the Santo Domingo Convent. This place was a special place to see the two cultures (conquistadors, Inca) together. The arches and inside court reminded us of Mont Saint-Michel-France. Quiet place with again the amazing stone work.
We had dinner at Ami Manera where we tried Alpaca, quinoa with cheese and a delicious appetizer made of potatoes, avocadoes and cheese. From the restaurant, my husband and I walked back to our hotel passing by the Plaza the Armas. Safe walk and very calm atmosphere.
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
1 month ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
2 months ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!
Elizabeth
3 months ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
3 months ago
Easy.
Great work on the follow up and details by Waru.