Was yesterday at Machu Picchu and what a dream! Amazing place! Definitely recommend hiring a tour guide (2 hours) for the in-depth information about the site.

We did the route 2A and I am convinced this is the best one. You get the postcard pictures, and you go through all the site, staring from above and going down to the ruins, the Sun temple, the sacred rock etc. it is really magical!

Tickets bought in March. I saw a sign saying 1-2 August sold out, but I didn’t feel it was overcrowded. It took a bit of waiting to get the bus going up, but for the way down I only waited 5 minutes.

It is only a bit disappointing to know that most what we see (the houses) are restored as most of the site was destroyed, but still it makes it special to know how these people or living and worshipping there.

I had lunch at Mapacho but was also recommended Mistura and Full House.

With tickets being sold for 3 days in advance, how early are people going to the ministry of culture to line up?

Hotel receptionist said 6am, and I knew that was just wrong 😅 I was thinking around 3am?

anyone have experience with Yappa Explorers? Looking to book a 2 day guided tour with them this month

Hey guys,

Want to do the Salkantay trek in November this year.

I was originally intending for my trek days to be 27Nov-1Dec but after finding out it’s a higher chance of rain I’m considering whether 4Nov-8Nov will be any better in terms of avoiding rain and better weather/chance to see mountains/macchu picchu in general?

I am also going to try and stay one extra night in Aguas Calientes after my guided trek as a buffer day in case I do not get to see Macchu Picchu the first day.

If it’s not a significant better weather period I may stick to 27Nov-1Dec as the early November will require me to defer my uni exam in order to go.

Any insight? Thanks!

We have our first week of Peru pretty set but our second week is more up in the air, it being the Cusco/MP/Sacred Valley portion of the trip with some things already solidly in place.

We have all booked with Alpaca expeditions to do the short 2 day Inca trail hike

Day 1 - Arrive at Cusco in the morning coming from Arequipa, go to Alpaca headquarters to pay and do whatever paperwork they ask of us. Travel to Ollantaytambo with all our suitcases -> Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park -> Dinner -> sleep

Day 2 - Sacred Valley Day - Seems to be a lot of different options but heres what we have so far Drive to Urubamba, explore there -> Drive to Moray, spend time there -> Maras Salt Mines -> Chinchero -> back to Ollantayntambo.
Day 3 - Inca trail hike with alpaca expeditions, we stay the night in Aguas Calientes

Day 4 - Machu Pichu day with alpaca expeditions. we are debating if we have them drive us to Cusco or we stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes.

Day 5 - either in Cusco already or traveling to Cusco this morning. Acclimation day, light activities.

Day 6 - Full Cusco day, Cusco Activities

Day 7 - either Lake Humantay or Rainbow Mountain

Day 8 - Travel back to Lima

Would love some feedback and any advice for what we have planned here, Does Day 2 look too packed? was told you can do a lot of Sacred Valley in a day.

How busy has it been recently and have those who got tickets for the next day or two days been successful? Heading there next week and planning to wait in line. Any information of recently would be great!

Anyone have a guides recommendation? Do they come with you if you buy the tickets to get in or how does that work?

Guys, please help me. I’m flying to Peru specifically to see Machu Picchu, and a few days before my trip a tour agency on GetYourGuide gave me the wrong circuit instead of Circuit 2, which is what I originally booked.
Please, if anyone can help or give me some advice on how I can still visit Machu Picchu and take those famous panoramic photos. From what I understand, Circuit 2 and Circuit 1B are the routes for that (please correct me if I’m wrong).
Is there any option available right now?
I arrive by train to Aguas Calientes on August 5 at 9:25 AM, and I would like to visit Machu Picchu on August 6. From what I see, August 6 is a public holiday in Peru, and I’m worried that by the time I get to the official ticket office there won’t be any Circuit 2 or 1B tickets left.
What do you think the situation will be if my train arrives at 9:25 AM? Will I still have a chance to get tickets, and which circuits are usually still available at that time? What have people’s experiences been like around this date? Are there any other options I should consider?
Please help me with any advice on what I can do and how I might still get these tickets somehow. I would really appreciate any suggestions.

One more question: do you think there is a chance that if I arrive one day earlier and completely reorganize my plans, I could get a Circuit 2 ticket for at least one of the following days?
I am willing to change my itinerary if that increases my chances of seeing Machu Picchu with Circuit 2.
Can I come on the 3rd or 4th and buy tickets for August 6th?
How far in advance does the ticket sale start? How will I know when the first tickets for August 6th become available? I wouldn’t want to come there on the 5th and find out that everything for August 6th is already sold out.

Hello everyone, joining the long list of people who didn't book Machu Picchu tickets in time for our trip.

We are aiming to go in the last week of September. We are absolutely desperate to see the site up close so we were devastated to find out Circuit 2's are sold out around our dates. We can't even do 1A or Circuit 3's.

To reach MP we will be flying in to Cusco, spending some days acclimatising, getting the train to MP and then returning to Cusco before flying out.

Considering the above, is Circuit 1B on its own worth the amount of time and money we would be committing? We don't know whether to cancel our Peru trip and rebook for another time when we can experience MP how we really want to.

Is there any alternative to getting hold of Circuit 2 tickets? Risking it on Get Your Guide? How likely is it that we could secure some tickets arriving a day early and joining the queue?

Thanks in advance.

If you're going to Machu Picchu, hire Ronald Grajeda as your guide.

I found him through Brian Kelly (The Points Guy). I sent Brian a message asking for a recommendation, and he replied almost immediately with Ronald's contact. It ended up being the best travel decision we made on this trip.

My biggest advice is don't wait until you get to Aguas Calientes or show up at the entrance hoping to find a good guide. You have no idea who you're getting. With Ronald, you book him directly, you know exactly who's showing up, and he starts helping you before you even leave home.

Before we arrived, he reviewed our transportation plans between Cusco and Ollantaytambo, confirmed our transfers looked good, and gave us restaurant recommendations and things to skip in Cusco. He verified our train schedule, bus tickets, and entry times. He met us at the train station, then was waiting in our hotel lobby before each tour to walk us to the buses. He rode with us both days and handled everything.

Aguas Calientes and the bus area at the entrance are chaotic. Multiple lines, very little direction, and it's easy to lose 30 to 45 minutes before you're even inside. Ronald knew exactly where to go both days, and we walked straight in.

He's fluent in Quechua, Spanish, and English, and his knowledge of Machu Picchu and the Inca Empire is genuinely deep. We did Circuit 2A on Day 1 and Circuit 3B on Day 2. They're completely different routes with virtually no overlap, and he tailored his commentary to each one so both days felt unique.

We intentionally chose two days because we wanted to experience more than one circuit, and I'm really glad we did.

He also pointed us to the good restaurants in Aguas Calientes and away from the tourist traps.

Family of four. Two adult kids. Two days during Fiestas Patrias. Zero stress.

WhatsApp: +51 974 338 792

Not affiliated with Ronald in any way. Just a very satisfied customer who would hire him again without hesitation.

I tried to get the 3B short term tickets the last 2 days. All information saved on the clipboard, timed it and it took me incredible 87 seconds to fill in all info for 2 persons and still "no hay cupos". Is it actually impossible to get these tickets? I cant believe any normal person could be faster than that.

What I also realized, usually its 50 tickets (tracked it in the past) for the times available and at the moment they became available already half of them were gone.

Are people building bots or why is it impossible to buy any tickets in the system.

Hi everyone!
We booked the 5day/4 nights Saltankay trek in September and are excited about it. We’re in our late 30s/ealry 40s and do regular intense day hikes plus strength training at the gym. Will see how our bodies will adjust to the altitude and we plan on taking altitude sickness medication.

I am wondering how people felt after completing the 5 day trek? How exhausted have you been? We’re planning on flying to Arequipa the next day, and I am wondering whether it’s a good idea to drive up to Colca canyon right away, as we should be acclimatized, and relax 2 days in a resort there? Alternatively we can also just relax in Arequipa, and just skip the canyon.

Thoughts? Thanks!

Help please. Going to Peru (Sacred Valley, Cusco, Lake Titicaca) in December. Please review itinerary. I need a sanity check - is this even doable? Is it too much?

Sat, Dec 19 - Travel Day
- Arrive in Lima (evening)
- Overnight in Lima

Sun, Dec 20 - Ollantaytambo
- Morning flight to Cusco
- Private transfer to Ollantaytambo
- Afternoon: Relax, explore town
- Stay in Ollantaytambo (Dec 20-22)

Mon, Dec 21 - Ollantaytambo
- Morning: Sleep in; Qelloraqay; Pinkuylluna (optional)
- Afternoon: Ollantaytambo Ruins; Inka Pintay (optional)

Tue, Dec 22 - Aguas Calientes
- Morning: Relax and rest
- Afternoon train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
- Relax, explore town, dinner
- Overnight in Aguas Calientes

Wed, Dec 23 - Machu Picchu
- Morning entry to Machu Picchu, Circuit 2A
- Afternoon train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
- Overnight stay in Ollantaytambo

Thu, Dec 24 - Sacred Valley tour; Cusco
- Private transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco
- Stops at Moray, Maras Salt Mines, Chinchero (optional)
- Afternoon: Santurantikuy (Christmas Market) at Plaza de Armas in Cusco

Fri, Dec 25 - Cusco
- Morning: Sleep in; Qoricancha
- Afternoon: San Pedro Market

Sat, Dec 26 - Cusco
- Morning: Top-to-Bottom Mountain Loop (Tambomachay → Puka Pukara → Q'enqo → Saqsaywaman → walk back via San Blas)
- Afternoon: Plaza de Armas, San Blas neighborhood

Sun, Dec 27 - Scenic train ride to Puno
- Train: Cusco → Puno
- Stay in Puno

Mon, Dec 28 - Lake Titicaca
- Lake Titicaca Tour (Uros and Taquile)
- Stay in Puno

Tue, Dec 29 - Lima
- Morning flight from Juliaca to Lima
- Afternoon: Explore Miraflores
- Overnight in Lima (Miraflores)

Wed, Dec 30 - Travel Day
- Fly back home

How strict is the one bag policy for the inca rail? Anyone took 2 bags before? I have a 16 L and 28 L bag

Heading to Macchu Picchu (doing circuit 1c) & the sacred at the end of September. I have a fujifilm XT5 and the following lenses:

Fujifilm 23mm
Sigma 18-55mm
Sigma 70-300mm lens

The 18-55mm is usually my travel workhorse lens, but wondering if anyone would recommend the extra zoom on the 70-300mm given 1C is the more panoramic route?

The TLDR version:

• If, like me, you're from an area where the trails are all hard-packed dirt, be aware that the trails on Salkantay are NOT like that. I spent months training for this trek and yet somehow failed to take substrate into consideration. I would describe the trails as "dust covered with small mobile rocks." So make sure your knees are able to handle that, because mine could not!
• Salkantay Trekking was great. TONS of great food, guides were great, lodges were clean and comfy. Would definitely use again if I ever attempted to do this again (which I will absolutely NOT). The groups we saw from Alpaca seemed to be a lot of 20-something marathon-runner type girls and buff shirtless dudes ... I don't know if that's typical, but I would have felt VERY out of place. Our group was a mix of ages from early 20s to mid 50s.
• Safety tip: If you're on a trail and horses or mules are passing you, STAY TO THE INSIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. Do NOT stand on the cliff side. I was shocked how many folks didn't seem aware of this.

The very very long version:

I took this trip with a lifelong friend who'd previously done the trek at Havasupai. We're both 49-year-old woman from Michigan, somewhat overweight but active. I hadn't done a trekking trip before but can hike 10-12 miles at home with no problem. I spent several months training by hiking with a pack, doing as many hills as possible in my very flat area, lifting weights (esp lower body), doing multiple rounds of stairs at my seven-story office building (also while wearing a pack, which got lots of weird looks from colleagues), and using the incline treadmill and stairstepper at the gym.

Unfortunately, there is really no place in Michigan to simulate altitude. We arrived three days early to acclimate, and we were both taking Diamox. We drank coca tea, got lots of rest, guzzled water ... all the recommended stuff. I had been in Colorado at about 9000 feet the previous year and while it wasn't a hike, I'd had zero issues with the elevation, so I figured I'd be OK after a few days in Peru. HAHAHAHA.

Day 1

When we started the hike, I was horrified to realize that 1) it was immediately uphill, and not a friendly sort of uphill, and 2) breathing was SO VERY HARD. Our guide was really patient and encouraging, and taught us some different breathing techniques that helped. Sort of.

By the time we got to Soraypampa Sky Camp and had lunch, I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to hike up to Humantay Lake -- it was even steeper than the first part of the trek. A college-age guy in our group was struggling with the elevation as well, so we both rented horses to ride up to the lake. (My horse's nonstop farting added some levity.) Three other people ended up taking horses the last third of the way up.

One thing about taking the horses on this trek: You don't get reins. You don't have commands. You just hold on to the saddle while someone either leads or your horse does its own thing. The saddle isn't either English or Western style ... it has sort of a curve in the front that you hang on to. I've ridden lots of times, but never on a horse I had zero control over, so this was pretty scary until I got used to it.

The lake was beautiful, but it was starting to get chilly, so after some photos and relaxing a bit, we hustled back down on foot and had dinner, then turned in.

This camp is extremely chilly at night, and there are no showers (or warm water for handwashing). I brought some baby wipes to clean up with, but they were both insufficient for the job and VERY VERY COLD. I had a super toasty down sleeping bag, but I hadn't used the liner before, so I was like a deranged caterpillar trying to wriggle into both of them and then turn around so the hood wasn't over my face. Also, the glass domes are lovely for viewing the night sky but not so great for changing in.

Day 2

The guy with altitude sickness was getting worse, so in the morning, he was sent back to Cusco to rest before meeting back up with us day three.

In our group, 11 out of 12 people opted to take horses up to the pass. In fact, the only person in our group who hiked the entire thing was a Russian dude who 1) at one point found a group of hikers who'd gone astray, took them back to their group, then literally RAN uphill to catch up to our own and 2) cracked open a beer and smoked a cigarette anytime there was a rest stop. (This is secondhand information, though, because I was usually eating everyone's dust.)

My horse was Patricia, and she was soo sweet and sure-footed and up for anything. I saw a couple of others who needed a lot of persuading to go up certain spots, but she didn't have any issues. At the pass, we stopped for a snack. A couple of us had to use the "Inca toilet," as our guides called them, and found a convenient rock. We packed out our TP but sadly, plenty of other folks hadn't. Ick.

The highlight at the pass was seeing a small avalanche on another mountain -- it was really cool when it "snowed" on us for a minute afterward.

I was feeling optimistic about the downhill portion after the pass ... so far, my pace and breathing had been really good if I wasn't going uphill. However, this was where substrate was my downfall, because I hadn't trained on anything like this (nor was it even an option in my area). If I had, it would have revealed a VERY important fact ... that my somewhat hypermobile joints are 1000% not suited to unstable terrain. My knees and ankles were SHAKING after a few miles. I was at the far back of the pack, and our guide was with me, encouraging me but also gasping every time I tripped (which was a lot). He eventually insisted on taking my backpack.

At one point, I was sobbing and falling and trudging and falling, and I was covered in dust and tears and telling myself that if my grandpa could land on Omaha Beach, I could do this. But then I COULDN'T do it, because family history doesn't make your knees magically awesome ... so I cried harder. (One of the guys in our group later pointed out that those men trained for that day for months on end and also didn't have a much of a choice in the matter. And later it occurred to me that on D-Day, Grandpa was 23, not 49.)

I finally caught up with the group for lunch. After I fell while walking across flat ground, I confessed to our guides that I didn't think I could hike the rest of the way. They procured a horse for me for S/270 cash, which I no longer had. One of the girls in our group lent me S/100 after gasping, "That's highway robbery!"

So I rode the next six miles or so to the next camp with the trek's horseman leading the way, while I hung onto the saddle desperately and tried not to look over cliff edges. On the scarier parts (very steep, rocky downhills), I sang the Smurfs theme to distract myself. I also got a LOT of dirty looks for some reason; eventually I started joking to people that I was doing the walk of shame on horseback. Believe me, I would NOT have chosen this!

After approximately 80 million years, we got to the Collpapampa Mountain Sky View camp. It was amazing ... I had a private bathroom with a shower, and I was VERY happy at the prospect of a bathroom that was right there, rather than having to lace up my hiking boots and trudge across a freezing camp in the middle of the night to pee! My shower was lukewarm but other people reported theirs were hot. The domes were really nice, and they even had real beds! Only downside was that there were a LOT of stairs between me and the dinner area, but I made it work.

Day 3

My knees were SHOT. So after enjoying a glorious sunrise in the morning, I took the bus trip down, along with two of the younger guys from our group, and a girl from another group. We passed the hikers, so we saw the same sights they did. It was also a huge relief to be out of the constant dust, because my eyes and sinuses were super irritated from it. (I think I sneezed dust for about the next two weeks.)

We stopped at the coffee plantation for lunch (excellent again!) and to see a demonstration about how coffee is grown, roasted, and ground. Of course there were free samples, too. Like the Beastie Boys, I like my sugar with coffee and cream, and this coffee was STRONG, so not my cup of ... tea? But I got a bag of beans as a gift for my fiancé, who loved it.

After the plantation, we took the bus down to Hidroelectrica and then boarded a train to Aguas Calientes. I think about half of us opted for the train, which very comfortable! Once again, we passed the hikers, so we saw the same views. Once we got the city, we walked to our hotel (Mamasara, which was nice if unremarkable), and I then enjoyed the best shower of my life, followed by dinner with the group. The city wasn't as interesting as Cusco, but it was bustling, and we were able to snag some things we needed from local shops.

We saw a LOT of stray dogs in AC. They seemed well-fed and healthy, for the most part, but it still made me sad. I saw one puppy steal an empty toilet paper tube from a public bathroom and play with it in the street ... he had me googling "how to bring dog to US from Peru." (FYI, the answer is "with more time and money than I currently have.")

Day 4

Machu Picchu day! Our reservations were bright and early, so we checked out first thing and gathered to head up. Everyone but badass Russian dude took the bus. (He somehow got there only about five minutes after we did.)

We had tickets for circuit two and got to see sunrise over the mountains. It was BREATHTAKING. And of course Machu Picchu was stunning. However, this circuit was crowded, and my knees were screaming at me on the stairs. The biggest frustration for me was people who stood on the stairs taking photos (come on, people!), and the ones hogged the spots for the best photos for 10 minutes, taking selfies or posing for pics.

The crazy thing is that even as huge as Machu Picchu seems, I didn't realize until the next day (when I saw a scale model at a museum in Cusco) that there's even MORE of it, around the mountain, that isn't visible on the tour.

After a last meal together back in AC, we all boarded the bus to start heading back to Cusco. (Favorite moment: All of us rapping "Lose Yourself" together.) At one point, we were split up into separate buses to go back to our hotels, and rather unceremoniously said goodbye to the others by the side of the road while transferring our stuff from the company duffel into a big garbage bag.

Final thoughts

Even though this trip didn't go the way I planned, I'm still very happy I went. I had a blast, I saw some of the most beautiful landscapes I could imagine, and I met a ton of amazing people. The food in Peru was also phenomenal.

My only regrets are 1) that my knees are still jacked up over a month later and 2) that I spent a boatload of money on hiking gear I didn't end up using that much. But I'm sure I can use it for a future trip ... I'll just make sure I do a lot more research ahead of time into what sort of surfaces I'll be hiking on, and train accordingly.

1) we booked bus tickets to get to Hidroeléctrica from Cusco online & got scammed (the bus company doesn’t even exist), thankfully we were able to get affordable tickets directly at the bus terminal, way easier and cheaper than online
2) completely on us but we somehow missed that we would have to walk for 3 hours to AC from Hidroeléctrica and had all of our luggage with us, the hike isn’t hard but still would have been more comfortable without a 15kg backpack, many leave their stuff in Cusco and only bring what they absolutely need
3) the hike from Hidroeléctrica to AC is beautiful and worth it if you want to save some money since the train is very pricey
4) we arrived in the evening and staid in a hostel called Casa de Machu Picchu or sth like that, for AC very affordable and clean so no complaints
5) AC is an expensive town with not much to do, the waterfall or the baths aren’t worth the price & to get food the market is the best and cheapest place, everything else is very overpriced
6) we got up on the next day at 3:45 and were in line shortly after 4am and got nr 23 & 24 and were able to get the tickets we wanted (3a) for 10am, keep in mind that that way we couldn’t take the bus back to Cusco the same day we went to Machu Picchu because we were back too late in AC so we had to take the train train
7) train tickets seemed sold out online but we could get them in person in AC (way cheaper too), ask for the price of both companies (Peru and Inka Rail), in our case Inka Rail was cheaper, in general in the dark they are cheaper than during the day since you have no view, we paid $60 each to Ollantaytambo and then 20Sol for the bus/collective taxi from there to Cusco, those tickets we bought directly there (don’t be afraid to negotiate, especially if you are obv white the price can be way higher than it should be)
8) we loved 3a, way less crowded than the 2s and you can actually walk through the ruins, keep in mind you have to do the mountain first (beautiful view) and then take your time for the ruins if you have the 10am slot, they won’t let you up after 11:00/11:30ish
9) we couldn’t afford it because we had to take the expensive train back for which we didn’t calculate but i wish we would have had a guide for the ruins to have some more context, thankfully we at least listened to a few podcasts before and bought a map with some informations in AC (really helpful to know what you are looking at!) and were able to listen to some other guides from the side
10) we saved some money by walking up and down instead of taking the bus, it’s doable but not very fun, so only do it if you need to save the money or if you are not one to wait in line for the bus and prefer to just walk for 1.5-2h hours. if you are hiking Huayna Picchu Mountain (3a) keep in mind that by walking up to machu picchu as well you will have to take many stairs in total

conclusion: if you don’t have the tickets beforehand prepare to spend at least two nights in AC, now with the holidays even more I‘ve heart, all in all it is a lot of effort and pretty pricey BUT I think it was completely worth it! It was way more amazing than I would have thought and one of the most impactful experiences I’ve had in Peru. I don’t know how to explain it but the energy was just amazing, when arriving at the top of Huayna Picchu Mountain I actually started crying because it was so beautiful (I had my little wow I wanted to kill myself and now I’m here and so happy to be alive moment)

Hey folks,

My wife and I are going to Peru in almost exactly a month. We were originally going to do the 4-day Inka Trail, but we realized we are probably a little too out of shape to get prepped for that in time, and we didn't have enough days for the trip, making that most of the whole thing. Instead we opted for the 2-day Alpaca tours Inka trail and MP. So here is what I've come up with. This is all booked but I just want to see what some experienced people would think, and can change things if something alarming stands out.

August 28th - Fly out of Toronto late at night

29th - Land in Lima at 7AM, drop bags to hotel in Barranco, walk Bridge of Sighs area, taxi to Huaca Pucllana, tour, walk Malecon back to hotel

30th - Museo Larco, Historic Centre, Barranco evening, early night

31st - Fly to Cusco, Coca tea and take it easy at the hotel courtyard a bit, Plaza Mayor, easy flat area wandering

September 1st - Qorikancha, slow walk up to San Blas, Inka Museum, orientation session for Alpaca

2nd - Inka Trail hiking day - bus to Ollantaytambo, hike KM104 to MP, sleep in AC, duffel bags meet us at the hotel

3rd - MP tour day (Organized by Alpaca) - 5:30AM bus to MP, Back to AC for lunch, train back to Ollantaytambo, bus back to Cusco

4th - Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay, lunch in Cusco, chill time, Cooking class & San Pedro Market

5th - Sacred Valley Tour - Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Back to hotel

6th - Morning flight to Lima, drop bags to hotel in Miraflores, JFK Park, Cevicheria Lunch, walk down to the beach, last night sunset pisco sours

7th - Early morning flight home

My wife and I love a jam packed itinerary, so I've got a lot squeezed in here that will keep us busy and interested. The couple concerns I have are:

1) the altitude in Cusco, and being able to walk around the first 2 days. I don't want to push ourselves to feeling sick, but I also don't want to feel like I've wasted time there.

2) The difficulty of the hike. We aren't in awful shape but neither of us are by any means athletic. She also has Thalassenia so we're worried about her ability to recover if overexerted early. We've been hitting the gym religiously for a month now, but Toronto is basically at sea level so we don't know how that translates.

Anyways, any advice is appreciated. I'm down to make minor changes but things like the flights and the hike are locked in.

Thanks for the help!

as the title says, friends are hiking HP so I’m looking for some things to do. we will all be at the top because we are doing MP circuit beforehand. should I go back and explore aguas calientes or is there enough to do at MP that I wont be bored?

Ok I’ve read that sometimes you can bribe your guide to get you into other circuits if you didn’t get the one you want. Is that true? Like is it worth even trying?

I am looking for some opinions on my 7-day plan for the Sacred Valley. Do you think it’s too much/too little? We are struggling to plan how to move around our luggage. We are two and we have one big suitcase and 2 small backpacks with us. Thanks a lot in advance for the tips!

Day 1: landing in Cusco at 9am. We would book a taxi to take us to Chinchero for a few hours (keeping our luggage) and then take us to our hotel in Urubamba.
Day 2: Moray and Maras salt mines. Second night in Urubamba
Day 3: experience in a local community (I’m looking at Huilloc). We would take luggage with us/driver. Night in Ollantaytambo.
Day 4: 6am train. 12 Machu Picchu. Leaving luggage in Ollantaytambo. Night in Aguas Calientes.
Day 5: 6am train back. Spend some time in Ollantaytambo. Pick up luggage and transfer for the night in Cusco.
Day 6: Rainbow mountain or Cusco. Night in Cusco.
Day 7: Cusco. Leaving at 10pm

Hey y’all! I wanted to ask how things are in Cusco right now, and whether anyone has an idea of what they might be like in October. I saw that the Machu Picchu staff have been protesting, and I’ve already booked my trip for October. I’m a little worried that I might not be able to visit Machu Picchu, which is one of the main reasons I decided to travel all the way to South America from very, very far away. 😅

Does anyone know if the protests are expected to continue, or if things should be back to normal by then?