Machu Picchu on your own and cheap
Usually, you will not need it if you are Latin American, North American, or European. If you are from a non-Mercosur country, you will need a valid passport and a visa in some exceptional cases.
You will need to spend with your parents if you are underage. If you are a parent and travel with your children, you will need a marriage certificate and the child’s birth certificate.
No vaccine is mandatory, but the Peruvian Ministry of Health “recommends” vaccination against Yellow Fever in certain jungle regions. Usually, nobody does it, so it’s up to you whether it’s worth the risk. In several countries, this vaccine is free, and when it costs, it is not expensive.
We do not suggest carrying tents. In this place, you will practically not need it. Peru is one of the cheapest countries in South America to get rooms at meager prices.
Always wear a coat. Typically, you feel the heat in places of the sun and areas of hard shade. The sun is radiant, and the site’s climate can damage your skin. Take sunscreen or buy at the pharmacies cocoa paste pills that are very cheap and useful.
You may have never experienced a lack of oxygen. Your digestion will be slower, and your sleep will be dense and deep. The idea is to stay calm on the first day to acclimatize. It is very typical for all pharmacies to sell pills for altitude sickness.
Making the “Inca Trail” is not mandatory for Machu Picchu. There is trekking for two and four days, and it is indispensable to have excellent physical condition.
All the roads are excellent, full of incredible nature, and have almost the same landscapes. Cusco is full of routes of the authentic road that formed the Inca Red Road.
Avoid walking alone in the night markets or too far from the center with value and tourist aspects. Stay tuned to your pockets at trade shows or areas where you are very close to people. In one of the most touristy cities globally, it is predictable that there are petty thefts and scams. Do not leave your valuables alone or trust in free things to avoid this. Do not rely on the excesses of unwarranted kindness from strangers who always want something from you.
Hygiene is crucial to maintaining health. It is common for tourists to get sick in the stomach from trying everything. To avoid it being prudent, prevent things that sell on buses and by street vendors, especially cakes and handmade cheeses that can carry dangerous bacteria. Long walks on the stony ground can make you easy prey for dislocations or similar injuries.
If you are a student, you should take out the ISIC (International Student Identity Card) card to discount some tours.
From Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes), you can climb to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Two ways:
Must-Do: Take a hike.
If you came by train, indeed, you have not passed by. If you came on foot from Ollantaytambo either, on the other hand, you would come from Santa Teresa via the Salkantay trek or Choquequirao hike; these are good alternative trekking to consider.