How to Get to Machu Picchu (with Kids) | Plus Ollantaytambo & Peru Train Travel

[@FindingSalas]

Hello and thanks for watching! Please let us know if you have questions about Peru or travel in general, we are happy to answer them! 😁

[@onhwamin]

I enjoyed your video. My new friend, so nice! I am looking forward to your video.🎁😊🎁

[@FindingSalas]

Thank you so much! We are working on uploading another one right now! :)

[@raif4346]

How was the bus ride to Macha picho was it scary?

[@FindingSalas]

Hey @raif4346, thanks for watching! Great question. Looking out the bus window and down the mountainside is not for the faint of heart, especially if you have a fear of heights. However relative to other buses through the Andes, this one went carefully up and down the mountainside and in our case never too close to the side of the road. This is not a public road so it's just the Machu Picchu transport buses going up and down, and just a few at a time. We never met other cars or traffic who didn't share the road well. It's not like the chicken buses you may have ridden on that going flying around the corners with no guard rails. Whew! Let us know if you have other questions.

[@foodbangladesh202]

Wow beautiful vlog

[@FindingSalas]

Thank you so much 🙂

[@gabbier4379]

Loved your video! I am thinking of going in July with my family ( 2 kids) how was the altitude for your kids, are there bathrooms up in the mountains in case kids need to go? What time of the day do you recommend going up the mountain? Thank you!😊

[@FindingSalas]

Hi Gabbie, thanks for watching and the kind comments on our video! We love to help other families turn their travel daydreams into a reality. Great questions too! Some thoughts: - The altitude is not to be underestimated. Whew. We have been lucky enough to visit the Andes a few times and each time we all experienced at least some altitude sickness. From dizziness, headaches, nausea, trouble breathing, tiredness, lack of an appetite. All that fun stuff. Our kids didn't want to eat much for a couple days (but also didn't complain about being hungry). The best thing you can do is build in time to rest, and not in Lima since this is at sea level. Once you get to Cusco (the gateway to the Sacred Valley), if time permits, spend a couple days with a light itinerary and you should be much better by the time you head to Machu Picchu. There is plenty to do in Cusco to keep you busy without overdoing it. And it's also at 11K feet elevation, versus MP at just under 8K feet. This is our Cusco vlog: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2mZnmmEfsqSnc0si=1PqWFGb4PV8hfyYZ - There are bathrooms, but they are just outside the entrance and re-entry is not permitted unfortunately. We tried to take it easy on liquids leading up to our timed entry and we all used the bathroom just before we went in. You probably need 2 hours to experience the citadel, and probably another hour or two to add any more trails/sites there. We spent about 4 hours in the park and found that to be sufficient to see the classic sights (note adjusted expectations for traveling with kids 😉) and thankfully made it back out without any bathroom issues. Also, it costs a few soles per person to use the bathroom so make sure you bring enough cash/coins for everyone. - The "best" time of day depends on the person so let us offer some different perspectives. Many think the "best" time is sunrise because it has fewer people, but because of all the steps with the bus up the mountain and a bit of a hike after the entrance, this makes for a painfully early morning even if you don't have kids. The direction of the mountains and frequency of morning clouds means it's often impossible to see the sunrise anyways. For us, the "best" time equals low crowds, high visibility/low cloud coverage, even lighting for photos and videos, and if at all possible skipping any early wake-up times. Thankfully those factors converge around 3 pm. People start to leave around this time, morning clouds have parted, light is soft and beautiful, and we didn't have to wake up at a painful hour. So short answer: an afternoon visit from 1-5 pm if you are doing the Citadel and another spot (such as the Sun Gate), or from 2-5 pm if you just want to see the Citadel. We were already in Aguas Calientes, but it might be possible to catch the train from Cusco/Poroy (~3.5 hours) earlier that morning and still do this -- but definitely recommend staying at least one night in the town. And finally, don't forget to build in time for the bus ride back down the mountain and getting back over to the train station if you are not spending the night. Hopefully this helps! Please let us know if you have other questions. Happy travels! ❤

[@Travelmumoftwo]

The vlog gives a great idea for people with kids planning to go there. We are planning to go there in October with 15 month and 4 year old. Do you have a log with details for your trip or full Peru vlog. Looking for suggestions catered towards kid friendly trip.

[@FindingSalas]

Hi again! Thanks for the support! We really do hope the videos help other travelers, and happy to answer any questions at all. We have a handful of vlogs from our time in the Cusco and Lima areas here: kzbin.info/aero/PLRJXmt9yqgg73_OQ3FIIB4Pwqg53vZnlH

[@DustBeGoneByDawn]

Hi! Beautiful Family! Straight the the point tip advise THANK YOU! I’m planning a trip for my son and I to Machu Picchu but as I’m looking on the official website I’m not showing tickets available but I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong because I can’t read all of the Spanish, and it’s only in Spanish, which by the way is a little weird. But I selected dates for next month, May ,October and December of this year and they all say Cerrado? How are you supposed to get tickets? Help please

[@FindingSalas]

Hi Dawn! Thanks for watching and for your truly kind comments. It means so much knowing this video can help another family. ❤ You can buy them on the official website here: tuboleto.cultura.pe/ -- which redirects here once you select Machupicchu: www.joinnus.com/events/trip-adventure/cusco-llaqta-inca-de-machupicchu-59693 It's confusing if you start with a Google search because there are so many authorized ticket sellers from the many tour companies. If you look at the page with Google Chrome as your browser, it will translate most of the page for you (so long as the words aren't saved as part of an image). Just right click and about 2/3 down the menu there is an option to translate. More on that here if you are doing this from your phone, tablet, etc.: support.google.com/chrome/answer/173424?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid The hardest part is now picking which circuit and this is confusing too because there are so many options. If you want to see the Citadel and Sun Gate like we did in the video, Circuit 2 is a good bet because it gives you access to those and more. You can access that under the "Llaqta de Machupicchu" (Land of Machupicchu) option. In our opinion, your kids should be at least teenagers to hike Huayna Picchu (sometimes spelled Waynapicchu), this is incredibly steep and more than dangerous if not done carefully. However and thankfully, it's not essential to get the classic views of MP. I am seeing options as soon as next month (February) but let me know if you tried the above steps and that is still not working for you. Any other questions, please do let us know! 😁

[@FindingSalas]

Hi again Dawn! I don't know if you saw in the news, but buying tickets to Machu Picchu is getting interesting! The ability to buy tickets online is new, and apparently not sitting well with Peruvians because the government contracted with a private company instead of the state providing the service. There have been massive demonstrations, but the government has now relented. They are agreeing to do it themselves rather than outsourcing and are committed to keeping sales online. But I imagine that will take some time to build a new system. I don't know what it looks like during the transition, but you may want to follow the story too. apnews.com/article/machu-picchu-protests-peru-ruins-a7928a169e70ff81a0794179cf7942d0

[@TheLiveOutLoudFamily]

Oh my gosh your family is so beautiful! What an amazing adventure! I love your vlogging style! Bravo for hiking those steps with baby in tow too! I used to wear my boys everywhere too! New subscribers and friends! I would love to support each other and look forward to your next adventure! 😘💕❤️

[@FindingSalas]

Hi! Thank you for connecting! And a fellow Midwesterner (we're from Wisconsin). :) We just subscribed. Can't wait to follow along, especially as you're trying to transition in such uncertain times. I'm sending good luck vibes!

[@TheLiveOutLoudFamily]

Finding Salas that’s so cool! Let’s stay in touch and try to collab when the madness is over! It’s so nice to connect with families that live travel and cultural experiences! I bet the kids would have a blast too! Sending love back at ya 😘💕❤️

[@FindingSalas]

@@TheLiveOutLoudFamily it is! I don't see many families doing this in the Midwest. Maybe they are, just not on KZbin. Yes let's keep in touch. 😁

[@FindingSalas]

@@TheLiveOutLoudFamily it is! I don't see many families doing this in the Midwest. Maybe they are, just not on KZbin. Yes let's keep in touch. 😁

[@TheLiveOutLoudFamily]

Finding Salas me either! I really look forward to it! 😘💕❤️