Machu Picchu, Peru including lessons learned about Step 5 travel

 

Where in the world am I? In San Diego, talking about Machu Picchu

Are there any tips to help me avoid being cheated or robbed while traveling?

Yes, you can take precautions like removing your expensive jewelry before traveling and not carrying expensive purses or shoes. Don't look like a target. Look like you belong, and try not to stand out from the usual crowd.

Check reviews of any Airbnb or turo car rentals you book. Be careful not to walk alone in the dark at night, as much as possible. Think of the odds whenever you go out. Please put them in your favor, not a criminal.

If you like today's Confidence Challenge, my book series dives deeper into safety and security while traveling solo—link in description"” 

See Book A for addressing this challenge.

You can find it on our website​​ at https://www.5stepstosolotravel.com/ or on Amazon; it's a several-part series. Today's special destination is: Machu Picchu, Peru.

I finally got there, after so many years of wanting to visit. And I had a great time. I hope the same goes for you. Peru is a wonderful place, but you do need to be prepared, and I was. I t'ss almost always a good time to book your ticket to Machu Picchu. So book it now if you are planning it. There is a daily cap of 5600 people.

Once you get there, it will be too late to reserve a ticket. You could get lucky, so if you're in an emergency, you may be able to obtain one from a broker, but that will incur an additional cost. I was delaying the purchase for a few weeks, and I'm glad I booked my tour three months in advance. The tickets are not expensive, but it may be a challenge to afford them. I found a travel agency, but they wouldn't accept my credit card over the phone, and when I tried to set up a Western Union money transfer, it was a terrible experience. I'll share that in my mistakes later on.

https://www.ticketmachupicchu.com/ticket-machu-picchu-2019/

Machu Picchu tips and insights on the travel for you.

Step	What to do	Tips & costs
1. Tickets (book now!)	Buy on Tuboleto.c ultura .pe – choose Circuit 2B (Classic Lower Terrace) for the iconic postcard view with moderate stairs. Cost 172 PEN ≈ US $45.	Sales for 2025 opened on 19 Dec 2024; the daily cap is 5,600, so June slots sell out early. Peru RailEl País
2. Train	06:10 Inca Rail or 07:45 PeruRail Expedition from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes; arrive 08:30‑09:30.	Sit on the left‑hand side for Urubamba River views. Peru Rail
3. Bus up	Buy a Consettur round-trip ticket (US$24) at the kiosk the night before; the first buses roll at 05:30, with a 25-minute ride. Ticket to Machu Picchu
4. Entry window	Aim for the 09:00–10:00 slot (good light, less 6 am crowd, still before midday haze). Passport, ticket & small day pack only. My ticket was in the afternoon, and for that it was great. It was hazy that morning, I was told.
6. Optional short hike	Huchuy Picchu add‑on (easy 1 km, 30‑40 min, extra 48 PEN) – great summit photo without the steep drop of Huayna Picchu. Ticket to Machu Picchu
7. Lunch & return	Picnic outside the gate (no food inside), stamp passport, bus down, 16:20 train back to Cusco (arr. 20:30), or stay one more night at Aguas Calientes if you prefer a slower pace.

Packing checklist: passport, printed tickets, layers (for cool mornings/hot sun), rain shell, 1 L refillable bottle (no disposables), DEET, sunblock, walking poles with rubber tips, cash for snacks & toilets (2 soles).

Quick Tips for a Smooth Trip

• Book everything online in advance, including flights, trains, Machu Picchu tickets, and buses, to avoid lines and secure cheaper fares.
  
  

• Cash is still king in small villages—carry small bills; ATMs are plentiful in Cusco.
  
  
  

• Solo safety basics: use registered taxis (Taxi Beat or Cabify apps), avoid isolated beach areas at night, and keep photocopies of your passport in separate bags.
  
  

Enjoy Peru's vibrant coast, Andean culture, and the wonder of Machu Picchu—then you'll be perfectly primed for Brazil's beaches a few days later. ¡Buen viaje!

Hard to use Western Union for a payment to my travel expert. Very challenging. It didn't happen; I brought it in person to Cusco. Paid by CC in person, but not to the travel agent. She had to find someone willing to accept the credit card payment in another shop. It was both a great deal and a great pain. The total cost was only $275.Here's a breakdown of my trip to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu: My One-Day Experience (start/finish in Cusco)

Timeline & logistics

• 03:00 woke up; 03:30 ready; 04:00 pickup.
  
  

• Bus from Cusco → Ollantaytambo, then train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo)—you even shared the carriage with a few actors.
  
  

• Reached town around 08:30 in the rain; explored, then rented a bathing suit and towel and relaxed at the hot springs (20 soles entry; 5 soles suit; 5 soles towel).
  
  

• Met Eduardo, my English-speaking guide from Cusco (now living locally). I treated him to tea before we got started.
  
  

• Noon: lined up for Machu Picchu entry; private tour from ~12:00–16:30. You tipped 50 soles—he was excellent.
  
  

• The weather shifted from rain to cloudy to sunny, perfect for walking among the ruins.
  
  

• Stats: ~48 flights of stairs and 6.4 miles walked; lots of steps.
  
  

• Afterward, enjoy a massage (~$20), a chocolate bar, and plenty of water before heading back to Cusco at around 11 pm. It was a long, but so valued day.
  
  

What I saw & felt

• The town is small: church (Virgen del Carmen, where I said prayers), district offices, train stations, and police clustered together.
  
  

• Wildlife moments: five llamas, including a 3-day-old nursing and another 3-month-old—adorable.
  
  

• The scenery felt grand and expansive—it reminded you of Yosemite for its scale, but with open, terraced mountains rather than dense trees.
  
  

• Photos turned out great. You loved the entire experience and happily checked off another of the Seven Wonders of the World.
  
  

• Language tidbit from your guide:"'ach'= old, 'icch'= mountain. You noticed so many other peaks around the citadel.
  
  

What I learned…..

• The tour weaved together the Incas' worship, daily life, food, farming practices (especially corn/maize), and burial customs—you noted that mostly women's skeletons were found in the areas you discussed with your guide.
  
  

• Inca history (brief context): The Inca civilization flourished in the 15th–early 16th centuries across the Andes, constructing extraordinary stone architecture and terraced agriculture without the use of iron or the wheel. Machu Picchu itself sat hidden in the mountains for centuries, its location contributing to its preservation until its 20th-century reintroduction to global attention.
  
  

• The expansive mountain range around the site made it feel concealed and sacred, “hidden for centuries,” much like the aura people describe with Angkor Wat (your comparison).
  
  

Small moments that mattered

• Tea with Eduardo (my treat) set a relaxed rhythm for the afternoon, and since it was raining, it gave me a chance to dry out.
  
  

• Hot springs soak before the ruins helped counter the early start and altitude. I loved that I could rent a bathing suit for the morning. That was a first. The hot springs were soothing and an unexpected pleasure. Bring your suit if you remember.
  
  

• Private guiding made the history feel personal and clear. I thought I would be in a group, but this was a private tour.

One-line takeaway

A long, early start bloomed into a perfectly paced day—rain to sun, hot springs to high terraces—guided insight, baby llamas, countless stairs, and a deep, peaceful sense of awe among the Incas’"“old mountain”

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