Peru with a kid?

I would fly from Lima to Cusco. We went with LC Peru. Cheap flights and beats 22 hours in a bus!

Lots of villages/towns in the Cusco/Sacred Valley area. And lots of hiking. You can do day hikes from Ollantaytambo. For example:

https://moon.com/2014/02/three-great-day-hikes-in-ollantaytambo-peru/

For Machu Picchu we chose not to go by train. This is what we did:
We took a shuttle from Ollantaytambo to Santa Teresa. In the morning a shared van to Lucmabamba. A trail starts there that takes you to the Llactapata ruins and then down to the river and to Hidroelectrica. The hike is beautiful (cloud forest, birds, butterflies, flowers). At Llactapata it was cloudy at first but then the sun broke through the clouds and the view is incredible. We got our first view of Machu Picchu from there!
From Hidroelectrica we walked along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes. It is a nice walk (more butterflies and birds as well). It was a long but amazing day.
At MP we hiked up MP Montana.

We also took a bus from Cusco that was heading to Pisac but got off at Tambomachay and walked down past other ruins to Sacsayhuaman (which should not be missed) and back to Cusco.

We also enjoyed hiking up to the Pisac ruins (from the village) and back down. And we hiked from Maras to Moray and back to Maras and then from Maras to the salineras and on to the river and the road leading to Urubamba. Outstanding scenery and of course Moray and the salineras are amazing.

We didn't do the Huchuy Qosqo hike yet... next time.

If you like to hike also consider the Colca Canyon (take a bus from Arequipa to Cabanaconde). We went trekking in the canyon on our own and spent two nights down in the canyon.

We felt safe everywhere (just use common sense of course). We traveled mainly by public bus/minibus/shared taxi.

You can check availability (and buy tickets) for MP here:

http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/

If you do want to go by train to MP you can buy tickets online (Peru Rail or Inca Rail).

I have not been to Bolivia (yet!).

Great advice, thanks a lot.
Did you or your child get any vaccinations before your trip?
Do kids pay full-fare for everything?
Ever get sick?
I think Colca Canyon sounds like a fun place to hang out.
Cheers, Joe

I didn't travel with a child. But I would. I did not get vaccinations. I did not drink tap water. I did have diarrhea for a few days but it was not too bad. I had a slight headache in Cusco.

If you are interested in hiking in the Colca Canyon check out this website (it helped us a lot when we were planning our trip):

http://www.pachamamahome.com/cabanaconde.htm

We flew with LC Peru and kids (up to 11 years old) got a 50% discount.

Hi again,
That's a good website.
I'm just going to use a phone and wi-fi which I think is available at some guesthouses.
What did you use while you were there? Did you save the pachamamhome pages on a device, or should I write the info down in a journal?
Thanks, Joe

I like to research months in advance... it is a big part of travel for me. So I make notes etc... That being said, we also used our cell phone as most hotels had free wifi. There are internet cafes as well.

I've read that the greatest happiness of travel comes from anticipation. I'm not sure but I've planned some trips in such detail that I was never disappointed that I didn't eventually go. Reality could never live up to my expectations.
Having said that, I'm really excited about this trip. Just came back from the travel clinic, and now my son and I are ready to go.
Thanks for all the great advice. Have a wonderful summer, Joe

Although by this date, you have already visited our country, there are some topics in your question that need a reply.

Many tourists come daily to Peru with a kid for around 9 years old and even yunger. You just need to verify which activities would be fit for him/them. For example, which hiking would be fit for him.

About Vaccinations, it is reccommended the yellow fever and even though you can take it at Lima Airport, the effects takes 10 days, that is why it should be taken at your country. If it is difficult to get it, remember it is only a reccommendations, and it is not a requirement to enter to Peru. We have not had any cases since 25 years ago.
For further information you can check this link: https://www.anywhere.com/peru/travel-guide/health-and-safety

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