Machu Picchu had been on our “bucket list” for so many years that it was starting to nag at us: isn’t it about time we finally went there? We’re still kicking ourselves for living four years in Costa Rica (2015-2018) and not making the much shorter trip from there!

So, in the winter of 2025, we finally started to wrap our heads around traveling the 9,000 miles from Lisbon, Portugal, to Lima, Peru, and then to the Sacred Valley, nestled high up in the Andes Mountains. One thing we realised immediately: this was not a do-it-yourself excursion, at least not for us.

The Peruvian park authorities allow only about 5,000 people to enter Machu Picchu each day and you must reserve one of several set times throughout the day, with an official guide. Your reservation must also specify which of three particular trails, or “circuits,” you will take through the park. On top of all that, the best way for most visitors to reach the park is from the small town of Aguas Calientes, which functions as the “base camp” for Machu Picchu, via a two-hour train ride from the neighboring town of Ollantaytambo. This also should be reserved in advance to ensure you arrive at the appropriate time.  

For the all-critical park entrance, it’s wise to book up to six months in advance because worldwide demand is off-the-charts (1.5 million visitors a year). We managed to get tickets three months in advance, just before the peak Easter season, hiring an agency called Cusco Local Friend to purchase those for us.

This company handled all of our arrangements in the Sacred Valley except for plane and hotel reservations. Thanks to them, our trip to Machu Picchu went smoothly (except for some weather issues) and we enjoyed visiting other Inca sites during our four days in the valley.  

It all began on April 7, when we flew nine and a half hours from Lisbon to Sao Paulo, Brazil. After a four-hour layover, we continued for another six hours to Lima, where we stayed two full days to get over jet lag and do a little touristing. Then, on April 10th, we took an hour-long flight to Cusco in the Sacred Valley, where a driver from Cusco Local Friend picked us up in the company van. Our return to Lisbon replicated these flights in reverse, except this time we stayed only one night in Lima, arriving back in Lisbon on the morning of April 15.

Travel Tips: For all our flights, we used Latam Airlines, which we’ve found to be reliable and efficient for travel in South America. Peru itself has a well developed tourist infrastructure so getting around is relatively easy. Lima was under a “national emergency” while we were there because of criminal gangs extorting money from local businesses but the impact on tourists was minimal.

Credit cards are widely used in Peru but it is advisable to keep some local currency (the Peruvian sole) in your pocket for tips and purchases from small vendors.  

As for Machu Picchu, consider the possibility of altitude sickness when you travel in the Andes. The thinner oxygen at high altitudes can afflict some people with headaches and nausea. While Machu Picchu itself is “only” at 7,800 feet (2,400 meters), some sites we visited in the Sacred Valley reached to 12,320 ft. (3,755 m.). Cusco, where you disembark from the plane, is at 11,150 ft. (3,400 m.). Studies conducted there indicate that at least a third of travelers experience some symptoms. While passing through the jetway into the terminal, Bina and I immediately noticed a slight light-headedness and uncertain balance, prompting us to walk more slowly than usual. 

The standard preventive medicine, which I took, is called Diomox; Bina used an herbal alternative because she’s allergic to the sulpha in Diomox. Some sources recommend drinking tea made with with coca leaves or muña, an Andean herb from the mint family. Bina also found it helpful to rub muña oil onto her wrists. But the simplest and probably most essential remedy is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. For that, we added electrolyte powders to some of our water bottles.

Each person is different so general guidelines only get you so far. I experienced some minor headaches and weird tingling in my toes and fingers (possibly caused by the Diomox). Bina, who has high blood pressure, had to deal with worrisome elevations in both her blood pressure and heart rate. 

After four days in the Sacred Valley, we were much relieved to get back to sea level in Lima!