Well Planned Tour Route Avoids Altitude Sickness in Peru
picture of the cover of a sample tour itinerary

Download itinerary

  • Get This Itinerary Now! πŸ“¬
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
small transparent logo
Customize Now
South America Travel News

Well Planned Tour Route Avoids Altitude Sickness in Peru

3 min read

Sep 8, 2014

|

By Joseph Olson

Share This Post

Last updated on January 3rd, 2021 at 07:02 pm

Cuzco Plaza de Armas - Dramatic - stock_opt

Improved routes allow tourists to experience the best of Peru, including Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, all while better acclimating the body to high elevations and reducing wasted travel time.

Here’s how to avoid altitude sickness:

Peru is a very popular South American destination thanks to the natural wonder of Machu Picchu, the culinary sophistication of Lima and other attractions like Lake Titicaca, the Nazca Lines, and the Sacred Valley. There is certainly no shortage of amazing sights to see in the place known as the β€˜land of the Inca’ but the big question is often the best way to go about it. Clients want an efficient itinerary that maximizes their sightseeing time, but many tourists harbor concerns over altitude sickness, also called soroche.

SouthAmerica.travel has taken these factors into consideration with new itineraries that account for the valuable time of travelers and the effects that extreme altitude may have on their bodies.

In order to better understand the situation with altitude sickness, it helps to know the elevations. At 11,152 feet above sea level, Cuzco is higher than both the Sacred Valley (9,160 feet, similar to many ski resorts in the American Rockies) and Machu Picchu (7,970 feet). An hour-long flight to the west, the coastal city of Lima sits at sea level.

Juergen Keller CEO SouthAmerica.travelHome to the only major airport in the region, visitors would begin in Cuzco with a half-day walking tour of the city in an attempt to acclimatize. However, as SouthAmerica.travel CEO JΓΌrgen Keller explains, it really doesn’t work. As he describes, β€œthe body needs more than a half-day to acclimate to high elevations. Many people walk around Cuzco thinking they will be fine, but 24 hours later they feel a little queasy, and that is no way to begin a trip when you are looking forward to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.”

By re-ordering this popular travel route, tourists can begin in Lima and slowly acclimate to an elevation over the course of several days, visiting the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu before ending up in Cuzco. This way the body has more time to gradually adjust to changes in altitude. Coupled with the physical exertion of hiking around the ruins of Machu Picchu, tourists arrive in Cuzco much better prepared for the elevation.

In terms of travel time, the updated route is made possible by new hotels in the Sacred Valley such as the Aranwa, which was built on a 17th-century colonial hacienda. Prior to these new establishments, the region was dependent on Cuzco for acceptable accommodations, making the Imperial City a natural starting point for tours of the region. However, many travelers found themselves wasting valuable time in Cuzco while they anxiously awaited the beginning of their sightseeing tours of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. The new hotels allow tourists to transfer directly from the airport to their room in the valley, saving anywhere from a half to a full day that was used for acclimation previously.

Visit the SouthAmerica.travelΒ Peru toursΒ page, design your own Peruvian adventure with ourΒ custom trip planner, and browse through ourΒ client testimonialsΒ to learn about the experiences of those who have already traveled these same routes.

Β avoid altitude sickness

Plan Your Trip to
Argentina
Paraguay
Brazil
Peru
Bolivia
the GalΓ‘pagos
Ecuador
the Amazon
Antarctica
Chile
Machu Picchu
Patagonia
Colombia
Uruguay
Create Your Own Custom Tour

Click your preferences: Destinations & Activities. Be as specific or general as you like - or click Help Me Decide! We'll spice it with hidden gems & personal tips to create your perfect trip.

Choose Amazon destinations (optional)
Choose destinations (optional)
Choose Bolivia destinations (optional)
Choose Brazil destinations (opt)
Choose Chile destinations (opt)
Choose Colombia & Panama destinations (optional)
Choose Ecuador & Galapagos destinations (optional)
Choose Paraguay & Uruguay destinations (optional)
Choose Patagonia & Antarctica destinations (optional)
Choose Peru destinations (optional)
Choose Guianas destinations (optional)
Choose Interests
Choose activities
What category of accommodation?

You can choose more than one!

When would you like to go?
for
How many travelers?
age groups
age groups
Review my trip summary
destinations

activities

accommodations

when

who

Highly recommended - Phone: We ❀️ to talk! A brief chat with your personal Travel Consultant helps us create your perfect trip!

Last updated on January 3rd, 2021 at 07:02 pm

Hooray! Thanks for Sharing!

If you have an additional 30 seconds we’d love to learn more about you…

Custom Tour Request Popup

  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • One Moment Please

    We are matching your tour idea with the right Travel Consultant
    who will be in touch shortly.
    Thank you for your request!

  • Hidden
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.