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Cusco Machu Picchu Travel Tips

Everything you need to know about the New Circuits of Machu Picchu 

Welcome to all travel enthusiasts! 

In preparation for your upcoming trip to Cusco, we want to keep you informed about the new changes made by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture regarding entrance tickets to the Inca city of Machu Picchu. 

Previously, when buying an entrance ticket, you could choose one of the three available circuits, which allowed you to tour Machu Picchu for 2.5 hours. Each circuit had a specific route, but in general terms, you could appreciate the entire citadel, both the upper and lower parts. 

Now, as of June 1, 2024, although three circuits will continue to exist, they are divided into 10 different routes to offer visitors a more diverse and personalized experience. Therefore, visitors who have purchased tickets before this date will have to adapt to these new circuits: 

  • Route 1-A: Machupicchu Mountain Route
  • Route 1-B: Upper Terrace Route
  • Route 1-C: Intipunku Gateway Route (available only in High Season)
  • Route 1-D: Inka Bridge Route (available only in High Season)
  • Route 2-A: Designed Route
  • Route 2-B: Lower Terrace Route
  • Route 3-A: Waynapicchu Mountain Route
  • Route 3-B: Designed route
  • Route 3-C: Great Cavern Route (available only in High Season)
  • Route 3-D: Huchuypicchu Route (available only in high season)

Schedules and Admission Capacity 

The maximum capacity in the high season is 5,600 visitors per day. For the low season, there are 4,500 daily visitors. 

Entrance Hours 

The entrance hours for each circuit will be specified on your admission ticket. There will be a 30-minute tolerance for entrance in low season and 45 minutes in high season. After this time, entry will not be allowed, except for duly justified reasons of force majeure. 

For those who already have their tickets, the equivalence for your access will be one of the three circuits (Panoramic, Machu Picchu Classic, and Machu Picchu Royalty). Please note that you will be able to choose according to the capacity at the time of entering Machu Picchu. There is no confirmation in advance of which circuit will be assigned, as this will be determined upon arrival at the entrance to Machu Picchu. However, any of the three circuits will offer a complete guided tour of 2.5 hours, allowing you to appreciate the Inca city and take traditional photos. 

Information about the circuits 

Route 1-A: Machupicchu Mountain Route: 

  • In this route you will only hike Machu Picchu Mountain. 

Route 1-B: Upper Terrace Route: 

  • With this route you will enjoy the classic view of Machu Picchu. 

Route 1-C: Intipunku Gateway Route (available only in High Season): 

  • With this route you will hike to Inti Punku. 

Route 1-D: Inka Bridge Route (available only in High Season): 

  • With this route you will hike to the Inka Bridge and have a classic view of Machu Picchu. 

Route 2-A: Designed Route: 

  • This route is one of the best because you will have a classic view of Machu Picchu from the Inca guard house. 

Route 2-B: Lower Terrace Route: 

  • With this route you will be able to walk through almost all the spaces of Machu Picchu and you will have a classic view from an Inca terrace a little below the Inca guard house. 

Route 3-A: Waynapicchu Mountain Route: 

  • On this route you will take a classic hike to get the best view of Machu Picchu and its surroundings from the summit of Waynapicchu. 

Route 3-B: Designed route: 

  • With this route you will not be able to access the top of Huayna Picchu mountain, but you will have access to the center and left side of the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. 

Route 3-C: Great Cavern Route (available only in High Season): 

  • This route is only available in high season. You will be able to access the center and the right side of Machu Picchu without the classic view. You will also see the great cavern, known as the Temple of the Moon of Machu Picchu. 

Route 3-D: Huchuypicchu Route (available only in high season): 

  • With this route you will have a different photographic perspective of Machu Picchu from the viewpoint of Huchuy Picchu because you will enter through the center of the citadel. 

Tips and Recommendations  

We recommend Circuit 2 or Inka City Circuit (Route 2-A, Route 2-B). This circuit offers the classic view of Machu Picchu and allows you to explore the citadel in-depth, including iconic sites such as the Upper Platform, the Dry Moat and the Temple of the Sun.  

Since the changes go into effect on June 1, long lines and some confusions are possible, especially for those traveling alone. To ensure a smooth experience, ensure your guide is always with you. The Magical Cuzco Tours team is always monitoring any new information released by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture to keep our passengers informed. 

Have an unforgettable experience in Machu Picchu! 

Customize your journey with our specialized team. We can’t wait to share the magic of Peru with you! 

For more information do not hesitate to call us at +17038225311 or email us at info@magicalcuzcotours.com 

Cusco Travel Tips What to do

Five Best Things to do in Cusco

Cusco is a must-seen when traveling to Peru. You should definitely add 3 or 4 days in Cusco when planning your Peru trip. For many travelers visiting Peru without exploring Cusco is like writing a story without a real plot, since you cannot catch the essence of the country. Cusco is a vibrant city, rich in history and culture. Considering that, and being sure that you all have added a stop in Cusco in your Peru’s itinerary, in this article we tried to list top things and activities to do in Cusco area.

  • Sacsayhuaman: do not forget to pay a visit to this archeological Inca site located on top of the city, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of Cusco. Sacsayhuaman is a mural complex, made of huge stones of approximately 300 pounds each, and reachable on foot from Cusco city. The site is located more than 3500 mts above sea level, so if you suffer from altitude sickness consider taking a taxi.

  • Historical Centre: do not forget to visit Cusco’s main square, ranked as one of the most important square in the world. There you can visit the magnificent cathedral, and enjoy the vastity of the square. Take a stroll in the little street around the square, where you can find cozy cafes and restaurants. This spot has been considered the real essence of the Inca Empire.

  • San Blas district: San Blas is the vibrant, boho and creative district of Cusco, where you can find clothes shops, Peruvian artisans’ shops, art galleries and workshops and some of the city’s best restaurants and cafes. Its cobbled streets are fascinating, as well as its colonial architecture.

  • Rainbow Mountain: this is a popular spot for trekking lovers. You can hike the route by yourself in approximately 2 hours or you can rent a horse to make the experience a bit lighter, in one day you will have an amazing trekking experience and enjoy a stunning view. Once you reach the famous rainbow mountain you will enjoy an amazing and not-ordinary colorful landscape. Do not forget your camera! 

  • San Pedro Market: to catch the essence of Peruvian culture you should visit this huge market, located only 10 minutes from Cusco’s main square. This is a great place to try Peruvian authentic food, do not forget to negotiate prices, that’s the funniest part.

Here are only few things that you can do in Cusco, but Cusco is an amazing city where you can find pretty much everything depending on your preferences and specific needs.  

Food Peru Travel Tips

5 Peruvian Traditional Desserts

Peruvian cuisine is famous for its variety of salty dishes and tastes, but it is also popular for its traditional desserts. You can find them from the fanciest gourmet restaurant to the most rustic street stall, everyone has its own version but the aim is not to compromise the traditional flavors. 

ALFAJORES

Alfajores are extremely popular in Latin America’s countries, but Peru has its own and unique version indeed. They are two-layer shortbread cookies filled with “dulce de leche”, which we call in Peru manjar”. They are usually eaten as a snack, after lunch or for tea time, the traditional Peruvian “lonche”. They are sprinkled with powdered sugar and if you want a special exotic flavor roll it into shredded coconut.

SUSPIRO A LA LIMEÑA

This is a smooth caramelbased cream lucuma-flavored, covered by a fluffy immaculate meringue and topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon. It’s a real sweetness experience! The traditional version is made with lucuma, a Peruvian creamy fruit, but there are other delicious versions with passion fruitpeach, chirimoya, coconut or mango.

ARROZ CON LECHE 

This is a traditional dessert which bring us back to the very first traditions of Peruvian cuisine, brought to Latin America by the Spanish conquerors who took it from the Arab traditionsIt’s a fabulous combination of rice, cinnamon, cloves, condensed milk and sugar. Sometimes is served with mazamorra, another traditional dessert. When you mix arroz con leche and mazamorra the result is the “combinado”, a mix of both desserts whose tastes are perfect together.

MAZAMORRA

This s a pudding-like dessert of a brilliant purple color, usually served cold. This dessert is made with purple corn, from which comes its color, pineapple, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, cornstarch, which is used to thicken it.

PICARONES

It is very common to find food stalls in the man streets and parks that cook and sell picarones, a traditional dessert to go for Peruvians. They are the Peruvian version of doughnuts, drenched in syrup called “chancaca”.

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Best Tips for a Safe Travel

After a year of pandemic we definitely need to get back on track with traveling. Many people have lost their sense of traveling, their habits and the necessary measures they usually used to travel safely. That is why we felt necessary to write this article including all the best tips we could share for a safe trip. They are good if you’re traveling by yourself, or for family trips or couple trips. Here our list: 

  • Always travel with one or two hard copies of your travel documents: passport, IDs, health insurance cards. You can definitely lost all of them or some of them and you might need a backup, especially for your policy report. Also, it is advisable to go sightseeing with hardcopies of the documents and leave them locked at your accommodation.

  • Bring a lock in your suitcase, it could be useful if you have some documents or items you need to lock in your suitcase or a cabinet. If you are stay in a hostel it will definitely come handy to lock your stuff up. It is better to use a lock with a combination of numbers or letters that the ones with keys. If you lost those keys you’re screwed.
  • Travel with city maps: they are extremely useful for sightseeing and going around the city. But still do not be afraid to lost since this is also a good part of traveling. Getting off the beaten paths is always an experience and will allow you to get to know the real essence of the place you’re visiting.

  • Try to have written down or to learn basic phrases in local language. They could be very helpful since you never know what happen while you’re exploring the place.
  • Have a first-aid kit with you: add paracetamol, antibacterial cream, pads, roller gauze, bandages, medical tape, thermometer. If you are taking any remedies, bring it with you, as well as a prescription from your physician. If you are traveling with kids you should know that the amount of remedies you should bring with you is basically tripledJust play on the safe side. 

  • Take picture of your luggage before approaching the counter, this will help you in case the airline lost it.
  • Get vaccinated: apart from COVID-19 vaccine, some countries require you to do specific vaccines to enter it. So be prepared for it and get your shot before traveling.

  • Carry extra cash, this is always useful for last minute shopping or for emergency reason. You can also consider to carry an extra credit card in case you experience any problem with the one you usually use. 

  • Get travel insurance: this is a must have for any kind of travel. So get yours and learn all the conditions of the contract before purchasing. This is the best expense you can do for your trip.


We hope that these tips can help you planning your next trip, and remember: get whatever you can to travel safely all around the world. 

 

 

 

 

Peru Peru Destinations Travel Travel Tips

Best outdoor sites to visit in Lima

Tourism has changed due to COVID-19 pandemic and travelers are often looking for outdoor places to visit and outdoor activities during their trips. Fortunately, Lima and other Peruvian destinations have a lot to offer on this side. Lima has also a mild climate; temperatures do not drop drastically in winter and it is never rainy, so it is possible to keep staying outdoor even in the cold season. 

Here a list of outdoor places you can visit while in Lima: 

  • Huaca Pucllana: we have already talked about this archeological site in the middle of Miraflores district here (http://www.magicalcuzcotours.com/blog/best-places-to-visit-in-lima/). It’s easy to reach even on foot if you are staying in Miraflores or San Isidro districts. Ther you can visit the site and also dine at the restaurant located inside.

  • Mercado 28 (https://www.mercado28.pe/): when in Lima you cannot miss the opportunity to discover Peruvian food and this place is definitely what you are looking for. Several food stalls from different restaurants in the country who serve their main dishes. There you can find traditional Peruvian food, chifanikkeiwich is a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese food, traditional Peruvian desserts and much more. All in an open space, so it is quite a good option for your meals in the capital city.

  • Miraflores and Barranco’s Malecon: those are the best places to enjoy the breeze of the Pacific Ocean and its charm. Grab some snack and have a picnic there, you will have a peaceful afternoon in a quite outdoor place and enjoy beautiful view. Also, there are plenty of activities you can do, such as biking along the Malecon or paragliding.

  • Parque de las Leyendas (https://leyendas.gob.pe/): if you are traveling with kids that’s a pretty good option to make them happyIt is a zoo where you can find archeological sites, a botanic garden with trees from all over the world, and learn a lot about Peru and its culture.

  • Lima city centre: a stroll in the city centre is a good way to get in touch with Peruvian culture and history. Visit Lima’s main square, called Plaza de Armas, with the cathedral, the bronze fountain in the centre, the Archibishop’s Palace and the presidential palaceThis square is UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Parque de la reserva (https://www.circuitomagicodelagua.com.pe/): the park, a Lima city icon, is located in downtown Lima and there you can find the Magic Water CircuitThe park has thirteen cybernetic fountains which combined with music and colorful laser lights create a magic and attractive show surrounded by Art Deco style architecture.

Parque de la reserva (https://www.circuitomagicodelagua.com.pe/): the park, a Lima city icon, is located in downtown Lima and there you can find the Magic Water CircuitThe park has thirteen cybernetic fountains which combined with music and colorful laser lights create a magic and attractive show surrounded by Art Deco style architecture.

Peru Travel Travel Tips World travel

Tips for traveling during pandemic

With the increase of people getting vaccinated all over the world and the drop in infection rates in many countries, we can definitely say that travel is becoming a lot safer now and tourism is recoveringAlso the fact that people are more used to live respecting the usual safety measures such as washing their hands and wearing a mask indoor is helping. 

Here few tips you need to take in account while planning your next trip:

  • Test yourself. Take a COVID-19 test before leaving, ideally the day before and once you are back home. Even if you are vaccinated you might want to take the test to check your status. Some countries require a negative test to get in even if you are vaccinated, so you have to check the specific requirements for each destination. As for Peru, a negative PCR test issued up to 72 hours before boarding or a negative antigen test issued up to 24 hours before boarding is required. 

  • Use Masks or face shields. Bring with you the necessary amount of FFP2 masks and change them after 8 hours. If you prefer use a face shield to better protect you on the plane and indoor. 

  • Hand hygiene. Handwashing is the best way to protect yourself, so keep washing your hands frequently with soap and water for an extended period of time and using hand sanitizer if you do not have a place to wash your hands. Hand sanitizer must have at least 60% of alcohol in it. 

  • Bring antibacterial wipes. Bring them with you to clean up and disinfect hotel room or apartment’s doorknobs, light switches, surfaces and bathrooms. Just to be on the safe side.

  • Plan carefully your trip. Plan your trip in a smart way trying to avoid unsafe activities, such as going to crowded indoor places. Schedule in advance your visit to archeological sites, museums, parks, etc. Make the necessary restaurant reservations to ensure you have a table booked, many restaurants may have reduceavailable tables due to COVID-19 restrictions.

  • Enjoy your trip! Do not obsess and try to fully enjoy your trip. 

Even if things have changed and we are living in a different world today, we believe that we can still keep doing things we love using all the necessary measures to keep ourself and other people safe. So, travel, enjoy yourself, but do it in a smart way. The help of local people and an experienced travel operator could be crucial for your trip. 

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8 Tips on How to Travel with Kids

We here at Magical Cusco Tours love to travel with our kids but it can get a little complicated unless you know how to keep them busy and happy. Here are our top 10 tips to travel with kids and teens.

Make sure that daily activities are spread out well: Don’t visit 10 different monuments in one day, let your kids rest and have some downtime.  

Bring lots of snacks and water: In our experience, kids and teens often forget to bring their own food and water so when they get annoyed or hungry, you make sure that you have all the options that they might need. It also doesn’t hurt to double-check and make sure that they have water and snacks.

Ask for their opinions when planning the activities: The activities that you do during the trip should be a mix between things that you want to do and things that your kids find interesting  

If you’re flying somewhere take an earlier flight: The flights can be less crowded and people are more likely to sleep, your kids included.  

Pack lots of activities: Keeping busy is a great way to pass the time and having activities suitable for a kid of any age is always useful. This can include coloring books (of any level), pens, cards, toys for smaller children, and more.

Bring lots of layers and other supplies for any kind of weather: You never know what the day will bring and you want to be prepared for anything to happen. Examples are flashlights, toilet paper, rain jackets, hats, mosquito repellents, sunblocks, comfortable shoes, etc.  

Bring a light blanket in case your kid gets cold on the airline. 

Be prepared for long flights: Many airlines now offer free entertainment if they have a specific app o check if your airline has one of those. If you have a subscription to a streaming service like Netflix or Disney+, have them download movies and episodes to watch. 

Those are just a few of the many tips we have for you. Make sure to check out our blog on how to stay safe while traveling so you know how to keep yourself and your kids safe. We hope that these tips will help you out. 

Travel Travel Tips What to do World travel

Requirements to Travel to Peru

It has finally come time to start traveling again. The world is opening up and there are more and more adventures to be had. And what better place to start with than Peru! If you want to travel to Peru but have no idea what the requirements are, let me help you out. 

To be able to visit Peru you must have: 

A negative RT-PCR test that was done less than 72 hours in advance. OR An Antigen Test from less than 24 hours before your trip. Usually, a PCR is more expensive and hard to find. In the US, a major pharmacy chain (like CVS or Walgreen’s) provides the Antigen test for free. 

A signed “Health Electronic Sworn Statement, and commitment to carry out the traveler’s isolation or quarantine”. Here’s the link to the statement: http://e-notificacion.migraciones.gob.pe/dj-salud/

Both the Test and Statement must be kept on hand because they’ll probably be requested once you’re in Peru 

If you are an international passenger and you have any symptoms of COVID-19 within 14 days of your arrival to Peru, you have to contact the health authorities of your country. 

If you don’t wear a mask and/or comply with the rules that the airline/airport/etc have, your boarding to Peru could be rejected.

Those are all the things that you need to have in order to travel to Peru. Make sure to check out my blog about safety tips while traveling.Stay safe and have happy travels! 

Peru Travel Travel Tips What to do

How to stay safe while Traveling

We have many clients who love to travel but have found themselves unsure of how to be safe and stay healthy while doing so, especially with COVID-19 still circling the world. After consulting with them and with our team, we’ve found a couple of tips and tricks for you. Of course, the easier way to stay as safe as possible is to get fully vaccinated. It will help you to have much less stress about the trip.

Now onto the tips!

Essential items  

Disinfectants – We would never go anywhere without a disinfectant and CLOROX wipes (we use these to wipe down chairs and tables, they’re especially useful on planes, buses, and other public areas). 

Foto de Anna Shvets en Pexels 

Mask – Does this even need an explanation? Carrying more than one surgical mask is better, just in case, and wear them whenever you’re inside to protect yourself and others.


Foto de Anna Shvets en Pexels 

Social Distancing – This is always good to practice, not just while traveling. The farther away from strangers, you are, the safer you are. If you do find yourself in close quarters with others, make sure to wear your mask. 


Foto de Kate Trifo en Pexels 

Stay hydrated – Regular advice for when you travel but very important to stay healthy. You should drink about half a gallon or 2 liters of water every day 

And finally the most important: 

WASH YOUR HANDS! The easiest and most convenient way to stay safe and healthy. Wash your hands whenever you get a chance and especially before eating or doing activities that require the use of your hands. 


Those are all of our tips to be safe and healthy while traveling. We hope they’ll help you as much as they’ve helped us. Please check out our post about the requirements to travel to Peru so you can put some of these tips to use. Happy adventuring! 

Travel Travel Tips What to do

PHOTO VIDEO MEMORIES PROJECT

Do you want to cherish memories and support Peruvian tourism at the same time?  

Call us: 1-866-217-1542 / 703-822-5311 or 703-8225312 /+51 997 593 818 (also Whatsapp) 

Email us: info@magicalcuzcotours.com

WE WILL MAKE YOUR MEMORIES LAST FOREVER!

The current global crisis due to Coronavirus pandemic opened our eyes on the importance of the work made by our tour guides and local drivers who are on the front lines of tourism industry and they do not have the financial ability to survive in this time of crisis. They are now basically unemployed and they have no income to support their families. That is why we decided to work on a way to help Peruvian tourism and especially our people stay afloat during this difficult time.  

We launch a brand-new memories video project; for each video sold we will make a donation to our knowledgeable and reliable tour guides and drivers. The price for the video is US$150.00 total and 100% of our profit will go directly to them

We can produce memories videos to share it with your friends and family or simply to have lifetime memories of a special occasion. Our videos are ideal to celebrate a special occasion, a special trip anywhere else or just to celebrate the life of a loved ones as tribute. An anniversary, a birthday, a wedding, a vow renewal, the arrival of a new-born are all special occasions that deserve to remain engraved in our memory. We will help you make it special with a commemorative video made of unedited video shots, photos, visual effects, soundtrack and a customized script. They are also a great gift idea for a dear friend or family member! 

HOW IT WORKS 

  • Send us meaningful photos and video shots 
  • Tell us your story or highlights to be able to create a script 
  • Choose up to 4 music tracks to use for your video 
  • Give us a week to work on it! 
  • Your video will be delivered to your email. 

VIDEO FEATURES 

  • Duration: up to 7 minutes  
  • Customized script based on your story 
  • Linear edition  
  • Visual effects
  • Colorization (the quality depends on photos and video shots provided)
  • Photo editing
  • Soundtrack (up to 4 music track)
  • Sound quality 
  • Voice over (optional) 
  • The video can be delivered in the following formats: full HD; MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV. This is totally up to you! 

THE VALUE OF WORKING WITH US 

  • Commitment to local suppliers: we are committed to support Peruvian tourism and to value the work of those guides who are working on the field with our passengers.  
  • Competitive prices: we offer best value prices for our services compared to other suppliers. Please consider that part of the revenues will be donated to our tour guide. 
  • Flexibility: we are flexible with changes to the video and soundtrack (considering the options you sent at the beginning). As for the script, we will work on it and send it to you for approval, before finalizing the video. Once the video, the soundtrack and the script are approved, you cannot make any change.
  • Reliability: we are reliable supplier and if we offer you to have a video ready for a specific date, we will keep the promise. We always meet deadlines! 
  • Communication standard: we are always an email or a call away from you. We proud ourselves to be very quick in replying to our clients for any requests or issues they might have.