I abandoned my ship mid-cruise for three days to see one of the most iconic sights in the world: Machu Picchu. But after booking an eye-wateringly expensive $5,000 excursion with Holland America, I started to realise just how much could go wrong. Machu Picchu is not a simple shore excursion. It’s over 300 miles inland, deep in the Andes, and getting there requires a tightly choreographed chain of flights, buses, trains, and timed entry tickets. One delay, one missed connection, or a bout of altitude sickness, and the whole costly trip could unravel. In this video, I take you along on my journey from the MS Oosterdam in Lima to the "Lost City of the Incas." Join me as I discover if this was an incredible, never-to-forget adventure or a stressful, $5,000 mistake. For bonus & exclusive content (including videos, articles, eBooks and more) become a channel member or patron: --------------------------------------------------- * Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers * YouTube Channel Member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qE-Obs2ocdmPXY0TIU-cw/join Check out my cruise-themed T-shirts and products: --------------------------------------------------- * TeePublic Store: https://tipsfortravellers.dashery.com * Teespring Store: https://tips-for-travellers-youtube.creator-spring.com * Fourthwall: https://gary-bembridge-1-shop.fourthwall.com Book Cruise Port Excursions * Venture Ashore: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/excursions * Shore Excursions Group: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/shoreexcursions My social media: --------------------------------------------------- * Blog: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com * Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/garybembridge * Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tipsfortravellers * Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/garybembridge * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bembridge ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 120 cruises I have done to date. #cruisetips #CruisingTips #cruisetipsandtricks 00:00 Start 01:27 Challenges of Getting To & In Cusco 05:08 Making The Big Day Go To Plan 10:48 Hurdles Getting Back To Ship in Time Join me on an extraordinary journey as I recount the three days I abandoned my cruise ship to experience the iconic Machu Picchu. This adventure vlog takes you through the beautiful landscapes of Peru, offering a unique perspective on travel. Discover the challenges and triumphs of this solo expedition to one of South America's most breathtaking sites.
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Peruvian here: you need at least 2 days in Cusco taking it easy to get your body used to altitude before attempting MP. It is not a “cruise stop”
I visited Machu Picchu when I was younger (30 ish) during a land vacation. I'd NEVER do it during a cruise. It takes time to get acclimated to altitude and there is so much to see and do.
FFS as someone who has been to Everest Base Camp it amazes me that cruise lines offer this as an excursion. Altitude MUST be taken seriously
Ours was in the middle of a cruise doing a Longitudinal World Cruise. We did this excursion from Viking Octantis on April 1, 2026 cruise ship that docked in Lima. We did Machu Picchu for 5 days with 2 other couples as an excursion with Viking. It was fabulous! Absolutely worth every cent. It was so well coordinated. We took the same train-really worth the price and stayed in the same hotel for 2 nights with an additional hotel-Tambo Del Inka in Valle Sagrado at the end of the train ride. It was another fabulous hotel. Beyond words actually. We then flew back to Lima, did a tour of Lima with our tour guide, then flew to Panama city where we got on board our Viking Octantis ship again. I would do this excursion again in a heartbeat. Worth every cent we spent. We had two guides for 6 people-that is how Viking does it. They were extremely knowledgeable. That is also how Viking does it. No one in our group got altitude sickness. The hotels each had the coca tea to drink. We were all in very good physical health to begin with.
I did a four day Inca trail hike to Machu Piccu with a full team of porters, and it didn't cost $5000. It was incredibly challenging, but it was the experience of a lifetime. I would never consider doing this from a cruise ship. The very idea of it is absurd. I'm glad it worked out for you, and you had a good time.
This story is very succinct synopsis of why cruising is not the appropriate method of travel to all destinations. Super-rushed excursions are more stressful than enjoyable. On our last cruise we got 1 hour in Pompei and about 11 minutes (after the bathroom break) on Mount Etna. I would not pay 10K for the two of us to take a 3-day excursion, but hey, if you’ve got the money…and for that hotel cost, I hope it included breakfast!
a Lot of money, but it's not like you can go anywhere else to see Machu Picchu
glad it worked out. As others mention, a land tour that gets you acclimated to the altitude is probably the best way to go. We recently did Peru with Gate1travel, also going to Titicaca. It was a great trip. We did have to do a mix of bus-train-bus to get to macchu piccu. This was in April, fortunately we had perfect weather. (It was waaay less than 5k pp, and we stayed at upscale hotel options).
For anyone reading: you could see Machu Picchu starting from *London* in relatively luxurious style for $3000 over 7 days, and in less luxurious style but still not "backpacker" for half that (source, I just did a google search). If you are worried about altitude, almost everyone can acclimatise to the hight of Cuzco, but it does take up 1-3 days - and Machu Picchu is lower than Cuzco. Acclimatization also lasts a couple weeks. You could go to spend a couple nights at 3000-5000ft (1300m-1800m) almost anywhere in the world for cheap a few weeks before you leave and get a head start.
I’m sailing on the Oosterdam this coming November for a 31 day cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale and ending in Buenos Aires. While I appreciate this video and I’m glad you enjoyed it, it’s not something I will be doing. I know some people who have gone to Machu Picchu and they had horrible experiences, including passing out and vomiting. I think I’ll spend the days in port exploring Lima and other surrounding areas.
Thank you for this! For a number of reasons I'll never go myself, but your video was the next best thing.
Such a magical place! Cusco was a nightmare for me. I. Could. Not. Breathe! If I was to go back, I’d have a portable oxygen tank for myself.
A fun, stress free holiday? The older I'm getting the less likely I'm visiting anywhere, damn...!
This is one of the best off the ship videos you have done! When you mentioned the Machu Picchu excursion was 5K.....I thought 'Too Much!' But you are right...it is a once in a lifetime trip to see it, and worth every penny!
If seeing Machu Picchu during a cruise is your only chance, then do it. A better way is pre or post cruise. Many cruises start or end in Santiago (Port Antonio Chile). We took one week before a cruise. From Lima flew to Cusco. The approach to the airport between the mountains was amazing! Spent a couple of days in Cusco then hired a driver to take us to Oilantaytambo in the sacred valley. It was like staying in an Inca village centuries ago. It’s a great home base to explore the whole valley including Machu Picchu. The train station is right there. You can hire drivers in town. After one week ( 2 weeks wouldn’t have been too long) we flew back the Lima and on to our ship Celebrity Infinity in Valparaiso.
I had altitude sickness in Tibet and spent much of my time resting in the hotel. My husband made it up to the Winter Palace of the Dali Llama while I watched old movies
Nice one! For me, i think the word "hurry" popped up too many times so perhaps the DIY option without the cruise ship deadline would be a more relaxing option. :)
I'm surprised this is how the cruise extension ran - and that they didn't bus you down to the Sacred Valley (near the train station) right after landing to avoid altitude sickness in Cusco, especially because MP is much lower. I have done MP twice - once in 2022 as part of the Salkantay trek (I intentionally landed in/stayed in Cusco at the start - but I was on diamox for the trek, which involved hiking over 15K); and a second time where we landed in Cusco but immediately dropped to Sacred Valley (there was no higher altitude trekking on that trip). On both trips, I had 2 days to visit MP and I felt I needed both to see all the sites. There are several specific sites (e.g. Condor Temple, Temple of the Sun) that are only open for small windows each day to limit impact... and without 2 chances to walk-thru, I wouldn't have seen everything I hoped to see. In each case, I had a guided trip one day - and then I went thru more slowly the second day on my own. I will say that on the second trip (which was National Geographic), we were "promised" a night at the Sanctuary Lodge (right at MP) - but then they canceled that last minute because they kept telling us it was closing (which felt like a lie - it seems to still be running). In any event, I 100% agree with your presentation - it is a major undertaking to get in there, with a lot of places where things can go wrong. My first trip was in 2022 between protest closures and MP was extremely quiet; my second was 2025 and it was so crowded and nuts that I will not return.
I did the trek to Machu Picchu in 1998. We chewed coca leaves and drank coca tea. We acclimatized for days before the trek. We camped and got up at sunrise to get to the sun gate at Machu Picchu. The trip of a lifetime. No one on the trail. No timed entry. Peru was magical. Trekking in altitude was brutal.
You certainly did an express tour! I've been there a few times, the best option is to give cusco 1 and a half day, go to aguas calientes at night, sleep in the town and then go to Machupicchu early the next day. The trip is always a plane, a train and a bus to get there. Please keep in mind, this was a hidden city that was never colonized! There is a certain weight to the extensive travel it takes to see it, you experience many new things on your way there. When you arrive, you have already seen parts of the living culture that succeeded them!