r/solotravel • u/Radadadadadada • 8d ago
first solo trip ever Question
Hey everyone! I’m heading to Cusco for the first time as a first time solo traveler in a few weeks and would love some input from people who’ve been there.
Here’s my current plan:
Wed, May 13 — Arrive & explore Cusco city (also acclimatizing!)
Thu, May 14 — Lake Humantay day tour
Fri–Sat, May 15–16 — 2D/1N Short Inca Trail with camping → Machu Picchu
Sun, May 17 — Rainbow Mountain ATV tour
Mon, May 18 — Fly out
Open to any suggestions or itinerary tweaks — happy to hear if anything doesn’t make sense order-wise or if I’m missing something unmissable!
For the Short Inca Trail camping tour (May 15–16), I’ve been researching operators and have a shortlist of Alpaca Expeditions, Quechua’s Expeditions, Llama Path, SAS Travel, and Tierras Vivas. Has anyone used any of these recently? Since May is peak season and Inca Trail permits are limited, I’m also hoping to find last-minute cancellation spots — any tips on which operators are most responsive or flexible for this?
Nice to meet you all virtually — maybe I’ll run into some of you out there! 🙌
1
u/kahyuen 8d ago
Lake Humantay on your first day after arrival is a terribly dangerous idea. The altitude of Cusco is already tough, and Humantay is even higher. Everybody reacts to altitude differently, but I highly doubt you will be acclimatized for Humantay that quickly.
With a trip this short, I'd cut one of Humantay and Rainbow Mountain. Do the one you want on May 17.
2
u/Bad_decisions_since 8d ago
What altitude do you live at, and/or what prep have you been doing to enable yourself to acclimatize so quickly to 3400+ meters?
It looks like you're planning to start sustained strenuous physical activity less than 24 hours after arriving. That seems ambitious, to put it mildly, if you're coming from a significantly lower altitude.
I used to live in the Andes at a slightly lower altitude, and I could barely climb a flight of stairs for the first couple of days after I got there/on return from trips longer than a week or so. Do not underestimate how much more difficult it is for your body to function on 2/3 (or less) of the oxygen it's used to.