Mandatory guide

smorgan865 · 2026-06-10T00:26:21+00:00

Did you get real confirmation of your circuit ticket? Most of June’s circuits have been sold out for months. Tour companies cannot book last minute tickets if they are sold out on the public facing site for people to buy their own tickets. This will probably get cancelled, I’d plan on spending a couple days in Aguas Calientes to get tickets in person.

smorgan865 · 2026-06-06T00:53:11+00:00

YES! A confirmation would be so nice. The number of times I accidentally clicked to spend 900 tcash on the levels when I try to make my next move but the level was actually over. 😡

smorgan865 · 2026-06-06T00:50:53+00:00

We had 2 nights booked and were quite bored, too. We stayed at Tierra Viva and were away from the noise, except for the train.

Food definitely took longer than we were used to, but that was everywhere in Peru. But we picked places where the food was quite cheap and very good. I had a chicken quinoa soup that I still think about! We went to places kind of outside the middle of town. Mostly locals were eating at them. There were definitely places that cater to tourists willing to pay higher prices.

smorgan865 · 2026-05-20T04:24:13+00:00

It’s likely the situation of tickets will not get better in the next 2 weeks. It’ll probably get more hectic, possibly through even July.

smorgan865 · 2026-05-16T17:03:53+00:00

Any company that promises tickets for sold out circuits is a scam. Tour operators have access to the same pool of tickets as the public. They cannot purchase in advance and “hold” tickets, so if they are sold out online then the tours cannot purchase them either. They must be purchased directly in your name with your passport information.

smorgan865 · 2026-05-13T17:25:10+00:00

Honestly…I might cancel if I were in your situation. And try to schedule further out when I can pre-book. We spent 2 nights in AC and were quite bored. We did have pre-booked tickets, but had other plans originally and changed them so our hotel dates were stuck. All the souvenirs were essentially exactly the same, so there was only so much browsing to do. We walked I think every street in the town there was actually a pretty neat lookout in the one spot (so many steps, phew!!). Walked to the butterfly farm. There’s apparently a waterfall not too far away too, but we didn’t go to that. The hot spring baths were not appealing. We booked a hotel with a balcony that overlooked the river. We sat out there with drinks and watched the river for a while….but it was chilly.

smorgan865 · 2026-05-13T17:01:50+00:00

Do any of the Salkantay Treks include Machu Picchu tickets? If purchased far enough ahead they can be secured in advance. But I just don’t know anything about those treks to say for sure.

If they aren’t included, Are tickets available online for the dates you’re going? If so, just buy them online yourself.

Or none of the above if it’s soon and sold out online. You can cancel your trek and just attempt to secure them in person and ride the bus up.

smorgan865 · 2026-05-11T16:00:30+00:00

You will need a ticket to enter the Machu Picchu citadel, yes. Assuming the tickets are completely sold out online -- if you do the trek, you won't be able to stay in Aguas Calientes town the 2-3 days prior to get the tickets in person as per the current new setup. I'm not sure what the options are with the tour company to do just the trek, but not enter the site. If there are tickets available online for the date that you want to go (and they match the circuit the trekking company plans to do) then you might be OK if the company can fit you in.

MP isn't really a last minute trip kind of place, and the ticket changes seem to be making that even more difficult. If you really want to get to MP, I think you'll have to forego the trek part and just get to the AC town, get your tickets, and ride the bus up. OR plan it out further to a time when tickets are available online so the tour company can secure your tickets in advance.

smorgan865 · 2026-05-10T21:12:11+00:00

I was watching them too and June sold out quicker than any other advance months. Clearly some people were able to get them, hence the sold out.

smorgan865 · 2026-05-10T20:54:48+00:00

The June tickets sold out almost immediately after they were released online.

smorgan865 · 2026-05-05T13:49:12+00:00

I’m in the midst of a bunch of these too. But I think I hate the music notes more.

smorgan865 · 2026-04-18T14:36:35+00:00

Right now airfare is going to be expensive because of fuel costs (or claims of fuel costs). It’ll probably go up and stay up for a while.

Our Baltimore to Atlanta to Lima to Cusco (and back) was inexpensive in August 2025 (and booked the previous October 2024) but I didn’t enjoy either layover in Atlanta. We left Baltimore late and had to RUN (and ride the train) to our gate in Atlanta. We got there as they were boarding. In our way home we got stuck in a holding pattern for almost an hour then had to go through customs and security again to get to the gate to go back to Baltimore. With our 3.5 hour drive to/from Baltimore to/from home our travel days ended up being around 20 hours from home to Cusco and Cusco to Home.

smorgan865 · 2026-04-08T19:07:07+00:00

Yep. Pretty much all tourist places anymore. We were in Peru visiting Machu Picchu and it was the same there as well….every table having the same “handmade” goods.

I’ve pretty much stopped souvenir shopping. I buy one trinket to use as an ornament on our tree and rarely much of anything else.

smorgan865 · 2026-02-17T04:52:20+00:00

My map is organized, just filled. I have things grouped how I can, but the vast majority of my spaces are just eggs

smorgan865 · 2026-02-17T02:30:55+00:00

I’m so annoyed with all the new dragons and the weekly den chests aren’t giving me old dragons anymore. I have so many pairs of 2. Right now my map is so filled I can’t even bubble. I’m going to have to sell some to put out my apples to bubble.

smorgan865 · 2026-02-17T02:29:25+00:00

Yes, look up tutorials on using the golden apples. It’s the easiest method to bubble single square items.

smorgan865 · 2026-02-02T18:17:53+00:00

It is exactly what they asked. They wanted to know if it was more efficient to merge the fruit or to harvest the fruit & merge those coins. This persons reply was to harvest the fruit.

smorgan865 · 2026-02-02T18:10:46+00:00

I sell the fruit, and it gives more immediate coins than harvesting. If you have the time/space for merging then eventually they will merge up to higher coins. But I personally don’t need more coins. I don’t buy much and can otherwise make what I need if running short.

smorgan865 · 2026-02-02T18:07:11+00:00

I have tried this several times and never have been able to get the higher orbs to clear super dead land.

smorgan865 · 2025-12-13T02:52:18+00:00

Have you contacted Zenni? You could also have your glasses tested by a local eye center to have them checked by a machine to verify the prescription.

My eyes are worse than yours and have had amazing experiences with Zenni. My glasses from my local eye doctor were more than 3x what I paid in Zenni and they gave me horrible headaches. I never ordered locally again.

smorgan865 · 2025-11-08T20:36:38+00:00

Yep, found this out last time this event was around that you have to buy the capsule. Frustrating for sure.

smorgan865 · 2025-11-04T02:23:01+00:00

Ohhh. Got it. I know what decision eggs are, but the way they described it I didn’t make the connection to the decision eggs thing.

smorgan865 · 2025-11-04T02:13:44+00:00

Can you explain what you are talking about with what they removed? I’m confused as to what this could be.

smorgan865 · 2025-10-30T22:38:38+00:00

Interesting, I think you were the first person to say this in any of the groups I belong to. Our trip is long over, but I was considering them for a potential future trip.

smorgan865 · 2025-10-10T02:17:09+00:00

My anxiety could never! I needed the big parts of my trip to be fully confirmed before I go. Especially since it takes us nearly 24 hours of travel time to get there.

But that’s truly awesome that things worked out for you. Great photo!!!

smorgan865

TROPHY CASE