Can i take my elderly grandfather?

Good afternoon gapyear world.

Everything all grand and rosey?

I need some advice from people who have been to the Inca trail

(More specifically Machu Picchu)

It’s been on my mind for quite some time that my grandad would love to go, and it’s one thing in his life that he always wanted to do.

The problem is he is nearing the later stages of Parkinsons disease and he already has trouble getting around and can be in a lot of pain.

To be quite honest - the window for a trip like this is very small. In my opinion its now or never.

I would like to take him.

Now, my grandfather is a wealthy man and he would be able to pay for luxeries to make his journey smoother (first class travel, nice hotel).

My main concern is getting to the trail itself.

Walking is out of the question.

Does anyone know if you can take a private chopper there?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks for now.

rollingcrock.

If this is genuine (if it’s a joke, it’s gone over my head) then I think you probably mean Machu Picchu, rather than the Inca Trail?

The Inca Trail is 4 days of serious hiking, so I doubt he’d be able to cope with that?

As for Machu Picchu, you can take a train that takes you bang into the middle of it.

Is your grandad wealthy enough to pay for me to come too?  :D

Sorry man. Did this sound like a spam mail?  :wink:

100 percent genuine.

And yeh i did mean Machu Picchu ( Peru is way over my head).

Apparently they don’t fly helicopters near the ruins anymore due to enviromental issues?

So in theory. Could you get a train right to the ruins without any climbing or trekking involved?

Sorry man. Did this sound like a spam mail?  :wink:

100 percent genuine.

And yeh i did mean Machu Picchu ( Peru is way over my head).

Apparently they don’t fly helicopters near the ruins anymore due to enviromental issues?

So in theory. Could you get a train right to the ruins without any climbing or trekking involved?

If he pays for me I’ll carry him the whole way!  :lol:

Picture this.

A grandfather/grandson piggy back race to Macchu Picchu.

That’s a concept for TV.

Could be on in the afternoons after cash in the attic.

Hi Rollingcrock.

I was lame and went to see Macchu Piccu by rail rather than doing the Inca Trail.

You can obviously fly into Lima and get to Cusco comfortably, and from there there’s a train that takes a couple of hours that will take you to the town at the base of the site. Hotels and restaurants are plentiful. 

From there you can get a bus up the mountain to the entrance to the ruins. Not sure if you could hire your own private car or not.

From the entrance to the ruins its a very short walk into the main site.

I’d say he could go, especially if he has some money to make things easier. It’s all relative though, as to really enjoy the site you probably need to be able to walk about for a good 10 minutes at a time to get the most out of exploring everything. 

I assume you have done a search on Google for info about how to arrange it, but this is a helpful link if you haven’t http://www.perutreks.com/machu-picchu-by-train-1-day.html

You need to make sure you get entrance tickets to Machu Picchu itself in Aguas Calientes before you arrive as the authorities limit the number of visitors per day.

Aguas Calientes - that’s the town! It means ‘hot water’. There’s some free Spanish for you. You can keep that.

Hiya,

I visited Machu Picchu in February, and you don’t have to do the trek to get there. I caught the train, spent the night in Aguas Claientes, got up very early the next day to catch the shuttle bus up to the entrance, spent all day at the site, had another night in Aguas Calientes, and caught the train back the next day.

There were quite a few bus trips with older travellers, and a lot of them seemed to love it. There were quite a few that were struggling though. Machu Picchu is very high up, and the altitude can have a big effect. There are also a LOT of steps. Some people turned back and went to wait on the buses.

It all depends on how fit your grandfather is. I would also suggest taking 3-4 days minimum in Cuzco to acclimatize before visiting the ruins. There is plenty to see and do around there anyway.

The site itself is pretty impressive, as is the location. There is a lot to see, and different walking tracks, but the tour of the main highlights only takes a couple of hours (you can follow the same route from the explanation in the LP). So if you did that, you could take up some sandwiches (food can’t be taken in to the site, but can be left in a bag at the entrance, you can go out to eat, and then go back in again after. The food kiosks are very expensive and only sell burgers and hotdogs etc.) and spend the rest of the day exploring at your own pace.

Anyone can go, it’s just about taking your time and being prepared for the altitude and steps.

I hope this helps, and have a great time if you choose to go ahead.

Don’t mean to bump up a relatively old thread but thanks for the advice folks. Much appreciated.

I just got off the phone with him and the doctors say he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon due to arthritis in his knee. 

I could tell he was disappointed.

I’m still in Germany but home in a few weeks so i’m going to take him out for lunch and see what we can do.

Thanks again.