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We would thoroughly recommend this tour. It visits all the main places, the guides are excellent, the coaches are remarkably comfortable, the hotels are in the main very good, and it is all inclusive- you will not go hungry; there is almost too much food! However you should be aware of a number of issues.
First, despite Wendy Wu sensibly changing the order of tours to enable acclimatisation, altitude sickness can be a problem. One tour member fainted, another needed a burst of oxygen, some found the steps on Moon Island too challenging and many suffered headaches. We obtained a prescription for Acetazolamide (Diamox), as a result of which we suffered from nothing more than tingling in our fingers each morning. But you need medical advice; it may not be suitable if you have blood pressure issues. Also we would suggest avoiding alcohol till you get to Argentina; there was something of a correlation between those who drank and those who suffered most.
Second, mosquitoes can be a problem in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Use bug spray (Deet) and wear long trousers as they go for legs and feet.
Third, money. Whether you take Peruvian soles and Brazilian reals or not, take US dollars as most places will accept them though you will get change in local currency. You will get a slightly better price in local currency though. At the time of writing Bolivian and Argentinian currency cannot be obtained in the UK, but there are people sitting at little desks in the road at the Peru/Bolivia border who will change dollars or soles (and I think euros) into Bolivian currency. The issue, of course is that if you change money two or three times it loses value which is why dollars are a good bet. Argentinian money can be obtained on the visit to La Boca district in Buenos Aires, but the exchange rate from Peruvian soles is terrible.
Regarding adaptors, if you have a standard USA plug and a standard European one, that will suffice for everywhere except the Rio hotel where you need a European two-pin adaptor with a lozenge fitting to insert into the wall socket.
Hotels. The one night in Lima was very comfortable, had a bit of character, and a very good breakfast (nobody coming from Heathrow felt like dinner on the night of arrival). The hotel in Yucay (2 nights) was everyone’s favourite. Lovely situation, attractive grounds, good food and really nice and helpful staff. Cusco (2 nights) was the only letdown. It was noisy, we had rooms with no natural light, they had windows onto the corridors or other open spaces so curtains had to be kept drawn, the wash basin/vanity unit was in full view in the bedroom and not the bathroom, and we had to wait 40 minutes after returning from the city tour (around 3pm) because our room hadn’t been cleaned. The beds were comfortable though and the food itself was good. Puno (1 night) was far better with ground floor rooms on the shore of Lake Titicaca and beautifully cooked tasty meals. Huatajata (1 night) was in the eco-village. Smaller room, but perfectly comfortable and there was a kettle! The disappointment was breakfast which was Ok if you wanted a cooked meal but there was no buffet and little other option. The La Paz hotel was very good quality with well-appointed rooms but as we had to leave very early we can’t really comment on breakfast. The Buenos Aires hotel was 5 minutes walk from the main square. The room was spacious and comfortable, and the breakfasts were good quality typical city centre business hotel fare. Staff were very efficient - when our hairdryer broke, it was replaced within 10 minutes of reporting it. In Iguacu, the room was comfortable enough and the food was fine, but the dining room was rather like a large noisy school canteen and the corridor lights were motion activated, if you guessed the right spot to walk through. And lastly, Rio. The room was rather small but comfortable. The breakfast was good and the dining staff friendly and helpful. However, though we had no problem, more than one person reported issues with the reception staff.
Meals. Evening meals were all of very good quality. Most people’s favourite was the lovely little restaurant on the first night in Buenos Aires where you could see the dishes were being individually cooked. Also of note were the hotel in Puno (delicious chicken and fish and the alpaca was better here than elsewhere) and the farewell meal at the Italian restaurant in Rio. Note that in Peru, you are asked to choose your meals in advance and the orders are phoned ahead. Lunches in the first week are self-service which suited perfectly. In La Paz you are served a huge plate of barbecued meats in order to give you an idea of how Bolivians eat, but though the food is very good, you may find it overgenerous in the middle of the day. Boxed lunches are provided on the day of the flight to Cusco and the flight to Rio, and a boxed breakfast before the flight from La Paz. There are also large lunches in Buenos Aires (choose pasta!) and Rio. The one problem is that on the last day, no meals are provided after breakfast, and Rio airport is surprisingly poor on restaurant facilities.
The guides were all very good. Many thanks to Alvin (Peru), Juan (La Paz) and Fernanda (Buenos Aires)- all very knowledgeable and characters in their own individual ways. Special mention must go to Luiz Augusto, the tour director, who organised us and attended to all our needs expertly.
We do have a quibble over wording of the itinerary issued to us, particularly in reference to the later days. On arrival in Iguazu, we had lunch and then did the Argentinian side of the falls before crossing the border to check in to the hotel. Next day, after touring the Brazilian side, there was an optional visit to a bird park (half of us did this), and the possibility of a helicopter ride (weather permitting). After dinner, there is an optional dance show. In Rio, the visit to Corcovado, also included a city centre tour, including a stop at the Maracana. Sugar Loaf mountain is obviously essential, so why it is listed as optional, we are not sure, unless it is to keep the headline price down.
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As far as the attractions we visited, they speak from themselves. The Sacred Valley was fascinating, Machu Picchu is awesome in the true sense of the word, Lake Titicaca is beautiful, La Paz was surprisingly interesting, Buenos Aires was a top-class European city, Iguazu/Iguacu-well just Wow- and the views from Sugar Loaf amazing.
So if Wendy Wu could change the Cusco hotel, provide lunch on the last day and proof-read the itinerary, this tour would be close to perfect. As it is, it is a really excellent tour.
