Helicopter service to Machu Picchu

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Update on February 21, 2007: I just received word from a reader who contacted Inkaterra and was told that the company is no longer running helicopter service. Looks like it’s back to depending on legs or wheels.

Let’s say you hate multi-day hikes, think trains are a drag, and get motion sickness on buses, and yet you still want to go to Machu Picchu. Well, unless you’re also afraid of heights, you finally have a way to get there. Inkaterra, a company that specializes in nature travel in Peru, has introduced new daily helicopter service between Cuzco and the heliport of the company’s Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Rates start at $895 for three to five people, and there are also packages that combine stays at the hotel and side trips.

The Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel was named a 2006 best value hotel in the world by Travel + Leisure Magazine. Now, “value” in T + L parlance still means expensive (around $400+ per night), but according to the votes, it’s worth it. The hotel also received a best practices award for sustainable travel from National Geographic Traveler back in 2002.

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