First Time Peru - Using Cuzco as Base
My friend and I are planning a trip to Peru for September 1-11. Since we only have 9 actual days of sightseeing, we have decided to base ourselves in Cuzco and take day/overnight trips from there. A few questions:
1) Is it better to just go to Cuzco and look for tours once I get there? Or is it better to plan ahead? Will I have trouble booking things in September, or is that far enough off high season that I will be able to book train/bus tickets and tours the day of or day before?
2) Is one day in Machu Picchu enough, or is it better to stay overnight? If we get there and decide to stay overnight, is it easy to find a hotel at the last minute, or do you have to book ahead?
3) What is the nearest Amazon rainforest area? Is it close enough to Cuzco to do a day/overnight trip? Any recommendations on a river trip or somewhere that we'd see a lot of wildlife?
4) Are there any cute towns near Cuzco worth visiting (looking for something that isn't more than 5 hours away by train or bus)?
Thanks in advance for any help!
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