Machu Picchu: Altitude, Altitude, and Also Altitude

Part of the Extreme Kosher: Adventurer's Guide to Exotic Destinations series.

You've seen the photos a thousand times. The terraced stone city perched on a ridge between cloud-wrapped peaks. The llamas posing like they know they're famous. The Instagram shots with the arms spread wide.

Nothing prepares you for standing there in person.

Machu Picchu is one of those rare places that exceeds its own hype. The scale, the engineering, the sheer audacity of building a city at 2,430 meters in the Andes — it overwhelms you. You'll forget to take pictures because you're too busy trying to process what your eyes are showing you.

But getting there as a frum traveler involves navigating altitude sickness, limited food options, multi-day treks with zero kosher infrastructure, and time zone shifts that mess with your davening schedule. Let's break it all down.

Every Machu Picchu trip starts in Cusco. The former capital of the Inca Empire sits at 3,400 meters (11,200 feet) above sea level. That's higher than you think. Your body will notice.

Altitude sickness is real. Symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, and insomnia. It hits most people within the first 6–12 hours at elevation. The standard advice: take it easy on day one, drink massive amounts of water, avoid alcohol, and consider acetazolamide (Diamox) — talk to your doctor before the trip.

Locals swear by coca tea (mate de coca). It's legal in Peru, served at every hotel, and genuinely helps with mild symptoms. The tea is made from coca leaves — the same plant that produces cocaine, but the tea is not a drug. It's a mild stimulant, less intense than coffee. Most poskim have no issue with it, but ask yours if you want clarity.

Chabad of Cusco

Rabbi Ofer Kripour runs Chabad of Cusco, and it's a lifeline. The operation includes:

• Shabbos meals — Regularly hosted, often drawing a mix of Israeli backpackers, local Jewish families, and frum tourists. Contact at least two to three weeks ahead.
• Kosher food — Chabad can help source basic kosher supplies and sometimes has a small inventory. Don't rely on this as your only source — bring food from Lima or from home.
• Minyan — Possible on Shabbos during peak season (June–August). Not guaranteed.
• Mikvah — Ask Chabad about current arrangements.

Cusco itself is a beautiful colonial city built on top of Inca foundations. The walls of many buildings are Inca stonework at the base with Spanish colonial construction above. The Plaza de Armas is the center of town. Wander the cobblestone streets, visit the Sacsayhuamán fortress above the city, and give yourself at least two full days to acclimatize before heading higher.

There are two main approaches:

Option 1: The Train (Easier)

PeruRail and Inca Rail operate trains from Cusco (actually from Ollantaytambo or Poroy station) to Aguas Calientes, the small town at the base of Machu Picchu. The train ride through the Sacred Valley is scenic — lush green valleys, the Urubamba River carving through rock, snow-capped peaks.

From Aguas Calientes, a bus takes you up the switchback road to the Machu Picchu entrance. Total travel time from Cusco: about 4 hours.

This is the best option for most frum travelers. You control your schedule, you can carry your food in a daypack, and you sleep in a hotel with hot water and a bed.

Option 2: The Inca Trail (Harder, More Rewarding)

The classic four-day trek along ancient Inca pathways, culminating in the Sun Gate entrance to Machu Picchu at sunrise. Maximum altitude: 4,215 meters (13,828 feet) at Dead Woman's Pass.

The Inca Trail requires booking months in advance (permits are limited to 500 per day, including guides and porters). You hike with a licensed guide and a team of porters who carry gear and cook meals.

Kashrus on the Inca Trail:

This is the hard part. The porters cook for the entire group. The food is Peruvian — rice, beans, chicken, soup — and none of it is kosher.

Your options:

1. Bring all your own food for four days. Heavy but doable. Focus on calorie-dense, lightweight items: energy bars, trail mix, dried fruit, peanut butter packets, tuna pouches (lighter than cans), instant oatmeal, instant soup packets, crackers. You'll burn 3,000–4,000 calories per day at altitude. Pack accordingly.

2. Coordinate with your guide company. Some operators will prepare simple meals with ingredients you approve — plain rice, boiled eggs, fresh fruit. You'd need to verify every ingredient and potentially provide your own cookware. This requires extensive pre-trip communication and a flexible guide company.

3. Hire a private porter to carry your food and a small camping stove. This costs extra but means hot meals at camp. The same burner strategy from other exotic destinations applies.

Tefillah on the trail: You're waking up at 5:00 AM anyway. Daven Shacharis at first light with the Andes towering around you. There's no minyan, but the kavana at 4,000 meters hits different. Pack tefillin in your daypack (hard case — non-negotiable on a trek), not in the porter's load.

Between Cusco and Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley of the Incas is worth at least a full day. Ollantaytambo (an Inca fortress town still inhabited — people live in buildings that are 600 years old), Pisac (terraced hillsides and a famous market), and Moray (circular agricultural terraces that the Incas used as a crop laboratory).

Pack a day's food from Cusco. The market at Pisac has extraordinary fresh produce — tropical fruits, giant avocados, and corn varieties you've never seen. Whole fruits are your friend.

Peruvian cuisine is world-renowned. Ceviche, lomo saltado, anticuchos, causa — it's having a global moment. You'll eat none of the famous dishes. Accept it now so it doesn't ruin your trip.

What works in Peru:

• Fresh fruit: Peru's fruit biodiversity is staggering. Chirimoya (custard apple), lucuma, granadilla (passion fruit variety), camu camu — buy them at markets, ask vendors to help you choose ripe ones.
• Avocados: Peruvian avocados are enormous and perfect. Eat them on everything.
• Potatoes: Peru has over 3,000 potato varieties. Buy them raw and cook them yourself. A boiled potato at altitude, with salt and olive oil, is a meal.
• Rice and beans: Staples everywhere. Cook them in your accommodation.
• Eggs: Available at every market and corner store.
• Quinoa: It's native to Peru. Buy it dry, cook it like rice. High protein, perfect for trekking fuel.

Lima's kosher scene: If you're flying through Lima (most international flights connect here), there's a Jewish community with kosher options. The community is centered in the Miraflores and San Isidro neighborhoods. Contact Chabad of Lima or the Asociación Judía del Perú for restaurant and supply information. Stock up before heading to Cusco.

Cusco: Chabad. This is your Shabbos base. Plan your itinerary so Shabbos falls in Cusco, not on the trail or in Aguas Calientes (which has almost nothing and limited walking options).

If Shabbos catches you in Aguas Calientes: The town is tiny and walkable. Book a hotel, pre-cook your meals, and spend Shabbos resting before or after your Machu Picchu visit. It's not ideal, but the hot springs (aguas calientes literally means "hot waters") make for a relaxing Shabbos afternoon — check modesty standards at the springs.

Time zones: Peru is UTC-5, same as US Eastern Standard Time. If you're coming from the East Coast, no time adjustment needed. From Israel, you're going back 7 hours — Shacharis will feel like mid-afternoon to your body for the first few days.

• Altitude: Already covered, but it bears repeating: acclimatize in Cusco for 48 hours minimum before going higher. Ascending from Lima (sea level) directly to Cusco (3,400m) to Inca Trail (4,200m) without breaks is asking for trouble.
• Water: Do not drink tap water in Peru. Bottled only. For halachic water concerns, bring a filter. On the Inca Trail, guides typically boil water for the group — bring purification tablets as backup.
• Sun: The UV at altitude is intense. Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses are mandatory, not optional. You'll burn through a kippah.
• Theft: Cusco is generally safe for tourists, but petty theft happens. Wear a money belt. Keep your passport locked in the hotel safe.

• Visa: US, EU, UK, and Israeli citizens — no visa required for up to 183 days.
• Currency: Peruvian Sol (PEN). USD accepted in many tourist areas but at unfavorable rates.
• Language: Spanish. Quechua in rural areas. English in tourist spots.
• Flights: Lima is the hub. International flights from US, Europe, and Latin America. Cusco is a 1-hour domestic flight from Lima — book early as flights fill up.
• Machu Picchu tickets: Must be purchased in advance. Entry is timed and limited. Morning slots (6:00 AM) are best for lighting and smaller crowds. Book at least a month ahead, especially for June–August.