Wake up bright and early (welcome to your holidays – I’m talking like 5am) and head to a food cart to pick up a quinoa, kiwicha, or maca drink for breakfast and some sandwiches for lunch
Get your pre-organised ride (typically from the Plaza de Armas) to Hidroeléctrica
Arrive midday at Hidroeléctrica and have a bite to eat
Set off on the hike to Aguas Calientes (around 2-3 hours at a calm pace admiring the surroundings – can also get the train but we were on a student budget)
Check in to your accommodation and grab dinner at one of the many restaurants around town (go easy on the mojitos as you’re hiking a lot tomorrow)
Day 2: Machu Picchu
Wake up even earlier than yesterday (4:30am) to hike up to the entrance of the Machu Picchu site (you can also get a bus, but again, we were on student budgets)
Find a tour guide at the entrance of the site (many around forming groups) and be one of the first groups to head in at 6am
Walk around the site and go up the mountain/Huaynu Picchu at the allocated time if you have a ticket
Tip: We had an early ticket for the mountain and our guide said it wasn’t worth it as there are a lot of steps and the cloud and fog was too thick to see anything at that time. We decided not to go and saw the site at the best time (fog/cloud dispersion was amazing). To be honest there is also enough walking around to do around the site that the mountain would be too much, especially considering we hiked to Aguas Calientes and to the site entrance! If you get tickets though, don’t get morning tickets!
Get your tour guide to negotiate with the guards to let you overstay your allotted 4 hours at the site (ours offered to do this!)
Walk around, get your fill, and get your passport stamped with a cool Machu Picchu stand before heading back to Aguas Calientes for dinner
Day 3: Cocalmayo hot springs
Have breakfast and head off on the hike back to the Hidroeléctrica train station
Get in a taxi and head to the Cocalmayo springs (there will be loads of taxis near the station)
Enjoy a day of relaxation following all your hikes enjoying the baths of varying temperatures (there is a restaurant and changing facilities)
Get a taxi to Santa Teresa and have a bite to eat at a local restaurant before getting a taxi to Santa Maria
At Santa Maria find a van making the trip back to Cusco (more likely to get road transport here than in Santa Teresa but beware you will have to wait until the van is full)
Day 4: Sacred Valley
Join your tour bus in the morning from Cusco and set off for a packed day of seeing all the top sites in the Sacred Valley
Start of with the Moray archaeological site
Next head off to the Maras salt mines
Following this, roam around the Ollantaytambo ruins and markets
Finish off the day at the Pisac site (our group took so long that the site closed shortly after we got there unfortunately)
Tip: try space out your exploration of the Valley over more than one day if you have the time to ensure you have enough time at each site
Day 5: Rainbow Mountain
Set off (you guessed it) early on your tour van towards the Rainbow Mountain from Cusco
Stop at a restaurant pit stop to have some Coca tea before heading to the mountain to begin your hike
Hike all the way up to the peak taking your time so as to not suffer any altitude sickness (have plenty of layers at it is very cold at the peak)
Enjoy the view, take your photos, then head down again at an equally calm pace as the way down is where my altitude sickness hit!
Return to the restaurant for a well deserved lunch and then it is back on the van to Cusco
Dinner and drinks in any of the cool spots around Cusco
Day 6: Cusco
Finally enjoy a bit more of a lie in before you take the chance to roam around the streets of Cusco before you leave the beautiful city
Visit the various markets, including San Pedro, in order to find beautiful textiles, Peruvian chocolate, and much more
Get lost in the San Blas area of the city which has lots of cool quirky stores
Try and eat and drink away from the Plaza de Armas to avoid the tourist trap and get a more local feel
Get an overnight bus to Arequipa to avoid paying a night’s accommodation
Day 7: Arequipa
Drop all your stuff off at your accommodation and head off to explore the streets of Arequipa
Visit the colourful Monastery of Santa Catalina
Take a browse around the Santuarios Andinos museum where the mummy of ‘Juanita’ is housed
Roam around the markets (most things are cheaper in Cusco so hopefully you have bought anything you wante to there)
Enjoy sunset with a drink at a bar overlooking the Plaza de Armas
Organise a day trip to Colca canyon for tomorrow at one of the tour agencies in the Plaza de Armas
Day 9: Colca canyon
Head off early in the morning with your tour to the Colca canyon, stopping off at various viewpoints for stunning views
Spend some time at the Mirador Cruz del Cóndor to catch the Andean condor in all its glory
Enjoy last night in Arequipa with a nice dinner, some drinks, and some cheeky picarones for dessert
Get on another overnight bus this time headed for Lima
Day 11: Lima
Drop your stuff off at your accommodation and prepare to roam around the city
Do a free walking tour to get a good sense of the city and its history
Peruse the huge Mercado Central (central market)
Walk to the Magic Water Circuit and watch the water show
Tip: roam around the park following the show as there is more to see than just the main event
Dinner at a typical polleria
Day 12: Barranco & Miraflores
Get to Barranco by tram from central Lima
Roam around Barranco and take in the beautiful street art
Head down to the beach to relax with a beer as you prepare to say goodbye to Peru
Have a ceviche lunch in Barranco
Walk along the coast to Miraflores to check out the fancy part of Lima (full of expats)
Peru is a place of extremes. Extreme altitudes, hikes, and variation amongst communities and regions. Every bit worth the visit.
November 2018
Peru is a place of extremes. Extreme altitudes, hikes, and variation amongst communities and regions.
Quick Bites
Currency: PEN (Peruvian Sol) literally called sun! To do: Incredible hikes, charming cities, and Machu Picchu To stay: Hostels or booking.com How long to stay: Two weeks to see three cities Food: Pollerías and Arroz Chaufa Why to go: Machu Picchu – no photo does justice to being there Transport: Overnight buses, taxis, tours, and trams in Lima Go with: Small group of friends Driving: Don’t do it, some of the roads will give you ridiculous vertigo!
Why go to Peru
Peru is a place of extremes. Extreme altitudes, hikes, and variation amongst communities and regions. No two cities I visited were like each other which made for such a rich and diverse trip. I went to the beach, I roamed around cities, I soaked in thermal baths, and went on hikes with stunning views. There was just so much variety to this country which is the reason I highly rate it as a travel destination.
Peru was my first taste of South America and boy am I glad. It just so happened that I had a cousin who had been volunteering at the Universidad Nacional de San Agustin in Arequipa for six months. Before heading home she was going to do some travelling around and she told me to come. Naturally, I said yes, no thoughts or hesitations. When someone invites you to go to Peru with people who have actually been living the Peruvian life, you say yes.
Where to go in Peru
Peru is big (we are talking about five times larger than the UK here), so unless you have the privilege of spending a solid month plus here on your first visit, you will have to be selective about where you go. On my trip I went to Cusco, Arequipa, and Lima. Luckily my trip was planned for me. My cousin and her housemate had done some travelling of their own travelling during their stay but had graciously left some of the best bits to see with me.
Cusco
The view overlooking Cusco
Cusco is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The city is the old capital of the Inca empire as well as its ideal location for popular day trips like Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and the Rainbow Mountain. There is a reason this city is one of the most popular and I absolutely loved it for it’s own merits too, not just as a base to see other things. Whatever time you have to play with in this beautiful country, put Cusco at the top of your list. It can be a bit touristy in the centre, but wander around and you find charming markets and hideaway haunts.
Arequipa
The Colca canyon near Arequipa which is close enough for a day trip
We went to Arequipa following our first stop in Cusco. My travel companions had to pack up their flat before we headed to Lima and of course they wanted to show me their home of the past three months. Once again though, I fell in love with the place! Arequipa was less touristy than Cusco and being in the desert, much more sunny! I had the privilege of staying in my cousin’s flat so had the chance to feel like I actually lived there, and it really was the kind of place where I could see myself living. The city is surrounded my three volcanoes and there are some cool day trips you can do from there. This may not be the highlight destination in terms of things to do and see but it’s a great location if you actually want to spend some time living in Peru.
Lima
My last stop was Lima, the capital of Peru. I spent around two days here and saw the beach, the Magic Water Circuit, had some awesome chicken, roamed around, and did a walking tour. It’s cheapest to fly in and out of Lima so it’s likely you will spend a day or two here. I did like the city but it was probably my least favourite destination. It was great to walk around the capital to get a sense of what life is like here but I preferred the other cities I visited as they had a more laidback vibe.
What to see and do in Peru
There are so many things to do in Peru and what I did does not even come close to an exhaustive list but here are a selection of three of my favourite things you absolutely must do. Give yourself time to see the place if you have the luxury! If you are tight on time like we were, don’t focus on fitting as much as you can in, but rather appreciate and spend time at the places you can see. Also, try visiting sites later in the day when there are less tourists as it is always more magical.
Machu Picchu
Before the clouds dispersed at Machu Picchu
The view from the Machu Picchu site once the sky cleared
The beauty that is Machu Picchu from the hikes you can do around the site
Machu Picchu is what most people think of first when they think of Peru and it is at the top of my top my list of things to see and do here. It is what you see plastered all over Instagram, but in all honesty it’s for a reason. This is the kind of site where no photo, no matter how rad, does it justice. We hiked up at 5am to be one of the first groups to enter the site. Hint: You find a guide outside the entrance. We entered the site to find near zero visibility due to fog and cloud cover. Walking around with our guide and group, slowly but surely, the sun started to break through and the clouds dispersed. Suddenly you find yourself are face to face with the regal impossibility of the place. You are in a citadel in the clouds. You are surrounded by breathtaking mountain ranges. Good luck getting that experience on an insta photo.
Cusco
The Pisac site in the Sacred Valley which you can visit on a day trip from Cusco
There is not one single thing about Cusco that warrants its place in my top three, it is the culmination of everything it offers. Our days here were filled with visits to the local food market for the best smoothie and sandwiches I think I’ve ever had, haggling at the markets for llama keychains with crazy eyes as souvenirs for everyone back home, and walking to viewpoints which offer an epic view of the city. There was no sense of urgency in this city and I think the fact that we could just be still here and enjoy and discover what Cusco had to offer was what I loved.
Rainbow Mountain
The gang on top of the Rainbow Mountain, exhausted but smiling
Once again there are plenty of awesome photos of the Rainbow Mountain and they are very warranted. The reason this hike features in my top three is purely due to the physical challenge and surrounding beauty of it. The peak of the mountain was the highest we’d been in Peru, standing at over 5,000m. Until this hike I had been lucky to have no altitude sickness, not even during our Machu Picchu hiking but the Rainbow Mountain defeated me.
I was actually the first of my group to make it up the mountain and I had felt fine, out of breath but not unwell in any way. The walk brought with it stunning surrounding mountain ranges, plenty of donkeys ferrying people up and down, and of course, llamas and alpacas. When we got to the top we took a break and tried some alpaca meat prior to taking our photos and checking out the impressive views. The way down is what ended me funnily enough. I think it was the speed of the descent at the urgency of the tour guide. During the walk down I started to feel dizzy. By the time we’d made it back to the restaurant I felt like puking and could not get one spoonful down me (trust me this is not like me) so my cousin ate for both of us (very like her). I drank loads of coca tea which the locals swear helps with altitude sickness, slept on the drive back to Cusco, and was fine when I woke up.
How long to spend in Peru
The monastery of Santa Catalina in Arequipa
Peru is huge so at some point I would love to spend a solid two months travelling here, however, I work full time and the most I could get off was just over two weeks, but boy did I make it worth it. It isn’t a destination I would go to for less than that as you will be left wanting more and without a proper sense of the place and how it varies city by city and region by region. I managed to see three cities in this time and didn’t have a single boring day. If you have more time to play with, look to explore the north and all of Peru’s incredible terrains including the coastal, jungle, and mountainous areas. If you are looking at saving time, use overnight buses to travel between locations. They are more comfortable than planes and saves you a night’s accommodation!
Transport in Peru
The train tracks on the walk to Aguas Calientes
Some of the roads I went on in Peru were the scariest of my life, so unsurprisingly I wouldn’t recommend driving there. The roads you wouldn’t want to drive are predominantly the mountainous roads, especially when it’s cloudy or foggy and you are super high up! Most of our tour transportation didn’t have seatbelts, a charming characteristic I quickly found was very common in Peru. Another delightful experience was the overnight bus from Cusco to Arequipa. We were asked to provide our fingerprints on some paperwork before boarding the bus. My travel companions relished my reaction when they told me this was so they could identify our bodies if we happened to have an accident on one of the perilous roads we were likely to be travelling along in the dead of night. Ah the joys! In all seriousness though, the buses are super comfortable. You get meals onboard, have a toilet accessible, movies throughout the ride, and it is more comfortable and spacious than a plane seat.
Where to stay in Peru
The surroundings on the hike up to the Rainbow Mountain
I mostly stayed in hostels or rooms found through booking.com during my stay in Peru. The quality of the rooms varied based on the location and the price of course but the hosts were always super friendly and helpful. Cusco had some awesome looking hostels so I’d look to stay at one next time I’m in the area. Either way you won’t go wrong with whatever you choose. I’d just advise you to keep it central in the cities to make getting around and back easy and if your accommodation has a kettle, boil some water to refill your bottles.
What to eat in Peru
A selection of food at a picanteria in Areuipa
One of the amazing sandwiches we had in Cusco
Cancha – toasted corn
Queso helado with a view in Areuipa
Churros filled with caramel
The question should be what not to eat in Peru. I didn’t even have the chance to taste all the local delicacies here but most of what I ate I loved, save one bad experience at a mosquito ridden cafe in Aguas Calientes with chewy meat and lacklustre food. Peru has street stands which offer sandwiches with Peru’s unique salty cheese, egg, palta (avocado), or a mixture of these, if you are looking for something on the go for you tours. The avocado in Peru is a thing of true beauty and so cheap compared to Europe!
You will also find street stands offering various breakfast drinks, including my favourite made of kiwicha. The drinks come in plastic bags with straws (the locals bring their own containers) and the best way to describe them are warm, sweet, quinoa-y, liquidy porridge type concoctions. They are great sources of energy and super desirable on a cold morning.
Other things to mention are the smoothies and killer sandwiches you can get at any food market, churros, coca tea, and pollerías which offer insane portions of super tasty chicken. You will find most plates come with potatoes and rice so get used to carbs. If you want to try all the best local dishes, go to a picanteria for lunch like the locals in Cusco or Arequipa and try all the famous dishes with a jug of chicha morada (made form purple corn).
Make the trip moments
One of the resident llamas at the university in Arequipa
Me arriving in Cusco at the dead of night to find my cousin and our friend were late, typical Spaniards
Getting to Cusco only to find out I’d have to wake up at 5:30am the following morning to make our bus towards Hidroelectrica, and that these early mornings are how most of my days would continue…
My first day and the first drive way up in the mountains. Think windy roads, with near zero visibility, no seatbelts (not really a thing in Peru), and the driver crossing himself three times to pray for us to make it to our destination. The roads are petrifying, but you just have to accept there isn’t much you can do about it, or the screechy Peruvian music on the radio
Watching the mountains around Machu Picchu slowly appear from the clouds
The llamas at the university in Arequipa, they weren’t huge fans of me…
Taquitos, salsa aji, buñuelos, the Tres Leches cake from the lady outside the university in Arequipa, who am I kidding so much of the food
When you go to Peru everyone tags you in every llama video out there. I got tagged in one where a lady was getting in a taxi with a llama. And then, I kid you not, I witnessed such things in Cusco. We were too gobsmacked to capture the moment on video, but twas epic
Missing my flight back, because I had printed off the wrong email following a flight time change only to get the original (now incorrect) flight back at no extra cost (phew)
All the hiking/walking, such a refreshing break from corporate life
Ordering food from the polleria only to ram it into takeaway boxes 30 seconds after it made it to our table and run like mad women so we wouldn’t miss the tour bus
The company and all the damn laughs, thanks Peru, thanks you two
