Traveling Peru

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Want the DL on a few cities around Peru? Keep reading for my experience in Lima, Cuzco and Aguas Calientes including the spots we saw and ate at AND a guide to make all three happen! Grab a cup of coffee people, because this post might take you a few minutes of reading time!

In June, my family and I traveled to South America for the first time and hopped around Peru, Ecuador and Columbia. We were there for 3 weeks in total, but spent 10 days in Peru at the beginning of our trip to kick things off!

I wanted to give the DL on all things Peru that we experienced while we were there. From the bustling streets of Lima to the expansive views of the Salkantay Trek, we did a bit of it all!

Lima

Our first stop of the tour was Peru’s capital, Lima. Currently, it’s the usual airport you must arrive into for access to Machu Picchu (which is what a lot of Peru’s travellers are there for!)

The city is divided up into sections, and we stayed in Barranco at the Casa Republica Barranco. It’s recommended to stay either in this area or in Miraflores because they are the safest with access to tons of what Lima has to offer! The hotel was nice, clean and had a good atmosphere. It wasn’t the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in but I have nothing bad to say about it since our stay.

Since we only had 2 days in the city, we tried to fit in as much as we could, but with no real plans, for us that meant a lot of walking.

We took a bike tour of the city which I definitely recommend because it’s a great way to see more than you could by walking.

If you’re looking for a bite to eat, head to Isolina for authentic Peruvian food! The portions are HUGE so definitely share, but make sure to make a reservation before hand because it’s really busy.

Cuzco

Cuzco is basically the gateway to Machu Picchu. It’s a super old city with tons of history and tons of tourists to go along with it. It’s kind of a mandatory stop in your journey to Machu Picchu so necessary, but also awesome if you ask me. I loved the culture all around the city and just how much history there was there.

We took a tour of the city for one and a half days with Condor Travel and saw more in Cuzco than some other cities even have at all.

Some of the important stops in and around the city are:

Iglesia De Santo Domingo. This is a Spanish church built on Incan Ruins. You can do tours of the site and I recommend going with a tour guide or doing some sort of tour. There isn’t much for plaques or explanations regarding what’s inside. As such, it’s definitely worth it to have someone who knows what’s going on!
the Plaza De Armas which is a square with tons of history around. There are 2 huge churches there which are the main attraction in the square. If you’re in the city on a Sunday, stop by this square in the morning for a parade. It happens every week and is put on by residents of the town! It has traditional dancing and outfits and is apparently really awesome to watch!
Saqsaywaman. Yes that’s actually the name of it! It’s a site at the top of a hill beside Cuzco that is ancient Incan ruins. It’s crazy to see what people could accomplish because I’m telling you, the amount of rock they used and moved for their building is almost unbelievable. If nothing else, head here for the view of the city!

We stayed at Palacia del Inka during our time in Cuzco and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s definitely on the pricer side but my entire family really liked the place. They had quite possibly the best continental breakfast I’ve ever had in my life; you could eat off the breakfast buffet and order from a menu, all while starting at 4:30 am for those hikers hitting the trails. For us, we had early wake up calls for our hike and for our flight out, so the early eats were definitely utilized.

While in Cuzco, we also did a trip down to the Sacred Valley and a few towns along the way. Not a necessary trip but a good one none the less! It was cool to see a few smaller towns and all had their own Incan ruins as well. Plus, the views on the way down almost made the 2 hour drive worth it in itself!

In the city, we had an awesome dinner at Morena. Order the roasted chicken and appetizer skewers, plus one of their cocktails! This is another spot that gets packed during the rush time, so if you’re able to, head down at around 6-7 before the herds start showing up.

You definitely only need 2 days in the city before you head off on your next adventure!

Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu

Now to the real reason we went to Peru! My family and I did the Salkantay Trek to get to Machu Picchu. The one we did was a 6 day hike and we stayed at Mountain Lodges along the way.

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.

I live in Edmonton where the altitude is about 2,000 ft. That’s basically nothing in the grand scheme of things. This trek takes you to 15,213 ft. The pain is real people.

Before I scare you off, I want to say that although really hard, I’m SO glad I did it! It was an AMAZING trip; there were beautiful views, amazing food, awesome history. Basically it was the trip of a lifetime. So if you have the chance, definitely do it (with a little bit of training up until you leave LOL).

Make sure you pack lots of hiking socks, good hiking clothes and really think about getting a set of hiking poles. It’s a tough hike to say the least, but much better if you have the right stuff with you!

The Trek lasted a total of 6 days before we arrived in Aguas Calientes. This town is the gateway town to Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu was an amazing spot.

When you think about what actually went into the creation of it, it’s pretty mind blowing to be honest. Here are a few tips for your time in the park:

Try and get to the bus stop early! You’ll probably be with your guide by this point (I’m pretty sure you need a guide to even be allowed in), but the line gets long FAST. The buses start leaving at 8:00am. We arrived at 7:30am and we still didn’t get on a bus until around 8:35.
Get as many photos as you want/stop to take everything in at the photo stops! Everywhere else you are, the attendants will be rushing you like crazy to continue. At the designated photo stops though, they never tell you to move so you’ve got all the time in the world!
Make sure to bring your hat, sunscreen and good shoes. There’s a lot of climbing within the site itself and if you want to do the extra hike to the top of another little mountain, you’ll definitely need good equipment.

After our Machu Picchu/Salkantay Trek adventure, we headed back to Cuzco for one night stay, and were officially done with our time in Peru.

Overall, we spent 11 days in Peru.

The only thing I might have added, was an extra day in Aguas Calientes to relax after such a big trip!

Side Note: My entire family took altitude sickness medication while we were in Peru (except for Lima). Looking back on it now, the side effect of the medication for me were the same as if I actually had altitude sickness. I stopped taking the pills earlier than the rest of my family and I actually felt better without them. Now, that’s just my experience since everyone reacts really differently to the altitude, but something to keep in mind. I would suggest making sure you have them incase you’re feeling really crappy. Ultimately though, see how you feel there.

If you’ve been to Peru, what were your favourite stops?! Let me know in the comments!

xx Victoria