Parts of Peru: Part 1
Lima, The Sacred Valley, Cusco, Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu
Peru is one of my favorite places in the world. It's so full of history and culture. The people are humble and kind. The landscape is beautiful, and the food is delicious. The first time we went down to Peru was in 2015. We spent time in Lima, The Sacred Valley, Cusco and Machu Picchu to top it all off. Here are my recs for each:
Lima
We stayed in the Mira Flores downtown (JW Marriott) in Lima. This was a fantastic location across the street from the ocean and shopping center (Larcomar). Lima is a vast city of 10 million. It's made up of 43 districts. You can taxi or have your hotel set up a car and driver to pick you up from the airport when you land. We explored the following districts:
Mira Flores, Barranco (Lima's Bohemian district), Central (historic downtown)
Lima is the capital of Peru and does have a lot to offer. In my opinion, unless you have some extra time, I don't think visiting Lima is very necessary to get the whole experience of Peru. It's a city, like any big city, and while it's bustling and full of culture, we preferred the more rural areas of Peru.
Sacred Valley and Urubamba
From Lima, we took a short flight to Cusco and a long, hilly drive down to the Sacred Valley. We stayed at Hotel Tambo Del Inka in Urubamba. We absolutely loved this property and recommended it to family friends a few years later, who also loved it. There is much to do in the Sacred Valley. Rent bikes and do the Moray bike ride one day, flying down lush Peruvian mountains. You can visit the Pisac Market to find local goods and artifacts. Visit the ancient ruins of Ollantaytambo for some history. Finally, take a trip to the Maras Salt Mines for land like you've never seen before. Looking for a dinner rec? Tres Keros is a short walk from the hotel, an old building with a cozy fireplace and some of the best Peruvian ceviche.
Other eats:
El Huacatay
Hawa
Kai Urubamba
El Huerto
Tierra Cocina
From Urubamba, we took the train from the Ollantaytambo station (a short taxi ride from Urubamba). The trains go at various times, and you can pick from two different lines, the Inca Rail and the Peru Rail. We took the Inca Rail from Ollantaytambo to Aquas Calientes and the Peru Rail from Aquas Calientes to Cusco. There is a train from Urubamba, but it only has a limited time schedule.
Aguas Calientes
If you aren't familiar with it, Aguas Calientes is the town at the base of Machu Picchu. It's quaint and really just a spot for people to either spend a sleep or grab a bite to eat before traveling back to Cusco or the Sacred Valley. Some people choose to make day trips to visit Machu Picchu. This is doable if you start early and end late. However, both times we have visited Aguas Calientes, we stayed at Hotel Inkaterra Machu Picchu. This lovely hotel is covered in Peruvian nature. In fact, you can even do a nature walk when you're visiting. It really makes you feel like you are connected to the land. And after experiencing Machu Picchu, that feeling will only amplify. PS when you're in Aguas Calientes, try a lucuma ice cream for a yummy treat.
Other eats:
Tree House Restaurant
Restaurant Bistro Bar Indio Feliz
Café Inkaterra
Other stays:
SUMAQ Machu Picchu Hotel
Terrazas del Inca
Belmond Sanctuary Lodge
El MaPi
Machu Picchu
Now, for the main attraction – Machu Picchu. During our first trip to Peru, we explored Machu Picchu by taking the bus from Aguas Calientes to the entrance. During our second trip, we spent 4 days hiking the Inca Trail. You can read more about that here. In this post, I'm going to share how to do Machu Picchu in one day.
You will buy a bus ticket on the morning of the day you wish to explore Machu Picchu. The bus will take you on switchbacks and drop you off at the entrance to MP. There is also a trail that goes from Aguas Calientes to the entrance. This is an excellent option if you want to get some extra steps in before exploring. It takes about 1 hour, depending on how fast you hike. Once you enter, you have all the time to explore this amazing wonder of the world. Hotel Inkaterra even packed a little lunch for us to bring, and we enjoyed it overlooking Ancient Peruvian wonders. In all honesty, MP does not take a lot of effort to walk around and explore. It's mostly flat with a few steps here and there. They limit how many people are allowed to enter each day so buy tickets EARLY. You can find ticket information here.
Huayna Picchu
In my opinion, the best part of the whole trip was what we did while exploring Machu Picchu – hiking Huayna Picchu. If you want to climb Huayna Picchu (the mountain that overlooks MP), I would definitely buy a ticket before you leave on your trip.
Again, they limit how many people can go up each day to preserve the steps and land surrounding it. The assent is about 1,000 feet, very steep. It is otherwise known as the stairs of death. If you are afraid of heights, maybe reconsider... or just suck it up (it's worth it). My mom is terrified of heights, and while she may or may not have cried on the way down, she made it out okay. It takes about an hour to get up there. So while it's steep, it's not incredibly strenuous. Once you reach the top, it is unbelievable. I think I have said it in both of my posts about Peru, but there is something so spiritual about it. Being on top of Huayna Picchu, looking down on Machu Picchu, you feel elevated to a whole new level. It's breathtaking (and not just because there is very little room to stand without falling). It's full of ancient life and abundance. It almost doesn't feel real.
After our spiritual Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu journey, we spent another night in Aguas Calientes before heading back to Cusco. There is a train line that goes directly from Aguas Calientes to Cusco. This is also an option for heading that way if you wish to cut out the Sacred Valley for some reason (although I don't think you should).
Altitude
The most important thing about the trip to Peru is the altitude. You will be flying from Lima (sea level) to Cusco (11,200). Cusco is the highest point of the entire trip.
Machu Picchu is the lowest point (just below 8,000 – shocking, I know). I would suggest not staying in Cusco the first night of your trip. Land in Cusco and then go down to the Sacred Valley and stay in Urubamba. It's 9,420, but it makes a big difference getting acclimated. Our bodies take time to adjust. Take day trips for a day or two to see the "things to do" in the Sacred Valley. We did all of the above, and it was great. Then take the train from Ollantaytambo (9,160) to Machu Picchu. You will be following the river downhill from the Sacred Valley to the base of MP (7,972) to Aquas Calientes.
After you climb Machu Picchu and have your spiritual awakening (kidding… kind of), you can take the train back to Cusco and fly to Lima or wherever your next destination may be. Definitely spend some time in Cusco, it's a very cool town, but I would recommend this being at the end of your trip so that you are adjusted to the altitude. If you have a problem during your trip, all of the hotels keep oxygen for guests that they will bring to your room. Most of the hotels in Cusco also have doctors on call.
Most hotels will also have coca tea around check-in and in your room. You may have heard of this before as it is a very popular touristy thing to do. Chewing coca leaves or sipping coca tea is all over Peru. We did it; it's fun. However, they will tell you to drink the tea to help with the altitude. After my dad experienced altitude sickness in Cusco, we found out it actually does the opposite. The local people chew the leaves for energy, not altitude, but it's a novelty for tourists. So go ahead and try the coca if you're feeling fine. But if you start to have any altitude sickness symptoms, get oxygen, not tea.
Cusco
Cusco is a lovely town with a lot to do, all centered around a beautiful, historic town square. There are delicious restaurants, museums, local shops, and performers. Some things to do:
Visit Qoricancha Temple
Visit local shops
Have excellent Peruvian coffee or hot chocolate on a balcony at one of the many amazing cafes (skip the Starbucks, please)
Sacsayhuaman – Inca site 30-minute walk from Cusco town
Cusco Cathedral
Plaza de Armas*
Chocolate Museum*
San Pedro Market*
To Eat:
Yaku
Organika*
Cicciolina
Tree House Restaurant
Museo del Café*
Pachapapa
Limo
Greens Organic
To Stay:
Palacio Del Inka Hotel Cusco*
Palacio Nazarenas
Monasterio
Aranwa Cusco
*some favorites
The necessary Peru photo with baby alpacas that are actually baby lambs
