Photo by: Nad Hemnani on Unsplash

Peru 🇵🇪

Famous example of the Inca's incredible stonework that thankfully survived the Spanish destruction of the city.

Cusco activity

Featured in Netflix's Street Foods docuseries. The meal they highlighted was a combo platter of ceviche, chicharron, and a rotating third dish.

food

Restaurant with dishes based on food from the Amazon.

Lima Restaurants food

Town famous for street art, primarily colorful birds. There are day trips here from Lima, but I think it's better to make an overnight trip out of it and visit some of the Incan ruins along the way.

other

(The white city) A beautiful downtown made primarily from white volcanic stone. Amazing and cheap food, with many dishes local to this region. It's also the best way to get to Colca Colca Canyon.

Transportation

There are a ton of private buses running around town and it usually costs 1 sole. Unless your Spanish is immaculate, I wouldn't recommend using these, as you have to talk to the person manning the door to figure out where they're going.
I used Taximundo. You can email or whatsapp them and they'll reply via Whatsapp to schedule a cab for you, even days in advance. They were consistently on time for me, even early in the morning.
Terminal Terrestre is the massive bus terminal for regional buses. It's pretty far from the city center and not safe to walk to.

Arequipa Overviews other

Go here for all your alpaca wool needs. $7 / sweater, $30 for baby alpaca hat

Cusco activity

Massive cocktail menu and good plates

Bars Lima food

Old church with incredible architecture and large catacombs. 15 soles for tours in English or Spanish.

Lima activity

Ice creams made with Peruvian ingredients

Lima Restaurants food

seafood restaurant on the bay. Great views and incredible ceviche.

Lima Restaurants food

drinks and small dishes right on the coast. Go for the sunset, but get there early or reserve a table as it's quite popular.

Bars Lima Restaurants food

Incan settlement in the Amazon.

https://www.tiktok.com/@akkicris/video/6832357589464943878

Activity other

Delicious chocolate and a nice craft beer selection

Restaurants Arequipa food

Excellent restaurant from the famous Peruvian chef. I had the lamb fettucini and lomo saltado.

Restaurants Arequipa food

Large park with impressive fountains and light shows. Go at night for the best effect. 5 soles.

Lima activity

This massive canyon is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and home to the largest flying bird in the world, the Andean condor. If you want to take a tour, just step foot in the Plaza de Armas and you'll get heaps of offers from vendors. I opted to plan the trip myself and use public transportation. You can also have a super long day trip with no hiking to just try to see condors and return.

If you choose to hike down into the canyon, I strongly recommend taking trekking poles. It's a long climb down and can be brutal on the knees.

Self-guided route

Buy a bus ticket in the Terminal Terrestre (15-20 soles). If you're planning to hike the same day you take the bus, then you'll need to catch a bus no later than 3:30am. If possible buy a ticket to Cabanaconde. If that's not an option, then get one to Chivay which will drop you off right at the bus station where you can buy one to Cabanaconde (~5 soles).
Cabanaconde, the starting point for your trekking, is a really cute town. If I had more time I would have spent a few more days here.
If you have the time, take a more reasonable bus and spend the night in Cabanaconde at the excellent Pakamama hostel. The owner used to be a guide and has his own great map of the trails and great tips. The attached restaurant has wood fire pizza and 2 for one cocktails during happy hour. I recommend the hot toddy with coca leaves.
In the low season it isn't necessary to book accomodation ahead of time. Just hike down into the canyon until you find one you like.
Credit cards are even less useful in the canyon than the rest of Peru. I recommend taking 300 soles for a 3 day trip (50 for round-trip bus, 30-40/night in the canyon, 70 for the park entrance fee).
A topo map with trails on your phone is really useful. I used Backcountry Navigation, but Maps.me works too.
You can buy water in the villages, but I just brought a water filter and purified my own in the villages.

Villages

Llahuar: beautiful location overlooking the river. The "hot spring" was more of a luke-warm algae pond when I was there. If you're there in the peak season then the pools in the river are accessible. They were completely flooded for me so I had to settle for the algae ones. I stayed at La Casa de Virginia which was great. The rooms are basic with a garden overlooking the river.
Malata: the largest town I passed in the canyon. There were some really nice looking hotels and several restaurants, with great views of the canyon and river.
San Jaun de Chucco: a small town with great views a cute restaurant with a menu del dia and cold beers. I had a long lunch here before starting the long hike out.
Oasis of San Galle: a beautiful but much more touristy resort area. Every hotel has a pool, hammocks, and green lawns.
Colca Lodge: closer to Chiva so you'd probably visit this separately from hiking the canyon. It's a beautiful lodge with thermal hot springs right on the river.

Arequipa activity

Delicious frozen fruit, drinks, ice cream.

Lima Restaurants food

Cusco is a beautiful city nestled high in the mountains, and the gateway to Machu Picchu. The city center is very touristy and you'll constantly be offered massages, trips, pictures with alpacas, etc. If you do buy something on the street, agree on a price beforehand. The ladies with alpacas will try to just toss one in your arms and afterwards demand a hefty price.

There are a lot of great places nearby other than Machu Picchu (especially the sacred valley). Try to plan for several extra days to see them.
San Blas is an area five minutes from the central plaza and home to a smaller mercado and nice vistas of the city. Much quieter than the city center, with nobody hawking wares or tours. I was really happy that I stayed in an apartment in this area instead of the center.

Transportation

There are Ubers in Cusco.
taking a cab from the airport is a bit annoying- cabbies starting prices will be 50 soles to the city center. You should pay no more than 15 and have to argue with them for a reasonable rate.
If you like a driver, ask for their number so you can whatsapp them for future trips.
like Arequipa, there are private buses called "combis" all over town. It's 1 sol for a ride

Trips

There are tons of agencies you can book trips through. General rule: don't buy a trip from someone on the street. Go into a shop. I recommend Terra Quechua Peru- they're a local company and have good prices. Prices are also much less if you book in person vs. over the internet (~1/3 the price).

Cusco Overviews other

Pisco tastings, tours.

Ica Restaurants food

great steaks

Restaurants Arequipa food

great cocktails

Bars Lima food

Alpaca clothing store with a brief tour of the making of alpaca wool. They have several alpacas as well that you can take pictures of and feed.

Arequipa activity

Famous anticucho, the Peruvian street meat sticks.

Lima Restaurants food

Mountaintop remains of a 6th-century walled settlement built by the Chachapoya culture.

other

Two-day self-guided trek passing four mountain lakes and a high altitude pass.

Huaraz

the plazas are touristy, and generally have worse food and prices
bring Immodium AD. It's not a bad idea to get antibiotics from your doctor for traveller's diarrhea too.
taxis from the airport require haggling or you'll be gouged (except for Lima). Inside of towns or to the airport it's usually pretty reasonable. When possible use Uber.
alpaca wool is warmer, lighter, and with better moisture wicking than even merino wool. Definitely buy some hats, scarfs, and sweaters! It's cheapest near Cusco. Baby alpaca is by far the softest but also the most expensive (it's the only cutting from a baby so you only get one per alpaca).
BCP bank has the best ATM's in my experience: the highest withdrawal limit (700 soles) and they've consistently worked
most towns have mercados where you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, homemade bread, etc. They're also great for getting a really cheap breakfast or lunch. I love the fruit smoothies.
viva air is a very cheap airline that recently started running flights in Peru.

Overviews other

Activity activity

Restaurant with delicious locally sourced ingredients from the sacred valley. Their mint lemonade is really refreshing.

Cusco Restaurants food

Nice dishes with numerous different peruvian potatoes.

Restaurants Arequipa food

Town beside beautiful waterfalls.

Overviews other

Huaraz is the largest city in the Cordillera Blanca. The smaller cities may be a better bet for you to stay in depending on the length of your trip and what you're planning to do.

Cities

Huaraz

the largest and busiest city in the area
It's easiest to find hostels, tour agencies, etc. here and this will be where buses from other regions drop you off.
really crowded and loud

Carhuaz

famous for pisco and rum ice cream

Yungay

a small town a bit over an hour north from Huaraz
It's closer to the majority of the treks, but has far less amenities.
Was the site of a devestating avalanche in 1970 that wiped out the entire town.
closest city to the Laguna 69 day trip
The Multired ATM in the plaza de armas has no fees

Caraz

about 15 minutes by combi or taxi from Yungay
more shops and services than Yungay, but less than Huaraz
closest city to the Laguna Paron day trip and Santa Cruz trek

Huaraz Overviews other

An incredible 10 day/9 night hike through the mountains. The scenery is the most stunning I've seen in my life. Night 4 was beside mountain hot springs that some locals had hiked into with beer to sell. Like Santa Cruz, I used EcoIce for the tour.

Huaraz activity

Beautiful mountain lake at very high altitude. If you're planning to hike the Salkantay Trek, you'll see this on your first day. A tour from Cusco will include breakfast and lunch, and typically take around 12 hours.

Cusco activity

Restaurant with classic Peruvian dishes that are normally made at home and not in restaurants.

Lima Restaurants food

Large courtyard with numerous popular bars off of it.

Bars Arequipa food

second story bar with good live music

Arequipa Bars food

Great restaurant for trying food from the Ica area.

Ica Restaurants food

Beautiful less popular lake than Laguna 69.

Huaraz activity

By far the most famous lake in the region. It's a difficult 3 hour trek up, 2 hours back at high altitude. Unless you're already acclimated from another city (eg Cusco) you should hold off on this one for a few days after you get to Huaraz.

Huaraz activity

activity

Picturesque lake at an altitude of 4,480-m. known for its clear, blue-green water. There are colectivos in town that offer round trips to the trailhead for 25 soles.

Huaraz Activities

A beautiful lake that doesn't require a massive hike. There's a short (30-45 minute) trek to a viewing point that's good for seeing how you're handling the altitude.

Huaraz activity

https://www.tiktok.com/@rutea.in/video/7554784448621972744

Lima is the food capital of Latin America and a great starting point to visit nearby areas.

Districts

Miraflores

safest area in Lima
great restaurants, bars
The Malecon is a park running along the ridge overlooking the ocean with great views.

Barranco

nearby to Miraflores and also quite safe.
Great street art
(allegedly) the best anticucho in Lima.

San Isidro

Quiet upscale neighborhood with some great restaurants.

Callao

Very dangerous neighborhood at night, and only small portions are safe during the day. Do your research and be very careful about what streets you walk or drive down. One block can be the difference between safety and being robbed. But there are still some good reasons to visit:

Real Felipe
Monumental Callao
Cabos

Centro

Casa de la Literatura Peruana
Basílica y Convento de San Francisco de Lima
Circuito Mágico del Agua

San Borja

Neighborhood with a large Asian community and heaps of asian restaurants.

Towns near Lima

Ica / The Huacachina Oasis / Paracas
Antioquia - town with colorful buildings
Millpu - recently discovered, with beautiful turquoise pools

Lima Overviews other

Cocktails and views of the city. Sunset from here is great.

Bars Cusco food

Lake that can be visited in the same trip as Churup.

Huaraz activity

There are quite a few ways to reach Machu Picchu. I recommend reading up on these on a tour site eg (Terra Quechua Peru).

Routes

Incan Trail - the most famous route, most expensive, most crowded, generally requires reservations 6 months in advance. You can only take this trek with guides and porters who carry all of your things. It's very much glamping. But on the plus side it's following the original path of the Incas, complete with carved stairs and ancient paintings on the rocks.
Inca Jungle Trail - 4 days: biking, rafting, zip-lining, hiking, hot springs. You stay every night in hostels/hotels.
Salkantay Trek - There are a lot of different ways to do this varying from 3-5 days. You can hike it on your own carrying your own gear, staying in refugios/hostels in some places, or camping. You can also pay for varying different levels of comfort, with horses carrying your gear, hot meals prepared, etc. This trail can support a lot more people than the Incan Trail and is less expensive and usually doesn't require reservations in advance. The second day is very taxing, crossing a high mountain pass near the beautiful Salkantay mountain.
Ausangate Trek
Choquequirao Trek
Huchoy Qosqo Trek
Lares Trek
Choquequirao
train
bus

My Trip

I did the Salkantay Trek with Terra Quecha. $170 USD for 5 days, 4 nights. They prepared hot meals every day and horses carried my gear (up to 5kg) between the various sites. I only had to carry a light day pack with rain gear and extra layers for the second day climb. The third day we stayed in Santa Teresa and had several hours to enjoy the beautiful hot springs there.

Recommendations:

Pay the extra $50 for the return train ride half way to Cusco. It will cut 4 hours off your return trip and the views are beautiful.
Walking sticks really help for the steep climbs and negotiating your way around puddles and through the various stream crossings.
I carried a very light day pack, but wish I instead had a heftier one with a hip strap...my shoulders were pretty sore from the weight.
Wool is amazing, cotton is terrible for hiking and rain. Synthetic shirts start to smell awful from sweat after time.
While you can buy water frequently along the route, I think it's better to have some sort of water purification system to save money and reduce plastic waste. I love the Platypus GravityWorks.
A water bladder lets you carry a lot more water than a bottle, and makes it easier to drink consistently without stopping. I recommend the Platypus 2L.
For some inexplicable reason, most of the toilets along the way don't have seats... So wipe the rim of the bowl down with a baby wipe or toilet paper and pretend it's a seat. Many also don't have toilet paper or sinks either, so carrying your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer is a must.
Bathrooms usually cost 1 sol. One glorious one on day 3 had seats, sinks, and soap.
Carry an extra 200 soles in small denominations (< 50) for buying snacks, drinks, and fresh fruit along the way.
Day 4 you lose the horses and either have to carry your additional things 3 hours to Aguas Calientes or pay 10 soles to send it by train. This will be easiest if the bag you keep your extra things in is big enough to consolidate and fit your day bag.
When you book your trip you can opt to climb Montana Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu, the two mountains that Machu Picchu is nestled under with great views of the area. It's only $15 more, and you have to book this in advance. I recommend booking it and seeing how you feel and how the weather is the day you reach Machu Picchu to decide if you're actually going to do this additional (brutal) climb.
A general backpacking tip: bring two sets of clothes- one to hike in and a clean set for the camp at night. Any more is excessive for a wilderness hike.
Definitely go to the hot springs in Santa Teresa: they're beautiful, amazing for sore muscles, and only 10 soles.
Definitely don't go to the "hot springs" in Aguas Calientes. They're dirty, lukewarm, and really crowded.
For your final day up to Machu Picchu, take snacks and beverages. They're expensive at the gate to Machu Picchu, and there are no shops once you enter. Also use the bathroom at the gate (2 soles), as there are no bathrooms inside the site.
This (2019) is the final year that people can stay as long as they want inside of Machu Picchu. In the future people will be limited to half days. Take advantage of this and go for the morning, then stick around until the weather's right for your pictures. Mornings are often very foggy/cloudy, with the clouds starting to burn off around 10.
Find a good agency. Terra Quecha was on the cheaper side, local, and well-liked by Spanish-speaking people. My group had people from Argentina, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and the US. A few of the other groups I kept seeing on the trek were full of obnoxious people from the US that I was grateful to not be around any longer. There are agencies and packages with more posh all-inclusive options than this one, so if you don't want to rough it in tents, shop around.
Try to acclimate to the altitude for a few days in Cusco before you start your trek. Stay hydrated and chew coca leaves (especially on day 2) to survive the mountain pass.
It's ok to get rained on. A lot of people constantly stop to put their rain gear on at the first sign of rain. If you're close to any guides, watch them to see if they bother with their rain gear. If not, then it's probably not worth it.
Aguas Calientes is beautiful but very touristy. In general the best restaurants are along the train tracks at the base of town

Packing list:

[ ] (optional) some sort of water purification
[ ] water bottle / bladder
[ ] hiking boots / shoes
[ ] flip flops for camp and the hot springs
[ ] synthetic hiking pants (2)
[ ] wool t-shirts (2)
[ ] wool longsleeve shirt for layering for warmth
[ ] wool underwear (2+)
[ ] wool socks (2+)
[ ] swimsuit for the hot springs in Santa Teresa
[ ] a lightweight pack towel
[ ] a mid layer (eg fleece jacket)
[ ] lightweight gloves
[ ] wool or synthetic beanie
[ ] (optional) a buff is great for sun protection and added warmth around your neck
[ ] rain jacket
[ ] (optional) rain pants (I didn't use mine because my pants are quickdry)
[ ] sunblock
[ ] bug spray
[ ] bug bite lotion for when the bug spray doesn't work
[ ] 200 soles in small denominations
[ ] wet wipes
[ ] toilet paper
[ ] hand sanitizer
[ ] zip lock bag holding the above 3 items as your bathroom kit
[ ] head lamp / flashlight (ideally with a red light to not wreck your night vision)
[ ] coca leaves for altitude sickness
[ ] Imodium AD in case of food sickness
[ ] backpacking pillow
[ ] (optional) adjustable hiking poles

Cusco activity

food court with a bar and various restaurants

Lima Restaurants food

Massive mercado with fruit, juice, ceviche, clothing, textiles, coca leaves.

Arequipa activity

great for buying veggies, coca, fruit, juice, bread, cheese, souvenirs.

Cusco activity

An incredible restaurant in the sacred valley, built overlooking the Moray archaeological site. It was started by the famous chef who owns Central, a Michelin star restaurant in Lima. $160 for an 8 course tasting menu, $250 with drink pairings. They're doing a lot to collaborate and work with the local community and the food was amazing. I hired a taxi for the day for $50 to drive to a few sites around the Sacred Valley, lunch, and back to Cusco.

https://milcentro.pe/

Cusco Restaurants food

Area close to Real Felipe, famous for street art. Be very careful, as a turn down the wrong street will most likely result in a robbery. Locals try to block the dangerous exits and warn you, so listen to them. If you're heading down a road or sidewalk that isn't crowded, turn around and find another way.

Lima activity

perfect for when it's cold

Cusco Restaurants food

See the famous Incan mummy and learn about ancient Incan sacrifices.

Activities Arequipa activity

Good place to try different piscos and get a short tour of the differences

Restaurants Arequipa food

An incredible private museum with pottery and artwork from past civilizations in Peru. Grab appetizers or lunch in their beautiful garden restaurant afterwards. The conchitas (scallops) are great.

Lima activity

Homemade pasta, locally sourced veggies, amazing mint lemonade

Cusco Restaurants food

Beautiful national park and projected reserve with numerous beaches. It's easiest if you don't have a car to just hire a taxi for the day from Paracas to drive you from beach to beach in the reserva and wait for you.

Ica activity

build-your-own pasta from various styles, sauces, and toppings. Or go with their pasta of the day.

Restaurants Arequipa food

Peruvian disco bar. Good music and drinks and the gringos don't know about it.

Arequipa Bars food

I never made it here but it was always mobbed by Peruvians and had delicious looking kettles of stew and chunks of meat.

Restaurants Arequipa food

the best empanadas I had in Arequipa

Arequipa Restaurants food

Lesser-known jungle destination in Peru.

other

Probably the most popular restaurant in Lima for ceviche. It can get crowded with a long wait, so check their hours and arrive at the start of lunch service.

Lima Restaurants food

https://www.tiktok.com/@sonalyha/video/7551944434858937607

Activities

Tasty ice cream with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Arequipa Food to try food

The mountain famous for the 7 colors. I recommend getting a 3am tour in order to beat the crowds. The hike is easy, aside from the very high elevation and difficulty breathing. Around $30 USD for the trip there, breakfast, and lunch. You can take an optional 30 minute detour after rainbow mountain to see the red valley. I thought the red valley was even more impressive than rainbow mountain.

Cusco activity

for a fancy Pisco Sour

Cusco Bars food

There are several really impressive Incan ruins nearby that can easily be walked to.

Saqsaywaman, Q'enqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay are all available with the same tourism pass (buy it in town). You can hike up the hill to Saqsaywaman and over to Q'enqo and then hitch a ride on a passing combi (local minibus) for 1 sol to the others. Then grab a combi back when you're done.

Cusco activity

Breakfast, sandwiches, salads, alfajores. They have a number of locations other than this one in Miraflores.

Lima Restaurants food

Beautiful cathedral with great views of the city

Cusco activity

A beautiful Monastery covering two city blocks. I declined the tour and wandered around on my own with the provided map. There's a cafe in the middle with great carrot cake and irish coffee.

Arequipa activity

A 4 day/3 night hike in the mountains. The scenery is stunning with glaciers, mountain lakes, and rivers.

I went with EcoIce and had a great time. There are plenty of sites (including theirs) with details on the trek and what to bring, so I'll just go over my suggestions:

###Packing:

wet wipes - they're priceless when you go 4 days without a shower
flushable wet toilet paper - again incredibly nice when you won't see a shower for 4 days
anti-itch cream - the sand flies will find a way around your insect repellent
buff - great for keeping your neck and face warm in cold weather, and blocking the sun on warm days

Misc:

see if your phone or camera has a good night mode. The stars are amazing on this trip.
trekking poles are nice but not critical
stay in Yungay or Caraz the day before. You get an extra few hours of sleep.

Huaraz activity

Arguably the best chocotejas in Ica.

Ica food

Grab a drink on one of the rooftop bars in the Plaza de Armas for sunset. The one on the northeast corner is the highest at three stories.

Activities Arequipa food

Beautiful national reserve with birds, monkeyes, capybaras...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYveJ3-N0sI

other

https://www.tiktok.com/@rodrigo.holgado/video/7578626595666070805?_r=1&_t=ZM-92POXFgWTls

Imported

Great travel agency for booking day trips and longer hikes (such as Machu Picchu). I used them for my Salkantay hike and the service and price were great.

Cusco activity

Beautiful tiny oasis 4-5 hours bus from Lima. There's sandboarding and dune buggies and a big party scene at night.

Ica activity

The nearby beautiful valley with numerous famous Incan sites. Chinchero, Moray, Ollantaytambo, and Pisac are the most famous. If you're visiting more than one site, it's best to buy a pass that gives you access to all of them for 70 soles. There are bus tours from town that visit all of these, or you can hire a taxi for the day and go on your own schedule.

Cusco other

Great dishes served on volcanic rock slabs.

Restaurants Arequipa food

soup with meat, corn, potatoes in Arequipa

Arequipa Food to try food

Tasty tiny little orange fruit that's often served coated in chocolate as a desert.

Food to try food

chicken and potatoes in a creamy pepper sauce with a side of rice

Food to try food

dulce de leche cookie sandwich

Food to try food

beef heart on a skewer

Food to try food

One of Peru's most favorite dishes. Don't eat it for dinner- it's not as fresh and Peruvians will look at you weird for trying.

Food to try food

Ceviche with a side of fried fish

Food to try food

Chifa (Peruvian Chinese fusion) fried rice with duck

Food to try food

Fermented drink made from corn

Food to try food

Sweet juice made from purple corn.

Food to try food

Fusion Chinese/Peruvian food:

Food to try food

another classic drink from Peru made from Pisco

Food to try food

Strange green fruit that looks like a dragon egg.

Food to try food

Delicious chocolate-covered nuts from the region of Ica.

Ica Food to try food

Shrimp soup. It's regional to Arequipa, but can be found near Lima as well.

Arequipa Food to try food

Chew them to help with altitude sickness, or plop them in a cup of boiling water for great tea. In Cusco there are heaps of candies and chocolates that also include coca

Food to try food

It looks like a waxy orange, but is full of tiny fleshy seeds. It's a great ingredient for cocktails as well.

Food to try food

My favorite Chifa (Peruvian Chinese fuision) dish. Stir fried beef with papas fritas, tomatoes, and onions

Food to try food

Lucuma's a chalky-texture fruit from the Amazon that's great in ice cream and smoothies.

Arequipa Food to try food