Travel Destinations: Peru
As you all know, I love to travel.
Like, LOVE love it.
I’ve got a running list of destinations I’d love visit living in my brain, rent-free, at all times.
I recently got to check Peru off that list.
Before I met Elliot, Peru wasn’t necessarily a priority on the list, but since marrying this Peruvian stud, it quickly shot to the top. While we were dating, he introduced me to Peruvian food, and I was sold. Elliot was born in New York and had never visited Peru; it was a no-brainer. I had to visit this beautiful country: the home of Machu Picchu, the love of my life and surprisingly, more potatoes than I could fathom.
For the last two years, traveling has been questionable at best and scary at worst. Last summer, we decided that if we were allowed, we would go. I have to live my life, and traveling plays a big part in that.
In February, we set off to Peru for 10 days - 6 flights, 4 tours, 3 Airbnbs, 2 COVID tests, countless meals and one very happy husband.
Today I’m essentially sharing our entire itinerary and all my favorite parts of the trip with you - in the event Peru is on your bucket list. Which it should be.
Lima
We didn’t spend tons of time in Lima, as we wanted to spend the majority of our time in the mountains, but there were a couple really cool things we did and saw in the city.
For our first night in Lima, we set out to try all the things on a Street Food Tour. We ended up being the only ones, so we got a private tour of downtown Lima, where we got to try fresh fruits from the markets, lucuma (a native fruit) flavored ice cream, and some outstanding Peruvian specialties. Our tour guide showed us all around, including tidbits about the unique architecture of Lima, giving us a solid understanding of the city and culture.
Will I make a compilation of Elliot doing numerous happy food dances? Yes. I must.
One evening after dinner, I asked if we could walk a little bit since it was a beautiful evening. We ended up walking by a series of parks on the coastline, and everyone was out. Families were playing together, couples were hanging out on park benches, and some groups had a full-on spread laid out for a picnic. There were even some small fitness classes happening - all at 8pm. It was so refreshing to see everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, enjoying the outdoors together on a Saturday night.
Cusco
Cusco was beautiful, historic and the rich culture sold us right away. Our Airbnb (the cutest one we’ve stayed in to date!) was super close to Plaza de Armas, which was touristy, but beautiful. It was full of gardens, fountains, plenty of restaurants and shops, and even had its own cathedral. Granted, our place was located at the top of a very steep hill, and at 11,000 ft in the sky, it was a workout to return home after a fantastic meal. I’m still convinced that hill is the reason I didn’t gain 15 pounds.
Sacred Valley ATV Tour
After about 24 hours in Cusco, we made the last minute decision to book a tour through the Sacred Valley. We’re not really city people, so a couple days in Cusco was more than enough for us and we wanted to explore the surrounding areas. We booked this fun ATV tour to Moray and the local salt mines. It was a blast. We got to speed around and get muddy AND see some really cool, old terraces.
Machu Picchu
Okay, so Machu Picchu has been on my bucket list since the 7th grade when we learned about it in Social Studies. I never actually thought I’d get to see it but WOW. There’s something so serene and humbling about being at the top of the mountains, literally in the clouds, exploring an ancient city that has survived for so long. It’s getting to the point where the city is sinking, so restrictions are increasing every year to preserve it. It was a perfect visit, the clouds cleared away as soon as our tour began and it was truly an unforgettable experience.
Sacsayhuaman
Okay, so Sacsayhuaman was never on our itinerary - it just happened to be within 10 minutes walking distance from our Airbnb. It was our day to rest, in between Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain (both of which were 5 AM or earlier pickups), and I thought we might talk a short walk to check out some cool landmarks.
What I didn’t know was that the 10 minute (uphill) walk was only to the entrance. It was another 15 minutes uphill before we arrived at the ancient ruins. Elliot may have wanted to kill me halfway, but there were alpacas, so all was well.
Rainbow Mountain
The reason I have more photos of Rainbow Mountain than of anything else is because it was the hardest dang hike of my life. At the highest altitude of the trip, about 16,000 ft., we hiked to the top of this gorgeous mountain at 7 am. It was such a steep hike, compounded with the lack of oxygen, it was quite a feat to get to the top. I EARNED these views. Thank goodness for our tour guide - he got us up there and back safely, took ALL the photos, and made sure we were fed. What a gem.
It was a trip of a lifetime and I truly loved every minute of it. If you’d like to see photos of food, head on over to my Instagram and check out my Peru Highlights - they are a sight to behold.
Thanks for hanging out and hearing about my trip. If you’re thinking of traveling to Peru, please reach out to me - I’m happy to give you all the tips and tricks we picked up along the way!