Contrary to popular belief, there’s a million things you can do in Peru besides visiting Machu Picchu. The 4,000 year old country is home to a sprawling megacity, untamed swaths of the amazon, and is known as the gastronomical capital of Latin America. It’s definitely not a place you can fully experience over a long weekend.
Wilmarie and I only had nine days in the land of the Incas, but we wanted to see and do as much as possible, so planning was crucial. While the developing nation has a wide variety of public transportation options, most of Peru’s major destinations are stretched along it’s 1,555 mile long west coast. Many areas of the country we wanted to visit required whole days of travel to reach.
As a native Spanish speaker, Wilmarie made many of these arrangements months in advance using Google Voice to make international calls. But if you don’t have a lot of time or a bilingual girlfriend (and unsuspecting soon-to-be-fiancé) there are a few things you can plan for to make the trip easier.
Best Time to Visit Peru
by Wilmarie
The most important thing I always consider when planning any trip is the weather. If your time is limited, you’ll want to take advantage of every minute without being slowed down by snow, rain, or extreme temperatures. Finding a good time to visit is even more confusing to account for when Peru’s seasons occur in the opposite order as our northern hemisphere.
Contrary to popular belief, there’s a million things you can do in Peru besides visiting Machu Picchu. The 4,000 year old country is home to a sprawling megacity, untamed swaths of the amazon, and is known as the gastronomical capital of Latin America. It’s definitely not a place you can fully experience over a long weekend.
Wilmarie and I only had nine days in the land of the Incas, but we wanted to see and do as much as possible, so planning was crucial. While the developing nation has a wide variety of public transportation options, most of Peru’s major destinations are stretched along it’s 1,555 mile long west coast. Many areas of the country we wanted to visit required whole days of travel to reach.
As a native Spanish speaker, Wilmarie made many of these arrangements months in advance using Google Voice to make international calls. But if you don’t have a lot of time or a bilingual girlfriend (and unsuspecting soon-to-be-fiancé) there are a few things you can plan for to make the trip easier.
| 1. | Best Time to Visit Peru |
| 2. | Planning Around Machu Picchu |
| 3. | Experiencing Peru Beyond Machu Picchu |
| 4. | Don’t Speak Spanish? No Problemo. |
| 5. | The Space Between Planning and Departure |
Best Time to Visit Peru
by Wilmarie
The most important thing I always consider when planning any trip is the weather. If your time is limited, you’ll want to take advantage of every minute without being slowed down by snow, rain, or extreme temperatures. Finding a good time to visit is even more confusing to account for when Peru’s seasons occur in the opposite order as our northern hemisphere.
Mid to late May is one of the best time to visit Peru. This period, called the “shoulder season,” occurs between peak and off-peak seasons. During this time nature transitions, in this case, from Fall to Winter and the temperatures in Peru during this time are perfect, not too hot and not too cold.
Since our main goal was to hike Huayna Picchu, I also wanted to make sure we avoided the rainy season (November through April) when the mountain would be muddy and slippery. I was nervous enough by the hike itself, and I couldn’t imagine adding extra worries to it. Fortunately, the shoulder season is right after the rainy season, so you are guaranteed clear skies. You don’t want to make it all the way to the top just to see a very foggy view due to clouds. In Machu Picchu we needed a light jacket in the morning but as the day warmed up you could ditch it and enjoy a sunny 70°-75° day.
Another advantage of going during the shoulder season is to avoid the rush. The huge flocks of Americans and Western Europeans tourists on Summer vacation have not arrived yet. Don’t get me wrong, Machu Picchu is a World’s Wonder so you’ll always find tourists, but the crowds during this time of the year are not as bad. Also, with the new proposed airport set to be built by 2023, now is the best time to visit before it gets destroyed by massive tourism.
Planning Around Machu Picchu
by Ryan
I had planned to propose to Wilmarie during our trip to Peru, but I wasn’t sure if we’d make it to the top of Huayna Picchu, the mountain overlooking Machu Picchu. Unfortunately I didn’t have a backup plan, because everything else had to be planned around the hike.
Due to the high volume of tourists, Tickets for Machu Picchu are limited and should be purchased at least a day in advance. However, hiking Huayna Picchu is a completely different ordeal, which requires the purchase of an additional ticket (available on the same website). The government only allows 400 people a day for this hike, half in the morning and half in the afternoon, and these tickets sell out fast! If you don’t buy your tickets at least 3 months in advance you’re probably out of luck.
Once you’ve bought the tickets, actually getting to Machu Picchu takes a lot of time and planning. To get there we had to:
- Fly to Lima from Washington DC (11 hours)
- Take a local flight to Cusco (2 hours)
- Catch a cab to Ollaytaitambo (2 hours)
- Ride the train to Aguas Calientes (2 hours)
- Take the bus up to Machu Picchu (30 minutes)
The journey is impossible to make in a single day, and you’ll desperately need that time to adjust to the altitude. Most people advise spending a night or two in Cusco, Ollantaytambo, or Aguas Calientes to acclimatise to being 11,000 feet above sea level, and they’re right. The second we landed in Cusco a wave of nausea gripped our stomachs until we returned to Lima. Altitude sickness is no joke.
Experiencing Peru Beyond Machu Picchu
by Wilmarie
Since the trip to Machu Picchu would only take a few days out of the time we had, we decided to explore other places in Peru. Fortunately, Ryan and I have never been “one-site destination” tourists. We love to explore, get lost, try foods, and get a good feeling of the culture wherever we travel. If you’re planning a visit we definitely recommend checking out these great destinations.
Lima
We knew we had to stop at Lima on our way to Cusco, so exploring Lima was a must. Lima is not only Peru’s capital, but also one of the third-largest cities in Latin America, rivaled only by São Paulo and Mexico City. This sprawling pacific coastal metropolis is home to 9 million residents, descendants of not only the native indigenous people, but also Spanish, German, Italian, African, Middle Eastern, Japanease and Chinease.
As a melting pot of cultural diversity Lima is a fascinating metropolitan area to explore, from the upscale district of downtown Miraflores, the bohemian murals in Barranco, or tasting the country’s world famous ceviche in the bustling Surquillo Market, there’s a lot to see and do.
We had four days to explore Centro Lima and its surroundings before heading to Cusco, but it would be hard to see everything the city has to offer in one trip. Needless to say, we’re already planning another trip back.
Huacachina
Just south of Lima rests a tiny Peruvian village that’s been on my bucket list for a long time, the Huacachina oasis. Nestled between massive perfectly shaped sand dunes, the tiny village surrounds a naturally forming mineral lake in the middle of the vast Ica desert that we absolutely had to see.
While bus tours are available, we planned to rent a car and make the four-hour drive ourselves. The Oasis is pretty small, but there are plenty of accommodation options for every taste and budget. We opted to stay one night at a budget friendly hostel for $35 a night. For only $20 per person the hostel also organized private Sandboarding trips out on the dunes.
Riding a bouncing sand buggy around massive dunes, then watching the starry sky on a cool night in the desert was an unforgettable experience I’m glad we planned for.
Cusco
Once we were finished in and around Lima we’d jump on a plane to Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire. Round trip tickets from Lima (LIM) to Cusco (CUZ) are usually around $127 per person through the local South American airline, Latam.
Initially we planned to simply pass through Cusco on our way to the Sacred Valley, but the spectacular views of the beautiful Spanish colonial architecture and intricate ancient Incan stonework, made me glad we planned to return after our hike. As the oldest living city in the Americas, continuously inhabited for over 3,000 years, the city gives visitors a real rustic taste of Peruvian life, preserved perfectly in time. We had a lot planned for our 2 days here: bean-to-bar chocolate museums, market stalls packed with colorful locally grown fruits and veggies, and deep fried guinea pig served next to folklore dancing show.
If you’re planning to spend time in Cusco, be sure to pack some Diamox and grab plenty of Cocoa leaves to chew or drink in tea wherever you can. The city sits at 11,152 feet above sea level, almost 4,000 feel higher than the summit Machu Picchu, and altitude sickness really caught us off guard. Fortunately all the places we stayed at offered free coca leaf tea which is the case in most places.
Sacred Valley
Also known as the Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley is a 12 mile stretch of fertile land along the Urubamba river that cuts through the Andes Mountains. The area is home to a number of tiny rustic villages, perfectly preserved historical ruins, breathtaking mountain ranges, lush untamed wilderness, and our final destination, Machu Picchu.
After departing from Cusco, we planned to spend a night in Ollantaytambo adjusting to the elevation. Once the private retreat of Incan nobility, this quaint village sits in the shadow of the Pinkuylluna and Ollantaytambo ruins. Walking down the criss crossing cobblestone streets you’ll find dozens of vendors selling hand-dyed alpaca textiles, musicians playing traditional Andes Folklórico, and rooftop cafes (like the Inka’s Tower) where you can take in the city while relaxing with an ice cold pisco sour. Hostels and hotels are plentiful in the city and we found a budget-friendly quaint hostel with breakfast, wifi, and an amazing view of the ruins from our tiny, private balcony.
From Ollantaytambo, you can either take a 4-day hike through the Inca trail or ride the train 90 minutes to Aguas Callientes, near the foot of Machu Picchu. If you decide to take the train there are a number of options available to you, from private luxury trains that serve champagne in dedicated lounges cars, to specialty trains equipped with 360 degree observatory decks. We chose to take the economical Inca Rail Voyager train. At $115 per person roundtrip, it was a very modern and comfortable experience with leather reclining chairs and great customer service. We personally wouldn’t recommend spending much more for a trip less than two hours long.
After getting off the train, we would arrive at Aguas Calientes. As the staging ground for almost every Machu Picchu tour, the village has gained a reputation as a backpackers haven. If you look past the tourist fodder you can find elaborate statues and monuments dedicated to the town’s Incan history, dramatic views over the raging river that runs through the town, and a beautiful Spanish colonial style town square. But in general, Aguas Calientes is a convenient place to eat, rest and get a massage, which is exactly what you’ll want before and after visiting Machu Picchu.
Don’t Speak Spanish? No Problemo.
by Ryan
As a bilingual Puerto Rican, Wilmarie acted as the designated travel agent for our trip. Fortunately, while speaking Spanish definitely makes organizing a trip to Peru easier, it really isn’t necessary. Tourism is one of the country’s largest industries, third only to fishing and mining, so in most places the staff are used to catering to an international crowd and a lot of our interactions could be held in English.
The majority of our travel arrangements, from hostels to transportation, were secured online months in advance on popular travel sites (like Expedia) and English translated government websites. When Wilmarie called to check our reservations in Lima and Cusco using Google Voice, she wasn’t surprised to hear “Hello” on the other end. For those who want an even easier, more streamlined experience, there are a number of English speaking travel agencies that can help for a few extra dollars.
For example, one adult entrance pass to Machu Picchu would normally cost about $46 on the official government website. The site is mostly in English, however there were a few steps that were confusing and difficult to navigate (even for a native Spanish speaker). In contrast, the same entrance ticket through the entirely English site, Ticket Machu Picchu.com, cost $65. However the company also hawks bundled add-ons like a bus ticket up to Machu Picchu for $32, a private group guide for $75, and a $26 lunch buffet.
It goes without saying that speaking even a little bit of the native language in any country can save a lot of money and can greatly enhance your experience. When we stepped out of the Cusco airport we were swarmed by an army of cab drivers fighting to take us to Ollantaytambo. We read online that the 2-hour ride can cost between $40 to $60 for a group of four, but with the aid of Spanish speaking negotiation skills we were able to talk them down to about $21.
The Space Between Planning and Departure
by Wilmarie
Planning a trip to Peru is relatively easy. As a developing nation without a native english-speaking population, there are a number of things you can do to make your trip a little cheaper. However, travel agencies are only marginally more expensive than organizing your own itinerary and most hotels and hostels are more than willing to help.
The most difficult thing for me during the planning phases of our trip was the anticipation I felt as the date drew near. While Machu Picchu is accessible by bus (the ruins themselves are even wheelchair accessible now), there’s only one way to reach the summit of Huayna Picchu and it’s a 1,000+ foot climb. Even though I had lost twenty five pounds training to hike this mountain, the humiliation I felt as I struggled to climb the stairs on Phi Phi Island the year prior haunted me. All the planning in the world can’t prepare you for this hike, and googling pictures of the path, or reading blogs, will only terrify you.
But my fear subsided when May rolled around and we finally arrived in Peru. I was surprised by the natural beauty of the country. Pictures really don’t do it justice. But it seemed Ryan had a surprise in store for me as well.
