“Which Peru would you like to know about? The land of Machu Picchu and the Incas? A postcard for the innocent? Framed, contained beauty? Amazonia, quinine, una de gato, destruction of the rainforest, the old tribes … jungle warriors guarding lost cities … The Brujos and shamans, white magic and black. The miners five thousand metres up, burrowing under glaciers … it’s in my blood, I’m addicted to it. Because it’s the most beautiful country on earth.” – Linda Davies, Into The Fire.
I’ve been waiting a long time to write these series of posts about Peru, and I’m starting to feel a little guilty about it. I have so much information to share about a first-timer’s guide to Peru that everyone considering going to Peru needs to know. I spent so many hours, days, weeks, months doing research before my trip, and have witnessed everything I am telling you below first-hand.
To start, Peru is not one of those countries you spend a week or two in on your first visit. Peru is something else. If you’re going to Peru for your first time, you want to spend at least 3 weeks there, completely immersing yourself in the culture and magic around you.
Below you’ll find a comprehensive guide on my recommended cities to visit, how long to stay in each city, what to do, where to eat, and where to stay.
Lima – 2 days
Huacachina/Ica – 1 day
Arequipa – 3 days
Cusco – 3 days
Inca Trail Hike – 4 days
Sacred Valley – 2 days
Amazon – 5 days
Total: 20 days!
LIMA
This should be everyone’s starting point when entering Peru. I recommend everyone spend 3 nights here if you can. It’s a city sprawling with gastronomical fine-dining, chic neighborhoods, bustling markets, amazing historical sights, and a wild nightlife. You don’t really know the modern Peru until you visit Lima.
Stay
- JW Marriott Hotel Lima: Extremely amazing location right on the Malecon, across the street from the biggest shopping plaza, nightlife, and dining. Every room faces the ocean as well. Bonus!
- Hilton Lima Miraflores: The hotel is beautiful on the inside, and the service is amazing. Top notch for sure. Certainly, the location is not as convenient as JW Marriott, but really it is only a few blocks further. This hotel 100% trumps JW Marriott in all ways. If you opt to pay a little more for the “executive” room rate, you will have access to their business lounge, which offers free food and alcohol practically 24/7. Overall a huge savings. Did I mention ROOFTOP POOL AND HOTTUB?
Eat
- La Mar: Did you really even go to Lima if you didn’t eat here? The answer is NO. Get ready for the freshest ceviche & seafood. We even ran into the owner Gaston Acurio while we were dining here. What a treat!
- Astrid y Gastón: Go here if you’re looking for the best gastronomical experience of your life. Also, if you’ve got money to spend! It is pretty pricey, but worth the experience. Highly recommend the tasting menu, and making reservations at least 3-4 months in advance. This place is one of the top restaurants in the World, and it really felt like it for us. Watching them make these super small intricate dishes was unbelievable. By the end of our 17 course tasting menu (including drink pairings), we were so stuffed and also buzzing pretty hard!
- Malecon Shopping Center – There are so many more affordable, down to earth options for food here, ranging from Hard Rock Cafe to fast food. Perfect for the quick bite to eat!
Do
- Miraflores: Take a walk along the boardwalk, soak in views of the shore, and experience real Lima life.
- Museo Larco: Get ready for one of the most interesting and R-rated museum experiences of your life.
- Iglesia y Convento San Francisco: Definitely a must if in Lima. So much history here. The guides speak English, and will be able to provide such amazing detail about the catacombs, bone remains, art, and architecture.
- Nightlife! My hubby and I actually love to hit the dance clubs whenever we’re in a foreign country, and we decided to visit the club called Gotica right in the El Malecon shopping plaza. If you love latin music like I do, this is going to be the perfect spot to dance the night away with locals!
Day Trip while in Lima
- Unless you’re going to spend a night or two in Huacachina/Ica, I highly recommend that you take a day trip from Lima to see Huacachina and Ica. There are plenty of tours from Lima that will take you via private transport down the coast to the sleepy town of Ica where Pisco is made. You will go Pisco tasting, catch a nice buzz, and then head out toward Huacachina! Get ready for the biggest thrill of your life dune-buggying in the desert and watching the sunset! When they drive you out in the desert you’ll have a chance to catch some desert waves and go dune boarding … I was cleaning sand out of places in my body for quite some time after this experience! While here, eat lunch at the famous Magic Nights.
AREQUIPA
Arequipa is one of those “must-visit” cities in Peru, reigning as the second most-populous city in the country and standing at 7,740 feet. Arequipa is called the “White City” due to the fact that the city mostly being built by sillar, a type of white volcanic stone. The historic centre of Arequipa was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The city is surrounded by 3 volcanoes, and is the perfect hub for people interested in history, dining, off the beaten path hiking, or to just get there altitude training going. The perfect amount of time to spend here is 3 nights. I highly recommend making Arequipa your first high-altitude destination before entering Cusco.
Stay
- Tierra Viva Arequipa Plaza Hotel: Great little hotel right in the center of it all! Nice pot of coca tea brewing in the lobby at all times. Just what I needed to fight off my altitude sickness. There is also free breakfast and FREE AIRPORT TRANSFER!! Rooms were comfy, basic, and bathrooms were very nice.
Eat
- Crepisimo: We ate here 3 times. Need I say more? Fine, I’ll say more. We came to this restaurant multiple times throughout our 3 night stay in Arequipa. They have delicious, hearty crepes. They make fresh made-to-order juices, smoothies, and fresh coca tea, which, needless to say, all helped with altitude sickness. This place has it all, including a very cute courtyard and outdoor seating.
- Zig Zag Restaurant: Romantic dinner spot. We did have to make a reservation for dinner the previous night, as they were super busy. Dinner was very hearty, and delicious. I got the quinoa salad and their soup, and my husband got the 3 meat platter with beef, pork, and llama. Everything was delicious. Even with my intense altitude sickness, I still could see how romantic this spot was, and understood why it was so popular!
- Zingaro: Another romantic dinner spot, but not as busy as Zig Zag. Lots of meat to choose from.
Do
- Peruvian Cooking Experience: Such a fun experience when in Arequipa. I highly recommend this. You’ll learn to make amazing Peruvian dishes such as Causas and Lomo Saltado! YUM. If you upgrade your package you will also learn how to make pisco sours! So much fun!
- Monasterio de Santa Catalina: The most peaceful oasis within a city. The chimes of the monastery bells ring throughout. Such amazing history and such beautiful grounds. You can spend hours here and not get enough.
- Catedral de Arequipa Museum: Such a gorgeous church. Make sure to take the guided tour and visit the rooftop! You can see all the volcanoes from here.
- Museo Santuarios Andios: Definitely the most jaw-dropping story I heard while in Peru. You will learn all about the bone-chilling history on Juanita the “Inca Ice Maiden”, who was killed as an offering to the Inca gods sometime between 1450 and 1480 when she was approximately 12–15 years old. She was found later on the top of Mount Ampato at 20,700 feet. I can’t even imagine. The best part about this experience? You get to actually Juanita during the tour in this extremely cold room. Get ready for goosebumps! Took hours for mine to go away.
CUSCO
Alas, the hub of Machu Picchu! If you’re going to Peru, you’re probably already planning to visit Cusco, and you should! Cusco is beaming with history, inca ruins, and natural landscapes. Cusco sits at a whopping 11,152 feet. Hello altitude sickness! You will literally find yourself catching your breath the moment you land off that airplane. I highly recommend you spend 3 nights here in order to acclimate before your hike, which also allows plenty of time to see the city and many inca ruins.
Stay
My husband and I stayed at the Belmond Hotel Monasterio. This location actually used to be a formal monastery. This hotel is everything I dreamed of when visiting Cusco. To start, they are centrally located a few short blocks from Plaza de Armas. They welcome you into their doors immediately with such grace and care. They sit you down, give you a fresh cup of coca tea, and take care of the check-in process for you. They even gave us a free room upgrade. Their rooms are impeccable and very distinguished. The hotel grounds are seriously breathtaking. You really feel as though you are in a monastery. Their location is prime and center. And their complimentary breakfast is unlike ANYTHING I HAVE EVER SEEN at a hotel. Wow, just wow. The variety, the flavors, the quality, the abundance of food! Amazing. Endless amounts of free tea in their lobby was the icing on the cake.
Now I want to mention how well this hotel took care of me during my stay. I had REALLY bad altitude sickness in addition to a flu/cold. I was 2 days away from starting my inca trail trek, and was feeling very sick. It was my first night in Cusco, very late at night, about 12:30am, and I could not sleep, I could not breath well, and my entire body was aching. I called the hotel lobby at around 1:00am, and told them how I was feeling, and did not know what to do since I am only a tourist. They immediately called a doctor that would come visit me in my hotel room at a $80 charge. Literally, 10 minutes later a doctor shows up from a nearby hospital, and knocks on my hotel room door. He checks me out completely. He checks my blood/oxygen level, which was very poor, and also my lungs, nasal passages, etc. I was not only suffering severe altitude sickness, but also had a sinus infection. He prescribed me a variety of meds, and told me a pharmacist would be coming by my hotel room in about 20 minutes to drop off the medicine. In 20 minutes, the pharmacist was at my door, as he said. The hotel helped throughout that entire process, and made it so that I could be healthy as can be at the start of my hike. I love them for doing that for me. They really went above and beyond in taking care of me. Thank you so much. My inca trail hike would not have been possible without you!
Eat
Due to my intense altitude sickness, I didn’t have much of an appetite while in Cusco, and eating was hard. I apologize in advance for this as my food list in Cusco is very limited!
- La Bodega 138: There was one place my stomach could handle (besides hot cocoa from Starbucks), which was La Bodega 138. This place is amazing! Small and so cozy. They have a full list of pastas, pizzas and nutella cheesecake! You always get free bread with olives when you sit down. I tried all of their pastas, which are all so good!
- Starbucks in Plaza de Armas: Because who doesn’t want to visit the highest Starbucks in the World?! I actually loved sitting here at the window watching all the people walk around Plaza de Armas. They really do make a mean hot chocolate, too!
- Mercado Central de San Pedro – best fresh fruit juices ever! Also perfect for altitude sickness.
- Belmond Hotel Monasterio – they have the cutest courtyard cafe where you can get sandwiches and salads! Amazing monastery style location.
Do
- Sacsayhuaman – amazing ancient Inca ruins. Nice way to get your feet wet with Inca history before Machu Picchu. I highly recommend taking a tour guide as there isn’t much explanation if you’re on your own. Also, take a taxi! The walk up to the ruins are super steep and not easy at this altitude!
- Plaza de Armas – the most beautiful one in Peru in my opinion. Loved people watching here. Everyone from tourists, hikers, locals, vendors, church-goers, and children playing!
- Coricancha – amazing spiritual experience at “The Temple of The Sun.” Definitely a must visit.
- Catedral del Cuzco – one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been to. Yes, I am religious, but it seriously gave me goosebumps.
- Choco Museo – make sure to take the chocolate making class! You get to take chocolate you made home with you!
- Mercado Central de San Pedro – best fresh fruit juices ever and amazing spot to score some affordable souvenirs. This is also the best place to get personal bags of coca leaves prior to your hike. You’ll need them!
- Musea Coca – this museum is free of charge! It was actually very interesting learning about the history of the coca leaf in Peru. You’ll probably be in and out within 20-30 minutes.
HIKE MACHU PICCHU
See my previous posts below!
Hiking My Way To Machu Picchu – My Life Changing Experience
Suzy’s Tips For Hiking The Inca Trail & The Best Tour Guide, ENIGMA!
SACRED VALLEY
There’s not much to say here besides, go to Urubamba, and stay at Tambo del Inka! You won’t regret this decision. Make sure to do it after your hike to Machu Picchu. We came here the day we finished our Inca Trail hike, and I cannot tell you enough what an amazing decision that was! Our bodies needed the R&R desperately, and this was just the place! The train from Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes stops right in front of Tambo del Inka on the way back toward Cusco. In fact, Tambo del Inka has their own train station. In 2015, this hotel was ranked #10 of #25 in the Top Hotels of The World: Top Hotel of The World 2015
Tambo del Inka is something out of a hotel fairy-tale or dream with the most mind-blowing spa experiences of your life. I have traveled quite a lot, and I must say, this hotel is one of the nicest, most beautiful, most luxurious hotels I have ever stayed in. The second you drive up to the gates, you enter heaven! Everything is beautiful, from the landscaping, to the amazing architecture of the building, to the lobby and fireplace, to the courteous staff, and to the amazing smells and aroma that consume the hotel. Just look at the pictures below.
Spend 2 nights here, and make sure to visit the pool and get one of their signature spa treatments! Urubamba is about a hour and 15 minute drive from Cusco.
IQUITOS (Amazon Jungle)
So you want to visit the Peruvian Amazon? You want to play with dozens of different species of monkeys in their natural habitat, hold a sloth, see caimans in the night, ride along the pink dolphins, and run from all the little bugs and critters your mind could ever dream (read:nightmare) of, or better yet, go bird watching? That sounds more safe 🙂
You have two choices for visiting the Amazon jungle when in Peru: Iquitos or Manu.
I chose Iquitos, and boy am I glad I did. It is in the northernmost part of the country, which is worth exploring on your first visit, and the options for lodging are much better. Yes, it is much more remote and a bit harder to get to… But you’re going to the amazon, it should be that way!
We stayed at the Ceiba Tops Explorama Lodges and chose the 5 day/4 night itinerary. This is the perfect amount of time to spend in the Amazon! This allowed us plenty of time to relax and also see every single animal/critter we wanted to see, and then some!
This place is the epitome of “Luxury on the Amazon.” You have all your creature comforts of a normal hotel right in the middle of the most lush parts of the Amazon Jungle.
- THE LOCATION: You take a boat ride from the main port in Iquitos for about an hour or so, and land at the lodge right along the shores of the Amazon River! Amazing! You are legit in the MIDDLE of the amazon. It is awe-inspiring. Some of the rooms even face the river.
- THE LODGE: Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! There is A/C in the rooms. The rooms are super clean, tidy, and large in size with huge bathrooms. All of the creature comforts! The lobby and dining hall are also super cute with an amazing Tucan bar. I also loved the pool area, lounging around, and ordering yummy drinks to sip by the pool. Their maracuya sour has got me some type of way!
- THE FOOD: Sooo delicious. The best food I had in Peru. Hands down. I know this is a bold statement to make, but I am a softy when it comes to fresh, organic foods. Farm to Table is my jam. Here, everything is local, organic, and delicious fresh from the jungle! The bar drinks are also very yummy! Wait, did I mention that already? 🙂
- THE ACTIVITIES: Every day we had activities from 8:30am-10:30 am and 12:30pm-2:30 pm. This leaves you tons of time for rest and relaxation by the pool during the day and before dinner. Activities can range from Monkey Island, Animal Sanctuary, Medicinal Gardens and visiting a local shaman, bird watching, canopy walkways, night walks (scary!), visiting local villages of the Yagua Indians, and many more! It all depends what you want to do.
I would love to tell you about my favorite day spent in the Amazon. One morning we were surprised that we were going piranha fishing and visiting the local school. It was our last day. Our guide took us piranha fishing in the morning, and I was able to catch 3 of those bad boys! Score! Then we went to the local village, learning about the community, and I bought some candies knowing that we would be visiting a local school that afternoon. Visiting that school with all the kids of various ages, and being able to see the conditions they learn in was such an eye opener for me. They don’t have much, but they really make the most of it. These were some of the kindest, sweetest, cutest kids I had ever met. They told us all about their favorite topics in school, and were very interested in what work we did back in America. They were so eager to learn as much from my husband and I as they could. I thought I would be asking them questions, but really they were the ones doing all the talking! They were so excited once they saw all the candy I brought for them, but honestly, I think it made me happier to give it to them.
On our boat ride back to the lodge that afternoon we got stuck in one of the craziest rain storms I have ever seen, and we were about 30 minutes away on the boat. I couldn’t care less about the rain. I was so happy at that moment with the most amazing day that the rain did nothing but make me laugh. So I just dropped my stuff on the floor beneath me, covered my camera, threw my hands up in the air, and soaked it all in! It was such a liberating feeling being on that boat, wind ripping through my hair, and rain soaking me completely!
That evening our chef surprised us with the three piranhas that i caught for dinner! He had grilled them on the stove for us, and I can’t tell you enough how tasty they were. Maybe it was the fact that I caught them myself, maybe it was the rain, maybe it was because that was my last night in Peru.
It was magical.
- THE GUIDE: Everyone is assigned a personal guide for your stay, and our guide was Willy. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. He grew up in the Amazon and went to college in the city of Iquitos to get his degree. He now supports his family back at home in Iquitos while working at the lodge a few weeks at a time. He made sure that we saw and did everything we wanted to do, while keeping us very safe every step of the way. Can’t tell you how many big bugs he swatted off my back when I had no idea they were even there! I highly recommend Willy as your guide!
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Thank you for tuning in!
xoxo,
Suzy
Krave The World