Huacachina Oasis

Nestled in the Atacama Desert, this oasis is great for a quick sandboarding pit stop.

 The Picarones Cart in Parque Kennedy

These sweet potato donuts were daily (if not twice daily) occurence for me while in Lima .

Arequipa

This was my favorite city in Peru! Surrounded by four volcanoes, this spot offers great views and fun.

LIMA, PERU

Lima was obviously my first stop in Peru as it’s the easiest to get international flights into (and out of) the country. I traveled here in December 2021 during Covid and boarder entry did not require a Covid test – just proof of full vaccination along with my planned itinerary and lodging for my trip. The country itself has very strict Covid protocol as much of the citizens were devastated by the sickness – you must wear an N95 mask at all times (indoor and out) and show proof of vaccination when entering restaurants, public transit, shops, etc. This is also typically supplemented with mandatory temperature checks and hand sanitization.

Can’t miss:

• Do a food tour with my friend, Alex, and try all of the great street food that Lima has to offer!

• Go salsa dancing and see a show at La Casa de Salsa.

• Watch the sunset at Larcoma and do some shopping while you’re at it!

• Check out the music, art vendors, and street food at Parque Kennedy.

• Head to Barranco for La Feria to see the events, singers, etc and checkout the neighborhood’s famous graffiti art while you’re at it.

Food:

• Stop by Isolina for some authentic Peruvian food.

• Head to Tanta at Larcomar early to snag a good table with an ocean view and watch the sunset. I recommend getting the Milanesa and the Tallarines Verdes,

• Grab some Peruvian chicken from Primos and get it “para llavar” and take it to Larcoma and watch the sunset!

• Check out the Butifarra (sandwiches) and Picarones (sweet potato donuts) food carts in Parque Kennedy.

• Bike over to Pan de la Chola and grab a sandwhich or pastry then head to the park on the Malecon and enjoy the cliff views while you eat.

• Spent all night dancing the salsa? Swing by the 24-hour Siete Sopas and get the Caldo de gallina – a classic, Peruvian hangover cure.

Excursions from Lima:

• One of the highlights of my trip was doing an excursion to Paracas and Huacachina where I took a boat tour of the Islas Bastiallas (the poor man’s Galapagos) and then sandboarded in the Huacachina Oasis!

Stay: I stayed at the Selina Miraflores Hostel which was perfectly situated in a great neighborhood, close to Larcoma and Parque Kennedy.

CUSCO, PERU

I opted to fly, rather than bus, between my destinations because it was a lot faster for not bad of a cost (about $50). Cusco was my home base for a week as many of Peru’s hotspots are a short distance from the city. I really enjoyed it here and would recommend dedicating the bulk of your trip time to this city.

Can’t miss:

• A rest day!!! I am pretty used to being at altitude because I live in Colorado, but the 12,000 feet still hit me hard. I was extremely sick for my first day so recommend drinking tons of water and getting Pepcid or anything else you need to keep you sane.

• I took a day tour to the Sacred Valley of the Incas which brought me from Pisac to Ollantaytambo and allowed us to explore the ruins and markets.

• I did an early morning hike to Humantay Lake which was exhausting but absolutely beautiful!! Make sure to let yourself acclimate before attempting this climb because it is brutal, but they do have horses available if needed.

Eat:

• Grab a coffee and enjoy the views from L’atelier Cafe Concept.

• Soak in the Plaza views with a Pisco Sour on the rooftop of Rucula.

• Eat some classic Peruvian food at Calle del Medio.

• Eat even more Peruvian food at the popular Chicha.

Stay: I stayed at the Selina Plaza De Armas Hostel which was located right in the center of town.

Aguas Calientes, PERU

From Cusco, I took the Peru Rail Train to Aguas Calientes, the base town for Machu Picchu. The train ride is beautiful so make sure to reserve a window seat! When I went, Peru was still in the throws of COVID-19 so it was required for me to wear both a KN95 mask and face shield during my ride – plus there was no food or beverage service. Nevertheless, I was still incredibly comfortable and managed to make some good friends on the way there.

The tiny town of Aguas Calientes is completely supported by Machu Picchu tourism and because of that you will find a lot of tourist shops and expensive restaurants – nothing super local or “hole in the wall.” I’d recommend staying no more than two nights to enjoy Machu Picchu and the hot springs that the town offers. I stayed at the Usgar Machu Picchu Hostel which was basic and perfect for my short time there.

For Machu Picchu, you need to reserve your entry pass in advance. I recommend choosing the Waynapicchu + Circuito 4 pass for an early time. This will give you access to the entire park and access to one of the world’s most dangerous hikes to the top of Waynapicchu that gives you an incredible view of the entire site – along with the best chance of getting a clear view. I choose to go with a guide who was INCREDIBLE and gave me the full history of the site, in addition to showing me around both Aguas Calientes and Cusco – reach out if you want his contact info!

Puno, Peru

To get from Arequipa to Puno I took a bus that transferred through Colca Canyon where I stayed at Colca Lodge & Hot Springs for the night. While I absolutely loved the hotel and the hot springs, I would not recommend Colca Canyon or this tour transfer – I wish I had saved the 2 days and flown straight to Puno.

I arrived in Puno late at night and stayed at the Inka’s Rest Hostel which was close to the water and city-center. I only ended up spending about half a day in the city, which was more than enough, before heading out to Uros.

My host family picked me up at the nearby docks and boated me out to the “floating community” of the Uros Islands where every house sits on an artificial island made entirely from Totora reeds. I stayed in one of two guest houses at Titicaca Uros Summa Paqari and enjoyed connecting with the family, exploring the community via boat, and touring the nearby Taquile Island as well. Every meal was provided by my host family so I don’t have any restaurant recommendations here!

Overall, it was a beautiful, unique, and relaxing way to end the trip. However, be prepared for no hot water or electricity while on the island (the family provided a charging battery for my phone and camera though!).

Arequipa, Peru

I freakin’ loved Arequipa – not because of anything I actually did there. Actually, I did very little in my 3 days here as I was recovering from doing everything under the sun in Cusco but I made some great pals and had a blast partying every night.

Can’t Miss:

• Check out Mundo Alpaca if you want to snag some Alpaca souvenirs or just a picture.

• Go meander the colorful and peaceful streets of the Santa Catalina Monastery.

• Walk about 20 minutes from the Plaza de Armas to the Yanahuara viewpoint to see some spectacular views of the volcanoes.

• While I didn’t do it myself, a lot of my friends recommend white water rafting while here!

Eat:

• Piquerias are really popular for super cheap lunch options, theres a bunch in the Yanahuara area and you cant really go wrong - try the rocoto relleno, aji de gallina, also a Cusqueña mixed with coke for a weird but nice drink combo

Stay: I stayed at the Arequipa Backpackers Hostel where I met some super chill and fun people. However it was a decent walk from everything – so I would recommend the Selina Hostel.