Peru has been filled with a lot of ups and downs, and that’s not just considering the elevation changes. I’ve made a lot of great memories, but there’s a few things that I could have done without. From multi day treks to historic cities, Peru has a lot to offer and I did my best to see as much as possible in just one month.
So let’s talk about it.
One Month in Peru
My trip to Peru started with a border crossing from Copacabana, Bolivia. From here, it was just a short bus ride around Lake Titicaca until I arrived in my first stop in Peru.
Puno (2 nights)
I wasn’t quite ready to give up Lake Titicaca just yet. This lake is massive and makes me miss my home of Lake Michigan. So after a few nights in Copacabana, Bolivia, I went to the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca. I was here for just two nights, but it was enough time to visit the Uros Floating Islands and Taquile. It was an interesting day trip, but not my favorite day trip I’ve ever done. Quite honestly, I think Isla del Sol in Bolivia was better.
Arequipa (2 nights)
I moved on to Arequipa and I’d spend five nights in this region total. My first two days were pretty chill. I was preparing for my upcoming two day trek of the Colca Canyon and celebrating my birthday. It can often feel like you need to be out exploring new places every single day, but that leads to burn out. If you can’t just lay around and relax all day on your birthday (after months of trying to explore something new every single day), when can you?
Colca Canyon (1 night)
I was hoping that the Colca Canyon trek would have be one of the highlights of my time in South America. In some ways, it was great. The views were amazing and I really enjoyed my hike down into the Colca Canyon and along the bottom. However, the second day when we climbed out of the canyon was tough. It was hard physically, but for me, it was even tougher mentally. I made it, but I will be happy to never do that climb again. 3000 feet of elevation gain before breakfast was pushing my limits.
I made it and I’m glad I did it, but my second day was incredibly difficult and I was thrilled when I got back to Arequipa.
Arequipa (2 nights)
I had two more days in Arequipa after my hike. I gave my legs a much needed rest and set about exploring more of the city. I visited some museums, including the San Catalina Convent (arguably the biggest tourist stop in the city), and spent plenty of time people watching in Plaza de Armas.
I’m not a huge fan of South American cities, but Arequipa is easily one of my favorites.
Overnight Bus (1 night)
Traveling on a budget means trying to save money when you can. For me, that meant an overnight bus from Arequipa to Cusco. The bus isn’t necessarily cheap, but you save money by not spending money on a hotel while you travel. I was groggy when I reached Cusco, but I made it.
Cusco (5 nights)
I had a few days before my Inca Trail trek and I went all in on exploring Cusco. I took a walking tour on my first day and spent the rest of the day organizing the rest of my time in the city. Even though I knew I’d be doing a lot of hiking on the Inca Trail, I signed up for three big hikes leading up to my departure. I used the excuse that it was to help me get acclimated to the high elevations (despite spending nearly the last month at high elevations).
I hiked to Huamantay Lake which was beautiful, but steep and probably the hardest of my three day trips. The 7 Lakes of Ausagnate was my favorite. It’s the longest hike I did, but there were less steep sections (though we still gained plenty of elevation) so the trail was more gentle, but still full of beauty (and hail… I did not enjoy the hail). I finished with Rainbow Mountain, Vinicunca, and the Red Valley, which was so busy.
The day before my Inca Trail departure, I visited some museums in the city and finalized my packing. Here goes nothing!
Inca Trail (3 nights)
My Inca Trail Adventure had some hiccups. Most notably, ten days before departing, I got a call to tell me that the only other couple who had signed up for the slightly slower paced Inca Trail had dropped out and I needed to move to the traditional Inca Trail. That didn’t set things on a good note.
But I still went and I ended up with a fantastic group. For the first time, I was paired with people who went at an average speed and didn’t try to sprint all the way up the mountain. The trail was difficult, but I had a fantastic time and can say that the trail itself was a highlight of my trip to South America. There’s something that is so incredibly special about entering Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate after four days of hiking.
Aguas Calientes (1 night)
After arriving in Machu Picchu, the chaos of my Inca Trail reservation reared its ugly head. The next 24 hours were confusing and frustrating. I still saw Machu Picchu (and even hiked Huayna Picchu), but things did not go according to plan. It should have been an unforgettable adventure, but the chaos at the end of my trip put a damper on Machu Picchu.
I split with my Inca Trail Hiking Group. They toured Machu Picchu and headed back to Cusco the same night we arrived in Aguas Calientes. Due to how permits work, I wasn’t allowed to do the tour with them and had to hang around Aguas Calientes for one more day and join another group. That wasn’t fun.
That all said, I reached out to the company and they apologized for the headaches I went through and even offered a partial refund as compensation. It doesn’t completely erase what happens, but it helps to soften the blow (because hiking the Inca Trail and visiting Machu Picchu is not cheap).
Cusco (3 nights)
Back in Cusco, I should have spent time relaxing, but I didn’t. There is so much to see and do in Cusco that it’s impossible to do it all. I had more than a week in Cusco (not counting the time I spent on the Inca Trail) and despite doing things every single day, I still didn’t see everything.
My first day was a bit of relaxation mixed with a few museums in the city. Day 2 was a day trip to the Inca ruins at Pisac and day 3 was more Inca ruins at Saqsaywaman in Cusco. There was still more I could have seen and done, but eventually, I had to leave Cusco behind and move on.
Overnight Bus (1 night)
I had another overnight bus to reach my next destination. Was it fun? No. Did it save some money? Yes.
Nazca (Pass through by day)
I stopped in Nazca for a few hours. It gave me just enough time to do a flight seeing tour of the Nazca Lines. I remember reading about the Nazca Lines for the first time back in middle school in an unsolved mysteries book I got from the bargain section at Barnes & Noble. Now, 20 years later, I got to see them in person which would have seriously impressed middle school me. It’s an expensive activity, but I’m so glad I did it.
Immediately after finishing my tour, I was back at the bus station for the bus to my next destination. Needless to say I was exhausted. A 14 hour overnight bus, the flight seeing tour, then another two and a half hour bus, followed by a 30 minute taxi ride. I basically collapsed into bed when I finally arrived at my next hotel.
Huacachina (2 nights)
I love deserts and sand dunes and Huacachina has both. This tiny little oasis in the middle of the desert had some of my favorite scenery in Peru. I spent two nights here, but it was more like one full day since I arrived too late to enjoy anything on my first day (and I was pretty tired from both the night bus and the flight seeing in Nazca).
I did take the popular tour out into the desert. We road on dune buggies and sand boarded down the dunes before watching sunset. I just wish my group’s dune buggy hadn’t had issues. That would have made the trip just a bit better.
Paracas (4 nights)
Paracas was a place where I played catch up on the blog, but still got some exploring in. I took a boat tour to Las Ballestas, which has been called the “poor man’s Galapagos”. I can’t compare to the Galapagos because I haven’t been, but once we got out of the harbor and closer to the islands, we did see a lot more animals, including a penguin. I didn’t realize that penguins made it this far north!
I also rented a bike to explore the nearby Paracas National Reserve. It was a cloudy day, but it added a unique vibe. I got an early start so I was the only one at several of my first stops. The reserve looks desolate and something otherworldly, particularly when the sun isn’t shining directly down. It was a bumpy 25 mile bike ride, but the scenery made it all worth it.
Lima (4 nights)
My trip in Peru wrapped up in the capital city of Lima. Like with all of the big cities in South America, Lima wasn’t my favorite. I’m still glad I gave it a chance though. I spent a day walking the malecon in Miraflores and another day in the historic center of Lima. All of the rest of my time was spent on prep and blog catch up before finally saying goodbye to Peru.
My Top Three Experiences in Peru
A month can feel like a long time to spend in one place. I did a lot during that time and here’s my three favorites.
Hiking the Inca Trail – My trek got incredibly messed up, so Machu Picchu ended up being slightly disappointing. However, the time I spent on the actual trail was fantastic. I really enjoyed my group and had a great time hiking (though I’m good to never hike Dead Woman’s Pass again). So despite the mess up, the Inca Trail deserves one of my favorite spots for Peru.
Nazca Lines – I’m not sure if this was truly my second favorite activity in Peru, but I love the full circle moment. From reading about the Nazca Lines 20+ years ago to actually seeing them with my own eyes feels very special.
Huacachina – While it was a short tour and the dune buggy had issues, I loved standing out on the sand dunes of the desert. Without a doubt it was some of my favorite scenery in Peru (though the mountains in the south are also pretty incredible as well).
My Worst Experiences in Peru
Things don’t always go perfectly when you travel. Here’s what could have gone better in Peru.
Hiking Out of the Colca Canyon – The Colca Canyon is beautiful and I really enjoyed the first day of my two day trek. We hiked down into the canyon and across the bottom. On day 2, we had to climb out of the canyon and I was the slowest in my group. The trek became more of a mental struggle than a physical one (despite the 3000+ foot climb before breakfast) and I did not enjoy it.
A Messed Up Inca Trail – I loved the actual Inca Trail, but the company I booked with just gave me stress and anxiety. It wasn’t their fault that the other couple cancelled and I had to move to a completely unique itinerary, but they could have handled it better. However, I will give them credit for trying to make it right because when I explained everything that had happened, they called to discuss and work through the issues (and yes, I did get a partial refund).
Getting Pelted in the Face by Hail – Let me be clear. I loved my day trip to the Ausangate 7 Lakes. The hike was great and the views were amazing. In different circumstances, it would have made it into my top experiences in Peru. What was not great was that it started hailing and that hail blew right into my face. I know you can’t control the weather, but the hail was a bit much.
Final Thoughts
From Peru, I move northward once again. This South America adventure is slowly coming to an end and I can’t believe there’s only one more country left. Ecuador, here I come!
