Peru: Our Second World Wonder

Traveling to Peru was a dream. Leading up to the trip, I was afraid that I was romanticizing it too much. I tend to see the world through rose-tinted glasses and like to assume everyone has good intentions — but that’s a super dangerous mindset to take overseas. When traveling, you want to be equal parts wise and open-minded — I hoped I would be both.

Thankfully Peru was a dream. Yes, there were some incredibly stressful moments, but the good far outweighed the bad and I was blown away by the sights, sounds, smells, and experiences that this country had to offer.

This blog includes advice on the ins and outs of traveling to South America including how we adjusted to the high altitude of Cusco (11,200 ft / 3,400 m), what a trip to Machu Picchu looks like, how to book transportation, and more! If you’re planning a trip or still on the fence, I hope what’s here gives you the information needed to make the best travel choices.

Q: I’m going to Machu Picchu, where should I stay?

If your primary stop in Peru is Machu Picchu (like us) there are a few options for where to stay. You can get to the ruins via the Inca Trail or taking a bus from Aguas Calientes.

Aguas Calientes is the closest town below the site and if you plan to visit Machu Picchu for more than one day, you’ll have to stay here for least the night. If you want to stay here the whole time, that’s certainly possible. Given its proximity to Machu Picchu, the town is very small and very touristy. There are many affordable hotels along the Vilcanota River that you can investigate. We stayed at Casa del Sol and loved our experience there: it was close walking distance to the bus station and train station and because we chose to stay the night in a suite room, our dinner was included with the reservation. I would only suggest staying here the whole time if you’re a little uncomfortable traveling abroad, wish to relax without relocating too much, and don’t have a significant desire to experience deeper Peruvian culture.

Ollantaytambo is another nearby option rich with history. If you’re doing the Inca Trail, this town is the starting point. This would be a good option for history buffs since it’s an Inca archaeological site. It’s also significantly closer to Machu Picchu than Cusco is so travel by train is only about an hour and a half. I can’t say much for the restaurants/sights this town has to offer since we only passed through it — but it did seem like a small place with really pretty views.

Cusco is the nearest major city and its where we ended up staying. If you want to experience Peruvian culture and food somewhere slightly removed from Machu Picchu, this is the best option. Many international travelers stay here and we were surrounded almost equally by Peruvians and Europeans. As far as where to stay in Cusco, I would highly recommend booking an Airbnb for affordability’s sake. You’ll want to book near “Plaza de Armas” (the main city square) since this has the best restaurant options and is close in proximity to the train station. Also, it’s just a fun place to be! Our Airbnb was stunning, quiet, and wonderfully located — I would totally recommend following in our footsteps and staying with Patty at the Hideaway Duplex (or one of her other listings).

Q: When is the best time of year to book?

It’s kind of hard to say when the ultimate best time is, because that depends on what else you might want to see or do on your trip. We went in October and experienced a couple days of rain in Cusco but none in Machu Picchu. It was a little cloudy but incredibly comfortable temperature-wise over the days we were up visiting Machu Picchu on October 20-21. Our phones kept predicted non-stop rain showers which got us a little worried, but we didn’t see a single drop! So, I wouldn’t trust the weather channel forecast too much.

According to the internet, Peru’s dry season is May through October so I wouldn’t recommend going outside of that window. Personally, I think September/October is the perfect time to book since it’s after the peak tourist season and before the rainy season.

Q: How should I reserve plane, train, and other transportation?

Here are a couple Do’s and Dont’s with the transportation situation going to Cusco, Peru and getting from Cusco to Machu Picchu.

Do book your flight far enough in advance to get the best price. Any traveler knows this, but we swooped in at the perfect time five months before our trip and got a very affordable rate.

Don’t book a flight from your location directly to Cusco. You’ll want to book from your location to Lima because all international flights to Cusco will first go through Lima. Peru considers the “Cusco to Lima” connection as a domestic one, so we ran into all sorts of trouble trying to check in for an international flight with Cusco as our destination. Also, there’s no customs in Cusco, so it’s best to do the whole thing to Lima and THEN book a separate flight from Lima to Cusco afterwards, making sure it’s a good three hours or more from when you land. We booked from Reno to Cusco and we missed our connection the first time and almost did again going back. If we ever go again, we’ll be sure to book them separately.

Do consider paying extra to reserve your seats on LATAM airlines. Our travel day to Peru on the way there was absolutely insane. It started the day before on the 15th when the online check-in process wouldn’t accept our scanned passports. Then going from Reno to Los Angeles it only printed one of Paul’s passes and all three of mine. Then at LAX, the person who finally appeared to print Paul’s tickets a couple minutes before boarding said there was no way we could sit next to each other (even though we reserved it months before). Then we got an e-mail that our flight was canceled when it wasn’t. Then my seat was double booked with another girl and I was asked to move to the back of the plane from economy to coach. Then we realized many families and friends were separated. AND FINALLY Paul was able to move people around like a musical chairs situation so that everybody could sit together in the end. Unfortunately, there aren’t many other options to get to Cusco other than LATAM, so to avoid being separated you might just bite the bullet and pay the fee to ease the headache altogether.

Do reserve your train ticket ahead of time to Machu Picchu. There’s three options when reserving your train ticket and all three are available through PeruRail’s website. You can select the backpackers option, the Vistadome, or the Belmond Hiram Bingham Luxury Train. If you have a pretty penny to spend on the last option definitely go all out! It’s one of the most highly rated train trips in the world, tickets cost around $990 per person. The Vistadome is a good choice for a more modest option and includes snacks, views, music, and a little entertainment on the ride back. We went with the Vistadome and weren’t disappointed!

Don’t worry about reserving bus tickets in advance. They won’t sell out and are valid for any of the buses going up to Machu Picchu. We did reserve them ahead of time, but we couldn’t actually pay for them until we got there. The good thing about reserving, though, is that we could pay for our early morning ticket the day before so we could walk straight on the train. If you have an early AM start I would highly recommend doing the same. You can find the original website here (many other sites charge extra): http://consettur.com/reservas/

Q: How can I adjust easily to high altitude?

My husband and I live at 4,000 feet, so our adjustment might’ve been a little smoother than those who live at sea level. I was very nervous about it, but here are a couple hacks that gave us minimal symptoms:

Buy “ear planes” for the landing from Lima to Cusco. One of my ears has trouble adjusting quickly to altitude change, it pops often and seems “sticky” when it does (it has to do with my eustachian tube line up and such). But the ear planes simulated the feeling of plugged ears and I had no problem with them popping.
Bring ibuprofen and use it proactively. Many hikers use ibuprofen to help with altitude change. Altitude sickness is a result of your brain swelling as it adjusts to less oxygen, so ibuprofen helps a LOT with that swelling. But you should use it proactively for best results. I took a couple every day and only felt a light headache once. Paul didn’t take them until after his headaches came on and had to deal with a very intense pain for a couple hours till it started working.
Drink coca tea. Local places sell coca leaf products everywhere in Cusco as a natural remedy for altitude sickness. I think it’s probably anti-inflammatory and that’s why it works. I drank it and chewed some coca leaf gum while I was there — I noticed it improved my sense of wellness significantly (but if you’re already sick you might need something stronger).
Hydrate like crazy. One of the biggest reasons we avoided severe symptoms is because we drank a crazy amount of water while we were there. We didn’t do much hydrating leading up to the trip, but that didn’t seem to matter.
If you’re very concerned, you can travel with altitude sickness medicine like Acetazolamide, but I think ibuprofin will do the trick for most people!

Q: What are the ticket options for Machu Picchu?

You can buy tickets to Machu Picchu here: https://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/inicio. If you want to do any hiking around Machu Picchu there are a couple options, but you’ll need to book your tickets far enough in advance in order to have access to everything.

Entrance to the Main Citadel

This first option gives you the ability to get the classic “shot” of Machu Picchu and see the ruins. A couple caveats with this one: there are no bathrooms inside the grounds and your ticket does not allow re-entry. It takes about 2 hours to walk through the ruins, so after that time you will probably be hungry and might have to use the bathroom. If you want to have a longer stay than 2-3 hours, it might be best to purchase another ticket with one of the hiking options that allows you to go out and back in.

Also! There are a couple trails like Sun Gate and the Inca Bridge that’s included in this ticket, but you’re going to want to do these things before you walk through the ruins because there’s not an easy way to get back up to the beginning. Paul and I on the first day wanted to walk through the ruins and then go to the Inca Bridge, but we were stopped and turned around when we tried to walk back up to it because the path is a one-way experience.

Hike to Huayna Picchu OR Machu Picchu Mountain

There are two hiking options that will require separate tickets: one to Huayna Picchu and the other to Machu Picchu Mountain. Huayna Picchu seems to be the more popular option as tickets were selling out for the various time slots faster. This peak is the one in the classic “Machu Picchu shot” and because of its notoriety it gets extra attention. According to what I read, this one is a more overgrown and jagged than Machu Picchu Mountain.

Machu Picchu Mountain is directly opposite of the citadel, so the entire way up you’re getting a direct view of the site. We chose to do this one because of the views I had seen from other travel vloggers, and they did NOT disappoint. The hike, though, was incredibly steep. The entire way up was climbing 2,000 feet of stairs and at parts, it felt like we were climbing a ladder with our hands on the top steps. We reserved the earliest time slot from 7:00 a.m. on and ended up being only the third couple at the summit. It was incredible viewing it all from above clouds, so if you’re fit enough to do this one definitely don’t miss it. We don’t hike often, but we are physically active and it took us one hour and fifteen minutes to get to the top but we were HAULING. It’s definitely a big workout and not for the faint of heart, but if you have enough grit you can definitely get through it (wouldn’t recommend for anyone struggling with vertigo).

The tickets for both hikes are more expensive than the citadel tickets, but they allow you to exit and re-enter. Outside the gates there’s restrooms (for a couple soles), a few restaurants, ice cream, and a small gift shop.

Important note about the bugs

I made a big mistake and underestimated the bugs that would be at Machu Picchu. There aren’t mosquito or large insects… but tiny little things called “sand flies” mostly down by the ruins. I read some stories about them and made sure I was covered head to foot with no exposed skin, but the leggings I wore had a thinner mesh material near the calves and without realizing it, I got eaten alive. They didn’t itch too much for the first 48 hours or so, but after that they were unbearable. I found cold water helped a lot but I wasn’t good at controlling myself (I had 40 on each leg lord have mercy). Finally, I discovered that tea tree oil helped a LOT and now three weeks later they’re still around but a lot smaller and some are almost completely faded. It’s a very, very persistent bite! So make sure to wear thick pants and long socks to save yourself.

Q: Other differences to expect or ways to be prepared?

There are a few things to mentally prepare yourself for when traveling to Peru. Especially if you’re coming from the United States or you’re not accustomed to traveling to a second world or third world country. The biggest thing is to go into your trip with an open mind and expect the unexpected. If you’re in a place of humility with a mindset of exploration then you can go anywhere and gain something from it!

The tap water isn’t usually safe to drink and may sometimes be brown/tan in color. In Cusco we boiled the water before drinking it and in Aguas Calientes we just bought water bottles. There was a group of girls in the bathroom in the train station in Cusco and one after the other they all said: “THE TOILET WATER IS BROWN” as they walked out of the stall. Don’t be that person, that person is silly.
Peruvians operate at a bit of a slower pace than you might be used to. Allow plenty of time to get places and realize that the “hustle” culture of most western civilizations isn’t necessarily the best approach.
This is true for traveling anywhere, but in downtown Cusco there are lots of people out and about trying to make a living off the tourism there. A simple “no, gracious” goes along way and people are usually good about leaving you be when you ask.
Central heating is a luxury most homes do not have in Peru. Pack extra socks and warm PJs because the place you’re staying may be super cold at night.
This should go without saying, but convert your money to “soles” before going. Many places only accept cash and conversion rates can vary depending on where you’re trying to get money. In Aguas Calientes, two elderly women yelled at the local Peruvian working in a store because the conversion rate wasn’t accurate there. Honestly, I think it’s terrible travel etiquette to try to pay with U.S. dollars when you’re out of the country. Avoid that headache altogether by taking care of conversion before you leave the airport.
Most waiters in other countries don’t check in with you as often as U.S. servers do. If you go to touristy places they usually do come up to your table multiple times, but even in those places they often don’t bring the check unless you ask for the check. In their minds, they’re being polite by letting you enjoy your meal in peace. This is something I’ve seen all across Europe as well, which I honestly really love. So just know (if you’re from the United States) that you’ll have to ask for your check.
And lastly, Peru has quite a few stray dogs. They aren’t aggressive but I wouldn’t recommend petting them either. They usually keep to themselves but often will walk right between people and can even group together in small packs of 3-4. It’s nothing to worry about but just something to prepare for!

To wrap all this up, our trip to Peru/Cusco/Machu Picchu was absolutely unbelievable. The people were so kind, the ancient world we walked through was mind-blowing, and the entire experience was something I’ll never forget. Every morning we woke up to the sound of fireworks because the people in Cusco were celebrating something new — it was a beautiful and happy culture. The food was delicious and we tried everything from cuy (guinea pig), alpaca steak, aji de gallina, ceviche, arroz con mariscos, and lomo saltado. We explored the steep stone streets in Cusco, touched a llama in Machu Picchu, climbed 2,000 feet of pure stairs up Machu Picchu mountain, stayed in a gorgeous room overlooking a raging river, enjoyed the sights of the Peruvian countryside by train, drank coca tea to soothe altitude sickness, practiced our Spanish with patient Peruvians, browsed traditional marketplaces, shared drinks at the highest Irish-owned pub in the world, and grew closer together as a newly married couple. This journey to South America was remarkable and I’ll forever be grateful the memories. It was also our second world wonder! Making plans for where we’ll go next…