Peru
Peru is an amazing country on the Pacific coast of South America. It is an incredibly diverse country with deserts, towering mountains, glaciers, and the rainforest. The history is just a vibrant with civilizations occurring far before the famous and advanced Inca Empire. Peru is also know for its delicious food with them having the highest rated restaurant in the world. Peru has something for everyone who want to visit the country. Its a country of adventure, charm and friendly people. We visited Peru in April of 2024 and it was our first time to visit South America. It was an amazing journey.
Getting to Peru and Transportation
Our starting point as it is for most people was Lima, Peru. Lima has a nice international airport that has flights to many major airports around the world. Lima is the largest city in Peru and the capital. Other cities in Peru have international airports such as Cusco but Lima is by far the most connected airport in the country. For us in Houston its a little over a 6 hour flight to Lima. Once you arrive in Lima there are busses you can take and of course taxis. We stayed in the beautiful Miraflores region of Lima that is upscale and very safe. To get to Cusco its recommended to fly up into the Andes versus trying any other way. From there it is a several hour drive to the city where you can take the Peru Rail to Aguas Calientes where you can go to the iconic Machu Pichu. I heavily recommend going to Peru with a travel company or at least get a guide. If you want to see the highlights of Peru its a highly complex endeavor with flights, bus travel, and trains. It would be difficult to arrange that alone but possible of course. We took a great Trafalgar Tour and our wonderful guide Rudy handled it all for us.
Other Country Information
Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere so when traveling be aware the seasons are the opposite of our seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. We traveled in April and it was Fall in Peru. Weather wise it varies greatly around the country. In Lima, it never rains and is in a desert by the beautiful Pacific Ocean. The nights are cool and the days can be warm. In Cusco you are up above 11,000 feet in elevation so in general it is not a warm weather location. Machu Pichu is in the beginnings of the Amazon Rainforest and in Aguas Calientes it can be rainy and warm. So research your weather and be prepared for anything. Also be prepared for the high altitudes in the Andes as we got up to over 12,000 feet and on our first night in the Andes we slept at over 9,000 feet. When in Cusco we stayed at over 11,000 feet. Lima is at sea level so the altitude can effect you and everyone is different. You eventually acclimate to it but you should speak with your doctor as they can give you altitude sickness prevention medication such as Diamox. Also speak to your doctor about any vaccinations you might need such as Hepatitis A&B, Typhoid and others. We took vaccinations ahead of time and had no issues while on the trip. Like many Latin American Countries, you should not drink the tap water and use bottled water to brush your teeth as the water can make you sick. We bought bottles of water and used them for any of those needs. We where hyper careful as we have had issues during travel before so we did not eat salads or anything un-cooked. The official language is Spanish and many people do know English but you will run into people who do not know English so some Spanish knowledge would be wise. The currency is the Peruvian Sol and is worth much less than a US Dollar. Many places will take the US Dollar and credit card but we always have some of the local currency on hand. Peru is an adventurous place so be ready for hiking and strenuous activities at times.
Lima, Peru
Lima is a city that we found has a lot to see and do. Its a city over 10 million in population and is the political and business heart of Peru. Some only briefly stay in Lima before heading to Machu Picchu and that is unfortunate as Lima has a lot to offer. There are ancient pyramids made of mud in a way I’ve never seen before, great museums, and beautiful plazas and churches. At night they have a wonderful Water show and of course the food scene is legendary in Lima. We flew in a day before our trip and started out with a last minute booked tour that was suggest to us by Robert from Raw Travel. I contacted Vamos Travel and they arranged a great tour to start out our trip for the following day.
Parque Del Amor (The Park of Love)
Our first stop with Carolina was to the Park of Love that sits up on cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Miraflores. The views are beautiful and there you will find the kissing statue and “Love Locks” that you find around the world now. The locals where all enjoying a nice Fall morning in the park and we enjoyed the great views and how nice it is in Miraflores.
Huaca Pucllana
Our guide from Vamos Travel Carolina worked with us on our private tour to make it tailored to our interests. Our second stop was an amazing clay pyramid that was from three different societies before the Incans such as the Lima culture. The pyramid had a look of a bookshelf with clay books. It was built and added onto from the year 200 and onwards. The site was close to our hotel in Miraflores and consisted of the main religious/political main pyramid, a plaza and the remains of some other structures. Our guide gave us great information on the people and the restoration work done to save the site in the bustling Miraflores area. We hiked to the top where there were examples of the mummified people found buried on the top of the pyramid. They buried people in small pits in bundles. The dry climate preserved the bodies in a mumification process. From the top you could see the modern Miraflores well. There are also examples of what the ancient people might have worn. The lack of rain has helped preserve the pyramid that is still under excavation. There is also a nice small museum at the site that gives good information about the site and the three cultures. After our great visit to the site we headed on to the historical center of Lima.
Historical Center of Lima
We visited the historical center of Lima twice during our trip. The first time was with Carolina of Vamos Travel and the second time was on the first day of our Trafalgar tour. With Carolina we walked the center and visited the main plaza and walked by the colorful Basilica and Convent of San Fransico which Carolina explained has a large catacomb underneath it that we would visit on our second tour. We saw the Capital of Peru on the main plaza and walked to another nice park where there where sculptures, historical ruins from the Spanish and a nice view of the Rimac River that runs through Lima. After a great introduction to Lima we headed back to our Hotel in Miraflores. We rode in a Chinese made SUV and that was a first for us. Chinese vehicles are much more common in Latin America than in The US or Europe. We said goodbye to our great tour guide Carolina and waited for the next day after our welcome meeting with Rudy and our tour group to continue touring Lima. We did decide to walk down from our hotel over to the John F. Kennedy Park that is locally known as the Cat Park that Carolina mentioned to us. We love cats and at the park the cats are well taken care of with families bringing them cat food, boxes for them where in the park and they took time to pet and hold the cats. There were even cats relaxing in a nativity scene at a nearby church. It was a nice and festive mood being a weekend and there were nice shops selling souvenirs at good prices. The relaxing walk in the park ended our touring on our first day.
With our tour guide Rudy and our Trafalgar group we headed back to the Center and went into the Basilica of San Fransico. Its a beautiful church and convent with many frescos and decorative tiles. The wood working on the ceiling is spectacular. Rudy guided us through and then down underneath the church to the catacombs. There we went through narrow corridors with the bones left of some of Lima’s wealthy and powerful. Only skulls and leg bones remained as the other bones had long since deteriorated. Some bones where in geometric forms. It was the first catacombs we had visited and there where thousands of bones. From the Basilica we headed to the main plaza to see the capital and main Cathedral. They have a changing of the guard that protects the capital that they were preparing for but we didn’t have time to see. We passed by a very colorful blue Basilica and we stopped to get Peruvian Churros! Peruvian Churros are different than the Churros we are used to. They are filled with warm Dulce de Leche that is very good! After our tour we headed back to Miraflores to visit with a local chef at a Mercado (Market) where we learned about the foods of Peru. They have so many varieties of fruits and vegetables. They have thousands of varieties of potatoes for example. Rudy explained to us that Quinoa is from Peru and is used in many different dishes that we tried throughout our trip. After touring the Mercado we headed over to the Urban Kitchen where the chef showed us how to cook traditional Peruvian food. We also got to try the national drink called Pisco Sour that tastes a bit like a strong Margarita. The food was wonderful and I could already see why Peru is so famous for their food. We finished up and headed back to the hotel to rest a bit before our optional night tour to the Magical Water Circuit Park in Lima.
The Magical Water Circuit Park
Some of our tour group headed with a local guide after our day in Lima to head to the Magical Water Circuit Park. Its a spectacular water display of colorful fountains. When we got there it was a very festive and full of people out on a great weather weekend day. Before getting into the park there were vendors selling all kinds of street foods, glowing toys and many other things. We got in and started walking around the nice park with its glowing fountains of many different sizes and shapes. They had a splash pad for kids, a small train going around and a fountain for you to walk under. It reminded me so much of a Disney fountain display. The greatest part of the fountains was the show that was put on. Like I’ve seen at Disney they projected a video on the water that told the history of Peru from the Pre-Incan period to the current day. The show was wonderful and a must see if in Peru. After the around 15 minute show was done we headed back to our hotel. It was a great night and a good ending to our first day of our Trafalgar tour and the end to our first days in Lima.
The Larco Museum
One of the best museums in Peru is the Larco Museum in Lima. Going forward in our trip after spending a few days in the highlands of Peru we flew back and after checking into our hotel we headed to the magnificent Larco Museum. It is a collection of ancient Peruvian artifacts from all over the nation collected by a gentleman named Rafael Larco. He collected thousands of artifacts from many different periods in Peruvian history. We had a docent take us on a guided tour that started in the Erotic Artifact section full of more risqué art featuring many phalluses and other items. We then saw the giant collection of ancient pottery that they have stored. From there we went through the history of Peru. This included elaborate Gold artifacts, a mummy bundle that contained a young prince, and ancient Quipus. Quipus are a mystery to this day. They look like necklaces with string hanging down that contain knots. Many were destroyed by the Spanish since they recorded Incan history. It is known that the knots are a number counting system but the strands themselves have meaning with the colors and different sizes. What it says isn’t known as all who knew how to read the Quipu were killed by the Spanish. They have two on display in the museum. We finished our time eating at the restaurant in the beautiful garden in the museum. The food was great and we said our goodbyes to Rudy and our fellow travelers.
Pachacamac
On our last day in Peru we wanted to take on last tour as our flight like many in South America departed at night (1 am). We booked a Viator relatively last minute to visit the Southern Lima region and another very old archeological site called Pachacamac. Pachacamac is right on the Pacific Coast but has the look of being in the Sahara Desert with some dunes amongst the large pyramids. This site once again spanned many different cultures and ended with the Incans. The pyramid designs were somewhat different than Huaca Pucllana. We visited multiple places in the large site including the remains of an ancient road, an ancient palace and of course the large pyramid complex high on a desert hill. We climbed to the top of the pyramid that still had some of its red paint from the past and got wonderful views of the pacific and a green field where people where playing Polo on horseback. There is a nice museum that goes over the site and has a few more Quipus on display. We passed by the National Museum that is being built and went through the Barranco area of Lima on the way back to our hotel.
The Peruvian Highlands (The Andes)
On our second day on our tour we left Lima for a domestic flight on the national airline Latam to Cusco. Lima’s airport is easy to navigate and they have a separate terminal for domestic and international flights. Water is allowed to be carried through security on domestic flights but not international. Its about an hour flight up to Cusco from Lima. Cusco was once the capital of the Incan Empire united by the great Incan Emperor Pachacuti. It is very high in the Andes at over 11,000 feet in elevation. We slept there for two nights which is the highest we have ever stayed the night in the world so far. Before we traveled to the Andes we started taking Diamox and heavily hydrating to try to stave off Altitude Sickness. We did end up having some effects such as a faster heart rate, some dizziness and fatigue for a time. We also had some trouble sleeping at first. It didn’t stop us from having a great trip. It effects people differently. We spent 4 days in the Andes and amazon that included air, bus and train travel. It was an amazing once in a lifetime experience full of history adventure and wonder.
Manos de la Comunidad
After picking up our bags in Cusco we headed to our mini-busses and climbed higher into the Andes and stopped at over 12,000 feet at the Manos de la Comunidad (Hands of the Community) outside of Cusco. There we were welcomed by locals and got to see our first Llamas, Alpacas and Vicunas. We spent time feeding them and taking pictures with them. They are used for their wool at the farm to make textiles. The Vicuna is the national animal and its wool is extremely valuable costing thousands of dollars. After visiting with the animals we went and witnessed a wonderful ceremony with singing and dancing made by the people of a local village. Donna and I danced with the locals and afterwards as part of Trafalgar’s Make Travel Matter program we gave them fertilizer for their fields. We then got welcomed to have a Peruvian lunch. There we got to try many different types of food. They cooked the food underground with hot stones on top. We had chicken, guacamole, rice, pork and we tried a local food that is eaten in Peru. We tried Guinea Pig that is widely eaten in Peru. Some pieces tasted kind of like chicken and other pieces to me personally didn’t taste too great but we never pass up the chance to taste local food. We also tried the local Cola called Inca Cola that is yellow and tastes like bubble gum. We had some time to shop in the textile store where they had great Alpaca wool hats, rugs, and so much more. We bought some for our collection and then we headed out to the Sacred Valley of the Inca!
The Sacred Valley of the Inca
As we headed towards our hotel we first started to drive through the Sacred Valley of the Inca. Its a gorgeous place with scenic views. We stopped at a view point and the pictures don’t do the beauty justice. We drove along the sacred Urabamba River in the middle of the valley and passed by small communities as we headed to our very unique hotel. The hotel named Sonesta Posadas Del Inca Yucay in the small city of Yucay. The hotel was once an monastery built many years ago. The rooms where great with a nice outdoor patio overlooking gardens full of flowers and Incan Terraces. There we went to a great demonstration by locals about how they make the ornate textiles that are prevalent in Peru. They use natural stones and powders to make the different colors. The ladies showed the process from beginning to end and then we had time to buy some of the textiles from the local ladies. We had a great dinner and breakfast as we all worked to acclimate to the high altitude.
Ollantaytambo and Peru Rail
We got up the next day to another beautiful day and headed out to the City and Incan Fortress of Ollantaytambo. Its a relatively small city in the Sacred Valley that is surrounded by the Andes. There is a large fortress with many different Incan terraces used to grow crops. When we looked to the mountains we could see Incan storage facilities high in the mountains. The Incan people were so advanced that they stored their food up in an area with good wind ventilation to keep their food longer. Throughout our time in Peru we learned more and more from our guide Rudy and from the museums of how advanced the Incans where. We also could see that the doorways in all Incan sites are not set at a 90 degree angle but slightly slanted that gives them more strength during the frequent Earthquakes in the area. We only walked part of the way up the tall fortress to save strength for Macchu Pichu since we were dealing with slight altitude effects. We walked through a market in the cobble stone streets and then headed to a local ladies home. In Peru there are many who do not have much and live with few comforts. Our host in her home was very welcoming and spoke Quechua (the language of the Incans). Her home was one room with dirt floors with stone walls and a wooden/corrugated metal roof. She had humble wooden shelves and a pin for her Guinea Pigs. One of her ancestor’s skulls was in the home as an overseer. She stored her food in the small shelves and had a small kitchen. She had electricity for two small lights and had a small wooden bed. Trafalgar gave her some money for our visit and I gave her a little cash to help her. Its humbling when going into the developing world and seeing things like her home she graciously let us visit.
After finishing in the city we brought our day bags (our main luggage was sent back to Cusco so we had less to handle heading to remote Aguas Calientes) and headed to the Peru Rail Station. The train was very nice with seats with a table in sets of 4 and it was very nice inside. They have windows on the ceiling so you can look up at the mountain views as well. We had assigned seats on the train. There is only one way in and out of Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu and that is by train. If the train has issues such as a mudslide there is no way out except by helicopter. Rudy told us a story where there were mudslides and he was trapped for a couple weeks until helicopters came for all the tourists there. Shortly after we left the station we headed to the dinning car to watch a traditional dance and song and we stood on the open air platform in the last car admiring the Urabamba River and glaciers in the Andes. It took around 2 hours to get to our remote home away from home but we were provided snacks that were Quinoa Chips, cookies and chocolate and some tea. Once in the city we had made it to the Amazon Rainforest and the scenery had changed with lush trees and greenery. We handed our bags to hotel staff and we headed into the city. It was bustling with people heading to Machu Picchu. Its surrounded by mountains and the river runs right through town. After a quick break and walk around downtown we headed to our reserved bus ride to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu
We headed out in our bus that drove us high into the mountains and rainforest. It is mostly a dirt road with no guardrails with a very steep drop down to the valley. The road was wide enough for one bus at a time so they would pull off or back up if a bus was coming the other way. The scenery was beautiful and it was a true adventure. There is a nice visitors center before you head into the site. Pictures do not do Machu Pichu justice. It is an amazing of a place as people describe. High up on a mountain top with stunning valley and rainforest below. We first walked through some of the lower buildings before we took the over 400 steps up to the upper city where the iconic photos are taken. Machu Picchu is actually the name of the nearby mountain and not the city itself. No one knows the name of the city or truly what the purpose of the city is. There are many different theories but its still one of history’s mysteries. It took us a long while to get up the many stairs. The view and pictures were well worth it. We then started our walk where I met a new friend given to me by Rudy. A large Millipede crawled on my had for a bit. The site is extensive and we soon walked by the Temple of the Sun that was used as an observatory for the solstice. It is placed just right to determine when that is. We visited the Temple of the Three windows that also can predict astronomical events. The Incans are so advanced that there is a sundial that is leaning at the exact degree that Machu Picchu is from the equator. Sun dials found closer to the equator lean to a lessor extent. They somehow calculated those distances. There was a Llama up on top of a higher portion of the city looking out for the other llamas that roam freely there. A guide told us it was the Alpha Male “Macho”. Pachacuti designed Machu Picchu and he was an incredibly intelligent man who formed the Incan Empire. While walking we could see and hear thunderstorms in the Andes/Amazon so we finished up our amazing walk through a much deserved Unesco World Heritage site. We then got out right before the site closed for the afternoon and took the adventurous bus ride back into town and headed to our nice hotel and got a great Peruvian dinner before we rested after a long but great day.
Aguas Calientes
After a good nights sleep we headed out to tour the small city of Aguas Calientes. We could have gone back to Machu Picchu but we decided to rest a bit and see what the city had to offer. When we got outside there were low level clouds moving through the mountains that gave the area a eerie, adventurous look to it. After shopping in the local market near the train station full of souvenir shops and getting a full body hot stones massage for 30 minutes for $15 each we met up with our great guide Rudy for our tour. Right before we left a large group of school children came through the town saying hello and singing to all the tourists. Aguas Calientes is a relatively new city that was built for tourists heading to Machu Picchu. The city has some very nice parks with Incan sculptures and maps honoring their legacy. We left the manicured tourist area and headed to where the locals live. It is of course much less luxurious as they do what they can with the money they have. Rudy let us know even though they can make a decent amount of money in a high tourist area the costs to live in remote Aguas Calientes is high and housing is hard to find. After our tour of the city we grabbed our bags and headed back to the train station for our ride back to the road to head to Cusco. We had another great train ride that included a fashion show with Peruvian products and of course beautiful scenery. The Amazon rainforest drifted away and we returned back to the high Andes to continue our journey.
Chicheria
As we drove through the small towns in the Sacred Valley we made a stop at a site that had Alpacas and Llamas but the main reason we stopped was to experience another part of Peruvian culture. A Chicheria is a local bar/restaurant in the Andes that serves the local beverage Chica Morada. Chica Morada is a beer made from Peruvian purple corn. Its been around for many years. They had a replica of a Chicheria since at the real locations they allow Guinea Pigs to roam freely in the establishment. We got to see how the Chica is made and then tried a small sample after doing a quick gift to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) by pouring a bit on the ground. We only tried a little while our guide Rudy drank a very large glass. Western stomachs are not used to the bacteria in the water, some foods and the Chica Morada so having too much could give you lets just say stomach issues. We thankfully had no problems. We got to visit a textile shop and before we left the locals sang us a song thanking us for our visit. This was the highest point in elevation of the trip being at well over 12,000 feet.
Cusco
Our last stop before heading back to Lima was to the former Incan Capital city of Cusco. Our hotel was the Novotel in the historic city center and our smaller sized busses were too big for the small streets so we switched to vans. Even though it was in the evening the city was still bustling with people out and about. We passed by marketplaces with fresh meat including a pigs head ready for people to buy. Cusco is one of the largest high altitude cities in the world with a population near 400,000 people. Its located in a valley surrounded by high mountains. We spent two nights in Cusco and as was mentioned before is the highest elevation we have slept at so far. Our hotel was an old Spanish home for a wealthy man and was very nice including a good restaurant. On our first night we wanted to try something completely new so we walked a few blocks to the KION Peruvian Chinese restaurant to try Chifa. We had Wonton Soup and Chicken Fried Rice with a Egg Burrito (an omelet rolled into a burrito shape). It was very good.
The next morning we headed out to do a walking tour of historic Cusco. We passed by ruins from the Incan City and then into the city square that has a glistening statue of Pachacuti the great Incan Emperor. We went into the main cathedral that has many hidden references to Incan religion such as hidden Incan crosses, and Pacha Mama and Pacha Papa having relations as a hidden message on the choir loft chairs. In the courtyard there are remains of the great main temple of the still standing due to its precise and strong construction surviving many earthquakes. They have a replica of the great Gold piece that was in the great Temple of the Sun. Inside the cathedral there is also a painting of Christ’s Last supper with a Guinea Pig for dinner. Rudy who live in Cusco pointed it all out to us. Outside we took a picture with a Baby Llama and bought a few things from people selling items in the streets. You can buy paintings, textiles, trinkets and more from people around the square. After our walk through the city center we got in our vans to see another great Incan Temple and holy site.
We headed up to the top of the valley to Sacsayhuaman to visit the huge fortress and temple to the Incan Lightning god. We first stopped by a Christ The Redeemer statue that overlooks Cusco and is lit at night. We had a great view of Cusco and the valley. We could easily see the main square and other landmarks like the airport. There were a few people there praying at the three crosses next to the statue. We then headed to the Incan site that the group joked with Rudy about the way the name sounds like something else entirely. This site has some of the largest stones moved in history with the largest stone being over 250 tons in weight. The stones were expertly cut and fitted to where almost nothing could fit through the cracks between the stones. We walked through the huge grass plaza where to this day celebrations are held during the Winter Solstice. Another amazing Incan achievement was shared with us by Rudy. He showed us a picture that the temple and fortress actually are shaped like the head of a Puma which is one of the sacred animals of the Inca along with the Condor and the Serpent. The body of the Puma is actually the ancient city of Cusco. It is amazing that without a plane they designed a Puma many miles long that can be viewed from the sky. We headed back to our hotel for a quick rest before we headed out on an afternoon optional tour outside of Cusco to see some more beautiful and impressive sites.
Moray
In the afternoon we headed out of Cusco back towards the Sacred Valley to visit another amazing Incan Site that shows how advanced they were. On the way we passed by many small villages where people were cooking Guinea Pig and enjoying a nice day. We drove through the Salt Town of Maras which was full of adobe brick made buildings and the local ladies were wearing their traditional hats and dresses. Moray is surrounded by high mountains in the Andes filled with snowy glaciers. The archeological site was once an Incan agricultural laboratory of sorts. There are several large pits that have Incan terraces at different heights throughout the cone shaped pit. The Incans figured out the pits allowed for temperature control and to be able to grow different crops that can grow at different altitudes. The seeds were then sent across the Incan empire to feed the people with crops. You can walk down to the bottom and walk up a small hill to take in the great views. We had one more stop on our optional tour before heading back to Cusco.
Maras
Our last stop was the Maras Salt Mine. Its not really a mine at all but a large group of terraces that sit in the sun in a valley. There is a spring full of salty water that they fill the terraces with the water and let it dry out and then gather the salt. Before we made it to the salt mine we visited a shop and got chocolate using the salt. We took a nice walk down closer to the mining area and enjoyed the sunset in such a scenic area. As we slowly walked back up the hill (you get out of breath fast at high altitude) there are some shops selling salt and other items. We headed back to Cusco where from the van I was able to catch a glimpse of the Southern Cross (Incan Cross) in the sky. Its a constellation you can only see in the Southern Hemisphere.
Saqra Pacha Peruvian Haunted House
Located not far from our hotel we found a really neat Haunted House Experience. Donna and I were alone in our tour and it was done by two actors who played different characters of myth in Peruvian folklore that included a trip to a fog covered jungle, to the underworld and to a murderous ladies home. I thought it was a great experience that had learning and horror mixed together It was the last thing we did before leaving the Andes the next morning back to Lima.
Peruvian Cuisine
When in Peru you have to try the different types of food they have. The thousands of types of potatoes, the many different ways they cook Quinoa and the different colas and beers they have. They have wonderful beef dishes and seafood like Paella and Ceviche. There are different teas that you can try and so much else like Guinea Pigs and Alpaca. Thier Churros are different but great. While in Cusco we tried some of the best coffee we have ever tried at Cafe DWasi. Peru is a major coffee producer and the coffee there was wonderful. We tried so many different things while on the trip and its another cultural aspect that is well worth exploring while in Peru.
Tips for Peru
Peru is an amazing adventure and I recommend it to visit. I heavily recommend you go on a tour like we did with Trafalgar or at the bare minimum have a guide as it will become difficult to plan all the logistics if you are looking to go up to the Andes and the Sacred Valley. Its of course possible to do it all on your own but it will take a lot of planning and a lot could go wrong. This is a little more adventurous trip so having wonderful guides like we did in Rudy and Carolina is great to have. Be prepared for the high altitude in the Andes and talk to your doctor before heading there. Don’t let it scare you from going but it does make it more difficult to hike. Also try the different foods and drinks in Peru even if they are things you are not used to. Since Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere be prepared for the opposite season than you would expect in the US. If Peru is not on your radar to travel to it should be! Its an amazing adventure and one I will not forget anytime soon!
If you are Interested in this trip:
Contact Donna Miller and she can help you book your dream trip today including the hotels and tours mentioned here. Her travel planning services are completely free if you book with her. Contact her at donnamiller.etfamilytravel@gmail.com to book today!
