I hope my blog and pictures have inspired you to travel and explore! If you are thinking of traveling to Peru, I've gathered some helpful information for you in this post. This includes: our itinerary, tips and tricks for your trip, and of course budget details. If you have any questions, or would possibly want my help in planning your trip, please comment in the comment section or email me at: [email protected]. Happy planning! Our ItineraryOur itinerary definitely wasn't perfect. You always learn things you should or shouldn't have done when you are at your destination. Below our itinerary I have added some " * " with tips for future travelers. I've also added TripAdvisor links on places to visit / things to do.
Tips & TricksPERU - Bargain: If you look like a clueless tourist, locals will try to take advantage. Make sure to bargain for prices with taxi drivers, at local markets and anywhere else that's not an official store. - Taxi: Some drivers will take advantage by driving a longer route to the destination. So agreeing on a set price to destination BEFORE you get in the taxi is advised. (We took a taxi from the airport to B&B Wasi Hotel and we had agreed on a set price. Still the driver was driving around trying to sell us one night stay at some other hotel, and he kept telling us "Muchos Peligroso" meaning that our hotel was dangerous/in a dangerous place. Finally I had to raise my voice and tell him to take us to our hotel.) - Police: Corruption is present in Peru. We were stopped by a police officer on Highway 1S on the way from Lima to Ica. The Police officer lied to us about him having a camera on the side of the road which showed him we were speeding. He just saw our rental car sticker and tried to get a bribe from us. We talked for a while and after seeing that we weren't going to pay him, he let us go. - Bathrooms: Public restrooms rarely have toilet paper. Make sure to carry some with you! - Hotels: Other than our Ibis Hotel in Lima, the hotels barely had warm water, the windows and doors did not seal well, so noise and the outside air easily creeped in. Hotels were clean, but had lots of outside noise, so I would recommend getting rooms farther from the street. LIMA - Hotel: Miraflores area is a great area to book a hotel. It's located near the Miraflores Boardwalk, and many other attractions. This area is also safe. - Paragliding: Lima is a great place to experience paragliding. However, wind conditions change daily, so make sure you are flexible with your schedule. Booking in advance is difficult as paragliding is fully dependent on wind conditions. Just come up to the paragliding booth in Miraflores (between the lighthouse and Parque Del Amor) and ask if paragliding is possible that day. (You might be able to get a discount when you ask for Michael or Christina at the booth. Check their website for details.) - Bike rental: We recommend renting bikes and riding around the city! Fast, and fun way to tour around. There is a bike rental near the Larcomar shopping center. There are bike lanes in Lima, however they do rapidly end. So just be careful :) CUSCO / MACHU PICCHU - Altitude sickness: Make sure you do your research and talk to your doctor before flying into Cusco, Peru!! Cusco is a city at a high altitude of 11,152 ft or 3400 m above sea level. No matter how healthy you are, you can get altitude sickness. (We found that out the hard way). Check out WebMD. There are several things you can prepare yourself for the altitude change including getting oxygen supplements / cans, having your doctor prescribe you Diamox and of course not flying into a high altitude city, which isn't possible in Cusco :) - Flights: We flew from Lima to Cusco on LC Peru, local budget airline. On the way to Cusco we had no issues, but on the way back to Lima the flight was delayed (and almost cancelled) due to heavy clouds in Cusco and planes not able to land at the Cusco airport. The larger airlines like Latam and Avianca didn't have issues because apparently they had better technology that allowed them to land in the heavy clouds. So if there isn't much of a price difference, I would fly Latam or Avianca ;) - Machu Picchu: You don't have to hike to Machu Picchu. Tourists can take a train to a near town of Aguas Calientes and a bus up to Machu Picchu. But I definitely recommend experiencing a part of history, and hiking the Inca Trail, the path less traveled. - Hiking: If you decide to hike to Machu Picchu, there are various hiking options available. All of them will take you on the Inca Trail, however the starting point will change depending on the length of the hike you choose. - Hiking: You will need a guide!! Although the trail is clearly marked, you will be required to hike with a guide. BudgetAll prices are in USD This was not a luxury vacation, nor a budget travel. We traveled quite comfortably like middle class :D Flights Lexington, KY USA - Lima, Peru: (we booked with airline points. Only paid taxes) $73.40 pp x 2 people = $146.80 Lima - Cusco (roundtrip) $151.58 pp x 2 people = $313.06 Flights Total = $459.86 Transportation Rental Car with Avis $70.89/ 1.5 day rental = $70.89 Gas Total = $52.58 Lima Bike Rental $15 pp full day x 2 people = $30 Taxi 6 rides. Total = $59.52 Road Tolls 5 tolls. Total = $15.70 Bus from Aguas Calientes to MP (roundtrip) $25.42 pp x 2 people = $50.84 Transportation Total = $279.53 Hotels (Prices include taxes and fees) Ibis Larco Miraflores $72.31/ night x 2 nights = $144.62 Antawasi Cusco $60.00/ night x 3 nights = $180 Residencial Los Frayles $40.30/ night x 1 night = $40.30 B&B Wasi Aeropuerto Lima $54.28/night x 1 night = $54.28 (1 night in Aguas Calinetes was included in the Eco Path Trek Cost) Hotels Total = $419.20 Activities Ballestas Island Tour $15.75 pp x 2 people = $31.50 Sand boarding/ Dune Buggy $15.75 pp x 2 people = $31.50 Dune Buggy Driver Tip Total = $10 Eco Path Trek (Package Deal) $340 pp x 2 people = $680 Paragliding $75 pp x 2 people = $150 Activities Total = $903 Other Food (Restaurants, Snacks, Groceries) Total = $210.32 Shopping (Souvenirs, local clothing) Total = $84.49 PERU TRIP TOTAL = $2,356.40* *This is a rough estimate. I tried to keep track of all of our spending, but might have missed a few smaller transactions. * We only paid for taxes for the international flight. Expect to pay around $500 - 700 per person for flights from the US. (Prices vary largely between different US cities.) I hope our itinerary and budget were helpful! Please reach out to me if you have any questions. I would love to help you plan your trip! Comment below, or email me at [email protected]
4 Comments
Irina Douglas
5/24/2017 15:09:22
Great article and tips!!! Luckily I have good friends who live there and that would show me around of all of their beautiful places that tourist don't really get to see.. thanks for sharing!
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Out Of Office With Rebecca
5/25/2017 09:25:08
Oh that's awesome! Definitely the best to have residents take you around and show a bit of their local culture and life routine. Hope you get a chance to go one day!
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Out Of Office With Rebecca
5/25/2017 12:00:56
Thanks for the feedback! Let me know if I can help you in anyway when you do get a chance to go. :)
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Welcome to my travel & lifestyle blog!This blog is long overdue! I've wanted to start it years ago, but never got around to it. Traveling is my passion. My dream is to one day visit all continents, countries and states in the U.S. Thankfully I have had the opportunity to visit 39 countries in 4 different continents so far. Keep posted for my adventures and life events on my blog! - Rebecca God created a beautiful world out there! Get out and explore.
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