Traveling to Peru I am so excited about this post. My all time desire was to share my amazing experience traveling to South America with my husband. And I DO HIGHLY recommend traveling there. This one time life experience is worth every penny and your emotions. There was one Summer day in our new house, my husband asked me, – Alina, what do you want for your birthday? I was looking at Machu Picchu pictures at that moment. I sighed and with a dreamy voice I said showing him my phone screen, – I want this, take me there! Since that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every day I would read different topics particularly about this country Peru and all the historical and “mystic” places where I could possibly go and see it all with my own eyes. After spending 2 weeks straight researching, I started planning out our trip in advance. Places I wanted to see: Lima, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu and everything in between them. I RECOMMEND taking a car rental in Lima, because it’s a big city and taking taxi rides may be spendy, as there are many places to go to. Central Parks, Museums, we even visited a Catholic Church, they had a parade during our visit, and we went inside the church and spent some time during their service. My first expression in Lima was as if I am in Spain. Buildings, architecture design. Although Peruvians are half Inkas from the old civilization. So, this was in August. Their climate works backwards because of the equator. August is their last month of winter. Their weather was cloudy, foggy, and raining in the evenings. So sweaters was a must. Also, be careful driving on their roads, their drivers are more aggressive, many times ignoring road rules, and keep in mind that it’s a different country and people with different mentality. So, don’t get too surprised on some awkward moments that you might encounter. We took car trip a little further from the city, to their beach town. We spent there like half a day. I noticed that Peruvians don’t have middle class, some either are rich, and the rest are poor. I did not see hungry children or adults. They might not have a fancy apartment to live in, but they all have enough food, and more than enough milk from Alpacas. Alpacas are their national animal that feeds them and dresses them in wool. We took a flight ✈️ from Lima to Cusco after a few days that we reserved in advance. This flight took for about 3 hours. Cusco airport is quite small and many taxi drivers, so you will always have a ride. I DO NOT RECOMMEND getting a car rental in Cusco. Their parking spaces are very limited and it’s not worth the headache and money particularly in Cusco. So don’t do it. Take a taxi. You will save yourself more free and fun time. Cusco was my favorite old city there. I absolutely loved the 17th and the 18th century vibe all around, wherever you go. It was absolutely amazing. A must visit in Cusco is San Pedro Market. Endless options from street food, cultural hand made items. Amazing place to spend most of your day. Archeological area right in the city. Yes, they allow visitors on half the area. So it’s a must visit. Their food, and bakery, drinks are amazing. Absolutely enjoyed all of their buffets, restaurants, street food was my favorite. Coca tea was my other favorite go to drink! Keep in mind that Coca Tea is also a natural energy drink. I didn’t start a day in Cusco without drinking this tea first! Trip to Machu Picchu The only way to take a trip to Machu Picchu is through a train. We bought train tickets in advance online. Buying tickets in advance can save you a lot of money. The train station is in Ollantaytambo. It takes about 2 hours to drive there from Cusco. There we took a train and headed to Machu Picchu village. Honestly, I don’t remember how long it took one way on the train. But all together with the train and taxi rides and experience the veiws of that beautiful mountain takes one whole day, just to experience Machu Picchu. So plan your trips accordingly and in advance. The famous Machu Picchu mountain is not in the village. Don’t forget to buy tickets in that Machu Picchu village so you are allowed to enter the mountain premises to see the famous Machu Picchu. To get to the Mountain takes about 1 hour walking up the hill (might be the best option for hiking gurus). Or you can buy bus tickets and it takes like 25 to 30 minutes to get to the mountain. No camera can never justify the real breathtaking beauty of that nature. No matter how many pictures you take, videos you record, it just doesn’t look the same. Although I did record a short on my YouTube page. https://youtube.com/shorts/otlcTyjr6Qw?si=SMs03tjYY9j50HnA Peru is one of those rare destinations where the reality actually lives up to the glossy magazine photos. Whether you’re there for the history, the world-class food scene, or the sheer adrenaline of the Andes, it’s a trip that stays with you.
