January 2019
Peru
South America
Trip Summary
10 Days Total
Arrival Flight: Aeromexico Toronto to Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador | 1 day
Transfer Car: Avis Rental Quito to Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi, Ecuador | 1 day
Transfer Car: Avis Rental Cotopaxi to Quilotoa
Quilotoa, Ecuador | 1 day
Transfer Car: Avis Rental Quilotoa to Banos
Banos, Ecuador | 1 day
Transfer Flight: LATAM Airlines Quito, Ecuador to Cusco, Peru
Cusco, Peru | 1 day
Machu Picchu | 3 days
Cusco, Peru | 1 day
Transfer Flight: LATAM Airlines Cusco, Peru to Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador | 1 day
Departure Flight: Aeromexico Quito, Ecuador to Toronto
See the full interactive map itinerary here
We had 4 full days in Peru and the majority of it was centered around our 3 day Inca Jungle to Machu Picchu trek tour. We normally aren't "tour people" and prefer to do things on our own, but Machu Picchu is an exception to the rule in my opinion and a tour is an absolute must. There is so much history surrounding the ancient ruins and having the guide there with us over the 3 days was a great way to really dive deep into it and learn. We also found the particular tour we took brought us to really remote Peru towns and local lunch or dinner spots that we really enjoyed and likely wouldn't have stopped in otherwise. Further, and definitely most importantly, there is a lot of danger surrounding visiting Machu Picchu and Peru in general due to the differences in altitude. While Machu Picchu is just below the minimum height at which altitude sickness can occur, Cusco is above the minimum height and many people (including us) pass through there before heading to Machu Picchu. Therefore, it is very important for anyone doing the same to acclimatize in Cusco for at least a day (preferably two) before heading to Machu Picchu. Going with a guide from Cusco to Machu Picchu will help alleviate some of the pressures of ensuring you are acclimatized correctly and safe, because they will provide some structure of your trip within the proper guidelines. As a final added bonus, our tour group was really small (5 people total) and our guide Lenny was so funny and fun, we really can't imagine our Peru trip without him
DAY 01
CUSCO
Relax
We flew into Cusco through Lima, Peru. We had a longer layover in Lima, so we decided to leave the airport to explore the city, and if we were going to do it again we would have just relaxed in the airport and had some lunch. Lima left much to be desired and was dirty, crowded, and just generally overwhelming. I would suggest skipping it during your visit to Peru, there were so many better places to spend your time while you're there.
Day 1 in Cusco for us consisted of landing in the evening, and meeting our guide at our Airbnb for a briefing on our tour starting the next day, and relaxing. The Airbnb was nothing to write home about and a bit hard to find, but the bed was comfy, the bathroom was clean, and it was only $27 for the night - so it did the trick.
To prep for the tour the next day, they suggested bringing a long list of items, but here are the most important ones that we think you need after doing the trip: good, comfortable walking shoes, a rain jacket, water, a backpack, bug spray, toilet paper, plastic bag to hold your valuables incase it rains, and some cash in small bills.
DAY 02
SANTA TERESA
Adventure
Once you wake up at your Airbnb or hotel, if you are taking the same tour we did you will meet at the tour's local Cusco office and have breakfast with your group. Then, hop in the shuttle and take in the views as you drive up Abra Málaga mountain. Once you reach the drop off point, you will hop out of the shuttle and onto a mountain bike with biking hear and a garbage bag over you to protect you from the rain and bike down the mountain. The ride takes about 3 hours and is picturesque, super fun, though quite rainy while we were there at least. You will end up in Huyro, where the tour operators will provide you with a great buffet style lunch with lots of options. There is also a pool table and games at this stop to play and hangout with your fellow tour goers before you continue on.
Next, is an optional rafting adventure excursion that I would suggest doing. The rapids aren't the best in the world or anything, but it was still fun and exciting, with a place to stop and jump in off a rock if you wanted to!
After your adventurous day exploring smaller Peruvian villages, you will hop back in the shuttle and head to Santa Teresa to stay the night. In Santa Teresa, we found a little restaurant bar around the corner from the hotel we were staying at and sat on the patio for a few hours before bed playing jenga that they provided and enjoying a few of Peru's famous Pisco sour drinks.
DAY 03
AGUAS
CALIENTES
Explore
Day 3 was probably our favorite day of the tour, and we honestly didn't do much of anything but exploring small Peruvian towns with our guide. After breakfast, there was an optional zip-lining tour that we passed on, but heard good things about if it interests you! Instead, we had the option of walking 3 hours or exploring more of the town in the morning and then taking a quick bus over to a hydroelectric plant where we would meet up with the rest of the group who went zip-lining to have lunch. We went with the latter, and were happy with our decision. In the morning, we took our time and explored the small town of Santa Teresa, did some shopping in the local stores, and bought some fresh fruit from one of the fruit stands before our bus ride. It was a lovely morning.
After a great lunch at the hydroelectric plant with the rest of the group and hearing about the fun zip-lining adventures of their day, we all continued on to the final destination of the awesome, lively village of Aguas Calientes. We walked this stretch of the journey, about 3 hours in total, with our guide and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery, as well as chatting with Lenny along the way. When we arrived, Aguas Calientes reminded me of an upbeat American ski town, was crawling with tourists, and had no shortage of fun restaurants and bars to visit. After you check in to your hostel, you will meet the rest of the group at a restaurant in the village to have a nice dinner together and discuss the plan for your climb up to Machu Picchu tomorrow morning. After dinner, a lot of the bars in the village look very enticing, but make sure you get a good nights rest for your early morning trek!
DAY 04
MACHU
PICCHU
Climb
Today you will wake up (hopefully) bright eyed and bushy tailed at around 4:00am to start your climb up Machu Picchu. You want to start early to try to beat some of the rush, and to catch the spectacular sunrise at the top. The hike takes about 2 hours, is completely uphill, and right through the jungle so remember your water, running shoes, bug spray, and stamina.
Once you reach the top and catch your breath, you will meet a guide at the entrance and tour the Inca citadel for about 2 hours hearing stories from ancient times and learning about the history. You can continue to explore Machu Picchu on your own until you are ready to leave this magical place, then head back down the mountain to catch the bus back to Cusco. Machu Picchu was nothing short of amazing, and we thoroughly enjoyed learning the history of the ancient ruins. One thing to note though, of course, this is a major tourist attraction in Peru, and it was quite crowded with more selfie sticks than should be legal.
DAY 04
CUSCO
City
We left one day at the end of our Machu Picchu adventure open to explore Cusco and relax before heading home the next day. We had big ambitions to visit Humantay Lake, Rainbow Mountain, or Sacred Valley for a day trip, but decided to just hang out in Cusco town and watch football at one of the local bars for the day instead. We chose Papachos and then Paddy's Irish Pub and it was a total blast. The food and drinks were great, and the places were packed with other football loving tourists cheering on their favorite teams. The New Orleans Saints were playing and one passionate fan actually started crying in the Irish Pub and threatened to divorce his wife if they lost. It was quite entertaining. We were a little hungover on the plane ride home the next day, but it was so worth it. We stayed at this Airbnb, which was actually quite cute (and again, affordable) but beware it was a little hard to find and you have to walk up a big hill to get there - which became increasingly more difficult as more and more alcohol was consumed, of course.
