Machu Picchu in the morning mist, markets in Cusco and floating islands on Lake Titicaca – Peru is the South America trip everyone does first.
Photo: Eddie Kiszka (Unsplash)
Full disclosure: South America is still entirely missing from my collection – and Peru is the country my friends mention first. Always with the same highlight: Machu Picchu, which you reach by train from Cusco or on foot in four days along the Inca Trail.
The trip starts in Lima with the best food on the continent (ceviche!), then the flight to Cusco at 3,400 metres – two days to acclimatise, then the Sacred Valley with Ollantaytambo and Pisac, Machu Picchu, and on to Lake Titicaca with the Uros Islands. If you have time, add Arequipa and the Colca Canyon.
Altitude is the thing everyone underestimates: Cusco is higher than any Alpine summit. Take it slowly, drink coca tea, no alcohol for the first few days. Organised tours (TourRadar) take the logistics off your hands – train tickets and Machu Picchu entry are sold out months in advance.
Lima: Miraflores or Barranco. Cusco: San Blas (old town, quiet). Sacred Valley: Ollantaytambo for one night before the train.
I almost always compare hotels, apartments and guesthouses on Booking.com – with genuine reviews and usually free cancellation.
View accommodation in Peru Compare on Hotels.com Holiday rental on Vrbo