7 Days in Peru - Cusco, The Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu
Salt Mines of Mara in the Sacred Valley, Peru
I can’t say enough about the beauty of Peru. The colors, the landscapes, the llamas! I truly can’t wait to go back and explore more of this country. This first visit was the second country stop during my time backpacking South America. Sadly, when I arrived in Peru I was massively battling food poisoning that I acquired at the tail end of my time in Ecuador - so I wasn’t at full Hannah capacity to go-see-do. That being said, I still covered a lot of ground, just… while clenching and downing all the anti-diathermic meds.
It was truly like a rainbow country. There were so many vivid colors in the landscapes but also the decor - I fully plan to recreate the Peruvian pom pom garland you see in so many shops, for my own home sometime soon.
My original intention - and bucket list checking item - was to have a quick stop in Cusco to help acclimatize to the even higher elevation than Ecuador, before trekking to Machu Picchu. Because of said food poisoning, that killed those plans (oh I still made it to Machu Picchu, just in a different way) and I had to do a rework. Honestly, though, I’d say it was a blessing in disguise. Ya girl is a slow hiker and with these knees… I’m also a cautious one. So after doing various outdoor activities in Ecuador, I had a bit of a come-to-Jesus moment about what the realities of actually hiking to Machu Picchu would have entailed. Probably a lot of pain… for me.
My starting point and home base for the majority of my stay was Cusco - which I LOVED - with day trips plus a single-night excursion to visit Machu Picchu being the only things that took me away from the city. Alright, let’s get into it!
Days 1-3, 5 - Cusco
Between bouts of absolutely wrecking the toilet (TMI? IDC) - oh and FUN FACT Peru is one of the countries in the world, of which there are honestly more than you’d think, where you don’t flush toilet paper… you trash it. So… deepest and most sincere apologies to the workers who have trash duty as part of their job description.
For these first three days, after my trip to the urgent care, as well as day five, I explored all around the city of Cusco. Here are some of my favorite things:
Historic city center - Walk around the Plaza de Armas, grab a seat and people-watch in the lovely Plaza Mayor de Cuzco, find plenty of places to eat (including a lot of chain restaurants meh), and visit the Catedral del Cuzco.
KORA Galeria de Arte y Muebles - Artisan shops are my best friends and this one is a dream. You’ll discover a lot of different finds to suit all your creative desires. Luckily for my wallet I was backpacking so I didn’t have space (or back strength) for too many purchases. Also, there is a cute restaurant down the street from it, with a lovely terrace.
Bull spotting - One of those local anecdotes I absolutely loved (and bought myself a hand-painted pair at the shop listed above). You’ll notice a lot of clay bulls, known as Toritos de Pucará, on roofs in Peru, and more colorful ones throughout. They are typically a gift given to a couple getting married to symbolize many things such as fertility, love, prosperity, and more.
Ruinas Street, Plaza San Blas, and C. Carmen Alto Street - Areas with various shops, grocery stores, ATMs, and a few eateries, near the Plaza de Armas.
Lomo Saltado - THIS DISH omg, my favorite. It’s like a Peruvian stew with fresh tomatoes and onions and oh, so GOOD. I’m rarely a meat person, let alone a beef gal, but this meal was IT for me. So juicy, so tender, so delicious.
Tips:
Check to confirm that where you are staying is close - which means you could WALK there in under 10 minutes - to the historic center of the city. This holds a lot of main attractions plus it will likely be a pick-up and/or drop-off spot if you do any tours. Make it easy on yourself.
This city has a high altitude and lots of hills. I can pretty much guarantee you that you will be out of breath. Keeping my first point in mind re-proximity to activities, also be sure to take breaks and plan your day knowing you might not get in as many steps as you would in a location closer to your day-to-day altitude. I’m not speaking to the Colorado or other regular high-altitude peeps here, OK?
Keep an eye out for scammers and tourist traps. You will see women in traditional clothing with cutely dressed llamas - this is a tourist trap but honestly, it is cute as hell so spend the cash if you please. I’m more flagging the shadier-seeming folk. As someone who loves art (and Cusco is a HUB for artisans), you will come across MANY (like too many) men carrying what seem to be portfolios, claiming that it’s their original work. And then you’ll see another… with reallllyyyy similar work. If you want to buy a picture, buy a picture, but know that it’s likely not authentic, so go in with your eyes open.
Day 4 - Sacred Valley
Since I had already booked my Salkantay hike to Machu Picchu, the tour company I booked through was kind enough to offer me a pivot since my food poisoning hindered me from making the full trek. I had tunnel vision when I made my loose plan for Peru, with my sights mainly set on Machu Picchu, but there is so much more to the country than that! Cusco also offers a great home base for a lot of excursions, like my day out in the Sacred Valley. These were some of my favorite spots:
Museo Sulca Textiles - A fascinating spot where you get to learn about alpaca wool as well as other materials and natural dyes, meet some of the local animals, and do a bit of shopping.
Salt Mines of Maras - Like many things in Peru, these terraced mines are intricately placed within the landscape and are simply an amazing site to behold. When the sun reflects off of the pools, you can see why the workers (if you see any during that time) are fully covered, cause you’d be burnt to a crisp real quick.
Ollantaytambo Sanctuary - For me, outside of Machu Picchu, this was the stand-out in terms of the feats of the Incans and what they were able to build. Honestly, they must have been Thor clones because as you see and learn how structures came to be, it seems humanly impossible.
Moray - Another Incan feat, this time in circular terraces presumably created for the use of farming and crops.
Parque Arqueológico Pisac - These ruins sit above the city of Pisac and, to be honest, are kinda creepy. I visited these towards the end of the day so dusk was a falling which added to that deserted feeling most ruins have, but in a cool way. Ya know? The landscape was beautiful, especially as you are high above in the mountains.
Tips:
Bring a portable fan. Unless you are renting a car - in which case good luck because drivers in Peru are cray cray - you will likely be on a crowded bus with a seat buddy (whether you know them or not). Like in Ecuador, there’s not likely to be much air conditioning (or flow in general). My bus’s windows were literally sealed closed cause previous tour groups were throwing trash out of the window - _-
Coinciding with the above tip, sit as close to the driver as you can. This allows you access to be one of the first off the bus but also better airflow (if the driver has their window down, you get blessed).
You may need a rest day after this full-day adventure. I mean, who fully rests on vacation? Not this lady. But more so, having a break between a long day of dedicated activities and say… Machu Picchu, pretty solid.
These travel soap sheets are your best friend. There are loads of places you’ll come across - not just in Peru but the world - where there is water but no soap. Personally, I like my hands clean.
Days 6 & 7 - Aquas Caliente & Machu Picchu
There was no way I made it to Peru and wasn’t getting to Machu Picchu. It had been a bucket list item for me since at least college and I was going to make it! By this point, I was able to contain my stomach issues - at least if I kept my intake low - so aside from feeling like a chapped raisin, I was READY for this excursion.
As mentioned, my tour company worked to rearrange my visit - which was completely unexpected but very appreciated (huge shout out to Nixon who came to my hostel to work out a new itinerary for me)! I was picked up from my stay first thing in the morning and after everyone was collected, we headed for the windy roads up to Hidroelectrica. There were at least two stops on the way for bathroom and snack, though the “guides” for this only spoke in Spanish (as they really weren’t guiding but more dropping us off). From there we hiked the three hours up to Aguas Calientes before checking into our hotels and then later meeting our Machu Picchu guide for dinner and information regarding the next day's tour.
After a much-needed night's rest, I ended up taking the bus to Machu Picchu - versus doing the final hike up (and was very happy with my decision as some of the stairs looked… questionable). Our tour was first thing in the morning, which was ideal as even though they do a great job of managing the level of people touring this wonder, the sun will start to get to you so you want to be in and out before peak rays.
After the tour ended and a bus ride back to Aguas Calientes, I did end up splurging on a train ride to Ollantaytambo before taking a bus the rest of the way back into Cusco. At this point, the roads are less… nauseating.
Tips:
Be patient with pick-ups. Often they are picking up many people and with how many hostels, hotels, Airbnbs, and more there are, there can be delays in tracking everyone down. If you’re one of those delays, be grateful that they are taking the time to find you plus, know that these hold-ups are almost always baked into the itinerary.
If you don’t speak Spanish, stick close to those who do. They will be your bestest friends (make sure of it). There is likely to come a point where you are confused or unsure of your instructions, and having someone who can help translate or direct will be incredibly important.
To repeat one of my tips above, bring a portable fan. This is honestly no joke. At one of the stops, someone spewed all over the road because of how windy and whipping the roads were. Not to mention the steep drops on the cliff edge your driver is maneuvering…
Pack snacks and extra water. The snack stops aren’t always the most plentiful (and often the lines are long) so prepare in advance. Plus, if you’re hiking for three hours, you’re going to want all the water you can get.
If I could do it all again, I’d honestly probably take the bus to Ollantaytambo and round trip the train to/from Aguas Caliente, versus taking that initial bus ride and hiking up. The roads are honestly terrifying on that bus (if you are sitting on the left side… it honestly looks in part like you’re going to go off a mountain). The train was so nice and doing a split bus/train route is the middle of the cost bracket (the most expensive would be training round trip from Cusco). Plus, in my opinion, the hike from Hidroelectrica doesn’t have much to offer. There are one or two pretty spots but nothing that you’re gonna experience FOMO over.
Day 8 - Chill + Travel
Lots of exploring and the ever-present altitude struggles (not to mention my belly problems) made for one tired Hannah. After arriving back to Cusco late the night before and having a late flight out on this day, I ended up booking an extra night in my stay to simply lounge. Highly recommend! My stay was really affordable (I moved from a hostel to a single-room Airbnb when my Machu Picchu plans changed), and just being able to comfortably relax ahead of a long flight to Chile, was ideal.
I know I barely scratched the surface of everything Peru has to offer and I can’t wait to go back and explore more! Maybe next time without the backpack, though it was the adventure (and learning experience) of a lifetime.
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