- Peru is one of my favorite places I've visited. I spent 2 weeks in Cusco, Sacred Valley, and more.
- Travelers should know visiting Machu Picchu can be tough and require planning, but is so worth it.
- Prepare for elevation sickness in Cusco and know that driving in some parts of Peru can be tough.
Peru has been on my travel bucket list for years, so when the opportunity presented itself to attend a yoga retreat last spring I jumped on the chance.
The first half of my visit was spent with a group doing sunrise yoga and Pilates in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. My husband joined me for the second half of the vacation, and we road-tripped to the Peruvian Amazon and explored more of the Sacred Valley.
I'm lucky enough to have traveled to 40 countries, and I have to say this was one of my favorite travel experiences to date. Here are my biggest takeaways and what I'd tell others before they visit.
Getting to Machu Picchu requires a lot of planning — but a visit is worth the time and effort.
As one of the Seven New Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu is the ultimate destination for a lot of travelers heading to Peru.
There are two primary ways you can get there, and each requires planning and a solid time commitment. The first is by a multi-day hike, and the second is by using a mix of vehicles.
I opted for the latter — car, bus, and train — and it still required a sunrise-to-sunset time commitment.
Our group drove to Ollantaytambo, picked up the train to Aguas Calientes, took a bus to Machu Picchu, and then did a small hike from there.
Whichever path you choose, you absolutely need an advanced booking/permit as Machu Piccu has a daily visitor limit. I personally recommend hiring a guide who can help you navigate all of these logisitcs and teach you about this incredible historic site.
Some of the area's extremely high elevation can be tricky to acclimate to.
Cusco sits at a staggering 11,000 feet above sea level, making it one of the highest points in the world (for comparison, Denver is around 5,280 feet above sea level).
Altitude sickness is very real, and I contended with it myself throughout the trip, even after several days of acclimation.
For me, it manifested as a nauseated feeling accompanied by headaches, lack of appetite, lethargy, and brain fog. At one point, even my FitBit alerted me to a notable dip in my oxygen levels.
It also felt harder to get a good breath in throughout parts of the trip, which was extra noticeable when hiking.
Fortunately, there are oxygen canisters you can purchase in local shops, and some hotels have oxygenated areas to help travelers who are struggling.
There are so many other incredible sites to see besides Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu is a must-visit spot, but don't write off the other incredible historic sites and ruins around the aptly named Sacred Valley.
I fell in love with the colorful town of Chinchero (so much so that I visited it twice), and Moray is a dazzling archaeological site to behold with its many curved terraces.
Ollantaytambo and Pisac are both home to beautiful ruins and vibrant markets, so I suggest you pencil in time for shopping. Just north of Cusco, the Salt Mine of Maras was also one of my favorite things I saw in the area. The salt ponds looked otherworldly.
If you plan to visit a few must-visit sights, I recommend looking into a Cusco Tourist Ticket — buying one might mean you spend less on your admission prices.
Driving around the country can be challenging in many ways.
If you're not planning to leave Lima or Cusco, then you probably don't need a car during your visit. Instead, you can hire a driver or participate in sightseeing tours when exploring the Sacred Valley.
However, if you're planning to venture outside these areas — like going to the Amazon as my husband and I did — then a car may be essential.
Driving in this country is not for the faint of heart, though. We consider ourselves experienced international drivers, but this was easily the most challenging driving situation we've ever found ourselves in.
Throughout our drives, we encountered damaged roads, many stray dogs (including some that aggressively chased our car), fellow drivers disregarding "normal" traffic rules, and environmental hazards in more rural areas.
Still, our six-hour road trip from Cusco to Quincemil — to stay at the incredible Kuporo Lodge in the rainforest — was absolutely breathtaking, so the tough drives were well worth it.
The country is incredibly diverse in attractions, landscapes, and culture.
So many people come to Peru to visit Lima, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley ruins. Don't get me wrong — that's a bucket list trip in and of itself.
However, don't be shy about venturing outside these areas if the opportunity arises.
Our four days in the Amazon were soul-satisfying, and another one of my favorite experiences was spending a leisurely day at Lake Piuray, a small lagoon about an hour north of Cusco.
I left feeling like I had seen so much but could have seen even more. Fortunately, the many places and activities I missed on this trip only give me more reasons to go back to Peru.
