Peru – quick travel guide

Mountainous, safe, more evolved country in South America.

Parts of Peru and Brazil, along with Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador, and modern-day Colombia…were all part of the Gran Colombia (“Greater Colombia”). Since they were broken up, each country evolved (culturally and politically) in a different way. Compared to Colombia and Ecuador, Peru seems much safer and perhaps more civilized. Peru is also one of the 6 original civilizations on earth, as you can see its technological and cultural advancements in museums. If you’re searching for a latin american country with rich and more advanced cultural history, rich diversity of food, and interesting mountain or jungle landscapes (instead of the usual beach destinations)…Peru would be a perfect choice.

I really like Peru’s vibe. I think due to the country’s geographic placement (being far out to the side), and not known as a beach or summer party destination, it’s often overlooked for more iconic touristy destinations like Colombia or Brazil. But this being overlooked means the type of people you meet there are very different. Instead of so many casual weekend tourists or party-backpackers, you get more hardcore adventure trekkers, those seeking spiritual healing, and expats living far off-the-beaten path. The travelers you meet tend to be nicer, more respectful of the culture, speak Spanish. A more immersed travel experience, rather than foreigners who want to stay “foreign”.

The main highlights of Peru (Lima, Cusco, and some treks like Machu Picchu) could be done in 2 weeks. But those who really enjoy the vibe and mountainous landscapes will spend extra weeks…more commonly in the south. The more curious travelers will cover all the small destinatinos in between and also venture (and stay) to the less popular destinations up north. I’d say a month could comprehensively cover far more areas.

General tips for traveling in Peru:

• Transportation:
  • Rideshare – Uber, Cabify (takes cards), InDrive (cheapest & cash only). Taxi’s can vary in pricing. Some more honest than others.
  • Flights – I traveled between Lima and Cusco via flight because it was cheap enough even last minute. But I’m sure buses exist.
  • Peru Hop – really cool hop-on hop-off bus that covers travel between cities and even between Peru and Bolivia. Also works door-to-door, pickup from your hotel/hostel and drops you off exactly at your next accommodation.
• Weather – it fluctuates a lot, even within the same day. Can go from hot to cold very quickly, or dry to rain.
• Mobile carriers:
  • Claro and Movistar are the top 2, then comes Entel and Bitel. Those 4 all have their own towers and networks (no piggybacking). And I think people argue over which one has better connection.
  • I read online that Movistar had the best connection, but my local friend said it was Claro for her.
  • Whatever you do, don’t use Entel…those guys make many promises yet your card never activates and never works. They’ll keep telling you to wait, or return to the store in person, but the problem never resolves.
  • I ended up going with Bitel and loved it. Didn’t have to wait in long lines at busy stores like Claro, Movistar, or Entel. I was in and out in 15 mins with a working ESIM! Super happy. Keep in mind I was only in Lima and Cuzco. I don’t know how their network works in more rural or isolated areas. (Update, they promised me 40GB but I only got 25GB of data. Still super cheap, though.)

Miscellaneous tips:

• Tap water – you can’t drink it. Don’t!

Safety tips:

• Peru is very safe compared to Colombia. You can generally walk around alone at night (perhaps even drunk). Single girls may feel harassed at times, though. Most local girls take taxi home at night, never walking alone on the streets.

Foods to try:

• Arroz con pollo, arroz con marisco – rice with chicken or seafood, lots of seasoning and flavoring. My absolute favorite.
• Ceviche – raw fish with lime and other spices/flavors. Very good in Peru. You’ve probably had this in many other places outside of Peru already.
• Lomo saltado – not my favorite. Stir-fry of marinated beef, french fries, rice.
• Huacaina – egg with yellow sauce
• Cui – little guinea pig. Can be ordered in whole form or chopped up if it’s too gross to see the animal’s body.

Customs & Language:

• Chevere & Bacan (pronounced “va-can”) – means “cool”
• None right now.

Peru cities (* = recommended, ** = must see):

• Lima* – big modern city with lots to see and do. Typical big city things like parks, waterfronts, restaurants and shopping. But tourists will probably want to move on to the unique mountain and (Inkan) cultural destinations like Cusco. Unless you got tons of time, 2-3 days here is already plenty.
• Pisco – visit the beautiful Islas Ballestas (with amazing nature & wildlife) from here. But skip all these if you’re short on time.
  • Paracas (island) – same area as Pisco. usually included in same day tour as Ica.
  • Ica – desert, sandboarding and pisco alcohol. Lots of extreme sports. Skip if you need time.
  • Chincha – small town usually included as day tour of Paracas, Ica, Chinca…leaves from Lima.
  • Nazca – this town has nothing. People come here to see the Nazca Lines (discolored stones drawing images in the mountains).
• Arequipa – many restaurants, bars, clubs in town. Also great landscapes. Santa Catalina Monastery, Colca Canyon hikes, and the El Misti volcano. Political situation…skip right now.
• Puno – explore the lakes, islands (like Islas Flotantes), and archeological sites. Political protests are really bad right now.
  • Lake Titicaca – if you have time, visit the Bolivian side with Islas del Sol y del la Luna
  • Uros Island.
• Cusco** – in the andes mountains of Peru. Just about everyone will tell you to spend more days here. Aside from being beautiful and culturally unique and interesting, it’s also central to most historical sites (e.g. Machu Picchu) and scenic trekking tours. The #1 must-see city in Peru. Most of the “must-see” tourist things in Peru are here.
  • Macchu Picchu – Peru’s #1 tourist attraction.
  • Urubamba (small town, lovely beautiful)***
  • Ollantaytambo (another small beautiful town)***
  • Pisac (mystical place, with lots of expats/foreigners)*…go if you have time 2 nights. typical jungle spiritual

Short itineraries (7 days or less) should go from Cusco to Lima, skipping all smaller towns. Long itineraries can go from Lima to Cusco, then fly out of Cusco or Lima.

Nothern route (amazon jungle):

• Madre de Dios – Tambopata National Reserve (close to cusco)…heart of the amazon jungle. (Laura’s favorite of the 3)
• Loreto – Iquitos
• San Martin – Tarapoto … all 3 are completely different from each other. lookup photos. the amazon jungle is different in all 3 of these.
• Huaraz – heard nice things about it
• Mangaraz – bad spelling…will try to find out what correct spelling is.

While most people go to south of Peru with the more touristy Inca Trail areas, the north of Peru is considered more off-the-beaten path and very nice/cheap. Good for exploring and living alternatively.

Long Itinerary

• Peru Hop long routes – take a look at this for an idea. Essentially, you’re flying into Lima and then deciding between flying out of Cuzco or La Paz (Bolivia).

Nearby countries:

• Bolivia – colombia > ecuador > peru > bolivia > chile > argentina > paraguay > uruguay.
  • come into bolivia from Puno (Peru). isla del sol y del luna. peru side of titicaca lake…uros island, people live there (spend night there with sky full of stars). bolivian side of the lake has its own enchanting aspects. bolivia is usually cheaper than peru.
  • many people visit La Paz in Bolivia and then pop right back into Peru.

Unfiltered notes:

• The Ultimate Peru Itinerary: From One Week to One Month of Travel – Worldly Adventurer
• Peru Route Planner: Classic Itinerary – TripSavvy
• Why Chapinero is the Best Place to Stay in Bogotá, Colombia – lifeafar