If you asked me several years ago if I ever thought I would have the opportunity to see Machu Picchu, I probably would have said no. The idea seemed crazy and Peru seemed like a mystery to me, but I am here to tell you that the country is surprisingly accessible. We found it easy to travel there even though we only had one week available for our vacation. If you have read my previous posts, you know that we chose to take a guided tour of Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu. In order to help you realize everything you can see in one week, here is a day by day itinerary of our trip:
Day 1, Saturday– We chose to fly out of Chicago because it was much less expensive, enough to be worth the three hour drive to the airport. We had two flights to reach Lima, both lasting about 4 hours and including a short layover in El Salvador. We arrived very late in Lima, but thankfully we had a private driver ready to take us to our hotel in the Miraflores neighborhood of Lima.
Day 2, Sunday– We were given the morning to explore Lima on our own. We chose to head toward the coast to see the main shopping center of Larcomar. There were numerous shops and restaurants on multiple levels of the shopping area, and most of the restaurants provided excellent views of the Pacific Ocean. In the afternoon, we joined our group for the first time to take a guided tour of the city. There are numerous “districts” in Lima, most with a unique feel and different characteristics. We first drove through Miraflores and San Isidro which are the business/tourist districts in Lima. This is where most of the hotels and upscale restaurants are located. We then made our way to the Plaza de Armas or main square in Lima. The presidential palace, Archbishop’s palace and La Catedral de Lima are all located here. Our final stop for the day was the Santo Domingo convent. Along with beautiful hand-painted tile walls, the convent is also home to a library that contains many original hand-written books from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Fun fact about Lima: they only get about 22 millimeters of rain per year!
Day 3, Monday– This morning we left our hotel about 6:30 am to catch our flight to Cusco. For anyone who thinks traffic can be crazy in the United States, I would urge you to visit Lima during rush hour. It took us several hours to reach the airport compared to about 30 minutes when we arrived Saturday night. Our driver informed us that the city was not built to handle the 11 million people that currently reside there which causes some serious traffic issues. Once landing in Cusco, we took a 2 hour bus ride through the Sacred Valley to our hotel in the town of Urubamba. The views from the bus were gorgeous as you can see from the pictures below. Even though the Sacred Valley is at a lower elevation than Cusco, it is still about 9,000 feet and requires some time to acclimate. We spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel and getting to know our fellow travelers. I will say that we did not really enjoy the Coca tea we were offered to help with the altitude sickness. Some other guests felt like it truly helped so I would encourage you to try it if you visit Peru.
Day 4, Tuesday– After a continental breakfast at the hotel we headed out for a full day tour of the Sacred Valley. Our first stop was just outside the village of Chinchero for a weaving demonstration by local women. All of the colors in the clothing you see below are made from natural ingredients such as flowers and even bugs! After purchasing a scarf we were ready to go to the historical center of Chinchero which is located at an elevation of about 12,000 feet. There is a beautiful church and some Inca ruins. Many of the villages still have the original buildings and streets built by the Incas, including the drainage systems you can see in the stone street in the picture below. We then boarded the bus again to head toward the Ollantaytambo ruins. These mark one of the only spots where the Spanish conquistadors lost a major battle to the Incas. Our final stop for the day was for a buffet lunch at a beautiful restaurant in Urubamba.
Day 5, Wednesday– The day we had been waiting for since we arrived in Peru…seeing Machu Picchu! There is a significant amount of travel required to see this Inca citadel, but definitely worth it. We started the day at 6 am when we had to catch a bus from our hotel to the train station at Ollantaytambo. From there we boarded the Peru Rail train headed to the town of Aguas Calientes. The train ride lasts about 1 1/2 hours and provides beautiful views of the Urubamba River and the surrounding Andes Mountains. Once arriving in Aquas Calientes, we then waited in line to board a bus that drives the last 25 minutes to Machu Picchu, climbing numerous switchbacks along the side of a mountain.
After a long, but exciting morning of travel, we were finally ready to take the short hike up to Machu Picchu. I wish I could put in to words the feelings you experience when seeing Machu Picchu for the first time. Although our pictures are beautiful, they truly don’t do it justice. Our guided tour lasted about 3 hours and I can safely say that I was amazed by the views the entire time. Machu Picchu is perched on a mountain that is surrounded by both a river directly below it and even taller mountains 360 degrees around the city. I was surprised by how big the city actually is, mostly because the traditional picture you see makes it look pretty small. There are a large number of agricultural terraces for the city, but some of the terraces seen below were built to prevent erosion. Even though I’m not afraid of heights, I’m not sure I would have wanted to volunteer to build the latter considering the steep drop to the river below. On our tour we were able to walk throughout the ruins and visited the residential sector, Temple of the Condor, Guard House, House of the Kings and the Temple of the Sun.
After our unforgettable afternoon at Machu Picchu, we were in for a long evening of travel. Not only did we have to make the return trip to Aguas Calientes followed by the train to Ollantaytambo, we also had a 2 hour drive back through the Sacred Valley to Cusco. It was definitely a long day, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
Tip– in the area where the bus drops you off, there is a small hut near the restrooms that has a stamp for your passport, don’t forget to use it!
Day 6, Thursday– We had a free morning to wander the streets of Cusco before our group tour of the city in the afternoon. Luckily, our hotel was within walking distance of the historical center of the city so we were able to explore the numerous squares, churches and local shops. Once our tour started, we took a bus to the outskirts of the city to our first stop, Saqsaywaman, a site with both military and religious significance. Aside from the beautiful ruins, this site also provided an impressive view of the city of Cusco below. We then visited Pukapukara, most likely a hunting lodge, but is also served as a crossroads of several Inca trails. The Incas had an extensive trail system and always made sure to have resting points frequently along these trails. Qorikancha, a former Inca temple whose name means golden courtyard, was our next stop. At one point the walls were covered in sheets of gold, only to be looted after the Spanish conquistadors defeated the Incas. We finished this amazing tour by visiting La Catedral, the most famous church in Cusco. There is a large amount of artwork within the church, the most memorable being a painting of the last supper by a local artist depicting the disciples feasting on guinea pig (a Peruvian delicacy).
Day 7, Friday– Before taking our afternoon flight back to Lima, We had a morning to continue exploring Cusco. We decided to check out the San Pedro Market, one of the largest farmers markets in Cusco. We were treated to a large building full of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and of course, quinoa. Unfortunately, we had no time to use the food and couldn’t purchase any but I’m sure it was delicious. After the market we went to the Choco Museum where we learned about the history of chocolate and tasted the best hot chocolate I have ever tried. They have chocolate making classes but we opted for the free 10 minute tour of the museum. After a quick lunch at the cafe next to our hotel, we were headed to the airport to start the long journey home. Only bad part of our trip…we had a 9 hour layover in the Lima airport. Luckily we made friends with some other members of our group who were in our same situation and we played a lot of card games that night 🙂
Day 8, Saturday– As with most trips, some extensive travel is involved and this one was no different. We had another layover in El Salvador and arrived in Chicago by late afternoon. Among the many positive things about visiting South America; however, is that the time zone in Lima is only one hour different than that of Indianapolis. This prevented the ever dreaded jet lag from hitting us once we arrived home.
If you aren’t convinced by now that a week long trip to Peru is totally worth it, then I haven’t done my job. The country is beautiful and seeing Machu Picchu is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Don’t forget to check out my other posts on Peru about what to pack and the reasons we chose a guided tour 🙂