Interested in ancient history and archaeological sites?
Peru's history is rich and varied. For fifteen thousand years, some ancient peoples replaced others, leaving in their memory first petroglyphs, and later - pyramids, temples, mausoleums, filled with skillfully made ceramics, elegant textiles, products made of precious metals and semi-precious stones. In addition to the well-known mysterious Machu Picchu, Peru also has the most ancient city South America - Caral (the same age Ancient egypt), or Chan-Chan - the capital of the ancient Chimu culture, one of the most beautiful and large-scale ancient cities built of clay bricks (adoba).
Prefer to admire the untouched wilderness?
Peru is a very different geographic and climatic country. Usually it is divided into three parts: coastal desert (Pacific coast), mountains (Andes), jungle (Amazon).
But even these three zones are diverse in themselves: sandy deserts with huge dunes, stone deserts, pointed peaks of rocks with snowy peaks, green mountains below, high-mountain plain steppe, valleys of volcanoes and deep canyons, rain forest at the junction of mountains and jungle, dense jungle the Amazon Basin and much more.
Do you like outdoor activities?
There are many routes for mountain hikes in Peru: one-day, multi-day, of any difficulty level. Paradise for trekking lovers - the city of Huaraz in the Ancash department, from where everyone goes on a hike through the lagoons and valleys of the Cordillera Blanca (“white mountains” in Spanish). In addition, lately, tourists have come to love the rainbow mountains of Vinicunca in the vicinity of Cusco. In addition to hiking, Peru has many surfing opportunities - however, the cold Humboldt Current in most places requires wetsuits. The most famous exception is the warm Mancora and the beaches of the outskirts of the town of Tumbes in the north of the country. Paragliding is very popular in the capital of the country - Lima.
Getting to know the local cuisine?
Peru has something to surprise gourmets. This is one of the continent's most interesting cuisines: a successful fusion of Japanese, Creole and traditional Indian. It is not for nothing that Lima is considered the gastronomic capital of South America: local restaurants have occupied one of the first places in well-known international ratings for a year in a row. If possible, be sure to book a table atrestaurant Central or Maido in the Miraflores area.
Peru is a country that is uniquely attractive to travelers. But here, too, there are some peculiarities. What should you consider when preparing for your trip to avoid unpleasant surprises and get the most out of your trip?
Distances and choice of transport
Peru is the third largest country in South America. At the same time, planes do not fly everywhere, but crossings by land transport from point A to point B can take 6-8 hours or more. Also, due to the peculiarities of the relief, Peru is not the most suitable country for independent travel by a rented car: there are serpentines and dirt roads around, there is not a connection everywhere, there is often no lighting on the roads, the highlands throw up surprises due to the thin air.
It is much more convenient to travel by public transport: by plane, if there are such flights, or by bus. The quality of Peruvian cama and executivo buses is impressive: wide recliners, toilet, TV, English speaking steward and sometimes even wi-fi will make your trip comfortable. Meals are included in the ticket price.
Highlands problem
Many tourist sites are located at an altitude of over 3000 meters above sea level. If you fly from Lima, which is located on the ocean coast, to Cuzco (altitude 3400 meters), then there is a chance to feel the symptoms of altitude sickness: headache, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, chills. To prevent malaise from spoiling the impression of the beauty around you, you need acclimatization - a few quiet days upon arrival. There are also recommendations:
- on the eve of the trip and in the mountains, exclude alcohol and heavy fatty foods from the diet;
- drink more water and tea from coca leaves. The latter is often offered free of charge in hotels;
- less physical exertion and sudden movements in the first days, it is better to sleep well.
Trekking with an ascent of 4000 and higher meters above sea level is better for beginners to leave the day for the fourth or fifth. If you plan to climb to a height of 5000 meters above sea level and above, then it is better to do this not earlier than the end of the week in the mountains.
When is it worth coming?
You can travel around the country all year round... But when planning a route, you should take into account some features of the climate. In the mountains and jungle, the rainy season begins around the beginning of December, which lasts until mid-late April. The beginning and end of the season vary by location and change from year to year. If you are planning trekking in the mountains or visiting the jungle (especially the Amazon basin), then it is better to choose a dry season - the walks will be much more comfortable.
The language of communication
In the capital and in the most tourist spots(hotels, restaurants and travel agencies) you will be able to communicate in English. But it is worth moving away from the main tourist route how the population's knowledge of English is running out. Take some Spanish lessons: Beginner level will not be superfluous.
Vaccinations and health
You do not need to have any vaccinations specifically for your trip to Peru. Malaria pills are also not needed - there have been no outbreaks of the disease for a very long time. But if you want to be on the safe side, you can get vaccinated against yellow fever, typhoid fever, and hepatitis A and B: these vaccines are valid for ten years and are useful for every hobbyist. exotic countries... In the jungle, do not forget about repellents and closed clothing.
To visit the mountains and the Pacific coast, you will need glasses, a hat and SPF 50 or more sunscreen. The sun is strong here, and you can get burned quickly even in cloudy weather. For trips to the highlands, just in case, it is better to stock up on altitude sickness pills. You can buy them in advance, after consulting your doctor, or already on the spot at the pharmacy.
Currency. Cash or credit cards?
The official local currency is Peruvian Nuevo Sol. But in tourist places, US dollars are often accepted for payment. True, if you pay in dollars, the rate will not be very profitable. There are many exchange offices (casa de cambio) in tourist places. IN big cities You can also exchange euros, but the rate will be less favorable than when exchanging US dollars. In most tourist places you can pay with cards, especially in cities. But there may be an additional commission, it is worth checking before payment. When it comes to ATMs, most banks charge a withdrawal fee. You can withdraw money without commission, for example, at BCP ATMs (up to 700 soles). It is convenient to have several cards: some banks have restrictions for withdrawing salts from a foreign card.
Safety
Peru is a comfortable country for travelers. It's quite safe here, but locals usually friendly and welcoming. But nevertheless, attentiveness and caution will not hurt. General recommendations:
- be careful with your bag and expensive equipment in crowded places;
- do not walk alone at night along unlit, deserted streets;
- in Lima, specify in which area the hotel is located - so, in the city center it is also better not to walk at night; Historical Center in a Latin American city - does not always mean the best and safest area;
- be careful on buses. Do not check in equipment and money in your luggage, and do not leave personal belongings unattended.
(beaches and condors) → Lima → home (Madrid → Vilnius → Minsk)
We traveled all the way on the ground in buses. The same thing is seen in two weeks, flying by planes.
We wanted and had time, but no:
▫ Jungle of the Amazon: Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado
▫ Huaras: national park, Pastoruri glacier, one-day hikes to the lagoons in the Cordillera Blanca mountains. After Bolivia, there was no strength to climb 5000m + again
You can see twice as many places. Or fly to Lima and fly home from La Paz, so as not to return the same way. Or travel from Bolivia to Brazil via Argentina, to ocean to ocean.
There are a lot of options, but my goal was to feel at least a little bit of Peru, and not jump on the sights. already published, below is a practical infa.
Flights to Peru
* rt- two-way ticket
ow- one way one way ticket
There are no direct flights from Russia and Belarus to Peru. Standard price from Moscow 1000-1500 $ rt for KLM, Air France, British Airways tickets with a transfer in London, Paris or Amsterdam. The options are:
1. Buy in half a year or a year
2. Catching a sale. There have not been adequate prices from the Russian Federation for a long time, at the Lima sales from Moscow time from 1000 $ + rt
3. Fly with a stopover in the USA ( need a US visa, even if you do not plan to leave the airport)
4. Fly from Europe(Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome), needed multi schengen.
5. Fly to neighboring country... Brazil (Sao Paulo) from the Russian Federation is cheaper - from 790 $ rt Turkish Airlines from Moscow with a transfer in Istanbul. Just take into account that the distances in South Africa are gigantic, and flights between countries are expensive.
6. In Panama, Argentina, Chile there are 400-500 € rt from European cities: Amsterdam, Rome, Madrid. To Brazil a couple of times a year from TAP for 130-180€ one way, also from Europe (Lisbon, Rome, Milan).
Our option
It was impossible to plan, so we chose the simple path. Tickets for Madrid-Lima can be skipped in advance. Standard price 650-730 $ rt both a couple of days before the flight, and six months or a year.
It's only expensive to get to Madrid. Ryanair inflates prices if there are several days before departure. We have to play with the dates, look at the tickets to Barcelona.
Flew Air Europa direct flight Madrid-Lima-Madrid on 684$ for a ticket. Bought three days before departure... To Vilnius by train, from there Ryanair to Madrid, night and day in Madrid.
About Air Europa:
▫ low-cost, aircraft not older than 5 years
▫ fly 11 o'clock fed twice
▫ seat selection - surcharge 20-45€
▫ is free carry-on baggage up to 10 kg, luggage 1 piece up to 23 kg
▫ queues at Madrid airport move at cosmic speed
▫ at the airport in Lima flea market out of the blue. If you fly Air Europe, come to the airport in advance... This does not apply to KLM and other decent companies. We stood in line for 2 hours, online check-in and the machines in Lima did not work. Without luggage, you can go straight to the counter without queuing.
Well hello, Lima! Prices in Peru
Prices for housing and food in Peru are comparable to those in Asia. It came as a surprise to me - I always thought South America sky-high road. Peru and Bolivia, this fact concerns only partly. Yes, not very cheap, but not enough to give up on a dream.
The main expense is air tickets there. Domestic flights also from $ 50 +. To fly for $ 5 in Peru, and even more so between the countries of South Africa, will not work.
Vacation 10-14 days to Peru-Bolivia will cost the same as 30-40 days budget backpacking. Average, 2000-2500$+ c person for everything including air tickets. The amount can be either reduced or increased indefinitely. Tourism is well developed, there are options for people with any needs.
In two weeks I want to squeeze out the maximum. Therefore, a busy schedule, planes, excursions every day, food at prices for tourists. There is simply no time to save.
It can be inexpensive if a lot of time... Cheap hotels, buses on the ground, cook yourself, order menu del dia or dishes on offer in a cafe. Spanish proficiency helps keep your budget down.
Housing prices
When there is such a thing around, you can forget about everyday comfort Peru visa is not required
Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians up to 183 days(tourism). Free stamp at the airport and at any border. There are no fees for entering and leaving the country.
The border was crossed twice. They ask the purpose of the visit and how many days you will be in Peru. The first stamp is for me for 54 days, for M. for 90, the second stamp for both of them is for 20 days.
According to reviews, everyone bets on 60-90 days... 183 days have to ask... Return tickets were not asked.
Vaccinations
There are no compulsory vaccinations. Vaccination against yellow fever is not needed unless you're heading to the Amazon jungle. Nobody asked for the certificate.
Yellow fever vaccination in Lima
Have been vaccinated against yellow fever in Lima airport arriving from Madrid.
Why vaccination?
but). there was a plan to fly to Iquitos (Peruvian Amazon)
b). for a Bolivian visa, Belarusians need a certificate
Where do they do it?
We flew to Lima, went through passport control and customs, changed money in an exchanger at a bad rate. We do not leave the airport. We go left to the very end at the Domestic departure terminal.
To the right of the escalator is an office Servicio de Sanidad... They brought us in at 6 a.m. in 15 minutes, gave us yellow books, payment only in cash, 148 soles (49 $) / piece
Certificate is valid after 10 days after vaccination. Fly short and plan Amazon - get vaccinated at home in advance.
Ordinary Peruvians have no time to learn languages Language
Spanish is spoken in Peru. Basic words, questions and numbers are better to learn. You won't be lost without knowledge of Spanish, it's just cheaper with the language. Bargaining in cafes, hotels, markets in Spanish or with a calculator.
I studied Spanish for a long time on the Rosetta Stone program. In Mexico I went to the tutor for a week, I regularly listen to books and songs. Conversations with locals in their language, English in Peru is for fellow travelers only.
Safety in Peru
We went to tourist places, got into street taxis, walked around the cities in the dark, went to the mountains alone. All OK. There were two controversial points:
1. In Puno, I overheard a Russian girl telling her friends that an earring with a bryulik had disappeared from the hotel. It is standard here: we leave jewelry and valuables at home. Or we wear it quietly in a pocket, so as not to provoke people.
2. On the Lima-Nazca bus, the driver shouted at us because they did not check our backpacks in our luggage. They say that the south of Peru is dangerous, the bandits will come in and take everything away. Didn't come in.
The rest of the stories from the category "grandma told grandma", that is, gossip. According to the Peruvians, there is a security problem in the country, there are a lot of police on the streets and along the highway, but not enough. Whether the danger concerns tourists, I do not know.
Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness can begin at an altitude of 3000-4000m +. To avoid it, we build with gradual climb.
✔ Lima → Paracas → Huacachina → Nazca → Ollantaytambo (or Urubamba) → Machu Picchu → Cusco → Puno → Arequipa → Colca Canyon → Huaraz → Lima
✔ Lima → Puerto Maldonado (or Iquitos) → plane to Cusco (we don't spend the night, we go straight to Machu Picchu or Urubamba / Ollantaytambo) → Cusco → Rainbow Mountains → Puno → Bolivia
✘ Lima → Pastoruri Glacier (5000m) → La Paz (3600m) → Uyuni (3500-5000m)
Mountain sickness manifests itself in different ways. Some people don't feel anything. Someone in Cusco arrives from the coast and hello. Or from Lima immediately rushes to the Pastoruri glacier (5000m) in Huaraz. Do not do it this way.
To maintain vigor:
a) get enough sleep at night
b) to drink a lot of water
in) set aside a day or two (or more) for rest and adaptation at an altitude of 3500+ (for example, in Cusco)
d) coca tea - buy a packet of leaves for 1 salt and pour boiling water over them - relaxes the body, relieves headaches.
They run at a gallop across Peru-Bolivia. They sleep on night buses, do not undergo proper adaptation at altitude. Holidays are short, but you want to catch a lot.
The body works at the expense of its internal resources. If the energy is not replenished, malfunctions begin (dizziness as with a hangover, upset stomach, lethargy).
The miner attacked me in Uyuni during an overnight stay at 4400m. Before that, no symptoms for a whole month.
What to take with you
Dress up in the markets of Peru. You don't walk like that at home, but on the way you can There was no Insta Diva in our duet, therefore, in a simple way, without flying dresses. clothing layers in any season. It is warm on the coast and in the deserts, but not in the mountains at night.
F: pants, fleece, jacket (preferably with a hood), 4 T-shirts, shorts, leggings, sneakers, socks, flip flops, underwear, hot spring swimsuit
Purchased there: jacket, T-shirts, sneakers, hat, gloves, warm socks for Uyuni.
M: sneakers, pants, fleece, jacket, 3 T-shirts, underwear, socks, swimming trunks
Purchased there: 6 T-shirts, gloves, hat
Laundries in any city 1-1.5 $ / kg, I passed it in the morning - I took it in the evening.
Trekking boots and no warm pants were needed. It's good that I didn't.
My backpack weighed 4 kg on the way there and 6 kg back. Plus a small backpack 2 kg with a laptop and wallets.
It's easy with a suitcase too. The buses have a luggage compartment, you can carry up to 20 kg even with the cheapest ticket.
10 things to consider about Peru
1. Money
The currency of Peru is Peruvian Sol (PEN)
1 $ = 3.3 PEN
1 € = 3.9 PEN
1 PEN = 20 Russian rubles
▫ $ exchange rate in exchange offices: 3.03 at Lima airport, 3.23 at some generous banks.
▫ More profitable change $ or € than to remove from the card. Rubles are not worth carrying.
▫ Accepts dollars in hotels, on excursions at a bad exchange rate. We change $ for salt in any bank and pay in salt.
▫ Fee for withdrawal 17-19 salts (5-6 $)... According to data from forums, ATM Scotiabank does not take a commission (he did)
▫ Maximum 400sol at a time ($ 120). You can withdraw, for example, 1200 salts in three amounts and pay $ 15 commission ($ 5 for each withdrawal). Only one ATM in Urubamba dispensed 700 salts at a time.
If you know ATMs with a higher limit that do not charge a commission, please tell us in the comments.
2. Bank card
▫ Cash in Peru is easier and more profitable, cards are not always accepted.
▫ Have VISA card... Preferably in dollars. Visa and mastercard badges hang everywhere, while in cafes and hotels there is a commission of 5-7% (ask about the commission before paying).
3. Accommodation
▫ We rent a hotel for booking for 1 night(genius status with a discount), then we renew it on the spot - the second night will be 5-10% cheaper (relevant for low season, when there are many free hotels).
▫ You enter for the first time from the street - the price is higher than on the booking. We look in advance at the real price online and bargain if there is an urge to search for housing on the spot.
4. Communication
▫ Wifi is everywhere in hotels and cafes. They did not buy a local SIM card, I did not study the question.
▫ Transfer banks to push notifications(they only need internet).
▫ Roaming MTS sometimes disappeared in the mountains, SMS came with a delay. In Peru, it is not so relevant, in Bolivia, problems with roaming are more common.
5. Taxi
Uber there are in Lima, Arequipa, Cuzco. Used the function uber pool(the driver can take other passengers along the way). Once a girl in Lima got hooked, usually it was just us.
In other cities, look on the street (there are a lot of cars at every step) and bargain. Often the landlords were so generous that they called or hailed a taxi for us - even cheaper than Uber.
6. Tours
Book online only if you need a specific individual tour or Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, where they fit in six months.
One-day group tours in Peru is a cheap way to see natural attractions. It's cheaper on the spot than online. We arrived in the city, go to the center, find out the prices and conditions in travel agencies. You do not need to book in advance. I bought it in the evening and left in the morning.
The guide usually knows two languages. Explains in detail in Spanish, then a short translation into English. Tours where the guide speaks only English is more expensive.
7. Souvenir stamp
Machu Picchu is put in the passport souvenir stamp(if you want and is ready to stand in line). Such a stamp = an invalid passport, in the future problems with the Schengen and other visas.
You are a citizen of Russia and dream of a Machu Picchu stamp - take old passport or second foreign for these purposes. Otherwise, the passport with a souvenir stamp will have to be changed.
8. Sockets
As with us, no adapter is needed
9. Discounts in the cafe
Standard price for a dish in a decent cafe 10-15$ ... BUT! You can bargain. I first encountered this in Peru. IN tourist cities like Cuzco, Ollanta or Machu Picchu, barkers are standing, waving the menu.
- Hello, welcome blah blah blah
- Seriously? $ 10-15 for a serving of potatoes with salad?
- Oh, do you speak Spanish? - the promoter breaks into a smile, switches to his native language and chatters about offer, for which I am ready to serve three dishes and compote for $ 10.
For example, pizza on the menu 45sol ($ 14), 30sol ($ 9) for pizza and 2 drinks. Or a burger on the menu 25sol ($ 7.5), 15sol ($ 4.5) for a burger, potatoes, drink.
It seems like a trifle, but when it's daily, the savings are significant. Are looking for menu del dia, lunch menu or oferta.
10. What to bring from Peru
Poncho $ 100, after bargaining $ 50 For home: ethnic pillowcases, blankets, tablecloths.
Clothing: sweaters with alpacas ( 9$ ), poncho (50 $ / piece, if the wool is natural), T-shirts ( 5-7$ ), backpacks, Peruvian multicolored sneakers ( 7$ ).
You will see for yourself when you go to San Pedro's Market, Witch's Market or any other.
In Peru, you can also buy urban clothes. They have the coolest lightweight cotton. I bought myself blouses and pajamas in Arequipa stores 5-7$ .
✗ You cannot import any goods and products into the RF, RB, RK, containing coca... In Peru and Bolivia, coca is legalized, even in duty-free shops sell tea with coca, chocolate with coca, icicles with coca, etc. It is tempting to take the "taste of Peru" with you. Not worth it.
What to try in Peru
People try ayahuasca and San Pedro cactus decoction. I have no such experience, so about banal.
3 salts ( 1$
) in a fishing diner in Lima or 30 salts ( 10$
) at the gringo cafe. 1. Ceviche Is a traditional Peruvian cold dish. Pieces of raw fish marinated in lime juice for 15 minutes. Served with onions, corn kernels, sweet potatoes or cassava.
2. Chicha, 0.5-1sol on the street, 3-8 sol in a restaurant
Chicha morada- black corn compote
Chicha de hora(chicha de jora) is a traditional Andean drink made from white corn. It is made in clay jugs, alcohol is 1-3% (like kvass). It is better to look for such chicha in the villages. We saw a house near which there is a stick with a red bag wound around it - we knock and ask about chicha.
There are chicha from quinoa, chicha frutillada with strawberries.
3. Kui- a guinea pig, which begins to reproduce 15 minutes after birth. A festive meal for the whole family. Serve whole, rarely in pieces.
4. Bistec de Alpaca- alpaca chop or grilled llama. In any cafe of the Sacred Valley of the Incas (Ollantaytambo, Cusco).
5. Fruit
▫ mango juicy and large, red and yellow - divine!
▫ granadilla- seeds in a sweet liquid - super!
▫ passion fruit(looks like granadilla)
▫ pepino- melon pear. It tastes like a mixture of plum, pear and melon.
▫ cherimoya- like a sweet apple with strawberry and banana flavor
▫ avocado- 3 pieces for $ 1. Hearty, healthy.
Papaya, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, pomegranates, grapes are also in abundance. In supermarkets, fruits and vegetables are hard and tasteless. Better to stock up in the markets.
6. Tea and chocolate
Liked the bars Sublime for 1.5 sol / piece. Sold in any general store. At altitude, chocolate is healthy.
In Peru, they drink herbal tea bags with coca, anise, chamomile, and apple flavors. If you want coca tea, buy a bag of dried leaves for 1 salt and pour boiling water over them - much tastier than the factory one.
Fast food in Cusco, 2 plates for $ 11 7. Other food There is a lot of food in Peru, mainly meat dishes. The garnish is always the same: a duo of rice and fries. From the understandable:
▫ Milanesa de pollo- chicken fillet, fried in breadcrumbs + rice, potatoes, salad
▫ Milanesa de pollo a lo pobre- add an egg, sausage and fried banana
▫ Lomo (pollo) saltado- beef (chicken) fried with onions and tomatoes
▫ Pau pau pollo- pieces of chicken fillet in vegetable sauce
▫ Chicharron de pollo- chicken nuggets in batter
▫ Сhicharron de mariscos- seafood nuggets (squid or octopus)
For vegetarians rice and salad. French fries are always served (rice with potatoes, pasta and potatoes), it is simply unrealistic to find boiled fries.
If you don't eat meat, remember that Carne here they only call red meat. Pollo(chicken) is not meat for them. That is, you ask for meatless quinoa soup (sin carne) - you get chicken bones in broth.
Salad, $ 7 We spent on food 415$ for a month for two. Personal record low. Peruvian cuisine (which is the best in the world) didn't suit me. 2 poisonings in a row hinted at it opaquely. Probably, you need to go to pretentious restaurants to feel.
Peru has delicious fruits, vegetables, sheep's cheese. The first days they ate in a cafe, then they tried to rent an apartment with a kitchen and cook salads with vegetables, avocado, cheese, eggs and boiled potatoes. This is a special case. People without problems like Peruvian cuisine.
Preparation: in advance or on site?
Vacation 1-2 weeks
There are enough issues on the spot that have to be addressed. It is better to prepare the "base" in the comfort of your home.
At home:
✓ Buy round-trip tickets
✓ Make a route
✓ Think over logistics
✓ Book accommodation, flights and buses. Especially if you don't know Spanish
✓ Get vaccinated against yellow fever if planning the Amazon
✓ Download map of Peru in the app maps.me, put the marks of the necessary places
✓ Install Uber
✓ Transfer banks to push notifications in case of roaming problems
✓ Put money on the card Visa
✓ If you have only one bank card, moreover, in rubles, it is more profitable to withdraw money from it at home in dollars.
✓ Exchange rubles for $ if you are traveling with cash
In place: buy one-day tours in local agencies (2-3 times cheaper than online), order a taxi, pay for tickets to attractions.
Travel 1 month +, our option
✓ Tickets purchased from mid-April to late May, arrival and departure from Lima
✓ Accommodation for two nights in Lima (Miraflores)
✓ Wishlist
✓ Travel guide Lonely planet Peru in the phone
✓ Installed map of Peru and Bolivia in the application maps.me, cities along the route are marked
✓ In evernote, a hodgepodge of useful tips: what to try, how to save - only the most important
✓ List of sites that may come in handy: bus companies, blogs, reports from forums
The longer you drive, the less you want to follow the plan. The downside is that every evening I spent 2-3 hours on further planning (booking a hotel in the next city, buying tickets, searching for interesting local places). We traveled only by buses (planes are more expensive a day or two before departure).
Relaxation? in Peru
In the questions people ask Google, the word "vacation" appears in Peru (haha). You can relax if the weekly budget is $ 5000 +, but active budget travel can hardly be called relaxing.
My trips to DO are now perceived as a vacation at my grandmother's in the country. In Peru and Bolivia, altitude, food for everyone, long journeys, mountains, wind and cold.
If it is the sun, then you immediately turn into a mountain woman with reddened burnt cheeks.
April-May - autumn in South Africa. Cool, but clear, prices are not overpriced. There are no heaters in cheap hotels. It is good if there is a boiler, but it happened that the sun warms the water. No sun - no hot water... Ce la vie.
Dry skin and stomach problems at home passed without a trace and were forgotten. The rest is a heap of memories and a cherished wish fulfilled.
May your Big Dreams come true! (my already)
Mila Demenkova
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru is truly worth seeing at least once in your life. This post is about how to get to Machu Picchu including different alternatives and practical advice... By the way, in translation from Quechua Machu Picchu means "old peak".
How to get to Machu Picchu?
Those who follow me on Instagram remember that I shared tips on how to get to Machu Picchu. In this post I have summarized all the information.
In short, there are two options.
1) Difficult, but economical.
2) Expensive and simple.
We went rather the second comfortable way, but in its moderate version. If you don't plan to travel as a backpacker, but go to the other extreme and spend a couple of thousand dollars is also not in your plans, then it is for you. Therefore, first I will tell you how to get to Machu Picchu by following my path.
Do as I do or step by step instructions
1️⃣ Fly from the Peruvian capital Lima to the city of Piece is the closest to Machu Picchu Big City with the airport. 1.5 hours on the way, LatAm and Peruvian companies fly. We flew with LatAm.
Advice... Most cheap flight to Cusco from Lima with the Peruvian low-cost LCPerú (67 soles). Another economical option to get to Cusco from Lima is by night bus. The reviews about him are good.
2️⃣So, you are in Cusco. Now we need tobuy a train ticket from Peru Rail or Inca Rail for a direct flight from Cusco to the nearest town to Machu Picchu. It is called pueblo Machu Picchu, its other name is Aguas Calientes. We traveled with Peru Rail, I will tell you in detail about these trains below.
Advice... You can go from Cusco with a tour of the Sacred Valley ($ 25 + entrance 70 soles) and ask to leave you in the main square of the city of Ollantaytambo (abbreviated as Ollanta). There you take a direct train to Aguas Calientes, the city of Machu Picchu, which is exactly what we did. In this scenario, you miss the last point of the excursion program, the Chinchero complex, but it is not so important.
3️⃣ The next morning you get up at 5 am in the town of Machu Picchu, where you spent the night the day before, and go to the bus stop, from where buses leave every minute to the entrance to Machu Picchu. fortunately, all hotels are located within a radius of 400 m from the bus stop. You can also opt for a free hiking trail.
Council. If you were prudent and bought tickets for this bus in advance in Cusco (at the Consettur office), then you can afford an extra hour of sleep.
4️⃣Once you go down on the same bus, and go to the same railway station. From there the familiar train to Ollanta departs. Upon arrival in Oliatna, a forced change to a bus to Cusco, as the train does not go further. But everything is included in a single ticket and you will be literally taken by the hand to the stop five steps from the station.
Now that you have a general idea of how to get to Machu Picchu, you can go deeper into the details.
Trains to Machu Picchu
Two companies carry out transportation from Cusco to the lost city of the Incas: Perú Rail and Inca Rail. Trajectories: Cusco-Urumbamba-Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu town (Aguas Calientes). They have one railway track, and the prices differ little, only the departure time,so the choice is not critical.
The most comfortable, fast and direct route Cusco-Aguas Calientes costs $ 65 in Expedition class (only timetable 06:40 - 09:54) and $ 105 in Vistadome class (departure time 7:35 am, arrival at 10:52 am). In this case, you do not see the Sacred Valley, as you simply pass it by.
The difference in classes is small, the Vistadome has more panoramic windows and more space between the chairs, but the price is almost twice as high.
Advice... You can buy tickets upon arrival in Cusco - one office is located at the airport itself at the exit, the other points are at the railway station in Cusco and at central square the city of Plaza de Armas. There were no queues in these offices with me.
Any ticket of "bimodal" companies, that is, combined: train + bus. They have all the schedules on their websites. I bought tickets in advance on the Peru Rail website, there were no problems (and even commissions) with the Chilean card, I don’t know how it would be with the Russian one💳. There is also a company office in Cusco, in the same place as the Poroy railway station.
Council. You can also buy a ticket for the Peru Rail Urumbamba-Machu Picchu train ($ 93). Makes sense if you plan on staying in the Sacred Valley for the night.
Peru Rail has three service classes:Expedition economy, Vistadome premium, and Belmond Hiram Bingham business, in honor of the discoverer of Machu Picchu. In the latter, everything is serious: leather chairs, furnishings, menus, and so on. Passengers of this class are even given a special pass to Machu Picchu, a kind of turnkey trip. Belmond is a standalone company that only rents the train to Peru Reis. Belmond also owns a luxury hotel just opposite the Machu Picchu mountain - you can make morning runs overlooking a million. So many stars have stayed at the hotel that I am too lazy to list.
We drove with Perú Rail twice
🚆First time: from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu by Expedition class, the latest flight is at 21:00 ($ 66), as I was afraid not to be in time after the tour of the Sacred Valley. And in vain: we were left in Ollantaytambo at 16 pm and in the end we whiled away the time at the station. Conclusion - it was necessary to take the train at 19:04. We arrived in the town of Aguas Calientes at 23 pm, checked in and immediately went to bed. All hotels in this tiny town are within a 5-minute radius of both the station and the bus stop, which is a big plus.
🚆Second trip: from Machu Picchu to Cusco on the very first flight at 16pm in Visitadome class ($ 109). Single ticket includes a train to Ollantaytambo followed by a bus to Cusco. The plus of this class is huge panoramic windows, a really worthwhile pleasure, you see the jungle up close. It was comfortable, besides, we were also entertained - there was even a performance in a costume reminiscent of the Chilean carnival in the north of La Tirana. Business is not needed at all with such a premium.
How to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco cheaply (economically) via Hydroelectric
🚌 A mini-bus leaves from Cusco to the Hydroelectrica station, from where you will have to walk about 12 km on foot to Aguas Calientes (the town of Machu Picchu). The distance can be covered in 2.5-3 hours on average. Trip price: 60 soles, $ 20. The trajectory passes with a stop in Ollantaytambo, so you can combine the route in some other way if you want. These tickets are sold by agencies in the center of Cusco on the Avenida de Sol, and this is the most common method of economical transportation as far as I know.
🚌Also, from the Hydroelectrica station to Aguas Calientes, you can get there in half an hour by train, if you are too lazy to walk: with Peru Rail for $ 31. Departure times are at 14:30 and 16:05.
The return train runs at 12:00 and 13:00.
Entrance fees to Machu Picchu
Whichever way to the lost city you choose, then you have to buy entrance tickets to the MP, and this must be done in advance - there are no ticket offices at the entrance to Machu Picchu. Everywhere they scare you with the need to buy at least a month in advance (up to 2,500 people are allowed into the complex per day), but to be honest, I think this is slightly exaggerated.
There are four types of tickets:
1️⃣Common access to the complex (Machu Picchu solo) - $ 70. The ticket is valid for 2 days. 3267 tickets of this type are allocated per day.
2️⃣With climbing the popular Huayna Picchu mountain $ 86. Only 400 people are allowed in a day, in two groups: at 7 and 10 in the morning.
3️⃣With climbing Mount Montanya Machu Picchu $ 86. Passage restrictions as at Huayna Picchu.
4️⃣Machu Picchu + Archaeological Museum Manuel Chavez Bayon.
It is curious that for citizens of the Andean Community Comunidad Andina (includes Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia), the price of all tickets is almost two times lower.
By time, tickets are divided into 2 groups
Ciudad Inca Machu Picchu Turno 1: from 06:00 to 12:00 hours. They give 4 hours to stay in the citadel.
Ciudad Inca Machu Picchu Turno 2: call from 12:00 to 17:30 horas.
Where and how to buy tickets for Machu Picchu?
I bought on the boletomachupicchu website, everything is simple and fast. Therefore, all the above prices are the rates of this company. True, this is an agency, so their prices are at a premium. You can also buy tickets on the official government website machupicchu.gob.pe, but personally, on this very slow site, the purchase did not work for me (plus, on the site, of course, only Visa is accepted for payment, as elsewhere in Peru). Physical offices where they sell entry tickets, only 3 - two in Cusco at Plaza de Armas, and one more in Aguas Calientes.
Bus to the very mountain of Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes
After watching the passions about the long queues for tickets at 5 am in the AK itself, I decided to play it safe and buy them in advance in Cusco. There is such an opportunity - exclusively at the Consettur office at Av. Infancia (quite far from the center, it is better to take a taxi for a couple of soles). The ticket costs $ 24 round trip (78 soles).
Council. An alternative is to climb on foot (the trail is a little further than the stop along the riverbed). Unless, of course, you are not intimidated by a couple of hours of intense lifting - from one to three, depending on physical fitness.
Queues that weren't there
And what was my disappointment ... When we came to Aguas Calientes at the stop and ... did not see any queues! Two meters opposite the bus stop there is a ticket office where they sell bus tickets (where everyone buys them) - there were only two people in the queue! Can you imagine? We spent a lot more time in Cusco looking for the Consettur office. There were no queues for the bus either. In addition, they are suitable every minute and several pieces at once.
What time is the best time to go to Machu Picchu
One of the possible explanations is that we arrived at the bus stop by 6 in the morning. And the very first bus leaves at 5:30. Most likely, there was a blockbuster. But there is no sense in arriving at Machu Picchu before six in the morning (at least in March and if you do not climb one of the two peaks) - the sun comes out after 6. Until then, one gloomy fog travels along the peaks. An exception is if you plan to climb one of the two peaks. And what beautiful road leads there! We looked at the surroundings and the serpentine faults with great pleasure.
P.S
Morality - Machu Picchu is not as terrible as they are frightened. Hope this post was helpful and clarified how to get to Machu Picchu on your own on a different budget. Comments are always welcome.
In the next post, you will find a detailed photo report of the walk to Machu Picchu and a story about my impressions.
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How to get to Machu Picchu on your own - detailed information and advice was last modified: October 17th, 2017 by Anastasia Polosina
This time I will give one hundred tips on how to travel safely and comfortably on your own through the distant country of Peru, where to stay, how and where to get there, what, where and how much, in short, everything you need to know for those who are going to the future to go to one of the most interesting countries the world or those who so far only dream about it, so that your dream would take on a more realistic shape.
Dangers
One of the first questions they ask me is: is Peru safe? And is it safe in South America at all? The continent is quite remote, and there is little actual information about it.
Consider the fact that the world is changing rapidly. The information that was relevant ten years ago has long been history. South America is becoming an increasingly safe and tourist-friendly continent. Thanks to the development of technology and transport, today tourists are becoming commonplace for the local population, and in almost any locality, even in a small village, even on a distant island, even in a village in the jungle. And the economy of the countries of South America is growing, even if in different countries at different rates, but this growth is felt. All this contributes to a decrease in crime and increases the level of security.
I will share with you my own observations. In South America, all countries located on the western and southern coasts are practically safe for tourists, i.e. if you look at the map of the mainland, then - on its left side. These are Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. In these countries, you can travel on your own, subject only to normal security measures.
But the countries that are in the north and east coasts- dangerous for independent travel... These are Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela, Brazil and Paraguay. In these countries, it is still better to travel as part of a tour group.
It's safe in Peru. Some sources advise to be careful in cities at night, to move only by taxi. This is especially true of the capital city of Lima. In practice, everything is simpler. We were in the center of Lima in the evening, when darkness fell and we did not notice the danger. Tour buses traveled, tourists walked, churches and cathedrals were opened, people went shopping and dined in restaurants.
It is advised not to go out into the streets at night, i.e. after ten o'clock in the evening. In Lima, we needed a pharmacy in the late evening, and the night boulevards turned out to be safe place... The police are on duty here, but outwardly everything is very, very calm.
In Cusco at night, far from the capital, everything was even quieter. In the evening, churches worked and all shops and cafes were open, we walked along the night streets completely calmly.
It is completely safe to travel by taxi at night, in this case, it is better to order it at the hotel or take it at the official taxi rank. All taxis are marked and have an official number, remember it before getting into the car.
But I repeat once again - Peru is safe in terms of crime.
But here you may face the danger of a completely different plan. It - mountain sickness. Lots of interesting places are at high altitudes and the behavior of your body is completely unpredictable. Mountain sickness itself chooses its victims and can spare an elderly and not very healthy person, but completely undermine the strength of a young and energetic person. Several factors work here at once - at what altitude do you live at home, how much your body is capable of adapting, how often you have been in places at high altitude before, as well as the work of your lungs, heart and many unaccounted for factors. The symptoms of altitude sickness are severe dizziness, high blood pressure, weakness of the whole body, like with the flu, nausea, even vomiting. Symptoms usually appear immediately, sometimes already upon arrival, while still on the plane.
What to do in such cases? Do not panic!
If you are a hotel - immediately contact the reception, call by phone, let your partner come there. Almost all hotels have altitude sickness pills and oxygen bottles. At altitude, the air is thinner due to the low oxygen pressure that your lungs require. Try all the methods offered by the locals: drink coca tea, chew coca leaves, take pills, breathe additional oxygen. You may need to rest in bed, even during the day. You may not be able to sleep at night. Don't panic, let your body get used to it. But don't underestimate these symptoms either. In acute conditions, pulmonary edema or even brain edema can occur.
If you are in town and feel unwell, find the nearest pharmacy and buy medicines. Better yet, stock up on them ahead of time, they are inexpensive. Mountain sickness in Spanish is called Soroche or sorojchi (pronounced "sorochi"). This is the English equivalent of Altitude sickness. You will need Soroche pills. The same medicines will most likely be offered to you at the reception. In places where there are many tourists, they can even be found in restaurants.
If you still have mild symptoms, then try to take long breaks, stay more outdoors, mountain sickness is easier in places of the Inca ruins, walk slowly, you may even have to change your plans.
Drink Coca-Cola, but only store bought and original packaging. Personally, she helped me a lot.
How to make a route
This is not easy to do. First of all, because there are a lot of interesting places in Peru, but all of them are located at a considerable distance from each other, because Peru is a large country. The main place because of which most, if not all tourists fly to Peru is, of course, Machu Picchu. First, decide how much time you have for this trip. You will need at least one week, and better days ten. If you have two weeks, then you can watch the maximum of interesting things.
So, you will start in Lima with an international flight. From there, local airlines fly to the city of Cuzco - the ancient capital of the Incas. From Cusco, day trips are made to Machu Picchu and other sites in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You will need a week for this route.
If you have ten days, then you can add the city of Puno and the reed islands of Uros in the south, or the valley of the Nazca hieroglyphs in the north.
With two weeks you can drive to Arequipa, a beautiful but remote city on south coast and also visit the beautiful Colca Canyon. Or you can drive north to the Amazon region or to the Nazca region and north coast Balestas.
Consider the vast distances in Peru when planning your itinerary. To overcome them, you will need several days. For example, moving from Cusco to Puno takes all daylight hours. The journey from Puno to Arequipa will take even more.
If you are not sure how to make an itinerary, open the website of any travel agency that organizes trips to this country. Take their route as a basis. After all, they offer it not just like that, but the routes that have been proven over the years, which are in demand among tourists.
Read more about our route here From Bolivia to Peru - two in one We, however, added a little more Bolivia, but you may find it interesting. There are also many useful practical tips there.
What are the prices in Peru and is it expensive to travel there?
Peru - at all inexpensive country... The most expensive flight on your trip will be the flight. So pay the greatest attention to him. If you have a program to collect miles or points per flight, be sure to use it. Many airlines now offer credit cards that you can use to pay for any purchases, but the benefit is that these payments earn you the miles you have accumulated. Sometimes it takes a couple of years to accumulate them, but the result is a very cheap flight.
Inside the country, everything is very inexpensive. Therefore, feel free to reserve high-level hotels, eat in good restaurants, not in street eateries, take taxis and local transport. All this will be at very reasonable prices. The only exception is the day when you go to Machu Picchu. You will have to pay quite dearly for both Railway tickets and for entrance tickets to the complex itself.
The local currency in Peru is Peruvian salt. They look pretty, they depict Peruvian architectural monuments.
What kind of hotels are there?
Hotels in Peru are great. Considering that they are all inexpensive, I advise you not to save too much and stay in hotels of the middle and medium-high category. Then you will be guaranteed safety, convenience, high quality, cleanliness in the rooms, delicious breakfast and a high level of service.
Given the great tourist popularity, I strongly advise you to book hotels in advance, using any service. We do not use booking, so I cannot say anything about this. But on tripadvisor.com, you can easily find any hotel in any city in Peru (and not only) with numerous photos and guest reviews. Of course, you can use any site for booking and selection, just be sure to pay for the hotel before departure.
In Lima, we had a hotel in the safe coastal area of Miraflores. It was the newest hotel with clean rooms and quite spacious.
Separately, it must be said about the bathroom, it was perfect. Cleanliness is almost sterile.
On the top floor of the hotel there are open and covered breakfast terraces. The breakfast was excellent, as everywhere in Peru there is a rich selection and variety - fresh fruits, pastries, cheeses and ham, cereals and cottage cheese, yoghurts, juices, drinks.
We lived in Cuzco the longest - four whole nights. The hotel was very good, located almost five minutes from the main square, and was practically empty during off-season. It was locked at night with a key, and itself was built on the site of an old house, with an inner covered courtyard, traditional for the countries of South America - a patio with inner balconies on the floors.
Here we had to change the number. The first night we checked into a room with a balcony. It was spacious enough.
But in the morning it turned out that a loud noise was coming from the street, it was completely impossible to sleep, and it was Sunday. We asked to change the room. After reviewing about a dozen numbers, we chose the farthest from the road. The room itself was small, at first I was even upset, but then it turned out that the silence is more expensive, and the room itself was sufficient, and even more comfortable than the first. So the rooms in this hotel are unequal. Separately, I would like to say about the breakfast - it was great. A dozen of fresh local fruits, numerous European pastries, warm egg dishes, a lot of cheese, ham, various drinks, sweets.
In Puno, we checked into a hotel that overlooked the cathedral in the central square.
Both the room and the hotel are excellent
Very friendly and knowledgeable front desk staff. We ordered an excursion to the Uros reed islands from them, they advised us good restaurant, prompted where the bureau of the agency Incaexpress, in which we bought tickets to Cuzco, is located.
The room was a bit unusual. That is, it had everything, as always, even a jacuzzi bath, a comfortable bed, a personal heater.
Its unusualness was that its one wall was completely glass and closed at night with a dark curtain.
In addition, he had a tiny balcony, and without even going out on it, thanks to the glass wall, part of the cathedral was visible.
We liked. It's even a pity that we spent the whole part of the day there and one night and left early the next morning.
In more detail, following the results of our trip, my husband wrote tips about our hotels, in the same place the names of hotels and more photos, and prices:
Peru - hotels in Lima
Peru - hotels in Cusco
Peru - hotels in Puno
Bolivia - hotels in Copacabana
Bolivia - hotels in La Paz
How to get around?
This is a very important question for any traveler, especially in the countries of South America.
As I said, Peru has very long distances. This is a minus. But transport is very well organized here. This is a plus.
So, the main artery of Lima-Cusco is the best and fastest to overcome by plane. The flight is short, just over an hour, the planes are good, the airport in Cusco is not far from the city, the ticket prices are moderate. Alternative moving by ground transport will take away daylight hours from you and it will be completely wasted time. Buy air tickets in advance at home, on the website of the airline LAN.
A special train travels from Cusco to Machu Picchu.
There are different ways to get from Cusco to different places in the Sacred Valley. For example, in Pisak, you will be taken by taxi, but it will be expensive. We found out at the hotel and took a minibus with the locals. The comfort was average, but fast and inexpensive, it seems about 8 salts in half an hour's drive. Pisac is the closest Inca city located near Cusco, except for the Sacsayhuaman fortress, located almost within the city limits, you can even walk there on foot, but it is better to take a taxi, because you have to climb the mountain for a long time.
also in Sacred valley located Otalyatambo, Maras, Morey. We didn't get there, but you can get there by local buses. You can also rent a car and move around with convenience. the roads in these places are good, with asphalt surfaces.
It is best to get around the city of Cusco by taxi, you will need it at least in order to get Train Station and the airport. Prices are reasonable here. We paid only 10 soles from the hotel to the airport.
The big question is: how to get around from Cusco to Puno? This is a huge distance.
There are several options here.
Railroad crossing. The train takes 10 hours, it has a dining car and a view car for photographs and generally for a convenient survey of the surroundings. A good option, though in the off-season it does not go every day. Check the schedule.
Transfer by night bus. A good option, because in Peru, as in many developed countries in South America, there are double-decker buses with seats that fold out at night, which turn into a bed. On the first floor there are ordinary seats, although wide and comfortable, and on the second there are about 10 seats - beds with pillows and blankets. To be honest, I really wanted to take such a bus, they say that this saves a night at the hotel, but for two trips to South America and four weeks spent on this continent, it did not work out. So I can't say anything about my experience, but the reviews on the Internet are very, very good.
We chose the third option - the day bus. To be honest, at first I was leaning more towards the train, it seemed to me that it was much more comfortable this way.
But it turned out that this bus option was great. It was also the cheapest. It turned out to be not an ordinary bus, but a special transport and tourist company Inka-Express.
The bus made three (!) Stops for sightseeing, one respite stop at the mountain pass and one stop for lunch. Travel time is also ten hours, but they were not difficult. There was also a guide and a bus conductor who handed out free drinks.
Inside, he was very comfortable.
During the trip, we stopped in a town with a museum about the history of pre-Inca culture, where we talked to alpacas and vicuñas at the same time.
We saw a place completely unknown to us - the Inca city of Rakchi with the remains of the Temple of the Sun (the rest of the temples were destroyed by the conquistadors)
We saw a masterpiece - a Catholic cathedral, inside, unfortunately, you can't take pictures.
At a stop at a mountain pass, we bought something from national alpaca wool products
And dined at a great mountain restaurant
where there was a large selection of meals buffet, live music and clean toilets.
How and where to eat?
I will say right away: in Peru, food is delicious everywhere. In addition, the local cuisine uses a lot of vegetables, fruits, different types of meat, seafood, local cereals. The end result is a lot of diversity, especially when compared to neighboring Bolivia, where everything is much poorer. It is said that even in Argentina the diet is less varied, mainly meat and white bread. Peruvian cuisine is considered in South America, along with Brazilian, the most gourmet. Indeed, wherever we ate, everything was very tasty, besides, it was beautifully decorated and varied. Starting with hotel breakfasts, which were very plentiful and varied.
We are not meat lovers, we practically do not eat steaks, but in Peru we have tried alpaca meat several times. They cook very tasty, especially interesting side dishes - different types of vegetables, several unfamiliar types of pumpkins, multicolored potatoes.
We did not go to expensive restaurants, but we also avoided eateries. There are plenty of restaurants in the tourist spots at moderate prices and safe in terms of hygiene. For example, in the city of Cusco, not far from our hotel, on a quiet street, we were all alone in a whole restaurant. We had lunch and dinner with pleasure.
A good breakfast was served on the train that was taking us to Machu Picchu, and the breakfast was completely unexpected, I generally keep quiet about plates and cutlery. Everything is like in a restaurant.
On a mountain pass, lonely standing restaurant unexpectedly there was a buffet lunch. There I was lucky to eat a delicious soup made from vegetables (I cook such at home), local dishes from local cereals - kinoi, various types of meat.
Prices are reasonable everywhere. Again, referring to our budget Cost and route: Peru + Bolivia.
Avoid street food vendors, better buy something in the store, there are modern supermarkets in Peru. True, we bought boiled corn a couple of times, it is completely special in Peru, large, juicy, sweet, probably since the time of the Incas.
I would also like to say about drinks. If there are no problems with food, then be careful about what and where you drink. In Peru, something happened to me that has not happened for a long time. I was poisoned. And she was poisoned twice. And every time because she violated the well-known rules of tourists. I must say that the poisoning along with altitude sickness spoiled my several days of the trip. So let's remember the basic rules:
- never drink iced drinks. Ice is made from unfiltered water and it can be the cause of your poisoning.
- do not order or drink fresh squeezed juices, as well as do not eat salads from fresh vegetables. All guidebooks warn about this. Because vegetables for salads are washed again in tap water, which is of very low quality in Peru, and juices are squeezed out of fruits washed in the same water.
- Drink only bottled water, juices in factory packaging, tea, beer (kills bacteria) and Coca-Cola (also kills food bacteria and helps fight altitude sickness). We usually also drink local wine on our trips, but Peru is not a country that can be proud of its winemaking, like neighboring Chile. Honestly, I'm not sure if they produce wine at all.
The right season to travel.
There is no right season to travel to Peru. Each one suits something different. But how to choose your season?
Let's start with the fact that Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere and the seasons there are opposite to ours. That is, if you are used to traveling in summer, remember that you will find yourself in winter. But winter is completely different here, the country is not so far from the equator, there is no snow and frost here. But it will be cold, especially at night and especially in mountainous areas, and there will be less greenery. In addition, there will be many tourists during this time.
If you want to shorten your winter and travel to Peru in the winter, then you will be in the summer, which however will not be hot, especially in the mountainous regions. True, it must be borne in mind that in February the Urubamba River is sometimes so diluted, through which there is a train to Machu Picchu, that it is canceled and your trip to meet the wonder of the world may be at great risk.
My personal favorite season for traveling to South America is the end of our fall and the beginning of winter, that is, late November-early December. Why? Firstly, there is the end of spring and the beginning of summer, such as our turn in May-June. And this is the most beautiful and blooming season. Secondly, this is the time with the longest daylight hours, which is very important when traveling. Thirdly, it is so nice to leave for warmer regions during the most depressing and darkest time of the year, and to return almost right by Christmas.
I really hope that my advice will seem interesting, useful, and will help someone move forward towards his goal. I also conclude my cycle about Peru with it. I hope I didn't tire you too much. Thank you very much for your careful reading, for your interest and for all the comments and ratings. For those who are interested, I give links to all previous works.
The dream of my life is about everything at once !!
