- My Experience in the Amazon in Iquitos
- My Ayahuasca Experience in the Peruvian Amazon
- Chile – 17 Things To Know Before You Go
- Skip It: The Floating Islands in Puno
- Isla Del Sol on Bolivia’s Lake Titicaca
- Salar de Uyuni – One of the Most Unique Places on Earth
- Bolivia – Everything You Need To Know Before You Go
- What to Expect on the 4 Day Inca Trail Hike To Machu Picchu
- Peru – 23 Things To Know Before You Go
- South America – Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
- 14 Reasons Why You Need To Travel to South America
- How To Stay Safe in South America
Peru is a fascinating country with so much beautiful diversity to offer. The landscape is incredibly varied with the Andes, the Amazon, the coast, Lake Titicaca and the desert. Peru is also home to the deepest canyon in the world, the Colca Canyon, which is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Peru also offers charming colonial cities and towns like Cusco, Arequipa, Ollantaytambo, Trujillo and many more.
Because of Peru’s diverse landscapes, it’s a great place for nature lovers and adventurers. Hiking is really popular in Peru, as well as surfing and sandboarding.
MY EXPERIENCE
I traveled Peru as a solo female traveler for over 3 weeks and visited Puno and Lake Titicaca, Lima, Iquitos and the Amazon, Cusco, and I hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. And it was like visiting a different country in each city and town because they’re all completely different. But while I saw very different places in Peru, I barely scratched the surface of what Peru has to offer. So I would love to go back and explore some more.
23 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TO PERU
YOU LIKELY WON’T NEED A VISA
But check to make sure, of course.
LEARN A LITTLE SPANISH
English is not as commonly spoken in South America. You certainly don’t need to become fluent in Spanish, but learning some simple phrases, numbers, and some foods will be extremely helpful. And lucky for you, Spanish is one of the easier languages to learn.
PERU IS NOT AN EXPENSIVE COUNTRY, BUT ITS MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS ARE
Chances are that your trip to Peru will include a visit to Machu Picchu and potentially the Inca Trail (or another trek). Machu Picchu is Peru’s bread and butter, so it’s not cheap to visit and guided trekking isn’t cheap either, especially on the Inca trail. And visiting the Amazon is not cheap either.
IT’S THE MOST TOURISTY COUNTRY IN SOUTH AMERICA
The majority of travelers are drawn to Peru first because everyone wants to see Machu Picchu, which, consequently, is also extremely touristy and overcrowded.
DON’T GO TO PERU AND ONLY VISIT MACHU PICCHU AND CUSCO
There is sooo much more to see!!!
YOU’RE IN FOR SOME LONG BUS RIDES
Peru is a large country and with so much ground to cover, 15-20+ hour bus rides are not uncommon. But luckily flights within the country can be reasonable. For example, the bus from Cusco to Lima is 24 hours, but the flight is 1.5 hours, so in this case, it makes sense to fly. However, sometimes the small towns you want to visit don’t have an airport, so get your neck pillow, movies and book ready.
PERUVIAN FOOD IS WORLD CLASS
Peruvian food is a unique fusion of European, Asian, African and indigenous influences and it’s one of the best cuisines in the world.
Must try dishes in Peru:
- ceviche (marinated raw fish, chili peppers, onion and lime)
- causa (mashed potato, spices, avocado and chicken or tuna)
- palta reina (avocado salad)
- lomo saltado (beef stirfry)
- rocoto relleno (spicy stuffed peppers)
- Inca kola (the national soda of Peru that tastes like cream soda)
- quinoa and hearty soups
Try cuy (guinea pig, which tastes like rabbit, a traditional dish in the Andes) and llama and alpaca (which tastes like beef).
YOU ALSO MUST TRY THE PISCO SOURS
Peru’s sweet and tangy national cocktail is made with pisco, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white and bitters.
EAT THE “MENU DE DIA” FOR A CHEAP LUNCH
You can get a 3 course meal for lunch for $2-6US.
GIVE LIMA A CHANCE
Lima isn’t popular with most travelers because it’s a typical South American capital city with lots of noise, pollution, crime and only a few nice, safe neighbourhoods. But I enjoyed my few days in Lima. I didn’t explore as much of the city as I could’ve because I was at a point in my travels where I needed to relax and Lima was a great place to do that. The amount of American chains was shocking, but the beach, the warm weather, the food(!), the street art in Barranco, the sunsets and jogging along the malecón (boardwalk along the ocean) in Miraflores were exactly what I needed.
I also saw one of prettiest sunsets I’ve ever seen in my life in Lima.
LIMA IS A FOODIE HEAVEN
If you’re a foodie, you cannot skip Lima. The fresh seafood is incredible and the city is home to 2 of the top 50 restaurants in the world and I was lucky to try one of them- Central, which specializes in indigenous cuisine. Lima 27 also has amazing food.
PERU IS GREAT FOR HISTORY LOVERS
Peru’s ancient cultures and archaeological sites are easily the best in South America and they also rival the famous sites in Mexico, Egypt, Turkey and Greece. And the Inca Empire is one of the oldest ancient cultures in the world. There’s the obvious and very impressive Machu Picchu, but the Nazca lines and Chan Chan are other great examples of the archaeological wealth that Peru has to offer.
SKIP THE FLOATING ISLANDS IN PUNO
They’re a massive tourist trap. Alternatively, visit Amantani and Taquille Islands on Lake Titicaca or visit Isla del Sol on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca for a more authentic and peaceful experience.
MACHU PICCHU IS DISAPPOINTINGLY CROWDED
Machu Picchu is the one place EVERYONE wants to visit first in South America, so consequently, it is extremely over-touristed and overcrowded with 2,500-5,000 tourists per day. Be aware of this and manage your expectations. But it’s still stunning.
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO HIKE TO MACHU PICCHU, ASIDE FROM THE INCA TRAIL
The Inca trail trek is the most expensive option and it has to be booked 6-12 months in advance during high season. Alternatively, you can hike the Salkantay trek, the jungle trek or the Lares trek instead.
GUIDED TREKKING IS EXPENSIVE
This is more or less a fact worldwide and this is especially true for the Inca trail. Hiking gear is also expensive if you don’t already own it.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER FAMOUS HIKES IN PERU
Like Rainbow Mountain, Ausengate, Colca Canyon, Salkantay, Santa Cruz and Laguna 69.
THE ANDEAN CULTURE IS STRONG
The Andean people maintain their culture and many of their traditions, which is very apparent when you visit these regions.
HIGH ALTITUDE IS A THING
There’s a very good chance that you’ll experience some very high elevation in Peru, like in Cusco and Machu Picchu. And the altitude will inevitably effect you and make you feel like garbage. There are medications to help you adjust to the altitude, but the side effects can often make you feel worse. I opted out of taking. And I’ve literally never met anyone who had a good experience with altitude medication. Do your research. See here for tips to help prevent altitude sickness.
WEAR SUNSCREEN
Even in the cold mountains on cloudy days. You can still get a sunburn, through the clouds, at high elevation.
PERU HAS 2 SEASONS – WET AND DRY
Due to its proximity to the equator, the wet season is December-March and the dry season is May-September.
BE ADAPTABLE BECAUSE NATURAL DISASTERS ARE NOT UNCOMMON
This is a result of a country being surrounded by beautiful nature. For example, my Amazon tour to Manu was cancelled due to a landslide, so Plan B was to go to Ecuador. But just as I was about to book a flight to Ecuador, a volcano started erupting there. Plan C was to go to Iquitos, Peru instead, which I do not at all recommend.
AYAHUASCA IS POPULAR IN THE AMAZON
Ayahuasca is a psychedelic brew that’s prepared from Amazonian plant infusions, which is meant to help you tap into your inner subconscious, cause spiritual awakening and hallucinations. Many people travel to the Amazon specifically to go on 1-4 week ayahuasca retreats. I talked to many people who did this and had a great time, but I didn’t personally have a good experience when I did ayahuasca, due to a creepy shaman, but I would give it another chance in the future, but under safer and more comfortable circumstances and with the right people.
More important tips and information
What To Know Before You Go to South America
14 Things I Love About South America
How To Stay Safe in South America
Great shot of Machu Picchu.
Thanks!