PERU – K.S WORLD TRAVELER

😍 Amazing Peru

We did a 3-week trip in South America, including 5 days in Peru – Cusco and Machu Picchu.

In Cusco we stayed at Motto by Hilton Cusco – a cute boutique hotel, beautifully designed, in a great location with good service. Highly recommend! We booked through Trip and got a good deal. It’s also worth comparing prices on Agoda and Google’s “incognito window”.

On the first evening we booked a dinner with a show at Tunupa restaurant via GetYourGuide. It was really nice – tasty food, a beautiful and funny performance, and the restaurant is located right on the main square. It’s worth checking if booking directly is cheaper.
Booking link

On the second day we went on a tour to the Sacred Valley and the salt mines. It was a great day with a very good guide, and we saw many impressive places.
We booked through GetYourGuide
Tour link

In the evening we ate at the vegetarian restaurant Green House – a beautiful place with delicious food 😋🤤

On the third day we did an ATV tour to Rainbow Mountain. It was absolutely perfect 👌🏻 A great guide and highly recommended. You ride almost all the way up on the ATV, and there’s only about a 7-minute walk to the viewpoint for those who want it. You can also stay down below. There are locals there with alpacas you can take photos with in exchange for a tip.

I personally felt a bit of a headache and nausea from the altitude, and the guide gave us coca leaves/alcohol to smell, which really helped.

Note that there are cheaper tours that include about a 40-minute hike – here there is almost no walking at all.
ATV tour link

In the evening we did a chocolate workshop – it was fun and sweet 😋 and we even had chocolate left for the rest of the trip. There is also a chocolate museum where the workshop is cheaper, but here you get more time and more chocolate.
Chocolate workshop link

On the fourth day we took a train to the town of Aguas Calientes near Machu Picchu. We stayed at Casa del Sol – a boutique hotel by the river, and we got an upgraded room with an amazing view. Great service and perfect location.

We arrived in the afternoon by train. There are two train companies, and you need to book in advance online. We traveled with Peru Rail because the timing suited us and the price was similar about $70 one way. You need to arrive 30 minutes early at the station in Cusco, then there’s a bus ride of about two hours followed by a train ride with panoramic windows and incredible views.

When we arrived, we left our bags at the hotel and went to buy tickets for Machu Picchu. On the official website you need to book well in advance, and when we checked only route 1 was left, which is less recommended. The recommended route is 2 – it includes terraces and entry into the main site.

You also need to buy a bus ticket from the town up to the site. It’s important to arrive an hour early because there is a long line, but it moves relatively fast.

At Machu Picchu we entered without a guide at 8:00, with a 4-hour ticket. You can also join guides at the entrance. The route is one-way with many viewpoints, and the scenery is absolutely insane – huge mountains everywhere 🤩

Restaurants in town:
Green House – a beautiful restaurant with green design and plants, tasty food and vegetarian options 😋 and also a cute waiter 😁
Chullos – close to the hotel by the river, tasty food and vegetarian options 😋

Andean Hands Spa – I had an amazing 30-minute foot massage for $20. One of the best I’ve ever had! They also use hot stones, and it was perfect.

After lunch we took the train back to Cusco, arriving in the afternoon. In the evening we picked up our luggage from the Hilton, and at night we continued by bus to Bolivia.

We got around using Uber, and we used an eSIM from Trip a global SIM that works in most countries, except Bolivia where we got a local SIM.

We were at the end of the season and got lucky with the weather – excellent visibility both at Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain. To adjust to the altitude we drank coca tea at the hotel.

Cusco is stunning – picturesque streets and a magical atmosphere. Peru is incredible, with breathtaking landscapes and lovely people 🥰

Enjoy, Keren 😁

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