Hi all:
Planning on a Dec 3-16 trip to Peru. We are trying to slow travel this one with maximum of three places to stay. Lima, Cusco and ...? It looks like we have to take mostly airplanes locally? Is seven days in Lima and seven in Cusco limiting ourselves too much? Thanks so much.
*Edited: dates are 12/3-16.
Depending on your interests, 7 days in Lima might be too much. I moved here in June and am loving it, but there aren't very many huge sites. It is a wonderful place to eat, drink, and explore, though.
My sister is visiting us over Christmas and we will probably do about 5 days at home in Lima, 5 days in Cusco/ Machu Picchu, and 5 days in the Amazon. We literally haven't been anywhere else yet, but those are some of the "must see places".
We are going to Arequipa and Colca Canyon next month, and I've heard Paracas is a wonderful area, too.
Enjoy! Happy to pass on any restaurant recommendations for Lima, if you'd like.
Yes.
My trip to Peru in June-July this year was: arrived in Lima before 9pm, 2 nights in lima, bus to Nazca, a night in nazca. Marcos who works at hostal camiluz where i stayed is also a tour guide, he gave me a tour of 3 sites but it he charges 400 soles, probably per person. Then overnight bus to Arequipa but I had trouble sleeping on the bus. Your experience might be better. One night in arequipa, overnight bus to Cusco, taxi to Ollantaytambo, 2 nights in there, day trip to Machu Picchu, taxi back to Cusco, 3 nights in Cusco, plane to Lima, 4 nights in Lima. There is no such thing as the perfect itinerary. Check the Rough Guide and/or Lonely Planet guidebooks.
Most travelers pick just a few museums and skip the rest. A lot of travelers skip most of the museums in Lima. You will see some good objects in some museums, and after seeing multiple art and archaeology museums, I noticed very similar objects in more than one of the museums was in. Unfortunately, I got a disease in lima that affected my digestive tract and I stayed in my hostel for most of a day. I ended up with only 2-1/4 whole days for museums in Lima. 7 whole days in Lime and another 7 in Cusco is too many in either, for most travelers, unless you are taking day trips, but do not attempt to do a day trip from Lima to Nasca.
There are 5 commercial airports in Peru. For everywhere else you should take the bus, or a taxi if the cost and distance are low enough. Traffic in Lima, Cusco, and Arequipa is too crazy to rent a car and then who knows how much time you would waste finding parking spaces. Don't try to see Machu Picchu as a day trip from Cusco, if you see it. Or investgate traveling to the sites in Northern Peru that few Americans go to - Chan Chan ruins, the city of Trujillo, and so on. I took a few short rides with Uber and reserved some taxi tours with Taxidatum.
I also think 7 days in Lima is too much. We did 3 days and felt we saw most of the major sites. So 4-5 days should be fine.
We spent 3 nights at Machu Picchu/Aguas Clientes. Got to visit MP twice for two different perspectives. 2-3 full days in Cusco should also be fine.
Our itinerary, years ago, went something like this: Arrive Lima and stay near airport; fly to Arequipa - two days there and two days to Colca Canyon; fly to Cusco, one night there, then train to Aguas Caliente/Machu Picchu - two days; train to Ollantaytambo - one day; pick up a driver back to Cusco - three days; fly back to Lima - two days. Agree that Lima is mostly about great food…but very much worth it! This was a rookie trip but worked out well. Would happily redo.
Thank you all. This was very helpful! @Coffee Girl I would love some restaurant recommendations. We love the moms 'n pops kind of places that are away from tourist zones, but would also love to have a couple of high-end meals.
Will go back to the drawing board with a new itinerary. Any thoughts on Huacachina? There will be teenagers who would love some sand adventure. But now Arequepia should also be on the list. We are history buffs-- bigly, and good food is also important. ALSO, trying to wean ourselves off of AirBnB. Are there local websites to rent apartments from?
I know I could easily fill seven days, or more, in Lima; there's actually a lot more there than most people think. First, though, It would be good to know whether your dates, 3-13 Dec., include the days you fly in, and then fly out -- in which case, you have only nine "full" days in the country. In that case, you won't have seven full days for either Lima or Cusco.
As for Lima, I have some interest in Peruvian history and culture, so I'll admit that there are places in the city that interest me, that probably wouldn't interest more general tourists. These include several places of "intermediate" interest; for example, a number of ancient sites, which I find quite fascinating myself, though being adobe structures, in some cases rather eroded, and surrounded by urban Lima, they may lack the "visual spectacle" offered by the well-preserved stone structures of Machu Picchu on their high mountain ridge. (In Lima, Huaca Pucllana and Mateo Salado may offer the visual spectacle that tourists seek.) For Lima, as for so many other cities, if you just want to see two or three of its better-known touristic sites, and say afterwards that you've "seen" Lima, or at least glimpsed it, then two full days (i.e, not counting the day you enter Lima, and the day you leave) may suffice, though barely. But the more interest you have in Lima or Peru, the longer you will want to consider staying.
Also -- my visit to Arequipa was in 2009, so my recollections are obviously far from current; but if it's still the same city that I remember from back then, it's an excellent choice.
I'd also suggest staying at Aguas Calientes at least overnight so you can see Machu Picchu a couple times - different feel in the afternoon vs. morning and the crowds dissipate later in the day. It is also wise to fly to Cusco and then immediately head down in elevation. I did a tour that went to directly to Ollyantaytambo, then MP, then back to Cusco. The elevations are no joke, read up on that. In Lima I hired private guides for a cooking/market tour class and also a history tour. Well worth it just so I didn't have to deal with traffic/transit - it's a chaotic giant city.
For itineraries, you might take a look at what is offered by tour companies - not that you need to take a tour but just to get a feel for how they space the time. G Adventures, Intrepid, Road Scholar, Odysseys Unlimited are but a few.
So INCREDIBLY helpful. Apologies my dates are Dec 3-16 and that includes flying dates.
We did Peru with PeruAgency.com and our tour was fantastic and inexpensive.
Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu were the best.
Lima has a lot to see and you could easily do 3-4 days there.
Other areas of Peru are worth considering. My Son did a Gate 1 Travel tour that included Lake Titicaca, Aregippa, and a short visit to the Amazon.
Hi Jebenna- Yes, here are some restaurants I've enjoyed since I moved here in June and/or places that I want to try:
Isolina- this is in Barranco. You'll need a reservation. Their food is meat-heavy with lots of organ meats (so check the menu carefully if that's not your thing- it's not mine). Portions are huge and meant to be shared. Order the Aji de Gallina- it's probably the best thing I've eaten in Peru.
Tanta- this is a local chain that is very popular with Peruvians for their reasonable prices and very good food. Go to the Larcomar location for an ocean view (if you go early enough, you should be able to snag a window seat). My favorite version of Lomo Saltado so far.
Ceviche restaurants- Punta Azul (they have a few locations- Calle San Martin is the most touristy but has the best atmosphere. Go early or stand in line), Costa Azul (I haven't been yet but have friends that love it), La Mar (a bit expensive but amazing), Punta y Sal (more of a local place- I wouldn't go out of my way for it but they have great food and friendly staff).
Delfino Mar- in Miraflores, a very good place for seafood- I love their Arroz con Mariscos and Pisco Sours.
Dhaasu- Indian street food that reminds me of Dishoom in London)- if you want a break from Peruvian. Amazing kathi rolls.
Astrid y Gaston- I have not been yet (it's pricey) but this is where my friends go if they want a fancy, special-occasion meal.
Osaka or Tomo- for amazing Nikkei food
Restaurant Huaca Pucllana- very good food at the archaelogical site. I'd go for dinner when the site is lit up for an amazing view
Chifa Titi- apparently the best Chifa restaurant, I haven't been here yet
Panchita- I've heard it's amazing, haven't been yet
Amarena, El Pan de Chola, or Rutina Cafe- for breakfast
Porcus- amazing local eatery, very reasonably priced. I love their causa with ceviche, their tequenos, and their sandwiches. Local neighborhood place.
Jeronimo- eclectic eatery with amaaaaaaazing cocktails
Pescados Capitales- seafood
There are also the high-end Michelin restaurants like Central, Maido, Siete, etc- I haven't been to them yet but you probably know about them already.
If you like beer, there's a street in the Parque Kennedy area that is fun, on Manuel Bonilla. My favorite taproom is Sierra Andina but Barbarian is fun. It's a fun street to try different spots.
I don't know of any apartment booking sites other than Airbnb etc, sorry. Urbania.pe and Adondevivir are where I started looking for my apartment (yearly rental) but I don't know if they do short-term. I would recommend you stay in Miraflores for the best variety of restaurants, lovely parks with ocean views, and safety. This is where I live and I feel comfortable walking alone at night. Barranco is another neighborhood to check out but I wouldn't stay there- it's slightly less safe than Miraflores and the traffic really bottlenecks at night.
wow... @Coffee Girl... brilliant! Thank you much. Onwards!
Enjoy! Lima is an amazing food city. I haven't done this yet, but you should also consider a food tour while you are here. This would be a really good city to do this in.
Just returned from Peru last night. Would definitely not spend 7 days in Lima. 3 or 4 nights is plenty. Cusco to Machu Picchu is a very long day. It would be better to spend a night or two in Agua Calientes, visiting MP twice. Or spend 2 or 3 nights in Ollyuntambo, visiting MP as a day trip from there. We traveled with OAT and our tour ended in Cusco. We spent an extra night there and flew to Puerto Maldonado, spending 3 nights in the Amazon rain forest.
