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Peru August 2022 - Trip Report

Hello! I’m back from 3 weeks in Peru! I just wanted to share some of my impressions and notes in case others are also looking to do a similar trip like this.

Our goal was flexibility so we opted to do the whole trip solo without using a tour company. I reached out beforehand to local guides in the cities we were visiting to set up private day tours (all were very affordable), other than that transportation/food/accommodations were on us to figure out. Overall the trip was very rewarding and special yet a bit exhausting, especially towards the end of the trip.

One thing we did notice was an absolute inundation of tourists in the most popular sites of Peru like Cusco and Machu Picchu. While we were in Machu Picchu there was some push back by the local residents against the influx of this overtourism, especially since the Peruvian government doubled the amount of tourist allowed in Machu Picchu this summer. However, once we got out touristy parts of Peru, to lesser known towns like Trujillo the ambiance was much more relaxed and less tense.

Here was our itinerary, we wanted to mix in the well-known sites with more off the beaten path destinations:

Lima (3 nights) – day trip to Caral Pyramids
Flight to
Cusco (4 nights) – day trip to Sacred Valley
Train to
Aguas Calientes (3 nights) – visit Machu Picchu
Train to
Cusco (1 night)
Train to
Puno (3 nights) – visit Lake Titicaca
Flight to
Trujillo (3 nights) – day trip to Moche and Chan Chan
Flight to
Lima (2 nights)

Impression and notes:

Lima
On our first day we went to Central, recently named the second-best restaurant in the world. We had to reserve months ago but it was well worth it and relativity affordable. You just need 2 hours to enjoy the 12-dish tasting menu that represents Peru different ecosystems from sea level to more than 12000 feet, every dish told a story. It was a very special culinary experience and again really not that expensive compared to what you would find in Europe or the US for the same caliber. Some dishes tasted so good to me that I would eat again and again, others may be less so but the work and the research behind each dish is beyond belief.

The next day we spent time visiting Lima including the palace of "El Presidente", we also saw images of history of Peru projected on special 3-d water fountain show, beautiful colonial era balconies and there is even an old 16th-century mansion of one the original Spanish Conquistadors, still owned by his descendants, 17 generations later!

Next, we did a day trip to Caral, the site of the oldest civilization in the Americas. Their pyramids are 5000 years old, around same time as the great pyramids of Egypt. Only recently discovered in the 1990s forced the rewrite the history books so to speak. Interesting fact is that they used of bags of rocks inside the walls that acted as anti-seismic technology for earthquakes! Caral is quite remote and mysterious, we drove through a very dense fog to find it sunny and warm and overlooking a green valley.

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Cusco
As I mentioned, Cusco was overflowing with tourists from every corner of the world. I thought that was interesting as capital of the Inca empire, qosqo in native language, meant navel of the world. Apparently, it is the second oldest urban settlement in the Americas.

We had some respite from the mass tourism at our excellent boutique hotel called El Convento Cusco, which is located in a former 16th-century convent in the heart of Cusco. It was an oasis, with an excellent restaurant. highly recommend it, reminded me of the Paradores back in Spain.

We also did a day trip into the Inca Sacred Valley on the second day, moving up from sea level to 12000 feet / 3700 meters altitude. We saw a salt production system created thousands of years ago from a salted water stream, an Inca Microclimate food laboratory, and plenty of Alpacas and Llamas. Traveling through the towns of this area, it kind of reminded me of India, with the traffic jams, continuous honking, and little three wheel cars.

Machu Picchu
Totally overrun with tourists, the day before apparently local residents staged a mini protest against the government’s policy of increasing the visitor limit. Nonetheless it is a spectacular location is something pictures can't show. It is when you see it you can understand why is one of the ten wonders of the world. We went two days, once in the early morning and once in the late afternoon, both times where magical, especially the light.

Interestingly the site is incorrectly named Machu Picchu by the American Hiram Bingham, our guide told us it was already known as Huayna Picch, and was even described in Spanish documents in the XVI century.

Puno / Lake Titicaca
We then traveled 10 hours by train from Cusco to Lake Titicaca at 3800 meters. Located between Peru and Bolivia it is the largest freshwater lake in South America and the highest of the world's large lakes.
Lake Titicaca has 38 islands, but the most interesting are the floating ones made by the Uros, they are unique people and one the oldest ethnic groups in South America, one theory has them originating from Polynesia and they escaped to the lake when the Incas conquered the area. Now, thanks to tourism income and technology they have even electricity thanks to solar panels.

There are other two ethnic groups on the lake, the Quechua and the Aymara. Their languages and culture are completely different and until recently it was forbidden to marry between the two groups.
We stayed in Hotel Lago Titicaca on a little island in front of the main city of Puno. Very picturesque and well-maintained hotel but we found sleeping difficult due to the altitude.

Trujillo
Last leg of our Peruvian trip was Trujillo, I think this was our favorite town, right on the coastline with charming colonial architecture and great seafood. The best part there were virtually no tourists, definitely one of the best hidden gems of Peru, very refreshing after dealing with the hordes of tourists in Cusco and Machu Picchu.

There are a couple of fascinating pre-Inca cultures in this part of north Peru, the mochica and the chimu that are just as impressive as what you would find in Machu Picchu. Their capital is the second largest mud brick city in the world, 10 Sq miles, called Chan Chan. The first use of avocado, the first use of cotton and indigo dye in the world was in this area too, in Hueca Prieta complex. 6000 years ago.

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Covid-19
Peru takes Covid-19 precautions very seriously. Most locals were masked. We had to occasionally show proof of vaccination and were even denied entry to some places because we were not double masked. We tried to comply with the masking rules to the best of our ability and felt very safe most of the times. Our diligence paid off as we all returned without catching covid, we tested on our return just in case.

Transportation
Driving: Not recommended to drive yourself, very crazy roads/traffic similar in India, definitely need experienced driver, we used Cabify (Spanish uber) most of the time, except when we hired out local guides for the day.

Flying: used Latam for all flights, excellent service, all flights on time, no luggage lost

Train: PeruRail Titicaca train was ok, looked better in the pictures, got the job done but felt very long, very cold in the train as they had all the doors open most of the time for ventilation.

Climate/weather
August is definitely the high season for Peru as it is the tail end of their winter time, so the climate was fairly temperate, we got away with light jackets most of the time. It was nice to escape the crazy heat that’s been happening in Europe and US this summer and certainly others thought so too as there were many northern hemisphere tourists mainly from Europe.

Didn't suffer much from altitude sickness most of the trip, just a mild headache at night. I tried an altitude pill the first day but it didn't feel good with my stomach so I discounted them for the rest of the trip. Most hotels we stayed had pure oxygen pumped into the rooms to help with the altitude.

Food and Drink
For me, Peru has the best cuisine in the Americas. I’d describe it in three words sophisticated, diverse, meticulous. I feel this is due to the incredible diversity of the country’s culinary roots, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Criollo, Inca, West African… east meets west mixed with indigenous food culture and ingredients in a harmonious melody.

Interestingly the best dining experiences we had were actually at the hotels we were staying at.

There is a big effort in Peru, almost everywhere you go, to make your eating a memorable moment. Their nice presentation and attention to detail are common in all restaurants, no matter the price or location.

Some of my favorite restaurants:
Lima - JW Lounge jw Marriott lima – try ceviche smoked fish zarazula
Trujillo - El Celler de Cler - Peruvian/French fusion
Cusco – Qespi – try Degustation menu of seven dishes
Puno - ghl hotel Lago Titicaca restaurant – try Sudado De Pescado
Lima - Central restaurant - interesting, worth it if you are a foodie, but 12 dishes set menu felt too long with too many flavors, good for one-time experience but maybe not a repeat.

Here’s a link to some of my photos from the trip, as you can see the presentation of food was really extraordinary no matter where you went - https://photos.app.goo.gl/wzMi44kjuqsLjbfy6

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What wonderful photos!

Our trip to Peru and Ecuador in 2019 was fantastic. They are definitely special places. Machu Picchu citadel was fairly busy when we went, but probably not as bad as what you experienced, since it was early May, and numbers were more restricted then. However, like you, we did two entries--one in the late afternoon and one in the morning. Late afternoon was definitely my favourite. I enjoyed watching the sunset and seeing the chinchillas come out to play.

Thanks for sharing.

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@BB thank you! Yes I also liked the afternoon visit to Machu Picchu better, the light was more spectacular and was slightly less busy.

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Loved reading about your trip and seeing your gorgeous photos!!!!

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691 posts

Great report Thanks! Planning to go in Dec 2023, on our own too, so will bookmark it for sure.

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Carlos,
Great trip report! Thanks for sharing.

As for the photos, I almost wished I hadn't clicked on the link. My mouth is salivating, even though I just had lunch!

And now the Travel Bug is biting me again!

P.S. - You probably speak Spanish well; I don't. Just a few words. How difficult would it be for basically an English-only speaker in the non-touristy places such as Trujillo? Thanks.

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Wow; I loved your pictures, and your report was great! I have recently gotten interested in Peru and hope to get there sometime. I will save your report because it has so much helpful information.

Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us!

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So happy everyone likes the fotos! I just used my Google Pixel 5 phone

@GoodmanTX - I used Spanish all the time on the trip so it's a little difficult for me to gauge, while in Cusco/Machu Picchu I heard English spoken from time to time, in Trujillo I did not hear any English at all. I would not let this deter you from visiting the lesser known cities in Peru. In Trujillo there were many local guides, due to the proximity of Chan Chan (a UNESCO Heritage Site) many I am sure are proficient in English as well.

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I can’t believe I missed this when you first posted it! We are planning a trip to Peru for April, 2024. Thank you Carlos! As a foodie, we are definitely going to Central.

Where did you stay in Aguas Caliente?

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2455 posts

Wonderful trip, wonderful photos! Thanks, Carlos!

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@diveloonie aka Tammy - Yes I posted this on a quiet Sunday, guess it went under the radar 😄

We stayed at Hotel Inkaterra, on the outskirts of Aguas Calientes kinda in the jungle itself. It was actually quite an adventure as we had to move our room the first night due to a spider infestation yikes!

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What Larry said…. I really enjoyed reading this! Thank you, Carlos!

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Exceptional report, photos, and travel tips! Thank you for taking the time to write and share such a helpful post. Bookmarking, hoping someday I'll be able to visit Peru.

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Oh the food looked fantastic! We didn’t eat that well but enjoyed our meals. We visited in 94 and Machu Pichu was pretty empty. We went in the summer but don’t remember the month.
A little boy around 7 or 8 got on our bus to say hi as we were heading back down to the train station. He got off and ran down the hill, meeting us at every switchback with a wave and a smile. His little feet were really moving. He missed one switchback only to catch up to us on the next one. And, there he was, at the bottom of that mountain, at the bus door helping us out. He made a good bit of change! Our guide did this too. She sent the bus on its way and ran down the hill and caught us on the third switchback. We were out of breath watching, and in awe of both of them.

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@Diane - Wow traveling in Peru in the 1990s must have been quite interesting and maybe even a little harrowing, between Fujimori's authoritarian regime on one side and the brutal Shining Path terrorists on the other it's no wonder Machu Picchu was deserted back then 😮

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@diveloonie aka Tammy

I took a connecting flight from Juliaca (Lago Titicaca) via Lima to Trujillo. All connecting flights in Peru have to go through Lima.

Also I would keep a close eye on the current civil unrest in Peru, it does not appear to be abating in the near future. Just be prepared that Peru may still be in a state of unrest by next year so you might need to have a backup