A Cultural Journey: 6 Days in Peru

The easiest way to get to Peru is to fly into Lima. From Lima, take a quick flight over to Cusco. Be sure to leave plenty of time between your connecting flight in Lima—you have to exit the Lima airport and re-enter to get to your flight. This caused us to miss our flight, and while the memory of sleeping on the airport floor is one we laugh at now, I will certainly encourage anyone I work with to have ample time to make their connecting flight. Upon arrival, enjoy a nice cup of coca tea to help your body adjust to the altitude.

For your first day in Cusco, I recommend connecting with a pre-arranged guide to show you around the many historical sites. Having a guide during our time both gave us a friendship that we still maintain and deeper explanations to the sites we visited than we could have gotten on our own. It also doubles as a tag along photographer!

The first place you’ll visit is Saqsaywaman. (Your guide will tell you how to pronounce things, but this one is my favorite—it sounds like you’re saying “Sexy Woman.”) Saqsaywaman is filled with incredible Incan architecture. You will get to explore this fortress, marveling at how they lifted the stones into place by hand. Unbelievable strength!! We loved finding the stones placed very intentionally to create their religious symbols, like the snake and claw.

You’ll also get to visit Q’enqo—this sacred holy place is where acts like mummifications and sacrifices took place. If you bring some dried coca leaves, you can leave them on the altar as a sign of respect. Tambomachay, Chinchero, and Puka Pukara are also worth visiting. Many of these sites have caves that were used during Incan times. If you visit during the rainy season, like we did, you may even get to put these (tiny!) caves to use and get some shelter.

While in Cusco, you absolutely have to try eating cuy. Cuy is guinea pig, often served whole and with large-kernel corn on the cob and some delicious dipping sauces. While it might sound pretty strange to Americans to eat guinea pig, it is a Peruvian delicacy. It tastes a lot like chicken, and Peruvians truly know how to make incredible sauces. I recommend enjoying dinner at Kusikuy for your cuy feast.

Today you will dive into a truly unique experience Cusco has to offer. Start your day off at Moray. When you arrive at the upper elevations of this site, it will be fairly chilly. Looking down, you’ll see layer after layer of rings of dirt getting successively smaller. Each ring has a different micro-climate for growing different things! As you make your way down to the bottom, you will find a much different climate than the one you started at just minutes before. It is really neat, so definitely dress in layers today!

Another unique stop for today is the Salt Mines of Maras. There’s something unexpectedly beautiful about salt mines of varying stages stretching as far as the eye can see. You will also want to make sure you take time in the shops to sample the different salt flavors (and the salted chocolates!) and grab some to take home with you.

After such a busy but culture-rich day, stop by Cusqueñísima for traditional Peruvian food.

For your final day in Cusco, get ready for bright colors and cute alpacas. Head to perhaps my personal favorite place in Cusco, Ccaccaccollo Women’s Weaving Cooperative. Here, you get to observe female artisans in each step of the traditional weaving process. The Coop is filled with their stunning handmade goods—bags, socks, hats, sweaters, and more. You may even get to put on some of their traditional clothes and enjoy a dance with the vibrant, happy community members there. And of course, pet some of the darling alpacas before you head out!

Then, head to San Pedro Market, just a few minutes’ walk from Plaza de Armas, for some shopping. San Pedro Market is also the perfect place to get some food. The stands in the market have fresh juices, sandwiches, and all other sorts of traditional Peruvian foods. Keep an eye out for some intricately carved butter blocks! One of those would have absolutely found its way into my suitcase if I had been closer to the end of my trip. End your day exploring Plaza de Armas, perhaps getting a photo with the fountain there, or finding some artwork by the local artists in the area. If you’re still hungry, you could also swing by the restaurant Limo for some excellent seafood and gluten-free options.

Perhaps the main reason you chose to head to Peru, today you get to venture to Machu Picchu. You will bus up the winding roads of Machu Picchu—warning: only look out the window if you aren’t nervous about heights! Our group found it so incredible that these buses can comfortably wind up and down these roads each day.

At the entrance to Machu Picchu, meet up with an expert guide to take you through this wonder, telling you stories of how the people lived and built their communities. Highlights for us included hiking to the Inca Bridge (which is too dangerous to cross, but you can get pretty close!), the Temple of the Sun, and spotting plenty of llamas wandering the terraces. There were times that we were literally standing in the clouds, thanks to the elevation of Machu Picchu, and watching those clouds clear to reveal Huayna Picchu was truly breathtaking.

Enjoy the Aguas Calientes food market or some ceviche at Julian Restaurant while in the area.

Now it’s time to head into the Amazon River and experience Iquitos. Most visitors to Peru don’t visit Iquitos, but it has rich and unique experiences waiting. Head to the river to go fishing in the Amazon. My husband caught fish for the first time in his life here—little piranhas! Not many people can claim that catch.

I also recommend visiting the Yaguas tribe. This tribe maintains their long-held traditions away from society, so getting to see that was really neat. Even getting to them is a fun adventure, as it is accessible by boat. Your visit here includes a performance with dancing by the tribe members.

An absolute must-eat in Iquitos is Tutti Frutti. Their fresh, creamy juices are to die for, and they have excellent sandwiches to go with them.

Today, you get to visit the Mariposario animal sanctuary. As a major sloth-lover, this was one of my all-time favorite travel moments ever. Here you get to not only hold sloths, but also feed monkeys, see butterflies, hold a boa constrictor, and see turtles up close. End your visit with time on the nearby beach.

Peruvian chicken is so good. Head to El Trinchero for some classic, yet delectable Peruvian chicken. You may also want to try alligator and chicha morada (a sweet purple corn drink) while in Iquitos.