This page contains links to Third Party websites. Clicking on the Third Party links within will transfer you to their websites and may result in commission paid to Gwen's Getaways. Gwen's Getaways does not warrant or guarantee the products, services, or information provided on their websites. Purchasing decisions should be made at the purchaser's discretion.
Peru
The Land of Abundance
Asu Mare!
Why
The Why, When & How to visit...
Known as the Heart of the Inca Empire, Peru has preserved ancient Inca ruins that date back to the mid-15th century. Home to 1 of the 7 Wonders of the World, Peru has a lot to offer besides Machu Picchu! Both the historic center of Lima and city of Cusco are also World Heritage Sites. Its diverse landscape includes the Amazon rainforest, Andes Mountains, and even a desert oasis. Peru also has a world renowned culinary scene often embracing local Amazon & Andes foods. It's also home to 90% of the world's alpaca population and has pink dolphins in the Amazon. Aside from its stunning scenery & history, Peru is a feast for the eyes & stomach with its colorful decor, souvenirs, food & drinks.
When
How
International flights fly into the capital & largest city of Lima (LIM). From there, domestic flights are available to fly into Cusco for Machu Picchu. From the US, there are direct flights from LA, NYC, Miami and Houston to Lima. There is an express bus from the Lima airport to the Miraflores area.
Peru's dry season occurs May-Sept with mild to warm temperatures year-round. This is also the coolest time in Lima though when a coastal mist occurs. I visited at the end of May into the beginning of June and had mostly sunny skies and comfortable temperatures.
Where
to stay...
1) Hotel Indigo Lima Miraflores by IHG - Newly built & freshly opened in June 2025, the Hotel Indigo is a brand new, beautiful hotel option in the popular Miraflores neighborhood of Lima. The hotel contains 76 spacious rooms of varying configurations across 8 floors, restaurant, fitness center, spa, and an outdoor rooftop pool with sweeping views of the South Pacific ocean. The rooms & public spaces are tastefully designed with simple modern decor. The hotel is conveniently located within walking distance to the restaurants & shops of Miraflores and the airport express bus stop. More information with pictures and the ability to book through Hotels.com is available here.
2) Antigua Casona San Blas - Antigua Casona is a charming boutique hotel in the Historic Center of Cusco. A short walk from the main plaza uphill, Antigua Casona offers an on-site restaurant & bar, courtyard and cozy, but spacious rooms with a balcony. The decor is elevated, but inviting. More information with pictures and the ability to book through Hotels.com is available here.
What
Do
to...
1) Explore Lima - Highlights of Lima included walking the Malecon of Miraflores overlooking the ocean to the Park of Love for a crepe at Beso Frances. Then wandering around the Historic Center (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) stopping in cafes & restaurants for a refreshment, including Ancestral Cafe (there's also a location in Barranco). Lastly, exploring the quaint Barranco neighborhood, including a meal at La Perlita.
2) Wander Around Cusco - Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the historic city of Cusco is super charming with its historic architecture, plazas, churches, markets and lots & lots of restaurants and shops. My favorite places in Cusco included: breakfast at Flora, drinks & a snack at Massimo Cafe on the balcony overlooking the main plaza, the tiradito at Rucula (a must!), and a cocktail at the bar at the Belmond Monasterio Hotel and the speakeasy in Micaela Restaurant. Plus exploring the vibrant Central Market of San Pedro for souvenirs and snacks with the locals and a traditional massage at Rumi Ancestral Spa.
3) Visit Machu Picchu - When in Peru, visiting 1 of the 7 Wonders of the World there is kind of a must. There are a variety of ways to visit Machu Picchu - hiking or train, day trip or overnight. If not hiking, reaching Machu Picchu from Cusco involves a drive to a train to the Aguas Calientes town of Machu Picchu, then taking the official bus from the town to the Machu Picchu entrance and back.
The most important piece is purchasing the entrance ticket to Machu Picchu in advance. Tickets can be purchased directly through the Peru Ministry of Culture (linked here) or included with tour packages. At the time of writing in April 2026, tickets are limited to 4,500-5,600 each day with 1,000 tickets available for sale the day before entry in the Aguas Calientes town of Machu Picchu. Tickets are sold for a specific entry time and circuit (1-3) and route within that circuit. Since Machu Picchu tickets require a name & passport number, they cannot be purchased in advance and therefore the tour & rail companies have the same ticket access as the general public.
The best way I found to purchase tickets for & reach Machu Piccu from Cusco was through this all-inclusive package with Inca Rail. Inca Rail is one of two railway companies operating trains from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. The other is Peru Rail, which also operates the luxurious Belmond Hiram Bingham train car. The Belmond Hiram Bingham outbound ticket also includes a ticket to Machu Picchu, IF a ticket is available at the time of purchase.
Unlike Peru Rail, Inca Rail has a dynamic calendar that shows current Machu Picchu ticket availability and only sells packages when Machu Picchu tickets are actually available. They also offer door-to-door, full-service, round-trip transportation with pick-up & drop-off from accommodations in the Cusco Historic Center, train to & from Agua Calientes, bus to & from Machu Picchu, ticket entry to with professional tour guide through Machu Picchu for ~1/4 the cost of the Belmond Hiram Bingham (~$300 pp vs. $1,200 pp round-trip as of April 2026, however with no included food & drinks, but available for sale onboard).
There are options for morning & afternoon entry. I chose afternoon entry to avoid a 4:30am pick-up time to have a more reasonable 8:30am start time and afternoon sunlight and received the last entry time at 3pm. This was a slower time to be there with the sun starting to set. Visiting Machu Picchu was absolutely incredible and made seamless thanks to the all-inclusive package with Inca Rail.
4) Experience the Sacred Valley - The Sacred Valley has sooooo much to offer outside of Machu Picchu. The Sacred Valley is a 60 mile archaeological zone outside Cusco to Machu Picchu known for the Inca Empire. The valley can be visited on a half or full day tour from Cusco. I chose this half-day, small-group tour with round-trip transportation from Cusco to visit a traditional weaving workshop in Chinchero, the agriculture terraces of Moray, and salt flats of Maras. All were incredible to experience and felt very authentic to Peru. More information on the tour with the ability to book through Viator is available here.
5) Hike Rainbow Mountain - Probably the most Instagrammable spot in Peru outside Machu Picchu is Rainbow Mountain. It's real name Vinicunca Mountain, which translates to Mountain of Colors is a real sight to see, but requires work to get there! Reaching ~5,000 meters or 16,500 feet of elevation, the mountain requires effort to experience. This full-day, small group tour provides round-trip transportation from Cusco, buffet breakfast & lunch, and a guide for the hike. Between the early morning start, drive, hike & elevation, it's not for the weak of heart, but is totally worth it to experience the magical colors of the mountain. Be sure to wear hiking shoes/boots, hiking layers, a warm hat & gloves as it's cold in the morning. There are also horses available to ride up for an extra cost for those unable to complete the hike. More information on the tour with the ability to book through Viator is available here.
6) Experience Paracas & Huacachina - See more of what Peru has to offer on an action-packed, full day group tour from Lima. The tour starts with a 2 hour boat ride of the Ballestas Islands to see sea lions & penguins in their natural habitat. Then ventures to Ica to visit a pisco vineyard to sample a variety of piscos & enjoy a delicious lunch. The day ends with an exhilarating buggy ride and optional sandboarding in the Huacachina Desert Oasis - the only natural desert oasis in South America with natural sand dunes as tall as the Sahara Desert! Be prepared for a long day (~6am-12am) with 5 hours of driving time each way, but it is totally worth it! More information with the ability to book this tour through Viator is available here.
Eat
Ceviche & potatoes! Ceviche is the national dish of Peru and Peru has over 4,000 varieties of potatoes native to Peru. There are loads of other Peruvian dishes to try local to the Amazon & Andes. My favorite places to eat are listed in What to Do in Lima & Cusco.
Drink
Pisco Sour - the national drink made with grape brandy, lime juice, egg white, syrup & bitters. Also try a Chilcano - like a Pisco Sour, but with ginger ale & no egg white or Algarrobina made with Pisco and carob tree syrup. There's also Chica de Jora - an ancient fermented corn beer. Plus, Chicha Morada (non-alcoholic, purple sweet corn drink) & cocoa tea for attitude sickness.
*If of legal drinking age to drink responsibly
Wear
Colorful layers
Watch
by Bruno Ascenzo
Listen
"Machu Picchu"
by Kley Kley
Gift
Check out Gift & Souvenir ideas here!