About Peru
Peru is a beautiful, vibrant, adventurous country with plenty to do and see. This is the ultimate guide for travel around Peru in a sustainable way. This sustainable guide will discuss what to do in Peru, must see’s, what and where to eat, and what makes it a sustainable country. Even though Peru is famous for Machu Picchu, Peru also has so many other great places to check out.
Peru is located on the Western coast of South America surrounded by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. This beautiful country has a lot to offer, especially for history, site seekers and adventure lovers. Peru is also a country with super diverse landscapes throughout. You can trek through the Andes, sand board in the desert, enjoy time on the coast, check out the abundant cities, and explore the rainforest. In other words, you will never be bored here.
Peru is also a great spot for sustainable lovers and travelers. This country makes traveling sustainably easy and has an abundance of locally made foods, clothes, and products. We will discuss this more in depth at the end of the blog.
Lastly, when planning a trip to Peru, be prepared for a variety of different climates and weathers, and make sure you know whether it is rainy season or not since some of the places discussed in this blog might not be accessible during the rainy season. Dry season is typically end of April to December. I want during dry season, which is a better time to go, however, keep in mind this is also their busy season. And always, when traveling be respectful of traditional cultures, religions, ways of life, and keep it just as beautiful as you found it!
Oh, and make sure to enjoy the abundance of potatoes [4,000 varieties to be exact], the llamas and alpacas, and the beautiful views!
10 Must Do’s in Peru
There is so much to do in Peru, especially if you love the outdoors! Even though there are more than 10 great things to do and check out in Peru, I have narrowed it down to 10 must do’s, in my opinion.
1. Do a Chocolate Making Class
This isn’t necessary specific to Peru, however, this is a fun activity to do while in Lima or Cusco. We did it at ChocoMuseo [linked] in Miraflores, Lima on our last day in Peru and it was such a fun way to learn about chocolate and more about Peru.
In this class, you can learn how to make chocolate, both dark or milk chocolate from a cacao bean, you learn how to make traditional cacao drinks, and you get to make your own chocolates in a variety of shapes with a variety of toppings to take home!
As someone obsessed with chocolate, this was the perfect activity to do! Also, since they offer dark chocolate options, it is the perfect class for vegans or people who don’t eat dairy. Make sure to check this spot out the next time you go to Peru!
2. Explore Miraflores in Lima
Miraflores is a district in Lima, which is the largest city in Peru and is located along the coast. This area is considered one of the wealthiest areas of Lima, however, it was still pretty affordable in terms of hotels and things to do! This area is also popular for surfers since there are beaches along the coast where it is easy to get into the water and there are usually decent size waves here.
There are also a lot of shops, including an outdoor mall overlooking the water, restaurants, food halls, parks, and other things to check out here. It is also a nice, safe, and clean area of Lima to walk around in.
If you are into architecture or plants, there are also some cool Spanish style buildings and houses and some beautiful plants in that area. Since Lima is a tropical desert, there are both tropical and desert plants such as cacti. Because of the tropical climate here as well, there are a lot of green walls throughout this part of the city, which has both health benefits and environmental benefits, especially in a city.
Some other things to do in this area include
3. Go to Paracas & Huacachina
Going to Paracas and Huacachina is a great day trip from Lima and a unique experience to do in Peru. Paracas is a
This ‘trek’ isn’t what you would typically think of when you think of Peru. The Golden Shadows Trek is more of moderate stroll or an easy hike, but it is not recommended for people with mobility issues due to the terrain you walk on and the lack of ‘paths’. The Golde Shadows Trek is a great way to explore the Paracas National Reserve and view the sunset over the water.
Explore barranco larcomar mall miraflores
Malecon
KENNEDY PARK
parque del armor
DORCHER BIER
Sydney overlooking bluffs in miraflores
Cat park
Land in Lima around 6 am!
Drop bags off at hotel
3 main areas: Downtown Lima, Miraflores, Barranco District
Miraflores
Miraflores Indian Market
Huaca Pucllana – Ruins in Lima
Downtown Lima
Plaza de Armas, Downtown Lima
Walk Malecon (boardwalk near water/cliffs) ** (is this the same as Costa Verde Lima?)
Kennedy Park
Barranco
Artsy district/street art
Plaza de Armas, Barranco
Bridge of Sighs – walk over without breathing and make a wish
Biking/Hiking along the cliffs of Barranco is one of the coolest things to do in Lima and riding up to El Morro Hill in Chorrillos to see 360° panoramic view of Lima is awesome!
Hotel Location: Hotel Innside Lima Miraflores
Address: Av. Ernesto Diez Canseco 344, Miraflores 15074, P
Ica (place that starts w p? Paraca? For boat tour etc) then to huacchiana desert and go sandboaridng and dune buggies etc. check out oasis little town too. Do trek we did gold cliffs??? Whatever it was called unique thing to do in Peru that is off beaten path remember to leave no trace and respect the environment here. Can see penguins sea lions etc here on boat and thousands of birds etc. Watch out for bird piop. Name types of birds here blue footed Boobies flamingoes near here too etc.
Huacchiana desert do separate sand dune buggy and sand board etc.
The next day we made our way to huacchiana aka the desert oasis with the same private tour guide who took us to paracas. Here we went on a sand buggy and sand boarded down (head first) some giant sand dunes. Some sustainable highlights from this area included supporting local businesses that thrive off tourism, cleaning up after ourselves, brining reusable water bottles, supporting a local winery etc.
I will say this, this desert was actually SUPER trashy. I mean plastic water bottles and food wrappers all over what should be a pristine beautiful natural area. It was sad to see and I wish I was able to help clean it up more.
Day 3, Sunday 5/22/22: Paracas
Ballestas Islands and Golden Shadow Trek in Paracas
5 am: Pick up from our hotel in Lima and private transfer to Paracas
8:00 am: Boat to visit the Ballestas Islands (2.5 hour tour)
11 am: Head to the hotel to check in and relax for a moment
1pm: Lunch in a local restaurant (lunch is not included, usually costs around 35 to 45 soles – about $10.00 to $15.00)
3pm: We will enter the heart of the Paracas National Reserve and experience the beauty of the cliffs and the mystique and energy of the Lord of the Golden Mountain (Kori-Apu). Let your emotions be flooded with harmony and let your eyes delight in the most beautiful sunset on the planet. In this magical place, even the shadows will be golden!
6:30 pm: As soon as we finish will return to your hotel in Paracas, also you will have time to explore the Bulevards by yourself.
Hotel Location: San Agustin Hotel in Paracas
Address: Chaco de la Puntilla s/n, Paracas, Peru
Day 4, Monday 5/23/22: Huacachina Oasis /Lima
Huacachina Oasis, Buggies & Sandboarding
9 am: Pick up from your hotel and we will leave for Huacachina Oasis.
10:30 am: As soon as we arrive, we will take you to visit the impressive sand dunes of Huacachina, where we will ride dune buggies and practice Sandboarding.
12:30 pm: We will have lunch in a local restaurant (lunch is not included, costs around 35 to 45 soles – about $10.00 to $15.00)
2 pm: You can spend some time around the Huacachina Oasis, also we can go to the Catador Winery, where we will learn about the pisco and wine production process – sowing, harvesting, and processing. We will try different types of pisco and wine that are so famous in this part of the country.
4 pm: We will return to Lima. You will expect to arrive at 8 pm approx, depending on traffic conditions.
Hotel Location: Hotel Innside Lima Miraflores
Address: Av. Ernesto Diez Canseco 344, Miraflores 15074, Peru
Go to all the ruins by Cusco after flying here from Lima. Look up ruins names. Recommend a tour guide for some. Explore little town and markers and best empanadas by the one ruin
After this part of the trip, we flew to Cusco! Cusco is a beautiful city sitting at (10,000’ elevation). We stayed at a local boutique hotel here that was eco friendly, and we walked everywhere we went. We only ate at local restaurants and shopped at local stands or shops. We supported communities by buying their products as well. We had a private driver for this part of the trip as well because again there were 6 of us and most of the group guided tours took up to 8 people anyways. We basically just hired a driver who took us to a bunch of ruins where we learned about the diffeeent farming techniques etc at each one and we got to support the locals by trying their food, drinks, and buying their goods. (CHECK ORDER We did this ACTUALLY)
Stay in ollyantambo and explore it. Best restaurants here
OLLANTAYMBO RUINS –
chinchero (textile markets!!) and agricultural terraces
Pisac
The next day we went to ollyntambo. Here we stayed in a local boutique hotel, we walked everywhere, ate some of the best food I’ve had the entire trip, and during the day we hiked after going to the maras salt flat to the moray ruins. This was about 7-8 mile hike through the mountains and farmland. It was a cool experience but make sure you know where you are going etc since the trail can get confusing. Then we got a taxi from moray ruins back to ollyntambo.
Day 5, Tuesday, 5/24/22: Sacred Valley: Pisac (Ruins & Market) – Urubamba – Chinchero – Ollantaytambo
Flight from Lima to Cusco: 7:00 am – 8:23 am
Private van transport (booked through http://privatetaxicuscoperu.com/):
Pickup from Cusco airport – Pisac Market & Ruins – Chinchero Ruins – Ollantaytambo Hotel Drop Off (then we can walk to Ollantaytambo Ruins) – Total Price for 6 people is $150* (driver will wait for 40-50 minutes each stop)
We want to buy the Circuit 3 ticket with entrances to Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero & Moray. Valid for 2 days. – about 70 soles ($18) – NEED TO PAY IN SOLES CASH
Pisac market and Inca Ruins
Chinchero Ruins
Ollantaytambo: Ollantaytambo ruins
https://www.peruspiritadventure.com/cusco-city-sacred-valley-2-day-machu-picchu
https://www.llamapath.com/en/sacred-valley-tour (day tour 7:20 am-6 pm)
Hotel: Hotel Samanapaq – Ollantaytambo
Address: Cien Ventanas, Pallpancaro S/n con Alameda, Ollantaytambo, Peru
Do hike from Mara salts to the circular ruin(name?) hike through farms small towns etc. 7-9 miles? Write in KM too. Say where to start etc how to get there etc. make sure reach ruins by 5 so you can get a taxi
Day 6, Wednesday, 5/25/22: Maras Moray – Salt Mines
Hike Salt Mines in Maras to Moray Ruins (7 miles one way / 5-9 hours)
Need to buy tickets for Maras Salt Flats entrance (about $3 USD)
Trailhead starts in Media Luna → Salt Mines → Moray Ruins
Mostly flat hike
Hike from Maras to Moray is free but the site of Moray is part of the Cusco Tourist ticket (can purchase from the main entrance gate)
https://www.packing-up-the-pieces.com/hike-the-maras-salt-mines-to-the-moray-ruins/
https://www.viator.com/tours/Cusco/Day-Tour-to-Maras-Moray-and-Salt-Flats-from-Cusco/d937-19345P5 (6 hour tour, hotel pick up, 8 AM departure, $59/person for group tour, $75/person for private tour)
Hotel: Hotel Samanapaq – Ollantaytambo
Address: Cien Ventanas, Pallpancaro S/n con Alameda, Ollantaytambo, Peru
Train to Machu Picchu and hike above it (hike name?) explore town. Do guided tour etc find tour guide there in front before going in or after getting off train etc. name other hike option too
The next day, we went to macchu picchu (double check itinerary) and we took the train there (NAME OF TOWN??) and once in the town we took the bus up to the ruins. This is really the only way to get here unless you hike instead of taking the bus up. We hiked up montana picchu (check name) instead of hiking from the bottom and this was awesome because we had a view of macchu picchu from above! I highly recommend it even though the entire hike is super steep and narrow stone steps. It’s also a rainforest here which I didn’t realize til we got there so be prepared for the humidity. We lucked out with the weather the entire trip. Sustainable things we did
Day 7, Thursday, 5/26/22: Machu Picchu***BRING PASSPORTS
Inca Rail Train: 360 Degree – Ollantaytambo → Machu Picchu
Boarding Time: 6:52 AM
Departure Time: 7:22 AM
Arrival Time: 8:48 AM
From Aguas Caliente, take bus to Machu Picchu $24 roundtrip, OR climb the 200 stairs to reach the entrance of Machu Picchu (may take 2 hours) – look into bus info
Machu Picchu Tickets:
Circuit 4 + Waynapicchu (Huayna Picchu): 9 AM – 10 AM Entrance
Llaqta de Machupicchu (Machu Picchu Only): 12 – 1 PM Entrance
Spend afternoon at hot springs near bottom of Machu Picchu – Santa Maria ones, or in Aguas Calientes – bring bathingsuits https://www.salkantaytrekking.com/blog/the-top-hot-springs-to-visit-when-in-cusco-and-how-to-get-there/#:~:text=3.-,Aguas%20Calientes,town%20center%20and%20well%20signed.
Peru Rail Train: Expedition 84 – Machu Picchu → Ollantaytambo
Board Time: 5:50 PM
Departure Time: 6:20 PM
Arrival Time: 8:05 PM
https://www.ticketmachupicchu.com/new-tourist-circuits-machu-picchu/ (Don’t delete)
https://www.machupicchutrek.net/hike-to-machu-picchu/climbing-huayna-picchu/
Best photo spots: https://www.peruforless.com/blog/machu-picchu-photography/
Hotel: Hotel Samanapaq – Ollantaytambo
Address: Cien Ventanas, Pallpancaro S/n con Alameda, Ollantaytambo, Peru
Spend a day like a local- talk about village and tour guide company we went with and the sustainable place we went for lunch and learning how they use plants for fabrics textiles etc sustainable cooked us local meal too etc
Explore Cusco city. Talk abt things to do here
Day 8, Friday, 5/27/22: Cusco – City Tour afternoon
Huilloq Textiles and Weaving – Adventures within Reach
P/u at Hotel Samanapaq at 8:30am
Drop off at Tariq Hotel around 4pm
ITINERARY IS BELOW IN LINK
https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:68230d6a-5453-322a-b020-e5b79d083adc
BRIEFING AROUND 6 or 6:30pm In Cusco for Trek
Hotel: Tariq Hotel Boutique – Cusco
Address: C. Tandapata 172, Cusco 08003, Peru
KION go to!!
plaza San Francisco
San Pedro market TRY DRINK AND FRUITS chirimoya try for street foods and the COLORFUL MARKET
Plaza de armas
San blas “the balcony” is more residential —cobblestone streets and colonial homes
Coca museum
Day 11, Monday, 5/30/22 (Memorial Day): Cusco City
City of Cusco
San Pedro Market
Plaza de Armas (main square – famous cathedral in the square); continue on foot with your group through the ancient Inca-era streets to Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun). This particular site was a key spiritual center of the Ancient Incas, and as such, has some of the most impressive architectural techniques.
From Qorikancha head to the famous archeological site, Sacsayhuaman. The Sacsayhuaman site is famous for its architectural complexity, including monolithic stones weighing as much as 200 tons.
From Sacsayhuaman, 5-minute bus ride to the Q’enqo Inca site, famous for its sacrificial area inside a cave
Then another short ride to Puca Pucara, a small fortress guarding the area around Cusco
The final stop is Tambomachay (Temple of water) with its impressive water fountains.
Fly from Cusco airport back to Lima – 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm flight
D, D, H, C – Head to Lima Airport for midnight flights
Hike rainbow mtn go early though and find a good tour company for this. Don’t recommend ours????? Or do for only rainbow mtn but not other tour food was good after too all set up Day 9, Saturday, 5/28/22: Rainbow Mountain & Ausangate 7 Lake Trek
**need to bring passports / make sure to go over packing list from them
NIGHT BEFORE WILL HAVE A BRIEFING AROUND 6 or 6:30pm AT THEIR OFFICES IN CUSCO
The office is located at Calle Santa Teresa Nº383 ; office 107 (second floor). We are next to Subway sandwich shop and share a lobby with Hotel Casona Corrales.
Tour booked through SAM Travel Peru for a two day (1 night) TREK
Pick up from our hotel in Cusco 4AM (3 hour drive to trailhead)
**can leave our luggage at their office OR hotel possibly
Breakfast, lunch, dinner included (bring snacks)
Today we will see Ausangate Mountain (hike is 8.7 miles / 5-6 hours)
Possible hot springs (bring bathing suits)
Hotel Location: TENTS
Day 10, Sunday, 5/29/22: Rainbow Mountain & Ausangate 7 Lake Trek
Hike to Rainbow Mountain (11 miles / 6-7 hours)
Breakfast and lunch are included
Arrive back to hotel around 4/5pm
To do / stay
◦ Farmers market in Lima!!
◦ Casa concha museum in Cusco
◦ Museum of SACRED PLANTS CUSCO
◦ INCA MUSEUM
◦ Shop in historic center for alpaca clothing jewelry ponchos souvenirs, Peruvian chocolate and TAPA BARS
◦ Plaza de arms and San blas in historic center for good area to stay and easy to get to airport from here and Incan monuments here — tourist spot
◦ Best hotels in plaza de armas are on edge of plaza
◦ San blas “the balcony” is more residential —cobblestone streets and colonial homes stay by plaza of San blas
◦ Coca museum in San blas plaza and GREEN POINT VEGAN/VEG PLACE
◦ MOAF boutique hotel in plaza de armas
◦ San blas one of oldest neighborhoods and go to parque San Marcos for panoramic views of city
◦ Hard to get to San blas lots of stairs uphill and high altitude and hard to get taxis etc to hotels here cause narrow roads
◦ San criistobal good place to stay too can get cars to this area but older neighborhood too
◦ Santa Ana to stay easy to get to center of city but not as noisy
◦ Plaza San Francisco check out
◦ Mercado San Pedro’s colorful market in Cusco
◦ San Pedro can stay less tourist spot but some spots may be sketchy so not best for walking
◦ Belmond hotel monasterio
◦ El Mercado Boutique hotel
◦ Tambo del arriero
◦ Antigua Casona San blas
◦ Tariq boutique
◦ Quinta San blas
◦ Palacio manco capac
◦ Andenes Al cielo
◦ Luna house
◦ El retabolo
◦ El balcon
Sustainable guide to Peru
Tariq hotel green certificate look in pics
Peru is an amazing place to travel to if you care about sustainability and want to learn more about living sustainably while traveling! In addition, Peru is easy to get around with public transportation, making it easier to travel more sustainably, has extensive farming techniques to grow local produce, and teaches you about sustainable textiles.
Things we could’ve done to make it more sustainable
– [ ] Take public transportation everywhere instead of private tour guides. Etc.
Sustainable things I brought w me to Peru
– [ ] Reusable laundry bag that I toss in with my laundry at home
– [ ] Reusable water bottle
– [ ] Only packed in a 40L bag for 2 weeks and rewore clothes
– [ ] Brought low waste toiletry products
– [ ] Thrifted new outfits for the trip
Talk abt hotels etc we did that was sustainable and tour guides in each area we went to
What to pack
I started my travels in Lima and slowly made my way to Cusco and surrounding areas. I spent 15 days traveling Peru and barely scratched the surface. The trip was more of an adventurous, outdoorsy trip, so that made packing easier. Packing lighter is better for the environment, and certain items definitely make packing light easier, such as a packable down puffy jacket, a rain jacket if necessary, lightweight clothes, one or two baselayers/sweaters, a few pairs of leggings and pants, and 2 pairs of sneakers or one sneaker and one hiking shoe, and a pair of sandals??.
A great way to travel sustainably is by packing lightly. I know this isn’t always possible depending on the reason you are traveling, but packing in a carry on can help reduce carbon emissions when flying. Traveling lightly also helps you not buy as much before the trip and just makes traveling so much easier, take it from a ‘retired’ overpacker.
Since I went in the beginning of the summer months (May), but was traveling to different climates throughout my trip, hiking, and planned to do a backpacking trip, I needed a variety of clothes, but also since this was more of adventurous trip, it was easy to pack light and rewear what I had. I went for 12? Days so rewearing stuff wasn’t too bad.
I recommend bringing: a good pair of hiking sneakers. I recommend (insert brand and affiliate link) since they are comfy, easy to pack down, and much comfier than hiking boots but still have great grip. I also would bring a pair of sneakers or comfortable walking shoes for the cities and even a pair of sandals depending what you are planning to do.
I packed in a 40L bag (link here) and brought my favorite hiking backpack as a day pack (link here). I also brought a fanny pack (link here) for walking around the city.
Where To Go
I started my trip in Lima, which is a beautiful city on the (which coast) coast of Peru. This city is a vibrant city full of greenery… and tall green cliffs above the ocean making it a super unique place. I particularly liked all the plants that flourished throughout the city, especially the green walls i saw throughout some of the areas and plazas. Green walls are something I LOVE due to my landscape design and sustainability background.
I stayed at (hotel name) which is a chain hotel, however, they are dedicated to taking sustainable measures while providing a nice place to stay that is in a convenient area that is walkable to the cliffs and ocean.
Things I did that were sustainable in Lima:
Walked everywhere. The area I stayed in was super walkable, and allowed me to not need to take cars to and from here.
Stayed at a sustainable hotel
Ate at local restaraunts
Supported local businesses
Then we made our way to Paracas for an overnight trip. We booked this with a private tour instead of taking a bus since there was 6 of us (not the most sustainable option) but it was well worth it. The first day there we did a boat ride around the (blank island) and it was actually way cooler than I was expecting. If you’re lucky like we were you’ll get to see penguins, sea lions and flamingos along with thousands of birds. That night we hiked along the (golden trail?) which was a very unique experience since it’s not what you think of when you think of Peru. Sustainable things we did in Paracas included eating fresh local food at local restaurants, supporting small local business.
Aloe is good luck bring to houses and in cars
Conocoe las propiedades del maiz morado
Paucha means earth
Contouse national flower
Talk about rainbow mtn being beautiful but also a reminder of climate change etc??
Huilloc (Willoc) weaving village they use plants and buds to dye textiles and use lemon and urine to keep the color and stain it. Prickly pear (tuna) they use to make pink
Everything is naturally dyed
Chilca plant used to dye dark green
Moss used for brown. Elder beard
Las Qolqas eco lodge??? For lunch
Rock stacking in Peru is good cause it’s considered a giving to Paucha mama aka mama earth
Haku tours and SAM Peru travel and weaving tour look up name
Lupine seed hummus
Chirimoya fruit
Cusco Yaku cocina de Altura- Cusco farm to table restaurant
Aus caliente??? Macchu picchu town
Cocoa tea good for estrogen production and produce breast milk
Peru— macchu picchu has taken steps to be more sustainable since it has such a high tourist rate— no single use plastics
