Peru/ beyond Machu Picchu

[sakoro]

Hey there— I’m planning a Peru trip next year for me and a friend (no kids). We are definitely going to Cusco and Machu Picchu. I was looking for some feedback on other locations as we try and narrow down what we can see in 2 weeks. Has anyone been to…
-Ballestas Islands
-Ecolodge in Amazon rain forest (we’re looking at one near iquitos in the north)
-Nazca lines
-Colca Canyon
-Lima (staying a few days, not just flying in/out)

[emilyinchile]

I've been to Lima. It's not my favorite city from a tourism perspective, but it's good for 2-3 days of sightseeing to hit the main sights and eat alllll the delicious food. I feel like when I hear about visiting the Nazca lines it's usually in the context of flying over them and how it's not super safe, but that may be different these days.

[osumelissa]

I agree with emilyinchile about Lima. I remember when I was going to Peru that the State Dept travel advisory didn't really recommend flying over the Nazca lines because of safety. That may have changed in the last 11 years.

My partner (at the time) and I went to Lake Titicaca for a couple of days after Cusco and MP and really enjoyed the peacefulness and being by the water (we did the Inca Trail hike so we wanted a couple of relaxing days after that).

[mrsann]

We wanted something relaxing after hiking the Inca Trail/Cusco. We went to both Lake Titicaca and Colca Canyon, and both were very relaxing and beautiful. We stayed at Colca Lodge which had private natural hot springs.

[sakoro]

Thanks for the feedback! I want to go to Colca Canyon too! It’s going to be a long bus ride from Cusco or a flight to Ariquipa and a 2 hr bus ride. So it might not happen.

[sunnysally]

How long are you going to be in Peru? We were there in 2015 and packed a in a ton. We started in Lima, did a tour of the coast very similar to this: www.nazcaflights.com/nazca-lines-flights/nazca-lines-tour-packages/tourpackage4/journey_along_the_mysterious_coast.htm that included a flight over the Nazca lines from Pisco (that airport doesn't have the same safety concerns as flights from Nazca), Pisco tasting, sandboarding and a dune buggy ride in Huacachina, Paracas reserve where we saw flamingos, and a tour of the Ballestas Islands. We opted for the private tour and it was totally worth it. Then we went to Cusco, did the typical tourist things there and hiked the Inca Trail. We went on to Lake Titicaca where we did a tour of the Uros floating islands, visited Colca Canyon and saw Andean condors, and Arequipa where we saw Juanita, the mummy discovered in a glacier. We did a food tour in Lima that I still think about. It was a fantastic trip. The food is amazing, there are incredible variations in terrain, and the people are wonderful.

[sakoro]

Apr 30, 2024 20:25:19 GMT -5 sunnysally said:

How long are you going to be in Peru? We were there in 2015 and packed a in a ton.

How long were you there?

I want to go for 3 weeks but realistically will probably only be able to take 2 weeks. I’m thinking we will only be able to do Lima, Cusco (Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain, Machu Picchu) and Amazon eco-lodge. We could squeeze in more but I think it will be too exhausting.

[sunnysally]

Apr 30, 2024 21:23:07 GMT -5 sakoro said:

Apr 30, 2024 20:25:19 GMT -5 sunnysally said:

How long are you going to be in Peru? We were there in 2015 and packed a in a ton.

How long were you there?

I want to go for 3 weeks but realistically will probably only be able to take 2 weeks. I’m thinking we will only be able to do Lima, Cusco (Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain, Machu Picchu) and Amazon eco-lodge. We could squeeze in more but I think it will be too exhausting.

We were there for 2 weeks. We tend to be very intense travelers and like to see as much as possible. We decided not to do the Amazon on that trip in favor of other places. Whatever you choose, I am sure it will be amazing and you'll have a fantastic trip.

[chicago]

We did a 2.5 week trip last summer - itinerary was Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon, and Arequipa. We really loved our time in Lima. We did a food tour there, a guided tour of the city, and visited the Magic Water Circuit. Colca Canyon was lovely and a much needed rest after so much go go go. We also stayed at Colca Lodge. It was an ambitious itinerary but glad we got to see as much as we did!