Lima, Sacred Valley & Cusco, Peru

Summary

I visited Peru (6 nights) in August 2013 with my wife and one other couple who are close friends. We spent 1 night in Lima, 2 nights in the Sacred Valley (near Machu Picchu) and 2 nights in Cusco. This trip provided a wonderful mix of city, culture and relaxation with Machu Picchu being the major highlight. We went during a typically dry time in Peru where the days are warm and the evenings can get quite cold. The flight from New York takes about 8 hours so we stretched ourselves to do this trip over Labor Day weekend (plus 2 days). If we did this trip again, we would likely add one additional night in the Sacred Valley to allow for more relaxation – we packed in all of the activities in just 2 days.

Accommodations

In Lima, we stayed at the new Westin Lima hotel in the nice San Isidrio neighborhood. We chose this area because it is slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the historical city center. One other area that is worth considering is the Miraflores area due to the many great restaurants, nightlife and proximity to the waterfront. In the Sacred Valley, we stayed at the Tambo del Inka boutique hotel, which is one of the best hotels I have ever been to. It’s architecture blends in perfectly into the valley, has a cozy indoor/outdoor pool, an expansive property to explore and it has its own train station to go to Machu Picchu. In Cusco, we stayed at the Palacio del Inka, another wonderful boutique hotel that blended in perfectly to the old city.

Select Favorites

• • Lima
    • Dining: Lima has become a very popular culinary destination. Near the hotel in San Isidrio, we enjoyed the high-end Astrid & Gastón. We spent most of our visit in Miraflores and loved Tierra Santa (international), Huaca Pucllana (local favorite located on an ancient ruin), El Buen Gusto for empanadas, Manolo’s for churros and Gelateria Laritza D’ for dessert
    • Activities: In Lima, we generally spent our daytime in the historic areas and evenings in Miraflores. With the help of Lima Vision City Tours, we enjoyed walking through the Plaza de Armas to the Government Palace. We also stopped at the Catedral de Lima and Catacombs at San Francisco Church. We also visited the ancient Incan ruins at the Pucllana Temple (Huaca Pucllana). Our favorite stop was the vast (yet serene) Larco Museum with its plentiful ancient Pervuian and Incan art and sculptures. In the evenings, we enjoyed visiting Larcomar in Miraflores – a lively seaside outdoor mall. Our favorite evening activity was a visit to the Magic Water Show at the Parque de la Reserva (the biggest water show in South America). Get there early for the best effects!
  • Sacred Valley
    • Dining: In the Sacred Valley, we really enjoyed the local Andean cuisine and ambiance at Hawa and El Huacatay. We unexpectedly had some of the best pizza we’ve ever tasted at Pizza Wasi and enjoyed a pit stop en route to Machu Picchu in the town of Aguas Calientes at Chullpi Machupicchu
    • Activities: In the Sacred Valley, we used a local tour company – Machu Travel Peru – to help us navigate all of the sites and booked it well in advance since only a limited number of passes are given for Machu Picchu specifically. Machu Picchu is certainly the highlight and we spent a fall day on this excursion. We used Perurail from our hotel to get to Aguas Calientes and took a bus to Machu Picchu to meet our guide (one cannot visit Machu Picchu without a guide). Other interesting Incan sites to visit included the Moray agricultural terraces, the Maras salt mine with salt evaporation ponds, the short hike to the Temple of Ollantaytambo and a stopover to the Pisac ruins and famous marketplace.
  • Cusco
    • Dining: In Cusco, we enjoyed tapas for lunch at Cicciolina and dinner at its sister restaurant Baco for its pizza and wine bar. We had a great breakfast in the Plaza de Armas at Jack’s Café and a quick stop for sandwiches at Juanito’s
    • Activities: In Cusco, we enjoyed walking through the Plaza de Armas (Huacaypata) to the Cusco Cathedral. The highlights included a visit to the all-important Temple of the Sun (Coricancha) and Sacsayhuaman – a fortress overlooking the city.

Recommendation

I would highly recommend a trip to Peru. If possible, I would give 2 nights in Lima, 3 nights in the Sacred Valley and 2 nights in Cusco to make the trip more relaxing. We may consider hiking up to Machu Picchu as well on a future trip (with kids). We took medicine for altitude sickness (for Cusco / Machu Picchu) which was essential for us and of course keep in mind other protective measures like bug spray etc.