Top 5 Peruvian Highlights
Having never been to South America before, we were super excited to tour with Contiki through Peru and discover the country’s colorful culture. For one week, we plane-hopped around Peru taking in some of its most jaw-dropping sites. So without further ado, here are our top 5 Peruvian highlights that are can’t-miss spots to visit:
#5. The Jungle
Corto Maltes Amazonia in Puerto Maldonado
There’s nothing quite as magical as waking up to the sounds of nature. No honking cars, no hustle and bustle – just the sound of people quietly going about their morning routine and the animals surrounding us. Besides the sheer beauty of the lush green forests, one of the reasons we enjoyed our time here was the fact that we were forced to be present in each moment.
This eco-friendly lodge was a little slice of paradise that gave us a taste of the jungle with typical resort amenities – cozy cabins with hammocks on the porch, great food, and a swimming pool. A big highlight was our tour guides. They were absolutely amazing and took us on tours through the jungle pointing out the local flora and fauna.
The main reason this unique experience didn’t make it higher on our list is because of the extremely uncomfortable jungle heat. For two days straight, we were completely soaked in sweat; don’t bother putting on makeup because your mascara will be running down your face five minutes after you walk out the door. We also had to be mindful of the cabin’s restrictions since we were staying in the middle of the jungle – cue the power shutting off at 10 p.m. and running water being a 50/50 chance.
#4. Awana Kancha – A living museum of the Andes
When you think of Peru, it’s likely a llama is part of your mental picture. And for good reason! Llama, alpacas, and vicunas are all iconic in Peru that are important to the culture. At Awana Kancha, we learned all about these feisty animals while getting to feed them. Not only did we get to interact with the local animals, but we also got to see how the local communities made dye, trinkets, and gorgeous clothing.
At the end of the tour, you could purchase these items and a portion of the proceeds went back to the local Andean communities – which was pretty cool. The gift shop was pretty overwhelming – it was so hard to choose what to buy knowing that each item had been handmade. We highly recommend making a pitstop here to get your llama selfies on and see the local goods being made firsthand.
#3. Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes
As one of the 7 Wonders of the World, it’s hard not to be absolutely blown away by Machu Picchu. This historical site surrounded by mountains is a magical place with lots of history and shrouded in mystery – seriously, how did the Incas build it?! It was a special moment seeing Machu Picchu rise up out of the morning fog and getting to tour inside the walls.
But beware, being a renowned site means Machu Picchu is always crawling with tourists. Having to navigate through many groups and fight for photos got annoying pretty quickly.
Known as the “gateway town to Machu Picchu,” Aguas Calientes is a cute (and hilly) place that is set up to be a tourist stop to buy trinkets. It was cool to walk around the markets and barter, but there’s not much else to do besides shop.
#2. The city of Cusco
This city was definitely one of our favorite stops on our entire tour of Peru. It was amazing to fly into a town set right between mountains and the architecture gave us some Amalfi Coast vibes. You could definitely feel the Spanish influence, which we really connected with. The city also had a huge assortment of places to grab food, drinks, and some super fun nightlife.
You could find anything from fast food burgers to sit-down Italian cuisine. Cute cafes overlooked the plaza and offered beautiful views, the pisco sours were on point, and the dance music was playing. Our only disappointment? That our Contiki tour only allotted us one day here. We wish we’d had more time to explore the streets and check out the beautiful monastery that sat at the edge of town.
#1. The Inca Trail
This trail was by far our top highlight of the entire trip. And while we didn’t do the typical four-day trek, our one-day, six-hour long hike straight up the mountains kicked our butts…HARD. It was by far the most physically-demanding thing that we’ve ever done – we had to climb a vertical staircase called “The Gringo Killer,” for goodness’ sake. Props to our tour guides who cheered us on and gave us the magical coca leaves to help breathe at the high elevations.
The tradeoff for our suffering were the incredible views surrounding us as we climbed higher and higher. Completing the hike left us feeling physically and mentally tougher, and with a confidence that we could take on any challenge.
At the end of the trek, we reached the Sun Gate and got to see Machu Picchu from high above – which was surreal. Everyone had a glow about them as we took it all in together.
Will we do this hike again? Never. Are we damn proud we hiked a part of the Inca Trail? You bet.
