Peru

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Sol

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Lima

1 Huaraz

2 Huacachina

3 Cusco

4

Lima

Lima is the capital city of Peru and is known as the culinary capital of South America. As well as trying out all the amazing restaurants, you can attend a Peruvian cooking class. I booked Luchito's Cooking Class and they were able to alter the recipes to fit my dietary requirements by replacing the fish in ceviche with mushrooms, and the chicken in causa with extra vegetables, we also made a Peruvian pisco sour. You can take day trips from Lima to Huacachina and Paracas or the Palomino Islands to see sea lions, herons and penguins. I went scuba diving with Pacific Divers and although the water was really cold at 18 degrees, we saw LOTS of octopi. The downside was I was under the impression that we were going to see the kelp forests, expecting tall kelp forests like in California, but that was not the case and we only saw a few small patches of short kelp.

Hostel

Pariwana Hostel - The hostel was clean but the dorms and en suite bathrooms were quite small. There is a nice bar/chill out space on the roof but I found it hard to socialise here.
Viajero Barranco Hostel - What you'd usually expect from a Viajero, huge hostel, has it's own bar accessible to non guests, huge dorms (but the one I was in had no windows or natural light).

Veggie Food

Asianica Street Food (Vegan) - Serves veganised versions of traditional Peruvian dishes.
Central Restaurante - Ranked as one of the world's best restaurants but requires a booking months in advance due to how popular it is.
Seitan Urban Bistro (Vegan)
Mamalola - Italian restaurant with veggie options.

Huaraz

Huaraz is a city in the north of Peru that sits at an altitude of 3000m and is an 8 hour bus journey from Lima. Many people come to this region for trekking or climbing and I was led here by a video of the incredible Laguna 69. This lake is part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and sits at 4600m, with the hike beginning at 3900m. It takes 3 hours on average however as I had not acclimatised to the altitude, it took me around 4 hours, but the view at the top was worth it as the blue of the lake stood out amongst the grey mountains around it. This was one of the 'easier' hikes but there are a variety of harder treks and climbs around Huaraz.

Hostel

Makalu Lodge - The staff were great at helping you plan your activities and would cook breakfast for you in the morning (which is included). The dorm beds were really comfortable and warm and the hostel was very clean. It is a about a 20min walk away from the centre where all the restaurants are, however the staff can help you order from one or two restaurants that deliver food, and InDrive does operate here so you can easily get a ride into town.

Veggie food

Pizza Bruno - Italian restaurant with good food and veggie options.

Other

You can get to Huaraz with the night bus however if you have not given yourself enough time to acclimatise to the altitude, spend an extra night before attempting any of the hikes and climbs (something I did not do and regretted).

Huacachina

Huacachina is a desert oasis village just 4 hours away from Lima. Most people do a day trip here from Lima or on their way to Cusco, however I spent 3 days here and I loved it! One of my favourite activities and probably the most popular to do here is sandboarding or you can ski or bodyboard down the sand dunes. You have to be specific about which of these activities you want to do as different activity providers facilitate different things. The first time I did this, I booked through my hostel and that company only did bodyboarding, which was really fun and you go quite fast down the dunes, and it's the easiest option for those who don't ski or snowboard. The second time I booked sandboarding with Peru Dream Travel and as someone who doesn't snowboard, it was really fun and easy to get into. Every option includes a dune buggy ride, and the late afternoon sessions are the better choice as you get to watch the sunset on the dunes. You can also take a trip to see the Nazca lines or rent a pedalo and pedal in the centre of the Huacachina oasis.

Hostel

Bananas Adventure Hostel Huacachina - I loved this hostel! It was really clean, the dorm and en suite bathroom were very modern and spacious. The hostel has its own pool and bar/restaurant and the vibe was more chill compared to other hostels in the area. Breakfast was included and there were quite a few options.
If you're looking for a party hostel the Wild Rover Huacachina is popular for that and of course, like everywhere else in Peru, there is a Viajero.

Veggie Food

Bananas Adventure Hostel Restaurant - Has veggie options.
Wild Olive Trattoria - Italian restaurant with good food and lots of veggie options.

Other

When bodyboarding on the dunes, I recommend wearing clothes you don't mind getting dirty (including shoes) as you'll have sand all over you. I'd also recommend wearing sunglasses, and you will see people selling buffs, buy one if you don't have one to wrap around your nose and mouth because the sand will fly straight into your eyes and mouth.

Paracas

I did a day trip to Paracas which was an hour drive from Huacachina and included a variety of activities. Firstly, we went on a boat trip around the Ballestas Islands where we got to see lots of sea lions and penguins and the Candelabra geoglyph. We then headed to the Paracas National Reserve where we stopped to admire the view of the cliffs and the 'Red Beach' which is famous for its red sand. After this we headed to another beach where we had some free time to relax and swim, then headed to a small town for lunch at a local restaurant before the hour long journey back to Huacahcina.

Cusco

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and is famous for it's archeological ruins and Spanish colonial architecture. The city sits at an altitude of 3,399m and if you're travelling from sea level, you will definitely feel it! I took an 18 hour overnight bus from Ica which helped me get over the altitude sickness so that by the time I arrived in Cusco, I did not feel it as much, however I'd recommend spending a few days in the city to acclimatise properly before embarking on any treks. There is so much to do here, however tourists flock from all over to complete the famous Inca Trail which I did with Trexperience (a Peruvian owned company). You have to book it a few months in advance as the Inca trail places sell out quickly, but if you miss out on that, you can opt for the Salakantay multi day trek, or take day trips to Humantay Lake or Saqsaywaman ruins. Other activities I did included a chocolate making class at the Choco Museo, they offer different chocolate making workshops and a tasting and also do a cooking class. They explain the entire process from 'bean to bar' and you make and decorate your own chocolates to take home with you. For the thrill seekers, you can do a 125m bungee jump or slingshot at Action Valley, although the area did look like a building site, I felt very safe and had so much fun! Another popular destination from Cusco is Rainbow Mountain which sits at an altitude of 5,036m. To be completely honest, it wasn't that great and as you can see from the photo, the colours were not as vibrant as everyone edits them to be on social media. It is also a really long day as you get picked up from your accommodation around 3:30-4am, then take a 3.5 hour drive to the mountain where you spend about hour before the long drive back (which was even longer because of the traffic). Breakfast and lunch was included but with limited/basic options for vegetarians and from what I remember, we got back to Cusco at around 5pm. If you do decide to go, I recommend going after you've done any trails or treks, when you've had time to acclimatise to Cusco's altitude. If you're feeling a bit breathless walking, you have the option of taking an ATV.

Hostel

Viajero Hostel - The hostel was nice however the dorms were not that spacious considering everyday someone would be packing or unpacking their bags pre or post trek. It is a very sociable hostel with a bar and a small restaurant, and there's always different events going on every night, but you can hear the music from the dorms. If you want a more party atmosphere, the Wild Rover Hostel is popular for that.
Los Portales - I opted for a hotel after the Inca Trail and the rooms here were comfy and clean and exactly what I needed after 4 days of trekking. Breakfast is included and they have a restaurant which also does room service, but if you want to venture out it is a 10 minute walk from the main plaza.

Veggie Food

Parada Vegana (Vegan) - Food and atmosphere was nice.
Vida Vegan Bistro (Vegan) - Food was good but upset my stomach A LOT the day after.
Green Point (Vegan) - Meh.
Carpe Diem Cucina Italiana - Has very good vegetarian options.

Getting Around

I was able to make my way around Peru solely by bus, but if you want to cut down on travel time you can opt for a domestic flight between Lima and Cusco.

Buses are easily available in Peru, and are a safe, cost effective, comfortable option for travelling between places if you don't mind the long hours. I booked all my buses through the BUSBUD app and used the bus company Cruz del Sur which had recliner seats and even provided customers with a snack bag for the longer journeys. Peru Hop is also a popular bus company used by lots of travellers as they provide the support of a local guide on top of a safe, flexible bus service.

Uber was safe and easy to use in Lima, however in Huaraz and Cusco InDrive was the better option, and to get to Huacachina from the Ica bus station I used a local taxi. I felt safe walking around alone in Peru but would exercise the same caution you would in any busy city when in Lima.

Keep the weather in mind when packing as in areas of high altitude (Huaraz and Cusco) it was colder whereas areas closer to sea level (Lima and Huacachina) were very hot in the day.

Almost everywhere takes card in Peru and I only needed cash in Huaraz and for the local taxis, and occassionally on the Inca trail if I wanted to buy an extra treat at one of the small stalls they had along the route.

Extra Recommendations

Salakantay Trek - 5 day trek alternative to the Inca Trail that ends in Machu Picchu.
Lake Titicaca - Where you can hike, go on boat tours or visit small islands.
Colca Canyon - South America's largest canyon where you can hike to viewpoints, visit natural hot springs and archeological sites.

Causa - Layered potato based dish with a mayonnaise based filling.
Picarones - Popular Peruvian dessert which is a fried sweet potato and anise fritter, served with a spiced syrup (chancaca).
Ceviche - Peru's national dish made with a citrus marinated protein, chilli and coriander.

Pisco Sour - Made with Peruvian Pisco and not to be confused with the Chilean Pisco Sour. This cocktail is made with Pisco, lime juice, Angostura bitters, syrup and egg whites.
Chicha Morada - Made from Peruvian purple corn.

Peru

Sol

Español

Lima

1

Huaraz

2

Huacachina

3

Cusco

4

Lima

Hostel

Pariwana Hostel - The hostel was clean but the dorms and en suite bathrooms were quite small. There is a nice bar/chill out space on the roof but I found it hard to socialise here.

Viajero Barranco Hostel - What you'd usually expect from a Viajero, huge hostel, has it's own bar accessible to non guests, huge dorms (but the one I was in had no windows or natural light).

Veggie Food

Asianica Street Food (Vegan) - Serves veganised versions of traditional Peruvian dishes.

Central Restaurante - Ranked as one of the world's best restaurants but requires a booking months in advance due to how popular it is.

Seitan Urban Bistro (Vegan)

Mamalola - Italian restaurant with veggie options.