Peru has always been a sought out destination, as tourists eagerly flock to visit the elusive Machu Picchu and for that same reason, we chose Peru to be the first country to visit in the continent of South America. As the demand and tourism grew in the country every year, a more developed railway and bus system was created, which allowed for more ease and accessibility to meet the needs of the growing visitors and cater to a more diverse group of people of all ages.

With only one week of our summer vacation with the girls, we were limited in our time, and hired our customized private tour company to arrange a driver and tour guide. Tripadvisor is always a great platform to find the most suitable tour company for you as each one offers something different to meet your needs. After much research, we ended up booking Cusco Transport company. I would highly recommend booking this company, as they were quite flexible and quick in responses and detailed in communication. They also booked all our tickets (entrance to all the archaeological sites, Machu Picchu, bus and train tickets.) They assisted us in planning for an unforgettable family vacation throughout our stay in Peru.

Most people only associate Machu Picchu and Cusco as the only main attractions of Peru but as seasoned travel planners, we strive to go above and beyond the typical destination and to also find a unique place or adventure/experience in any new country that we visit.

We started our trip, in the Andean mountainous ranges of Cusco, Sacred Valley, Manchu Picchu, and ended our trip in the desert and coastlines of Peru. Here are the top places we visited in our one week vacation in Peru. Make sure to read on until the end, to find out our special surprise for our girls!

1. Cusco

Cusco is the closest major city to fly into, in order to reach Machu Picchu. Almost all international flights connect through the capital city of Lima and just a word of caution, layovers are generally on average 4 hrs or longer, however most shops are restaurants are 24 hrs.  Cusco is located in the Andes mountain range and was declared a UNESCO site in 1983. The city was the capital of the Incan Empire in the 13th century until the Spanish colonized and conquered the city in the 15th century. Much of this city’s Incan complex and buildings had been preserved but many were also destroyed in the devastating earthquake the shook the city in 1950.  It’s elevation stands at 3400m (11,200 ft) above sea level and at such a higher altitude, our body often needs time to adjust to lower levels of oxygen. My recommendation is to take a day or two to acclimatize to the higher altitude and help avoid altitude sickness (nausea, headache, difficulty breathing). I have included, some further tips below on how else to avoid altitude sickness.

Our early flight into Cusco allowed us to spend an entire day acclimatizing to the elevation.  We started our second day early with our local tour guide by foot, and visited the top sights of downtown Cusco. Here are the highlights of the places we visited in the city:

Plaza Des Armas – the centre of city area of Cusco, here you can find The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin (aka The Cusco Cathedral) and various shops and restaurants.  Many of the town’s festivities also occur in the main square.  

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin (aka Cusco Cathedral)

Iglesia De Santo Domingo – A historical catholic church with some remnants of the Incan religious culture. The church also offers look at the one of the best view overlooking the town of Cusco.

San Pedro Market – A few blocks away from the Plaza Des Armas, and a great place to buy a variety of souvenirs from snacks, ponchos, bags, and a variety of local handmade items. You can bargain with the local merchants for a good price. They even sell meats, fruits and vegetables and we managed to grab a light lunch and tried their popular local chicken noodle soup dish and some fresh fruit juices.

Cuy (“Guinea Pig”) – a popular dish in Peru

Saqsaywaman – a popular Inca complex, just outside of the city of Cusco. The drive involves a steep climb atop the city of Cusco, and is approx 15 mins from the city centre if you drive. The site overlooks the city, and the fortified complex has also been referred to be their fortress. This fortress is said to have the largest stones used for any Incan structures around town. One stone in particular was at least 4 times my height.

Puka Pukara “red fortress” : This fort is made of large walls, terraces, and staircases and was part of the defense of Cusco during the Inca Empire in general.

Qenko – It is one of the largest huacas (holy places) in the Cusco Region. The huacas generally were naturally occurring rock formations and was believed to be a place where sacrifices and mummification took place.

2. Sacred Valley

Our first stop through the Sacred Valley was a small town of Chinchero. We stopped by a local farm and visited and fed some llamas, guinea pigs, and alpacas. We also enjoyed some weaving demo’s, where the women explained the process of transforming and weaving alpaca wool into colorful textiles of ponchos/sweaters/scarves.

Moray Circular Depressions: One of my favourite archeological sites that we visited. We learned more about the Incas way of living. At first glance, it resembles an amphitheater, and scientist actually first believed it was used as a gathering place for entertainment but in fact it was used for agriculture. The Incas were quite advanced in their farming methods for their time. Each level of terraces have a different temperature, different microclimate, and orientation to the sun which allowed them to grow a variety of different types of crops from corn, beans, potatoes, and they developed an advanced drainage system in case of severe rainfalls. I was super impressed of how they were able to develop such an efficient method of farming in their time.

Maras Salt Mines: The salt mines have existed, since pre-Inca times. Over a thousand salt pans are family owned and have been used for salt extraction. The salt originates from a spring at the top of the valley that channel through the each individual pans. There are 3 layers of salt that is extracted: white, pink and brown. It’s scraped by hand into mounds and then place in vehicles which take it to the local salt processing plant. The white salt is commonly used as the table salt. The pink salt are extracted from the middle layer and generally fewer are used as a gourmet salt for dishes. While the lowest level, the brown, is used for medicinal purposes and baths.

3. Our Journey to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was the top attraction that we were looking forward to the most, and this world wonder truly did not disappoint us.  Archeologists believe it was constructed as a palace estate for the Inca emperor  in the 1400s.  The site remained unknown to the Spanish during their colonization period and the remainder of the world until an American historian Hiram Bingham discovered it and brought it to the attention to the rest of the of the world in 1911. Machu Picchu was declared a world heritage site in 1983. For the avid hikers or adventure goers, you can also choose to do the 4 day trek. We chose to take a train and bus ride. Here is our journey to Machu Picchu.

Ollayantambo

The last stop on our journey through the Sacred Valley and the closest train station prior to reaching Machu Picchu, is Ollyantambo. We booked our train tickets with Perurail. There are different levels of train that will take you to Machu Picchu. From a luxurious high end train, to a more basic comfortable train. We booked the mid-class Vistadome train, which offers amazing panoramic open views of the Andean mountains enroute to Machu Picchu. If you’re able to choose your seats, make sure to book a seat on the left side to catch the best views. A light snack and refreshment was included in our train ticket. The train ride is approximately 1.5 to 2 hrs long.

Aguas Calientes – is the closest town and gateway to Machu Picchu. The town has grown over the years, because of the growing tourism. The town is lined with an abundance of shops and restaurants as well as hot spring baths to enjoy after a long journey to Machu Picchu. One day was sufficient for us to explore this town. 🧐

Machu Picchu

We woke up at 4am to catch one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu from the nearest town of Aguas Calientes as we waited for sunrise over top the ruins. We were blown away with the sheer beauty and in complete awe of how the Incas built this city on top of the mountains centuries ago without the use of any animals or machines, just pure brawn and brains! Machu Picchu, so far is on top of my list as my favorite world wonder that we have visited so far.

Here are some helpful tips to help prepare and optimize your time in Machu Picchu. Make sure to book your bus tickets and entrance to Machu Picchu before hand. Click here to book your tickets in advanced. There are no washrooms once you are inside, so make sure to go before hand. Bring comfortable foot wear and clothing, and be prepared for the season. January to March is their rainiest season, while June to August are their cooler months. Lastly, bring your passport and stamp it at the end of your journey. It makes for a nice keepsake and memory!

4. Ica Region

Hotel Vinas Queirolo

We ventured outside of Cusco, flew back to Lima, and drove a 4 to 5 hours to reach this beautiful hotel. The hotel is located in the Ica valley near the foothills of the Andes and surrounded by more than 500 hectares of vineyards. The hotel is quite secluded, and the mountain backdrop makes for one of epic scenery and relaxing atmosphere outside the hustle and bustle of a busy city like Lima. We also enjoyed the hotels facilities, including 3 swimming pools, admired the vineyards, and the girls enjoyed the playground. The hotel also boasts probably the best food on our trip and at a very reasonable prices.

Huacachina & sand dunes

Huacachina is an oasis located in the deserts of Ica. A small village was established around this place over time. Many adventure goers come to Huacachina to enjoy some fun sand buggy and sand boarding activities.

5. Paracas

Paracas Libertador Hotel

One of the most luxurious hotels in Peru and our experience did live up to the hotels reputation. This hotel offers the most an amazing ocean views of the Paracas National Reserve, and offers many activities and amenities including a kids club, variety of dining options, and 2 large swimming pools. Most tourists use this hotel as their base point to visit the Nazca lines and Islas Ballestas.

Our Unforgettable Experience – Sunset Desert Adventure

We surprised our girls on our last night, with a planned adventure tour in the deserts of Paracas. Our exciting adventure started with a pick-up at our hotel, then driving through the sand dunes of Paracas in a 4×4 SUV. Such an intense roller coaster, and exhilarating feeling as ventured through the sand dunes of Ica. We had the entire desert to ourselves!

We stopped for some quick photo opportunities in the desert, and then it was time for some sand boarding. If the day wasn’t so short, we would have kept going until the late hours of the day. We truly had an amazing time zipping down those sand dunes. These pictures really don’t do justice!

Our Grand Finale: A special private picnic under the stars! 🤩 We were prepared a special cooked meal on the spot with some light appetizers, coupled with some wine and beverages. We surely didn’t want to leave Peru after this once in a lifetime experience!

Our trip to Peru brought us back to the time of ancient civilizations and we learned so much about the Peruvian and Incan history, their biodiversity, beautiful scenery and sweeping landscapes. From the Andean mountainous regions of Cusco & Machu Picchu to the coastal regions of Ica and Paracas, and the jungles of Amazonia, there is so much diversity and beauty left for us to discover within Peru. Our time was short but we made sure to make the most of it.

Here are some helpful tips, on some ways you can try to avoid altitude sickness:

1. Drink lots of water
2. Limit your alcohol and food intake the first few day or two 
3. Drink coca tea.  Locals swear by coca to help ail altitude sickness.  There are also cocoa leaves and candy that you can chew on and are readily available in any convenience shops around Cusco
4. Take it easy the first few days. A slow ascend to the city, may also help the body to adjust better. Some people choose to begin in the lower elevated areas, in the sacred valley.
5. Take preventative pills (diamox) before you leave for trip.  Personally, I chose this option as we were limited in our time in Peru and did not want to wait to find out if altitude sickness would affect me.  I also wanted to ensure that I was physically and mentally fit to ensure my children were fine.  Luckily my children adapted well, and experienced no issues.

Should you still exhibit any form of altitude sickness, there are pills available to minimize the symptoms but any severe form of symptoms seek medical help right away.

If you missed our travel video on our journey to Peru and Machu Piccu, click on the link below.

Our journey to Peru and Machu Picchu with kids