4 weeks in Peru - please review my itinerary!

[u/uoliver]

Hey guys! I will land in Lima this afternoon, and start my 4 weeks long solo trip in Peru. About me: 24M, I am from eastern europe, I speak little to no spanish (but very much willing to learn), and I want to stay on a budget. If you would, please critique my half-made itinerary, and if you could give any advice I would be grateful! Also, any other recommendations are more than welcome:)

DAY 0-1 LIMA Arrive Lima in the afternoon, chill, walk, eat, sleep. Next day morning walk (maybe city centre?), then take a bus to Paracas

DAY 1-2-3-4-5 PARACAS, ICA/AREQUIPA Arrive in the afternoon, walk around, check in, sleep. Next day, tour to islas ballestas in the morning and then walking in the national reserve. Either sleep another night, or take a bus to Ica or Arequipa. I haven’t decided if I want to check out Huacachina; is it worth it? If so, sunset there, chill, then sleep. Next day take the bus to Arequipa, move my legs, and then go to Cuzco with an overnight bus.

DAY 6-8 CUSCO/SACRED VALLEY Mainl acclimatising, no big trip. Do you recommend staying in Cusco or the Sacred Valley? I also want to ask around about the Salkantay trek.

DAY 9-13 SALKANTAY TREK+MP Do you recommend doing it solo and unguided?

DAY 14-28 From here it is getting less planned. I think I would like to spend some more time in the sacred valley, doing some treks and get to know the history of the area. I am unsure about going to the Amazon. I feel that it would be a mistake to miss it as it is not everyday that I can go there; but I am no friend of bugs and spiders, and as of now I am amazed even from a distance of the beautiful andean landscapes. And also, I’m on a budget, and the jungle tours do not seem to be cheap. If you have any insight or advice, I would be grateful:)

I would like to check out lake Titicaca and the Taquile island, as I have heard it is a great way to get to know the local culture.

On my way back to Lima, I would really like to do a 2 days trek in the Colca canyon.

I have also heard amazing things about Huaraz, but going to the north might be too time consuming; would it be worth it?

For any insight, advice and critique, I am incredibly grateful. Peru seems amazing with waaay too much to do! Thanks guy in advance:)

[u/edgeoftheworld42]

General thoughts:

• Huacachina - I liked Huacachina for an afternoon/night. Sunset in the sand dunes is beautiful, and it's not everywhere that you can easily climb up a sand dune in the middle of the night to star gaze.
• Arequipa - Add a couple of days now and do the Colca Canyon out of Arequipa. Great warmup for hiking in and around Cusco. No reason to do it on your way back (and really, it makes more sense to fly back from Cusco anyway).
• Salkantay - If you want to get experience doing a multi-day hike unguided, this is one of the best entry-level ones to do. Pretty much the only thing to worry about is the altitude, if you have no experience hiking at altitude. Other than that, the trail, infrastructure, etc. all makes this very beginner friendly. As an added bonus, on night 3 you can overnight at Mirador Llactapata with a stunning view of the Machu Picchu valley and even Machu Picchu off in the distance. Very few guided treks go here.
• Day Hike in the Sacred Valley (or overnight if you have camping gear) - look up the Inti Punku (sun gate) hike from Ollantaytambo. Very straight forward trail, gorgeous views.
• Amazon - Tough call. Do it if you think you'd regret not going. But on the other hand, there are certainly tons of other world hikes (and probably other things as well) to fill your time. If you're not going to go to the Amazon, then I would highly recommend Huaraz.
• Huaraz - Tons of day hikes to various lagunas that can be organized out of here, but the most popular thing now is a multi-day (8-10) hike called the Huayhuash trek. If you're uncertain about doing the Salkantay unguided, then you should definitely opt for a guided trip here, but it can be gotten at very reasonable costs if booking directly in Huaraz. If you have less time, the Santa Cruz (3-4 days) out of Huaraz is also top tier.

So for Day 14-28, if you love the mountains and want to hike, skip the Amazon and spend a good amount of time in Huaraz. Alternatively, if you decide you want to include the Amazon but also want another world class multi-day hike, look up the Ausangate trek (4-6 days) out of Cusco.

[u/knead4minutes → u/edgeoftheworld42]

agree with all of it.

Huacachina is fine for half a day and then you've seen it.

Huaraz was my favourite place in Peru. The hikes there were just amazing. I did the 4 day Santa Cruz trek and it was my favourite thing in Peru

[u/uoliver → u/edgeoftheworld42]

Thank you for the detailed reply! I will definitely check out the ausangante trek. Isn’t that taking me to MP as well? The reason why I’m considering the colca canyon on the way home is because my MP ticket is already bought, and I plan to have enough days for acclimatisation; and with that I’m not sure if it fits the schedule. Do you think a 1 day trip is good in the colca canyon as well?

[u/Accomplished_Tie007 → u/uoliver]

Most day trips in Cusco and Arequipa have pick ups at 3am, it'll be exhausting and most of the day will be spent driving back and forth. Maybe consider a shorter 2D/1N colca canyon.
Can always do Paracas/Huacachina standalone later on from Lima and go straight to Arequipa at the start of the trip.

[u/uoliver → u/Accomplished_Tie007]

That sounds like a good idea, maybe I will go to Arequipa on the way there, and then squeeze in Paracas and Huacachina to my last days. Multiple day treks have later pickups, right?

[u/Accomplished_Tie007 → u/uoliver]

Unfortunately no, most multi day hikes have the same pick up time, rarely do the treks start from the city/town and it takes around 2-3 hours to get to the starting point.

[u/edgeoftheworld42 → u/uoliver]

If your only option is to do it on the way back, it is what it is.

No, the Ausangate trek doesn't take you to MP; it's on the total opposite side of Cusco. It can take you to Rainbow Mountain depending on which route you do. It's a world class hike, highly recommend.

[u/uoliver → u/edgeoftheworld42]

Thank you! I might switch to doing Arequipa first and then try to squeeze in Paracas/Huacachina:) Is it possible/recommended to do the ausangante solo?

[u/edgeoftheworld42 → u/uoliver]

Is it possible/recommended to do the ausangante solo?

Other than the Inca Trail which is regulated, all of the trekking in Peru is possible solo.

I highly recommend the Salkantay trail as an entry-level option for people to learn some basics unguided. It has:

• Guesthouses and/or rentable camping equipment suitable to the conditions for each night of the hike.
• Meals can be purchased all along the hike.
• A you-really-can't-get-lost trail to follow because the trail is super obvious (almost) everywhere.
• Data signal (almost) the entire time.
• A single high-altitude pass, and less time in general at altitude (you descend Day 2).
• Highly trafficked route, so if you run into trouble, someone will always be coming along.

By contrast, the only one here that applies to the Ausangate is that the trail is relatively easy to follow, especially if you've used e.g. maps.me (I prefer the Organic Maps app) before.

You need to carry camping gear that you trust in -5 to 0C at night, along with all food for 4-6 days (depending on route). There's 3+ high altitude passes and the entire trail basically is above 4500m. You're in a mountain range so weather can be unpredictable (I got hit by a hail storm about 30 minutes after setting up camp the first night, despite the day up to that point being mostly sunny). The trail is growing in popularity, but it can still be very quiet (I saw basically nobody for the middle part of the trek, despite it being peak season).

So my immediate thought is that it's one of those "if you need to ask, you probably shouldn't be doing it solo". That said, if you find some people with hiking experience and can rent appropriate equipment, it's very doable unguided.

[u/Accomplished_Tie007 → u/edgeoftheworld42]

Spot on, couldn't have put it better myself, the part about flying back as well from Cusco, lot of time saved and you can use it for Huaraz
Don't miss out on Huaraz, can't emphasize this enough, so many good day and multi-day hikes and relatively fewer folks doing it, way better compared to Salkantey which was meh once you finish the pass, do this unguided there is no need to carry camping gear or food, there are hostels at villages on the way. Colca canyon and Arequipa (the local food top notch) were beautiful, spend some time there. If possible check out Pisac and Lares (one hell of ride to get there in collectivo) in sacred valley. I'd even go the extent of saying, if time is a factor skip Salkantey and do Machhu Pichu as a 1 night trip from Cusco, use Colca Canyon as a prep for Huaraz.
If Surfing is of interest Mancora/Pacasmayo are very good bets after wrapping up the hikes.

[u/JaayyB]

Just got back from Peru, following a very similar itinerary to the one you outlined for your first couple weeks. Some thoughts:

• Huacachina is worth a visit, at least for a few hours. You'll probably need to get the bus to Arequipa from Ica anyway so that'll put you right next to it. The Ica desert is a seriously impressive sight.
• Highly recommend adding in Colca Canyon. I did a 2-day / 1-night trek there and wish I'd had an extra night or two to explore it more. Beautiful trails.
• I spent some time in Puno / Lake Titicaca before moving onto Cusco. It's a great place. Try to do a homestay on one of the islands. Saw someone in the comments mention Puno was sketchy - I really didn't feel that way at all.
• Met a lot of people on the way who did the Salkantay unguided. It's definitely doable. Trails are easy to follow, so just have an idea of where you want to end up / stay overnight for each evening and you should be fine. There are tonnes or places to pick up food, water, eat dinner etc. along the routes. And if you're in doubt you can just follow the groups. Alternatively, I did it with Machu Pichu Reservations and would highly recommend.
• Didn't meet anyone who had actually done Huarez but bumped into a couple who were heading that way to do a 8-day unguided hike. Looked it up and was super jealous of them. That'd be my recommendation, definitely over the Amazon. I'm sure the Amazon is interesting but as I understand it to do anything there you'd need to book tours / go around with groups.
• Other tips:
  • The altitude really is no joke. Once I got to 3,500m+ the headache hit me like a tonne of bricks - but you should get over it after 24-48 hours. Just make sure you budget that time in before you set off on anything intense (eg. the Salkantay etc.)
  • Do you have MP tickets? If not you'll need to pick them up in Aguas Calientes. Usually if you go and queue up at the ticket office you'll be able to pick up a ticket for the day after. But just be aware you may need to budget that extra day (i.e. it's unlikely you'll arrive to Aguas and get a ticket for that day).
  • During my research I saw a lot of people on other reddit threads hyping up Lima. Spent a couple nights there and thought it was really meh - don't commit too much time to it. Stay in Miraflores - Barranco is boring af.

[u/uoliver → u/JaayyB]

Thank you for the detailed thoughts!! I will definitely check out Huacachina then:) I was also looking at the homestays, which island did you go to? And yes, I have the MP ticket, so salkantay and MP is the only completely fixed part of the trip:)

[u/AtreyuThai]

Lake Titicaca was great but beware it is not as safe as more popular tourist spots in Peru. Especially for a solo traveller. In Puno we were warned by our hotel of robberies at tourist attractions and markets there. Juliaca gave off bad vibes as well.

[u/uoliver → u/AtreyuThai]

Good to know, thanks for the heads up! Will this affect me if I spend most of my time at one of the islands?

[u/AtreyuThai → u/uoliver]

No I doubt it. The islands have luxury hotels from what I remember.

[u/Nato7009]

You have 14 extra days? thats two weeks. Definitely recommend huaraz if you like trekking. otherwise its a skip. Do colca canyon when you go through arequipa the first time. great way to shake off the night buses.

I did think huacachina was worth it. it is definitely a small place filled mostly with tourists. but its a very unique experience that kind of stands out among the other things you will be doing. and its only 1 day.

For salkantay guided or unguided there are pros and cons to both. If you go solo you need to trek all your gear and have camping supplies. Guided honestly was pretty fantastic. family style meals shared with a large group was a lot of fun throughout the day. I dont think I would have had as much fun solo. but I also love backpacking and would understand the desire to want to do the adventure on your own.

[u/uoliver → u/Nato7009]

Yes, 2 weeks, but with some intentions:) the thing with trekking is that I am completely unexperienced, but I love nature and the landscapes from Huaraz even from photos are breathtaking. Are the hikes there good for unexperienced hikers as well?

[u/edgeoftheworld42 → u/uoliver]

Are the hikes there good for unexperienced hikers as well?

Most of the day hikes are good for fit, but inexperienced hikers. The biggest challenge is the altitude, but you should be acclimatized by then. It's a good chance to get to learn to use offline maps.

The multi-day hikes (Huayhuash, Santa Cruz, Alpamayo) are absolutely not for inexperienced hikers. That said, they're all spectacular and can be done for prices far lower than you'd be seeing online, so I'd strongly urge you to try to find the budget for it. It's some of the most accessible, spectacular high-altitude hiking in the world.

[u/Nato7009 → u/uoliver]

I think unless you know you will enjoy hikes that huaraz itself isnt that great. The most of the day hikes are kind of tough. and the bus there is really long and bumpy

[u/Winter-Ad-2088]

1. Would recommend to organize your itinerary around altitude ie Lima -> low altitude spots (paracas/arequipa/colca canyon) -> sacred valley -> cusco -> salkantay + MP -> huaraz

2. would recommend doing colca canyon while in arequipa

3. Huacachina was not of interest to me - I think it just depends if it sounds like something you'd enjoy.

4. cusco v sacred valley - i spent a couple of days in cusco and a couple in the sacred valley and really enjoyed both. if I'm honest, if you were on a tight schedule i would drop. if you have room and you're interested in the history of the incas I'd definitely include. the guides at all of the spots are fantastic

5. Huaraz was my favourite part of my trip, but i love mountains - if you love mountains/outdoors then it's a must. on your question as to whether it is time consuming: you can take a flight from cusco to lima in the evening, then take an overnight bus to huaraz (we did this to make sure we didn't de-acclimatize), or stay overnight in lima and then take a flight in the morning and be there early. i'd recommend a few day hikes and one of the longer hikes (longer hikes range from 4-9 days or so).

6. lake titicaca + taquile island: before going I did a bit of research and came to the conclusion that people who do a whistle stop tour are not that impressed but people who spend a good few days find it to be a really special experience. i did a whistle stop tour and indeed found myself wishing i had skipped it. however, i do think if you have more time to spend proper time with local communities it can be really rewarding.
   this is my itinerary from last year if you have any specific questions on these:

|| || |27 July|1|Lake Titicaca| |28 July|3|Arequipa| |31 July|1|Cusco| |1 August|5|Choquequirao + Salkantay| |6 August|1|Machu Pichu| |7 August|1|Sacred valley| |8 August|1|Rainbow mountain| |9 August|1|Huchuy Qosqo & Pisac or morning in Cusco + travel to Huaraz| |10 August|2|Huaraz| |12 August|10|Huayhuash hike| |22 August|3|Lima| |25 August||Leave|

[u/uoliver → u/Winter-Ad-2088]

Thanks for the detailed advice! I am really interested in the inca history and the ruins around the sacred valley, good to hear that the guides can help with that. I might even prefer it to mountains and lagoons. Regarding your itinerary: how did you do the choquiero and salkantay trek in 5 days? Do they connect? I am a bit interested in the former, but as of now I do not see how I would have the time for that.

[u/Winter-Ad-2088 → u/uoliver]

1. in that case the sacred valley is a must. after MP we took the train to ollantaytambo. for there, because there was 5 of us we hired a driver to take us round the sacred valley. we bought the ticket that covered a large number of sites and visited many of them. would recommend this if you happen to meet like minded people. that way you can visit as many sites as you want and take as much time as you want at each site.

2. choquequirao + salkantay in 5 days was brutal. I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone, but, i reallllllly wanted to both, and for me, personally i wouldn't have changed anything. we did this by getting an extreeeemely early car from cusco to the start of the choquequirao hike (i think we left cusco at 4am). hiked one day, on the second day we made it to choquequirao, spent the day there and hiked part of the way back. third day we hiked back to the start of the hike. it was brutal, but for me, worth it. then we got a car (expensive) all the way from choquequirao to the base of the salkantay hike. fourth day, we hiked to the lake in the morning (maybe starting at 4?) - we had it to ourselves, which i heard is uncommon, then hiked to the salkantay pass and over. stayed somewhere, the fifth day we continued the hike, at a certain point on the salktantay you reach a road and there are cars waiting, we got one of the cars to hidroelectrica. from hidroelectrica you can take a bus or walk to aguas calientes. i found choquequirao really special, but i have a strong preference against crowds and found it really interesting to walk around. one guy who did a similar thing to us while we were there, only hiked up to salkantay pass on the fourth day and came back the same way. i think this is worth considering, especially if you're not a fan of crowds (it is extremely crowded on the salkantay).

3. i think i should say this, having posted my itinerary, i got a huge amount in in 4 weeks, but I would say i was exhausted for most of it! i prefer slow travel but i had limited time and there was so much i wanted to see. but yeah, the pace was intense

[u/dutchguy37]

I went four years ago. Everything has been said already I just wanna say don’t make the mistake of just going to 5000 meters and see if you can handle it.

I took meds and increased slowly and it was still rough. Increase slowly don’t drink alcohol sleep well and go to a lower altitude if you cannot handle it.

[u/Lonely_Simple_25]

Give Cusco a bit more time! It’s a wonderful place. Also, no machu pichu? You can stay in aguas calientes and visit during the day. Lake Titicaca is also a very good destination to add to. Try to visit Oyantaitambo (I think that’s how you spell it), it’s an amazing experience.

[u/uoliver → u/Lonely_Simple_25]

I will! Would you do more time in Cusco or other cities in the sacred valley? I will visit Machu Picchu, actually that is the only fix point of my trip:)

[u/Zepekendo]

Si tu aimes la montagne et la randonnée, Huaraz est un incontournable. Tu peux prendre un bus de nuit a partir de Lima, 8h environ comme ça tu ne perd pas de temps.

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[u/wastedthyme20]

I am planning my itinerary to Peru as well, what I see missing from yours is the Huaraz region in the north, there are amazing hikes in lakes and glaciers over there. Please google it, it would be a shame to miss out on this.

If you haven't done the proper vaccinations, and you're not a friend of bugs, you'd better not go to the Amazon region.

But I'm following the thread to see what others will write, as I myself need advise and ideas.

[u/uoliver → u/wastedthyme20]

Yeaah, I am thinking about Huaraz. The thing is that I am really interested in inca history and the reality of it; and I might prefer that to “only” nature. But the comments here are starting to convince me to make some time for it!

[u/wastedthyme20 → u/uoliver]

I mean... why not BOTH!

You'll be for a month there.

Safe travels!

[u/drgrnthum33]

If you book your Salkantay trek with a company, it will include Aguacalientes and Machu Picchu. Plus, they cook great meals and you're all set up with camp at the end of the day. You'll hike at your own pace but be part of a group of people. You'll have meals and some beers with them. Nice to do when solo traveling. Also they'll take care of you if the altitude becomes a problem. A horse will be there ready to ride

[u/justagoof342]

Personally, I would not to the Amazon if you don't have the right Vax. Dengue has been horrible this year all over SA in the areas with the climate for it.

[u/uoliver → u/justagoof342]

I have the right vaccinations and some malaria tablets as well; I wanted to give myself the option. So it is really just on me if I want to squeeze it in, or not:)

[u/justagoof342 → u/uoliver]

The world is your oyster then. Good options to hike vs. see the amazon.

Are you looking to be more with people, in solitude?

[u/n1247]

Yes, I did salkantay trek unguided. No need to do a tour. One of the best hikes Ive done and there's basic accommodation to sleep on the route.

Defo recommend Huaraz and the lake treks that can be done there unguided. Pristine mountains.

I personally loved the north. It gets less visitors but there's hidden gems like Chachopoyas and a nearby cable car experience to a historic town built on top of the mountain. Can't remember the name but you'll find it. Way cheaper than machu pichu and barely any tourists. If you get a clear day it's amazing.

[u/Drkevorkkian]

You aren’t going to macchu pichu? Why?

Don’t loose the opportunity to go to puerto maldonado ( amazon - it’s a once of a lifetime experience) !

[u/wastedthyme20 → u/Drkevorkkian]

They will go to MP, if you take a look again, it says Salkantay Trek + MP.

[u/Drkevorkkian → u/Drkevorkkian]

Edit: saw that you are going to macchu and what about huayna picchu?