Aayush Sharma

Oct 9, 20223 min read

HOW TO PLAN A BACKPACKING TRIP TO PERU

Updated: Nov 20, 2023

Peru has been in my mind for ages, and Machu Picchu is the reason why. My favorite wonder of the world and when I got a chance to go there, I planned a backpacking trip to Peru with my friend.

Itinerary

CUSCO (3D/3N) Day 1: Cusco city tour Day 2: Rainbow Mountain Day 3: Machu Picchu LIMA (3D/3N) We knew that Cusco would be hectic, so we kept three days to chill and explore the city life of Lima, the capital of Peru.

Requirements

If you are an international student in Canada holding an Indian passport with a valid study permit and visa, then you can enter Peru with a tourist visa. The minimum validity of your Canadian student visa should be 6 months. Source: gob.pe

Air Travel

This is the fun part! My journey started from Vancouver(YVR) – Mexico City(MEX) layover of 18 hours where I met Piyush, then from Mexico City(MEX) – Lima(LIM) layover for 4 hours, and then finally Lima(LIM) – Cusco(CUZ). This was the cheapest and most compatible route with our itinerary.

Accommodation

In Cusco, we stayed in Kokopelli Hostel, and honestly, it was the best ever hostel experience for me. It is perfectly located in the Centro, they have amazing events every day and night, they also provide free city tours, the staff is super friendly, beautiful interior, etc. So five stars from me! Link: Kokopelli Hostel

In Lima, we chose the famous Pariwana Hostel. Perfectly located at the heart of Miraflores, one of the most popular districts of Lima. Pariwana had a peaceful vibe, they have a really fun terrace so you can chill there! Link: Pariwana Hostel

Cusco City

We went for the city tour provided by the Kokopelli Hostel. Walked around Centro, and witnessed the Spanish colonial architecture. Met the llamas and alpacas.

Rainbow Mountain

As we were short of days, we booked a package for both Rainbow Mountain and Machu Picchu. The package had a pick-and-drop service till Vinicunca. We started the trek by 8 in the morning, it took us around 5 hours back and forth! Magnificient views of the Andes mountain range and the beautiful Rainbow Mountain.

Machu Picchu

From Cusco to Machu Picchu, it’s a long journey. You can trek for 2 to 3 days to reach there but we clearly didn’t have that much time. Our package included a bus to Ollantaytambo and then a wonderful train journey from Ollantaytambo to Agues Calientes, known as the gateway of Machu Picchu. The train takes you along the Urubamba River and the dense rainforest, it was truly a great experience with the Incarail. Link: https://incarail.com/en/

Now after reaching Aguas Calientes, you can either hike up to Machu Picchu or take a bus. We did the hike, don’t forget mosquito repellent as we did. The hike is short but steep, it took us 1.5 hours to reach.

Lima

Lima, the beautiful capital city of Peru, is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. As decided, we landed in Lima with nothing on our minds, just to chill, and experience the city life of Peru. We were staying in Miraflores, Pariwana Hostel.

The famous Museo Larco, a museum of pre-Columbian art & the history of Peru’s ancient civilizations, is a place that cannot be missed. The tickets can be bought online. You can visit the Centro, Casa de la Literatura, and Magic water circuit. I would say that there was not much to do in Lima but you can have really fun nightlife and of course the Peruvian food! And also don’t forget to try the Peruvian Inca Kola, known as the golden cola.