4 months after coming back, here is the full tale of our World Trip! We used Polarsteps as our journal, writing down all our adventures for our friends and family. We now have printed a book (332 pages) with some photos and graphics. Just a small teaser:
(more…)Category: Peru
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Budget for a World Trip
We travelled for 14 months and gathered all the prices thanks to TravelSpend application: Here is the detail of how much did we pay the planes, accommodations, activities, transportations, food… You will know all about what you should expect to spend on a World Trip!
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Budget to travel to Peru
We traveled to Peru during 6 weeks, from March 3rd to April 15th. We’ve spent most of our budget visiting the historic places and enjoying tours in Huaraz.
Note: We are a couple travelling for 1 year and we’ve already spent half of our time and budget and time (20000€ total). The prices mentioned in this post are PER PERSON, except for the taxis and accommodation (usually private double rooms).
Food
We’ve found meals for 15 soles (starter/main course/drink included).
- Bread: between 1 and 2 soles for 6 pieces
- Empanadas:0,5 sol
- Market: 16soles for 100g almonds+100g peanuts+100g nuts+50g cranberries, 1 banana 0,5sol
- Full breakfast: around 15soles per person
Drinks
- Water: Around 3soles 2,5l
- Beer: 10soles 65cl
- Juice: 6soles
- Cocktails: Around 15s for a Pisco Sour or Chilcano, the cheapest found was a jar at 25s!
Transportation
Bus:
- 30 soles Puno-Cusco, 80 to Arequipa, 50 to Nasca, 10 to Pisco, 25 to Lima, 25 to Barranca, 56s to Huaraz, 62 nightbus to Trujillo, 105 to Mancora and 31 Tumbes to Machala (Ecuador).
- City bus to Chan Chan 2 and Trujillo 2,5s.
Colectivo:
- Huge red of mini vans which leaves you everywhere! We used them a lot around Cusco to visit the sacred valley (see the detail of each trip in the dedicated post).
- Carreful in Huaraz: to go to Churup laguna we paid 10s per way per person (they can offer you more telling you they will wait for you, but they always do)
- We paid 20 Mancora-Tumbes to go to the border and keep going to Ecuador.
Taxi:
From the border with Bolivia to Kasani 6s, from Huacachina to Ica 10s, from Paracas to Pisco terminal 16s
In Lima Uber works very well and is much cheaper than a cabTrain: We used Perurail to go to the Machu Picchu: see the dedicated post.
Accommodation
Country Minimum Maximum Average Peru 25s 101s 42s € 6€ 25€ 10€
Extras
- Phone: With Claro there was an offer for 20 soles 4Gb with Facebook and WhatsApp unlimited for 30 days (we used a chip a traveler gave us in Bolivia)
- Laundry: around 5s per kg
- Cigarets: 5soles a pack, 27soles 10packs (they call it “brazo”)
- Peruvian hat: 10 soles
Click on the title of the post
To follow those spendings we used TravelSpend App. Looking back…
Peru budget was close to Bolivian’s one, we spent a total of 24€50 per person per day. -
Hikes around Huaraz
Huaraz is known for the beautiful trekkings you can do. In only one day you can visit with tours the beautiful Laguna Parón, Laguna 69 and Chavín de Huántar, but also Laguna Churup all alone. Here are the details of each hike we did.
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What to visit in Lima? Pyramids!
Looking what to do in Lima, we often find the Miraflores district, plaza de Armas, cathedrals or parque del Amor… Beyond the classics, like the beautiful Museo Larco, I invite you to discover the Monumental Mateo Salado, el Parque de las leyendas, Huaca Huallamarca, Huaca Pucllana, and Pachacamac.
Museo Larco
Before listing the archeological sites and pyramids you can visit in Lima, let’s start with the Larco Museum, a good prerequisite to understand peruvian history!
Founded in 1926, this national museum hosts the collection of the peruvian archeologist Rafael Larco Hoyle. You will find there 45.000 artefacts of the whole Peru culture and an amazing storage, opened to public. You will learn that the Incas are only part of the last chapter and that you are here in Peru, in one of the cradle of civilization!
Surprising things:
- Heads of animal and people (like in the underground temple of Tiahuanacu – Bolivia)
- A representation of Africans with black hands
- Guy wearing barb when people there didn’t have any
- Wheels have never been used there, but they had circular weapons
- Gold crown looking like egyptian’s (see Nefertari representations)
- Sex statues like Asian, Greeks did (and many others)
I guess there is still A LOT to learn about the human history!
How to visit the Larco Museum: Open every day from 11am to 7pm (S/35) located Simon Bolivar Avenue 1515
Monumental Mateo Salado
Photo: Lugaresturisticosperu.com Located nearby the Larco Museum and also known Huaca Mateo Salado, it’s the youngest site of the city.
- Discovery: Abandoned until 2001 when it was declared “Patrimonio cultural de la Nacion”
- Size: 16.4ha
- Datation: Xe > XIXe centuries
- Composition: 4 pyramids
- Culture: Ychsma, Inca
How to visit: Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 3pm (S/10) calle Palmeras cudra 5
Complejo Archeologico Maranga
Also known as Parque de las leyendas, we missed it when we were in Lima but it definitly looks great! On the same site you will find 4 huacas: Tres Palos, La Cruz, San Miguel and La Palma.
- Discovery: first mentioned in 1873
- Size: 150ha
- Datation: 200BC > 1450AC
- Composition: 53 monuments, mostly in Adobitos the tallest is 32m.
- Culture: Lima, Yshma, Inca
How to visit: Open everyday from 9am to 5pm (S/15) Avenida Parque de las leyendas 580
Photo: Delima.com
Huaca Huallamarca
View from avenida El Rosario With a unique and very well preserved pyramid, it was a religious and administrative center, part of the Inca road Qhapaq Ñan.
- Discovery: mentioned in 1873, starting to dig in 1942
- Size: 85x67x20m
- Datation: 200BC
- Composition: pyramid with a 9m ramp
- Culture: Huallas
How to visit: Open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday from 10am to 3pm (S/5) Avenida Nicolas de Ribera 201
Huaca Pucllana
Built with vertical adobe bricks, called “bookseller’s technique“.
- Discovery: Excavated only in the 80s!
- Size: 20ha (only 6 today)
- Datation: 500AC
- Composition: Adobitos
- Culture: Lima, Huari
How to visit: Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday,Saturday, Sunday from 9am to 4.15pm, you need to book online (S/15), calle General Borgono
View from calle Sarrio
Pachacamac
Piramide con Rampa 1 Considered the biggest coastal historic center, there is still A LOT of work to do here… The site is huge and only few buildings have been revealed.
- Discovery: 1890s
- Size: 600ha
- Datation: IIIe > XIVe centuries
- Composition: 16 pyramids, sun temple, hold temple, painted temple, inca temple, cementary
- Culture: Lima, Wari, Yshma, Inca
How to visit: Open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday from 9m to 4pm (S/15), located outside Lima on Antigua Panamerica Sur. Better to book online but you can still go without reservation
Map of the sites
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Cusco & the Sacred Valley by yourself
As we had time we decided to visit by ourselves the main sites around Cusco, and more! With this solution you can see more parts of the sites, take your time and walk cross the lands and cities in total freedom!
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How to visit Machu Picchu
As we are just back from the Machu Picchu, I’m sharing with you all the tips, information how to get to Aguas Calientes, how to buy the entrance, what are the prices, the difference between Llaqta Picchu, Wayna, Huchuy and la Montaña… and where to get your Machu Picchu passeport stamp!
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From Titicaca to Cuzco
In 15 days I’ve made a trip from La Paz to Cuzco, passing through Copacabana, Isla del Sol, Valle Sagrado (sacred valley), Machu Pichu and her sister: Choquequirao! I’ve met great people on my journey, I will never forget this travel which really changed my life…
Copacabana
From La Paz I directly took a “colectivo” to Titicaca Lake: a taxi from the airport first left me at the bus terminal El Alto and I joined other 9 bolivians for a 4 hours trip! Arriving to La Paz by night, I booked a ticket for la Isla del Sol the day after, and slept in the first hotel I found (very easy and very cheap – 4 euros a night).
› See the pictures of this trip (on Facebook)The day after I visited Copacabana from 8am to 1pm (hour of the boat). It’s not a big city but it’s very nice and authentic. I had the chance to participate to the blessing of cars, very typical!
Transports:
– Taxi airport => El Alto: 50 bolivianos (20min)
– La Paz => Copacabana: 50 BOL (4 hours)
– Copacabana => Isla del Sol: 50 BOL round trip (2 hours)
– Copacabana => Cuzco: 170 BOL or 140 with a semi cama, less confortable (6 hours + the border control)
Here is the top 5 to do:
Cerro Calvario
Visit the cathedral
Capilla de velas
Walk in the streets
Eat in the Market
Let’s go to the origin of the Inca empire…
Isla del Sol
There was only two options to go to Isla del Sol: in the morning (8am) or in the evening (1pm), and same to go back (10am and 15pm). The second problem was where they left me (after two hours): the south port (Yumani) instead of the north one (Chinkana), where you actually can see the most interesting ruins. The locals people told me there was a conflict between the three communities and the North were blocked. So I suggested with a group of travelers I met there to wake up early and pass the controls before the sunrise… And it worked, leaving at 5.30am!
After approximately 9km and 3h walking we finally discovered a sacred stone, a ritual table (for the sacrifices of lamas) and the ruins of Chinkana, a huge village / fort / labyrinth! It really worth the pain – because walking at 3800m is a challenge – and we decided to go back from the other way, longer and around the coast… Going up and down the hills… If you’re not sportive I would suggest to go back from the same path! We were back in the south just in time to take the boat (you can ask to take one which stop to the small ruins in the south), and I directly took my confortable night bus to Cuzco.
Looking back…
In Copacabana I didn’t have time but you can also take a trip to islas flotantes (floated island) and Isla de la Luna (Moon Island) where there are some ruins. I neither had the force to go to el Horca del Inca, a second hill but it seems to offer a great view of the city!Tips:
– To fight the altitude: Walk quietly, drink a lot (of water…) and use coca leaves (take three, fold them and leave them in your mouth between your teeth and your gum).
– Always negociate the prices in Bolivia!
› Take a look on this trip (on Facebook)Arrived in Cuzco I followed Luciana, one of the argentinian girl with Johann, the martinican, and we met Ana, an other Argentinian! We booked an hostel and met a guide recommended by Lupi which sold us a 1 day tour of Sacred Valley, 3 days 2 night for Machu Pichu and 4 days to Choquequirao.
Valle Sagrado
I would recommend to rent a car and go by yourself to the Sacred Valley (same for the Machu Pichu). The guide explainations are very interesting but it’s really easy to go there…
Here are the sites you can visit in one day in Sacred Valley:
Chinchero
Moray
Salineras de Maras
Ollantaytambo
Písac
Machu Pichu in 3 days & 2 nights
Early in the morning we took the bus until Hydroelectrica (7 hours), we arrived by noun, took a break to lunch and followed the railway to Aguas Calientes (3 hours walk, but you can also take a train from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes).
The second day we walked up early to go to the bridge where you start to climb 1h30 to the Machu Pichu. They opened the gate around 6am but there was already a big line at 5… Arriving on top we had to wait for a group to start the tour at 8am. Honestly we escaped very quickly with Luciana to visit at our rythm. So we missed the explanations, but we really passed an unforgettable moment! Johan had the patience to follow the group and told us it was interesting but very calculated to lead the group close to the exit after 4h visit.
We get back around noun to Aguas Calientes and took rest, drinking great Pisco Sour(s). The third day we had to go back to Hydroelectrica to get our bus at 2pm, and made a stop in a nice parc where you’ve got typical plants and a nice waterfall (Cataratas de Mandor, not really crazy). It tooks 9 hours to go back (by night it’s slower).
Tips:
– If you have time and force, follow the end of the Inca Trail to have an amazing view of the site!
– You can also do this trip with just one night, but you need to leave the Machu Pichu at 11am to get the bus to Hydroelectrica on time!
– We already had the entrance ticket for the Machu Pichu, it’s recommended to buy it in Cuzco but you can also do it in Aguas Calientes. IMPORTANT: Huayna Pichu ticket is very hard to get because they allow only 400 persons per day…Choquequirao in 4 days
Back to Cuzco we ‘ve been invited in our guide family in Chincheros and shared with them the lunch and a very nice afternoon (thanks Hermo!), a very necessary break to prepare us to the trekking to Choquequirao…
Choquequirao is the last inca bastion, hard to access so empty of tourists (big diference from Machu Pichu)! It was great to have a guide to lead us, but his plan didn’t allow us to have time to visit the whole site (a shame when you know you passed through the 6th deepest canyon of the World to get there).
1st day you leave Cuzco and take the bus direction Abancay until Cachora crossing (around 4 hours), then a taxi to the entrance of the trek path (one more hour). From there you start walking, we chose not to rent the service of horses to carry our backpack, BIG MISTAKE. This day we went down the hill (9km, 1600m of negative level) until a bridge, and climbed to Santa Rosa Camp (3km, 700m positive) in about 7 hours.
The second day we paid a horse to carry our bags, really too heavy to climb this huge mountain… After two hours, 4km and 1000m positive level we arrived to Marampata and saw far far away Choquequirao. We prepared the camp for the other night and took back the walk… After others 5km and 2h you finally arrive to this huge site.
It’s really hard for me to describe those ruins… I will just share with you those white qwarts lamas you can see on one of the hill… We passed around 3 hours there, but didn’t have time to visit everything sadly… We needed to go back before the sunset and couldn’t stand an other day… So we went back to the camp arriving by night.
The third day woke up at 6am to start to go back to Chiqisqa, one hour after the bridge to take a deserved break! From 11am it’s really hard to walk so we started the last day at 5am by night to arrive by 8 on the top and we asked a driver who left a group to start the expedition to bring back us to Cuzco.
This trip is the hardest I’ve ever made but it’s also the best in my life!
Cuzco
Back to Cuzco I only had one day so I took a Tour for tips which helped me to see everything in the short time I had (various are starting from the principal place – Plaza Mayor). On this same place you will find the main cathedral. Take a look inside, there’s a painted of “The Last Supper” with one funny detail: they’re eating a Cuy (the hamster you can traditionally eat in Peru)! This is just one example of the colonialism presence in this city. All the buildings are literally built on the ruins of the original city (you still can see the original stones). Even the river crossing the city has been covered…
Looking Back…
– I didn’t have time to fully visit Sacsayhuamán in the north of the city, but it’s definitly something to do!
– To sleep: I fully recommend Puriwasi Hostel, cheap and perfect location
– To eat: San Pedro Market or the Limbus restaurant (San Blas area)Top 5 to do in Cuzco:
Inka Museum
Coricancha
San Blas quarter
San Pedro Market
Hatun Rumiyuq
Summary:
– Day 1: La Paz => Copacabana
– Day 2: Copacabana => Isla del Sol
– Day 3: Cuzco
– Day 4 to 7: Machu Pichu
– Day 8: Chinchero BBQ
– Day 9 to 12: Choquequirao
– Day 13: Cuzco (bus by night to La Paz – 20 soles)
– Day 14 to 15: La PazMaps:
› Isla del Sol
› Valle Sagrado
› ChoquequiraoThank you guys, I’ve passed magic moment with you…
