Okay folks, buckle up, because planning this Peru trip almost did me in. Seriously, it started like this: I just finished this crazy work project, felt totally burnt out, and suddenly thought, “I need mountains… ancient ones!” So, boom, Peru it is. But where the heck do you even start? Guidebooks? Too heavy. Random blogs? Overwhelming.
The Overwhelming Research Phase
I remember sitting at my kitchen table, laptop steaming, tabs exploding. Scoured Reddit threads till my eyes crossed – everyone arguing over Huaraz vs. Cusco, jungle vs. desert. Pulled up a map of Peru and just stared at it, completely lost. Felt like planning a moon landing with sticky notes. Had to step back, grab a coffee (or three), and actually ask myself, “What do I wanna feel?” Mountains? Check. History? Big check. Something totally different? Oh yeah. Okay, starting points.
Zeroing in on the Gotta-Sees
Started slapping pins all over my Google Maps. Cusco popped up constantly. Like, everyone mentioned it. It had to be the anchor point, the basecamp. Then Machu Picchu… duh. But how to get there? More research rabbit hole! Found this insane train route through the mountains – pics looked unreal. Pinned that too. Then stumbled across pics of this crazy rainbow mountain. “That’s gotta be Photoshopped,” I thought. Spoiler: it wasn’t.
Further digging showed this massive canyon near Arequipa – deeper than the Grand Canyon? Had to see that. And then, bam, some pics of this desert oasis… looked like a mirage, but real! Huacachina, the name stuck. Finally, the Amazon kept whispering… but I only had two weeks. Had to choose between Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado. More forum diving! Chose Puerto Maldonado – slightly less intense travel time from Cusco, promised great wildlife. So the lineup became:
- Cusco & the Sacred Valley: Acclimation HQ and ruin central.
- Machu Picchu: Obvious life-list item.
- Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca): Because what even is nature?
- Colca Canyon: Hiking, condors, deep stuff.
- Huacachina Oasis: Sand dunes and dune buggies – change of scenery.
Amazon felt too rushed this time. Saved it for next time (Peru Part 2, anyone?).
From Pins to Plane Tickets
Booking flights felt like playing Tetris on hard mode. Knew flying into Lima was easiest. Then a cheap flight to Cusco to start the mountain stuff. Realized Cusco to Arequipa for the Canyon had flights, so booked that. Then Arequipa back to Lima? Got it. The oasis? Planned that as a pitstop between Lima and the mountains or on the way back? Honestly, juggled these dates for days. Finally bit the bullet and booked the flights late one night after a glass of wine (not recommended for precision). Train to Machu Picchu was another puzzle – Aguas Calientes town? Booked that online months ahead, sweaty palms and all. Accommodation? Booked the first few nights in Cusco to survive the altitude, the rest… kinda winged it. Risky? Yeah. Paid off? Mostly.
The On-The-Ground Reality
Landed in Cusco and wow, altitude is no joke. Spent two days walking like a zombie, chugging coca tea like it was life support, trying not to faint walking up stairs. Sacred Valley was amazing – Pisac market totally chaotic and beautiful, Ollantaytambo’s terraces were mind-boggling. Train ride to Machu Picchu? Stunning. The ruins themselves… pictures fail. Got up stupid early, climbed Huayna Picchu, legs screaming, view totally worth it.
Rainbow Mountain? That was a beast. Highest point on the trip, thin air hitting hard. Felt like dying on that hike. Saw people turn back. But cresting that hill and seeing the stripes? Jaw hit the floor. Unreal. Colca Canyon was rough too – down, down, down at dawn to see the condors soar. Then the hellish climb back up. Totally wrecked, but those birds circling? Magic. Finished in Huacachina. Pure fun after the mountains – dune buggying felt like a rollercoaster on Mars, sandboarding wiped me out in the best way.
Final Thoughts
Was it perfect? Hell no. Missed stuff, felt rushed sometimes, altitude kicked my butt, and my stomach staged a minor rebellion halfway through. Would I trade it? Absolutely not. These five spots showed me the wild extremes of Peru – ancient stones, crazy-colored mountains, a canyon that swallowed everything, sand dunes that go on forever. If you’re trying to plan your own Peruvian adventure and feel swamped, start with these five. They’ll blow your mind and test your limits. Just pack the Imodium.
