How to Visit Peru in 10 Days

Los Adventureros! What an adventure Peru is! From delicious food to stunning ancient ruins, Peru has something interesting up its sleeve at every turn. There is so much to see and do so 10 days will only give you a taste, but what a taste it will be.

We traveled in March 2016. Since then we have heard that some changes have been made to how your tour Machu Picchu. Find current info on official websites.

Advice here is evergreen and can be used no matter what the changes are.

Brush up on some history. 

Peruvian and Incan history is vast. To put your trip into context, do some research ahead of time. I read Turn Right at Machu Picchu which is part travelogue, part history lesson and it was the perfect read for the trip. I highly recommend.

Prepare for the Weather

We traveled in March 2016, in the middle of the rainy season. We brought rain jackets and waterproof shoes just in case and it turned out to be a mild season. We still needed our rain gear, especially on Machu Picchu. At one point there was a literal downpour and a woman had nothing and she was soaked. But the sun poked out later in the day and we all get a little burned, so layers are always your friend with traveling.

 The rainy season of 2017 was horrible, creating mudslides that claimed many lives. Be prepared but most people try and avoid rainy season.

Prepare for high elevation and wear sunscreen

The elevation changes in Peru are no joke. Cusco which is 11,152 feet above sea level! Many travelers not used to high elevation get altitude sickness and drink coca tea which is supposed to help with the symptoms. We live in a higher elevation (definitely not that high) so I didn't get sick but we still noticed a difference. The air is thinner so take breaks, drink more water and don't overdo it.

While it should be obvious, it might not be. The higher you are the closer you are to the sun. WEAR SUNSCREEN. It doesn't take much time at that altitude to get burned, even if is partly cloudy.

Fun fact: Machu Picchu is actually lower than the city of Cusco. Elevation of Machu Picchu is 7,972'.

Take friends who speak Spanish.And make sure that they are friends that you like. :)

In all seriousness, Peru was easy to navigate and we would have done just fine without speaking Spanish (Jacob speaks Portuguese which is not the same but has some similarities), however, it was amazing traveling with friends who spoke the language. We have never traveled internationally where someone in our group knows the language so that was a treat. I was the annoying one saying giddily, "what does that sign say!" only to learn happily that the sign indicated that the building was earthquake proof. :)

And travel with another couple can be tricky to navigate. We were so fortunate that after we traveled together we still want to be friends. My advice: find a couple with similar travel styles and budget. Where there is imbalance, it could get wonky. This is especially important if you are traveling a lot throughout a country and switching locations.

Itinerary

Peru has a lot going on and quite a bit of diversity of landscape. There was much on our list that we didn't get to make it to, but here is what we did with our limited amount of time.

Travel Day:
Arrive in Lima, Peru at 11:35 p.m.
Spend what was possibly the worst night ever in the airport for a 6:50 a.m. flight. What doesn't kill you, etc.

Day 1: Ollantaytambo
Fly to Cusco then bus to Ollantaytambo, our homebase for the Sacred Valley
Visit Plaza de Armas, Fortress of Ollantaytambo
Early to bed. Stayed at B&B Chayan Wasi. Loved! The breakfast was delicious and they were really helpful with booking things.

Day 2: Tour Sacred Valley
Hire a guide/driver to see Moray
Drink chicha morada in a hut
Salineras salt terraces
Town of Chincero

Day 3: Chocolate cooking class and Aguas Calientes 
Chocolate cooking class at the ChocoMuseo
Train to Aguas Calientes, the jumping point for Machu Picchu
Soaked in thermal springs/body broth in Aguas Calientes
Stayed at Inn New Day Machu Picchu

Day 4: MACHU PICCHU (!!!!!!!!!!!)
Early bus to Machu Picchu (get a stamp at the entrance for your passport!)
Explore ruins of Machu Picchu
Hike Huayana Picchu (reservation req) for extra stunning views
Train ride back to Olly and taxi to Cusco

Day 5: Cusco
Sacsayhuamán complex and natural slides
Cristo Blanco
Explore San Blas neighborhood
Cathedral at Plaza de Armas for Easter candle lighting
Stayed in Airbnb (lovely!)

Day 6: Cusco
Plaza de Armas by day
Twelve Angled Stone
Market hopping, highlight: San Pedro Market
Sun Temple or Qorikancha
Cultural show

Day 7: Travel Day
Cusco in the a.m.
Flight to Lima, Bus to Paracas (3.5 hours)
Dinner on the beach
Stayed in Airbnb. Would pick something else.

Day 8: Ballestas Islands
Boat tour of Ballestas Islands (penguins!!!) and the Candelabra
Sandboarding near Huacachina

Day 9: Paracas/Travel to Lima
Morning at the pool
Bus to Lima
Stay in Airbnb. Would recommend.

Day 10: Lima
Plaza de Armas
Presidential Palace for changing of the guards
Catacombs at Convento de San Francisco
Mira Flores
Parque del Amor
Coast peeping
Dinner on the pier

Thoughts:
Travel can be slow between areas so there are a couple of days lost to travel. The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu were definite highlights, we loved sandboarding and 1 day was plenty for Lima.

We landed on this itinerary this way: the main goal was Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. So it was hard to find something else to do in 3 days. Many of the other things we were interested in would have cut down the time in the Sacred Valley so that is how we landed on Paracas. If we had more time, we likely would have visited the Amazon via Puerto Maldonado, Arequipa, Colca Canyon and/or Puno for Lake Titicaca. There's a lot going on!

As always, be kind and be respectful.

Do research ahead of time on cultures and how to be respectful. Time to speak the language as best you can when you can. Smile. Be patient that things are different than at home. Different is why you came. Embrace it and enjoy this beautiful slice of the world.




Hope this helps!

Lima, Peru

Our trip ended where it began: in Lima, the capital of Peru. We had only one day in Lima so we hit it hard. First up, the Presidential Palace.

The changing of the guard is a spectacle and one of my favorite's that we have seen around the world. The crowds aren't overwhelming and the marching band won us over with those high kicks! In polyester!

Changing of the guard did generate a small crowd but nothing like, say, Buckingham Palace so the experience was actually enjoyable. And, lo and behold, we are even able to see it. :)

 Lima's Plaza de Armas is beautiful and busy, but not overwhelmingly so on either account. After we wandered through the streets en route to Mira Flores neighborhood.

Convento de San Francisco

Parque del Amor

Late afternoon we had wandered our way to the lovely Parque del Amor, or Park of Love. This delightful green space has incredible views, thoughtful architecture and plenty of grass to sit on.

Plus, it is a popular place to watch the also popular sport of hangliding. It was beautiful to watch the parachutes slowly glide over the horizon.

 Can you believe that highway at the edge of the ocean?! Stunning, yet also prone to flooding.
 

We trekked down to dinner at the edge of the pier. If you do anything in Peru, get some ceviche, which is raw fish that has been cured in citrus juices. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. Unless you hate delicious things. In that case, you're own your own.

Get in me belly.

And that, my friends, is a wrap. We wandered back to our Airbnb, picked up our luggage, changed into comfy clothes and flew out late that evening. 


Lima was a fun city to explore, not super notable overall and thought 24 hours was enough to see what we wanted.

How to Visit Eastern Europe in 2 Weeks

This trip was rainy, full of history and hearty food, and introduced us to one of my favorite countries (Slovenia).

Now depending on how you view Europe, this area might be called Eastern or Central. For the sake of this post, I'm referring it to Eastern Europe so go with me. Here's what we learned along the way from Slovenia to Prague. Our detailed itinerary is at the bottom of this post.

Bring rain gear. 

This is not a drill. It rained nearly every day we were on our trip and it was at the end of May/beginning of June. Bring a raincoat and boots. Consider yourself warned.

Be smart about your currency. 

This itinerary covers 5 different countries with 5 different currencies. You have the Euro, Croatian Kuna, Hungarian Forint, Polish Zloty, Czech Koruna.  The exchange rates vary severely so either get used to some division/multiplication or use a currency conversion app/calculator. It was trickier on this trip to spend all of our cash before we left each country, so keep an eye on that.

Currency exchange. DO NOT exchange your money at the airport or the currency exchange booths (there are many at each border). The exchange rate is poor or they tack on fees which is how they make money. Get money from the ATM for a better rate. It is almost always better even if you have a small ATM fee.

Transportation

Train travel is typically the best way to get between each country/city especially if you plan to stick to the big cities. Don't underestimate how long it takes to to get between each country. Trains tend to be slower overall in Eastern Europe compared to Western Europe. Overnight trains are the best way to save time while traveling.

Booking Train Tickets: we found it difficult and not possible to book our trains ahead of time unless with a travel agent so we booked when we arrived in each city. Overnight trains can fill up, especially in high season so book right when you arrive in the city you want to leave from. If you book more than 3 days ahead of time, you can get a significant discount in places like Poland.

If you venture into the country, be prepared for limited public transportation or consider renting a car. We rented a car through Sixt (and used Ebates to get 4% cash back) to visit Slovenia and Croatia. We crossed the border without issue, navigated and read the street signs easily, and the roads were just fine. But it didn't make sense to rent a car for the rest of our trip. Keep in mind that if you return a rental car to a different location/country you will pay a significant drop-off fee. Ours was about 100 Euros extra.

Some car rental companies will not all their rental cars to be taken into the Czech Republic (car theft is apparently a big problem).

Eat heartily

Food tends to be heartier in this region (think meats, potatoes, gravy, mushroom soup) which warmed our bones during the cool weather. Here are some of our favorite things you can try:

• Slovenia:  Bled Cake or kremna rezina a heavenly cream cake best when eaten on the shores of Lake bled. Anything/everything with truffle butter or truffle oil!
• Croatia: pasta/seafood near the coast. Anything/everything with truffle butter!
• Hungary: anything with the national spice of paprika such as chicken paprikas, Hungarian goulash. Extra points if it is smoked paprika. Dessert from the famous Ruszwurm, beautiful ice cream from Gelarto Rosa. Kürtoskalács which is a cylindrical pastry rolled in cinnamon sugar. 
• Poland: Pierogi (stuffed Polish dumplings) served savory or sweet. 

For better tasting food and better prices, look for a place full of locals. Typically these are not the establishments with people beckoning (more like harassing) you to dine there. If you look around and you are surrounded by tourists, you have likely chosen incorrectly. A better experience likely awaits you just off the main thoroughfare.

Bits and Bobs:

• Accommodations: we almost always use Airbnb (link gets first-timers a $40 credit) and find it cheaper and enjoy the experience more. Links to our accommodations are in the itinerary below.
• Helpful websites/books:
• Train Travel: seat61.com
• Travel 2015 Pinterest Board where I save all articles travel related
• Rick Steves for life, ya'll

Itinerary

There is so much to see in Eastern Europe and I still have a laaaarge wishlist of places to visit if I get the chance to come back. My biggest regret was not visiting Vienna. Maybe I would have shaved off a day in Budapest and Krakow for Vienna, but that seems a bit rushed. Vienna, I will come for you!


Day 1: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Arrive in the morning
Sights in Old Town
Sleep in Ljubljana at apartment found here.

Day 2: Ljubjana, Slovenia
Castle Hill, Galleria Emporium, Skyscraper
Pick up rental car and drove to Lake Bled.
Sleep in Lake Bled at Hotel Kompas

Day 3: Lake Bled, Slovenia
Bike ride around Lake Bled
Vintgar Gorge
Hike Ojstrica
Sleep in Lake Bled at Hotel Kompas

Day 4: Julian Alps, Slovenia
Drive through Julian Alps, Soča River, Kobarid
Sleep in Nova Gortia at Guest Accommodation Primula

Day 5: Southern Slovenia
Predjama Castle & Postojna Caves
Drive to Rovinj
Bike ride around Rovinj, farmer's market
Sleep in Rovinj at Casale Bed and Breakfast

Day 6: Rovinj, Croatia
Explore Rovinj via bike. Bell tower of Church of St Eupehmia
Eat lots of gelato
Drive to Plitvice (about 3.5 hours)
Sleep just outside of Plitvice at Villa Plitvicka Sedra

Day 7: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Explore the beautiful Plitvice Lakes National Park
Drive to Zagreb- 2 hours. Drop off rental car
Sleep in Zagreb found on Airbnb

Day 8: Zagreb, Croatia
Explore Croatia: St Mark's Square, Museum of Broken Relationships, Stone Gate, Market
Lunch at Mundoaka
Train to Budapest (direct train is not direct. Must get off at the border and take a bus)
Sleep in Budapest found on Airbnb

Day 9: Budapest, Hungary
Explore Pest: Great Market Hall, Parliament Building grounds, shopping on Vaci Utca
Heroe's Square and nearby sights.
Szechenyi Baths
Sleep in Budapest

Day 10: Budapest, Hungary
Church in the a.m.
Tour of Parliament Building
Explore Buda and Castle Hill
Opera House
Sleep in Budapest

Day 11: Budapest, Hungary
Momento Park
St. Istvan's Basilica and neighboring area
Planned on visiting Jewish sights but they were closed
Overnight train to Krakow, Poland

Day 12: Poland, Krakow
Day trip to Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Sleep in Poland found via Airbnb

Day 13: Poland, Krakow
Explore Old Town and Market Square
Shopping
Sleep in Poland

Day 14: Poland, Krakow
Explore Wawel Hill and nearby castle and cathedral
Hang out and eat near Market Square
Overnight train to Prague

Day 15: Prague, Czech Republic
Explore Old Town, Charles Bridge
Sleep in Prague Old Town found via Airbnb

Day 16: Prague, Czech Republic
Day trip to Konopiště Castle
Riverside sights: Dancing House, boat ride
Black Light Theater
Sleep in Prague

Day 17: Prague, Czech Republic
Jewish Quarter
Strahov Monastery, library of dreams
Prague Castle, Cathedral
Astronomical Clock and tower
Sleep in Prague

Day 18: Fly home. :(


Thoughts:

This itinerary is a lot of city. And to be frank, I got sick of the city about 10 days in. If you tend to tire over big cities, consider adding in day trips to add a little green to your trip. Most of our Slovenian and Croatian stops counterbalanced the big cities. By the time we got to Poland, however, I yearned for some green.

If you truly only have two weeks, I would shorten Budapest and Poland to two days each or skip Croatia. I love Croatia but it is harder to reach than the other cities as you must have a car to reach Rovinj and Plitvice National Park so that would be a natural place to skip.

Hope this helps! We traveled in May/June 2015. If you have any questions, shoot me an email at stephaniefbenson@gmail.com.

Happy trails.

Prague: Day One

Is there anything so romantic as Prague? Land of charm, soft orange rooftops, Art Nouvea buildings and beer that is cheaper than water. Prague is what I imagined and dreamed it would be. Much of city avoided bombing so it is rich and beautiful. So, let's Czech it out.

We had 3 days in Prague.
Day One: Old Town
Day Two: day trip to Konopiště Castle
Day Three: Castle Hill


Day One

We popped into Prague early when no one was awake. We dropped off our bags at our apartment in Old Town (Staré Město), fought the urge to sleep (overnight trains ≠ good rest) and started at the very beginning (a very good place to start). Enough parentheses for you? :)

Old Town Square is flanked by Church of St. Nicholas, Tyn Church and Old Town Hall. It has served as a market square since the 11th Century and if you get there early enough, you beat the tour groups on Segway.

As Prague continued to wake up we made our way through Old Town Square to Wenceslas Square which is a long, Art Nouveau style street with a strip of grass down the middle of it. At one end is the National Museum and a statue of King Wenceslas (from the Christmas carol) who ruled in the 10th century.

While you could see a typical equestrian statue out in the square, you can see an even more exciting Wenceslas riding an upside-down horse in the Lucerna Gallery. Because he is just that bad ass.

Nice to know that grumpy cat translates

After some retail therapy in forms of traditional shopping along Wenceslas Square and at the open-air Havelska Market, we wandered through the massive crowds and randos hawking Thai massages to the famed Charles Bridge.

There is a bridge tower (pictured left) and you can climb to the top of the tower for great views of the bridge. We  paid 75 Koruna for the pleasure. Even though it is crowded, it is worth the visit. The statue below is of the famed St. John of Nepomuk. Look for the rubbings on the bottom of the statue. Good luck?

We wandered back to Old Town Square and made two mistakes. First, we had dinner at one of the restaurants on the square where water was the equivalent of $8 and the food was less than mediocre. But the view was sure nice.

The second mistake was buying tickets to a second-rate Black Light Theater performance. Already seeming a little sketchy, the popular Black Light Theater company was sold out. We bought tickets for another one and it was, weird. Now don't get me wrong. I don't mind different or experimental, but it wasn't for me. If you can, I have heard that Ta Fantastika is the best one.

And with that, success for day one in Prague.


Practicalities:

• Money: Czech Republic used Czech Koruna. Get your monies at the ATM. In terms of sights, many are free. If given the chance, always pay extra to climb up for a view. 
• Transportation: the train station is on the east part of town. You can either to the metro or the tram. But Prague is incredibly walk-able so we mostly walked. 
• Accommodation: most of our activities centered around Old Town so it was worth it to pay a little extra to stay close and not have to pay for a tram/metro ride in. We liked our place here. 
• Crowds: Prague is a popular place. If you want to avoid crowds try to get to popular outdoor locations early (before 8 or 9 a.m.)
• Eating: avoid eating on the big squares if you want good quality that is affordable.  

Traveled May 2015.

Budapest, Day 3

Even though Budapest is modern, it is hard to forget hints from its Communist past. A interesting and terrifying history, we explored Memento Park (Statue Park) which is a graveyard of Communist Statues. Momento Park made it interesting and you can see the propaganda exuding out of the metal.

Beneath a replica of Stalin's boots, all that was left after Hungarians tore it down

Communism brings out a lot of opinions from just about everyone. I once had an old man tell me "If you want to know a man's a commie, give him a Reese's Pieces and see if he likes it." I'm not sure if this is a surefire way to determine if someone is friend or foe, but you never know.

Memento Park is a bit out of the way and took half a day. If you only have two days in Budapest, I would skip it. But it was interesting so I would recommend if you have three or more days. We booked the tickets online and took a direct bus from downtown Budapest.

If it seems like we jovially enjoyed the park, we kind of did. However, the gravity of what real life was under Communist rule was not lost on us. We will never understand what life was like under Communist rule. Most of what we know about that time is perpetuated by movies. As a communications major, propaganda and its effects fascinates me and so we enjoyed (for lack of a better word) this park. Plus, who doesn't like posing in front of an extremely large statue.

Plus you get a chance to sit in a smelly old car. This is a real, original Trabant car a "terrible car" synonymous with Commies. It was really a little smelly.

After jumping back into present day we finished off our day by visiting St. Istvan's Basilica and waited in line for the Gelarto Rosa which turns gelato into darling rose creations. The line is long but we had time to kill.

Our plan for the rest of the afternoon was to visit the Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum and walk along Andrasay Ut. But it was Whitsunday which apparently means everyone shuts down. What?! Who knew? So we people watched in a square before hopping on our overnight train to Poland.

Practicalities:

• Transportation: Public transportation was super easy to use. We utilized both the metro and the cute yellow tram. We got a three-day metro ticket (72 hours) and used it very often.
• Info about train travel in and out of Hungary on seat61.com
• Currency: Hungary uses the Forint which is hugely inflated. $1 =295 forint. So get used to your 295 times tables and division. It was hard for me to work out costs on the fly. 
• Accommodations: We stayed here which was super cheap (can't beat $35 a night) and close to public transportation. Most people we spoke to recommended staying in Pest because that has the greatest concentration of tourist sites. However, Buda is more residential. If you don't have an Airbnb account, use this link to get $35 off your first stay
• Guide Books: Rick Steves for life. Other helpful sites included: 
• Traveling to Hungary Infographic
• Bargain Weekend in Budapest
• Where to Eat in Budapest here and here
• Top 12 Things to Do in Budapest

Traveled May 2015

Budapest, day 2

We woke bright and early and spent an hour in north Buda going to our Church before taking our official Parliament tour.

In interior is extravagant inside and the 45-minute tour was actually pretty interesting. Favorite spots include the grand entryway and the Hungarian crown which is housed under the large dome.

The yellow tram is ubiquitous along the river bank of Pest. Also, want to know what's not in style in Eastern Europe? A maxi dress. Only person wearing one and got a lot of looks. Which at home everyone is wearing one. Not sure who is on the right side of fashion. :)

After our tour we explored Buda and Castle Hill. But first lunch. After a wet week it was really nice to have a sunny day and eat out on the patio. We enjoyed chicken legs and Hungarian goulash (again, I love paprika!).

We strolled by the Vienna Gate to Matthias Church, which is a unique church that has been destroyed and rebuilt many times which might explain why there are so many different styles of the design.

We then wandered over to the Fisherman's Bastion which is one of the best places to take pictures of the Parliament Building. Just try and elbow past the crowds along the ledge.

We then strolled along the famed Chain Bridge, flanked by lions on either side. It is pretty impressive but even more so when we visited later that night.

We had dinner at a restaurant just off Andrassay Ut near the Opera House before the performance of Faust. The Opera House in Hungary and state sponsored so you can get super cheap tickets in the upper balcony for around $5. But if you will pay the pauper's amount then you have to use the pauper's entrance. In the olden days the "poor people" have to use an entrance around back as to not fraternize with the upper class.  Even if opera is not your things (it's definitely not mine) it was cool to see the interior of such a beautiful building.

We ended the night with a stroll by the Chain Bridge which is stunning at night. If you go to the other side of the bridge, you can get some stunning pics of the Parliament Building at night as well.

So pretty much the best way to end the night.

Practicalities:

• Transportation: Public transportation was super easy to use. We utilized both the metro and the cute yellow tram. We got a three-day metro ticket (72 hours) and used it very often.
• Currency: Hungary uses the Forint which is hugely inflated. $1 =295 forint. So get used to your 295 times tables and division. It was hard for me to work out costs on the fly. 
• Accommodations: We stayed here which was super cheap (can't beat $35 a night) and close to public transportation. Most people we spoke to recommended staying in Pest because that has the greatest concentration of tourist sites. However, Buda is more residential. If you don't have an Airbnb account, use this link to get $35 off your first stay
• Guide Books: Rick Steves for life. Other helpful sites included: 
• Traveling to Hungary Infographic
• Bargain Weekend in Budapest
• Where to Eat in Budapest here and here
• Top 12 Things to Do in Budapest

Traveled May 2015