Peru

Peru is unlike any other place! Its culture, history, and beauty shines around every corner, leaving visitors awestruck. One of the highlights was the sky lodge adventure suits. I can honestly say, I never thought I would actually be lucky enough to make that one a reality.

Day One: Sandboarding in Lima

We only stayed in Lima for one full day
- Our hotel was very nice & had an airport shuttle, but it wasn't located near the city center
  - Hotel:
    - Includes airport shuttle
    - Apartment set up
City options
- Plaza Mayor
- Monastery of San Francisco: Catacombs
- Walk Malecon Beach Walkway
Sand Boarding Tour: 1:30 PM- 8:00 PM Pick up/ Drop off at hotel
- $100/ Person- pay in cash in USD or soles, on arrival
- This was an awesome experience! Our tour guide was very patient and a great teacher. Before heading to the dunes, we were set up with boards and boots. Be aware that the drive out is VERY rough, and the company drive you up and down the sand dunes after each ride down.
- Wear long pants, long socks, light jacket, sunglasses, and face mask for wind protection

Day Two: Skylodge Adventure Suits

Fly to Cusco (around 8:00 AM flight)
- about an hour and a half flight
Check into lodging
- We stayed in an airbnb that was very close to the city center
  - We decided to rent out the airbnb for the entire week, so we could keep our suitcases at the airbnb and pack overnight backpacks for each excursion
  - Downside to this airbnb, it doesn't have the best shower (EXTREMELY low pressure) However, we did not stay here too many nights.
Grab lunch
- We found a GREAT local restaurant right by our airbnb. There were A TON of restaurants nearby and small shops to buy bottled water (you can't drink the tap water in Peru)
Shuttle Pick up at 2:00 PM for Skylodge Adventure Suits
- Absolutely unforgettable experience! You get to climb a via ferrata or hike up to the pods. The climb is very easy, and the guides are with you the entire time.
- The tour company makes great meals! They also rent out the pods like hotel rooms, so make sure to book in advance because there are only three sleeping pods.
  - Each pod accommodates up to four people
  - There are bathrooms in the sleeping pod
We were fed dinner upon arrival to the pods
- Tour the pods
- They also gave us two bottles of wine, so we sat on the platform above our pod and admired the stars as we supposed on our glasses of wine and warm tea

Day Three: Skylodge Adventure Suits

Breakfast: the sky lodge provides a fantastic breakfast for all of the guests in the cafeteria pod
After breakfast we had a little time to explore the pods and take pictures during the day
- Pack-up
- Zip-line down the mountain
- Transportation back to hotel accommodations in Cusco
  - We dropped off around 1:00 pm

Day Three Continued: Exploring Cusco

After being dropped off at our aribnb, we relaxed, showered, and unpacked
Walk around Cusco- a UNESCO world heritage sight
- Plaza de Armas
- Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Cusco
- Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus
- Qurikancha and the Convent of Santo Domingo
- Walk through the shops and market
We had to meet with our tour guide for Machu Picchu at 4:00 pm to go over packing and our itinerary
Grab dinner at Limbus Resto Bar
- Great view of the city
- Fun atmosphere
- Warning: you have to walk up a fair amount of stairs to get to this restaurant
After dinner, some of us grabbed a drink at one of the many local bars and a few of us opted for a massagee from one of the many saleswomen that are spread throughout the city
Try to get back to the airbnb relatively early, the following day is going to be a long day of hiking!

Day Four: Hiking the Inca Trail & Machu Picchu

Two day tour with Tierras Vivas
- Price: $405/ Person
  - This covers your transportation, permit for Machu Picchu, hotel accommodations, food, & tour guide
- Pick up at 5:00 AM- our guide met us outside of our airbnb
- Bring cash for coffee & snacks at the train station
  - The tour company does provide you with some snacks & plenty of food during the hike
- From the train station, you will hike the Inca trail to the sun gate that overlooks Machu Picchu
  - Distance: 7.46 Miles
  - See other Incan ruins along the hike
  - We arrived at Machu Picchu around 4:30 PM, after the day-tour-groups had left, so we were able to See Machu Picchu without it being too crowded.
- At the end of our trek, we hiked down to a small town where we stayed over night
  - The tour company provides dinner at one of the local restaurants
  - You have the evening to explore the town & relax before another early morning

Day Five: Machu Picchu Day Two

Continental breakfast in the hotel at 6:30 AM
Take the bus up to the entrance of Machu Picchu
Tour guide takes you around the ruins and shares historical facts, stories, and legends
- After the tour guide has finished, you have the rest of the afternoon to continue exploring the ruins by yourself or climb one of the surrounding mountains
  - Two options:
    - Hike Huayna Picchu (shorter hike)
      - Additional $80/ person
      - About 1 hour and 45 minutes roundtrip
        
        Fairly strenuous- you climb up VERY steep stairs essentially the entire way
    - Hike Machu Picchu Mountain (longer hike)
      - Additional $80/ person
      - About 3 hours roundtrip
After your second day, you will have to buy your own bus ticket back into town
- Spend the afternoon in town
- Catch your 6:00 PM train ride back to Cusco
- You will arrive in Cusco around 10:00 PM

Day Six: ATV Tour Through Sacred Valley

After a long night, you'll definitely want to sleep in
- If you want to spend your morning doing something in Cusco, explore the markets, sign-up for a chocolate making class, or join a food tour. There are plenty of options! However, we were all exhausted after Machu Picchu
ATV tour through Sacred Valley and Salt Flats:Through Viator
- Prices range from $40-$80 depending on date/ availability
  - We paid $67.00/ person
  - There is an additional cost for admission into Moray & Maras- salt flats were included in the price.
- Pick up at 1:00 PM drop off around 6:30 PM
  - Wear easy-to- wash clothe as you'll get very dusty from the dirt roads!
After the tour, grab a bite to eat and get to bed early to prepare for another EARLY morning

Day Seven: Rainbow Mountain

Rainbow Mountain/ Red Valley Hike
- Pick up at 3:30 AM
  - Bring altitude sickness medication to help with the altitude
  - A lot of people have to ride the donkeys up the mountain because the altitude is so high
- $45/ Person only Rainbow Mtn. $54/ Person with Red Valley
  - Red Valley is an additional 2-3 hour hike back
- Includes Breakfast & Lunch
- Arrive back in Cusco between 6:00-7:00 PM
Grab Dinner
- Suecia 339, Cusco 08000, Peru Restaurant Sumaqcha
Go back to the airbnb/ hotel and pack