Peru has always been a dream destination of mine, so after two years of wearing Trixie down, she finally relented and agreed to come with me. We drafted our mutual friend Tina and Trixie’s work friend Siobhan into rounding off our travel group. This marks my 10th international trip with Trixie, my 3rd with Tina, and my 1st with Siobhan.

Day 1:

We arrived to Cusco airport, found our names with our prearranged travel, and wove our way through brightly colored street performers and throngs of other drivers/pick-up companies. I definitely suggest pre-booking this, as it’s a bit chaotic at the actual station.

The drive to Ollaytantambo train station was much more beautiful than I had anticipated. The driver stopped at a scenic point (with bathrooms, a popup store, and llamas). This was our first taste of the Sacred Valley and the beauty of the surrounding mountains.

We had pre-purchased train tickets, so we grabbed a quick lunch at Misky Unu, a café right beside the entrance to the train station (you have to present tickets to get in). They had the most amazing frozen cappuccino. I had 2 and would have ordered another if we had more time.

Once past the ticketing agent at the end of the street, we waited patiently for the Vistadome train to come. Once it arrived, we waited for the train to empty of passengers, went back and forth trying to find Car A (they are arranged haphazardly, not in alphabetical order), and finally got on. I was worried about luggage (we had rolling carry-ons) but it ended up being fine. There is a section at the entrance to the train car that is set up for luggage storage, but anything larger than a carry-on will not fit. They do not weigh or check luggage, thankfully. I used all of my knowledge of geometry to pack for 7 days in only a carry-on, and I still experienced the cliché moment of sitting on my case to zip it closed, so my case was definitely overweight.

The trip itself is lush and the colors are so vivid. On the Vistadome, there are tables between seats with the characteristic Peruvian green and pink placemats. We had snacks and drinks, and made it to Aguas Calientes in what felt like minutes, not hours. I’ve read many descriptions of Aguas Calientes as being barren except for its proximity to Machu Picchu, but I actually thought it was a charming little town. I think 1 night was enough to get the flavor, but the river, the bright market, and overlaying bridges were quite beautiful.

We stayed in Hotel Sumaq with a river view, which was absolutely wonderful. The staff was incredibly helpful (they will also purchase bus tickets for you if you ask), and the rooms are large and elegant.

We explored a bit at night, walking through some of the winding cobblestone streets, and ate at the Treehouse, which has incredibly fresh lemonade and wonderful food. The dollar goes pretty far in Peru, so it wasn’t as expensive as I had anticipated to have a luxury experience.

Day 2:

We left for the buses to Machu Picchu around 5:30 am with streetlamps lit and fog weaving up the mountains around us—a short but enjoyable 6 minute walk from Sumaq. The lines for the buses to Machu Picchu are well-regulated; organizers will put you in a different line if you show up early (i.e., you can’t take the trains for 6am entrance if you have 7am tickets). The views from the buses are breathtaking if a little scary. The drivers are used to making the trip and we arrived perfectly safely, but I had to look away from the guardrail-free views down the mountain a time or two.

We ended up hiring a tour guide outside of Machu Picchu to guide us through Waynapicchu and Macchu Picchu named Ernesto. He was the best tour guide I have ever had for anything. You can tell he truly loves his job and was excited to share information about it—we weren’t just a paycheck to him. He was also an amazing photographer, and took us into Machu Picchu through the Waynapicchu entrance, so we saw the sunrise basically alone in Macchu Picchu.

All of the other people seemed to be several rows up through the normal entrance. The English language can’t even do that moment justice, so I will just say it was magical and not attempt any other description.

Waynapicchu requires advance purchase and is limited to 400 climbers a day. I will say, if I can climb this mountain, anyone can climb this mountain. I am an indoor cat, and a picnic close to a building with air conditioning is as close to camping as I will ever voluntarily come. I found it strenuous and cannot tell you if my heavy breathing was due to the physical activity, the altitude, or both.

Let’s just focus on the tasteful portrait-mode, high-exposure photos from the top that I will be posting to Instagram and ignore how sweaty we got. It ended up taking us a little over 3 hours, including a lunch break at the top, to complete the climb and return to the Machu Picchu ruins. Ernesto then took us to see the llamas at the top and snap a few photos from the traditional photo location.

This section is pretty crowded, understandably, and we walked around a bit and Ernesto gave us a crash course in the history of the city. Our 5 hours was up before we knew it, and I fully understand why some people spend several days exploring Machu Picchu.

Once we left, there is a little station outside to stamp your passport with the Machu Picchu logo. Ernesto, being the greatest of all time, literally went up to the top of the line and furiously stamped everyone’s passports who were in front of us in line so that we could move more quickly. We couldn’t adore him more.

Not wanting to let go of the Machu Picchu magic just yet, we walked over to the Belmond Sanctuary Hotel (the only hotel at the top of the mountain, right beside the entrance) for our pre-arranged massages outdoors in an area called “The Temple”. The view was SPECTACULAR, even better than I expected. I had read that you could not see the ruins from The Temple, but if you look in the left hand corner, you can, and you also have a clear view of the mountain. The massages themselves were much-needed after all of our hiking, and ended up being one of the major highlights of the trip.

We made it back down in time for some quick shopping in the markets, which honestly rival the more famous Pisac market with many of the same items, and then prepared for our Hiram Bingham train ride. Hiram Bingham is expensive, and I would recommend taking an earlier train to see the beautiful views if it is an option, but either way, it was an absolute blast. You are greeted in the Hiram Bingham lounge with live (but gentle) music and champagne.

The train cars themselves rival the luxury that was best described by Agatha Christie. I loved the food, the free-flowing Pisac Sours, the band, and the observation car. The luxury of the travel helps fight off the exhaustion of an active day. It was a bucket list item for me, and I’m very glad I did it.

We got off at Ollantaytambo with a private transfer for Urubamba, the hotel Tambo del Inka.

Even though I loved everywhere we stayed, this was my favorite hotel of the trip, hands-down.

It just oozes opulence from its multi-story glass entrance to its royal blue heated indoor-outdoor pool. Tambo del Inka is a bit hidden in downtown Urubamba behind staffed gates. As we passed the guard and pulled up to the front entrance, Trixie blandly commented, “you ridiculous human.” I’ll take it.

Day 3:

We woke up to tranquil views of the mountains and vibrant gardens, pulling ourselves away only to enjoy the bougiest breakfast of my life. I don’t even know how to describe it, but I think the fact that the honey is fresh off the honeycomb is a start. It’s $25 unless half-board is included in your reservation, which it was for us.

We had pre-hired a private driver for the day (Sergio) and set off for Moray, which was actually an Incan laboratory and not what I was expecting. The Incans would grow different food at different altitudes to see what thrived and where. It was just absolutely massive, so we didn’t walk the entire path, but took some beautiful pictures.

We were also still paying for our hike up Waynapicchu so step-minimization was a concern.

Next, we headed over to Salineras. It’s a steep drive down to the salt mines, but even the views from far away were magnetizing. We hobbled our way down the steps and took photos from the overlook. I’ve seen photos of people going into the salt pools, but they appear to be closed off to tourists for now. We stopped for a bit and put phones away to just admire the beauty, and then we departed for our next landmark.

Tip: The bathrooms at the exit to Salineras are actually really nice compared to the rest stops, so if you are following our itinerary, go here while you can.

Our final stop of the day was at Pisac. First, the Pisac markets and then the ruins. Unpopular opinion, but the Pisac market was a bit of a letdown for me. It was vast and brightly colored, and there were baby llamas around, but it was very touristy and many of the items were the same as we had seen in other locations/markets.

Everything else on this trip blew me away, so I didn’t mind. I snapped one photo to capture the colors, and then we were off to the ruins. Honestly, I hadn’t done much research on the ruins here so I was surprised at the scope and beauty.

I thought they were going to be much smaller and this would just be a nice cherry on top of the day, but this ended up being one of my favorite sites.

Sergio dropped us back off at Tambo del Inka just in time for a cocktail lesson at the bar. It ended up being just us, 2 others, and Igor the bartender (reportedly, all of his siblings had unique names to Peru). We learned about Pisac and he taught us how to make cocktails that fit our personalities. It was the perfect relaxing activity after a packed day.

We topped the day off with dinner at the Tambo del Inka restaurant, which was a culinary wonder. I’m not even kidding, everything was so flavorful and cooked to perfection. It was fine-dining at its best. I didn’t understand all of the menu, but after sampling what they had to offer, I’m pretty confident that everything is tasty.

Day 4:

We took a lounge-y, spa morning to relax and enjoy the breakfast and then 5-star pool and hot tub, both of which have views of the gardens, Amazonian foliage, and the mountains. These are the types of places you don’t even realize exist until you see them for yourself. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to relax here.

Sadly, all things must come to an end, and Sergio picked us up for our journey back to Cusco.

After talking for a few minutes about how we were sad we hadn’t gotten pictures with alpacas yet, Sergio improvised and took us to an alpaca farm, where we met Carla and Pepe (pictured), along with Alfonso and Ana. The residents who owned the farm got an absolutely kick out of us and the girls picked up some items handmade on the farm.

The ride to Cusco from Urubamba takes about 1.5 hours, and we got to the Palacio del Inka by early evening. This was another luxury hotel with a completely different feel, this one closer to a castle.

They offer free coca tea for altitude sickness, and gave a very detailed tour of the buildings and amenities in the rooms. Palacio del Inka has a stunning courtyard—you can eat in the restaurant with the stone walls, wine and cheese boards, harp, and Game of Thrones-esque chandeliers or you can sit in the fresh air of the courtyard where they also bring a baby alpaca every day. We were hungry by this point, so we made our way to the Plaza de Armas, the center of Cusco, and walked around for a bit, enjoying the sights.

It’s very touristy here and store workers/owners will try to entice you to come into their stores, but we finally chose a multi-story location with a terrace view and a high TripAdvisor score. We were not sorry. Food was great, drinks were delicious, and the view of the city lit up at night was unreal.

Day 5:

I was starting to feel the effects of the altitude (low point: I got winded brushing my hair), so I took (another) spa day while the rest of the girls went to San Blas, an artsy little neighborhood in Cusco. Later in the day, we ended up getting front row seats to Peru vs Brazil soccer match, which featured footage of screaming fans in Cusco (steps from the doors of the bar we were in). Peru ended up losing, but the food and the ambiance for the entire experience made the game great fun while it was on. Then Sergio picked us up for the last time and dropped us off at the airport for our flight to Lima.

We made it to the Hilton Miraflores pretty late, but still managed to get enough sleep for our early pickup the next day.

Day 6:

After a refreshing sleep, we were picked up for a day trip to Ica/Huacachina.

We first took a chartered flight to view the Nazca lines, which was all kinds of cool. Lots of people got sick on the flight, but I didn’t mind the airplane rolls. It felt like a fun roller-coaster to me. FYI, seats 3 and 4 have thin white connectors to the wings. It doesn’t really impede your view, but just know this line will be in your photos. This was another bucket list item for me, and I was incredibly grateful to the girls for letting me drag them across creation to see it.

The mathematical precision that went into creating and preserving the drawings as well as the technology we have developed to be able to view them is nothing short of miraculous. It’s a really good look for the human race, and I was, again, very very lucky to get the chance to be a part of it.

When I was a little girl, I saw a picture of my mother sandsailing, and I’ve been a bit obsessed with the concept ever since. When I found out Ica had sand dunes (BIG sand dunes), I knew I had to see if we could get close. Turns out, riding dunes and sandboarding is a popular local activity, so off we went to give it a shot.

We first stopped at Huacachina, the “last oasis” in the desert, which was surprisingly beautiful. I had heard that it isn’t as beautiful as it once was, but I didn’t experience that at all. I thought the terraces and gardens looked almost Italian, and the couples on paddleboats in the actual water gave it a sense of romance.

I started getting really excited when they took us to the dune buggies. Locals were riding around, racing, and revving engines—shades of Mad Max. While I know they make a lot of money on tourists, it felt like they were letting us play around in their world, not catering to us, which I really liked. If you’re following this itinerary, put your phones away or take video very quickly and then put your phone away because they will ride over the actual dunes and it can get very intense. We were screaming and laughing, and it absolutely exceeded expectations.

We stopped and sandboarded a few times, and I felt like I was in a CGI’ed world. It felt completely unreal. Though Trixie making the noise of a freefalling baby turtle as she went down on the sandboard brought me back to reality.

We were there for lavender skies and full sunset as well, which only enhanced the experience. All too quickly, we were riding back to the bright lights of the city, and then a 4 hour drive back to Miraflores, during which most of us immediately fell into an exhausted sleep. Our driver chugged Red Bulls and got us back to the hotel safely like an absolute pro.

Day 7:

Our bittersweet final day in Lima began with a soak in the rooftop infinity pool and the hot hub (with bubbles!). After some philosophical conversations and a relaxing hour, we got ready for the day and headed off to Larcomar, an open-air mall of sorts built into the cliffs of Miraflores with incredible views of the beaches below. We ate at Mango’s, seating ourselves by the last open window-view. There were 4 of us and we sat at an 8 person table since it was the best view, but it was a little awkward when an 8-person party walked in and glared at us. Oops.

After the delicious food and views offered by Larcomar, we then wandered over to the Parque de Amor, with beautiful statues and mosaics overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We briefly stopped in at the chocolate museum to sample and purchase souvenirs; if we had had more time, I would have done a chocolate-making class that takes about 45 minutes.

We lazily explored and wandered down the beautiful stone pathways surrounded by bright, lush greenery that led to the black sand beach, a popular hangout for surfers.

By evening, we made it to the entrance of the pier most famous for La Rosa Nautica, the restaurant overlooking the water, built on stilts into the bay. There are a few shops we peeked in as we walked down the pier, but the main attraction was the restaurant.

As soon as the doors open, you’re transported from the beachy surfer culture into a plush, refined world. There is a massive chandelier in the main room, and many tables by the sea.

We had our choice of seating, as we beat most of the dinner crowd. Our seats gave us a perfect view of the crashing waves and athletic surfers as we sipped jugo con leche and pisco sours.

As we finished up a delicious and relaxing final dinner in Lima, the hostess gave each of us a beautiful red rose to commemorate our visit to La Rosa Nautica.

Looking back at the brightly lit pier and the city built on cliffs as we rode away to the airport, I can’t help but be incredibly impressed by the beauty of Peru.