Peru had been on my bucket list for literal years. When we were backpacking South America in 2018 it was on our calendar for after Chile. We had hostels booked, plans made, etc and then our plans unexpectedly came to a halt when our passports were stolen on an overnight bus traveling from San Pedro de Atacama to Arequipa.
Flash forward to three years and one baby later and we were ready to start our Peruvian adventure!
Pleasantly Surprised in Lima
I thought Lima was going to be a layover city with not much to offer, but we had a great time.
Read all about what to do and eat in Lima
3 Days in the Sacred Valley
We hunkered down in the Sacred Valley to acclimatize before our Machu Picchu trek and Cusco trip. It was absolutely amazing. It is so beautiful and rich with culture. Most people only visit for a day trip but I can’t recommend this area enough!
Check out our Sacred Valley travel guide here.
Trekking to Machu Picchu with a baby!
My dream of hiking the Inca Trail was realized and it was as amazing as my super high expectations! Seeing the ruins through the sun gate was truly breathtaking. And believe it or not it is do-able with a one year old! Don’t postpone your trek until the kids are older, do it!
Read all our trips for trekking the Inca Trail with a baby here.
What we didn’t do in Peru
When planning a trip I get the travel bug and want to do everything! But then I have to reel it in and remind myself that we don’t have to squeeze it all in. Sometimes you just say no with a baby and although the fomo is real, I’m getting better at this.
Rainbow Mountain and the Amazon
Take a peek at Instagram and you’ll see gorgeous filtered photos of Rainbow Mountain! And while I don’t doubt it’s almost as pretty in real life, I’m certain that the altitude is intense. It would have been an entire day trip from Cusco and I wasn’t sure about the altitude conditions for baby Marin.
So I’m filing it in my folder of “must-do” places I’m okay with skipping. You’ll find Ha Long Bay in there too! We also skipped the Peruvian Amazon. I think we’ll tackle that one next time we’re in Brazil.
But really… where the heck are all the llamas?
I thought there were going to be wild llamas everywhere. Much to my dismay, they were typically only in the market for a tourist photo op (I’m guilty!).
We were excited to find some alpacas on the side of the road in the Sacred Valley and we eagerly hopped out of the car to greet them.
There were a few llamas roaming around Machu Picchu too, but not as many as I had envisioned.
Speaking Spanish in Peru
Peru is an international tourist hot spot so many people speak English, but we tried to primarily speak Spanish to keep our practice up. People thought our Spanish was good, indicating how horrible most gringos must be!
Visiting Peru during Covid
This was our first big trip we took since lockdown. We had to wear masks and often double masks (Especially in Lima!) the entire time. Face shields were required on the Machu Picchu trains too.
The Food in Peru
Mexico still wins for country with the best food, but Peru is so so good. The leche de tigre ceviche is incredible. Order it everywhere! Everything was so fresh and this is the origin of quinoa. Go ahead and try the alpaca and guinea pig while you’re at it! (We did!) Unpopular opinion: Inca Cola is gross.
Peru is an incredible country and I would love to go back! We found it to be very family friendly and the people are so kind and welcoming. Two weeks was the perfect amount of time to do the must-dos while going slow with a baby in tow.
Peru was definitely worth the wait,
-Ray
Note: We visited Peru in August 2021.