One and a Half Weeks in Peru: Trip Summary

Jun 24

American Airlines flight from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Miami International Airport
- Scheduled to depart at 5:25pm, but delayed until around 7:30pm due to severe weather affecting South Florida
- Landed in Miami around 11:15pm
American Airlines flight from Miami International Airport to Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima
- Scheduled to depart at 11:30pm, but delayed until around 12:00am
- The delay allowed passengers arriving on weather-delayed connecting flights, including us, enough time to make the flight

Arrived at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima at 4:10am
LATAM Airlines flight from Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima to Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco
- Departed at 8:05am
- Landed in Cusco at 9:25am
Took a taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo
Checked into Apu Lodge
Lunch at Apu Veronica
Visited the Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site
Walked around the market in front of the archaeological site
Wandered around Ollantaytambo, visiting:
- Chocolate Museum
- El Albergue Ollantaytambo
- Plaza Principal de Ollantaytambo
Dinner at Mallki Pizzeria

Checked out of Apu Lodge
Driver picked us up at 7:30am to take us from Ollantaytambo to Cusco
Checked into Union Hotel
Walked around the Historic Center of Cusco
Lunch at L’atelier Cafe Concept
Walked through San Blas and San Cristóbal, including Siete Borreguitos Street
Visited Saqsaywaman
Walked back to Union Hotel for our Lares Trek briefing with SAM Travel Peru
Stopped at a local market to purchase hats, gloves, and other last-minute items for the trek
Dinner at Limbus Restobar

Our guide picked us up from Union Hotel around 7:00am, and we began driving toward the Sacred Valley
- Stopped in Calca to visit the local Mercado Modelo
Drove to the Sayhuapata trailhead, located at approximately 10,797 feet near Huaran
Began hiking around 11:00am toward Cancha Cancha
Arrived at our campsite in Cancha Cancha, where we spent the night
Details for the day:
- Distance: approximately 9 km / 5.6 miles
- Estimated hiking time: approximately 3.5 hours
- Our hiking time: approximately 5 hours
- Difficulty: challenging

Began hiking around 7:00am
Hiked up to Pachacutec Pass, the highest point of this section of the trek at approximately 14,800 feet
Stopped for lunch by Qoyalay Lagoon
Visited the Seven Waterfalls
Arrived at our campsite in Quiswarani, where we spent the night
Details for the day:
- Distance: approximately 12 km / 7.5 miles
- Estimated hiking time: approximately 7 hours
- Our hiking time: approximately 9.5 hours
- Difficulty: challenging

One of my friends and I had a driver with SAM Travel take us from our campsite in Quiswarani to the Lares Hot Springs
- Two of my friends continued hiking toward Willqaqasa Pass before descending for about two hours to the Cuncani community
- From Cuncani, they met a driver who took them to the Lares Hot Springs, where we reunited
Spent time relaxing at the Lares Hot Springs
Drove from the Lares Hot Springs to Ollantaytambo
Had an early dinner in Ollantaytambo
Took a tuk-tuk from the restaurant to the Ollantaytambo train station
Took the PeruRail train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
Checked into Inti Punku MachuPicchu Hotel & Suites

Our guide picked us up from Inti Punku MachuPicchu Hotel & Suites around 5:30am
Took the approximately 20-minute bus ride from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
Arrived at Machu Picchu around 6:00am
Explored Machu Picchu with our guide
Began hiking Huayna Picchu around 9:00am
- Reached the top around 10:30am
Left Machu Picchu around 12:30pm
Returned to Aguas Calientes and had lunch at Full House Machupicchu Restaurant
Took the PeruRail Vistadome from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
A driver from SAM Travel Peru picked us up in Ollantaytambo and drove us back to Union Hotel in Cusco

A driver from SAM Travel Peru picked us up from Union Hotel around 4:00am for the drive toward Rainbow Mountain
Stopped at Casa Ausangate Museo Restaurant in Cusipata around 5:30am for breakfast
Continued driving to Rainbow Mountain
Began hiking around 8:00am
- Reached the Rainbow Mountain viewpoint around 9:30am
Left Rainbow Mountain around 11:30am
Returned to Casa Ausangate Museo Restaurant for lunch around 1:15pm
- Left around 2:00pm and continued the drive back to Cusco
Arrived back at Union Hotel around 4:00pm
Dinner at Cicciolina at 7:00pm

LATAM Airlines flight from Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco to Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima
- Departed at 9:25am
- Landed in Lima at 10:55am
A driver from Antigua Miraflores Hotel picked us up at the airport and drove us to the hotel
Wandered around Miraflores
- Visited Larcomar
- Visited Parque Kennedy
Drinks at Restaurant Huaca Pucllana
Dinner at Mérito in Barranco
Drink at Sargento Pimienta Rock Bar

Checked out of Antigua Miraflores Hotel and left our bags at the hotel
Wandered around Miraflores and Barranco
- Love Park
- Bridge of Sighs
- Alameda Roque Sáenz Peña
- Bajada de los Baños
Visited the Historic Center of Lima
Stopped at the Gran Hotel Bolívar
Around 5:15pm, took a taxi back to Antigua Miraflores Hotel to pick up our bags
Took prearranged transportation from the hotel to Jorge Chávez International Airport
- Arrived at the airport around 7:30pm
American Airlines flight from Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima to Miami International Airport
- Departed around 10:20pm
- Landed in Miami around 5:00am

American Airlines flight from Miami International Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport
- Departed around 6:37pm
- Landed in Chicago around 9:00am

Peru - Day 1: Chicago to Miami