5 Things You Must Do Your First Time Visiting Peru

Peru was not a place I planned to visit, like, at all, but my sister had a plus-one for a wedding of a mutual friend, and I took it as an opportunity to explore somewhere I wouldn’t otherwise. My sister had been before, so that gave me some peace that we wouldn’t be navigating completely new territory blind. I will say that even though I’m intimidated at first by traveling to places I have no clue about, it always ends up being an eye-opening experience. I never thought about how people in Peru live day-to-day, or even what it’s like at all, to be honest, and seeing it firsthand was actually really nice. Even with the things I didn't enjoy so much, I still appreciated the experience. After spending 10 days in Peru, traveling to Lima, Arequipa, and Cusco, here are 5 things everyone should experience on their first visit to this South American country.

Explore Lima

Many people come to Peru only to see Machu Picchu, skipping Lima altogether. I would say this is a mistake, as Cusco is a sight to see, but Lima, being the capital, is the country's heartbeat and really showcases how the more metropolitan people live. There are different neighborhoods in Lima that each offer their own unique experience, from Miraflores, which borders the ocean, to Barranco, a cool, artsy, hip area, to San Isidro, where more families settle down. It has serene parks and high-end shopping. Lima also has some amazing dining options and food. See some of my favorites HERE. It’s a fairly large city with a lot to see. While you don’t need a whole week here, I recommend taking 1-2 days to explore this eclectic city.

Visit Machu Picchu

Well, this is an obvious visit and, as mentioned, is usually the only reason most people come to Peru. It's a world wonder because it's the ancient ruins of the Incas, who built an entire city in the sky. I'm not an ancient ruins type of girl; after seeing many around the world, I’m never as awed as I hope to be ( I must see the Egyptian pyramids, though), but I do respect history. If you're in Peru, you can't come here without seeing this iconic piece of history. I hate to admit I’m not a big history buff, but if you are, you will love this visit. You can only visit by taking a tour, so you will receive a lot of information on the history of the Incas and how this city came to be. I’ll be sharing more on how to visit Machu Picchu in a later post. (it’s an entire process!)

Book a Cusco Tour

There is a lot to see in Cusco, and I can’t imagine having to navigate it all on your own, especially because driving in Peru is actually wild. (I don’t know what the rules of the roads are, but it felt like there weren’t any.) Signing up for a tour is a great way to see many of Cusco's attractions in one or two days. A lot of the destinations are in remote places with uneven terrain and are not on main roads. Also, navigating tickets to each place seems like a nightmare, as you may not even know if something is sold out, as it's not clear on the websites (some places don't even have websites). Also, if you don’t speak Spanish, I would forget about it. Save yourself the headache and book the tour. Many tours can also customize what you want to see if you are doing it as your own group. We traveled in a large group and took a private tour, so the guide tailored the tour to the places we wanted to see. This company arranges private tours so you can customize your trip.

Visit An Alpaca Farm + Explore Cusco City Center

I had no idea I loved alpacas until I visited an alpaca farm in Cusco. This stop can be a part of one of your tours, but I think it deserves its own trip so you can really take it in. The only thing is they tend to be in more remote places, so we actually had our Uber driver wait for us and paid him cash to bring us back home. The more remote you are, the spottier your service gets, so if you take a cab or Uber somewhere remote, I would negotiate a deal with them to wait for you and bring you back. Anyway, back to the alpacas. I loved learning about the alpacas and how they process their wool to create beautiful garments and accessories with intricate patterns. Peru is rooted in Inca history, and it is doing a great job of preserving it. There are still families, generations of weavers, who own these farms and create these beautiful garments. When you get a tour of an alpaca farm, you are also getting a tour of the weavers and how they use the wool, so it’s like a 2-in-1 experience. They also have items to sell in their gift shop. These are quality items, and the price definitely reflects this. We visited Manos de la Comunidad and loved it. I highly recommend. This is also a great time to explore Cusco's city center; it’s easy to walk around (though some roads can be narrow). Everyone does the tours, but I think it’s nice to also have a slow day and explore the city.

Try The Chocolate + Coffee

Whatever you do in Peru, you have to try the chocolate, and if you’re a coffee drinker, I hear the coffee is like no other (I’m not a coffee drinker, but my sister is and raved about it, along with every other person we encountered). They produce both items in Peru, so you're getting it fresh and local. If you can go on a chocolate tour or coffee tour, you will not be disappointed. And definitely be sure to bring some home. I was having chocolate withdrawals and didn't bring nearly enough chocolate home with me. I regret it to this day. It’s so good, you just have to try it to know. Ciclos Cafe in Lima is a great spot to purchase both chocolate and coffee.

Peru was one of those trips for me that opened my eyes to a different culture I did not know much about. I felt like I really came into this trip with an open mind because I had little information, which allowed me to take it all in with no expectations. While it still wasn’t one of my favorite countries to visit, if you find an opportunity to come here or if it’s been on your list to visit, doing these 5 things on your trip will really give you a feel for the country on your first visit and allow for a rich experience and lasting memories.