Peru and Machu Picchu Group Tour Recap

Neither a Peru tour nor a group trip to South America was on my bingo card for 2024, yet Under30Experiences made it happen anyway! Last May, I was supposed to check off the #1 destination on my bucket list: Peru. I had a family trip planned post-graduation, but the social and political unrest in the Spring of 2023 forced us to cancel the trip. I genuinely thought it would be years before I could visit my most desired location. Fast forward to this past winter, one of my best friends found Under30Experiences, and we went on a group trip to Thailand together. I can honestly say I had the experience of a lifetime! A few months later, I found myself with the travel bug again, scouring the trips offered by Under30Experiences. When I saw the Peru & Machu Picchu group tour, I knew I found a way to check off the #1 item on my bucket list!

My Peru & Machu Picchu group trip took place in July 2024 and was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! For the first time, I traveled solo to another country, and any concerns I had about safety immediately vanished when I arrived and experienced Peru's welcoming and peaceful nature. Here, you’ll see how your assumptions and expectations might compare to the reality of my trip review!

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Day-by-Day Itinerary of My Trip
• Takeaways
• Helpful Links
• Restaurants
• Hotels
• More Tips for Peru Travel and the Andes Mountains

Day 1 – Arrival in Cusco/Cuzco

We all flew into the city of Cusco (aka Cuzco), which is one of the most popular cities to visit in Peru. Located deep in the Andes Mountains, it was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Today, it is best known for its historic ruins and sites and some up-and-coming tourist attractions, such as Rainbow Mountain. I arrived in the early afternoon and immediately headed for the hotel. As a group, we had a quick lunch before exploring the historic parts of Cusco, including Plaza de Armas, Siete Borreguitos Street, and up to the top of the San Cristobal church, where we got an incredible 180-degree view of the whole city. Afterward, we visited ChocoMuseo, learned about the chocolate-making process, and participated in an incredible tasting of chocolates, chocolate liquors, and jams.

Day 2 – Chinchero Experience

Chinchero is a beautiful town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, currently housing about a dozen indigenous communities. We drove about an hour from our hotel to Chinchero, and specifically, we visited the “K’Intuy Ocutuan” community. We were greeted by the members with beautiful flower necklace offerings as they took our hands while singing. Once inside, they performed a song and dance for us. We then met and fed their llamas and alpacas, including a 3-week-old alpaca! They did numerous demonstrations so that we could learn about their work and life in the community. They told us all about their crops, healing plants, tools, and how they are made, harvesting oats and textiles. They made us a delicious lunch of Peruvian cuisine

 that consisted of:

• Starter – potato soup with lamb and cheese
• Entrée – quinoa with veggies, alpaca, cooked salad, and papas fritas (french fries)
• Dessert – an orange for me (I have a gluten allergy) and cake for others
  

Before leaving, we had a chance to shop at their store and purchase some of their handmade items. Later in the afternoon, we drove 2 hours to Ollantaytambo to take the Inca Rail train and another 2 hours to Aguas Calientes. Both the car and train rides had breathtaking views of the Andes Mountains the whole way.

Read more about Under30Experiences' exclusive sustainability project in Peru.

Day 3 – Machu Picchu

The big day that we all originally came for! Time to officially check off a bucket list item and one of the wonders of the world! We caught a 6:15 a.m. bus from the town center of Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu. The ride was about 30 minutes and very windy and steep. This is where the jungle meets the Andes Mountains. For someone who gets carsick or fears heights, I recommend bringing medication for motion sickness and always trying to sit as close to the front of the vehicle as possible!

We entered Machu Picchu around 7:30 a.m. We did Circuit #2 and toured most of Machu Picchu. The ruins were beautiful, and the llamas just made it even more surreal. It truly is such a sacred place, and getting to visit this wonder made me appreciate that there is nothing exactly like it anywhere in this world. We learned so very much about the history and specific buildings. For example, the site is called Machu Picchu because the principal temple faces Machu Picchu. And the Incan king had a summer house in Machu Picchu! Also, Roland, our guide, taught us how to correctly pronounce the name: “Machu Peek-Choo” rather than “Machu Pee-Choo”!

Around 10:30 a.m., we took the bus back to Aguas Calientes, where we had lunch and spent some time shopping and exploring the town. Later that afternoon, we hopped back on the Inca Rail train for a 2-hour ride back to Ollantaytambo, again enjoying the views of the Andes Mountains, where our driver was waiting for us for a 1.5-hour van ride back to Cusco.

Want to arrive to Machu Picchu on foot? Hike through the Andes Mountains on the Inca Trail!

Day 4 – Lake Humantay

Day 4 was exhausting! We woke up at 4 a.m., piled on as many layers as possible, and hopped in the van! We started a 3-hour drive to the Lake Humantay trailhead, which we broke up about 2 hours in to get a hearty breakfast. Upon arriving at the trailhead, they provided us with walking/hiking sticks, which were super useful, especially on the way down. We started our trek up around 8:20 a.m. The first 1.2 miles were super flat and easy. Suddenly, it became very steep, and we gained 1,500 feet in the next 1.5 miles. The only altitude-related issue I experienced during the trip was related to difficulty breathing, and this was probably when it felt most prevalent. However, I took my time climbing up and made it to the summit! It was so incredibly rewarding to reach the top; I was at a loss for words but so deeply proud of myself for pushing through. We had an undeniably gorgeous view of the lake and the mountain, got some great pictures, and our local guide led a ceremony with the coca leaves before heading back down. We did the entire trail in half the time Roland expected us to, totaling about 2.5 hours. Afterward, we headed back the 3 hours, stopping for lunch along the way. Later that afternoon, some of us went shopping and exploring for a few hours, ultimately stopping for a yummy drink at Museo de Pisco! At dinner, Roland had a cute 4^th of July celebration set up for us at the table with USA flags, balloons, and pisco sours!

‍Day 5 – Moray & Salineras de Maras

This day provided a bit of a break between Lake Humantay and Rainbow Mountain. We started with a 1.5-hour scenic drive to Moray, which is an archaeological site containing Inca ruins of circular holes in the ground that are believed to have been experimental for the Incas, who used them to grow crops at different altitudes. 

Next, we drove about a half hour to Salineras de Maras, which are salt mines. It was truly one of the coolest structures I have ever seen, especially since they all come from one natural water source!

Later this afternoon, we headed to our cooking class at Peruvian Cooking Lab, where our teacher was on Peruvian Master Chef (only the best)! We started by making Peruvian ceviche, which was surprisingly easy and unsurprisingly delicious! Next, we made pisco sours. I didn’t get as much foam as I would have liked, but I’ll keep practicing! Then, we made lomo saltado, a Peruvian stir-fry dish with beef, veggies, rice, and potatoes. Finally, dessert was a crepe, so as a gluten-free girlie, I just put the cream and fruit together on a plate, and it was just as delicious!

Day 6 – Rainbow Mountain

Our final full day! Montaña de Siete Colores (Rainbow Mountain) is a newer tourist attraction and also does not contain seven colors, as we quickly learned. But we woke up at 3 a.m. and headed out at 4 a.m. We drove about 3-4 hours to reach the base of Rainbow Mountain, again breaking up the drive by stopping halfway for a good, fueling breakfast. The roads were very steep and windy, about 16,000 ft up. We started hiking around 8 a.m. There were options to take ATVs, motorcycles, or horses, but I highly recommend hiking it as it is much more fun and rewarding. Overall, this hike was significantly shorter and less steep than Lake Humantay, but it was still very difficult to breathe, as we ultimately reached 17,000 feet above sea level. We made it up to the top in an hour and took some great pictures, although it was quite foggy at the summit. We made it back down to the van about 45 minutes later and began our trek back, stopping for lunch halfway through our ride. After returning to Cusco, some of us went shopping and exploring again and got more cocktails at Museo de Pisco before dinner! We had a delicious final meal, shared our Rose, Bud, and Thorn of the trip, and Roland got us all to try guinea pig (cuy)! Afterward, we all went to the Chupiteria Shot Bar to celebrate our last night!

Read more: Top Instagram Photo Spots in Cusco, Peru!

Day 7 – Final Explorations and Departure

On our departure day, we had to check out of the hotel by 9:30 a.m., but several of us had afternoon flights, so I made sure to make use of the time we had left in the Cusco! Our first stop was to check out the Sapantiana Aqueduct, the area's last standing colonial arch from the 17^th and 18^th centuries. We did more shopping and briefly walked through the alpaca museum. Finally, we went to a part of the city we hadn’t explored yet to check out Xapiri Ground, an Amazonian art café and definitely a hidden gem. I wanted to try a few other things, including the Planetarium, but it was a Sunday, and many things/activities were closed. So, I definitely recommend taking this into consideration when planning out your free time.

Also, there is a parade in the center of Cusco every Sunday, and on this day, it was in honor of the national army. There were hundreds of military people marching around the main plaza, as well as thousands of onlookers as we walked back to the hotel. Finally, we returned to the hotel, said our goodbyes to our friends and Roland, and headed to the airport for the US!

Takeaways

This time last year, I thought my dream to visit Peru had been postponed by at least a few years. Little did I know that just a few months later, I would discover U30X and their incredible travel opportunities. My group trip to Peru & Machu Picchu was truly once in a lifetime, from feeding alpacas and llamas to walking through Machu Picchu and trekking up Rainbow Mountain, I checked off numerous items on my bucket list!

Under30Experiences makes your dream trips to your ideal destinations come true. They map everything out for you, so all you have to do is show up and enjoy it! This is my new way of travel! How about you?

Ready to check this adventure and wonder of the world off of your bucket list? Sign up for Under30Experiences Peru & Machu Picchu group trip today!

Bonus Tips:

• Local delicacies consist of many things, but some include guinea pig (cuy) and alpaca. If you are not vegetarian or vegan, I recommend giving it a try to immerse yourself in the culture. However, there is no pressure to order or eat anything specific!
• Bring lots of layers! On the hiking days, I got into the van in the morning with two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, two shirts, one sweatshirt, and a hat and gloves. Both times, about 15 minutes into the hike, I was already down to my last layer of pants and shirts. The temperature changes very drastically and very quickly!
• Bring earplugs! The walls in both hotels were very thin. I am a very light sleeper, so I brought earplugs and slept great! However, others on my trip complained of hearing club music until 4 a.m., dogs barking, people making noise in their rooms, etc.
• There are several preventative measures for altitude sickness! I have never had a problem with altitude sickness, but I was concerned because I knew several people who had previously been affected in Peru, and I had never been to this altitude before. Some text
  • Diamox - talk to your physician about getting any actual medication prescribed.
  • Hydration - drink lots of water before you arrive and while you’re there!
  • Acclimation: If possible, arrive the night before to give yourself more time to acclimate to the altitude.
  • Altitude Sickness Patches
  • Pedialyte - I drank one Pedialyte packet per day to ensure I didn’t get dehydrated!
• You cannot drink tap water in Peru! Don’t consume anything that may be contaminated with it, such as drinks with ice, salads, and raw vegetables. Our guide provided lots of bottled water for us, but you can also buy your own at the markets to refill your sustainable water bottle.
• You cannot flush toilet paper or any other products in the toilets. Their sewage system is not as robust as ours. So, unless you want to put the whole hotel’s sewage system at risk, I would suggest throwing all products in the trash can.
• ATM access: Bring at least $300 USD worth of Peruvian soles with you! Most places also accept USD and credit cards, but very few of the ATMs we tried throughout the trip worked. The only one that did work had a very high service fee. Some text
  • Leftover Peruvian sole? Here are 10 things you can do with foreign coins.
• You can get your passport stamped at Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain! I thought this was a super cool and fun way to remember the excursions!
• Coca leaves are legal in Peru and are known to be helpful to aid with and prevent altitude sickness. However, if you are being drug tested any time soon, do NOT eat the coca leaves or drink the tea. It may show up as positive on a drug test for the following month.

Read more: My Peru Group Travel Experiences & 5 Tips to Avoid Altitude Sickness.