Hi! I’m very happy to hear you’re considering to travel down to Peru. Here’s a list of questions I often get when close friends show interest in coming down to potato land.

Dude, you just sent me a link here. I don’t even know what’s there to do in Peru.

Glad you asked! The most common denominator among visitors to Peru is their sense adventure. Without much pre-requisite knowledge, one can immediately recognise the diversity in experiences with the outdoors. Because of it’s geography, Peru can offer you sandboarding in dunes, hiking to white peaks, or machete driven descents into the jungle, all within a week!

Yes, we have mountains that make city skyscrapes look like park trees, but among them you can find very humble settlements built by peoples with lots of stories and traditions to share. If you’re looking for a more urban atmosphere, there’s Lima, the capital, where you can experience one of the richest cuisines in the world (considered to be third in terms of number of different plates, only after the Chinese and the French cuisine). While Lima can offer you ample accomodations to make you feel like you haven’t gone too far away from civilization, it is also mainly a chaotic city where the bustling development of an emergent economy can be witnessed.

Finally, I believe an underrated experience is taking on the archaelogical track of the multiple pre-hispanic civilizations scattered around the country. Visiting one of the less well-known ruins (Machu Picchu, that is), can be incredibly enlightening.

What is there to do in Lima?

Quite frankly? Other than walking tours and food tours, not much else. In my experience, most of my friends have fun learning how to surf in the Costa Verde. Also, if you are really interested in the colonial legacy, getting to enter some preserved homes and churches can be amusing. I particularly recommend going to the museum of the spanish inquisition and wonder why it is right next to what is today’s building of the legislative branch.

I feel like I haven’t stressed this enough, so I’ll say it again: Lima is all about food. Just come down here to try everything Peruvian food has to offer.

What is the best time to visit?

You should aim for the warmer months. If you’re going to the countryside you want to avoid rainy season from October to February. Tourist peak season is between June and August so keep that in mind if you want keep your background pictures. If you can, come at times there are interesting events going on such as Mistura, the procession of el Señor de los Milagros, Peruvian football national team playing qualifiers, or any protest (ask if you want me to keep you posted).

Hold on, what is Mistura?

The best thing to ever come out of Peru. It’s our banner food festival and in Peru that means a lot. I know every country thinks their cuisine is amongst the best one in the world but how many countries have their chefs leading the polls for president? I’d dare say only Peru. That says more about our political class than our food but I can’t think of a better entry point to Peruvian culture. Once you taste an exotic fruit you’ll wonder about the natural landscape capable of producing it, and when trying a fusion between African and Japanese techniques on Peruvian potatoes you’ll have a better understanding of the peoples that make up Peruvian society. If you’re going to travel around the country but don’t know what parts to visit yet, I feel like Mistura will give you a good hint of what you’re after.

Alright, how do I move around?

In Lima, you’ll most likely be taking Uber everywhere unless you want to haggle in the street and expose yourself to a decent chance of being ripped off. What about the bus and metro? Unless you want to experience one of the worst public transport systems in the world, pay your cab fare.

If you’re going to visit other cities in the countryside then you should definitely consider renting a motorbike and do it Che Guevara style. Alternatively, rent a car. People in Lima complain about living in the city but I think we all tolerate living here because the views when driving around this country are simply mesmerising.

All other options are available. You can also try to enter the Amazon rainforest via the Amazon river. You’d have to travel north to Colombia though.

What about Machu Picchu?

You’re asking this so I don’t really need to tell you why you should go to Machu Picchu. That only speaks to how great it really is. It’s a mind blowing ancient city on a mountain peak.

Here’s the deal. You cannot spend the night at Machu Picchu, so you’ll most likely take the bus there from a small town in the valley at the base of the mountain called Aguas Calientes, where you can stay overnight. To get there you need to take a train from Cusco, the nearest city. You are going to need to buy those train ticket ahead of time.

You can also be hardcore and do the Inka or Salkantay Trails, a 4 or 5 day hike from Cusco all the way to Machu Picchu. They involve daily treks 12 to 20 kilometers a day, climbing and descending mountains and sleeping in tents under a mantle of stars. I did it in 2019 and I could not recommend it enough. Here’s some pictures.

I don’t speak spanish. Should I learn some?

Only if you want to get to know locals. Most people can speak english but they’ll be diffident when given the chance to have a conversation. If you want them to open up you should learn spanish to the point that it’s believable that you’ve actually tried learning it and then when people see you bumbling their language they’ll feel better bumbling yours.

For everything else you’ll be fine.

Is it safe to visit Peru?

What I’ll say is that I have managed to pull off a decent record in this country so if you don’t do anything I wouldn’t do you should be alright.

What other places should I consider visiting?

I particularly enjoyed going to Huaraz, Iquitos and Ayacucho, they all offer good adventure experiences. If you drive to Huaraz, you will have amazing views and can also take a detour to stop by the ruins of the Chavin, a major pre-Inca culture. Also, I would travel to Ayacucho for having a single guinea pig meal. Other cities and destinations I hear good things about are Arequipa, Puno and Mancora.

Why don’t you stop being lazy and answer my questions in conversation like any normal person?

Please do not let my automated responses demean my excitement of your visit to Peru!