A Bucket List Adventure Across Peru: Lima to Machu Picchu

Peru…where do I begin? My husband, Lyle, gets the credit for suggesting we book our next international trip to Peru. We’ve traveled extensively through Europe, but had yet to visit South America. In a quest to expand our horizons and visit new places, we began researching destinations that had the perfect combination of adventure and unique experiences paired with luxury accommodations. From past trips, this seems to be the best intersection of activity and relaxation for us. 

I’m a huge fan of Belmond, a  hospitality and leisure company that operates hotels, train services and river cruises and safaris worldwide. Every Belmond hotel that we have stayed at has been gorgeous and the service is always top notch. When Lyle suggested Peru and I began researching it, I was delighted to find that Belmond had an entire itinerary and journey dedicated to Peru, including a luxury train. I was immediately on board (no pun intended!).

Our first stop was Lima. We had two nights and one full day to explore this coastal city before flying to Cusco, so we did our best to sightsee and learn more about the Incan empire. The city is full of amazing street art and there’s a nice walking path that runs along the water for scenic views. The Museo Larco was a great way to become acquainted with the rich history of pre-Colombian Peru. The museum is full of ancient artifacts including jewelry, textiles and pottery that bring into mind the way of the Incas. 

Since our time was limited, we didn’t get to extensively explore Lima but the two neighborhoods that we spent the most time in were the Barranco and Miraflores. Barranco had funky little cafes, art galleries, and the notable Bridge of Sighs, while Miraflores, where our hotel, Belmond Miraflores Park, was located, felt more residential. Miraflores is set along the ocean and we saw countless surfers riding the waves!

Lima’s booming food scene was the stand out for us. During our short time in the city, we had several fantastic meals and cocktails. First, we visited Osaka Nikkei, which is the original location of Osaka in Brickell that we love to eat at when we visit Miami. Nikkei cuisine is a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese and we have grown to love it! Following dinner at Osaka, we headed next door to Carnaval, a cocktail bar that put Lima’s mixology scene on the map with accolades from the World’s Best Bars list, year after year. Carnaval had an incredibly eclectic cocktail list with fantastic presentations and flavors!

During our day in Lima, we headed to lunch at El Mercado, a bustling eatery by the well-regarded Peruvian chef Rafael Osterling. Known for its fresh, flavorful ceviches and menu of traditional Peruvian coastal classics, El Mercado is only open for lunch and we loved everything we ordered!

For our final evening in Lima, I snagged a table at Maido, which regularly is named one of the city’s best restaurants. Maido also serves Nikkei cuisine and you have the option to do a tasting menu or order à la carte. I did extensive research, reading reviews and scouring social media, and decided to go the à la carte route. We literally followed this TikTok creator’s order to a T and it was outstanding! The tableside tuna belly was a standout. You will need to book Maido the day the reservations open up so make sure to set a calendar alert or lean on your hotel’s concierge to assist you.

Following our stay in Lima, we boarded a quick 1 hour 15 minute flight to Cusco, a city in the Peruvian Andes, which used to be the capital of the Inca Empire. Cusco sits at 12,000 feet above sea level and the altitude is no joke! I was prescribed Diamox before leaving the U.S., while Lyle chose to wing it and honestly, we both still felt the effect of the elevation (mainly shortness of breath and a slight headache).

Upon landing in Cusco, our driver and guide from Belmond met us at the airport and we started our journey to the Sacred Valley. One of the ways we got acclimated to the altitude was by getting out of Cusco and to a slightly lower elevation in the Sacred Valley, which is at 9,800. Along the journey to our next hotel, the Belmond Rio Sagrada (my favorite hotel of the trip!) we stopped at the Sulca Textile Center where we learned about the weaving process of alpaca goods, including meeting these friendly creatures. This was an informative visit and a great way to set the stage for all of the amazing alpaca sweaters, hats, scarves, and coats we would see throughout our time in Peru. 

We also stopped in the village of Pisac, which is home to a vibrant market of textiles and handmade goods, including plenty of things to take home as souvenirs!

The Sacred Valley is breathtakingly beautiful! It has jaw-dropping landscapes and is home to a number of key archaeological sites, including the ruins of a fortress at Ollanytambo, Maras salt mines, the ancient agricultural terraces of Moray and of course, the most famous attraction, Machu Picchu! We spent a day touring Ollanytambo, Maras and Moray, and learning more about Incan history. I was fascinated by how they were able to both conceptualize and physically build such impressive structures.

The ruins of Ollanytambo were one of my favorites to explore. Dating back to the 15th century, the Sun temple, terraces, and nearby storehouses built into the mountain are truly incredible. 

The salt mines of Maras are also fascinating! These have been around since pre-Inca times and are still a major source of salt production. The salt ponds fill with water, then let the sun evaporate it, and once it dries up, workers chip away at the salt to collect and bag it up.

While in the Sacred Valley, we also found time for relaxation. Our hotel, Belmond Rio Sagrada, was dreamy! Situated along the Urumbamba River, the property is incredibly lush with gorgeous flowers and greenery throughout. Resident alpacas roam freely and the rooms boast terraces that overlook the river and mountains, creating an idyllic setting to unwind. 

One of my favorite on-property activities was a picnic lunch with a visit from our alpaca friends! The team created a beautiful set up with local culinary varieties and we soaked up the afternoon, taking in the views of the river.

Another memorable experience was our horseback ride at Luna’s Horses. Booked through the Belmond, we did a four-hour trek on Peruvian Paso horses through towns, mountains, and even a river! It was a fun way to embrace the scenery around us and take in the landscape.

The next part of our journey was the one I was most looking forward to experiencing. We boarded the Hiram Bingham, a Belmond train, to make our way to Machu Picchu! They say it’s the journey, not the destination, but in this case, it is definitely BOTH! The train is just as lovely as you’d imagine! Outfitted with all the bells and whistles, the Hiram Bingham makes you wish you could take a step back in time to when train travel was the main mode of transportation. During your journey, you enjoy a delicious three-course meal (we had fantastic pork on the way to Machu Picchu and duck breast on the way back), open bar, and lively entertainment from a three-person band. The views are equally as fantastic, as you make your way between mountains, along rivers, and through villages. It was such a great way to kick off the “main event” of our trip to Peru! 

Upon arrival at the train station in Aguas Caliente, a bus awaits to take you to the base of Machu Picchu via winding, steep, and narrow road that offers outrageous views, if you dare to look out the window as you make your way uphill! We stayed at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, which is the only property at the entrance to Machu Picchu. Not only is this incredibly convenient if you are planning to make multiple entrances into the Machu Picchu citadel (all of which need to be booked far in advance), but the views from the property are striking! Lush, serene gardens overflowing with hundreds of varieties of orchids and greenery offer plenty of outside areas to relax and unwind in before or after your visit to Machu Picchu. I’ve never seen so many hummingbirds at once! All meals and drinks at the Sanctuary Lodge are included in the stay, including breakfast which you can choose to enjoy in your room, or on your terrace.

Our first entrance into Machu Picchu was almost immediately after arriving at the property, which was mid-day. We quickly changed into our hiking shoes and met our guide in the lobby of the hotel. We chose to reserve a private guide for our first visit, which I would recommend. You’ll have a personalized overview of what you are seeing and experiencing with the added bonus of a built-in photographer. Our guide took so many amazing shots of us and knew all the right vantage points. We did circuit 2 for this visit, which offers some of the most amazing and iconic Machu Picchu backdrops! It was a memorable experience for many reasons, one of which was that we encountered a full blown thunder, rain, and hail storm while at the top of the citadel! As bolts of lightning surrounded us and we were pelted with pebble-sized hail, we couldn’t help but laugh at the madness! Needless to say, they aren’t joking when they recommend packing clothing for every type of weather!

Our second entrance was in the morning and lucky for us, blue skies and sun lit up the sky! For this visit, we explored circuit 3 and also booked tickets for the Huchuy Picchu hike. In advance of your visit, make sure to understand how many tickets you need and how far in advance you need to book them. It can be a bit confusing to navigate, but it will be worth it to ensure you have the best experience at Machu Picchu. We knew we wanted to be active and do some type of hike while visiting Machu Picchu, so after much research and helpful tips from fellow blogger @melissameetsworld, we decided on this moderate one. It was a very steep 45-minute climb up the mountain, but the views from the top were incredible! If you have a fear of heights or mobility issues, I would honestly avoid a hike at Machu Picchu, as this is the more tame of the immediate hiking options and it was still fairly high, not to mention, challenging at points.

After finishing our excursion at Machu Picchu, we headed back down the mountain and to the Hiram Bingham. The return journey to Cusco was longer, around four hours, and was a lively experience! After dinner, everyone headed to the bar and observatory cars for drinks, dancing, and sing-a-longs with the band. Strangers became friends as we laughed over our Machu Picchu adventures and sipped pisco sours. It was the perfect way to end an epic experience.

For our final leg of the trip, we checked into the Belmond Palacio Nazarenes in Cusco. This hotel was a former conquistador’s home before being converted into a convent and later a hotel. It had the largest rooms we saw in Peru, as well as a pool. Cusco was once the capital city of the Inca Empire and we loved the architecture and uniqueness of this city. 

I was most excited to check out the various markets and high-end alpaca stores (Sol Alpaca and Kuna are the two that are highly recommended as offering superior products). We strolled through the San Blas neighborhood, where the main street is lined with eclectic shops featuring everything from souvenirs, art work, sculptures, jewelry and more, before making our way to the Plaza de Armas de Cusco.

At this point in our trip, we were exhausted, so we opted for lunch in the tranquil courtyard of the Belmond Monasterio, the second Belmond property in Cusco, which is equally as beautiful as where we stayed.

For the evening, we made sure to get our final fix of Nikkei cuisine, dining at Limo. Beyond the cuisine, the spicy passion fruit martini here was phenomenal, as was the view of Plaza de Armas. Since the elevation in Cusco is so high and we had come from Machu Picchu, which was lower, our appetite wasn’t as strong as it usually is…it’s pretty crazy how the elevation can affect you in different ways.

Peru exceeded my expectations in so many ways! I highly recommend Belmond’s Journey to Peru. Every member of their team was incredibly friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, and each property was more beautiful than the last. If you want to experience South America, Peru would be an ideal country for your first venture in a new continent. If you’ve been to Peru, what did you enjoy?

The A-Lyst is a Boston-based lifestyle blog curating the very best of style, beauty, food, and travel.