Traveling through Peru with trains, planes and automobiles

South America has always been one of my favorite places, and each time I visit, I fall a little more in love. We decided to go to Peru, after planning an absolute dream trip for a client (and realizing it was a short 6 hours from Atlanta!).

I knew there were some things we had to do- the most obvious was a visit Machu Picchu, the 15th century, Incan citadel, and one of the seven wonders of the world. To get to this location, you typically travel from Cusco, and if you are lucky stop to spend some time in the Sacred Valley; we were lucky enough to do both, and of course, some time in Lima! But more on this later.

Additionally, a true bucketlist for me (though not for all!) was to visit the Amazon River. Peru is one of the easiest places to do this in terms of access and luxury. We opted for a 3 day riverboat cruise, which was how we started the trip!

The Aqua Nera is the BEST of the best when it comes to luxury on the Amazon, and while there are other options, this one cannot be beat. The luxury boat, unbeatable service and most of all, the knowledge of the guides who do the entire trip with you. They were all local to the area and had lived with and looked for the wildlife we were searching for their entire lives. We were lucky enough to see sloths, pink dolphins, piranhas, scarlet maccaws, caimans and so much more. I know it is not for everyone, but there is something truly unbelievable about seeing this place where so few are lucky enough to experience firsthand. (Sloth picture below was being reunited with its mom in the wild!)

From here, we went onto the more traveled route, starting with the Sacred Valley, around 1.5 hours via Cusco. This is where the history and culture of Peru really shines through. We had wonderful guides who helped us to explore the salt mines, Chinchero, and Moray. These are some of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the world, and in such a beautiful and peaceful part of the Peruvian Andes.

From here, we traveled to see Machu Picchu, by way of the amazing Belmond Hiram Bingham train (a 3 hour, luxury party train- not to be missed!). The town nearest Machu Picchu is called Aguas Calientes, and you can stay in that town, or at the Belmond property at the base of the site itself. Both are wonderful options, and have their pros and cons. We opted to stay in Aguas Calientes and loved it, and you take a quick 20 minute (beautiful) bus ride through the mountains to arrive at the entrance!

One day in Machu Picchu and you will have made the entire trip worth it- it is truly everything you could imagine and more. A place that every person should experience firsthand. Photos will never do it justice, but a private guide to learn the ins and outs, and arriving early/late are absolute musts- something I can always help to arrange!

We only spent one night in both Cusco and Lima, and I know next time, I will plan to see more of both. We did some historical and cultural tours and learned so much, but the food scene in Lima is reason enough to stay for a few days (multiple of the best restaurants in the world every year). Lima serves as an entry way to the country and a perfect first stop! Logisics within Peru are complicated, and having traveled there is the best possible way to help you to understand the cadence of travel that works best for you!