Machu Picchu is one of those bucket-list activities people dream about. While most people visit on a day trip, you can also visit via the Inca Trail, a challenging multi-day hike through the jungles of Peru. In this guest post, my friend Gillian divulges the details of her trek while sharing some tips and suggestions to help you plan your trip to Machu Picchu. Hiking to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail in Peru remains the highlight of my year traveling. Looking out over the peaks of the Andes, and knowing that I hiked to get there filled me with joy and awe. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I won’t lie, though — it took some work. A lot of work, in fact. But it was totally worth it. Sitting some 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level, Machu Picchu was an Inca citadel built in the 15th century. The citadel was built as a royal estate, though it was used for less than 100 years before being abandoned due to the arrival of the Spanish, who were set on conquest. It wasn’t until...
Peru is a massive country. To do it justice, you need a lot of time. From the capital of Lima to the ancient city of Cusco to the jungles of the Amazon to the beach towns to the ruins of the Sacred Valley, Peru presents you with a lot of options. I spent 2.5 weeks there and absolutely loved it . But even at a fast pace, I still felt like I barely saw anything (even though I crammed a lot of activities into my trip). So, in such a large nation, how do you break up a trip? How do you pick what to see and do? What kind of itinerary do you make? Well, of course, a lot of that has to do with what you are going for: the Amazon, the hiking, the history, or the food? Most first-time visitors to Peru do the southern route: Lima, Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, and Cusco/Sacred Valley. This route has the most historic sites and the biggest attractions. But there’s also the Amazon, the beach towns, and smaller ruins in the north. To give you some ideas on potential routes, here are my suggested it...