The main motivation for visiting Peru was to explore the history and ancient sites in the area. With some of the structures and villages being around since the 1500s, Peru is a melting pot for tourists. This makes it very easy to navigate and organise activities. We had been recommended Salkantay Trekking for our Macho Picchu Trek by friends of ours. They were a great company to use. We had booked in the 4 day Trek cosing $420 USD. Unfortunately, with Caitlin getting food poisoning, we were unable to do the trek! It meant a few extra days in Cusco, and a much shorter trip to Machu Picchu. Food was of much better quality and variety in Peru, with some great places to eat. You could do things for a reasonable price, with taxis, meals, water and accommodation all pretty cheap. We treated ourselves in Lima by booking an apartment for a couple of nights to cook, do some washing and enjoy some down time before our overnight flight.
Top Tips
- Ubers are cheap and easy to use
- Carry around smaller change if you can. They don’t like giving change for big notes
- Book accommodation out of the main centre of Cusco for a much better price
- Expect heavy traffic on the roads – particularly in Lima
- We had a lot of delays at the airport. Be patient!
1 NZD = 2.18 Peruvian Sol
Cusco
| Peruvian Sol | NZD | |
| Accommodation (per night) | 150 | $70 (double room) |
| Food (per meal) | 25 | $12 (per person) |
| Bottled water | 3 | $1.50 |
| Glass of wine/beer | 12 | $5 |
| Taxi to airport | 10 | $4 |
| Train to Aguas Calliente | 235 | $110 (one way) |
| Salkantay Trek | 1400 | $640 (per person) |
| Average cost per day | 150 | $70 |
Lima
| Peruvian Sol | NZD | |
| Accommodation (per night) | 500 | $230 (apartment) |
| Food (per meal) | 40 | $18 (per person) |
| Bottled water | 3 | $1.50 |
| Glass of wine/beer | 15 | $6 |
| Taxi to airport | 80 | $38 |
| Average cost per day | 350 | $160 |
100 Days of Travel 