LIMA

Stay:

• Tierra Viva Larco in Miraflores. One of the Peruvian Tierra Viva hotels with a good location in Miraflores area. The Larcomar can be reached on foot and a nice breakfast is served on the upper floor with terrace.

Eat:

• Punto Azul. Small restaurant chain serving a good mix of Peruvian and Fusion dishes. They also have a restaurant in Miraflores.
• There are many restaurants in the shopping complex Larcomar. At Popular you can enjoy dinner with view to the ocean.

Do & See: (entrance fee in Soles of May 2016)

• The Museo Nacional de Arqueología is great for getting an overview of pre-Incan culture and Peru‘s history. (10)
• The Museo Larco is a beautiful museum set in an enchanting geranium garden showing relics of ancient Peru as ceramics (also erotic ones), textiles and precious metals. It also has a nice restaurant. (30)
• Another nice museum is the Museo Convento San Francisco in the San Francisco church. The guided tours show you the library, the beautiful courtyard and scary catacombes. (10)
• The above mentioned Larcomar shopping complex is a site for itself as it is specially located on the cliffs of the ocean. They also have a Perurail counter which can be handy.
• Take a look at the main Plaza Mayor with the cathedral and representative yellow buildings surrounding it.
• The ruins of Huaca Pucllana can be visited with a guide at day and night time. (12 day, 15 night)
• Hotel Bolivar has a nice glass dome in the lobby and a restaurant bar.

PUERTO MALDONADO: 

MADRE DE DIOS, AMAZON RAINFOREST

Stay: 

• Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica. An eco-lodge inside the Tambopata National Reserve, 15km from Puerto Maldonado (45min. boat ride). They have nice cabañas, a great service and offer cool tours – day and night. Usually you stay there for 3 or 4 nights and have transport, all the meals and guided tours included.

OLLANTAYTAMBO and SACRED VALLEY

Stay:

• Tierra Inka. This hotel is not set at the main plaza but you can easily reach it by walking or a mini-taxi. They are very helpful when you have questions about the Sacred Valley area.

Eat:

• There are a lot of restaurants around the main plaza area. Just to name two: Panaka and Inti Killa are nice. They mostly also provide sandwiches for take away.
• To get used to the altitude Quinoa soups are great.

Do & See:

• The ruins of Ollantaytambo itself are impressive. You can buy a Partial Boleto Turistico for the Sacred Valley area that covers Ollantaytambo‘s ruins, the beautiful ruins of Moray, Chinchero and Pisaq during two days. The price for this combo-ticket is 70 Soles (of May 2016). Note: Pisaq e.g. can only be visited with a combo-ticket, there is no single entry ticket.
• The salt mines of Maras are impressive. They are not included in the ticket and cost 10 Soles.
• Driving through the Sacred Valley is a great experience, the landscapes are just wonderful. Most taxi drivers will make a stop at one of the many artisanal textile markets at Chinchero, where you get a Muña tea and buy some souvenirs.

MACHU PICCHU

Entry tickets:

• As the daily tickets are limited to 2500 it makes sense to book them in advance. We can recommend Ticket Machu Picchu as their website worked without problems and they accept Paypal payments. There are combination tickets that allow you to hike Huayna Picchu or Mount MP. Those are also limited per day and have special entrance times.

Train tickets:

• There are two train companies reaching Machu Picchu: Perurail and Incarail. It is wise to book them in advance, too. Incarail has cheaper tickets but only runs from Poroy and Ollantaytambo (recommened).

Tips for Machu Picchu:

• Bus tickets cost 24 USD for getting up to the main entrance and down again.
• There only is a toilet at the main entrance but you can get out and in with your ticket twice a day. Toilet costs 1 Sol.
• They have a restaurant at the main entrance but many people bring snacks.
• For larger luggage there is a storage room. You are allowed to take smaller bags up to 5 kg into the ruins.
• To visit the ruins it takes around 2-3 hours. The hike of Mount MP can be made in 2.5 hours (up and down).
• Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and enough water.

CUSCO

Stay: 

• Illa Hotel. Hotel with a nice courtyard in the San Blas area.

Eat:

• Pachapapa. Grill restaurant with terrace.
• Toqokachi. The nice owner also makes sandwiches for take away. Carmen Alto 244-A.
• Trattoria Adriano is close to the main square Plaza de Armas and besides Italian dishes it also offers Peruvian ones, e.g. Criolian soup.

Do & See:

• Quorikancha. As Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire the most important temple was in this city. Through time the Christians have added the Convento de Santo Domingo to it. (15)
• Museo de Arte Precolombino. It is a partner museum of the Larco museum in Lima and formerly was an Inca ceremonial court. (20)
• Museo Inka. A colourful exhibition about the Incas that children will also find interesting. For example, they exhibit real mummies.
• Cusco has a lot of beautiful courtyards. Right at Plazoleto de las Nazarenas Belmond hotels own the Palacio Nazarenas and the Monasterio, which you can visit and have a drink in.
• Not visited but would go: Saksaywaman. Ruins on the northern outskirts of Cusco with impressive stone blocks and a nice view over the city.

PUNO

Stay:

• Tierre Viva Puno Plaza is very close to Plaza de Armas and the lively Lima tourist street.

Eat:

• Mojsa. Facing Plaza de Armas and serving Cuy (without head).

Do & See:

• Museo Carlos Dreyer. It displays the objects that the German Carlos Dreyer collected during his life in Peru. The exhibition includes real mummies. (12)
• Make a trip to the tower tombs of Sillustani that lie at the beautiful Lake Umayo.