What To Do In Your 14-Day Peru Trip: A Complete Traveler’s Guide
Preparing a trip to Peru is one of the most exciting travel experiences you’re going to have. Whether you decide to visit the majestic Temple of the Sun at the Machu Picchu or discover what nature has to offer at the Inca Ruins, it’s always a great idea to learn a thing or two in advance about the great country of Peru.
This travel guide aims to help you fill your 14 days in Peru with fun and enriching activities. To make this more cohesive, let’s start by getting to know the destination country.
What You Should Bring to Peru
Knowing what to pack allows every traveler to get the most out of their trip. You wouldn’t want to be overpacking things that you don’t necessarily need. Moreover, you wouldn’t want to forget some of the most essential items to bring to your trip to Peru.
Without further adieu, here’s a rundown on things you should bring and not bring for Peru:
Clothes
When it comes to clothes, always think in terms of practicality. A trip to Peru may be tricky considering the fact that some places would require you to wear a full-on winter gear and others which require summer gear. The good news is that there are places in Peru where you can buy or rent this gear. Of course, you wouldn’t want to spend on something if you can bring it yourself. Nevertheless, this is a great alternative should you forget to bring anything.
For a 14-day trip to Peru, you can fit everything in one suitcase and a carry-on. There’s no need for you to do laundry while you’re on the trip as long as you pack with functionality in mind. As for shoes, opt for good hiking boots or athletic shoes, especially if you’re planning to hike the Inca Trail, which would at least take you about two to four days. To get the most out of your trip, try our South America Peru tours.
Don’t forget to bring socks! One may consider socks as a minor item to every trip, but when you’re traveling to Peru, it makes a whole lot of difference. Three pairs of socks, preferably wool, would be nice to bring to your 14-day trip to Peru.
A pair of jeans, a pair of athletic pants or joggers, a pair of your most comfortable leggings, and shorts would be a nice addition to the list. Bring seven t-shirts and a dress for when you’re eating out. Don’t forget to bring your rain jacket too! The key here is to mix and match.
Toiletries
There are three things that you would need for this 14-day trip to Peru – sunscreen, insect repellent, and moisturizing lotion. Remember, it’s very dry in the highlands. Therefore, expect that you’ll be using more lotion than usual.
You would also need some form of protection against bugs. If you’re planning to visit Cusco, you would need to load up on your insect repellent. Nevertheless, you can never fully experience Peru without visiting Cusco. Here, you can visit the Golden Temple of the Sun and Convento or you can hang out in the artisan section of the country, San Blas.
Bathing Suit
If you’re traveling to Peru over the summer, what better way to enjoy your trip than visit its top five beaches – the Playa Roja in Paracas, Ica, Miraflores, Lima, Punta Sal, Tumbes, Mancora, Piura, and Huanchaco, Trujillo, which is the surfing capital of Peru.
With this in mind, you need to bring the right kind of bathing suit. The good news is that there aren’t many rules on choosing the right bikini for your trip to Peru. Just make sure that it is also wearable to hot springs as Peru has tons of it in the highlands.
What You Should Not Bring to Peru
When traveling to Peru, be sure to leave extra space on your suitcase as this country has some of the most beautiful textiles in the world. It would be an incomplete experience if you won’t buy yourself some nice Peruvian textiles.
With that being said, be sure to not overpack on sweaters, unnecessary blankets, and knit hats. Remember, pack with functionality in mind.
What Can You Do in Peru For 14 Days?
Here’s a quick guide as to what you can expect in these 14 days. Remember, you can already do so much in just five to seven days. However, there’s so much to see and do in Peru with our South America Peru tours. In one week, you can probably visit about one or two destinations in Peru in a reasonably relaxed manner.
Most tourists would start with exploring either Machu Picchu or Cusco. A week is enough for you to explore these two sites. However, if you are planning to visit some of the more local sceneries in this great country, you would need to check out some of the below-mentioned activities and tourist spots.
Where to Go and What to Do in Peru?
Now that we have gotten the basics out of the way, let us proceed to identify the top activities and famous tourist spots in Peru for your 14-day trip.
1. Feast your eyes on the beautiful Inca Ruins of Machu Picchu
Nothing says Peru than experiencing our South America Peru tours of hiking the Inca Trail. Furthermore, why not proceed to admire the beautiful Inca Ruins of Machu Picchu? This secret city is the heart of travel legends. You’ll definitely be bewildered with the stone stairways, the hauntingly majestic deserted villages, and the amazing Andean slopes.
2. Get local by passing through the sleepy Andean village of Ollantaytambo
Wandering the town’s ancient streets is enough to take you back in time. You only need to spare a few hours from our South America Peru tours to truly enjoy Ollantaytambo as walking around the ancient cobbled streets is enough to make the whole experience memorable.
If you walk further down the path, you’ll even hear the sound of nature’s icy mountain water racing down wonderfully along the well-preserved Inca irrigation channels. Furthermore, you can get so much out of the town’s culture through Andean clothing and their colorful woven blankets.
3. Indulge your senses with what the real Amazon has to offer
Peru is most likely synonymous with the Amazon. In fact, Peru is the only South American country where you can truly enjoy nature in its numerous forms. You can easily find the Peruvian part of the Amazon jungle as it is the most prolific and diverse section as compared to the others.
Moreover, the Manu National Park is considered as one of the most bio-diverse areas on the entire planet. It boasts over 200 mammal species and 1,000 birds. You can paddle in canoes along very tranquil waterways. You can feast your eyes on the greeneries everywhere. You can even volunteer for an environmental project if you have the time.
4. Eat adventurously and enjoy Peru’s notorious taste experiences
Your trip to Peru wouldn’t really be complete if you do not indulge your sense of taste on these memorable dishes. Try tasting their roasted guinea pig or the planet’s most pungent potatoes. There’s just so much you can try before you ultimately decide to take on the challenge of heading for Arequipa. Here, you’ll get a glimpse as to how chefs create some of the most exciting and delicious dishes in the world.
5. Be culturally aware by exploring the Plaza de Armas
Also referred to by the locals as Plaza Mayor, the Plaza de Armas is actually the birthplace of Lima. This was when the Spanish conquistador by the name of Francisco Pizarro founded this great city in the year 1535, which was an order by King Charles I of Spain.
The plaza is surrounded by some of the most historical and cultural landmarks in the country, which includes the Government Palace and the Lima Cathedral. If you’re into architecture, then you’ll love the cathedral’s exquisite exterior. However, don’t let this fool you because the true beauty of this structure lies inside. Do note that you have to pay 10 soles, which is about $3, to further see inside the cathedral and its museum.
6. Get an eerie experience by visiting the catacombs in San Francisco Church
Peru is a very religious country with Roman Catholic as its predominant religion. With that in mind, the locals are sure to have their fair share of scary stories surrounding the catacombs under the San Francisco Church.
The San Francisco Church is a beautifully made baroque church in the late 1600s, and one of the well-preserved churches in all of Lima. Fun fact: the area where this church now stood is the original cemetery in Lima with about 75,000 people buried here.
In fact, some of the elite members of society decided to be buried here as it would make them feel a lot closer to God. Nevertheless, tourists from around the world are more than willing to see the bones of the dead arranged in artistic patterns. It’s not for the faint of heart, but definitely part of Peru’s rich history.
Final Thoughts
In the end, the country of Peru is a great travel destination. It is considered as a country full of natural and cultural treasures. These have fascinated people from around the world for over hundreds of years.
With this guide, you’ll be more than prepared to see the Amazonian marshes of Peru, taste its exquisite dishes, and enjoy a nice summer day at the country’s top beaches.