When I speak to travelers about different places to visit or where they should go, I often use the saying: “A city is a city, no matter its country.” Let’s be honest, some people are city people, and some would rather live under a rock anywhere else in the world. To give you a brief insight into some of the different areas of Peru, here are some of my thoughts on some of the major cities Rachel and I visited.
Lima: This is where I honestly do believe a city is a city. The traffic was horrendous, the layout is extremely large and widespread, and there was always a lot of people. This does also mean easier access to grocery stores, lots of variety for restaurants and very well-done museums, etc.
Cusco: As the absolutely stunning entryway to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, it’s no real surprise Cusco felt the most touristy. While Lima may be the capital and crowded, it wasn’t as obviously tourist-oriented as Cusco is.
Arequipa: I was pleasantly surprised by the town of Arequipa. While we had lunch at a super touristy spot and the standard tourist-trap places exist around the main square, it truly felt like we had escaped most of the tourists.
Hello Cusco (Karen DiGangi)Exploring Lima (Karen DiGangi)
Some things you can’t avoid when looking to travel to see specific sights, but setting the right expectations for yourself can completely change your experience. Be open and honest about the types of locations you hope to see and stay in.
From the planning stage straight through the trip itself, Adventure life was on top of it all. Questions were answered completely, accommodations were better than expected. All fees and transportation was addressed. This is a very professional organization, you can book with confidence.
Eric Biddinger
4 weeks ago
Our 19 day personalized trip to Peru was amazing and memorable. The itinerary Adventure Life assembled provided us with a wonderful sampling of the country and culture - Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Amazon rainforest, Paracas, and the Nazca Lines. Our guides were exceptional- informative, friendly, helpful, and service-centric. It was a trip of a lifetime.
Gino
2 months ago
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
2 months ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
3 months ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!