hey folks! I'm heading on a short hop to Peru (Lima+Cusco) next month. What were your favourite culinary/cultural experiences while there? Right now I'm most looking forward to hiking around the Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu and eating ceviche. I also have a 24hr layover in Panama city and will be checking out the canal.

the canal is pretty boring.. if you have time to go into Panama city, you should go to casco viejo (the old city) and check out the fish market, theyre both pretty close to eachother

hah noted, thanks. exploring casa viejo and the nearby market is def on the itinerary.

Couldn't agree with Ryan more. Skip the canal completely and do casco!

Yes. Have some mojitos and ceviche at the Casco Viejo

La Lucha Sangucheria - Best burger I've ever eaten. Note the address, it's hard to find by name only. It's below the Flying Dog Hostel -Diagonal 139, Miraflores 15074, Peru.
Also try Lomo Saltado and Ceviche when you're in Peru.

thank you for this and the address! I'll be staying in Miraflores so will be sure to check it out.

I'm going to second La Lucha... because of how many times I went and ate the same sandwich (El Preferido). Also ceviche at La Mar was amazing and dinner at Central if you can get a reservation (we had the 11 course tasting menu and it was incredible). Really wanted to try Panchita but didn't end up with time, but it was highly recommended by people we met. In Cusco, go to Nuna Raymi for some traditional dishes. Also head up to Limbus for a drink while watching the sun set over the city.

la canta rana in barranco for ceviche, el pan de la chola in miraflores for coffee and SOURDOUGH BREAD

Be prepared for altitude sickness in Lima and Cuzco

Lima is only 5000 feet. Shouldnt get sick there. Guess Ill find out next friday. La pas bolivia is my worry for altitude sicknesz

have a great trip

Hope so. Doing it solo

Cusco is 11,120 feet so you might get some there. Travel safe

I'm more worried about La Paz Bolivia it's at 13000 ft

Lima is sea level, on the other hand Cusco is 3400m so be prepared for.some.side effects. Punto Azul in Miraflores was amazing. Parwa in the Sacred Valley was also.unreal, but Im not sure if it is public or not. Inka grill in Cusco. Chew coca leaves it really helps

You guys are amazing thanks for all the great tips. They will definitely come in handy next week. I'm hoping by the time I get through Bolivia I should be climatized for Cusco.. Puno is 12,420 ft. Might have a bit of a problem there too. I'll be staying in Miraflores 25th to the 27th of August. I'll be staying in the old District of Lima for two days also on the returning trip home. This way I get to try to cover everything.

Has anybody tried this does anybody know if this works for altitude sickness

Hoping to take it easy for the first couple days after arrival in Cusco, and heading straight to Ollaytantambo to acclimatize ---> Machu Picchu next ---> then Sacred Valley stops ----> and return to Cusco before heading to Lima.

Matt thanks much. Punto Azul added to the list and hopefully a pitstop at Parwa on our way from Cusco to Ollantaytambo.

Matt Punto Azul and Parwa were phenomenal! thanks again

drink pisco, and in Lima stay at Bolivar Hotel, nice historic hotel, you can get a Presidential suite for $200

Ceviche eat it in Lima. Cuzco try the cuy

Gustavo- taxi driver 984 423 687, very nice guy, for $50 he will drive you to Ollanta from Cuzco with stops at Maras (salt mines) and Moray (those circles). If you have a Machu Picchu climb pass, do it first cause the last entrance is at 10am I believe, you can do the ruins after..close to 3pm not as many people there..you'll have enough time for Sun Gate and Inca bridge.. good luck! I will go back again..

thanks much Sam. Does Gustavo speak English? I would love to head straight to Ollantaytambo from the Cusco airport. With stops at Maras, Moray and perhaps stopping for lunch at Parwa restaurant.

I don't remember, probably, cause my Spanish is not as good. To visit those sites you need a pass (one pass for 5 different sites, valid for 3 days) You can buy it at any site entrance, around 20$ or $30

Im going to program this guys number in my phone. Sounds perfect for me

Awesome suggestions on here saving this. Going next friday for 20 days everywhere in peru

We stayed at a Loki Hostel. Another place we checked out while in Peru was Lake Titicaca and the floating islands, which was really amazing. The highest irish pub in the world is located in Cusco, which was a fun time. Although I'm sure you aren't going to Peru to go to an irish pub, but it was a fun place to meet other people travelling and see what people are doing/ seeing.

Thanks for the suggestions. I've already got my ticket booked for Lake Titicaca. Looking forward to it. You never know I might just stumble across that Pub. I got a busy 3 weeks planned most of the places I'm only at one night. Except Cusco I'm there for one night then to Sacred Valley then to Machu Picchu and then back to Cusco for 2 nights. I'm starting in Lima for 2 days then going on Peru hop for 12 days which ends in Cusco. Yep pretty busy schedule LOL

Jacks place in Cuzco is fabulous place to eat. Came back on Monday night. We had a hard time adjusting to the altitude. Bought bottles of oxygen, chewed cocoa leaves took Tylenol for headache. Drink lots of water.

thanks for the tips. how long did it take you to get acclimated?

we flew to Cuzco at 4 the next am and that day was a total waste. It got better the 3rd day but we had to make sure we were drinking enuf water. If you got dehydrated emergen C. (Electrolytes) in your water was always helpful. Everyone was always chewing coca leaves or kept a wad in the side of your mouth and sucked on it. You can also get the coca leaves candy. One of the girls had the altitude tablets which she took while there. It is an experience of a lifetime. Machu Picchu you can only go for 4 hours because of the Amt of people visiting and they have to try and preserve it. Try to get a bottle of oxygen from the pharmacy there just in case you need it. A must is also Rainbow Mt.but I am sure you have mapped out your route already. Enjoy Peru.

The leaves are actually coca, not cocoa. I found they helped, though I still had one episode. If you can get smelling salts, they can help revive you if you are feeling nauseous/about to pass out. The tour buses carry oxygen typically as this is a common occurrence.

I've already purchased my ticket for Machu Picchu for the morning. But I read somewhere on the internet that now they want you to have your own tour guide with you. I think it's just another way for them to make money. I was hoping that just walk in and do it solo. Does anyone know with these new rules they have if you have to have a tour guide with you

good question-following!

Jo Lavoie yes, I read in a Peruvian newspaper that you need to get in Macchu Picchu with a tour guy. But you can join other people and make a group of Max 20 people. Hope you enjoy your trip.

Thank u

Sand boarding in Cuzco!!!! So fun

Oh oh! Any details to share? I was JUST sad this week that I didn't have time to go to Ica and do this

Everything you eat in Peru will be amazing. Visit Miraflores and Barranco. Ceviche every chance I could (particularly on the beach) and Peruvian sushi were the best things I ate (ayce sushi at Oceanika in Lima). My family is Peruvian. Drink pisco sours and chicha morada.

I would definitely try Chicha Morada, it's a non-alcoholic drink from purple corn and it's so tasty! Grilled alpaca it's the best and also the coca tea is a must!

all of these sound intriguing, thank you! where did you get alpaca meat, any spots you recommend?

Jolin Pachapapa in Cusco. It's the best! You can even try a guinea pig there:)

Eva Rodinová Pachapapa was greatttttt. Thanks much!

I'm glad!

If you want to splurge, some of the world's top restaurants are actually in Lima (Central, Maido, Gaston y Astrid). I went to Maido as a once in a lifetime experience and it was amazing. I have a list of food places for Lima - PM if you want. Pisco museum, anticuchos de la tia grimanesa (it was closed when we were there but apparently awesome), lots of great ceviche in Lima, sundowner drink in La Rose Nautica. Cusco: lots of cute spots and I had a great time at a cooking class - fun if that's your thing. Highly recommend alpaca meat - it's delicious.

Maido is also the only splurge-y place i made reservations at and so looking forward to it after all the backpacking/hiking. Will PM for the list, thank you!

Jolin good call-Maido was great! Feel free to PM.

PM'd!

go to iquitos! unique city and peruvian gateway into the amazon

Not a restaurant, but a drink - be sure to have some Pisco Sours... wonderful, though powerful drink.

Lima - shouldn't get altitude sickness. Spending 2 days should be good enough time to see major sights. The Walking Tours are great (they have them in downtown/Barranco/Miraflores). Altitude sickness starts in Cuzco - give yourself time to acclimatize, otherwise if you plan to trek to MP, it will be hell on the body. Cuzco town itself maybe takes 1/2 - 1 day to see... there's MANY tour agencies there where you can locally book to do adventures eg. a day in Rainbow Mountain (5000 m, get ready for the altitude), a day in Sacred Valley, a day to see MP, or multi-day trek (I did Lares Trek-4 days- with Alpaca Expedition).

When we were in Cusco a few years back we felt some shortness of breath and a mild headache for the first few days, until we acclimatised to the altitude. Pisco Sours are good, but one is enough

If you like cats, the big park (Parque Kennedy) in Miraflores is literally full of stray cats that are really friendly with humans (people just go sit down and cats start coming up to sit in their lap). You should also try chifa (Chinese-Peruvian fusion food, though in the restaurants I went to, I think it was just Peruvian people working there so I think it's "Chinese food inspired") -- I've never had Chinese food like that before and it was really good. Restaurant Alfresco in Miraflores is really rated high for their ceviche. Try Peruvian coffee! And you can get anti-altitude sickness pills here for Cusco, which I did, but I still got really sick a few hours after I landed. I was in the market in the meat section and with all the meat lying out there in the heat, I just fainted in a cold sweat. Then I had a headache for the rest of the day. So ya, don't make big plans when you first arrive in Cusco.

I loved Peru but I (and everyone else in my group) got quite sick. I suggest being prepared by visiting a travel medical clinic and getting ciprofloxacin (aka cipro). I had some but ran out so had a Peruvian doctor make a house call at my hotel. You may not need it at all but better safe than sorry. The medication lasts several years too so you can always use it in the future if you don't take them in Peru.