Best way to travel in Peru by yourself on the cheap

Peru is a great country and the great news is that you can do it yourself, or with a touring company, if you don't want to worry yourself with the planning.

If you are thinking of doing it by yourself then this is for you!

Start with Lima. It's great! It has great cuisine and lots of attractions. In my opinion, Lima is where you can find the best restaurants in the country. In Lima, you will be able to get super fresh seafood, and lots of fusion cuisine with Chinese and Japanese influences. So don't skip it; spend at least 2 days there.

Also, don't forget to visit Barranco, which is Lima's bohemian district. Try to find a hotel in safer areas like Miraflores, San Isidro, Magdalena del Mar, La Molina, San Borja or San Miguel. The first three are very close to the ocean. There are many hotels in the area. A lot of them are really good, but some may not be, so do check on traveladvisor.com to see what other people are saying.

After, I would recommend that you check out the Nazca Lines (these are sort of like crop circles). Nazca is located 6 hours south of Lima and you can get there by bus. There are many bus companies that go there. Cruz del Sur is a great company for that! But I think Civa and Tepsa are just about the same. There are others that are good too.

If you want to have a stopover on the way to Nazca from Lima, only 3 hours away from Lima you will find Pisco and Ica. Pisco is the city where "Pisco", Peru's national beverage, was born. It is a type of brandy. You can visit vineyards there and sample some Pisco or Pisco Sour, Peruvian national cocktail.

Another place you could stop on the way to Nazca is in Ica, which is a nice little city. It is in the dessert and about a 10 minute ride from the city (the cab should not be more than 5 soles), you will find the Huacachina's Oasis. This is a natural oasis and is a pretty neat place. If you like the dunes and you've always wanted to try sand-surfing then don't miss this place.

After these stopovers, continue on your route to Nazca. Once in Nazca you can fly over the Nazca Lines for about $50. Don't pay any more than that. This is the standard. If you can fill out the airplane with 4 people, then you are entitled to a discount.

Once you are done with Nazca, you can take the bus to visit Arequipa, which is another 6 hours away. In Arequipa, take a taxi and tell the driver that you are looking for a hotel close to the square. He will take you to several and you can get out of the taxi, check out the hotel, and if you don't like the hotel just get back into the taxi and the taxi driver will take you somewhere else. Just keep going until you find something you like. This should not cost you more than 5 soles. The taxi driver will usually get a commission from the hotel owner just because he brought you in. That's why it doesn't matter how many hotels you go too, they get paid either way. Arequipa is called the White City in Peru, and is one of my favourite cities. The people are great and the weather there always seems to be good!

Arequipa's most popular volcano is the Misti Volcano. There are also 2 canyons, the Colca Canyon which is twice as deep as the Great Canyon, and the Cotahuasy Canyon. You can not get to either of these places on your own, as they are a long way far from the city. Well actually you could, but it's not so simple. You have to get a car and someone that knows the way or a map! But in that case, I think it will probably be just the same as going with a tour company. The tours to the colca canyon take about 2 days. At one point, you will be about 12000 feet above sea level - so chew those coca leaves and drink the tea! There are many touring companies offering their services in the town square, so you can pick and choose, as they are all advertising the same thing. Prices are pretty standard. Any variations in the price will generally depend on the kind of hotel you want to stay at.

I personally like the Cotahuasy canyon more, but the road is pretty bad and you need more than 2 days. But, if you are up for the adventure, then check it out too. The scenery is amazing! Some people also like climbing up the volcano, is pretty safe.

If you are doing the Colca Canyon tour, another thing you can do is take a bus to Puno from nearby. Puno is on Lake Titicaca, which is famous for being the highest lake in the world. Then you can continue on to Cusco from Puno or just go back to Arequipa city and then take a bus to Cusco. The overnight buses are the best.

Keep in mind that the best time to go to Cusco is from May to August. Avoid going there in January to March, as that is the rainy season.

The first day in Cusco I recommend you do nothing, just to give yourself a chance acclimatize, as the city is 3300 m above sea level. Your lungs get to work extra hard! The next day you can do all kinds of things around Cusco. There is lots to see and lots to do! Make sure you get the tourist ticket which is about $22 and you get access to 16 attractions, among them Ollantaytambo, Ruinas de Pisaq, Chinchero, Sacsayhuaman, etc. You can also get a city tour for about $10, but you won't get access to the attractions mentioned above.

Then, the next day go to the sacred valley. Just ask where to take the bus from Cusco to Pisaq. Make sure that it is Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday, as that's when the market is on, which is something to see for sure. The bus should cost you 2 soles. From there, you can take the bus to Ollantaytambo's train station. There is a train, called Cerrojo, that runs everyday and which goes to Aguas Calientes (the town closest to Machu Picchu). The train leaves at 7pm and arrives in Aguas Calientes at 10pm. This train will cost you $40USD round trip. You will have to stay two nights in Aguas Calientes. If hostels are your thing, then you can get one for about $15 USD there and sometimes less.

The next morning, get up early and go to Machu Picchu, which is a short 20 minute bus ride. It will cost you $5 or $6 USD. If you want, you can also walk there, which will take about 1 hour (uphill)! The great thing about doing it this way is that there won't be that many people in Machu Picchu in the morning, as the morning Backpacker train arrives only at around 11am. So, for a few hours, it is all yours! The entrance to Machu Picchu is about $35 USD.

When you are done, you can go back to Aguas Calientes on the bus or by walking. You will have to stay that night in Aguas Calientes, as the train leaves the next morning at about 5am. In Aguas Calientes, make sure you check out the thermal pools, which are about a 15 minute walk from the main square. There is also a newly discovered trek to Putucusi, which is the mountain on the opposite side of the Vilcanota River to Machu Picchu.

Just so you know, another way of getting to Machu Picchu, if you don't want to stay in Aguas Calientes, is by taking the Backpacker train from Cusco, but that is more expensive and you don't get the chance to explore Machu Picchu alone without too many tourists. You can get more info about this train from perurail.com

Whatever you do in Peru - you are bound to enjoy yourself!! Eat the yummy food, see the beautiful and breathtaking sights, explore the Peruvian culture - there is something there for everyone. Most importantly, keep a positive attitude! :)

If you want to know more info about other options for exploring Peru, you can find them HERE.