Experiencing Peru through a Camera Lens
Our most recent Travel Her Way adventure consisted of 12 girls traveling to Peru to experience the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, and so much more.
While we surely have more detailed experience blog posts coming soon, we wanted to start out with the thing that captures eyes the most: photography. Our full itinerary of every single Travel Her Way trip is available online, but this will provide you with specific photos that align with each days’ adventures in Peru. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Day 1: Cusco
We were warmly welcomed to Peru! Our local brand ambassador greeted us at the Cusco airport (Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport) and brought us straight to the hotel. We then had the rest of the day to explore the city, relax, and acclimatize until our group welcome dinner that night. We had our first experience with Peruvian food, learning about the countries specialty entrees and cocktails.
Day 2: Inca Jungle Trek: Cusco - Santa Maria (Biking, Rafting)
After we were picked up from the hotel, we took a windy ride to the Malaga High Pass where our adventure began. After the briefing, we experienced an adventurous 2.5-hour mountain bike ride and explored the Huamanmarka Archaeological site along the way. Once we arrived at Santa Maria village, we enjoyed a scenic 2.5-hour rafting adventure on the Urubamba River (also known as Vilcanota River). We ended the day by spending the night in a jungle lodge in Santa Maria.
Day 3: Inca Jungle Trek: Santa Maria – Santa Teresa (Hiking, Hot Spring)
After breakfast, we started the day with a short but intense climb to the Inca Jungle trail. Then we descended to Quellomaya where we stopped for lunch and had some time to relax (cute puppies were involved!) After lunch we continued to trek along the Urubamba River. We met an extremely generous family that opened their home to us, showing us the coffee, fruits, and more that they use their land to create. Guido used a special plant from the jungle to give us all our very own face design, each one representing Peru in one way or another. We completed the day with a visit to the Santa Theresa hot springs. The warm water was incredible after a long day of adventuring, and we were able to let the ache and tiredness slip away. We spent the night in a comfortable hotel in Santa Theresa.
Day 4: Inca Jungle Trek: Santa Teresa - Aguas Calientes (Hiking, Zipline)
If you love flying through rivers and jungles, today is a day you will love, filled with a zipline adventure. Afterward, we continued to hike along the trail. After a short break, our journey continued along the great Inca jungle, hiking through waterfalls, coca and coffee farms. Eventually, we arrived at Aguas Calientes. The whole group joined the guides for a great dinner, where we also briefed about our trek to Machu Picchu for the next day!!
Day 5: Inca Jungle Trek: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
Today started with an early wake up call to catch one of the first buses to Machu Picchu. Guido, our amazing guide, showed us all around Machu Picchu, teaching us about the culture and history. Once the tour was complete, we were able to explore the beautiful ruins at our own pace, exploring the areas that intrigued us most. After a switch train ride back to Cusco, we settled into our hotel for the night.
Day 6: Cultural Day Tour: Cusco City Guided Tour + Farmers Market Guided Tour + Cooking Class
Today was an absolute blast. After lots of exploring and hiking, we had the change to learn more about Peru in a new way, through food. Our retreat day in the city started with a delicious breakfast together, followed by a guided city tour to explore the historical town. In the afternoon, we met up with a very talented local chef for a cooking class. Before we began the actual cooking, he took us to the San Pedro farmers market, where we actually picked up the fresh ingredients for the cooking class! We learned more about how food is handled and sold throughout the city as well.
Day 7: Day Trip to Rainbow Mountain
Another early morning, this day started around 4:30 AM. We left early for a 3-hour drive to Quesiuno community, the starting point for the hike. We began by ascending approximately 3 hours to reach the beautiful Rainbow Mountain. Once we finally made it to the top, we were able to enjoy the view and take pictures for about an hour. The trek down was substantially easier, but still took about 2 hours.
Day 8: Departure
On our last and final day together, we hit the town, exploring shops, local eateries, and simply experiencing the town of Cusco by foot. One by one, we were picked up by a Travel Her Way representative for transportation to the airport for our flights home. Goodbyes are never easy, and this one definitely was not. We all hugged, and some cried, but we continue to keep in touch through our handy group chat. 8 days in Peru - a trip we will never forget.
