PeruHop or Fly, & other questions, Independence Day
 

Hi,

We will be arriving in Lima the night of July 27th, and departing from Lima the night of August 6th, so this gives up about 9.5 days of touring. We will be with our family of 5 (kids are grownish... 16, 19, and 24). Fairly adventuresome, love good food (street to 5 star restaurants), but because my daughters can be a bit trusting, want to be careful.
Several questions...

1. We are arriving during Independence Day celebrations. Any advice or plans for this would be greatly appreciated.
2. Has anyone used the PeruHop bus? Trying to decide between this, or staying a few days in Lima with day trips, then flying to Cusco.
3. With such a short time, what area should we do see besides Lima & Cusco? Then bus does a nice route, but I also know that many love the forest.
4. Are the Ballesta islands worth a trip (I know it will be cooler), or the floating islands inland, and how about the sea lion trips?
5. Best way to safely get around Lima, especially to and from dinner.

Any advice is appreciated. I need to hurry up and get our lodging. Thinking Airbnb for Lima, as getting 3 hotel rooms can be very pricey...

Thank you!

I have been in Peru on independence day on several occasions and apart from a few more parades than usual , can’t say I noticed much difference.

I haven’t used the Peru Hop bus nor would I as there are cheaper and better alternatives. the only advantage I can see is if you really want or need to be delivered right to the door of your accommodations. it really isnt that difficult to get around in Peru.

With 9 days, I would suggest just Lima the Sacred Valley and Cusco.depending on flight times, I would leave Lima until the end. Fly from Lima to Cusco, get transport straight to Ollantyambo. Some where like Apu Lodge will have family size rooms so you may only need 2. Stay a night or two, a day trip to Machu Pichu and then a tour of the Sacred Valley on the way back to Cusco - Taxidatum are good - https://taxidatum.com/chincheros-maras-moray-taxi-tour/ . You could easily spend 3 days seeing the sights of Cusco but two would do with maybe a side trip to Pisac and Sacsayhuaman - you may pick up a few ideas from our blog @ https://accidentalnomads.com/category/peru/ .

Fly back to Lima and spend your last couple of days there. I would suggest staying in barranco for its villagey vibe. Lots of bars restaurants and safe to wander around. Some prefer Miraflores the barrio next door but either would be good. sights to see can easily be found in the Destination section of Fodors. Lots to see in Centro Historic but I wouldn’t stay there.

You can get around most places in Lima using the Metropolitano - a bus system which runs in its own dedicated lanes avoiding the traffic. if you need to use taxis, get your accommodation or restaurants to call for you. do not pick up taxis on the street. Taxidatum operate a reasonably priced service from and to the Lima and Cusco airports which is bookable online. Green Taxis are also good from Lima airport. Many restaurants in Barranco or Miraflores you can walk to quite safely.

Both Lima and Cusco offer excellent food opportunities at all levels. you will be spoilt for choice! for any of the more famous 5* places e.g. Gaston y Acurio , Central etc. you will need to think about booking now. I wouldn’t leave it too long for you accommodation and flights either.

Happy travels

Thank you so much!!

I agree with crellston that it makes sense to get to the Sacred Valley quickly to allow time to acclimate.

If you haven't seen it, you might find some useful ideas or options in my trip report:
https://www.fodors.com/community/sou...untry-1655521/

I agree with crellston and kja. I probably wouldn't want to do the Ballestas in July because it's usually fog season on the coast.

If you aren't familiar with all there is to do in Lima, the website limaeasy.com is a great resource. Although verify opening hours since I'm not sure it's 100% up to date.

I used taxidatum for Lima airport transfers. They are now also available around Cusco. In Lima and the SV I normally use public transit and the odd taxi to get around. I believe there are now aps for taxis as well as Uber in LIma. Cusco airport is very close to town and it's just as easy to have your hotel arrange a taxi pickup. The last time I was in Cusco you still had to be careful about hailing street taxis (getting one from Ollantaytambo wasn't a problem). You can always ask your hotel whether it's okay to take a street taxi..I'd be more cautious if you've got luggage or any valuables. In Pisac on the Sundays, there were people helping the tourists to get taxis up to the ruins. Fares are standardized even if not metered, so ask someone what you should be paying and agree on the price in advance.