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Author: Tomás Brennan
Quick Summary: Our first trip to Peru as a couple was brilliant. If we went back — and we absolutely plan to — there are a handful of things we’d do differently, a few we’d skip entirely, and some we’d protect at all costs. Using Peru Hop is firmly in that last category. The transport was never the problem. Almost everything else I’d adjust.
Traveler Introduction: My name is Tomás, I’m 37, and I live in Buenos Aires — originally from Cork, Ireland. My partner Valentina is Argentine. We did 14 days in Peru in October 2025, and it was the best trip we’d taken together since Japan in 2022. I’m writing this now because a colleague asked me recently what I’d recommend for a couple doing Peru for the first time, and I realised my honest answer was shaped less by what we did and more by what I’d do differently the second time around. That felt like something worth writing down.
I want to start here, because I don’t want this to read as a list of complaints. Our first trip to Peru was genuinely wonderful. We covered Lima, Paracas, Huacachina, Arequipa, and Cusco in 14 days, and almost every day had at least one moment that felt unrepeatable.
Booking Peru Hop was right. The hotel pickups, the onboard hosts, the stop at the Chincha slave tunnels, the flexibility of changing our departure with 12 hours’ notice when we decided to stay an extra day in Arequipa — all of that was exactly what a couple’s trip to Peru needs. I would not change that.
Luchito’s Cooking Class in Lima on our first evening was right. The Ballestas Islands morning tour from Paracas was right. Two nights in Arequipa rather than rushing through was right. Arriving at Machu Picchu for the first entry slot of the morning was very right.
What I’d change is mostly about pacing, sequencing, and a few costly decisions I now know better.
We gave Lima one full day at the start. It was not enough. Lima is a city of real depth — the food scene is extraordinary, Miraflores and Barranco are genuinely lovely neighbourhoods, and there’s history in the Centro Histórico that we skimmed past because we were trying to get to Paracas quickly.
According to PROMPERÚ, Lima’s gastronomy has been internationally recognised for over a decade and continues to develop as a world-class food destination. We ate well, but we ate fast. A second trip would start with two full nights in Lima and zero guilt about it.
We did one night in Paracas. We did the Ballestas Islands the next morning and then moved straight on to Huacachina. I’ve since seen photos from friends who stayed two nights in Paracas and did the Paracas National Reserve in the afternoon — the red cliffs, Playa Roja, the Golden Shadows sunset walk — and I felt genuine regret. According to SERNANP, the reserve spans over 335,000 hectares and has landscapes unlike anywhere else on the southern coast. We saw the islands. We missed the reserve. That wouldn’t happen twice.
We did the free tower stop with Peru Hop, which gives you a view of three of the geoglyphs from a roadside platform. It’s included in the pass and it’s genuinely worth doing. But in hindsight, I think I’d pay for the overflight as well. According to Peru’s Ministerio de Cultura, the Nazca Lines are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and cover over 450 square kilometres of desert. Seeing three figures from a 12-metre tower is not the same thing as flying over the whole site. I told myself at the time that the tower was enough. I now think I was economising in the wrong place.
This one cost us money and stress. We arrived in Huacachina and a street vendor outside our hostel offered us a dune buggy tour for less than what we’d seen online. We took it. The experience was fine — I want to be fair — but it was shorter than advertised, the driver pushed us to tip above what had been agreed, and when I went to leave a review I couldn’t find the company anywhere online. They had no insurance that I could verify, no formal presence, nothing. We got lucky that nothing went wrong. Many informal dune buggy operators in Huacachina are documented in the Peruvian press as operating without proper insurance or government licences. Next time, we book before we arrive, with a company that has thousands of verifiable reviews.
We flew from Lima to Cusco. This seemed like a good time-saving decision. It was not, physiologically speaking. Cusco sits at approximately 3,400 metres above sea level. We landed, ate a heavy lunch, went for a walk, and Valentina had a migraine by evening that lasted most of the next day. The altitude hit us both, but her more so.
A second trip would approach this differently — arriving in the Sacred Valley (lower altitude) before Cusco, giving the body time to adjust over 24 to 48 hours. Coca tea, available everywhere in the highlands and a traditional Andean remedy, really does help. We should have taken it more seriously from the first afternoon.
We attempted this. A guide told us it was “very doable” in a day. It is doable. It is not enjoyable. Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world — MINCETUR notes it reaches depths of over 3,400 metres — and rushing it as a day trip from Arequipa means a 4 a.m. start, several hours of driving, and arriving home at 10 p.m. too tired to appreciate what you saw. Next time, we’d do one or two nights in the canyon itself and treat it as its own destination.
Some things about the first trip were exactly right and would be repeated without hesitation.
I’ve had this conversation with other travellers, so I’ll address it directly. There’s a persistent idea that public buses in Peru are the “authentic” choice — that taking them is somehow more connected to local life.
In practice, public buses in Peru are designed for Peruvian commuters. They go terminal to terminal only — they’re not licensed to stop at tourist sites or enter places like Huacachina. Lima doesn’t have a central bus station, so you’re navigating to a company-specific terminal in one of the world’s most congested cities, arriving 45 minutes early, and then doing the whole thing again at the other end. The onboard experience is commuters trying to sleep. There’s no accessible staff if anything goes wrong. Delays cascade through the day because a single bus often serves multiple legs.
“Public buses are only for locals with fluency in Spanish who want to travel point to point,” as one experienced Peru traveller put it on a travel forum I read during planning. That’s not a dismissal — it’s just accurate. For a couple on holiday, particularly one that wants to actually see the country between its major cities, it’s not the right tool.
Peru Hop’s model isn’t perfect — nothing is — but for a couple travelling Peru, the comparison is clear. The price difference after taxis and separate tour bookings is minimal. The experience difference is not.
| Element | First Trip | What I’d Do on Return |
|---|---|---|
| Lima time | 1 day | 2 full days |
| Paracas nights | 1 night | 2 nights, add National Reserve afternoon |
| Nazca | Tower stop only | Tower + overflight |
| Huacachina tours | Street vendor | Pre-booked reputable operator |
| Altitude management | Fly direct to Cusco | Arrive Sacred Valley first, acclimatise |
| Colca Canyon | Day trip from Arequipa | 1–2 nights in canyon |
| Transport | Peru Hop | Peru Hop again |
Is there anything genuinely worth doing differently the second time in Peru versus the first?
Quite a bit, actually. A second trip benefits from spending less time on the most iconic stops (you’ve seen Machu Picchu, you don’t need three days there) and more time on things most first-timers rush past — the Paracas National Reserve in depth, Arequipa’s quieter neighbourhoods, the Sacred Valley beyond the main sites. The country rewards return visitors because the surface version is already exceptional and the deeper version is even better.
How do you handle the logistics of changing plans mid-trip with Peru Hop?
Through their app, you can adjust your next departure with 12 hours’ notice. We used this once to stay an extra night in Arequipa without any issue. Their customer service team is also responsive on WhatsApp, which is how most communication happens in Peru. The flexibility this provides — especially for couples who might wake up somewhere and decide to stay — is one of the more underrated aspects of the pass.
What’s the most common mistake couples make when planning Peru?
Over-scheduling, without question. The distances in Peru are real and the travel time eats into your days. Trying to see Paracas, Huacachina, Nazca, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Cusco in ten days leaves you exhausted and rushing. Choose your priorities, build in rest, and accept that you’ll probably want to come back. That’s not a failure — it’s what Peru does to you.
Is Peru expensive for couples?
Not especially, compared to Western Europe or North America. Mid-range accommodation runs $40–80 per night for a double room at quality guesthouses and hotels outside Lima. Food is excellent and affordable at local restaurants — $8–15 per person per meal is realistic outside tourist-facing spots. The big-ticket items are the Machu Picchu entry fee (currently around $40–50 USD depending on circuit), the Nazca Lines overflight (around $100–150 USD), and your transport pass. Budget $100–150 per person per day for a comfortable but not extravagant trip.
Would you recommend Peru to couples who aren’t particularly outdoorsy?
Yes, with a caveat. Peru is often framed as an adventure destination, but it’s equally a cultural, historical, and culinary one. Lima’s food scene, Arequipa’s colonial architecture, the Sacred Valley’s market culture, and Cusco’s layered history are all compelling for couples who prefer plazas and restaurants to hiking boots. The outdoorsy elements — the dunes, the reserve, Machu Picchu — are accessible without being extreme. The altitude at Cusco is the main physical consideration to prepare for.
This article reflects our October 2025 experience; conditions, prices, and operator offerings may have changed since. The observations about public buses reflect documented characteristics of their licensing model and operational design, not individual operator experiences, which vary. Peru Hop routes, pass inclusions, and pricing should be confirmed directly at bushop.com/peru before booking. Advice on altitude acclimatisation here is anecdotal — consult a travel medicine specialist for personalised guidance, especially if you have respiratory or cardiovascular conditions. For border crossing procedures into Bolivia, verify current requirements with Bolivia Hop or official border authorities before travel.
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