I feel like it has been FOREVER since my trip to Ecuador.
Here I am again with a budget breakdown for you nice people, because I am all for travel pricing transparency. Also, I feel like this is a place many people would like to travel to, so I wanted to give as much information as possible about it.
Below is a photo of the budget breakdown I keep on my Excel spreadsheet:
I divided everything in two as I am doing this trip with my mom! Super excited about it. Peru is one of those bucket list places, and being able to travel there with my mom makes it even better.
First we started with the flights.
As you can see on the above Excel sheet screenshots, the flight(s) for this trip were booked way back on January 27th. Our roundtrip flight from Toronto to Lima, with American Airlines, was $719.61 per person. (we have a quick layover in Miami there, and one in Dallas on way back) The flight from Lima to Cusco was also booked at this time for $158.50 per person, roundtrip, direct with Latam Airlines.
So far I’ve had decent experiences with AA, but this will be my first time using Latam and will update on how that experience was when I return.
For this trip we actually have three different stays:
3 nights in Lima, Peru
4 nights in Cusco, Peru
2 nights in Lima, Peru
When we arrive we begin our trip in Lima, where we will be landing.
We figured to get somewhat acclimatized to the altitude, it was best to spend more than just a night in Lima. For this portion of the trip we are staying in a two-bedroom and two-bathroom AirBnB. The place looked awesome in the photos, had perfect reviews and a great location. Total cost for the 3-nights was $235.96 so it was $117.98 per person. Will let you know how the AirBnB was when I get back, but if you’re interested the link to it is here.
After Lima we will fly over to Cusco and stay 4-nights in a hotel called El Balcón. The location of this place looks great for exploring Cusco, the reviews are great and breakfast is included in the cost of the stay. Total for a triple room is $204.00, which is $102.50 per person. I think for 4-nights that is outstanding.
Following Cusco and visiting Machu Picchu, we return to Lima for 2-nights before our flight home, and for that we opted to book a hotel.
The hotel name is Hotel Estelar San Isidro, and the cost was $156.00, so $78.00 per person. This is for the Standard Twin Room and breakfast is included in the price. The hotel looks great and seems to be the perfect choice to wind down before we fly home.
For this trip, NO TESTING IS REQUIRED. The layover in the USA doesn’t require it either, fantastic. I will note here though, the testing would have been required if we both didn’t have three shots. Literally leading up to the day we fly I just happened to read those with only two shots would also need a negative rapid test. Luckily, we both have two + booster so we were good to go, no test needed.
If you ever want to know testing requirements for whatever trip you have planned, make sure to check the Sherpa website. It is great because I can input that I am a Canadian citizen, fully vaccinated, traveling from where and to where + what my layover is. Then the website gives me a total breakdown of everything required for the trip. Fantastic. Such a big help.
Now for spending money I’ve looked up what food costs are etc.
I exchanged $350.00 Canadian into $1100.00 SOL, which is the local currency in Peru. I have no idea if this will or won’t be enough, another thing I will update on when I return. Doesn’t look like food costs and Uber costs are that egregious, but I have been known to spend a fortune on food and liquor. *shrugs*
Finally, the one big ticket item for this trip is the tour from Cusco to Machu Picchu. No way we were going to visit Peru without seeing this magical place.
There was a lot of tour options, but we ended up choosing this one, found on Viator.
This is a lengthy day trip that I think requires taking two busses and a train to finish the whole thing. We will definitely be gone the whole day, I can’t wait. The cost was $474.31 per person. Fine by me.
The total budget for this trip is $2000.90 Canadian for me.
I bet Peru can be done for a much cheaper budget, but what the heck. I am traveling with my mom and I’d like to have comfortable accommodations with very good reviews, plus I am gone for 10-days.
For me, the money spent to see one of the Seven Wonders of The World feels very much worth it.
Will let you know how it all goes when I return!
- Mirna
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