Rainbow Mountain Hike: Everything You Need to Know
Rainbow Mountain (also called the “Mountain of Seven Colors” or “Vinicunca” in the native Quechua language), located in the Andes Mountains of Peru, truly lives up to its name, with colorful striations streaked across its slopes. Due to its otherworldly appearance, the Rainbow Mountain hike has quickly become one of the most popular day trips from the bustling colonial city of Cusco. But, due to its remote location, extremely high elevation, and the INSANE crowds that swarm the mountaintop, actually being able to enjoy your visit here isn’t as straightforward as you might think. Here’s everything you need to know about the Rainbow Mountain hike, from how to be safe on the trail to how to beat the massive crowds.
Laguna 69 Hike: Everything You Need to Know
Peru is known for its incredible hiking trails, but some areas, like the famed Andes Mountains around the city of Cusco, get all of the attention. But this is a HUGE oversight—the Cordillera Blanca mountain range, tucked away in northern Peru, boasts massive glaciers, more than 400 alpine lakes, and some of the tallest mountains in all of Peru. The Laguna 69 trail manages to combine ALL of those features (and SO much more natural beauty!) into one jawdropping day hike. So if you want to experience some of the best that the Andes Mountains have to offer, here’s everything you need to know about the Laguna 69 hike.
How Much the Inca Trail Cost Us (Every Penny We Spent!)
The Inca Trail, located high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, is one of the most epic adventures that you can have in South America. This iconic trek takes you past dozens of ancient Inca ruins and some of the most breathtaking vistas of the Andes Mountains and culminates at Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. However, hiking the trail doesn’t come cheap—in fact, it’s the most expensive trek that my husband, Justin, and I have ever completed. If you’re wanting to plan this incredible trek for yourself, here’s exactly how much the Inca Trail cost us, from the hike itself to some of the smaller items we would have never thought about.
Packing List for the Inca Trail (The ULTIMATE Guide)
The Inca Trail may be the most iconic multi-day trek in all of South America, leading from the heart of the Sacred Valley of Peru to Machu Picchu, one of the best preserved cities of the Incan empire. It’s also a little bit unusual for a backpacking trip—most of your food, gear, and even some of your personal belongings are carried by porters along the trail. So what should you pack for this bucket list trail—and what can you leave at home? My husband, Justin, and I have done a TON of multi-day backpacking trips and recently applied all of that knowledge to packing for and tackling the Inca Trail. So, here's everything you need to include on your packing list for the Inca Trail to have the best time on this epic hike.
How to Get to Machu Picchu from Cusco, Peru
Machu Picchu is one of the best preserved Incan ruin sites on the planet AND is one of the Seven Wonders of the World! So, it’s no surprise that this is the most popular attraction in Peru, with a whopping 1.5 MILLION visitors per year. And, yet, it’s actually not straightforward to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco, the city that serves as the main springboard for most people exploring the Sacred Valley and other Incan sites in the surrounding area. In fact, it actually generally involves at least three modes of transportation! Sounds confusing? It is! But we’ve broken down in this article exactly how to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco, so you can experience this Wonder of the World all for yourself.
Inca Trail: The ULTIMATE Hiking Guide
The Inca Trail is arguably the most iconic trail in all of South America. This trek, typically hiked over the course of four days, follows along the ancient steps of the Inca people in the Sacred Valley of Peru all the way to the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu, one of the best preserved ruin sites on the planet and one of the Seven Wonders of the World! Along the way, you’ll pass dozens of Inca ruins sites—most of which only a handful of tourists get to see a day—and some of the most spectacular views of the Andes Mountains. To hike this iconic trek, though, you need to do a bit of leg work—both before and once you hit the trail! Here’s everything you need to know about hiking the Inca Trail.
Review of Vertical Sky Suites in the Sacred Valley of Peru (Honest and Unbiased)
In the Sacred Valley of Peru, you’ll find one of the most unique hotels on the planet—Vertical Sky Suites (also called Vertical Sky Luxury Suites). The hotel consists of some very special accommodations—geodesic domes with spectacular open views of the sky and, perhaps more importantly, capsules made out of glass and wood that dangle off the side of a rugged cliff, some 2,000 feet above the valley floor below. And, to make these thrilling rooms even MORE adrenaline-inducing, you need to climb down a via ferrata (on the side of the aforementioned cliff!) to get into these capsules. Sound pretty wild? It definitely is! My husband, Justin, and I recently spent the night in one of these capsules (paying for it with our own hard-earned money!) and are reporting back to share everything—both the good and the bad—about the experience. So here’s our honest and unbiased review of Vertical Sky Suites, one of the most unique hotels in South America.
The Ultimate Patagonia Packing List
With its unique wildlife, technicolor lakes, and rugged mountains, it’s seriously STUNNING and has some of the most unique opportunities for outdoor adventure in the world! It’s also known for something a bit less fun—incredibly dynamic and unpredictable weather, which can make packing for this special corner of the planet a bit difficult. Not to worry, though—my husband, Justin, and I just wrapped up two months adventuring all over Patagonia, figuring out exactly what you should bring with you. So, here’s our ultimate Patagonia packing list, with everything you need to make the most of your time in this jaw-dropping land of ancient glaciers and stunning fjords. Not to worry, though—my husband, Justin, and I just wrapped up spending two months hiking and adventuring all over Patagonia, figuring out exactly what you should bring with you—and what you can leave at home. Accordingly, here’s our Patagonia packing list, with everything you need to make the most of your time in this jaw-dropping land of ancient glaciers and stunning fjords.
Two week Patagonia Itinerary (with Ideas if You Have More or Less Time!)
Patagonia is one of the most magical places I’ve ever visited—rugged mountains, abundant wildlife, and some of the most spectacularly colored lakes on the planet. But it’s also HUGE—encompassing the southern tip of both Argentina and Chile, Patagonia stretches for over 730,000 square miles! So, if you don’t have YEARS to explore this massive area, it can be hard to know where—and how—you should spend your limited time here. But not to fear! After exploring this special part of the planet for over two months, I’ve put together the perfect two week Patagonia itinerary—with lots of ideas on how to tailor your trip if you have more or less time here.
7 Best Hikes in Patagonia
Patagonia is known for its rugged mountains, technicolor lakes, and world-class hiking trails. Honestly, there’s so many incredible hikes here, it can be a bit overwhelming to try and pick which places to explore in your limited time here. My husband, Justin, and I recently spent two months exploring Patagonia and getting as many kilometers under our hiking boots as we possibly could. And, after all our adventures, we put together this list of 7 of the best hikes in Patagonia, so you can experience the best of what this special corner of the planet has to offer.