Travel Tip 50
My top five tips for how to pace a trip.
Day trips like going the Q’eswechaka Inca bridge are amazing but are long days and best done sparingly.
It’s so tempting to try to pack everything in.
Listicles and social media will feed you a never-ending stream of amazing things to do for just about any destination you pick. Don’t get caught up in trying to check everything off the myriad “must do” lists. You’ll enjoy your trip so much more if you pace yourself.
It’s easy to jump into pre-Inca archeology in Trujillo, but try spending the first day at the beach in Huanchaco.
Here’s my top tips for how to pace you trip
1. Take the first day easy
Consider jet lag, exhaustion from travel and changes to climate or altitude. Even if you’re not changing time and dealing with jet lag, travel is still exhausting. Don’t plan a big tour or excursion on your first day. Have a slow morning, walk around a bit and get the lay of the land. Ground yourself before you start bouncing around.
Day hikes like Waqra Pukará are wonderful and also tiring. Don’t plan big days like this back to back.
2. Pick one or two big things per week
It’s tempting to pack in full-day tours every day of the trip, but so easy to wear yourself out that way. Keep in mind that “must do” lists are highly subjective and even sites based on reviews can be manipulated. Don’t pick the top two most popular activities without considering everything that made it to the top ten. Day tours are often very long days, with early pick up times and late drop offs. Even two days in a row like that can make your vacation not feel like a vacation.
One day during my week in Trujillo I just walked around the main plaza and visited the nearby parks and plazas.
3. Fill in with smaller things
On days between your big tours, pick something simple like a park, shopping area or a couple restaurants. If you’re staying in a walkable area, choose something far away and spend part of your day getting there and back.
Yep, that’s me just reading about birds in the Peruvian rainforest, one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet.
4. Give yourself a day off
We travel to see new things, but most of our vacations are also our only chance to relax between hectic work schedules. It’s okay to go all the way to Venice just to sit on a balcony and read a book. That’s what my friend Susan does in Venice and she loves the city as much as anybody. If you think that would give you FOMO, pick a book about or set in the place you’re visiting.
Think about how much people spend on retreats to get away from everything. They spend so much effort picking the right place to sit and meditate. You can do that anywhere. Set at least one day a week aside for doing next to nothing. Pick a balcony or a riverbank and just enjoy being there. You’ll have so much more energy for the other days if you do.
If you’re on vacation it’s okay to do something relaxing. You don’t have to rush around seeing everything.
5. Don’t try to do everything
Even after five years in Cusco, I haven’t seen and done everything. Don’t expect that you can do everything with one or even two weeks at your destination. Fight the FOMO!
Day said she got plenty of Inca archeology, history and culture - without going to Machu Picchu.
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7 Day Cusco & Sacred Valley Itinerary
I designed this itinerary for my friend Day. She’s a biologist who had just spent three weeks collecting snails at fifty sites in an exhausting road trip around Peru. I wanted to show her plenty of Inca history, culture, and architecture even though she didn’t want to go to Machu Picchu. I also wanted her to try lots of Peruvian food and to go birding in both the Sacred Valley and in some marshes south of Cusco.
The Qorikancha is the first place all visitors to Cusco should go because of how Inca and Spanish architecture and history are layered on top of each other here.
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15 Inca Sites Besides Machu Picchu
This is my favorite article I’ve written about how to learn and see everything you want to about the Inca by going to lesser-known, uncrowded sites. I send this article to people all the time to show them how much more there is to Peru than just one famous and well-marketed site.