Getting a Visa for Peru

To get our visa for Peru, we had to be at the Peruvian Consulate in San Francisco in person. We were not able to reach the consulate by phone regarding our queries before our trip to the consulate but this is how the process went on for us.

We made sure that we had all the requested documentation for the tourist visa from the Consulado General del Peru website and made sure that we were there at the consulate around 9 am. The waiting area is small room with around 30 chairs and we were asked to write down our names in a log by the call window. There was a number token system but that was only for Peruvian nationals.

There was a notice board in the consulate waiting room which had a slightly different list of required documentations like 2 copies of the visa form and a letter from the place of work(for H1 visa holders).

After waiting for an hour with no idea of what was to happen, we were called inside the office around 10:15 am. The visa process was long with photos of applicants taken in the premises again. The staff were friendly and accommodating of especially our young children. It was around 11:45 am when our processing was complete and we came out with a visa stamped on our passports.

If you have children, make sure that you carry a snack and think of ways to keep them entertained.

Peru Trip Itinerary

Around a Thanksgiving weekend in November, we set out on a trip to Peru. Peru is South America's third largest country, housing the mighty Andes mountains, the lush green Amazon rainforest and dry desert coast. We did this trip with a 4 year old and a 17 month old in tow. Our four year old especially enjoyed the Amazon jungle part of the trip. This was our Peru Trip Itinerary.

Day 1 - Lima
We started our Lima sightseeing by visiting Saint Cristobal Hill, which offered 360 degree views of Lima. Arriving in Plaza Mayor, we toured the Lima Cathedral and then drove to visit Museo Nacional de Arqueología. The Artisans' Market, also called the Mercado Indio at Miraflores was our last stop for the day .

Day 2 - Travel from Lima to Aguas Calientes
We took a flight from Lima to Cusco and then a taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo. Departed Ollantaytambo by Peru Rail to reach the city of Aguas Calientes. A day of travel by three modes of transportation.

Day 3 - Machu Picchu
We visited the ethereal ruins at Machu Picchu.

Day 4 - Pisac
We departed Aguas Calientes by Peru Rail to Ollantaytambo. Took a taxi to drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas with short stops at Urubamba, Yucay, Calca and finally reaching Pisac, to hike the Pisac ruins.

Day 5 - Cusco
We took a taxi from Pisac to Cusco touring the ruins at Sacsayhuaman on the way. In Cusco, we toured the San Blas Cathedral, Cusco Cathedral, Coricancha and Santo Domingo. May be since we stayed at Aguas Calientes and Pisac earlier, we did not get the altitude Sickness, Soroche, in Cusco.

Day 6 - Cusco to Lima
We visited the Plaza de Armes at Cuzco, toured Iglesia de la Compañía and flew back to Lima.

Day 7 - Lima to Amazon
We flew from Lima to Iquitos and took a boat to the Ceiba Tops Luxury Lodge on the River Amazon.

Day 8 - Amazon
From Ceiba Tops Luxury Lodge, we took a two hour nature hike in the morning and went on a boating trip to catch Piranahs in the afternoon .

Day 9 - Amazon
From Ceiba Tops Luxury Lodge, we went on a bird-watching trip early in the morning. Midmorning, we went by a boat to spot Pink River Dolphins and then visited a village of the native river people. In the afternoon, we went to the nearby Monkey Island and in the night, we went for a after-dark walk to see spiders and tarantulas in the jungle.

Day 10 - Amazon to Lima
We reached Iquitos by a 45 minute boat ride from the lodge and then took a flight to Lima.

Day 11 - Lima and around
We took a taxi to visit Pachacamac ruins, which is 30 minutes outside Lima and then drove back to Central Lima to visit Iglesia de San Francisco.

Here is a special mention of the hotels in which we stayed.
In Lima, we stayed at Hotel Boutique Villa Ponciana, leaving a few of our bags during our side trips. Since we travelled with kids, we wanted a place that would feel close to home and it sure was. Mr. Harry was a welcoming host and he enriched our trip with lots of suggestions.

Ceiba Tops Luxury Lodge is the place to be if you want comforts, such as air-conditioning and electricity throughout the day, in the Amazon. Our personal guide was with us throughout out trip, right from meeting us at the Iquitos airport till checking our bags for our trip back and went out of his way to make our Amazon experience wonderful.

Though we did not plan to visit, Puerto Maldonado is supposed to be a gateway to a more intimate experience of the Amazon. It can be reached from a short flight from Cusco.