10 Days in Peru with Kids: Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu & Cusco on Points and Miles
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Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase through these links. I only recommend products and services I trust and believe will benefit you.
Ten days. Six of us, including my mom and my aunt. Lima to the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu to Cusco and home, almost entirely on points and miles. This trip had everything: a wildfire that shut down our return train, a chocolate workshop, a 10th birthday in Cusco, guides we loved so much we’re still thinking about them, and one award-booking meltdown at the Lima airport that I will be telling for years.
This post is the hub for the whole trip. Below is the route, then links to every deep-dive post so you can jump to whatever you’re planning for your own trip.
The Route
- Lima (1 night) — arrival, IHG Lima Airport
- Sacred Valley (4 nights) — Las Qolqas EcoLodge, acclimatization, Ollantaytambo, ruins, textiles
- Machu Picchu (day trip from Ollantaytambo) — Circuit 1, Route 1-C
- Cusco (4 nights) — Wyndham Costa del Sol, ChocoMuseo, Rainbow Mountain, my daughter’s birthday
- Home — Cusco to Lima to Miami to Kansas City (Last-minute changes sent us from Lima to Houston to KC)
The Points and Miles Snapshot
We stayed on IHG points and a Sapphire Reserve hotel credit in Lima, 44,000 Hyatt points a night at Las Qolqas in the Sacred Valley, and 120,000 Wyndham points for four nights in Cusco. Flights mixed cash fares for the short in-country hops with miles for the long-haul legs home.
Full breakdown of every hotel and flight, what we paid in points versus cash, and the cards behind it all: [How We Booked 10 Days in Peru →]
Where We Stayed
Las Qolqas EcoLodge, Sacred Valley. Our home base for acclimatization and Sacred Valley exploring. Guides, pacing, and why this was the right first stop: [Las Qolqas & the Sacred Valley →]
Wyndham Costa del Sol, Cusco. A total sleeper hit two blocks from Plaza de Armas. No pool or hot tub, but free breakfast and a location that made everything walkable, more on our Cusco days in [My Daughter’s 10th Birthday in Cusco →]
If you want to understand how Wyndham’s flat point pricing works before you book your own stay, I broke it all down in my Wyndham Rewards guide.
Machu Picchu: What Actually Happened
We booked Circuit 1 in advance. Then wildfires shut down the train tracks, we waited 4.5 hours for our return train to even leave, and then another 2 hours once we were on it. Here’s how the day actually went, and why the “shorter” circuit ended up being exactly right given the time crunch: [Machu Picchu with Kids: What Actually Happened →]
Health and Packing Reality Check
My daughter got covered in midge bites at Machu Picchu after I missed a day of bug spray at the lower, more vegetated altitudes. What I’d do differently, and what actually calmed it down: [What I’d Pack Differently →]
My Daughter’s 10th Birthday in Cusco
Birthday breakfast, shopping in San Blas, horseback riding, and a dessert crawl. One of my favorite days of the whole trip: [My Daughter’s 10th Birthday in Cusco →]
The Guides We Loved
Some we found ourselves, some Las Qolqas arranged for us, all of them made this trip. A full roundup with who to book: [Our Favorite Peru Guides & Operators →]
When Award Travel Goes Wrong
Not everything went smoothly. Our Qatar-booked flight home from Lima got changed with almost no notice, and it turned into a five-person scramble at the airport that ended with me transferring 120,000 Chase points to United on the spot. Full story, and what I’d tell you to do if it happens to you: [When Award Travel Goes Wrong: The Qatar/LATAM Meltdown →]
New to Points and Miles?
If a trip like this feels out of reach right now, it isn’t. Start with The Blueprint, my free course that walks you through exactly how we do this on two teacher salaries.
More from this trip: How We Booked 10 Days in Peru · Las Qolqas & the Sacred Valley · Machu Picchu with Kids · What I’d Pack Differently · My Daughter’s 10th Birthday · Our Favorite Peru Guides & Operators · When Award Travel Goes Wrong
Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
I found out about points and miles accidentally.
I was researching index funds and happened upon the points and miles community through creators who also post about budgets, financial independence, and investing.
Points and miles allowed those people to travel and work toward financial independence simultaneously.
Thank goodness I got started when I did. The past almost two years of travel have been something we will never forget.
Earning points and miles through credit cards is only a good choice if you have the financial discipline to use them, like cash/debit cards.
Since we started traveling with points and miles, we have had more money going into our investment and savings accounts than ever.
Now I'm excited to teach you!
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