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Part of my 10 Days in Peru with Kids series. Catch up on Machu Picchu with Kids first.

I mentioned at the end of the last post that my daughter came home from Machu Picchu covered in bites. This is the full story, because it’s the kind of thing I wish someone had told me plainly before we packed.

What Happened

The lower, more vegetated parts of the Sacred Valley, the areas around Las Qolqas and along the river, are prime territory for midges. I was pretty good about it for most of the trip, putting bug spray on my daughter every other day when we were down at those lower altitudes. Then the day caught up with me. Between the early wake-up, the train chaos, and everything else going on, I forgot to reapply, and that was the day at Machu Picchu she got hit hard.

We’re now managing it with Zyrtec and bacitracin zinc ointment on her legs, which has helped, but I’d rather you avoid needing either.

What I’d Do Differently

Bug spray every single day you’re at lower, vegetated altitude, no exceptions. Not every other day. Midges don’t care that you’re tired or that today feels less buggy than yesterday. The days that feel calmest are exactly the days it’s easiest to forget.

Pack it where you’ll actually see it, not buried in a suitcase. The mornings we were rushing out the door for an early tour were the mornings it got skipped. If it’s sitting next to toothbrushes or clipped to a daypack, it’s much harder to forget.

Bring an antihistamine and a soothing ointment before you need them. We ended up using Zyrtec and bacitracin zinc ointment after the fact. Having both already in the bag from day one, rather than trying to find a farmacia in Ollantaytambo or Cusco, would have saved us a scramble.

Altitude, Generally

The Sacred Valley sits lower than Cusco, which is exactly why we started there. Las Qolqas is around 2,800 meters, still high enough to notice, but a much gentler entry point than landing in Cusco and heading straight into activities. Coca tea on arrival, a genuinely lazy first afternoon, and no strenuous activity on day one made a real difference for all six of us, including my mom and my aunt.

The Laundry Trick That Let Us Pack Light

We had Las Qolqas do a load of laundry for us for $20, and it was worth every penny. Ten days for six people is a lot of clothes to haul otherwise. We do this often when we travel: pack lighter than feels comfortable, then use hotel or lodge laundry partway through to reset. It’s a small cost that saves you a full extra bag.

What We Brought Just in Case (and Didn’t Need)

Our doctor prescribed Diamox before we left, as an altitude precaution. Nobody in our group of six ended up needing it, but I was glad to have it in the bag rather than trying to track it down mid-trip. We also carried antibiotics for travelers’ diarrhea, same logic, just-in-case coverage we hoped to never use.

We live in Missouri at essentially sea level, so this was a real jump in altitude for all of us. We drank a lot of water and a lot of coca tea and genuinely did fine, no altitude sickness in the group. My husband and son work out intensely and it showed, they handled the physical demands of the trip noticeably better than the rest of us. I worked out more than usual in the weeks before we left to prepare, and I’d still do more next time.

The One Thing I Actually Forgot

SPF lip balm. It did not occur to me until my lips were sunburned and cracked from the altitude and sun exposure. Small thing, very avoidable, add it to the list.

Travel-Day Tech That Mattered More Than I Expected

Long days out meant our phones took a beating, a battery pack for each adult was essential by the second half of the trip. And for the longer car rides between destinations, we packed AirPods so everyone could listen to their own audiobook. Small thing, made a real difference on travel days.

Bring Cash

We brought Peruvian soles with us, and we needed them. Not every stop takes cards, especially smaller restaurants and markets in the Sacred Valley.

The Short Packing List That Actually Mattered

• Bug spray, applied daily at lower altitudes, not every other day
• SPF lip balm, don’t skip this one
• An antihistamine like Zyrtec
• A soothing ointment for bites, we used bacitracin zinc since she was itching like crazy
• Diamox and travelers’-diarrhea antibiotics from your doctor as just-in-case coverage
• Coca tea or coca candies for the first day or two at altitude
• Layers, mornings and evenings in the Sacred Valley and Cusco both run cold even when midday is warm
• A daypack with water for any hiking day, Pumamarca and Machu Picchu both involve real walking
• A battery pack per adult, and AirPods for the long car rides
• Peruvian soles cash, not everywhere takes cards

None of this is complicated. It’s just easy to let slip when you’re managing six people, an early departure, and a packed itinerary, which is exactly what happened to us.

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Next in this series: My Daughter’s Birthday in Cusco