Getting to Cusco and our AirBnBs

We flew via Latam Airlines to Cusco from Lima. The staff from Latam Airlines were very helpful and friendly. Transfer to our Airbnb was simple by having a driver we arranged to pick us up outside of the arrivals area. We made our way to our first Airbnb in Cusco to get settled in.

Our first Airbnb was easy to get to in an alley and had 5 bedrooms, each with an attached bathroom. Each room had its own theme and by theme, I mean a picture from an iconic landmark of a county over each bed. I stayed in a room with an Egyptian theme with the Great Pyramids hanging over our bed. Another bedroom ‘theme’ was Paris with a picture of the Eiffel Tower. The living area was a bit small for our group of 8 but we made it work. There was no central heating in this location, but a large propane heater was provided so we left it on in the main area and close to the bedroom doors. There was a nice kitchen in the back of the home, in the outside area. Coca leaves were out for anyone to use with hot water for tea. One of the bedrooms hot water would not get hot for a shower so some friends used our bathroom to shower...no big deal. It’s common for the hot water heater to not work properly in Cusco so if you’re lucky enough to get hot water, make it quick! I would recommend this Airbnb for smaller groups or for groups not looking to gather in the house. Click image above for more!

Our second Airbnb (because this one was booked the night we arrived) was our favorite place in Peru! It was a villa with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It was staffed 8am to 11pm daily, providing breakfast, 2 free massages, 3 drinks per night per person (bar behind me in the pic), and had a delightful hot tub overlooking the city. The staff was super friendly, but I recommend brushing up on your Spanish since there were a few things lost in translation but overall still a great deal!

All but 2 people got massages and they were incredible with hot stones and stretching! For those that paid for the massages, it was only $20 USD per person for an hour and worth every penny! The villa also offered transportation to and from the airport and was included in the stay. All these perks may sound expensive, but it was around $220 USD a night for all of us! By the bar was a propane fireplace with the hot tub close by. The dining room was off the patio and had all sorts of games to play. Each bedroom but one had heaters, keeping us warm each night. I almost forgot, they also offered 2 free horseback rides but nobody in our group took them. Seriously, book this Airbnb if you visit Cusco! Click image above for more.

In front of Airbnb

Street nearby Airbnb

Hot tub and view at Airbnb

When we left Cusco, we flew via Star Airlines. Unfortunately, I can say they are not my favorite airline. We were all given tags for our carry-on bags; however, when I went to board, they said my ticket did not include a carry-on bag. While this was probably true, I found that if you had a backpack and not a roller bag (what I was using), you got through just fine. Instead, I was charged an additional $40 USD for a carry-on bag. I was the only one in our group they snagged and ended up boarded last. I know it’s fair but come on…I was the only one in our group that got charged. We were also told we couldn’t sit together but when we boarded and took off, there was an entire row of empty seats in front of me. I’m not sure what the logic was there but the staff was rude. I’ll let it go but I still have a bitter taste in my mouth from them.

Stay tuned to find out more about Cusco and the adventures we had!