Packing in a carry-on for 2 weeks in Peru takes carry-on packing to a whole new level. There are SO many different climates in Peru that you have to pack for hot sunny days, and cold rainy days ,and everything in between. Somehow I managed to do it, and even have room to bring stuff home with me. Below is a list of what I packed in a carry on for 2 weeks in Peru.
What we Did on Our Trip
To give you an idea of what types of activities we did to pack in a carry-on for 2 weeks in Peru, we spent a couple of days in Lima, went on a boat tour in Paracas and sandboarding in Huachachina, and did the 2 day, 1 night hike to Machu Picchu. We went to Rainbow Mountain, and did day trips to the Sacred Valley which also required a small amount of hiking.
My Luggage
To pack in a carry-on for 2 weeks in Peru, I used a small carry-on suitcase and a backpack. Anything that I needed during my flight I put in my backpack. For anything else I didn’t need during the flight I put in my suitcase.
While I was in Peru, my backpack was used on the trek and as a day bag/purse.
My backpack was just a regular sized backpack from Walmart. What I love about it is how many compartments it has to organize everything. HOWEVER, I would NOT recommend this bag for multi-day hikes up steep mountains. It doesn’t have hip straps or a water bladder or anything fancy. I didn’t mind not having a water bladder (it gave me an excuse to take a break while getting my water bottle out). But I wish it had hip straps to take the weight off my shoulders (it got heavy with 1.5LT of water in it!)
Clothes to pack in a carry-on for 2 weeks in Peru
Packable Down Jacket. This was one of the best items I brought with me, and it’s PERFECT to pack in a carry-on for 2 weeks in Peru. It rolled up SO small. Once we got to a higher altitude (Cusco and the Sacred Valley) and the weather started to vary more, I was able to take it off and put it in my bag when it got warmer. I wore it every evening. Oh, and it has zipper pockets. Love. Just make sure you get one with a hood for added warmth and comfort.
Fleece Sweater. I originally brought this for the hike to Rainbow Mountain, but I ended up wearing this to bed every night since it was SO COLD in our Cusco apartment at night. I ended up buying an Alpaca sweater and wore this to Rainbow mountain instead.
Athletic Wear long sleeve zipper-up shirt. I wore this pretty much every day during the trip. It was good to wear in hotter weather to protect my skin from the sun, and was warm enough to wear over my tank tops during the day.
4 workout shirts. I re-wore a lot of these shirts throughout Peru. Since they were quick drying I was able to hand wash a couple of them at night and they’d be dry the next day.
3 Cotton t-shirts. I wore these as sleep shirts each night.
1 dressy tank top.
3 pairs of work out capris (two long and one 3/4 length). The long leggings I wore during Machu Picchu hikes, Rainbow Mountain, and on day trips in the Sacred Valley. They were amazing because they had pockets in them, so I would put my phone (that I used as a camera) in them for easy access. I brought 3/4 length workout leggings as well which I wore to go sandboarding in Huachachina, and a couple of other times during the trip when the weather was warmer.
2 pairs of cotton leggings. I wore these on the plane and bus rides, and in the evening after our hike to Machu Picchu.
Fleece Pyjama Bottoms. I wore these in Cusco since it was so cold at night in our apartment. It gets hot during the day and cooler at night, so bring something warm.
2 shorts. I brought one pair of cotton shorts to wear as sleep bottoms, and other pair of shorts to wear during the day in the warmer climate areas (like Paracas, Huachachina and Lima).
Hiking Shoes. Good hiking shoes are a MUST. The ones I brought were by the band Merrell (similar to these ones) Every foot is different, so the shoes I wore might not work for everyone. My tips for buying hiking shoes are:
- Go into a store and try on what feels the most comfortable. I bought them from a store dedicated to hiking so they were really good quality.
- Make sure they have a great return policy, so that you can try them out. I could wear mine inside for 90 days to test them out.
Crocs. I probably could have left these at home to be honest. They gave me blisters on the first day wearing them. They were meant to wear in the airports, after swimming, and while wandering around Cusco or Lima. If you have small comfortable shoes, then bring them (if you have the room) to give yourself a break from your hiking shoes. In the end, I wore my hiking shoes everywhere and had no issues.
Slippers. They were cozy to wear in the apartment each evening, and on the plane rides.
Bathing Suit. I thought I’d be doing more swimming than what I actually did. I brought them for the hot springs in Aguas Calientes, but our tour group didn’t take us there because they said that the hot springs were full of pee. I did wear my bathing suit in Huachachina, though, so it did come in handy!
Underwear. I was there for 14 days, and brought 16 pairs. Overkill? Maybe.
Athletic socks. Everywhere I read said to bring Smartwool hiking socks for hiking. I couldn’t bring myself to spend over $10 for one pair of socks, so I purchased athletic socks from Wal-Mart that had cushioning on the heels and balls of feet. They were really comfy, and I didn’t get any blisters from my hiking shoes!
2 Sports Bras. So comfortable, and great for hiking and getting all sweaty in!
Baseball cap. I wore this everyday. It kept the sun out of my face and eyes.
Winter Hat. I brought a hat with me for the hike to Rainbow Mountain. I didn’t end up using it, because I bought an Alpaca Hat when I was in Peru and wore that instead!
Gloves. I DID end up using these, only because I didn’t buy a pair of Alpaca gloves when I was there. The gloves I brought were able to be used with cell phones, so I didn’t have to take them off when I wanted to use the camera on my phone.
Scarf. This was also rolled up in my carry-on backpack. The only time I really used this was during the hike to Rainbow Mountain.
Toiletries/Accessories
Packing your toiletries in a carry-on for 2 weeks in Peru can be a bit challenging because of the liquid restrictions on airplanes. The key tips for this is to purchase travel sized liquids.
I also put my liquids in a spot that I can easily grab them while I’m going through airport security.
- Toilet paper. Peru toilets don’t always have toilet paper, so bringing this with you everywhere you go is essential.
- Hand sanitizer. A must.
- Hairbrush
- Hair ties
- Deodorant. To save on space, I brought a travel sized deodorant.
- Shampoo & Conditioner (travel sized, of course!)
- Disposable Razor
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Floss
- Contacts (for those glasses wearers out there). I brought two sets of contacts just in case.
- Contact lens solution. I brought two travel sized bottles since I was going away for two weeks and one small bottle wasn’t enough.
- Eye drops. If you wear contacts, or get dry eyes, then these help.
- Lip chap with SPF 30.
- Minimal make-up
- Sunscreen. The higher altitude makes the sun SO much stronger. I brought SPF 110 with me because I’m really pale and burn easily, but it’s all up to you!
- Sunglasses.
- Bug spray. So I heard that the bugs are super aggressive in the jungle climates on the Inca Trail. I may have gotten one bug bite, so I didn’t find them that bad. I was wearing my athletic long-sleeved zipper-up shirt for most of the hike (to protect me from the sun), so that may have helped protect me from the bugs too.
- Moisturizer. The higher altitudes makes your skin literally dry right up and shed from your body. I didn’t really notice it on myself, but everyone else who I was travelling with did. So if your skin tends to be more dry, this will definitely help.
First Aid/Medicine
I carried around my little first-aid kit with me everywhere, and put it in my backpack so that I could easily access it during the flight too.
- Diamox. This is used to prevent altitude sickness, and you get this from your doctor.
- Any other type of prescription medicine that you may take.
- Ibuprofen and/or Advil
- Imodium
- Gravol. We had to take an overnight bus along really twisty and turny roads. This helped SO much. I got really tired from it too, which helped me sleep on the bus.
- Pepto bismol
- Blister Stick
- Blister pads
- Band-aids (big and small-sized)
- Alcohol wipes
- Polysporin
- Thermometer (maybe a bit overkill, but just in case someone got a fever or got really sick).
Electronics
- Phone/Camera. I just brought my phone with me to use as a camera. I carried my phone with me, but my leggings had pockets that I would put it in while I was hiking. If I was going through a busy area where I didn’t need my phone, I would put it in my backpack.
- Adaptor. Peru has the same sized outlets as North America, just a different voltage. We were able to charge our phones without any issues. If you are using a hair straightener then you will need one.
- External charger. THIS SAVED MY LIFE. Ok, I’m probably being a bit dramatic, but on our first night in Cusco we got separated from our group and couldn’t find our apartment. We were using an offline map and translator to have locals help us find our apartment, and my phone was almost dead. If it wasn’t for my external charger, my phone would have died. We would have had no way of knowing where we were, the directions to get to our apartment, and how to communicate with others. We would have been completely lost, and probably still trying to find our way around Cusco. So, to make a long story short, get an external charger, it is worth every penny.
- Headphones
- Selfie stick
- Entertainment. I listen to audiobooks on my phone, or watch Netflix shows that I downloaded in advance. Other people in our group brought Gameboys. If all depends on what you like!
Other Essentials
Money Belt. I put my passport, health cards, credit cards and money in this (and boarding pass when I was travelling in the airport). For the most part I would put it in my money belt at the bottom of my backpack. If I didn’t want to bring my entire backpack with me, and wanted to make sure my passport was safe, then I would wear my money belt underneath my clothing.
Travel wallet. I would only put the money I needed for the day in my travel wallet, and a copy of my travel heath card. I left this at the bottom of my backpack (or you can put it in a sock, like what some people in our group did).
Luggage lock. Sometimes you will need to store your bags with your hotel, hostel, or AirBnb. I lock up my bag just to be on the safe side. I NEVER leave my passport in these. Your passport is literally the most important thing you will bring with you on your trip, so I take my passport with me if I need to store my bags anywhere.
Pen. You will need this on the airplane to fill out your customs declaration form.
Plastic Bag. For dirty laundry.
Cliff bars. These came in handy on long bus rides, on the airplane, during hikes, and any time when food couldn’t be found quickly enough. I brought 7 and ate all of them.
Water Bottle. I brought a 1.5 LT water bottle with me and found this to be plenty. During our travels, we would buy a really large bottle of water at a local store (they had 7 LT bottles!) and re-fill our smaller water bottles to save money and the environment.
Neck pillow. This was attached to the outside of my backpack during the flight, so it didn’t take up any space. I can’t fly without a neck pillow, I get too uncomfortable without one. Blow-up neck pillows take up less space, but I personally don’t find them comfy enough.
Fleece blanket. I have a small travel blanket that rolls up into a really small bag that I like to bring on flights in case they are freezing. I store it in my book bag so that I can access it quickly and easily.
Microfibre Towel. This came in handy when I went swimming in Huachachina and when my towels hadn’t dried yet in Cusco. it also came in a little bag that was really tiny.
Rain Poncho. You can get these from the dollar store, and they’re really tiny and take up no space. We luckily had great weather the entire time we were there, so we didn’t need these.
Rubber Ball. After a long day of hiking, it feels really good to use a rubber ball to massage your feet.
I hope that this helped give you ideas on how to pack in a carry-on for 2 weeks in Peru! Have you been to Peru before? What are you essential items that you would recommend bringing? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂
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