Peru

Peru that ancient land of the Incas, the mysterious Machu Picchu and the spectacular Andes. Explore deep canyons, the vast Lake Titicaca, recline on an Amazon rainforest lodge and spend time on the Pacific Ocean. With luxury trains and stylish mansion hotels, South America Travel Specialist will take you to an opulent empire.

Peru lets you bring your epic adventure alive. Trek in high mountains, raft in ancient valleys, sleep in deep jungle and party in ancient cities. You can do all this and more in Peru. Being one of the premier destinations for travel in the Americas, you can also do it in style. Companies like Belmond and Inkaterra allow the chance to stay in historic buildings or travel in first-class rails high into the Andes.

Peru Overview and Machu Picchu

Peru is well on the worldwide travel bucket list because of Machu Picchu, the famous Lost City of the Incas. Before only accessible at the end of a week-long trek on the Inca Trail, but now is popular with day-trippers. We prefer suggesting the excellent selection of rail trips to Machu Picchu. The good news is that visitor numbers are strictly controlled to avoid mass tourism. South America Travel Specialists have a wealth of experience to assist you in making the most out of Machu Picchu and a rewarding night spent when the crowds have dispersed. Check out our Peru Machu Picchu Land of the Incas Highlights tour as a perfect example of how to experience this iconic site.

Cusco and the Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is the gateway to Machu Picchu which itself an adventure. The heart of the Inca empire, where on your Peru tour you explore Inca sites including Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Maras, Moray and Chinchero. We’ll take you around with an expert local private guide to make the most of the places most people miss.  Add in any adventure you like, stay in historic ranch and horse ride, mountain bike, raft and walk. You can easily spend a week here without ever retracing your steps.

Cusco is the gateway to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, this enigmatic city in the mountains. Once the capital of the Inca empire, now it’s a wonderful place to explore to see the imposing Cusco cathedral. Watch as the world go by from a cafe on the Plaza des Armas, look down on the city from the Sacsayhuaman Inca ceremonial site. Staying at one of the unique hotels that Cusco has to offer.

South Peru and the Andes

In the south of Peru continue your Andes adventure tour. South America Travel Specialists will design your ideal journey.  Making the most of your time, avoid rushing to reveal Peru’s more hidden treasures. Visit the picturesque white city of Arequipa, with Santa Catalina monastery, then head out to the Colca Canyon. Recognised as one of the world’s deepest canyons. It’s like being in a lost world. With magnificent condors circling above vast landscapes and soak in hot springs under high peaks. It’s a delight to travel in the high Andes where you feel like you’re in another world and stay for a few days on Lake Titicaca. Famous as the world’s highest navigable lake and the fabled birthplace of Inca culture. See people living on floating reed islands at the Uros Islands and take a boat to Taquile Island to see ancient culture and look across Lake Titicaca towards Bolivia. 

More than any other country in South America, Peru has invested in its rail network allowing travellers the epic experience of travelling through the high Andes on the Belmond Spirit of the Andes journey from Puno on Lake Titicaca over to Cusco, The High life in Peru tour shows this and so much more.

Pacific Coast

But it’s not all mountains! The capital city Lima on the Pacific coast is worthy of a few days to see its mix of cultures going back thousands of years. It’s a cool place to hang out by the Pacific Ocean. The ocean plays a part in the growing reputation of Lima’s culinary explosion. Peruvian food is amongst the most varied and flavoursome in the Americas and has been exported worldwide. It’s a treat to sit by cliffs over the Pacific Ocean with fresh ceviche and a pisco sour cocktail, Peru’s national drink.

South of Lima on the coast you can relax for a few days in the oasis town of Ica. Here go dune bashing or take a boat trip to the Paracas Islands. We suggest flying over the mysterious Nazca Lines. In the far north of Peru, Mancora is one of the newest and hippest beach hangouts in the Americas. There’s a selection of laid back boutique beach hotels alongside surfer bars, with watersports and whale watching available, did you know Peru could well be the home of surfing? 

The north of Peru is less visited but fascinating, with desert leading to mountains and traces of the Moche civilisation going back many thousands of years in exotic towns like Trujillo and Chiclayo.

Rainforest

And if the coast, desert and mountain aren’t enough, Peru offers a modern-day explorer vast swathes of the Amazon Rainforest. The lodges and Amazon River cruise vessels in Peru range from the basic to ultra-sleek. The standards of facilities and excellent guides are among the best in the whole of the Amazon Rainforest Basin. There is no better place to see the wildlife of the Amazon rainforest than in Peru. Whether it be a scarlet macaw, toucans, howler monkeys or even a piranha on the end of a fishing line. Fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado for jungle experiences in the Tambopata Wildlife Reserve, or venture to Iquitos and take a cruise on the Amazon River to parts not accessibly by land.

In a nutshell

Put it all together and you have one of the world’s wonders at Machu Picchu, scenic Lake Titicaca, exciting and ancient cities, hip beach hangouts and the steamy Amazon Rainforest. Not forgetting some of the world’s most unique hotels and  South America’s best food and drink. South America Travel Specialists and our team of expert Peruvian guides will show you how you can experience all of this in style, and add in those special once in a lifetime experiences, to keep you traveling back to Peru.