Welcome to Peru Peru is as complex as its most intricate and exquisite weavings. Festivals mark ancient rites, the urban vanguard fuels innovation and nature bestows splendid diversity. Vinicunca The Rainbow Mountain in Peru is a definite must-visit. Take a hike […]
Welcome to Peru
Peru is as complex as its most intricate and exquisite weavings. Festivals mark ancient rites, the urban vanguard fuels innovation and nature bestows splendid diversity.
Vinicunca
The Rainbow Mountain in Peru is a definite must-visit. Take a hike if you are feeling adventurous through a kaleidoscopic palette of turquoise, magenta, and gold –The end result is definitely worth it.
Puno
Puno is both a gathering point for backpackers undertaking Andean adventures and a stopover for international passengers taking luxury train rides or staying at one of the luxurious lakeside hotels. This is a regional hub for gastronomy, its busy streets lined with restaurants serving fashionable fusions as well as hearty stews and soups.
Mancora
Máncora is the place to see and be seen along the Peruvian coast – in summer foreigners flock here to rub sunburned shoulders with the Peruvian jet set. It’s not hard to see why – Peru’s best sandy beach stretches for several kilometers in the sunniest region of the country, while dozens of plush resorts and their budget-conscious brethren offer up rooms just steps from the rolling waves.
Trujillo
Sprawled across the shores of the Moche River and only a swim stroke away from the world-famous surfing beaches of northern Peru, Trujillo is less than 600km directly north of Lima, or just an hour’s plane ride away. It is primarily famous among international surfing crowds who head here for exceptional waves, uncrowded beaches and excellent seafood.
Sacred Valley Of Incas
The Sacred Valley, or as it is known in Peru ‘Río Urubamba Valley’, was an important site for the Inca Empire and remains a hugely popular site for tourists today. Anyone who has traveled to Machu Picchu would have probably visited the Sacred Valley. The valley is often a good place for tourists to begin their Machu Picchu adventure as the altitude is not as high as it is on the Inca Trail.
Machu Picchu
Nestled high in the slopes of the Andes, the ruins of Machu Picchu continue to reveal the mysteries of the Inca Empire. While the archaeological site draws scores of visitors to Peru annually, here are 10 lesser-known secrets hidden beneath its layers of history.
When to go and weather
High Season (June–August)
- Dry season in Andean highlands and eastern rainforest.
- Best time for festivals and highland sports, including treks.
- Busiest time due to North American and European holidays.
Shoulder (Sep–Nov & Mar-May)
- Spring and fall weather in the highlands.
- Ideal for less-crowded visits.
- September to November for good rainforest trekking.
Low Season (Dec–Feb)
- Rainy season in the highlands.
- The Inca Trail closes during February for cleanup.
- High season for the coast and beach activities.
Very rainy in the Amazon, lasting through May
Sample Itinerary – 7 Days
This itinerary best suits those with only time enough for the first taste of Peru. Begin your journey in Lima; sleep at cozy Barranco lodgings and find a ceviche restaurant for a leisurely seafood lunch with a touch of pisco. Follow it up by visiting museums in Lima Centro or by renting bikes to pedal the clifftops via the parks of Miraflores. Fly early the next day to Cuzco, transferring immediately to the lower Sacred Valley to acclimatize for several days. Explore the market and ruins of Pisac, tour Moray and Maras, perhaps by mountain bike or on foot. With ancient Ollantaytambo as your base, take the train to Aguas Calientes for a day of exploration in the world-famous Inca citadel Machu Picchu. From here, take the train to Estación Poroy so you can spend your last day-tripping the cobblestones of wonderful Cuzco, with museum visits, arts and crafts shops, and great restaurants. If you can squeeze in an evening visit to the planetarium. Fly back to Lima for your final hurrah, with perhaps a food tour before checking out the club scene before you head back home.
Fast Facts
Capital: Lima
Currency: Sol
Language: Spanish, Aymara
Recommendations: Vinicunca, Puno, Sacred Vally