{"id":39383,"date":"2020-02-14T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-13T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=39383&preview=true&preview_id=39383"},"modified":"2025-03-25T04:09:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T17:09:16","slug":"active-adventures-peru","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/active-adventures-peru\/","title":{"rendered":"7 active adventures in Peru (that don’t involve hardcore trekking)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tell anyone you\u2019re going to Peru<\/a> and the first thing they\u2019re likely to ask is \u201cwhat trek are you doing?\u201d. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The South American country is famous for the ancient \u2018lost\u2019 Inca citadel of Machu Picchu<\/a> \u2013 the site that thousands of travellers descend on every year, via the Inca Trail<\/a>, Quarry Trail<\/a> or Choquequirao Trail<\/a> (or they take the bus up \u2013 hey, no judgements).<\/p>\n

Trekking on one of Peru\u2019s many mountain trails is no easy feat. You\u2019re at a high altitude, walking for hours on end up, down and around mountain paths, the sun\u2019s hot and the nights are cold. But it\u2019s an unmissable experience if you\u2019re into the great outdoors.<\/p>\n

If trekking\u2019s not your bag, you prefer a day walk over a multi-day hike, or you want to up the exercise ante on your Inca adventure, there are so many other active adventures to be had in Peru.<\/p>\n

Here are seven of our favourite things to do in Peru that\u2019ll make that pisco sour at the end of the day extremely<\/em> well deserved.<\/p>\n

\"A

Piscos are more delicious when you’ve worked for them.<\/p><\/div>\n

1. River raft down the Urubamba River<\/h2>\n

Snaking through Peru from the Amazon, the Urubamba River is one of the best spots in the country for a day of rafting. The stretch of river in the Sacred Valley provides a good combination of stunning scenery and gasp-inducing rapids. After being kitted out in the necessary safety gear, give your legs a break as you row, row, row your boat (not-so) gently down the stream.<\/p>\n

GO RIVER RAFTING ON OUR PERU: HIKE, BIKE & CLIMB ADVENTURE IN 2021. FULL DETAILS HERE.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Canoe on Lake Titicaca<\/h2>\n
\"Boats

Floating on Lake Titicaca.<\/p><\/div>\n

Watching the sun rise in Peru is a pretty magical experience, but seeing it from the bow of a boat, floating across Lake Titicaca, takes it to the next level. You\u2019ll learn about the spiritual significance of the lake \u2013 it\u2019s said that the Inca god Viracocha rose from the lake and created the world \u2013 and visit floating islands that are made entirely out of totora reeds. These islands are constantly rejuvenating as layers of reeds are laid on the ground almost daily, while the reeds underwater rot and disintegrate.<\/p>\n

3. Zip-line in the Sacred Valley<\/h2>\n

Hiking in Peru takes you to many great heights, but zip-lining gives you a very<\/em> different perspective. First, channel your inner Spiderman and scale the side of a mountain \u2013 via a via ferrata. This type of climbing originated in Europe, and consists of chains, ladders and cables set deep into the rock (don\u2019t worry, you\u2019re tied to a steel cable!). And when you get to the top? Get strapped into a zip-line and fly your way to the bottom.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n4. Take a day hike to Palcoyo Mountain<\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve probably seen Peru\u2019s Rainbow Mountain on your Instagram feed; swathes of red, ochre and white earth striping up the mountain, giving it the look of a giant slumbering tiger. Rainbow Mountain is also really<\/em> busy. Jostling for space with a hundred or so other trekkers isn\u2019t a great way to start the day… enter Palcoyo. It\u2019s in the same mountain range, so has the same beautiful painted mountains, but sees far less crowds. Climbing here requires less uphill hiking too, so all you need to do is enjoy the epic views.<\/p>\n

ASK YOUR LOCAL LEADER ABOUT DAY TRIPS TO PALCOYO ON YOUR PERU SMALL GROUP ADVENTURE.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

5. Cruise through the Amazon<\/h2>\n
\"A

Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife!<\/p><\/div>\n

Keep your eyes open for toucans, tarantulas and Paddington Bear as you make your way through deepest darkest Peru and into the Amazon. There\u2019s an amazing amount of diversity here \u2013 Peru has more bird species than anywhere in the world, and almost 300 different mammal species. Canoeing or walking through the forest is the best way to see the wildlife. If you stay very quiet, you might be lucky enough to spot a spectacled bear (one of Paddington\u2019s relatives), colourful macaws, pink river dolphins and the elusive jaguar.<\/p>\n

EXPLORE THE AMAZON ON ONE OF THESE SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES NOW!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

6. Cycle around Lima<\/h2>\n
\"A

Lima’s coastline.<\/p><\/div>\n

One of the best ways to explore a new city is by bicycle \u2013 it\u2019s even better when you\u2019re cruising around a city as beautiful as Lima, Peru\u2019s capital. Cycle past public art installations, through bohemian neighbourhoods, along the coast (a great place for spotting paragliders), and to the beautiful, cliff-top Lover\u2019s Park (although the PDAs here are a little OTT). Cycling is an awesome adrenaline boost, especially in the sunshine and sea air.<\/p>\n

7. Explore Colca Canyon<\/h2>\n

Colca Canyon is high \u2013 really high \u2013 so it\u2019s a good idea to stock up on coca leaves before heading up to Patapampa via private vehicle. The leaves are believed to reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness, which you may feel on the highest point of your adventure \u2013 around 4800 m (15,748 ft) above sea level. When you get back to Chivay, it\u2019s worth popping into the La Calera hot springs for a relaxing soak.<\/p>\n

Get active in Peru on one of these small group adventures with Intrepid now.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If trekking\u2019s not your bag, you prefer a day walk over a multi-day hike, or you want to up the exercise ante on your Inca adventure, there are so many other active adventures to be had in Peru.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15098,"featured_media":39386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1313],"tags":[5,1183,488,37,38],"class_list":["post-39383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-active","tag-active-adventures","tag-cycling","tag-peru","tag-south-america","ipf_theme-active-adventures","ipf_region-peru"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n7 Awesome Non-trekking Activities To Do In Peru | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If 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