Peru tours & vacations

While most of our trips operate all year, the ideal time for dry adventures is from May to October – especially if you want to trek through the Andes and have a good chance of seeing Machu Picchu against a clear sky. The Amazon is also less wet at this time of year, particularly from June through August, though you can always expect some rain in the jungle.

Planning a trip in the wet season from November to April is totally manageable as long as you bring waterproofs! The rain tends to fall for just a few hours a day, and sometimes it might just mean a bit of overcast weather, so it shouldn’t hinder your travels too much.

If you want to trek the Inca Trail, note that it closes for maintenance every February. The Quarry Trail and Salkantay Trek are great alternatives – and much less crowded too.

Learn more about the best time to visit Peru

Things to try in Peru

Ceviche

Peru's national dish is a must try. Fish is marinated in lime juice, onions, salt and aji amarillo peppers, and served alongside corn on the cob and sweet potato. You’ll find it everywhere, but cevicherias in Lima do it best.

Cuy

Adventurous eaters should sample cuy (guinea pig), an Andean staple that dates back to the Inca civilisation. It's seasoned, stuffed with herbs and roasted or fried whole. Some people say it has a gamey taste like rabbit.

Lomo saltado

A favourite across Peru, strips of beef or alpaca are stir-fried with onions, peppers and spices in a rich gravy. It's served with a generous portion of chips and rice.

Pisco sour

Peru’s national drink is a frothy, zesty cocktail made by mixing Pisco (a grape-based brandy) with lime juice, egg whites and sugar. While in Lima or Cusco, maybe even have a go at making one yourself.

Coca tea

This traditional tea made with the leaves of the coca plant is hailed by Peruvians as a remedy for altitude sickness. It has a mildly bitter taste similar to green tea, so you might like to sweeten it with a spoonful of honey.

Learn more about what to eat in Peru

Learn more about what to drink in Peru

Sitting on the central-western coast of South America and shaped by three distinct regions – the costa (coast), sierra (Andean highlands) and selva (Amazon) – Peru packs in a lot of biodiversity.

Along the 3000 km Pacific Coast, you'll find arid deserts, rocky headlands, sandy beaches and fertile valleys fed by rivers flowing from the Andes – including the Ica Valley, where you can sip Pisco with mountain views. It’s also home to Lima, Peru’s capital, and other major cities like Trujillo and Piura.

The Peruvian Andes – which form a natural barrier between the coast and the jungle – are part of a huge range that slices through the length of South America's western edge. In the foothills, you’ll find steamy subtropical cloud forests and the Sacred Valley – once the ‘breadbasket’ of the Inca Empire. Higher up, life continues to thrive in cities like Cusco (3400 m) and Puno (3827 m) on the shores of Lake Titicaca – the world’s highest navigable lake.

Then there’s the Amazon, which covers over half the country and spills into large areas of Brazil, Colombia and Bolivia. The rainforests and tributaries here are among the most biodiverse places on Earth, with up to 2500 butterfly species, about 1000 bird species and almost 300 types of mammals in the Peruvian Amazon alone.

Peru’s history stretches back over 11,000 years. Some of the earliest organised societies – focused on farming and cultivating the land – appeared around 6000 BC, and ruins and stone carvings across the country reveal the traces they left behind.

The Inca Empire is the most famous, and one of the most revered in the Americas. From 1438 to 1532 AD, the Incas built an expansive empire, with Machu Picchu – a citadel believed to have been a royal retreat – as its crown jewel.

Today, Peru is a unique blend of the modern and the ancient. In the highlands, especially around the Sacred Valley, many Quechuas and Aymara communities descend from the Incas and keep traditions alive through speaking native languages, wearing traditional clothing and following age-old farming techniques. In fact, locals still use many Inca terraces to grow corn, potatoes and quinoa.

Festivals are also at the heart of Peruvian culture. Highlights include Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun) in Cusco and La Fiesta Candelaria in Puno, where music, dance and costume bring centuries-old traditions to life.

Learn more about festivals in Peru

Places to visit in Peru

Machu Picchu

Sitting on a 2430-metre-tall ridge in the heart of the Peruvian Andes, Machu Picchu is a masterpiece of Inca ingenuity. Time slips away as you try to uncover the ruins' secrets and see how such grandeur is possible in such a remote place.

Cusco

Cusco is the historic capital of the Inca Empire, and you can't turn a corner without coming across another reminder of its past. Ruins are everywhere, and even new, elegant buildings have been built upon old Inca temples, houses and markets.

Sacred Valley

This fertile valley is packed with Inca sites – including the fortress of Ollantaytambo. Try to visit on market day when villagers gather in the cobbled streets to sell textiles, handicrafts and fresh produce.

Amazon Jungle

After waking up to the sound of nature, spend your days hiking through the jungle, learning about Indigenous plant remedies and cruising through the tributaries in search of capybaras and pink river dolphins. Then head back to your jungle lodge and watch the macaws from a hammock.

Lima

Peru's capital is home to unexpected treasures. Dig beneath the surface to uncover pre-Columbian temples like Huaca Pucllana in Minaflores, bohemian areas like Barranco and one of South America's most regarded culinary scenes.

Arequipa

The White City, as it's affectionately known, is spectacular. Surrounded by canyons, volcanoes and deserts, the location is perfect for exploring Peru's wild side. But the true beauty of the city is in its buildings, built from white volcanic rock that shimmers in the sun.

Colca Canyon

While the canyon is a dramatic sight (it's roughly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon!), it's a glimpse of the elusive Andean condor that will really get your heart racing. With a wingspan of up to 3.3 m, this bird doesn't just glide, it soars.

Lake Titicaca

Straddling the border of Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is massive – like, 8372 sq km massive. Traces of ancient cultures are everywhere, with many communities living as they have done for hundreds of years – including the Uros people who live on floating islands made from totora reeds.

Nazca Lines

The Nazca Lines remain one of the world's greatest mysteries. Created by the Nazca people over 2000 years ago, this collection of hundreds of geoglyphs – including straight lines, geometric shapes and figures of animals and humans – covers nearly 500 sq km. But their purpose? Archaeologists are still trying to figure it out.

The official currency of Peru is the Peruvian Sol (PEN).

Most hotels, large restaurants and tourist attractions in big cities accept credit cards, but some charge a fee (about 5 to 10%). Small vendors, family-run restaurants and market vendors usually only take cash.

You’ll find ATMs in Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and most other major cities, but they’re far less common in rural villages and remote areas, so make sure you carry enough cash when venturing further.