Your Digestible 10-minute Guide to Peru: The Insiders’ Guide

Ravenous for adventurous souls, Peru lures intrepid travelers into its belly like a venus flytrap with an irresistible concoction of indigenous cultures, bounteous landscapes, and distinguished gastronomy. The country stretches from the undulating dunes of the southwest desert to the tangled trees of the northeast Amazon. In between, discover the floating farming communities of Lake Titicaca, unfurl the mystery of the Nazca Lines, hike your way out of Cotahuasi (the continent’s deepest canyon), and eat your way around South America’s culinary capital, Lima.

Of course, the country’s crowning glory is Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan mountaintop estate that is rightfully acclaimed as one of the New Wonders of the World. From the Incan capital of Cusco and through the serene Sacred Valley, the path to Machu Picchu leads. The question is: will you hike the Inka Trail or take the ritzy Belmond Hiram Bingham Train?

In this digestible 10-minute guide to Peru, we introduce you to the country’s top destinations and show you how to enjoy them in luxury. Imagine meandering around Peru’s northern jungles on a luxury Amazon River cruise, cruising to the Ballestas Islands on a private yacht, and being pampered like Incan royalty at a Sacred Valley spa. After all, a place as incredible as this deserves to be seen with equally incredible experiences.

Follow the path of the Inca through Cusco and the Sacred Valley

For many, Cusco is simply the starting point of a centuries-old route to Machu Picchu. For the informed and cultured traveler, it is the spell-binding former capital of the Inca Empire. While the churches standing over Plaza de Armas hark back to its days as a Spanish colonial city, the narrow-cobbled streets built upon the ruins of Incan temples and palaces remind us of its native residents. Days of exploring the landmarks, markets, shops, and gastronomy of this buzzing Andean city are best spent based at the 17th-century monastery turned boutique hotel, the Belmond Monasterio.

The next stop on the Machu Picchu trail is the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Once occupied by grand royal Incan estates, the serene valley is now home to lavish retreats for weary travelers with a discerning disposition. After a busy few days in the Inca capital, these retreats offer a welcome respite surrounded by shielding Andean hills. Between its rejuvenating hydrotherapy, relaxing terrace, rich Andean gastronomy, and rustic Incan aesthetic, the 5-Star Tambo del Inka Hotel will certainly leave you feeling like a royal Inca.

The Best Ways to Arrive at Machu Picchu

Of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu is (in our opinion) the most profound. The historic Inca complex, built around 1450AD sits between two mountain peaks at a great elevation of 2350 meters (7,700 feet) above sea level. Its mountaintop location allowed it to be hidden from view for almost 500 years until Hiram Bingham discovered it in 1911. To this day, nobody really knows why or how this inconceivably intelligent structure was built. Was it a royal estate? Was it a celestial ceremonial site? All we truly know is that, somehow, Machu Picchu’s masonry exceeds modern-day abilities.

However, the beauty of Machu Picchu lies in the journey as well as the destination. In fact, some of the continent’s greatest hikes lead to this wondrous sight including the Inca Trail which follows in the footsteps of the Incas to Machu Picchu, and the 7-day Salkantay Trek, one of the most challenging endurance hikes in South America. When you take the Lodge to Lodge Salkantay Trek with the Mountain Lodges of Peru, however, a tough day’s hike is quickly remedied with a divine Peruvian dinner and a dreamy bed to rest your head. Of course, there’s nothing more luxurious than taking the grand Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu, one of the world’s most famous train rides.

Cruise around Iquitos and the Amazon

Delve into deepest darkest Peru on daring adventure into the lowland jungles of Iquitos, the country’s most remote Amazonian destination. Only accessible by boat or plane, Iquitos is the sweltering gateway city to the untamed jungle and its tribal villages. Yet, as wild as it appears, there’s a harmonious synchronicity to every living thing inside of it. And so, amongst the chaos of the overgrown plants and the racket of tweeting birds, hollering monkeys, and hissing insects, the jungle feeds you with quiet omniscient comfort. Until you come face-to-face with a tarantula, that is.

The elements of the humid Amazon can be unrelenting which is why it’s best explored from the Peruvian Amazon’s most luxurious riverboat cruises by Delfin. Their floor-to-ceiling window panels bring the outside in whether you’re dining on deck, having a manicure at the spa, or sipping coffee in bed. Meanwhile, the Aqua Nera meets luxurious spaces with a 1:1 guest-crew ratio which includes naturalist guides and award-winning chefs. After days spent kayaking, birwatching, and canopy walking, these sophisticated riverboat cruises await to pamper you with sumptuous Amazonian cuisine, spacious suites, and exceptional hospitality.

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Eat your way through Lima

Home to over 10 million people, Lima, the staggeringly vast capital city of Peru, contains almost one-third of the country’s entire population. Of course, this makes it a diverse and multifaceted cosmopolitan city with more arts, culture, and history than we could explore in a lifetime. Although Lima was founded in 1535 by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro, huacas (ancient monuments) found throughout the city show archeological evidence of its function as a sacred pre-Inca ceremonial site. Meanwhile, bohemian enclaves like Miraflores and Barranco paint a colorful display of youth and progression in an otherwise historic city.

While many come to Lima for history and culture, they stay for the cuisine. Coined the culinary capital of South America, one of the best ways to explore the city is to eat your way through it. Start your culinary city tour with fresh no-frills ceviche at Surquillo Market and work your way towards one of the city’s world-renowned restaurants like Central by Michelin-star restaurant owner Chef Virgilio Martínez, the Amazon-inspired restaurant Amaz. Dig your teeth into dishes like tacacho con cecina, divine plantain dumplings served with crispy pork rind.

Glide above the Nazca Lines and the South Coast

Unbeknown to most, a vast dry desert stretches between southern Peru’s Andes foothills and Pacific Coast. Within it lies one of archeology’s most baffling discoveries. The Nazca Lines are a collection of 2000-year-old large-scale geoglyphs outlining the shapes of animals from an aerial viewpoint leaving a remarkable impression on the Peruvian landscape (pun intended). Why exactly they were carved into the ground in the first place has yet to be figured out, but the views they offer from a private Stationair are mesmerizing.

The Peruvian desert halts dramatically at the Paracas Peninsula creating rugged rocky cliffscapes broken by sandy beaches. Offering everything from beach resorts to dune buggy rides and nature reserve hikes, it is every bit adventurous as it is relaxing. From the private docks of Hotel Paracas, you can board a yacht to Ballestas Island and study penguins, sea lions, and pelicans in their natural habitat with your very own naturalist guide, returning for a snooze on a shaded beach hammock before an indulgent dinner. Of course, every trip to the south coast must be toasted with a Pisco Sour (Peru’s national drink) in the Pisco distilleries where the punchy spirit originated.

Plan your epic Peru Exploration Now

If Peru’s epic adventures have awakened the intrepid traveler in you, learn more about the country’s top destinations and plan your stay there by speaking with a dedicated luxury destination expert today toll free on 1 855 217 9045 (USA/Canada) or by filling in our online contact form.