Peru. A country rich in history, culture, natural beauty, and adventure, offering a wide range of travel options. One of the highlights of any journey to South America is seeing the historic Inca City of Machu Picchu, but Peru has much more to explore. Peru is one of the most distinctive travel destinations on the continent due to the variety of the terrain, the people, as well as the experiences. Prepare to experience the land’s remnants of ancient civilization and fascinating natural wonders.
List of tourist destinations to visit!
- Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu, one of the most stunning and majestic ancient ruins in the world, is without a doubt the top tourist destination in Peru. The breath-taking background of steep, luxuriant, and frequently covered mountains is almost as magnificent as the ruins themselves. The “Lost City of the Incas” is totally enclosed, hidden from the Urubamba Valley below, encircled by terraced farms, and supplied with water by natural springs. Before 1911, when historian Hiram Bingham rediscovered Machu Picchu, it was widely unknown to the outside world while being well-known locally.
- The Inca Trail
One of the most well-known treks in the world connects the tiny villages of Aguas Caliente and Machu Picchu over a distance of 42 kilometres (26 miles) across the Andes Mountains. Many people consider the famed Inca Trail to be the highlight of their trip to Peru as they endure the four-day journey.
The difficulty of this picturesque trek is quite more than what most people anticipate, but the rewards are greater. The Inca Trail has several potential beginning sites, but the standard four-day journey starts at mile 82 of the Cusco-Aguas Calientes train line. From here, the walk travels through breathtaking landscape and more than 30 Inca sites. The second day of the trip, which includes two high passes and an elevation rise of 1,200 metres, is the most challenging part of the path. The optimum months to take the multi-day walk are May through September. Prepare yourselves for chilly trail evenings, hikers.
- Cañon del Colca
Colca Canyon (Cañon del Colca) is the second-deepest canyon in the world after the close-by Cotahuasi Canyon, despite having previously been regarded to be the deepest. The canyon, which is the effect of a seismic fault between two volcanoes, is 3,400 metres deep. A flowing river runs far down at the base. There are hot springs, chapels, towns, and Inca Ruins to visit in addition to admiring and taking pictures of the canyon. As they soar beyond the canyon walls, condors at Colca Canyon are also a major draw.
- The Nazca Lines
Along the northern Pacific coast, between the villages of Nazca and Palpa, lie the Nazca Lines. These mysterious designs range from basic lines to stylised spiders, monkeys, fish, llamas, lizards, and human figures, and they were produced between 200 BC and 700 AD. The lines were drawn on such a vast scale that they weren’t identified as figures until Peruvian airlines began to fly from Lima to Arequipa in the 1920s. To observe the lines, hotels and travel agencies in Nazca offer regular trips in a Cessna. Along the Pan-American highway, there is also an observation tower with a view of three of the images.
- Huacachina
Huacachina is a small and charming oasis village close to Ica that is encircled by tall sand dunes and a small natural lake. Now mostly a destination for foreign visitors, Huacachina was formerly a playground for the wealthy of Peru. People visit this location to try out sandboarding. Sandboarding, which is similar to snowboarding, includes riding down sand dunes on specialised sand-boards that may be leased nearby. Dune buggies are another fantastic option to get outside and take in the scenery for those who are less coordinated.
- The Miraflores District
The seaside resort and entertainment district of Lima is Miraflores. Visitors and locals alike throng to the area to dine at upscale eateries, buy for handicrafts and antiques made locally, relax, party in nightclubs, bet in casinos, and just have fun. Surfers and paragliders both enjoy this Pacific Ocean beach. The neighbourhood is the location of the ongoing pre-Incan archaeological dig known as Huaca Pucilana.
- Arequipa
At almost 2,300 metres, Arequipa is frequently referred to as Peru’s most beautiful city. The city core is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Old buildings in Arequipa made of stone, a volcanic rock that glows brightly in the sunshine, are the city’s major source of fame. The majority of the colonial structures in the old city centre are constructed from this stone, earning it the nickname “White City.”
