Peru Vacations Serve Up Stunning Experiences: From Tours of Machu Pichu To Discovering the Amazon
Peru Vacation Packages Offer A Cornocupia of Delights For a country with 3,000 varieties of potato, there's much to choose from when arranging a Peru vacation. Peru is amazingly diverse topographically. While the size of France, Spain and Germany, getting around in Peru is not that difficult. But trying to combine Peru with visits to other South American countries may compromise your Peru vacation experience. Peru is a destination onto itself, and we can arrange your best Peru travel packages.
Peru's ancient culture is apparent on any trip here. Prominent are tours of Machu Picchu, exploring Inca and pre-Inca cultural relics, as well as the tomb of the Lord of Sipan, the Chan Chan ruins, Lima's Peruvian Gold Museum, Machu Picchu, the Valley of the 26 Pyramids of Tucume, Cusco and Lake Titicaca. The riches available to the visitor on a Peru vacation packages are immense. Those planning family vacation packages will also find Peru a welcoming and enriching experience.
Peru Luxury Tours for the Upscale Traveler
Peru isn't all jungle lodges and long dusty bus rides. For the more discerning traveler, Peru offers five-star hotels, spa treatments, helicopter tours, golf courses and gourmet dining options. New luxury boats offer Amazon river cruises with itineraries of 3 - 5 days. These are a perfect add-on to experience Peru in a different way, and to explore the Amazon jungle in 5-star comfort.
< Peru Travel Tips: Expert Tip> The Hiram Bingham is a luxury train that transports up to 84 guests between Cusco on trips to Machu Picchu. We recommend travelers consider this luxury experience as part of your Peru vacation. The train departs from Cusco in the morning, arriving mid-day following a champagne brunch. It departs for the return trip in the early evening.
Planning Peru Vacation Packages
Comprehensive Peru vacations would include two to three weeks to see the principal highlights: the sacred valley of the Incas, with the lofty colonial city of Cusco; the artisan market in Pisac;Ollantaytambo;tours of Machu Picchu. Then there's the mythical Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake on earth, and its floating reed islands; the Peruvian Amazon featuring some of the most extraordinary bio-diversity on earth; the Nazca Lines dating to 300 B.C.; the colonial "White City" of Arequipa, with its backdrop of the dormant Misti Volcano; the Lord of Sipan tomb in Chiclayo; and much more.
Cusco is an old colonial settlement with curving streets lined with artisans' wares. Cusco attracts visitors to its world known gastronomy and fine dining scene, including timpo (beef stuffed with lamb and other foods and served with peaches and pears during carnival season) and Chuno Cola (a flavorful beef soup).
< Peru Travel Tips: Expert Tip > At 11,000 feet, consider staying at the oxygen-enriched rooms at the Monasterio to acclimate, which is a short walk to the main cobblestone square of Plaza de Armas. (Included on many Peru luxury tours.) Built in 1595 as a monastery, the Monasteria offers 126 rooms and is in high demand, but only up to 60% of the rooms can provide oxygen to help guests acclimate to the altitude.
Lima, the capital and one of South America's oldest cities, is located in the center of the country and contains a third of its population. It is considered South America's cuisine capital, one of the continent's top cities for culinary diversity. Caral, 125 miles north of Lima, has more than 10,000 years of history, and was thriving during the time of the great age of Mesopotamia.
At 11,000 feet and nearly twice the depth of our Grand Canyon, Colca Canyon offers some of Peru's most breathtaking landscapes, and a good vantage point to view giant condors. At the all-inclusive Las Casitas del Colca, a working farm with just 20 casitas, one can enjoy horseback riding, cycling, fly fishing and walking.
To the south, the Paracas Reserve is dubbed the "Galapagos of Peru" because of its array of bird species. Peru's Amazon region offers a wide array of wildlife viewing opportunities. Read about Amazon River Cruises on the Peruvian Amazon, an ideal add-on to a vacation in Peru.
For those seeking adventure, most popular is the four-day Inca trail tours through the Urubamba River valley, known as the Sacred Valley. Passing valleys, ruins, cloud forest and orchids, bromeliads, mosses and ferns, the trek leads to Machu Picchu, the country's most visited site. Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, named in 2007 as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
But for those less inclined to trekking, you can also enjoy a stay in the Sacred Valley and many activities and sights. Available are mountain biking, rafting, wildlife treks and hikes in the Amazon jungle.
< Per Travel Trips: QUICK Tip > It's best to spend two nights in Machu Picchu, to enjoy both the sunset and sunrise, and some of the hiking trails in the area.
While you don't want to miss tours of Machu Picchu, you can also visit Machu Picchu's sister city in southern Peru, Choquequirao. It's harder to get to, but largely free of tourists.
Peru Vacations Weather
Keep in mind seasons are reversed south of the equator. The mountains and jungles are best after the rains, between May and September. January is hot and a good time to visit the coast.
Are You Ready To Plan Your Peru Vacation Packages?
Whether you select a Peru escorted tour or a custom tailored trip, we have the personal contacts to make your Peru vacation sensational. To reserve your Peru tour packages, contact one of our South American travel experts who can make all the necessary arrangements. Or call us at 1-800-850-3224. if you are interested in combining additional destinations, read more about Galapagos cruises, planning a Chile vacation, or Argentina tours.
