Things to Do in Peru

Top Destinations to Visit

1. Lima
As the capital of Peru, Lima is an attractive city that combines traditional and modern elements. Located in western Peru, it has vast coastline and boundless ocean. When traveling there, you can appreciate some special dances, visit wildlife protection areas, and enjoy local cocktails. There are also many archaeological remains and cultural relics. You can visit some villas, which are remained from the colonial period, like Huaca Pucllana.

2. Cusco
Cusco used to be the capital of the Inca Empire. If you want to learn much about the Incan civilization, it could be the starting point of your travel. Full of Incan relics, Spanish architectures, ancient vaudevilles, impressive cloisters and churches, the City of Cusco is like a history museum. If you go hiking along the Inca Trail, you can find a natural reserve which collects nearly 10% of the whole country’s species.

3. Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century or so, but was abandoned in the 16th century. Having been forgotten for 4 centuries, it was found in 1911. Divided by a huge stonewalling, it has two areas: urban area and agricultural region. There are 140 architectures, many fountains and an integrated hydrological system. Delicate Incan architectures and various landscapes are everywhere. Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary covers an area of over 32,592 hectares (80,535 acres). Intihuatana is a typical relic.

4. Puno
Puno is located in southeastern Peru and stands on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It’s a typical place for you to learn about plateau. Although the weather is cold and dry, hospitable inhabitants and beautiful landscapes still attract tourists to visit there. In Puno, you can visit Taquile Island, Chucuito Peninsula and Chullpas de Sillustani, stroll on the Perka Beach, and appreciate churches left in the period of colonization. Lake Titicaca is the attraction you must visit.

5. Arequipa
Arequipa is one of the oldest cities in Peru. It is known as the White City because of using white volcanic tuff as building materials. It is a great tourist site as there are hot springs and Incan culture relics nearby. Its architectures show the combination of European and local styles.

Top Attractions

1. Lake Titicaca
On a plateau, Lake Titicaca is the highest freshwater lake in the world. The colonization and Indian cultures are combined here. The inhabitants are all Catholics, but still use Indian languages and keep Indian traditions. You can visit Lake Titicaca on a sailboat or a yacht. There are some floating islands on the lake, which are knitted with reeds by Uros. It is the most welcomed tourist activity to enjoy.

2. Nazca Lines
In the Pampas of Junama engraved some huge patterns like monkey, spider and hummingbird, which are called Nazca Lines, the remains of Nazca Culture (100 BC~ 600). But until now, people are still wondering how these lines are engraved. The patterns are so large that their full figures can only be overlooked from a great height. Some even reach a length of 300 meters (984 feet). There are more than 800 patterns distributed in the desert. The best way to appreciate Nazca Lines is to take a light aircraft from Nazca Airport.

3. Plaza de Armas
In Peru, nearly all of the cities have a central square named Plaza de Armas. But because Cusco was the capital of Inca Empire, its Plaza de Armas is the center of the Empire. Spanish established churches around the square instead of destroying it. It is the busiest place in Cuzco. Cuzco Cathedral and La Compania de Jesus Church are typical surrounding churches for a visit.

4. Manu National Park
Manu National Park is inhabited by thousands of species. It covers an area of more than 1,500,000 hectares (3,706,500 acres). And its height ranges from 150 meters (492 feet) to 4,200 meters (13,780 feet). It makes great contributions to cultural protection.

5. Amazon Rainforest
Amazon Rainforest has abundant ecological diversities. There are about 2,500,000 kinds of insects, 2,200 kinds of fish, 1,300 kinds of birds, 430 kinds of mammals, 430 kinds of amphibians, 380 kinds of reptiles and about 16,000 kinds of vegetation. There are various activities for tourists to experience, such as visiting local tribes, searching for wild flora and fauna, exploring the rainforest, watching the sunrise on the Amazon River and taking a luxury cruise.

Special Activities to Attend

1. Uros' Floating Island
Uros use roots of reeds to establish huge floating islands on Lake Titicaca. Apart from appreciating beautiful landscape of Lake Titicaca and local customs, the local people will show you how these islands are established.

2. Go Hiking on Inca Trail
Inca Trail connecting Cusco and Machu Picchu is the most preferred place of hikers in Peru. The best time to go hiking is from June to august. There are many Inca ruins on Inca Trail. From the top of the trail, you can enjoy panorama of this area, including magnificent mountains and glaciers.

Recommended Food to Taste

1. Ceviche
Ceviche is made with seafood and lime juice, and then mixed with chilies, chopped red onions, salt and coriander. There are many kinds of Ceviche. Ceviche Simple only uses fresh fish, but Ceviche Mixto has more seafood.

2. Pisco
Pisco is the most famous drink in Peru. It is the basis wine of many kinds of cocktails. The typical one in Peru is Pisco Sour, which combines the taste of grapes and the acidity of lemons.

3. Soup
There are about 2,000 kinds of soup in Peru. One of the top things to do in Peru is to taste various soups. Parihuela is made with fish and seafood. Aguadito de Pollo is green and has rice on the bottom. It’s a traditional soup used in weddings or birthday parties. Shambar is the representative soup of Trujillo, which is enjoyed only on Monday.