Peru Vacation Packages: 3 Travel Itineraries. Tourism continues to grow in Peru and a recent study predicts the country will attract 10 million tourists by 2020.
A main driver behind this growth is increased promotion of Machu Picchu and other Peru destination by PromPeru, which responsible for the country’s tourism marketing. The brand has won awards and created a logo that is already well-loved and well-worn across Peru; the logo features the cursive spelling of Peru with a capital P that looks like a Nazca Line design.
Peru Vacation Packages
Those considering traveling to Peru have plenty of places and travel itineraries to choose from, but here are a few classic travel itineraries for a Peru vacation.
Just the Basics. Those with only a week in Peru only have time to hit the main highlights: Machu Picchu and Cuzco. Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire and still maintains many original streets and buildings. Conquered by the Spaniards, colonial architecture mixes with the ancient remains to create an interesting historic blend. Some of the best restaurants in the country are found in Cuzco, most in easy walking distance from the beautiful main plaza.
Between Cuzco and Machu Picchu is the Sacred Valley, the fertile region that was once farmed by and fed the Inca city. Today there are numerous indigenous communities that live like their ancestors did hundreds of years ago, making a living from the land and by textile and handicraft work. This region is also scattered with Incan ruins. Andes and Amazon. After Machu Picchu, the Amazon Rainforest is Peru’s main must see destination.
The Amazon covers over 60 percent of Peru, making it an important part of the country. Northern Peru contains the Amazon River and the largest city not connected by road to the outside world, Iquitos. More commonly combined with a visit to Cuzco is the southern Amazon, including the rainforest surrounding the jungle town of Puerto Maldonado. The town is only a 45 minute flight from Cuzco, and most lodges are accessed by a motorized canoe ride down the river, ranging from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on how remote the selected lodge is. Combining the Amazon and the Andes is an ideal mixture of natural wildlife and human history.
The Best of Peru Tourism
Those with more time have the ability to see more of the country. An in-depth tour of Peru usually starts in its capital city, Lima. The city has several wonderful museums which can provide background information and insight to the places travelers will visit later in their trip. Lima is also known as a culinary destination, and visitors will enjoy exploring the diverse cuisine. Several hours south from Lima are the Nazca Lines, mysterious and massive sketches in the dry desert earth. To see them properly, you must take a flight over them.
From here head inland to Arequipa, one of the most beautiful colonial cities in Peru. Visit the Colca Canyon (with some of the deepest canyons in the world!) on your way to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, and which also shared a border with Bolivia. After exploring the lake and the several indigenous societies that live there, head to Cuzco and the Sacred Valley and tour the Inca Heartland.
