Peru is three worlds in one country — the Pacific desert coast, the high Andes and the Amazon basin — stacked so close together you can be sandboarding a dune at breakfast and watching condors over a 3,000 m canyon by dusk. Layered on top is one of the richest human histories on earth, from the Nazca Lines and Chachapoya cliff tombs to the Inca capital of Cusco and Machu Picchu itself. It is a country built for big, varied adventures, and one where a little altitude acclimatisation unlocks an enormous amount.
The Andes — Inca trails and glaciated peaks
The mountains are the headline. Around Cusco in the southern Andes, the classic Inca Trail and the Salkantay, Ausangate and Choquequirao treks lead to Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain, while Puno sits on Lake Titicaca. North in Áncash, the Cordillera Blanca around Huaraz offers the Santa Cruz trek and mountaineering on 6,000 m peaks, and Arequipa guards the deep Colca Canyon and the volcano El Misti.
The Amazon — half a country of rainforest
More than half of Peru is jungle. The reserves of Manu and Tambopata in Madre de Dios and the riverboat country around Iquitos in Loreto are among the most biodiverse places on the planet — canopy walkways, oxbow-lake paddling, macaw clay licks and jungle lodges deep in the forest.
Coast, desert and the north
On the central coast, Ica brings the Huacachina oasis, the Nazca Lines and the Paracas marine reserve, with paragliding over the cliffs of Lima. Up north, warm-water surfing at Máncora and the cloud-forest ruins of Chachapoyas reward those who venture off the main circuit.
Where to base yourself
Cusco for Machu Picchu, the Inca trails and Titicaca; Huaraz for Cordillera Blanca trekking and climbing; Arequipa for Colca and the volcanoes; Madre de Dios or Loreto for the rainforest; and Lima and the coast for the desert, Nazca and gastronomy.
Booking and getting started on adventuro
Most trips run guided, and the high season for the mountains and Machu Picchu is May to September (the dry season); the Amazon is warm year-round. Cusco sits at 3,400 m and Titicaca at 3,800 m, so build in acclimatisation, and note the Inca Trail needs a permit booked months ahead. There is plenty for beginners — day treks, jungle lodges, the coast — with advanced peaks and expeditions to filter for when you want more. Open the Book here tab for live dates, prices and exactly where you will be heading.
