It's a 3.5-hour drive from the city of Cusco to the trailhead leading up Vinicunca, known as the Rainbow Mountain. Also called the Montaña de los Siete Colors (Mountain of the Seven Colors), Vinicunca's colorful look is the result of ice melt over its surface a long time ago. The water mixed with...
The most famous trek in Peru is the Inca Trail, a five-day hike from Cusco that culminates at the ruins of Machu Picchu. But for those with scheduling constraints, there's one-day, abridged version of this trail that allows folks to experience all the stunning scenery in a mere 24 hours. The tour...
This tour in and around Cusco's city center highlights three Peruvian specialties: chocolate, coffee, and pisco. The tour begins at the Coffee Museum where visitors will learn all about the unique characteristics of Peruvian arabica beans and why they make such a fine cup of Joe. There will also...
This day excursion includes an aerial tour of the famous and mythic Nazca Lines of the southern Peruvian desert. The lines are a series of about 300 giant Pre-Columbian geoglyphs etched into the sand in the shape of all kinds of figures. These include everything from hummingbirds and dogs to...
Lake Titicaca, the largest freshwater lake in South America, straddles the border between western Bolivia and southern Peru. All around are amazing locales and rich culture. Interestingly, you can find deep culture on the water as well. This comes in the form of the floating Uros islands, home to...
This day tour Cusco for a visit 45 minutes north to the village of Chinchero, which the Inca believed to be the birthplace of the rainbow. There are extensive Inca terraces here as well as several small, colonial-era churches. Chinchero is famous for its residents weaving alpaca and sheep wool...
One of the best ways to discover Peru's capital city of Lima is through its food. With an eclectic combination of indigenous, African, Asian, and European culinary influences, Lima is one of the world's most impressive gastronomic and cultural centers. This food tour begins early in Lima's...
Cusco isn't just an impressive Spanish-colonial city in Peru's southern highlands. It's also the historic capital of the Inca empire. Today's tour begins at the indoor San Pedro Market, in the heart of the colonial center. This is as authentic a Peruvian experience as it gets, since locals come...
The ruins of the 15th century Incan citadel of Machu Picchu (which translates to "old mountain") were largely hidden to the outside world until the early 20th century. Today over a million visitors flock to this UNESCO World Heritage Site each year. They come to see a masterpiece of ancient...
The southern Peruvian Amazon region is a veritable wonderland of natural attractions. The best way to experience as many of them as possible is on a series of short, guided adventure treks. The home base for this tour is a jungle lodge near the border with Bolivia, and the first mini-trek is...
