Peru guide
No matter whether you’re looking for a 2 min summary or want to delve deeper and discover what we rate & what we don’t, our Peru travel guide is here to help you travel like a local, including a handy section on food, shopping & people.
Peru luxury travel map & highlights
Our Peru luxury travel highlights take you from the highs of Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to the mysterious beauty of Lake Titicaca, with room for big city treats in the restaurants and clubs of Lima and on the cobbled, colonial streets of high altitude Cuzco. Most itineraries will spend a couple of nights in each location, or more in the jungle and on the Inca Trail, with internal flights, private transfers and trains up to Machu Picchu trimming down time consuming road journeys.
Cuzco
1. Cuzco
Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and sitting at 3,400m, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is the gateway to the Inca Trail and home to the Quechua people, whose language, dress and customs have changed little over the centuries. Cuzco’s colonial architecture is beautifully preserved, and just outside the city you can explore ruins including the citadel of Sacsayhuaman and the Puka Pukara fortress.
Inca Trail
2. Inca Trail
This high-altitude hike takes you through extraordinary Andean scenery, including mountain passes and cloud forests. It also allows you to delve deeper into Inca and Quechua culture, visiting ruins and temples along the way. There are several routes to choose from; the 43km classic route takes four or five days. On a luxury trip you’ll have porters, cooks and someone to put up your spacious tent.
Lake Titicaca
3. Lake Titicaca
At 3,800m and straddling Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. The jumping off point is Puno, where dust-coloured buildings fade into the mountains, contrasting with the colourful, traditional dress of local residents. Take a trip to the peaceful Aymara-inhabited islands of Amantani and Taquile, or to the famous floating reed Uros Islands, to learn how life used to be lived on these waters.
Lima
4. Lima
Often ignored by visitors on their way to Peru’s more popular sights, coastal Lima is a lively city with a historic center dating to 1535 and is home to some gorgeous, pre-Hispanic and colonial architecture. It has a celebrated foodie scene, clifftop parks and fascinating museums, including the Gold Museum and the Museum of the Nation, which give valuable insight into the country’s past.
Machu Picchu
5. Machu Picchu
Rediscovered over a century ago, the Lost City of the Incas still retains its magic, thanks to its phenomenal position on top of a mountain peak, with panoramic views across the Andean range. Whether you complete the challenging four-day hike or live it up on the luxury train, Machu Picchu will literally be a high point of your Peru vacation.
Peruvian Amazon
6. Peruvian Amazon
Fly into Puerto Maldonado from Lima or Cuzco, and your adventure begins as you head into the world’s mightiest rainforest, where you’re surrounded by nothing but lush vegetation and the sound of birds, insects and other Amazon wildlife. Head out on foot or canoe by day or night, to seek anacondas and black caimans, howler monkeys and capybaras, and elusive pink dolphins that inhabit the murky, mysterious waters.
Peru adventure vacation, private departure
Private Peru tour with day treks, rafting, cycling & culture
From
£3500 to £4000
15 days
ex flights
Peru, Ecuador & Galapagos adventure vacation
Your private adventure from Machu Picchu to the Galapagos
From
£5500 to £6900
23 days
ex flights
Peru luxury tailor made vacation
A deeper guided journey through Peru’s food and culture!
From
US $6269
9 days
ex flights
Luxury Inca Trail trek, Peru
Spectacular trek on the Inca Trail through the high Andes
From
US $2134
5 days
ex flights
Tailor made vacation in Peru
A luxury tailor-made trip exploring the sites of Peru
From
US $6535
14 days
ex flights
Machu Picchu and Galapagos vacation
Two of South America's highlights on one trip.
From
US $10175
12 days
ex flights
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Peru travel advice
Luxury on the Inca Trail
Luxury on the Inca Trail
Kathy Jarvis, from our supplier Andean Trails, shares her Peru travel tips:
“There is a luxury Inca Trail trek that is the same trek route as a standard Inca Trail but with a five star service throughout. What’s more, the itinerary is tweaked so you can avoid the masses on the trail by using different campsites or just setting off at different times. Usually it will be a private trek – so just you and your guide. You will have a private toilet tent, high quality equipment, great guides, massages and even wine with your meals.”
High end lodges
High end lodges
Kathy Jarvis, Andean Trails:
“Most of the lodges have good fittings and fabulous access to nature. They are generally in tune with nature and use locally sourced materials for construction, support local community and education projects, train and employ local staff and are careful about waste. Many lodges also offer massages and treatments, like spas. The Amazon lodge at Tambopata a luxury lodge and they've built it on stilts, among the canopy so you are closer to wildlife, with monkeys hanging around all the time.”
Responsible travel
Responsible travel
Kathy Jarvis, Andean Trails:
“You can have a luxury vacation in Peru with strong environmental and social credentials. However, you need to plan it well and try to use locally owned businesses, not international chains. There are tours that include community visits and market visits where customers can learn a lot about Peruvian life. Even if you don't stay in the homestays, you can visit the locals.”
Fiona Cameron from our supplier Audley Travel:
“Some of the top end hotels are the ones with the best environmental and social credentials. Inkaterra, for example, is at the forefront of sustainability, and they have their own handmade bathroom products in all of their properties.”
Benefits of a luxury tour
Benefits of a luxury tour
Kathy Jarvis, from our supplier Andean Trails:
“The benefits of booking a luxury tour to Peru are a good standard of interesting accommodation, high quality safe transport, fabulous Peruvian food and the best guides. There are historic buildings with a lot of atmosphere and character such as Monasterio and La Casona in Cuzco, which are used as hotels. There are also some exclusive locations like Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu. In the Amazon, Tambopata Research Centre has luxury accommodation options now - some rooms have outside Jacuzzi baths and you can watch the wildlife from the tub! There is a range of fabulous experiences on offer too such as chocolate making, learning to make ceviche, and classes where you learn to make cocktails like Pisco sours.”
Fiona Cameron from our supplier Audley Travel:
“My ‘can’t miss’ luxury Peru experiences would include the train from Cuzco to Lake Titicaca (or vice versa), a stay at Inkaterra’s Reserva Amazonica, a night at the Sanctuary Lodge in Machu Picchu, and a stay at Titilaka Hotel. There are simply too many to mention!”
TIPS FROM OUR TRAVELLERS IN PERU
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often... other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Peru luxury travel advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
The Andean explorer train ride from Cusco to Lake Titicaca was an excellent way to see many aspects of Peru from the city suburbs through the slums then farming communities![]()
Jane Lines
“From a vacation perspective the four days on the Inca Trail were very memorable. However, the most lasting memory will probably be our stay on Amantani Island on Lake Titicaca. We stayed with a family without water and electricity and it was both enjoyable as well as being an eye opener.” – Chris Simmons
“To get the most out of this vacation put in the work. For example, Machu Picchu is a magical place which inevitably is also a bit touristy. If you arrive by train it will be good, but if you arrive on foot then you will feel how it must have been like to arrive there when it was first built. You also capture some of the excitement that must have been felt when it was rediscovered. Likewise it is nice to stay in the modern hotels and travel on the trains, but let your guides take you to the markets and try and fit in a stay with a local family to get an idea of life in Peru.”
“Take plenty of insect repellent as the mosquitos are in their millions”
“On the trip up to Machu Picchu, our guide Wilfredo was very knowledgeable and stopped to let us drink in the pure awesomeness of it all and when we reached the top the feeling was surreal and brought not just a lump to my throat but a tear to my eye.” – John Hawkins
“The Andean explorer train ride from Cusco to Lake Titicaca was an excellent way to see many aspects of Peru from the city suburbs through the slums then farming communities, through the middle of market towns and past the spectacular backdrop of the Andes. The train ride was a real piece of luxury after the hard work of the Inca Trail.” – Jane Lines
“To get the most out of this vacation put in the work. For example, Machu Picchu is a magical place which inevitably is also a bit touristy. If you arrive by train it will be good, but if you arrive on foot then you will feel how it must have been like to arrive there when it was first built. You also capture some of the excitement that must have been felt when it was rediscovered. Likewise it is nice to stay in the modern hotels and travel on the trains, but let your guides take you to the markets and try and fit in a stay with a local family to get an idea of life in Peru.”
“Take plenty of insect repellent as the mosquitos are in their millions”
“On the trip up to Machu Picchu, our guide Wilfredo was very knowledgeable and stopped to let us drink in the pure awesomeness of it all and when we reached the top the feeling was surreal and brought not just a lump to my throat but a tear to my eye.” – John Hawkins
“The Andean explorer train ride from Cusco to Lake Titicaca was an excellent way to see many aspects of Peru from the city suburbs through the slums then farming communities, through the middle of market towns and past the spectacular backdrop of the Andes. The train ride was a real piece of luxury after the hard work of the Inca Trail.” – Jane Lines
the most lasting memory will probably be our stay on Amantani Island on Lake Titicaca![]()
Chris Simmons
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