Things to Do in Peru

Quick facts: The Pride of the Incas towers at an altitude of 2430 meters, where mists often dance over the terraced fields. It served as a secret royal city and contains more than 150 preserved stone buildings precisely fitting together without mortar.

Highlights: The stunning panorama from Huayna Picchu offers views reminiscent of an ancient mystical world hidden in the clouds. Unexpected pizzazz is added by the animal inhabitants: hummingbirds quietly flutter among the temple stones and a llama calmly greets you.

Quick facts: The valley offers breathtaking views of massive terraces and traditional Andean architecture, giving the landscape a unique character. Ancient Inca ruins are scattered in the hills, hiding stories of an ancient civilization.

Highlights: Local markets here come alive with vivid colors and scents, where souvenirs made according to original traditions featuring hundreds of shades of alpaca are sold. Calm rivers flow through the valley, surrounded by steep mountains over 3000 meters high, creating an amazing atmosphere.

Quick facts: Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world with a depth of over 3,400 meters. The area is home to condors, huge birds of prey often soaring above the valley.

Highlights: In the highest parts of the canyon, it is possible to observe the flight of a giant condor with a wingspan of up to 3 meters. The local tribes preserve the traditions of growing corn on terraced fields hundreds of years old, creating impressive patterns from a bird's perspective.

Quick facts: Hundreds of huge geometric shapes and animal figures are visible only from above, which is a mystery how they were created without modern technology. Some lines reach up to 370 meters in length and their precision amazes both scientists and tourists.

Highlights: Giant drawings of animals and plants are so enormous that they can only be seen from a plane, giving the entire visit an adventurous touch. When flying over them, each line appears as a precise drawing that could not have been made by a person without a great deal of mystery.

Quick facts: On the surface lies the highest navigable lake in the world at an altitude of about 3,812 meters. The water is so clear that colorful fish and traditional floating reed islands can be observed.

Highlights: The Uros reed islands are home to people who still live today like their ancestors 500 years ago, with wooden shoes and built floating villages. The famous giant water rocket, weighing over 150 tons, was once home to huge maritime legends and local folklore.

Quick facts: A lake surrounded by sand dunes in the middle of a desert creates an incredible contrast between dry sand and a living oasis. The local water is salty and popular for refreshing swims as well as adventurous sandboarding rides on the dunes.

Highlights: Among the dunes, you can experience breathtaking sunsets when the sand turns yellow and orange like flames. Additionally, the oasis is the only natural lagoon in all of South America where you can relax right in the heart of the desert.

Quick facts: The collection contains over 45,000 artifacts covering 5,000 years of Peruvian history. Exhibits include unique ceramic masks and precise gold objects.

Highlights: The museum floors display ancient ceramics that you can even touch. Additionally, there is an iconic collection of erotic ceramics offering an unexpected view into the past.

Quick facts: The rainforest here takes your breath away with over 2,500 species of plants and hundreds of butterflies fluttering around. The nature is so dense that sunlight barely reaches the ground, and visitors often hear the croaking and singing of exotic birds from the surrounding trees.

Highlights: Night boat rides on the flooded waters reveal the lively world of caimans, manatees, and colorful frogs. Narrow wooden walkways among the trees and hanging bridges add an adventurous feeling of exploring a giant green maze.

Quick facts: The trail winds through landscapes shaped by 500 million years of erosion, resembling the surface of the moon with surreal rock formations. Visitors often spot native foxes and vibrant rock lichens, adding bursts of life to the barren scenery.

Highlights: One striking feature is the amphitheater-like canyon where echoes bounce vividly against the rock walls. The pink-hued sunset here paints the valley in a magical glow that photographers love capturing.

Quick facts: Coca leaves have played a vital role in Andean culture for thousands of years beyond their controversial use. The museum showcases over 400 artifacts illustrating coca's spiritual and medicinal significance.

Highlights: Visitors can experience a traditional coca leaf ritual performed by local shamans inside a recreated Andean ceremonial room, a practice rarely offered to outsiders. The museum also presents detailed botanical displays comparing coca leaves with other plants, highlighting subtle differences.

Quick facts: The island's residents produce some of Peru's finest textiles, recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage. Men on the island knit and wear their own handwoven hats that reveal their marital status: red means married, while red and white means single.

Highlights: Every piece of clothing tells a story here. A man's knitted chullo hat isn't just fashion, it's a social declaration woven from tradition, with patterns passed down through generations that only the islanders can fully interpret.