INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCES IN PERU you will never forget

Stories

Beyond Machu Picchu – Five Must See Destinations in Peru

Thinking about traveling to Peru? Well, you already know that Machu Picchu is our must-see, famed archaeological site, but what is beyond Machu Picchuwhere else should you go in Peru? Even experienced travelers find it challenging to plan a trip to this country – there is so much to see! We have compiled a list of our 5 must-see destinations in Peru to ensure that your trip to Peru is one you will never forget.

5 Top Destinations Beyond Cusco & Machu Picchu in Peru

1. Lima

You will most likely fly in and out of Lima, and we encourage you to spend a few days exploring our vibrant capital city. Explore the famed colonial churches, take a walk along with Playa Redondo and watch the local surfers catch waves. Be sure to indulge in some Lomo Saltado and pisco sours at any of our many famed restaurants. Peru has been awarded ‘The Best Culinary Destination in the World’ at the World Travel Awards (the Oscars of tourism) for six years in a row. We promise that ten years from today, you will remember raw fish ceviche as much as you remember Cusco. 

Costa Verde Lima

Costa Verde – Lima, Peru

2. Lake Titicaca

The largest lake in South America, and the highest navigable body of water, Lake Titicaca, is located half in Peru and half in Bolivia. The main attraction is the man-made islands constructed by the Uros people, over 40 which float in the Lake. We recommend visiting the island of Amantani, which is off the main tourist track. The wonderful Isla Suasi hotel can be accessed by way of Amantani and it’s one of our favorite places! This is another of the 5 must-see destinations in Peru.

Titicaca Lake

Lake Titicaca 

3. Huaraz

The town located in the high Andes has been referred to as ‘Peru’s Adventure Capital.’ Hikers will be awed by beautiful snow-capped peaks and turquoise lakes. Huaraz sits at 3000 meters (9800 feet) of altitude, so visitors should be a factor in acclimatization time!

Huaraz can act as a jumping-off point for multi-day trekking tours or a hub for multiple-day hikes. Our favorite is the nine-day Huayhuash trek – if you can’t do the full nine days, hire Miguel Lopez to organize the trek and tell him to lead you up to Mitucocha. It will take a total of four days – this will allow you to see the highlights. And, be sure to have some choclo con queso (Andean corn with goat cheese) at Conococha.

Huaraz views from the Huayhuash trek in the Andes. 

4. Nazca

Nazca is famous for the eponymous lines – it is worth splurging to see the lines from above, and puzzling over how the ancient Nazca people were able to create these enduring geoglyphs. When in Nazca, visitors can also visit sand dunes called Cerro Blanco and take advantage of the super dark sky to stargaze. Our tip: consider using the quaint town of Paracas as your jumping-off point to view the lines.

Nazca lines

 Nazca lines, seen from above, Peru

5. The Amazon

Sure, we’re a little biased – but the Peruvian Amazon is truly one of the most spectacular corners of the planet. Peru is one of the last great remaining wildernesses on the planet, especially our vast Amazonian forests (did you know: over 60% of our land area is in Amazonia). Guests can explore our hectares upon hectares of pure virgin forest and enjoy unbeatable wildlife sightings including jaguar, peccaries, and colorful macaws. The Amazon is also home to indigenous groups – one of which, the Ese EjaRainforest Expeditions partners with.

This means that our guests at Posada Amazonas can experience daily life from the Ese Eja perspective, which includes fishing and cooking. Rainforest Expeditions is proud to support scientists learning about the Amazon – for our guests, this is a true highlight. When visiting Refugio Amazonas, guests can see the harpy eagle nest. At Tambopata Research Center, guests can chat with macaw scientists at the bar.

jaguar by lucas bustamante

Many visitors to our Tambopata Research Center lodge spot jaguars lurking along the river. Photo by Lucas Bustamante.

As you can see – there is a lot to see in Peru! Have we convinced you to add Amazon to your Peruvian itinerary? Even if you’re just beginning to dream of your trip to Peru,  the sooner you get in touch with one of our Rainforest Experts, the sooner we can help you find a great travel deal.

By Natasha Martin

  • What our guest say

    • Valuation Excellent
    • 5/5

Mo Bashagha Feb 2024

nelehkoh9 Feb 2024

Jen101382 Feb 2024

Vigs Feb 2024

Shovan Bhattacharrya Feb 2024

shovan b Feb 2024

Michele Feb 2024

Rahul S Jan 2024

Amina Aziz Jan 2024

Voyage51682856837 Jan 2024

Sundar V Jan 2024

Tina A Jan 2024

A truly magical experience. It’s set in a completely unique location in the middle of the jungle with no other lodges around. The guide we had (Jarinson) was the best, so so knowledgeable, experienced and lovely to spend the time with. The lodge itself is beautiful and food was great too. Would highly recommend. Read all

Interesting bus and river boat rides bring you to Posada Amazonas on the Tambopata River. It’s managed by the Ese Eja indigenous community. Luis M., our guide, helped us observe birds and learn about plants and other animals. A canopy tower, clay lick and oxbow lake are highlights. All personnel are extremely kind and researchers give short lectures in the evening. The food is delicious! Excellent mosquito netting in rooms! Read all

Wow where do I even begin. This was one of the most unique and special experiences we've ever had. You are smack dab in the middle of nowhere, deep in the Amazon jungle. Surrounded by plants and animals of all kinds and some of the most breathtaking scenery you can imagine. And in the company of scientists doing conservation work all around you. The facility is gorgeous beyond belief. Everything is so thoughtfully prepared, from water servers everywhere to comfy couches to hammocks to raised walkways so you can pad around barefoot without feeling like you're going to step on a scorpion. The meals are positively gourmet. They have delicious fresh juice out for you when you come back from your hikes. We spend 2 days there and I genuinely feel like I saw the jungle. 2-3 excursions a day with a private guide to show you everything from plants to birds to animals to a very tall tower where you can watch the sunset over the canopy. We only had 3 people in our group but I believe there can be up to 7. You have the same guide your whole trip so you really get to know them. Johan was our guide and he was wonderful. And I do believe the number of excursions/type/length can be adjusted based on your groups physical ability. The rooms are beautiful and comfy and they help you prepare mosquito netting at night so you can be comfortable. There's a full bar, in the middle of the rainforest. At night there are short (30 min) lectures you can go to if you want where the scientists talk about their work. Fascinating. We loved that the center was very eco conscious and put a lot of effort into being low impact while also offering a truly luxurious experience. That being said. Do yourself a favor and read the web site. This experience will not be for everyone. Ppl posting negative comments here about the heat, bugs, open rooms, etc did not do their homework. You are far, far inside pristine Amazon jungle. It is hot, humid, rainy, and there are bugs. You can expect to use your lovely shower a few times a day to cool off. Fortunately you have lots of down time during the heat of the day to rest under the ceiling fan in your room. There were lots of grasshoppers, moths etc around our room but honestly we didn't have many issues with biting insects or mosquitos despite visiting during the rainy season (we did use bug spray). Your room has one open wall that faces nature. Yes, technically than means someone could see you walking around naked in your room, but you are 15 feet up in the air and facing directly into thick jungle, there is no one out there besides birds and monkeys to see you. They do cut the brush back so nothing except maybe some birds could get into your room. The sounds are magical at night and during the day. It's hot especially if you go during the rainy season as we did. If you hate bugs or can't handle life without air conditioning, this is not for you. Truthfully we had no issues sleeping. Ventilation is another big benefit of the one open wall. Think of this as the glampiest glamping you'll ever do and you will not be disappointed. Read the web site and reviews thoroughly and you won't be surprised. Being good hiking shoes, a lightweight waterproof jacket, refillable water bottle, a hat, binoculars (you can rent them too), bug spray, and sunscreen. Lightweight long sleeved shirts and long pants are essential bc you want to be covered so you won't get bitten or in case you brush up against a nasty plant. We saw monkeys, macaws, capybaras, owls, a caiman, and some cool jungle bugs. The guides even have a telescope you can use to both look at the animals and take great pictures with your phone. once in a lifetime experience in one of the most special and precious ecosystems in the world. Worth every penny and honestly we felt the price was cheap considering what you get. The highlight of our trip to Peru. Thank you so much. Read all

It was our first time in the rainforest and we wouldn't do it any other way. The boat rides on the Madre de Dios and the walks through the rainforests were both exciting and peaceful. Exciting when we spotted wildlife and peaceful as we settled in to hear the sounds and sights of the forest. The lodge was comfortable and the food was great. The research talks in the evenings were a great pre-dinner ritual for us. Do check them out. Saul was an amazing guide - friendly, fun, knowledgeable and very tuned to the rainforest. He could pick up on slight sounds and movements and helped us spot some great wildlife. Read all

TRC is up close with nature deep inside the Peruvian Amazon. If you are a fan of wildlife and love being in the nature this is the place for you. This is an eco lodge, so come with similar expectations. The sound of macaws flying over would make your day. TRC is doing some amazing work on Macaw conservation, the visits to the clay lick would be special. During your journey you would be able to spot a number of animals, birds. Do not miss the guided walks, you would really see a lot of monkeys. If you are a photographer, invest in a good zoom lens ( it will pay you back). The other thing is the amazing staff that take care of you. The food is among the very best I tasted in Peru and they really pamper you. So make sure you walk a lot to burn the additional calories :) Starting from the booking to the pickup in the airport everything is meticulously planned. From Mariella of the booking team, Juan Carlos the guide and Tania, our manager in the hotel everyone was fantastic. Ultimately spotting wild animals is a lot of luck, but this would be a great experience. Rooms: Rooms are large, spacious with wide open balconies, but no monkeys come in ( they strictly don't encourage wildlife feeding). Nearby activities: Lots of them, morning hikes, afternoon hikes, sunset cruise Walkability: You need to walk a bit, so you need to be mobile Food & drinks: Awesome Buffet, great food. Read all

TRC is up close with nature deep inside the Peruvian Amazon. If you are a fan of wildlife and love being in the nature this is the place for you. This is an eco lodge, so come with similar expectations. The sound of macaws flying over would make your day. TRC is doing some amazing work on Macaw conservation, the visits to the clay lick would be special. During your journey you would be able to spot a number of animals, birds. Do not miss the guided walks, you would really see a lot of monkeys. If you are a photographer, invest in a good zoom lens ( it will pay you back). The other thing is the amazing staff that take care of you. The food is among the very best I tasted in Peru and they really pamper you. So make sure you walk a lot to burn the additional calories :) Starting from the booking to the pickup in the airport everything is meticulously planned. From Mariella of the booking team, Juan Carlos the guide and Tania, our manager in the hotel everyone was fantastic. Ultimately spotting wild animals is a lot of luck, but this would be a great experience. Read all

The immersion experience was great. Be prepared though to feel hot and full of bug spray much of the time. Wear hiking pants. Not Lulu leggings (too hot). The guides are great and you can do as much or as little as you want. We saw a lot of animals. Read all

Posadas Amazonas is an eco-friendly lodge that makes a huge commitment to preserving the rainforest for generations to come. The food served (breakfast, lunch and dinner) is fresh and delicious! The staff is extremely knowledgeable and caring. A special shoutout to the lodge manager Cesar for ensuring that we had packed meals for the onward journey when we were delayed by a rain storm. The main attractions apart from the abundant wildlife are the canopy tower and nearby Oxbow lake. The canopy tower gives a great 360 degree view of the rainforest and we were fortunate to see monkeys and macaws from the vantage point. At the Oxbow lake we saw river otters and Caimans and we were able to catch a piranha fish as well. Overall, Posada Amazonas is a great lodge owned and operated by the native communities located in the amazing Amazon rainforest. Read all

I had an amazing time here. I was traveling solo and did 4 days/3 nights through Inca Expert Travel. It was an unforgettable experience! I opted for a group tour for the excursions and am glad I did. Our guide, Boris, was fantastic and made sure we saw as much wildlife as possible. I can't say enough good things about him. The rest of the staff were also very kind. I enjoyed the large variety of fresh food at each meal. I felt safe and well-taken care of the entire time. Read all

TRC was an amazing place to stay. Being in the Amazon rainforest was truly like no other trip I have or will ever take. From arrival we were greeted by staff with cool drinks, warm welcomes. Beautiful main area w bar, sofas, tables,games. Our guide Fernando was SO knowledgeable, interesting, enthusiastic,. We already miss his smile and laugh :) We did every excursion available over our 4 days there. The night hike turned out to be our favorite as we spotted the wandering spider then and many other intersting moths/insects. January is hot and humid, so yes expect to be wet,sweaty. Pack extra bag for wet stinky clothes ... Be ok w insects as no 4th wall in your rooms so at night mosquitio nets do a good job preventing bugs in your bed but when you wake up to use bathroom excpect moths, grasshopppers etc in room. All harmless!! TRC does provide nice rainboots for wet swampy treks.. Read all

A perfect experience in the Amazon. Harry, our guide, made the entire experience very memorable. The food is good, the bar is expensive but good and the support staff were excellent. Tanya, the manager, took care of all our needs and was very supportive the entire stay. Please remember that the rooms are open to the nature and therefore comes with its pros and cons. You wake up with the nature including the mosquitos :) The experiences offered by the Refugio is fantastic and provides a great exposure to the Amazon. Dont miss the Macaw trip. It is just magical. Read all

This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! From the getgo, it was easy to coordinate our 4-day stay at Tambopata. The booking was all done via email with quick responses, there was clear communication leading up to our stay and even upon arrival the staff was extremely organized (incl. taking our bags and making sure they arrived to our rooms). During our stay the staff was all very friendly and accomodating, the lodge was always clean (actually impressively clean given it is located in the jungle), and the food was great and plentiful. By far the best part of our stay was our tour guide, Saul. Upon arrival, Saul helped us pick our activities based on what animals we wanted to see (using his 10 years of experience). He worked on timing to make sure we can see as much as possible, was extremely knowledgable on the rainforest, the plants, the insects and the animals and noticeably put in the extra effort to find animals. You can tell that he truly loves his job and was always equally as excited to see the animals as us, even though he has seen them thousands of times. He helped us find monkeys, birds, countless insects, lizards, capybaras ect. I am 100% confident our experience wouldn't be the same without him. He even helped us capture these cool photos with only our iphone!! If you are planning to stay are TRC, I would highly recommend asking for Saul as a tour guide, if possible. Read all

Join To Our Newsletter

Write your e-mail

Join
-->