10 reasons for a trip to Peru

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Macchu Picchu Bill Damon 2-0 Generic (CC BY 2-0)

The best reasons for a trip to Peru

There are many reasons to travel to Peru. Our travel tips to Peru offer suggestions on what not to be missed. Peru has been on our bucket list of the destinations we want to see for a long time. We have looked at the country again and again over the years, but so far we haven't managed to look at the country for ourselves. But that doesn't mean we don't dream about it. And who knows, maybe one day it will work out with one Travel to South America? Until then we will collect reasons for a trip to Peru.

Discover Machu Picchu on your own

  • Christina Dwiggins suggests an alternative to Machu Picchu in her blog post "Hiking Huayna Picchu". That is certainly worth considering.

 

Ten reasons for a trip to Peru

 

Machu Picchu Reasons to Travel to Peru © Bill Damon 2-0 Generic (CC BY 2-0)
Machu Picchu © Bill Damon, Flickr

 

Machu Picchu - one of the best reasons to travel to Peru

One of the main reasons is the ancient Inca city Machu Picchu. It is probably the highlight of a Peru trip for most visitors. We are no exception. As a cultural historian and ethnologist, I have always been fascinated by the ancient Indian cultures of South America. This includes the mysterious city in the Andes. It was only the beginning of the 20th century, that it was discovered by Hiram Bingham. It has since become one of the main attractions of the country. It is still hard to get to. You can either reach it by taking the panoramic train, that follows the Urubamba River or choose the arduous route over the passes of the Inca Trail. The old path of the Inca can only be done with a guide today. The tour takes four days over mountain passes, which offer spectacular views. Overnight you stay in tents along the way.

 

Discover Machu Picchu on organized tours

 

 

Cordillera Blanca Reasons to travel to Peru © Esteban Vera, Flickr 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Reasons to travel to Peru Cordillera Blanca © Esteban Vera, Flickr

 

The Cordillera Blanca - one of the reasons for a trip to Peru

Another reason to visit Peru is the spectacular mountain vistas of the Andes. In northern Peru, the Cordillera Blanca mountain range stretches for about 180 kilometers. It is also home to fifty of the country's highest mountains - all over 5700 meters. These mountains are best experienced on a trekking tour. On the one hand, this facilitates acclimatization to the extreme altitudes. On the other hand, you have the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent views extensively. The highest pass that you can overcome on such a tour is the Punta Union Pass with a height of 4750 meters.

Pack Tips

    • You will definitely walk on uneven paths. So be sure to pack good hiking boots .
    • With our packing list for hikers You definitely don't forget anything.
    • You should also not underestimate the sun at these altitudes. Therefore we recommend one sun hat .
    • We also recommend one for day trips backpack, in which you camera, a Jacket and other utensils. You also need one for longer hikes backpack.
    • Be sure to take your camera with you. There are many wonderful photo opportunities in Peru. We recommend this one Camera.
    • With these long and off the beaten path travel distances, it is sometimes difficult to recharge your devices. Therefore, you should have a solar power station * .

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Alpamayo reasons to travel to Peru © MÃ Perú, Flickr Public Domain Mark 1.0
Reasons to travel to Peru Alpamayo © Mi Perú, Flickr

 

The Alpamayo - one of the reasons for a trip to Peru

You should not miss the Alpamayo on a trekking tour through the Andes. This mountain is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. At 5947 meters it is also one of the highest mountains in the country. Because the mountain is very remote, it was not known to European mountaineers for a long time. After three unsuccessful attempts, the first ascent was only made in 1957. A German rope team finally conquered the "most beautiful mountain in the world", as the mountaineering magazine "Alpinism" described it in a photo competition in 1966.

Practical tips

 

Arequipa reasons to travel to Peru © Gustavo M, Flickr 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Reasons to travel to Peru Arequipa © Gustavo M, Flickr

 

Arequipa

Also south of Lima there are fascinating mountain landscapes. Here, however, they look different from northern Peru. Snow-capped volcanoes form the natural backdrop of the city of Arequipa, also known as the White City. Named after the cream-colored stone works made from the region's volcanic rock, the town got its nickname. The city center of Arequipa has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

Discover Arequipa and the Colca Canyon

 

 

Cuzco reasons to travel to Peru
Cuzco © Veronica Bravo, Flickr

 

Cusco - one of the reasons for a trip to Peru

Another city that is part of every trip to Peru is Cusco. On the one hand, today it is the starting point for all those who travel on to Machu Picchu. On the other hand, the city is interesting because of its Indian-Spanish past. For a long time it was the capital of the Inca Empire. However, after the Inca Huayna Cápac moved his headquarters to Quito, the city lost importance. In addition, the Spaniards destroyed the city. Only after Machu Picchu was discovered, it gained her present fame. It is definitely worth seeing.

Discover Cusco and the surrounding area

 

 

Lima reasons to travel to Peru © Art DiNo, Flickr, ShareAlike Generic 2.0 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Reasons to travel to Peru Lima © Art DiNo, Flickr

 

Lima - another of the reasons for a trip to Peru

This is a city no visitor to Peru can avoid. Lima did not have much importance during the Inca period. Although this place has traces of settlement that are 5000 years old, it played only a minor role in the Inca empire. It served the Incas as a place of pilgrimage. The modern Lima goes back to a founding of the Spaniards in the year 1535. The city is especially interesting because of its museums and Spanish architecture. In addition, the farmers from the highlands and the Amazon come here to offer their goods.

Discover Lima and surroundings

  • Get to know Lima * on a city tour by bus.

 

 

Nazca © Paul Williams, Flickr, ShareAlike Generic 2.0 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Nazca © Paul Williams, Flickr

 

The lines of Nazca

To see the next sight, you have to fly. The lines of Nazca are among the secrets of the world. They were created by the Nazca culture. The figures include birds, monkeys, jaguars and other animals. They are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site today. They are not recognizable from the ground. There you only see how they were made. The creators of these works wore away the dark upper layer of earth and piled it up along the lines. This is how the bright lines were created in the desert soil. If you want to see them well, you have to look at them from an elevated position. The best way is to fly over them by plane.

Discover the lines of Nazca

 

 

Lake Titicaca Peru © Cecilia Heinen, Flickr, 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Puno on Lake Titicaca © Cecilia Heinen, Flickr

 

Puno on Lake Titicaca

The name Puno probably does not mean much to most people. But the Titicaca Lake is well known. Puno is the largest city at this lake in the Altiplano of Peru. With its almost 150.000 inhabitants, it is the starting point for excursions on the lake. The people of Puno breed alpacas and llamas. In addition, they operate arable farming. The city is so high that it never gets hot here. The average annual temperature in Puno is at a low 8.4 degrees Celsius.

Discover Puno and Lake Titicaca on your Peru trip

 

 

Islands of Lake Titicaca © unikorno, Flickr, ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Floating islands in Lake Titicaca © Unukorno, Flickr

 

The floating islands in Lake Titicaca

One of the best reasons to travel to Peru are the islands in Lake Titicaca. There are natural islands in the lake. There are also islands made by humans that float on the lake. Today about 2000 Uros Indians still live on these islands in simple straw huts. They retreated to these islands as early as Inca times. When an attack threatened, they detached the islands from the mainland and let them float out to sea. Today, tourism is the main source of income for the people who live there. Visitors are welcome on the islands.

Discover the floating islands in Lake Titicaca

 

Ceviche
Ceviche - one of the reasons for a trip to Peru

 

Ceviche, Lomo Saltado, Chicha - also reasons for a trip to Peru

For us as pleasure travelers, the local cuisine is of course one of the reasons for a trip to Peru. The country has a lot to offer. The Peruvian national dish Ceviche we already know from our trips to Florida. It is a fish dish prepared with lime juice. Another Peruvian specialty is Lomo Saltado. This is sliced ​​beef that is fried in a wok with tomatoes, onions and deep-fried potato slices. What we don't know yet is the Peruvian grape liquor Pisco or the corn beer Chicha, which the Incas produced. I'm sure that there are still a lot of culinary specialties to be discovered in Peru.

Get to know the Peruvian cuisine

 

We are particularly interested in the cultural attractions that Peru has to offer. For slow travelers who like to take a look behind the scenes, the cities of Arequipa and Lima are good reasons for a trip to Peru. Cusco with its Indian-Spanish past gives a great insight into the history and development of the country. If you want to see how people live on the floating islands, then a tour to Puno and a boat trip to these islands across Lake Titicaca is worthwhile. What we like most about a trip to this country is the opportunity to take a look at Peruvian cuisine. This is always a good way to get in close contact with the locals. There are some offers that are worthwhile.

 


 

 

 

Source Reasons for traveling to Peru: Research tips for traveling to Peru.

Text Reasons for a trip to Peru: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photo: © Copyright Monika Fuchs as well as TravelWorldOnline and Flickr participants (details in the respective caption)

10 reasons for a trip to Peru

Monika Fuchs

Monika Fuchs and Petar Fuchs are the authors and publishers of the Food and Slow Travel blog  TravelWorldOnline. They have been publishing this blog since 2005. TravelWorldOnline has been online since 2001. Their topics are trips to Savor, wine tourism worldwide and slow travel. During her studies Monika Fuchs spent some time in North America, where she - partly together with Petar Fuchs - traveled to the USA and Canada and spent a research year in British Columbia. This intensified her thirst for knowledge, which she satisfied for 6 years as an adventure guide for Rotel Tours and then for 11 years as a tour guide for Studiosus Reisen around the world. She was constantly expanding her travel regions, but curiosity still gnawed at her: "What's beyond the horizon? What else is there to discover in this city? Which people are interesting here? What do they eat in this region?" As a freelance travel journalist (her articles have appeared in DIE ZEIT, 360° Canada, 360° USA, etc.), she is now looking for answers to these questions as a travel writer and travel blogger in many countries around the world. Petar Fuchs produces the videos on this blog as well as on YouTube. Monika Fuchs from TravelWorldOnline is among Germany's top 50 bloggers in 2021. Find more Information about Monika and Petar Fuchs here.

22 thoughts too "10 reasons for a trip to Peru"

  1. Peru is beautiful indeed, after reading your post, now I have 10 more reasons to visit ASAP
    Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thanks for your comment. Peru is a very diverse country with many sights that will be explored.

  2. Hello you two,
    that really makes you want to go on a tour to Peru. But the journey will probably take a while to come.
    I can well imagine that it can be realized wonderfully with Inkatrotter.
    Thanks for the exciting tips.

    Spring greetings
    Katja

    1. Hello dear Katja,

      with us it also takes a trip to Peru. But the photos make you feel like it.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  3. But hello ... I do not think I need 10 reasons to go to Peru ... But your report has reinforced my yearning for this fascinating country. And these pictures ... just great! I hope we can do that soon. Maybe you will see yourself there then? :-)
    LG
    Hartmut

  4. Hello you two,
    Wow, these are really great pictures. I would have to lie if I said that Peru is not one of my dream destinations. However, your report has topped the list.
    LG Anja

  5. Wow! That's great shots! In Arequipa our son would especially like the old trams. Is really the hammer. Do you know how the price structure is there? And how is it about security there? Man, South America, we must necessarily travel. There are such great places there.

    Lg, Nina

    1. Hello Nina,

      We have not been there ourselves, so we can not answer your questions from personal experience. In foreign countries I always follow the instructions of the Foreign Ministry, and you will find them here for Peru: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Laenderinformationen/00-SiHi/PeruSicherheit.html, As far as prices are concerned, this list may help you: http://insideperu.com.pe/faq-2/lebenshaltungskosten-in-peru/, I hope this helps you further.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  6. Peru is one of my top 10 future destinations. Now I have more reasons for 10 to travel there soon. It really has to be really nice there.
    Thanks for the tips.
    LG
    Ina

    1. I am convinced of that, Ina. I'm just a little bit worried about the extreme highs in mountain areas. Is that so easy to put away? But that does not usually stop us from traveling. Then you just have to travel slowly to better acclimatize.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  7. The pictures definitely promise more and make you want to experience Peru live. I dream with you and who knows, maybe it will take me there sometimes. ;-)

    LG Daniela

    1. Hello Daniela,

      Peru is a country that has been interested in us for a long time. The great landscapes and the fascinating Indian cultures are particularly appealing to us. Let's see if it even works out with a trip there. We have been dreaming about this for a long time.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  8. Hello Monika and Petar, what great impressions of a country that I long ago remotely adore! As Bergfex I am obviously fond of the many trekking options, I will definitely take a closer look at the program of the organizer! LG Alex

    1. Dear Alex,

      yes, the mountains in Peru are really breathtaking. Trekking is not our cup of tea, but we have been dreaming of traveling by train through the Urubamba Valley to Macchu Picchu for a long time.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  9. Hello Monika, your report makes you feel like Peru. My boss was there last year and just raved about this country in South America. Thanks for the tip, a trip with Inkatrotter is certainly interesting, especially for someone like me who does not even know South America. Best regards, Anita

    1. Thank you very much, dear Anita. We were not that far in the south. So far, we have only made it to Honduras. But Peru has long been on our wish list. On the first trip, it makes sense to be traveling with a country connoisseur.

      Best regards,
      Monika

  10. Thanks for this perfect article - my next destination to Ecuador is Peru. I've been there for a few days before, and I'm enjoying Ceviche - I love it !! Furthermore, I am looking forward to your report now on the mountains and also the Lake Titicaca :)
    Lg from Ecuador

    1. Dear Michaela,

      I'm looking forward to your reports. Is this time again on one of the high peaks?

      Best regards,
      Monika

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