Top Peru hotels
45 Reviews Want to shop for things Peruvian or eat your lunch or dinner with a spectacular view? Larcomar is a shopping presinct designed to fit into the cliffs of Miraflores. From the street all you see is a...
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Sacsayhuaman Cusco
62 Reviews Sacsayhuamán is a walled complex on the northern outskirts of the city of Cusco. The complex is typically Inca. The cut boulders are massive and fit tightly together without the aid of...
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Huayna Picchu Machu Picchu
39 Reviews You will have to climb for a very narrow path, it will take you 45 minutes to 1 ½ hour to complete it and you will arrive to a plce where you will see and amazing landscape of Machu Picchu Citadel, it...
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San Francisco Church And Convent Lima
60 Reviews The church and monastery of Saint Francis were consecrated in 1673 and completed in 1774. The church, built in the Spanish Baroque style, survived earthquakes in 1687 and1746 but was extensively...
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Machu Picchu Cusco
30 Reviews If you choose not to trek to Machu Picchu the train from Ollantaytambo is the next best choice. Peru Rail offers a number of daily departures and three standards of travel - Backpackers has standard...
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Inca Trail Machu Picchu
49 Reviews At about 5pm we finally arrived at our campsite at Wiñay Wayna which means Forever Young in English. After a snack we went to the ruins of the same name where the scenery was stunning as the clouds...
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Museos - Museums Lima
62 Reviews Opened on 17th December, 2011, in the old Ministry of Communications building, this is the first museum in the world to be a complete audio/visual experience. Visit is by guided groups of 20-30 only....
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Qoriqancha-Santo Domingo Convent Cusco
44 Reviews The Qoriqancha (Quechua for Golden Courtyard) was once known as Inti Kancha or Temple of the Sun. It was dedicated primarily to Inti, the Sun God and was the foremost temple in the Inca Empire. It was...
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Aguas Caliente Machu Picchu
11 Reviews After a long hike going to Machu Picchu, a lot of travelers go to the Aguas Calientes which is a collection of outdoor thermal pools, believed to have curative powers. I walked to the pools for from...
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District Of Barranco Lima
29 Reviews The Puente de los Suspiros, or Bridge of Sighs - if you can walk across it for the first time, without taking a breath, all your wishes will come true. So the story goes. The Bajada de los Baños is a...
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San Blas Cusco
23 Reviews Thsi is the artisan centre of Cusco and centred around the Plaza de San Blas. From Plaza de Armas take Triunfo and head uphill for about 10 minutes. The square has a lovely waterfall, the Iglesia de...
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Llamas / Other Animals Machu Picchu
15 Reviews After taking your best pictures of the citadel, keep climbing the steps until you reach the Agricultural Sector. You´ll find yourself surrounded by llamas of many colors and sizes. I wasn´t attacked...
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Plaza Mayor And Surroundings Lima
52 Reviews The name Plaza de Armas (Plaza of Arms) is is given to the main square in many cities in Spain and Latin America. In most cases it is actually the same place as the Plaza Mayor. Historically it is the...
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Main Square Cusco
34 Reviews The Plaza de Armas, originally ‘Huacaypata’ or Square of the Warrior was the heart of the Inca Empire. It is located in the centre of the capital of the empire - Cusco. Cusco was designed in the shape...
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Temples Machu Picchu
16 Reviews After walking past the Residential Sector, you´ll reach the District of the Priests and Nobility, where all the temples and palaces are located. The Temple of the Sun, shaped like a "P", will...
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La Catedral - The Cathedral of Lima Lima
36 Reviews Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess; 1471 or 1476 – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish conquistador (soldier-explorer). He is the famous conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima. After his...
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Ollantaytambo Cusco
14 Reviews Ollantaytambo is a small town on the Urubamba River. It offers guesthouse style accommodation and has quite a good tourist market. Wh ile famous for its amazing Inca ruins it is also the starting...
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Sacred Plaza Machu Picchu
11 Reviews This is one of the 3 temples located at the Sacred Plaza. Historians believe that it was probably of comparatively lesser importance than the Main Temple. Like the name suggests it has 3 big...
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Palacio De Gobierno Lima
29 Reviews This is a must see! The president of Peru lives here, the palace is an entire block. There isn't much to see, as far as, you can't enter the palace. But it is interesting to watch the changing of the...
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The Cathedral Cusco
28 Reviews The Cusco Cathedral was completed in 1654 and took almost 100 years to build. It is located on one side of the Plaza de Armas and is the main church of the Archdiocese of Cusco. The location for both...
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Ruins Machu Picchu
39 Reviews Just got back today from Cusco and Machu Pichu. Bought my ticket in Cusco just so I wouldn't waste time getting a ticket in AC after getting off the train. There was a sign in the office saying...
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Plaza San Martin Lima
19 Reviews When I first walked into Plaza San Martin and had the total perspective of the entire plaza it was a bit overwhelming. Obviously the architect of the plaza had a grand vision in mind. According to...
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Streets of Cusco Cusco
27 Reviews Cusco is a fascinating city and great and easy to explore as all roads lead to (or away from ) the Plaza de Armas. Taxis are cheap - you must negotiate the price beforehand - and plentiful. For a...
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Scenery Machu Picchu
22 Reviews It was really amazing to see Machu Picchu in person after seeing it so many times in Travel Magazines. You just can't beleive it until you see it with your very own eyes. It's just so unbelievable to...
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Around Lima Lima
22 Reviews Old Town Lima I found to be remarkably safe. There were many old buildings painstakingly restored. Vibrant colors abounded. Several interesting balconies of wrought iron protruded in the street. Every...
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As the highest navigable lake in the world, Lake Titikaka has always been on my mind, tagged as one of the most amazing destinations on Earth I had to see. At first I thought the lake was going to be all brown and poluted. However, as you can see from the pic, lake is amazingly crystal blue. This Pic was taken from Puno.
I had a dream, a challenge :). Locals called the beautiful chappel at Andahuaylillas the Sistine chapel of the Americas. The chapel contains breathtaking frescos, paintings, and a lavish altar. As I had expected, however, the chapel doesn't match the Sistine chapel in the Vatican. Heck, it is not even the most beautiful chapel in Peru. Nevertheless, it is beautiful in its own right and it’s amazing how such a marvel can be built in such a small town.
Saqsayhuaman (commonly referred to as 'Sexy Women' by many tourists; if you can't pronounce the name just say this and a taxi driver will take you there) is a beautiful Incaic temple that lies on a hill overlooking Cusco. The site has one of the best Incaic ruins I have seen. The temple was built with massive stones fit into perfection at different angles. Some of the stones weigh over 100 tons. Before heading downhill towards Cusco, I stopped on top of the hill to see the town. I got an excellent view of the Plaza de Armas.
Q'engo is an amazing Incaic amphitheatre with some of the finest stone carvings I have ever seen. In fact, the site was designed and built from several giant rocks still clearly visible. There is a beautiful tunnel system with incredible stone carving inside. Sadly, the tunnels are used as toilets by some today.
Pisac turned out to be impressive with several military and civilian buildings. I took a collectivo from town uphill to the side and slowly made my way down back to town. The scenery was breathtaking in and on itself. In addition, I got to see Inca terraces all over the place.
Ollantaytambo (Ollanta for short) is an impressive town that inspires and awes visitors. It almost reminds me of a lovely town in China's Yunnan Province called Lijiang with its beautiful channels of running water. Unlike Lijinag, however, Ollanta was built on top of an Inca settlement so all the houses have an Incaic foundation. Cusco has similar buildings, but Ollanta's small size won me over.
Chinchero has a lovely church build on top of an Inca temple. The stonework on the site next to the church is amazing. One wonders how they achieved such perfection using massive stones. After all, they used gravity, not concrete, to hold their buildings together. What's even more amazing is the perfect cut in Imperial Inca rock buildings.
The first glimpse of Machu Picchu was the most magical for me. I woke up bright and early at 4 AM and by 5 AM I was already hiking the last leg of the Inca Trail. I got to Inti Punku (Temple of the Sun) just in time to await the first sunrays hit Machu Picchu. The first rays came around 6 AM. The view from here before, during the first sun rays, and once the sunrays had hit Machu Picchu was not only phenomenal, but also unforgettable. Machu Picchu is all that I had expected and more. At times, you forget that Machu Picchu was not the Inca capital, specially when considering the magnitude of the site (Cusco was the capital). If ever there was a must see that is truly 'MUST SEE,' Machu Picchu is it!
My first major trek near Cusco was the cream of the crop. After looking around for ages, I signed up with Flamencos tour and did the famous Inca Trail en route to the infamous Machu Picchu ruins. At first I was disappointed since you had to hire a babysitter to take you around the historic trail, but in the end I do not regret it one bit. Guides and porters run the trail itself now so you only carry your own stuff plus your sleeping bag and mattress. The helpful porters carry the food, the supplies, and the tents. Our group size was 16 people from different countries and walks of life. Let me tell you though, we were one spoil group with 3 daily meals plus one tea time with snacks each day. Read more about this amazing trek in my travelogue.
Cusco was the capital of the Quechua speaking Inca Empire and later was later occupied by the conquering Spaniards during the colonial times. Today Cusco has a nice blend of Inca, Spanish, and modern Peruvian culture. It is a lovely city with amazing architecture. At first glance it reminds me of a European town, not a Latin American town, but at closer look one sees all the Incaic architecture carefully preserved in the base of the buildings. The Spaniards didn't destroy the Incaic buildings. They used their strong rock walls and foundations as their foundations for their buildings. Therefore, one can stroll around town today and admire the mix between the two architectures
7 Reviews and 250 Opinions We did not stay here, but it was pointed out to us as the hotel used for some of the VIPs that came...
Hostal Rumi Punku Cusco
7 Reviews and 486 Opinions Very nice hotel including all amenities, even wi-fi. Recommend the tours booked via Sergio at the...
Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel Machu Picchu
302 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Peru attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Peru sightseeing.
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Q: We will be traveling in Dec. can only spend about 6 days in Peru. Would appreciate any suggestions on how to best use our time. ...
A: Firstly, if you stay on the coast, be prepared for heat and humidity. If you go inland, be prepared for altitude. I imagine you will be arriving first off in Lima? Six...
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