Peru

Overview This itinerary offers the best of Peru in 3 weeks. Visit the historical sites and museums of the former Incan capital of Cusco. Explore the archaeological wonder of Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the…

Taquile is one of 40 inhabited islands in Lake Titicaca, situated on the border of Peru and Bolivia. Taquile is best known for its beautiful textile art and community of knitting men. The island and its…

Amantani, a tranquil island in Lake Titicaca, was the site of our first overseas homestay. In Puno, we arranged an overnight stay with an island family. By going through a local organization with no government or…

For hundreds of years, the Uros Indians have lived on 40 or so manmade islands in Lake Titicaca. The indigenous Andean people believe the lake to be the birthplace of civilization and as such, a sacred…

Colca Canyon is considered the Grand Canyon of Peru, but much more challenging to access. Traveling from Arequipa, we opted for the cheapest, most traditional way to Cabanaconde, the town closest to Colca Canyon. This turned out…

Picturesque squares, wide boulevards and cosmopolitan flair give Arequipa a different vibe than the rest of Peru. Known as “The White City”, Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru. It has an upscale, European feel…

Machu Picchu, also known as The Lost City of the Incas, is an ancient archaeological site discovered fairly recently. In the early 1900s, American archaeologist Hiram Bingham uncovered it with the help of a team of…

Boarding the plane for Cusco, we realized we wouldn’t see anyone we know for a year. What a strange feeling. Just a couple of months earlier, we had quit our advertising jobs in New York. We…

Ollantaytambo is a small town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas offering a glimpse into quiet, Peruvian country life. We stopped through Ollantaytambo on our way back from Machu Picchu. We had about four hours…