Peru - Oasis Highlights

There are so many highlights in this fascinating country that it is impossible to list them all here. Our travel consultants will discuss your interests and be able to put a specific itinerary together for you, but below are a few must see’s!

Sacred Valley

So overlooked, the Sacred Valley is a beautiful spot on the banks of the Urubamba river surrounded by fertile pastures under the shadow of the Vilcabamba mountains. Best of all, at 2800m above sea-level, some 500m lower than Cusco, the Sacred Valley is ideal for acclimatising. There is a good selection of hotels and you could spend days exploring the fascinating mix of Inca villages, markets and remote ruins. For the active, the Urubamba offers good rafting and paddling while the surrounding villages and ruins are all interconnected with Inca Trails, wonderful for exploring on foot or by bike.

The Inca Trails

The classic Inca Trail is one of the world’s great treks which winds through the mountains and ruins of the Vilcabamba to reach Machu Picchu through the iconic sun-gate. However, the hike is very popular and tightly controlled by permits and there are countless alternatives to consider, each equally as spectacular yet receiving a fraction of the visitors. Choquequirao, “the cradle of gold” is an isolated Inca outpost some two mountains behind Machu Picchu which can be reached in 5 days while Salkantay takes you high into the Andes before dropping you through lush cloud-forest to reach Aguas Calientes from behind. For those not wishing to camp, there are countless day hikes on offer. Highlights include the one day Inca Trail, a 6 hour hike from outside Aguas Calientes to reach Machu Picchu via the impressive site of Winay Wayna and Huchuy Qosqo, a well-restored Inca site at the heart of the Sacred Valley.

Tambopata

A side-trip into the Amazon Rainforest is a highlight of any trip to Peru and for a remote patch of jungle with excellent wildlife, look no further than Tambopata, a huge pristine national reserve accessed from Puerto Maldonado in southern Peru. The main attraction is the world’s largest clay-lick which attracts 14 species of Macaws and parrots each day. Though the journey to reach Tambopata is long and the standard of lodges simple, the experience is unrivalled.

Machu Picchu

The iconic, citadel of Machu Picchu sits at the heart of South American tourism and is the centrepiece of any visit to Peru and quite rightly so. The site is simply awe-inspiring. The setting evokes tales of explorers and lost cities shrouded in dense cloud-forest and the site itself features some of the finest Inca stonework in all of the country. Though it can be visited as a daytrip, we highly recommend that you overnight in Aguas Calientes at the foot of the mountain. The weather at best is unpredictable, Machu Picchu opens and closes in the mist and allowing the chance to catch sunset and sunrise over the temples is unforgettable.

Chachapoyas

Way off the beaten track, the cloud-forest kingdom of Chachapoyas is a long an arduous journey from Chiclayo, but another archaeological wonder in Peru. At its heart, the massive stone fortress of Kuelap dominates the mountain ridge while at Karajia, eerie sarcophagi planted high in the valley walls overlook the river gorge. Home to the Chachapoyas civilisation, one of the early rivals to the Inca, this is one of the most exciting and up-and-coming regions of Peru. Facilities are still basic but improving and there is good hiking to admire the dramatic Gocta Falls, third highest waterfall in the world.