- Hiking the Inca Trail (Machu Picchu): An arduous 4-day trek to Machu Picchu leads across astonishing Andean mountain passes and through some of the greatest attractions in Peru, including dozens of Inca ruins, dense cloud forest, and breathtaking mountain scenery. The trek has a superlative payoff: a sunrise arrival at the glorious ruins of Machu Picchu, shrouded in mist at your feet.
- Soaring over the Costa Verde (Lima): Lima rising from the coastal cliffs over the Pacific is perhaps the city’s most emblematic visual. Get an even better look while catching a gust of wind from a Miraflores park and paragliding over the Pacific Ocean.
- Trekking to really remote ruins (Sacred Valley): Notch bragging rights by making arduous journeys to ruins you’ll have virtually to yourself. Choquequirao is an Inca site still only 30% uncovered; it takes 4 or 5 days on foot to get there and back. Some think of it as the new Machu Picchu.
- Walking in the serene Sacred Valley: You don’t have to join the crowds on the strenuous 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Ollantaytambo and Yucay are the best bases for easy walks in the pretty countryside of the Urubamba Valley. The trek from the Inca site Moray to the ancient Salineras salt mines is particularly beautiful.
- Running big-time white water: Just beyond Cusco are some excellent river runs, ranging from mild to world-class; novices can do 1-day trips to get their feet (and more) wet, while more experienced rafters can take multiday trips that sail from the highlands into the Amazon.
- Surfing the waves (Pacific Coast): Wave connoisseurs are sweet on Peru’s long Pacific coastline and a great variety of left and right reef breaks, point breaks, and big-time waves. Northern Peru, best from October to March, is the top choice of most, and surfers hang out in the easygoing fishing villages of Huanchaco and Máncora.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.