Frommers.com Community
By Neil Edward Schlecht
Traveling in Peru with children is an adventure. Transportation difficulties, foreign food, and the country's rugged nature may prove overtly challenging to some families. But, Peru can be a rewarding learning experience about South American history, ecology, Peruvian culture, and the developing world. Older kids and teens, especially those with a taste for adventure, will enjoy the outdoor settings of Inca ruins, Lake Titicaca's island culture, and the flora and fauna of the Amazon jungle. Families for whom this trip may involve too much travel can pass on either Lake Titicaca or the Amazon and try to stick to the "gringo trail," where there's better infrastructure.
Photo Caption: Dancing child in Peru.
Instead of beginning your tour of the highlands in its capital, Cusco, head straight to the peaceful Sacred Valley, where the altitude is lower and things are less congested. Stay at a country hotel (which can arrange a transfer from the Cusco airport), where the kids can go horseback riding or swimming; teenagers could even go whitewater rafting or mountain biking in the Valley. Climbing the Inca ruins of Pisac or Ollantaytambo is also fun, educational, and a great way to burn off energy.
Photo Caption: Shopping in a market in Pisac, Peru.
The train to Machu Picchu is a delightful, scenic adventure that appeals to all ages. Spend the day exploring the ruins. Older and athletic children will love the hike up to Huayna Picchu for sensational panoramic views. This day involves a lot of climbing and stamina, so plan to stay overnight in Aquas Calientes.
Photo Caption: Llamas overlooking Machu Picchu, Peru.
Cusco is full of visual inputs, such as colorfully attired llamas on the streets. Kids can check out the masonry of a 500-year-old Inca palace with giant stones that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle; have them locate the 12-Angled Stone on Calle Hatunrumiyoc and the stones that form the shape of a puma in the Inca Roca alleyway. At the ruins of Sacsayhuamán, there are mammoth rocks with slick grooves that make great slides for kids of all ages. Cusco has a number of informal restaurants, such as the pizzeria Chez Maggy and Jack's Café Bar, that will appeal to young ones.
Photo Caption: The week long celebration of Inti Raymi is a life changing experience and the day time parades are a beautiful display of indigenous pride.
Two eco-lodges that don't require too much exhausting river travel time are Sandoval Lake Lodge, for those who don't mind roughing it, on an oxbow lake where a family of giant river otters lives; and Reserva Amazónica Lodge, for a bit of pampering, which has a private treetop canopy walk and boats that take guests out at night to look for caimans on the river.
Photo Caption: Four birds on a lake in the Southern Peruvian Amazon.
The train ride to Lake Titicaca is long, but it's one of the most scenic in South America. Once here, stay at a hotel overlooking the lake, and head out on a boat tour of Titicaca (either a day trip or with an overnight stay). Kids open to new experiences will marvel at the natives who live on the floating islands (Islas Uros) or the native communities on Isla Taquile, and will enjoy an overnight stay with a family on Isla Amantaní.
Photo Caption: Uros women on a Floating Island, Lake Titicaca, Peru.
Traveling in Peru with children is an adventure. Transportation difficulties, foreign food, and the country's rugged nature may prove overtly challenging to some families. But, Peru can be a rewarding learning experience about South American history, ecology, Peruvian culture, and the developing world. Older kids and teens, especially those with a taste for adventure, will enjoy the outdoor settings of Inca ruins, Lake Titicaca's island culture, and the flora and fauna of the Amazon jungle. Families for whom this trip may involve too much travel can pass on either Lake Titicaca or the Amazon and try to stick to the "gringo trail," where there's better infrastructure.
Photo Caption: Dancing child in Peru.
Photo Caption: Shopping in a market in Pisac, Peru.
Photo Caption: Llamas overlooking Machu Picchu, Peru.
Photo Caption: The week long celebration of Inti Raymi is a life changing experience and the day time parades are a beautiful display of indigenous pride.
Photo Caption: Four birds on a lake in the Southern Peruvian Amazon.
Photo Caption: Uros women on a Floating Island, Lake Titicaca, Peru.