Travel guides

cusco · Inca Trail vs Salkantay

Inca Trail vs Salkantay

Every year, tens of thousands of travelers arrive in Cusco facing the same pivotal decision: Inca Trail or Salkantay Trek? Both routes lead to Machu Picchu. Both...

cusco · Salkantay Trek 5 Days

Salkantay Trek 5 Days

And unlike the Inca Trail, you don't need a permit. No quota. No 6-month booking window. Just your backpack, a licensed guide, and five of the most unforgettable...

lima · Lima Street Food Tour

Lima Street Food Tour

You can spend $200 at Central, the best restaurant in Latin America, and have an extraordinary meal. Or you can spend $8 at a Barranco street stall at 9 PM and...

lima · Lima City Tour

Lima City Tour

Here are the ten essential stops on any Lima city tour — with honest entry costs, how long to allow, and why each one matters:

arequipa · Arequipa Food Tour

Arequipa Food Tour

Arequipa has arguably the most distinctive regional cuisine in Peru. While Lima earns international headlines with its ceviche and Nikkei fusion, Arequipa's...

cusco · Best Machu Picchu Tours from Cusco

Best Machu Picchu Tours from Cusco

Most visitors to Machu Picchu spend over two hours in line — waiting for buses, tickets, and entry slots — before they ever set foot inside. By the time they...

cusco · Best Things To Do In Cusco

Best Things To Do In Cusco

Cusco is not just a city — it is the living heart of the Inca Empire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the gateway to some of the most extraordinary landscapes...

cusco · Rainbow Mountain Tour from Cusco

Rainbow Mountain Tour from Cusco

When glaciers covering the mineral-rich ridges of the Ausangate mountain range began retreating around 2015, they revealed something extraordinary: a mountain...

cusco · Sacred Valley Tour from Cusco

Sacred Valley Tour from Cusco

Between Cusco and Machu Picchu lies one of the most historically rich and visually stunning corridors in the Americas. The Sacred Valley of the Incas — Vilcanota...

cusco · Humantay Lake Tour from Cusco

Humantay Lake Tour from Cusco

In this guide you'll find everything: tour options, honest difficulty ratings, what to pack for high altitude, and a step-by-step itinerary so you know exactly...

cusco · Inca Trail Permits

Inca Trail Permits

This guide covers everything: how the permit system works, where to book, exactly how much it costs, when permits become available, and — critically — what your...

lima · Best Food Tours in Lima

Best Food Tours in Lima

The World Travel Awards has voted Lima the world's best culinary destination multiple times. The restaurant Central, led by Chef Virgilio Martínez, has held a...

lima · Best Things To Do in Lima

Best Things To Do in Lima

Most travelers treat Lima as a layover — a single night between their flight and Cusco. This is one of the great mistakes in South American travel.

lima · Paracas and Ballestas Islands from Lima

Paracas and Ballestas Islands from Lima

This guide covers everything: what to expect on the boat tour, the best wildlife to watch for, the Paracas National Reserve highlights, which tour to book, and...

lima · Lima Cooking Class

Lima Cooking Class

Lima is one of the world's great food cities — home to three of Latin America's best restaurants and a cuisine that fuses indigenous Andean, Spanish colonial,...

lima · Best Day Trips from Lima

Best Day Trips from Lima

Lima sits at the gateway to some of South America's most extraordinary landscapes — desert coastlines, ancient civilizations, oasis villages, and white-water...

arequipa · Best Things To Do in Arequipa

Best Things To Do in Arequipa

Arequipa is Peru's most underrated city. Built almost entirely from sillar — a cream-white volcanic stone quarried from the flanks of El Misti volcano — its...

arequipa · Colca Canyon Tour from Arequipa

Colca Canyon Tour from Arequipa

Depth: 3,270 meters — world's deepest canyon (Cotahuasi Canyon, also in Arequipa region, edges it by ~100 m).

arequipa · Colca Canyon 2 Day Trek

Colca Canyon 2 Day Trek

Total distance: ~16 km (11 km descent Day 1, 5 km ascent Day 2)

arequipa · Cruz del Condor

Cruz del Condor

Location: Colca Canyon rim, Caylloma Province, Arequipa region

arequipa · Santa Catalina Monastery

Santa Catalina Monastery

One of the best-preserved colonial monastic complexes anywhere in the Americas.

arequipa · Arequipa City Tour

Arequipa City Tour

Arequipa's Historic Centre received UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000.

cusco · Machu Picchu Guide

Machu Picchu Guide

This guide covers everything: how to buy tickets, which train to take, where to stay in Aguas Calientes, which circuit to choose, the best viewpoints inside the...