People in national costumes admiring the view of the mountains

HOLA PERU

Name: Peru Explorer
Brand: Costsaver
Price: 1240.0 GBP
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.4 (78 reviews)

Destination guide

Mystical ruins, ancient cultures, incredible nature… Peru is in a league of its own and we can't wait to excite your senses with the likes of floating islands, buzzing cities and friendly llamas. While we take care of all your Peru tour essentials, you get to choose from our optional experiences to create the Peru trip of your dreams. Whether you want to explore the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu or sail across ‘the birthplace of the sun’ at Lake Titicaca, you’ll discover the best of Peru, but always your way.

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ESSENTIAL PERU BUCKET LIST ITEMS BY US

Our Peru tours are packed with bucket list wonders, from lost cities and ancient fortresses to the Sacred Valley and the City of the Kings.

VISIT THE FAMOUS PISAC MARKET IN SACRED VALLEY

There’s no better place to pick up some traditional souvenirs than Pisac Market, where local Peruvians come every Sunday to sell their handicrafts and produce. Be sure to check out the beautiful Quechuan handwoven wares and the castillos de cuyes (literally, mini castles for guinea pigs).

Monastery of San Francisco and flying birds

EXPLORE THE "CITY OF THE KINGS", LIMA

Get to know Peru’s capital city on a Lima sightseeing tour with your Local Specialist. It’s all about grand buildings, historic monuments, superb food and a beautiful coastline here, and we’ll hop around all the icons like the Plaza Mayor and Cathedral, the Gaudi-style architecture of Parque del Amor, and the buzzing Miraflores neighbourhood.

Llamas and people near the enormous stones

DISCOVER THE ANCIENT SACSAYHUAMAN

The Sacsayhuaman fortress is one of the world’s most impressive buildings and a Peru must see. We’ll let you in on all the secrets of this engineering marvel, built by the Incans around the 13th century with some of the biggest blocks ever found in Incan construction. They’re fitted together so tightly that you can’t even fit a piece of paper between some of them!

PERU TAILORED BY YOU

Tailor your ultimate Peru trip your way with our range of Optional Experiences. Choose from adventures like seeing the Magic Circuit of the Water in Lima and exploring the ancient greenhouse of Moray.

Katie B.

happy Get Going past guest

VISIT MORAY AND MORAS

History buffs will love Moray, an ancient greenhouse with four platforms that seem to disappear into a huge crater. It's thought to have been used by the Incas to study which plants they could use for agriculture. The village of Maras is just as fascinating, with salt mines that have been used since the time of the Inca. We met the villagers who shared their ancient salt mining techniques and even let us have a go!

Ella C.

Costsaver team member

HIKING TO THE INCA BRIDGE

Hiking to the Inca Bridge takes about 40 minutes from the entrance of Machu Picchu and whilst it is a relatively easy walk it is not for the faint of heart as at points the trail can be narrow and has a sheer drop off of several hundreds of metres. The walk itself is incredibly scenic and when you get to the end you will be able to observe an original Inca draw bridge that was used to protect the Western entrance to Machu Picchu.

Karine C.

Costsaver team member

GO TO A ROOFTOP BAR IN CUSCO

The beautiful city of Cusco is a great way to explore by foot or local taxi (4 to 6 soles per trip within the general city area). Take a walk up to one of the tallest points in the city and have a local cocktail while taking in the red-tiled rooftops of Cusco city. Have the friendly staff introduce and share some interesting stories behind the cocktails while you are at it.

WHAT TO EAT & DRINK IN PERU

From hearty potato stews and delicious beef stir-frys to creamy caramel desserts, Peruvian food is sure to be one of the best parts of your Peru trip.

LOMO SALTADO

If you love a good stir fry, you have to try this delicious fusion dish that mixes the Chinese stir-fry with classic Peruvian ingredients. Tuck into marinated strips of sirloin tossed with fried potatoes, yellow chilli pepper, onions, tomatoes, cilantro and soy sauce, served with fluffy steamed rice.

SUSPIRO A LA LIMEÑA

It doesn’t get sweeter than this romantic dessert that got its name from the poet husband of its creator. The name means ‘Sigh of a Lima lady’, because the pudding was soft and sweet like the sigh of a woman. Made from a creamy caramel and topped with meringue and a sprinkling of cinnamon, this is simply divine.

CHUPE DE CAMARONES

Soups have been a huge part of Peruvian food for centuries, but one stands out above the rest. Chupe de Camarones is a hearty shrimp stew, made with a tomato and hot red pepper broth, thickened with vegetables like yuca, potatoes, corn and rice. It’s a volcano of texture and flavour and is sure to keep you satisfied for hours.

WHEN IS BEST TO VISIT PERU

Whether you want to cruise across Lake Titicaca or explore the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu, here are some of the best times to visit this incredible country.

BEST TIME TO EXPLORE MACHU PICCHU

December to April are the wettest months, plus Machu Picchu is closed in February, so visit any time between May and November for the warmest weather and safest walking trails.

BEST TIME TO VISIT PERU’S CITIES

If you want to explore the famous cities like Lima and Cusco, head to Peru between May and November for the best weather - although Lima tends to be foggy in June!

BEST TIME TO CRUISE LAKE TITICACA

Venture to the high altitudes of Lake Titicaca during the dry season between April and October, for almost constant sunshine and cooler temperatures.

PACKING TIPS FOR PERU

Spanish phrasebook

Pack a phrasebook or download some common phrases to your smartphone. Learning the language is a great way to connect with the locals and your efforts are always appreciated.

Walking shoes

From wandering the markets of Lima to walking the ancient streets of Machu Picchu, you’ll definitely need a comfortable pair of shoes on your Peru holiday.

Versatile clothing

With 28 of the 32 world climates, Peru is famed for its varied weather, so bring a range of layers to take you from the chilly mountains to the sunny lakes.

HOW TO TRAVEL RESPONSIBLY IN PERU

Shop local

Peru has some seriously talented artisans and we’ll take you to the famous Pisac Market where you can buy wares from the locals, like hand-woven clothes and toys.

Ask before snapping

We’re sure you won’t be able to stop snapping pictures on your Peru sightseeing adventures, but it’s important to ask people if you can take their photo and it's always nice to thank them with a few pesos.