Southern Peru

Peru's classic travel route: Cusco and Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon, the White City of Arequipa and the Nazca Lines.

This region follows the Peruvian travel convention of the "South" and, taken by whole regions, includes seven: Ica, Arequipa, Moquegua, Tacna, Cusco, Puno and Apurímac, stretching from the Pacific desert coast to the Andean highlands and Lake Titicaca. It is the most popular travel region in Peru and in all of South America. Highlights: Cusco, the former Inca capital (a World Heritage Site), is surrounded by Sacsayhuamán, Pisac in the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo and the Moray terraces. Machu Picchu can be reached by train via Aguas Calientes, or on the roughly 4-day Inca Trail (permits must be requested months in advance); Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) and the Salkantay Trek are also popular. In Puno, Lake Titicaca has the Uros floating reed islands and Taquile Island. Arequipa is a colonial city built of white volcanic stone, backed by Misti Volcano, and nearby Colca Canyon is the place to see Andean condors. On the coast are the marine wildlife of Paracas and the Ballestas Islands, dune buggies and sandboarding at the Huacachina desert oasis, and the Nazca Lines (viewable from small planes). The classic "Southern Circuit" runs Lima–Paracas–Nazca–Arequipa–Colca–Puno–Cusco–Machu Picchu in about 12–16 days; even Cusco and Machu Picchu alone take 4–5 days. You can fly from Lima to Cusco, Arequipa or Juliaca (for Puno), and there are long-distance buses and tourist trains between cities. Cusco sits at about 3,400 m and Puno at about 3,800 m, so allow time to acclimatize. Machu Picchu tickets are limited by time slot, so book well ahead in peak season.

Destinations

Itineraries