Discovering Peru

A Journey Through Time, Mountains, and Magic

Chris

by Chris on 23rd July 2025

Chris is the CEO of The Adventure People and has over 20 years experience in the travel industry.

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Peru isn’t a country you just visit. It’s a place that gets under your skin, into your bones, and stays with you long after you’ve brushed the dust of the Andes from your hiking boots. There’s something almost spiritual about it—the way ancient civilisations whisper from Inca ruins, how the sun dips behind jagged peaks in the Sacred Valley, the hypnotic pulse of Amazonian life deep in the jungle, and the warmth of a people proud of their roots.

If you’ve ever dreamed of exploring Peru, don’t do it halfway. Give it the time it deserves. A 14-night grand holiday offers the perfect blend: cultural immersion, highland hikes, city charm, wildlife wonders, and culinary revelations that will redefine your taste buds. Peru isn’t just a trip—it’s a full-bodied experience, and two weeks is just enough time to fall truly, madly in love with it.

From Lima’s Culinary Delights to the Pacific’s Coastal Secrets

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Your Peruvian story begins in Lima, a city that straddles centuries with flair. It’s easy to dismiss capital cities as necessary transit hubs, but Lima defies that stereotype. Within hours of landing, the city starts working its magic. Think colonial churches and bougainvillaea-strewn plazas in the historic centre. Then, switch gears to the seaside district of Miraflores, where paragliders float over the cliffs and couples wander the Malecón, hand in hand.

But what truly elevates Lima is its food. This city has become one of the gastronomic powerhouses of the world, and for good reason. Ceviche, marinated in just the right kiss of lime and chili. Lomo saltado, a wok-fried fusion of Chinese and Peruvian. Exotic Amazonian fruits you’ve never seen before. And if your budget stretches to it, book a table at one of the city’s award-winning restaurants—Maido or Central—for a meal that feels more like theatre than dinner.

From here, the journey unfolds.

A few hours south, the desert meets the ocean in Paracas and the Ballestas Islands—often dubbed the “Poor Man’s Galapagos,” though that undersells it completely. Think sea lions basking on rocky outcrops, Humboldt penguins waddling through surf spray, and seabirds swirling above in chaotic harmony. The nearby Nazca Lines, those mysterious ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert floor, are best seen from the sky—a flight that stirs wonder and raises questions still unanswered by modern science.

Into the White City and the World’s Second Deepest Canyon

After the coast, the Andes call. A short flight brings you to Arequipa, the “White City,” so named for its glistening volcanic stone architecture. This city has a soul. There’s a grace to its baroque buildings, shaded courtyards, and the hushed magnificence of Santa Catalina Monastery—a pastel-hued labyrinth that feels like a town within a town. In the shadow of El Misti volcano, Arequipa blends sophistication with adventure.

Not far from here lies one of Peru’s best-kept secrets: Colca Canyon. Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and etched into a high-altitude landscape of terraced hillsides and remote Andean villages, it’s a place that rewards early risers. At dawn, you can watch condors—massive, ancient birds—soar on thermals rising from the valley floor. Locals still live in harmony with the land here, and a night in a family-run lodge offers rare insight into traditions passed down for generations.

Soaking in a steaming natural hot spring under a sky of southern stars, your journey begins to take on that dreamlike quality Peru does so well. And just when you think it can’t get more impressive—Cusco beckons.

Cusco and the Sacred Valley: A High-Altitude Love Affair

If Lima is Peru’s pulse, Cusco is its heart. Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is layered—literally and metaphorically. Colonial churches rise on the ruins of Incan temples. Narrow cobbled lanes reveal bustling markets, chic cafés, and quiet courtyards blooming with geraniums.

The altitude takes your breath away—so does the view. This is where preparation meets wonder. Acclimatising here is essential, but trust me, you’ll want to linger. You’ll sip coca tea on sun-drenched patios, wander the San Blas artisan district, and catch live Andean music echoing through the streets by night.

Nearby, the Sacred Valley unfolds like a travel tapestry. It’s lush, carved by the Urubamba River and lined with Inca ruins, villages, and craft markets. Visit Ollantaytambo, a still-inhabited Inca town where cobblestones clatter beneath donkey hooves and the surrounding ruins cling heroically to the cliffs above. Stop at Pisac, where the Sunday market buzzes with colour and life. Meet weavers in Chinchero who still dye wool using crushed insects and mountain herbs. Everywhere you go, the connection between past and present is palpable.

Machu Picchu: The Crown Jewel

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There are travel moments you plan for. Then there are those that ambush you with beauty. Machu Picchu is both.

Whether you arrive via the winding Inca Trail or the scenic Vistadome train, the experience is utterly surreal. Perched between mist-draped mountains, the citadel seems almost to float above the clouds. The stonework is so precise it feels like it grew from the mountainside, rather than being placed there by hand. You’ll walk through temples aligned to celestial events, see llamas grazing casually on thousand-year-old terraces, and climb to the Sun Gate for a panoramic view that will take your breath away in every sense.

But it’s not just the visuals. It’s what Machu Picchu stirs in you. Awe, humility, a profound sense of connection to the people who built this sacred place with no metal tools, no wheels, and an understanding of the cosmos that rivals ours today.

The Amazon: Where the Wild Things Are

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As if Peru hadn’t already given you enough, there’s one more dimension—untamed, green, and teeming with life.

A short flight east transports you from mountain to rainforest. Welcome to Puerto Maldonado and the Tambopata Reserve, a region pulsing with biodiversity. Here, jungle lodges sit deep within the canopy. Your days begin with howler monkeys acting as alarm clocks and end with caiman spotting on twilight boat rides.

Guides lead you through dense jungle trails, pointing out rare orchids, bright macaws, and the occasional sloth doing its best impression of a tree. You’ll visit clay licks where hundreds of parrots descend in a kaleidoscope of feathers, canoe through oxbow lakes, and sleep to the chorus of frogs and insects reminding you—you’re definitely not in Kansas anymore.

It’s raw. It’s primal. And it’s the perfect counterpoint to Peru’s lofty highlands and sun-washed coasts.

Why a Two-Week Trip is the Perfect Choice

Two weeks is long enough to do Peru justice without rushing. It allows for acclimatisation, deeper cultural connections, and the chance to savour—not just sample—the country’s riches. It’s ideal for adventurous couples, curious solo travellers, and even families with older children ready to take on a real journey.

From the moment you first breathe in that high-altitude air to your final morning waking up to the sounds of the Amazon, you’ll be changed. Peru doesn’t hand you easy answers. It invites you into its mystery, its rhythm, and its soul.

And if you're anything like me, you’ll find that leaving Peru doesn’t mean leaving it behind. You’ll carry its stories, scents, and songs with you. In fact, the only real risk in travelling to Peru is that you’ll immediately want to go back.


Thinking of your own Peruvian escape? Whether you want archaeology and altitude, wildlife and waterfalls, or markets and misty mountains, this country has a way of making every traveller feel like an explorer. And trust me—Peru is more than a destination. It’s a discovery.

Let the adventure begin.