Huaraz is the perfect departure point for excursions into both the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra. It's in the heights of the Sierra that you will truly discover all the fantastic features that the Ancash region has to offer.

Huarez: a jewel nestled between snow-covered peaks

It's at Lima that the great numbers of Peruvians found themselves in the 50s, when the rural exodus was at its peak. The capital has seen a tenfold increase in its population and it's this mixture of people and cultures from all over the country that gives it all its variety today.

Visiting Lima's various neighbourhoods

A visit to the heart of the various pre-Incan civilisations in the land of the Lambayeque. The region is brimming with important archaeological remains, so let's follow the tracks of this impressive historical heritage...

Lambayeque: follow in the footsteps of ancient civilisations

Located between the Selva and the Cordillera of the Andes, the Huancavélica and Cerro Pasco region will put you under its spell, with its incredible landscapes, the welcoming nature of the local inhabitants and the old traditions that are still very much alive

Pasco and Huancavélica: a voyage combining nature and tradition

The huge capital of Peru sprung up out the desert. Lima is a noisy town, an easy going place where clouds cover the sky for 8 months of the year.

South America

On these pages you will find ideas for a trip to Peru to help you prepare for your trip. All these ideas are there just to get your imagination going; you can alter, mix and match them as you please. Your local agent will help you create a unique and unforgettable trip, just for you! Peru has three distinct parts, each with its own character: the Pacific coast, which is the most densely populated; the Andes range, with the highest mountain being the towering Huascarán at 6,768 metres; and the Amazon, which covers the largest part of the country. If you’re going, start with the must-see: Machu Picchu – fortunately not found by the Conquistadors – rediscovered in 1911. You should visit it at dawn to see the ruins shrouded in mist. This extraordinary site still clasps a few secrets to its bosom. Not far away, the Andes range draw ramblers and trekkers to magnificent landscapes. The ultimate rambling experience is the Inca Trail through exceptional archaeological sites. During your stay in Peru, you must stop in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire. The Spanish erected their buildings, especially religious ones, over Inca constructions which they systematically destroyed, only sparing their characteristic foundations, which are still visible today with their large, perfectly cut and fitted stones. A voyage out of time awaits you in Cusco.

Peru

Lima

 Pisac: a wonderful site that remains still very well preserved today and where you can see and appreciate the ingenious system of terraces developed during the pre-Inca era in all its splendour.

Pisac

 The town of Ollantaytambo and it's archaeological site are situated between Cusco and Machu Picchu. Take the time to visit this charming, little Inca town.

Ollantaytambo

Andahuaylillas, a small village in the Andes mountains is still protected from the many tourist buses roaming all around Cusco.

Andahuayillas

Wiñay Wayna is an Incan ruins site, located on the Inca Trail which leads to the legendary Machu Picchu.


Wiñaywayna

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It is worth going to Peru just for the trek along the Inca Trail. Exploring the Incan Empire on this hike generally takes four days, with the famous Machu Picchu as the final destination.

It was on our 4th day on the Inca Trail that we discovered the splendid city of Wiñay Wayna, known as the City of Eternal Youth. To access the Incan ruins, you have to climb a steep hill which overlooks the Urubamba river and a waterfall.
 The Wiñay Wayna site is a collection of houses connected by stairs.
 You also find some agricultural terraces which are really typical of Peru, as well as the ruins of some religious temples. The habitants of Wiñay Wayna worshipped the gods of water, and the town was a religious centre where the bathing ritual was carried out.
You have to be impressed by the quite remarkable conservation of the Wiñay Wayna ruins, which provide a perfect taster of what to expect at Machu Picchu.

Wiñay Wayna is an Incan ruins site, located on the Inca Trail which leads to the legendary Machu Picchu.

Wiñay Wayna will be the last site you come to before reaching the undoubted highlight of your hike – indeed of <a href="/peru/">your whole trip to Peru</a> – namely Machu Picchu. Imagine the feeling and the energy of the moment: after several wonderful days of walking that have taken you over high mountain passes and through subtropical forest, you arrive at a fantastic yet not very well-known site close to which you will be pitching your tent, amid a landscape just as beautiful as what you've experienced so far. As well as the campsite, there's also a hostel here: a useful option for those tired of sleeping on the ground. Wiñay Wayna is completely made up of terraces and is quite fantastic to behold. The architecture here is similar to what you see at Machu Picchu. The aforementioned terraces are frame by two groups of buildings, forming an upper section and a lower section. The whole ensemble lies surrounded by lush vegetation; it's quite simply magnificent. And of course, these ruins stand, once again, as testament to the exceptional mastery of construction techniques, hydraulic science and craftsmanship displayed by the Incas, which is something you'll be in no doubt about yourself after having visited a whole series of the sites left behind by this civilisation. Make sure your camera, tablet or smartphone batteries are sufficiently charged!

An Inca archaeological site located in the Sacred Valley and lying less than ten kilometres from Machu Picchu.

Wiñaywayna Vacations

Wiñaywayna: How to get there?

Wiñaywayna: See when to go ?

Wiñaywayna: For how long?

Wiñaywayna: What to see nearby?

Peru: our articles for your vacations