Discover Peru

Lima

Stay: Belmond Miraflores Park (1 night)​

It's likely your Peruvian adventures will either start or end in Lima, and while it is a large city, there are only a handful of areas we'd recommend. Central Lima puts you right at the heart of the city's historic core, close to the Government Palace, the San Francisco Church and Convent and Plaza Mayor. For us though, it has to be Miraflores – generally considered the most tourist-friendly district with a wide range of good hotels, shops and restaurants for every budget, and a very active nightlife. And close by, the bohemian Barranco district is well worth strolling through for its beautiful architecture, quirky market and a spot of fun bar-hopping too.​

Your Stay

Belmond Miraflores Park

Cool, contemporary styling reflects Peru’s vibrant capital, set in a beautiful garden with fabulous views over the Pacific in one of the city’s most fashionable areas.

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Arequipa

Stay: Casa Andina Premium (1 night)

Most people know it as the gateway to Colca Canyon, but Arequipa offers so much more. Outstanding architecture in the historical centre with its white volcanic stone churches, mansions, squares and convents (a unique blend of European-colonial, Native American and Baroque styles). A setting in what can only be described as a giant geological bowl, surrounded by volcanoes – some extinct, some dormant and some still active – making it a hub for hikers and climbers from all over the world. Some of the best cuisine in South America. And one of TIME Magazine's World's Top Ten Discoveries of All Time: the Ice Maiden – the frozen, naturally mummified body of a young Inca girl sacrificed as a gift to the gods sometime between 1450 and 1480 – at Museo Santuarios Andinos.​

Your Stay

Casa Andina Premium

A spectacular, beautifully restored landmark Spanish-colonial- era mansion, with masterfully retained unearthed frescoes, reliefs and a long-hidden-from-view chapel.

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Colca Valley

Stay: Colca Lodge, Spa & Hot Springs (2 nights)

This colourful Andean valley is one of Peru's most scenic regions: think imposing snow-capped volcanoes, narrow gorges and colonial-era villages inhabited by descendants of the Collaguas and Cabanas (pre-Inca communities who have lived in the region for over 2000 years and to this day continue to preserve their customs, traditional dress and meticulous agricultural terraces). It's also a great spot for extreme sports like hiking, climbing, rafting and mountain-biking, and home to Colca Canyon – one of the world's deepest canyons (in parts, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon). Though less-visited than Peru's other natural wonders, it's where you can see the Andean Condor up close, in particular at Cruz del Condor – the pass where condors soar on the rising thermals.

Your Stay

Colca Lodge, Spa & Hot Springs

A spectacular ecological lodge in gorgeous natural surrounds that’s guaranteed to restore the soul between long, tiring journeys.

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Lake Titicaca

Stay: Titilaka Lodge (2 nights)

The highest navigable lake on the planet, and legendary birthplace of the first Inca, Lake Titicaca covers 3305 miles, and while it's not at the top of everyone's must-see lists, it does offer a glimpse into Peru's history, culture and geography that you just won't find anywhere else. Renowned for its folk dances and Andean music, it's a great spot to break up your journey to Cusco, where you can choose to stay in Puno – the capital of Peru's Altiplano – or on one of its islands to experience life in a very traditional Andean household.

Your Stay

Titilaka Lodge

A prime, off-the-beaten-track lakeside spot with a wonderland of watery adventures and a cornucopia of customised experiences included in your stay for a terrific taste of life on the lake.

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Lake Titicaca to Cusco

Belmond Andean Explorer (1 night)

Unveil the spirit of Peru with an awe-inspiring escape on what has to be the world's most scenic commute: traversing the highest plains of the Andes aboard the Belmond Andean Explorer – South America's first luxury sleeper service and one of the highest train journeys on earth. Take in rural Peru's rugged beauty and Lake Titicaca's tranquillity. Discover the unique Islas Uros, a fascinating floating community of man-made islands using buoyant reeds to stay afloat. And pause en-route from Puno to Cusco at La Raya market, a colourful stretch of stalls brimming with handicrafts and traditional ware.​

Sacred Valley

Stay: Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado (2 nights)

The heartland of the Incas, tucked in-between Cusco and Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley is the guardian of a number of prominent ancient sites; its frosted-peaked mountains and Inca farming terraces making it ideal territory for outdoor adventures like mountain-biking, trekking, horse-riding, river-rafting, and rockclimbing (adrenalin-junkies may also want to check out Action Valley for its bungee-jumping and vertical slingshot).

Peppered with historic towns and villages, Pisac, Yucay, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo are the Sacred Valley's most visited, all with an individual Incan heritage, architecture and draw all of their own. Pisac is a must visit for its handicraft market, Urubamba for its art, while Ollantaytambo is the most original and to us, the most picturesque. We'd also suggest mountain-biking through the valley past the Maras Salt Mines and Moray Archaeological Park.​

Your Stay

Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado

Set in lush gardens beside the rumbling Urubamba River, this tranquil hideaway serves up a fab range of cultural and sporting activities.

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Machu Picchu

Stay: Belmond Sanctuary Lodge (1 night)

The holy grail for anyone visiting Peru, one of the New Wonders of the World, and without a doubt one of the globe’s most spectacular ancient citadels, it can only be the mystical and awe-inspiring Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. Roughly translated as ‘Ancient Peak,’ it sits high above the Urubamba Valley, and was supposedly built as an elite ceremonial retreat for Incan Emperor Pachacutec in the 1400s before becoming lost to the world until Hiram Bingham discovered it in 1911. And the best way to discover it all for yourself ? Exploring the enigmatic citadel on a private tour, with its ruins, history and myths interpreted by a private guide; hiking to the summit of Apu Machu Picchu or Wayna Picchu for a bird’s-eye view of Machu Picchu; or taking a birdwatching trip into the Cloud Forest before heading back down the mountain aboard the Belmond Hiram Bingham train.​

Your Stay

Belmond Sanctuary Lodge

The only hotel adjacent to Machu Picchu, with magnificent gardens and excellent excursions, few ever forget the unearthly peace that descends when the day’s visitors have left the fabled ancient site.

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