If you tell anyone you're visiting Peru, they expect to hear that Machu Picchu is the focal point of your trip - and so it should probably be! The incredible Inca citadel is worthy of the hype, and an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity. But it's certainly not all that Peru has to offer. Here we pick out our top 10 things to do in Peru, to help you with your holiday planning. Pick your favourite experience and then get in touch! Our expert planning team are ready to turn your picks into a luxury, tailormade trip to Peru, with all the details taken care of. Contact us or email travel@aracari.com Top 10 Things to do in Peru 1. Explore the Andes on a multi-day trek The Andes of Peru offers stunning mountain scenery, attracting outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world. From the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, the luxury lodge-to-lodge Ausangate trek, to the challenging Santa Cruz trek in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru offers so many options for all abilities and interests. Aracari's collection of luxury treks take you through high snow-capped mountain passes, hidden Inca ruins, picturesque Andean villages, past waterfalls and streams, and up close to rare flora and fauna. Our expert guides, cooks and teams of porters will ensure you're trekking in comfort and style. Check out all our hiking and trekking options on our Peru trekking page. 2. Traverse Colca Canyon on the back of a Peruvian paso horse One of the deepest canyons in the world, Colca offers dramatic mountainous landscapes with volcanoes and ravines, and unique endangered wildlife such as the Andean Condor and Vicuña (family to the alpaca). Explore the region riding a world-renowned Peruvian Paso Horse, known for its distinguished, four-beat lateral gait called the paso llano. Explore Colca Canyon and nearby Arequipa on Aracari’s Highlights
If you tell anyone you’re visiting Peru, they expect to hear that Machu Picchu is the focal point of your trip – and so it should probably be! The incredible Inca citadel is worthy of the hype, and an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity. But it’s certainly not all…
Harboring some of the most biodiverse rainforest in all of the Amazon, the Tambopata National Reserve has become a hotspot for travellers looking to connect with nature and to have a fulfilling jungle experience. But where should you stay to fully experience this amazing location? With a variety of excellent jungle lodges and hotels in and around Tambopata, Aracari shares first-hand experience to help you choose between the best Tambopata Lodges. Tambopata Lodges in Peru's Amazon The best luxury lodges in Tambopata are Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica and Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion - where the luxury focuses on the quality of the accommodation. These are ideal if you're looking for a taste of the Amazon without travelling too far or compromison on comfort. The best remote, authentic jungle lodge options in Peru are Posada Amazonas, Refugio Amazonas and the Tambopata Research Center. These offer a good level of service, similar food, and various engaging activities to give guests an entertaining and informative jungle experience, but each has its own pros and cons. Here we share our insider insight to help pick between these three amazon lodges. Posada Amazonas Opened in 1998, the 30 room Posada Amazonas is the product of a partnership with the local community of Infierno. The lodge is owned and operated by the community, but managed by the operator Rainforest Expeditions. The most important thing to keep in mind about Posada is its location. Located only 45 minutes downriver from the port, it is the closest of the three lodges (total travel time around 2 hours) and easiest to access - perfect for any guests that still want to experience the jungle but only have a couple of days to spare. However, with its close proximity to Puerto, interested guests should keep in mind that from my personal experience,
Harboring some of the most biodiverse rainforest in all of the Amazon, the Tambopata National Reserve has become a hotspot for travellers looking to connect with nature and to have a fulfilling jungle experience. But where should you stay to fully experience this amazing location? With a variety of excellent…
Peru is fast gaining a reputation as the gastronomic capital of Latin America. There's so much to do and taste and Aracari specialises in Peru culinary travel offering the best and most authentic foodie experiences. We have a wide range of culinary experiences to offer, from tours of markets, interactive dining with some of Peru's top chefs, private cooking lessons and much more. Check out our culinary pages with more details of what Aracari can offer. Here, we share details of a unique Peru culinary experience, in Cusco, putting the spotlight on the humble potato - Peru's most famous crop, that really deserves some attention for its contribution to gastronomy all over the world. Peru culinary experience - the humble potato Peru is home to an almost unbelievable number of varieties of potato – nearly 4,000. This endemic crop - from Peru, not Ireland! - was first domesticated in the region of modern-day southern Peru, between around 8000 and 5000 BC. Potatoes only made their way to Europe around the late 15th Century and then went on to become a worldwide food staple. While visiting Peru, you should get to know the potato in all it's glory - browsing the varieties in the market, and of course tasting your way through as many as you can. You can read more about the varieties of potatoes in Peru from the International Potato Center, based in Peru, of course! With so many varieties, many are never seen in local markets and instead are grown only for subsistence use in the Andes, sometimes given as gifts for weddings and other special occasions as a highly valued heritage item. Potato & Ají Tasting: a unique Peru culinary experience in Cusco While you won’t taste them all, this unique Peru culinary experience in Cusco will introduce
Peru is fast gaining a reputation as the gastronomic capital of Latin America. There’s so much to do and taste and Aracari specialises in Peru culinary travel offering the best and most authentic foodie experiences. We have a wide range of culinary experiences to offer, from tours of markets, interactive dining…
Aracari is pleased to offer this 7-night Amaveda retreat, taking place 10 - 17 November 2017 at KiChic hotel. The retreat focuses on classical Ayurvedic detox practices and includes a full digestive system re-set, therapeutic bodywork, organic spa treatments, workshops, a three-day raw juice fast, Amazonian botanicals, superfoods, supplementation, twice-daily yoga, meditation, a wild Pacific beach and plenty of lounging poolside in one of Peru's most exquisite hotels. Amaveda is run by Emily Shaw - a certified nutritionist, detox specialist, plant-ally and formulator. Since 2006, Emily has been based in Peru studying alternative medicine from the Andes to the Amazon. You can read more about Emily and the Amaveda ethos on their website. KiChic is one of Aracari's favorite beach properties. Inspired by eastern concepts of Zen and meditation KiChic encourages guests to unwind and unplug - the perfect location for this luxury retreat. With the soothing sound of the Pacific waves, poolside area, and luxurious suites, it's the perfect location for this special retreat. The Wellness Holiday Treat yourself to a one-week vacation dedicated entirely to your own well-being: fully supported, fully pampered. As you relax into a week of luxurious detox and well-being practices, you will joyfully reconnect to self while supporting your body’s inherent ability to feel GOOD. Return to your life fully recharged, with more enthusiasm and focus. Your time is precious, and so are your holidays. Make them count. Read more about the retreat, 10 - 17 November 2017 here, and watch the video here. Healing with Food Our healing-with-food philosophy is based on Ayurvedic curative dishes, macrobiotics, and gut-restorative celebratory meals. Each meal is created to boost digestion, heal the gut, support the detox process and delight the diner with subtle flavors, textures and colors. All ingredients are plant-based, local, seasonal and as organic as possible.
Aracari is pleased to offer this 7-night Amaveda retreat, taking place 10 – 17 November 2017 at KiChic hotel. The retreat focuses on classical Ayurvedic detox practices and includes a full digestive system re-set, therapeutic bodywork, organic spa treatments, workshops, a three-day raw juice fast, Amazonian botanicals, superfoods, supplementation, twice-daily yoga,…
Maximo Laura is an award-winning tapestry weaver, internationally recognized as one of South America’s pre-eminent and most unique textile artists. Caroline, Maria Julia and I went to meet Maximo and learn about his work, driving out to his home and studio in San Martín de Porres, on the outskirts of Lima. At an address without a sign, in an unassuming local neighborhood, we were intrigued to visit his private home as it sits well off the typical tourist trail in Lima. We were greeted with a treasure trove of vibrant, colorful artwork, a fascinating workshop where you can see each step of the process involved in creating his master pieces, and a warm and personable artist, delighted to share his passion with guests. For visitors to Peru with a specific interest in textiles, Aracari can arrange a private tour and the chance to meet Maximo Laura, as part of a tailormade itinerary, such as our 7 day Textile Traditions itinerary. Maximo Laura – from a family of weavers Originally from Ayachucho in Peru's south-central region, Maximo is a fifth generation weaver, learning the craft from his father as a child. The themes and imagery evoked through his work convey a strong sense of his heritage, and his own spiritual journey and life experiences. Motifs and Inspirations Peru's pre-Inca Chavin culture, which was expressive and totemic, the vivid colors of the Paracas civilization, the geometric forms from the Nazca and Huari people and Andean symbols can all be seen in his work. Myths and legends from the Amazon, from the sacred mountains of the Andes and messages of marine conservation from the depths of the ocean in the Galapagos are conveyed through the intricate threads. Each piece tells a story, many of them personal. Drawing on local myths, legends and stories Maximo seeks to
Maximo Laura is an award-winning tapestry weaver, internationally recognized as one of South America’s pre-eminent and most unique textile artists. Caroline, Maria Julia and I went to meet Maximo and learn about his work, driving out to his home and studio in San Martín de Porres, on the outskirts of…
Aracari's head of marketing Caroline, tests out a new culinary experience for our guests, tasting her way through the streets of Cusco and learning more about Peruvian food with every bite! Peru boasts an almost unbelievable number of ingredients and rich culinary history, sitting firmly on the international food scene as a must-visit culinary destination. Cusco, the heart of the Inca Empire, is surrounded by the Andes which are recognized for their wide array of natural ingredients. Ancient superfoods like quinoa and kiwicha sit alongside the seemingly humble potato; nearby, the Sacred Valley lays claim to a special variety of corn, the giant choclo. Aracari now offers a special food-focused morning tour, led on foot by one of the city’s top professional chefs, so on a recent trip to Cusco, I went along to meet one of the chefs and test it out. Cusco Food tour with a professional chef Ingredients and their diversity from Cusco and beyond have helped inspire the country’s leading chefs to deliver internationally-acclaimed fare, consolidated Peru’s position as a gastronomic epicenter. On this tour you're led by one of our two professional chefs: Rodrigo Balbontín | Born in Chile, but raised gastronomically in Peru, Rodrigo took his first cooking class at the age of 9. Studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Peru’s culinary capital of Lima, he has worked in the kitchens of many of the country’s top restaurants including Astrid y Gaston, Rafael and Maido, as well as gaining experience abroad in London, Madrid and Barcelona. Rodrigo is passionate about food and experimenting in the kitchen, and enjoys sharing his love of cuisine with visitors. Stephan Joubert | Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Stephan studied culinary arts in his home city before exploring the world through top hotel kitchens including the Radison Blu Saton and the Ritz
Aracari’s head of marketing Caroline, tests out a new culinary experience for our guests, tasting her way through the streets of Cusco and learning more about Peruvian food with every bite! Peru boasts an almost unbelievable number of ingredients and rich culinary history, sitting firmly on the international food scene…
