The one question that our travel agency in Cuzco receives most frequently is whether or not you should book the Inca Trail beforehand. As most people will tell you, making the arrangements ahead of time is usually best. However, whether it is actually necessary to book in advance and how long in advance you should try to book varies depending on the month:
Although one can get to the famed Lost City of the Incas in a myriad number of ways, including by bus, train, and a variety of hikes, none has more cache than the storied Inca Trail. Its allure is an immersion not just in the legendary history of the Capac Ñan, Royal Road, but also the astounding scenery of various climactic zones as the cold gives way to the cloud forest and then the high-altitude jungle brow, along a path dotted with small sets of ruins amidst overgrown foliage. There is a romance to traversing the same path the Incas used centuries ago, with Machu Picchu coming into view as one reaches the Sun Gate. In modern movie parlance, it’s “Machu Picchu, as Machu Picchu was meant to be seen…”
You can’t truly experience Lima until you’ve smelled the produce in its traditional markets and tried its famous dishes, which combine Spanish, Andean, African, and Asian influences to create a unique and complex cuisine. This is why our travel agency in Lima offers a special excursion for those who’d like to immerse themselves in the city’s culture: a cooking class that takes you from market to plate.
You can’t visit Puno without exploring the millennial culture of the traditional islands of massive Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake. Its surprisingly transparent waters stretch between Peru and Bolivia and provide refuge for more than sixty different bird species such as the Parihuana, which inspired the colors of the Peruvian flag. Together with the surrounding high plateau, it forms the Titicaca National Reserve.
Misti Volcano looming in the background of Arequipa’s skyline is an iconic sight, representing the White City for Peruvians and travelers alike. It was important in pre-Columbian times as well, as shown by the 1998 expedition which uncovered the mummies of six sacrificed Inca youths and other ritual offerings along the innermost of its three concentric craters. Travelers drawn to the volcano can choose between two adventurous ways to experience its majesty first-hand: climbing to its summit, or biking down its sandy slopes.