Unforgettable things to do in Peru

1. Hike Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu crowns a mountain peak in the Andes. At 2,430 metres above sea level, this 15th-century citadel is often wreathed by clouds.

Visiting the site is becoming more and more difficult due to preservation and protection plans, so it’s best to book a guided tour as far in advance as you can.

Options include a day tour from Cusco that incorporates a scenic train drive, or multi-day treks to the site that will take you up to Dead Woman’s Pass where you can stop to sleep in tents beneath the stars as you ascend the ruins.

2. Step back in time through Peru's museums

Peru’s history book spills into volume after volume. There’s a lot to know about this country’s past and one of the best places to start delving into the timeline is at Museo Larco in Lima.

Built over a 7th-century pyramid, the museum offers an overview of 3,000 years of history.

Make the most of your time inside on a guided tour.

If you get bitten with the museum bug while you’re here, there are other museums to explore in Lima such as Museo de Arte de Lima, the Spanish Inquisition-themed San Inquisición Museo and Museo Santuarios Andinos, which houses a frozen mummy called Juanita at its centre.

3. Soar over the Nazca Lines

The Nazca Lines are etched into the landscape of the Nazca Desert like huge ancient works of graffiti. No one’s quite sure why the massive motifs of monkeys, hummingbirds, condors, spiders and other animals were carved into the desert floor.

Some say they were made as signs to the gods, others suggest aliens were behind them.

The best way to form your own opinion is to fly over the lines in a light aircraft to experience the true enigma of the unexplained.

4. Oggle Colca Canyon

The walls of Colca Canyon careen down into the earth for 4,160 metres, making it one of the deepest canyons on the planet. It’s not just the vertigo-inducing size of this place that makes it worth a visit, though.

The canyon is also one of the best places to see an Andean condor. These hang glider-sized birds soar through the air above the canyon throughout the day.

The best way to get to the natural wonder is on a tour from Arequipa. Day tours and longer hiking experiences are available.

5. Explore the Amazon

The python-like Amazon river cuts its way through the northern tip of Peru, on its way from Ecuador to Brazil.

Its banks are lined with mangroves and tangled jungle where an Ark’s worth of wildlife can be spotted, from howler monkeys to tapirs. Meanwhile, its waters are crowded with the likes of pink dolphins and piranhas.

To make the most of your experience here it’s best to stay overnight in an Amazon cabin and spend at least a couple of days exploring.

6. Discover Lake Titicaca

There’s an unreal quality to Lake Titicaca as the world’s highest navigable lake – it sits so close to the clouds it practically kisses them.

Adding to the lake’s grand height are the floating islands made of reeds that the Indigenous Uru people inhabit.

The Uru use the same reeds to construct their boats, their homes and their furniture. It all resembles something from a children’s storybook!

The best way to see it all is on a boat tour, which you can complete in just over half a day

7. Roam around The Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley near Cuzco was once the playground of the Incas, and as a result it’s peppered with archeological sites. Day tours are available that will offer an insight into Inca customs and history.

Alongside the old, sits the very new. Suspended 400 metres above the valley floors, are a series of Skylodge Adventure Suites – glass pods that you can climb and zipline to so you can indulge in an aerial lunch or a stay overnight.

8. Go off the beaten track to Moray

Laid out in concentric circles, Moray is another site left behind by the Incas. There’s something Roman about this place, though. It’s got the look of a great Roman amphitheatre, a little like Peru’s version of the Colosseum.

However, you wouldn’t have found gladiators here. Archaeologists think it was more likely to have been used as an agricultural laboratory.

Find out more about this theory and the rest of the site’s history on a guided tour.