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• Ascend to Peru's top attraction, the awe-inspiring Inca city of Machu Picchu, perched atop a remote mountain northwest of Cusco. This World Heritage Site, rediscovered in 1911, is arguably the most important archaeological site in South America, not to mention the most dramatically located.
• Don't miss a trip to capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco. This World Heritage Site, founded in AD1100, is a fascinating mix of Inca and colonial Spanish architecture. Murals depicting historical scenes splash across walls and local women still wear traditional dress.
• Trawl through five centuries of colonial history in Lima, admiring the handsome plazas and opulent mansions with their Moorish latticed wooden balconies. The main square, Plaza de Armas, is home to the impressive 18th-century cathedral and the lavish Government Palace.
• See one of the few buildings to withstand Lima's 1746 earthquake, UNESCO-listed Church of San Francisco. Inside are an extraordinary domed roof, a vast library, masterpieces by Jordeans, Rubens and Van Dyck, and catacombs complete with ghoulish circular displays of the bones of some 70,000 souls.
• Drift out upon Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, and visit the unique waterborne reed islands and boats of the native Uros people. Covering 8,379 sq km (3,235 sq miles), Lake Titicaca is surrounded by ancient ruins and is home to 19th-century steamship, the Yavari.
• Delve into Manu National Park, Peru's greatest treasure in biodiversity. Covering 20,000 sq km (7,722 sq miles) of tropical rainforest, this World Natural Heritage Site is home to around 2,000 plant species, 1,200 butterfly species, 800 bird types and 200 different mammals, including monkeys, tapirs, sloth, jaguar and capybaras.
• Visit the 5,000-year-old city of Caral, near Lima. Caral was discovered in 1994 and has recently opened to tourists following years of excavation.
• Discover more of Peru's countless archaeological treasures, including UNESCO-protected Chan Chan, the largest pre-Inca mud city (20 sq km/8 sq miles) and the nearby huacas (religious centres) of the Sun and the Moon. The beautifully restored Huaca Arco Iris is covered with pre-Inca hieroglyphics.
• Venture into the Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone, 45km (28 miles) from Puerto Maldonado by river, which specialists say contains the largest and richest biodiversity of the world. The flora and fauna within includes more than 2,000 flower varieties, 1,000 birds and 900 butterflies and dragonflies.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
• Don't miss a trip to capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco. This World Heritage Site, founded in AD1100, is a fascinating mix of Inca and colonial Spanish architecture. Murals depicting historical scenes splash across walls and local women still wear traditional dress.
• Trawl through five centuries of colonial history in Lima, admiring the handsome plazas and opulent mansions with their Moorish latticed wooden balconies. The main square, Plaza de Armas, is home to the impressive 18th-century cathedral and the lavish Government Palace.
• See one of the few buildings to withstand Lima's 1746 earthquake, UNESCO-listed Church of San Francisco. Inside are an extraordinary domed roof, a vast library, masterpieces by Jordeans, Rubens and Van Dyck, and catacombs complete with ghoulish circular displays of the bones of some 70,000 souls.
• Drift out upon Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, and visit the unique waterborne reed islands and boats of the native Uros people. Covering 8,379 sq km (3,235 sq miles), Lake Titicaca is surrounded by ancient ruins and is home to 19th-century steamship, the Yavari.
• Delve into Manu National Park, Peru's greatest treasure in biodiversity. Covering 20,000 sq km (7,722 sq miles) of tropical rainforest, this World Natural Heritage Site is home to around 2,000 plant species, 1,200 butterfly species, 800 bird types and 200 different mammals, including monkeys, tapirs, sloth, jaguar and capybaras.
• Visit the 5,000-year-old city of Caral, near Lima. Caral was discovered in 1994 and has recently opened to tourists following years of excavation.
• Discover more of Peru's countless archaeological treasures, including UNESCO-protected Chan Chan, the largest pre-Inca mud city (20 sq km/8 sq miles) and the nearby huacas (religious centres) of the Sun and the Moon. The beautifully restored Huaca Arco Iris is covered with pre-Inca hieroglyphics.
• Venture into the Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone, 45km (28 miles) from Puerto Maldonado by river, which specialists say contains the largest and richest biodiversity of the world. The flora and fauna within includes more than 2,000 flower varieties, 1,000 birds and 900 butterflies and dragonflies.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.