Here’s Why You Should Add Peru To Your Bucket List

Here’s Why You Should Add Peru To Your Bucket List

Peru is famous for many things; the birthplace of Paddington Bear, the adventures of Indiana Jones, and, stepping out of the world of fiction for a moment, the home of the Incas. It’s also a vast landscape of incredible things to see and do all steeped in a rich and vibrant culture. You may have noticed Peru on our adventure travel list, so if you are planning on visiting this incredible country, there are a few things we think you should add to your bucket list. Here are just some of them.

Read why Peru needs to be added to your Bucket List! #Peru #MachuPicchu #VisitPeru #Bucketlist Click To Tweet

1. Explore ancient ruins.

We can’t talk about Peru without mentioning Machu Picchu, but you should click here to find out how you can safely explore the ancient Incan ruins without getting lost. It’s a long walk, but there are alternatives, such as riding on the back of a horse. Who knows, you may actually stumble across long lost riches!


2. Paddle across the Amazon.

If wildlife is your thing, there is no better place to visit than the Amazon itself. Jaguars and ocelots roam the jungle, and all manner of sea life lurk below the water, piranha included. Still, provided you don’t dip your feet into the water, you will be able to soak in the atmosphere of the sights and sounds of the Amazon as you take a riverboat journey.

3. Enjoy a Nibble.

Part of travelling is getting to enjoy the delicacies on offer. Admittedly, some of the culinary delights are for the brave only – roasted guinea pig anyone? – but there are other tasty dishes on offer which don’t involve cooked up portions of the furry pets you have at home.

4. Fly with the condors.

Okay, so you won’t actually fly, but if you traverse up to the Cruz del Condor viewpoint atop the Colca canyon, you will find an excellent spot to watch these magnificent birds glide and dive as they fly down to meet you before heading back into the clouds. Of course, you could also choose this spot to hang-glide and soar like a condor yourself, flying over one of the world’s deepest canyons.


5. Buggy over the sand dunes.

Should you head to the oasis of Huacachina, you will find a desert paradise which is often populated by local thrill seekers. Sand buggying and sandboarding are two of the popular activities for those who want to pump adrenaline, but you can simply walk, or relax on the tip of a sand dune, and catch the site of one of the beautiful sunsets at the day’s close.

 


6. Get thee to a nunnery.

Visit the Santa Catalina Monastery, which is a labyrinthine nunnery first built in 1579. There are still nuns around today, so you need to be respectful, but there is much to explore within the brightly colored cloisters of this religious sanctuary. Be careful: it is possible to get lost, so be sure to follow the signs as you walk around the 20,000 square meters of the monastery grounds.

There are so many things to see & do in Peru! It is definitely on my Bucket List! #Peru #MachuPicchu #VisitPeru #Bucketlist Click To Tweet


Finally

We don’t have the room to mention every sight in Peru, but there are plenty of tour guides and resources online to help you. At the very least, know this. We have only given you a taste of the country, but the beautiful landscapes alone are reason enough to visit. Be sure to send us a postcard.

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55 thoughts on “Here’s Why You Should Add Peru To Your Bucket List

    1. Not going to lie it’s kind of bland and it’s really hard to eat if you’re really hungry because there’s very little meat and lots of little bones kind of like eating a small bird over rabbit

  1. Gosh – I love the cute photos of the animals. I’ve always wanted to see llamas in the wild…I think I will have to put Peru on my bucketlist now – thanks!

  2. Peru is on the top on my wishlist, I really want to visit these wonderful cities and of course, eat some of those delicious foods from the peru.

  3. Wow Eric, nice little list of what to do in Peru, thank you for sharing! Looks like you really enjoyed your journey there 🙂 What might be interesting too, recently, is the Rainbow Mountain, and the alternative trek there. Such an amazing place too. But with that you cover a perfect little guide for Peru!

    1. Just found a post of exploorperu, a Peruvian travel company with their alternative tour to the rainbow mountains. Is that the tour you are referring to @Oliver:

  4. I just can’t eat a roasted guinea pig, I just can’t >< Gone off meat a bit lately since hanging out in India but guinea pig is a whole new level lol! I desperately want to see Machu Picchu and get lost in those nunneries! Peru is on the list 🙂

    1. Haha, fair enough Alice. Even if you were a meat eater I don’t think it’s a big deal because I can honestly tell you it wasn’t my favorite meal ever or even in the top million of top meals. I do hope you get a chance to hop over the pond and get into Peru and Explorer

  5. Whilst I agree that Peru is a country well worth visiting I would mostly mention destinations not included in your list. Once you venture off the beaten tourist path you will quickly learn that the oh-so-famous Machu Picchu is one of the youngest historical sites in Peru. The country is one of the “cradles of civilization” and other sites, like Kualep, go back much further! In Peru you can discover relics dating back over 4000 years.

  6. Peru is definitely on my bucket list and especially the Amazon! Many of my friends and family have recently been to Machu Picchu and brought back the most incredible stories and pictures. I can’t wait to add my own to the mix!

  7. Well, I am already completely sold to the idea of visiting Peru and your story only adds more to my desire! Visiting Santa Catalina Monastery was something I had never thought of before, so adding that now to the list too 🙂

  8. I would absolutely love to visit Peru! I am so fascinated by the ruins and also the food sounds great! Although I’m not sure if I could try the guinea pig, it does look good though! It seems like such an interesting and beautiful part of the world.

  9. I actually enjoyed guinea pig in Colombia. It was pretty good. I want to do a potato food tour of Peru and just try all 400 kinds of potato. Plus hike to all the ruins.

  10. Peru has always been on my bucket list! And it such a surprise that Paddington bear is from Peru. I had no idea! Hahaha. Every time I see posts about Peru, I can’t help but close my eyes and imagine myself being in Machu Picchu. 🙂

  11. If it wasn’t already on my bucket list, I’d add it after reading your post! Machu Picchu has always been on my list of places to visit, wish it wasn’t this far and expensive to go (from Dubai). But I will definitely make it there soon. The Peruvian food looks pretty amazing too!

  12. Peru was on our list because of Machu Picchu and now you have laid some other wonderful reasons to visit this country. Flying with condors and getting to a nunnery is something we would love checking out. Paddington bear from Peru is really something new to us. Great pictures too.

  13. Peru is the birthplace of Paddington Bear? I had no idea, nor would I have thought…
    Peru really is a most fascinating place to visit, especially with its iconic Macchu Pichu. But I’ve also heard that Lima is a great city to explore, too! Regardless, your photos are beautiful, and I’d love to visit someday!

  14. Loved our time in Peru especially in Cuzco. Glad you included the Santa Catalina Monastery. Have to go back to explore the north and Amazon Basin. Enjoyed your highlights.

  15. I definitely want to visit Peru. I knew an artist from there one time, and he made me a chess set representing the Faceless people. I’d love to fly with the condors 🙂

  16. You had me at Indiana Jones and Paddington Bear! Michu pichu has been my husband and I plan to visit once we get our children grown up and moved out. Hopefully the tourists haven’t destroyed it by then!

  17. I could never ever eat a guinea pig!!! 😦 That is just sad, on the other hand, I had no clue about the fact that Paddington bear comes from Peru, that is really cool.
    Peru is on my bucket list for some time now, but unfortunately is really far away, so I prefer to still explore the European countries left on my bucket list, before moving to Americas

  18. Peru is one of my fav country .. We hiked machu pichu .. Would luv to come back for rainbow mountains and salt flats

  19. Peru really is already very high on my bucket list. I am seriously jealous of your travels. I’d visit to see the ancient monuments as you described, although I don’t think I’d be brave enough to eat roasted guinea pig!

  20. Went to Peru this summer and it was an absolutely amazing experience. Thanks so much for sharing and I concur it needs to be on everyone’s bucket list!

  21. Peru is the pleasant and charming place. I remember this country from founder of lehappy. Big hugs from Baku, Azerbaijan ✌✌✌

  22. OK.. You definitely had me sold! Peru sounds incredible! I always associate it with the Machu Picchu, but it sounds like there are a lot of amazing things to explore including a visit to the Amazon and the sand dunes.. But I think I’ll pass the roasted guinea pig.. LOL.

  23. I spent a month out in Peru and it’s a shame I was there at a point in my travels where I wasn’t enjoying traveling (I had been traveling for 6 years straight and finally hit my brick wall as I traveled through peru) Maybe I should have gone to the nunnery haha – However in saying that, I did have some good times, I did try guinea pig in Cusco, and Machu Picchu was very special 😀 – This is a good little read for anybody planning on going to Peru for the first time.

    1. That’s interesting, sorry that happened to you but I understand. However I will say that parts of Peru I didn’t like. For example I really disliked the feeling of puno by Lake Titicaca. The people were kind of isolationists. Also I found Lima to just be kind of blah. Although the coastline was gorgeous and the people were wonderful, it was pretty much a nondescript Latin American city

  24. I’ve heard that Peru is just one of the most beautiful places to visit with very kind people! Thanks for your tips!

  25. I love your pictures!! Full of culture. I would be a bit frightened to try guinea pig but you can’t know it till you try it right? Peru is now definitely on my bucket list! Thanks for sharing!

  26. Peru is already on my bucket list but I don’t think I could handle trying a guinea pig as I would be imaging the furry little animals. However I love your photo at the bottom where you have met the locals this is such a cool part of travelling. Thanks for sharing

  27. Peru in general (and Machu Piccho in particular) has been on my bucket list since I was in middle school. I guess this means it’s time to make it happen!

  28. I had no idea about Paddington Bear, and I WOULD try roasted Guinea Pig. Thanks for sharing a place I’m not very familiar with!

  29. I could never ever eat a guinea pig. As an ex-hamster owner it just hits too close to my heart 🙂

  30. Peru has been on my bucket list for a long time! Hopefully, one day I get to go and explore this beautiful country.

  31. I’ve never been to Peru but my husband has and so I’m itching to go. I’d love to explore the ruins of Macchu Picchu and paddle up the Amazon.

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