Peru’s thriving capital city is a hub for all things culture and cuisine. Considered the gastronomic capital of South America, Lima is the place to eat whether your a seasoned foodie or not. This port city’s cuisine aptly reflects its layered history of indigenous, Spanish, African, Asian, and Italian influences. From tantalizing Plato’s criollos ( creole dishes) to mazamorra Morada ( a sweet custard made from local purple corn), there is something to satisfy every palate.

Between meals, admire Lima’s diverse architecture from the Spanish-influenced squares to the modern San Isidro Garden District.

Located in a desert on Peru’s southern coast the town of Nazca lies at what was once the base of the ancient Nazca civilization. Today, you’ll find relics of this once thriving civilization in the Nazca lines, huge representations of animals, humans and other geometrics carved into a vast rock plateau.

Nazca tours depart from Lima, making them easy to incorporate into a more comprehensive tours of Peru. The drive down the southern coast to Nazca takes about four hours, but the coastal town of Pracas makes an excellent overnight stopover. The town sits just north of Paracas Peninsula, an area of rich biodiversity within the Paracas National Reserve. The peninsula – which is easily explored via bicycle – is famous for its colonial era cathedrals. For the more adventurous, you can take a quick boat ride to the Ballestas Islands and immerse yourself in a remarkable ecosystem full of Humboldt penguins, sea lions, pelicans, cormorants, terns, boobies and vultures.

With Machu Picchu often taking center stage, it’s often forgotten that half of Peru is Amazon Rainforest! A lodge stays on the Madre de Dios River is the perfect complement to a high-altitude mountain itinerary and an unforgettable part of a Peru tour.

Amazon excursions from Puerto Maldonado include a boat transfer from the city to a river lodge, where guests are provided options for daily safari-like activities. The Tambopata National Reserve sets the stage for boat tours during which you’ll have the opportunity to spot giant river otters, macaws, howler monkeys, caimans, and anacondas.

Nighttime rainforest excursions provide the opportunity to see night-jars, owls, and capybara; furthermore, at the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway, you can traverse a network of platforms and bridges for a birds-eye perspective of the Amazonian ecosystem and resident toucans, squirrel monkeys, and three-toed sloths.

Peru’s southeastern border with Bolivia bisects Lake Titicaca and the surrounding altiplano (highlands). The lake is mesmerizing for its unbelievable size, deep blue color, and diverse wildlife as well as the fascinating myriad of cultures practicing traditional farming, fishing, and crafting within the lake’s unique microclimate.

Puno is the main port city on the Peru side of Lake Titicaca, and the rail route from Cusco to Puno is considered one of the Great Train Journeys of the World. There is also an airport in the nearby town of Juliaca, making Titicaca a great option for all trips to Peru.

The lake itself features ancient man-made islands constructed from native vegetation reeds, mysterious Chullpas (pre-Incan burial tombs), Inca ruins, and an impressive variety of indigenous clothing, handicrafts, music, and cuisine. Canoe and bike tours are a lovely way to take in all the lake has to offer amid idyllic scenery.