Eight experiences compared
| Experience | Length | Effort | Where | Season | What you learn, for example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiking | From one day to two weeks | From moderate to very high, at altitude | Cusco, Huaraz, Colca, Choquequirao | May to September in the Andes | Reading a profile: distance, pass, altitude at night |
| Amazon rainforest | Three nights to a week | Low to moderate, heat and humidity | Tambopata, Manu, Iquitos, Tarapoto | All year round; dry season in the south from May to October | Recognising a cocha, a collpa, a flooded forest |
| Heritage | Half a day per site | Low; sun on the coast, altitude in the Andes | Lima, north coast, Nazca, Cusco, Chachapoyas | All year round on the coast | Placing Caral, the Moche or the Chimú before the Incas |
| Markets | One to two hours, in the morning | Low | Every town and city | All year round | Tasting unfamiliar fruit, reading a unit of sale |
| Gastronomy | One meal to half a day | Low | Lima, Arequipa, the north, the Amazon | All year round | The ceviche technique, saltado, the batán |
| Meeting people | A few hours to one night | Low | Lamas, Titicaca, Yarinacocha, Chincha | Depending on festivals and farming seasons | Shipibo kené, Taquile textiles, zapateo |
| Surfing | One session to a week | Moderate to high | North coast, Punta Hermosa | Swell from April to October in the north | Understanding swell, wind, tide and current |
| Small pleasures of Lima | An hour to a morning | Low; cold sea offshore | Callao, Miraflores, Chorrillos | All year round, depending on sea and wind | The rules of a marine reserve, the ice-cream seller’s horn |
On your own or with a guide
- Feasible on your own, with our guides: markets, urban heritage, gastronomy in restaurants, day trips outside protected areas.
- Supervision compulsory or necessary: the Inca Trail (registered agency), outings in Huascarán park, to the Palomino Islands and in the Amazonian reserves (operator authorised by SERNANP), paragliding (certified pilot), multi-day treks, first surfing lessons, community visits.
Our criteria for choosing an activity
- What it teaches: a technique, a story, an environment, not just a photo.
- Who runs it, and who is paid: an identified provider, fair pay for those who host you.
- What it demands: effort, altitude, heat, hours on the road, described with figures.
- What it includes: transport, entrance fees, meals, equipment, language, group size.
- What happens if it is cancelled: weather, swell, road closed, postponement or refund.
- Its respect for places and people: no contact with animals, no imposed encounters.
See what to book and travelling respectfully.
By region and by itinerary
- Lima: markets, heritage, gastronomy, small pleasures; see Lima in one, three or five days.
- Cusco and the Sacred Valley: hiking, heritage, markets; see First trip to Peru in 15 days.
- The north coast: heritage, surfing, gastronomy; see culture and beaches and surfing in the north.
- Huaraz: hiking; see Huaraz and the mountains.
- The Amazon: rainforest, meeting people; see Cusco and the southern Amazon and Iquitos and the rainforest.
