Beyond Machu Picchu: 7 Extraordinary Places For A Luxury Peru Tour

Across coastal deserts, high Andean plateaus, colonial cities, and the Amazon rainforest, Peru holds one of the richest concentrations of landscape, wildlife, and pre-Columbian heritage found anywhere on the continent.

Machu Picchu remains essential, but it is only one chapter. From the mirrored waters of Lake Titicaca and to the mysterious Nazca Lines, every corner of Peru reveals a different facet of its 5,000-year history.

Drawing on years of on-the-ground experience, we’ve curated seven of Peru’s most extraordinary destinations and recommended the best accommodations, so you can go beyond the postcard when you embark on your luxury journey.

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1. Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca is the highest lake in the world navigable to large vessels, sitting at 3,812 meters (12,507 feet) above sea level in the Andes along the Peru–Bolivia border.

Believed by some to be the birthplace of the sun, Lake Titicaca is steeped in Inca legend. Its island communities have preserved their traditions for centuries, making it one of the most culturally significant stops on any luxury Peru tour.

We recommend exploring by private boat, gliding across the lake’s tranquil waters at your own pace while taking in sweeping mountain views and remote island landscapes. Along the way, visit the floating reed islands built by the Uros people entirely from totora reeds, or the terraced hillsides of Taquile Island, where daily life continues much as it has for generations.

Where To Stay

During a luxury tour of Lake Titicaca, we recommend Titilaka Lodge, a secluded Relais & Châteaux property set on a private peninsula with sweeping views across the lake and the distant Andes.

One of the lodge’s standout features is its lakefront setting, where floor-to-ceiling windows in every suite frame the changing light over the water and create an ideal place to unwind after a day exploring the surrounding islands and communities.

2. The Nazca Lines

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, the Nazca Lines are among the most enigmatic archaeological sites on Earth.

Etched into roughly 450 square kilometers of desert by the Nazca culture between 500 BCE and 500 CE, the geoglyphs depict animals, plants, and geometric forms that are fully legible only from the air, and whose original purpose remains debated by archaeologists to this day.

Soar above the desert in a private aircraft, taking in the incredible view from the quiet comfort of a private flight while expert guides share insight into the geoglyphs’ origins and enduring mystery as the hummingbird, the monkey, and the spider emerge from the golden sands below.

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3. Arequipa & The Colca Canyon

Set against a backdrop of three towering volcanoes, including the 5,822-meter Misti Volcano, Arequipa is one of Peru’s most elegant colonial cities. Known as the White City for its historic center built almost entirely from pale volcanic sillar stone, Arequipa’s old town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, its architecture reflecting centuries of Spanish colonial and Andean influence.

Here, highlights include wandering through graceful plazas and visiting the beautiful Santa Catalina Monastery, a vast walled complex of colorful colonial streets and courtyards that feels like a hidden city within the city. There’s also plenty of incredible rooftop terraces offering sweeping views of the surrounding volcanoes.

Nearby, plunging roughly 3,270 meters (10,730 feet) at its deepest point, you’ll find one of the most dramatic landscapes in the Andes: the Colca Canyon.

Carved by the Colca River over millions of years, the canyon is lined with pre-Inca agricultural terraces and traditional villages that continue to preserve centuries-old Andean customs.

Explore scenic viewpoints across the canyon’s immense scale, including the renowned Cruz del Condor, where the Andean condor can often be seen riding the mountain thermals. It’s a landscape shaped equally by geology and tradition, and one of the highlights of any luxury Peru tour through the southern highlands.

Where To Stay

During your time in Arequipa, we recommend CIRQA, a Relais & Châteaux property occupying a beautifully restored 16th-century monastery built from the city’s signature white volcanic stone.

Its rooftop terrace is a highlight, with fire pits and sweeping views across the historic skyline and surrounding volcanoes.

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4. The Sacred Valley & Maras

Stretching along the Urubamba River beneath the Andes’ eastern slopes, the Sacred Valley was once the agricultural heartland of the Inca Empire, and its terraced hillsides remain in active cultivation today.

Highlights include a leisurely, multi-course Peruvian lunch at Hacienda Huayoccari, a centuries-old hacienda whose dining room doubles as a private collection of colonial art.

From there, the valley is best explored on horseback along local trails on Peruvian Paso horses, where you can enjoy sweeping views over the Andes and the farmland below. For a quieter afternoon, a private Shaman meditation ceremony offers a different way into the valley’s traditions.

Evenings call for settling in at your lodge, with a traditional Peruvian Paso horse show and dinner served alfresco beneath the stars.

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A short ride away, the terraces of Moray reveal one of the Inca Empire’s most striking feats of agricultural engineering: concentric rings sunk nearly 30 meters into the earth, believed to have functioned as a kind of ancient crop laboratory, each level its own microclimate.

Getting there by mountain bike, over the rolling hills above Laguna Huaypo, is one of the more memorable ways to arrive anywhere in Peru.

Nearby, the Maras salt pans tell a different story. Fed by a mineral-rich mountain spring, more than 3,000 individual pools cascade down the hillside, still hand-harvested today by the same families who have worked them for generations.

Where To Stay

During your time in the Sacred Valley, we recommend Sol y Luna, a Relais & Châteaux property set within landscaped gardens, with individual casitas offering privacy and space.

Many casitas are decorated with murals by local artists, lending each one a distinctly Andean character and creating a warm place to return to after a day among the valley’s ruins and mountain landscapes.

5. The Amazon Rainforest

Peru’s Amazon basin protects one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, and protected reserves such as Tambopata are considered among the richest wildlife habitats on Earth, sheltering hundreds of bird species alongside jaguars, giant otters, and macaws. For travelers seeking a genuine wilderness counterpoint to the Andes, the Peruvian Amazon is unmatched.

Whether you stay at an intimate jungle lodge or aboard a small luxury river vessel, the best thing about visiting the Peruvian Amazon is the incredible access to nature.

Venture deep into the wilderness with expert naturalist guides, embark on quiet boat excursions to spot wildlife, enjoy canopy walks immersed in the natural landscapes, and take guided night hikes to reveal the rainforest’s hidden corners and remarkable moonlit rhythms.

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Where To Stay

If you want to stay on land, we recommend staying at the luxurious Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica. Nestled on the banks of Madre de Dios River, this jungle camp boasts an incredible depth of access to local wildlife within its vast private reserve.

Alternatively, spend your days on the Aqua Nera, a contemporary river vessel with spacious suites and floor-to-ceiling windows framing the ever-changing jungle and river beyond. Its open-air lounge and observation deck are among its standout features, allowing you to witness the Amazon unfold as the ship glides quietly through one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth.

Plan Your Luxury Peru Tour

From ancient desert geoglyphs and the world’s highest navigable lake to colonial cities and the depths of the Amazon, Peru rewards travelers who venture beyond its most famous landmark. A well-designed luxury Peru tour is built around private guides, considered pacing, and luxury properties and is the surest way to experience the country’s full depth.

For more information on our bespoke Peru tours, contact one of our Travel Experts today.