Everyone knows when you visit Peru you pretty much have to see Machu Picchu. But beyond the iconic Incan citadel, there are a lot of choices. Here to help make your life easier, we present the 16 “must do” things to do while in Peru:

1. Explore The Amazon

The true Amazon begins in Carhuasanta, winds down through the Andes, and into the well-known Amazon basin on the opposite side. Thus, Peru is the only place in South America where one can explore all of its various forms. Be sure to visit Manu National Park too as it’s one of the planet’s most biodiverse places.

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2. Hike To Machu Picchu

It’s a memorable four-day trek via stone stairways past fields and deserted villages on the Andean slopes. If you can’t sign up for this trip try the Choquequirao Trail. There’s also the Lares Trek, a.k.a. “the people’s trail” and the Salkantay Trek. The latter is less busy and includes incredible scenery too.

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3. Be An Adventurous Eater

If you’d like to sample their most notorious dish, roasted cuy (guinea pig), visit the town of Cusco. If gulping down guinea pig grosses you out, go to Arequipa. There you’ll dine in the shadow of the famous El Misti volcano. Try any of the 3,800 different kinds of potatoes grown in the Andes too.

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4. Experience Lima

Don’t overlook Lima and the neighboring areas. You’ll find excellent alternatives to the hustle and bustle of “the Gringo Trail.” Tour vineyards and go white water rafting in Lunahuana. Explore the pre-Columbian adobe buildings and caves of Tarma. Additionally, the capital offers a number of free activities including an educational tour of the UNESCO-identified colonial town.

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5. Spend The Day With Condors

Southern Peru is home to volcanoes, ice mummies, and Colca, one of the deepest canyons in the world. This is also the roost of the condors. The best place to see these mighty birds is the Cruz del Condor viewpoint. Watch them as they majestically dive, glide, and soar overhead until they disappear from sight.

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6. “Climb Every Mountain . . .”

The most challenging climb would be up the peaks of Cordillera Huayhuash. Hike the Cordillera Blanca from Llanganuco to Santa Cruz and enjoy an unobscured view of craggy Taulliraju. Take a day trip and see the colorful swirls of brown, green, pink, red, and white of the Montaña de Siete Colores a.k.a. Rainbow Mountain.

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7. Discover Another Aspect Of Cusco

Most tourists consider Cusco little more than a quick stop on the way to Machu Picchu. Nevertheless, this colonial town has much to offer. Buy a Boleto Turistico del Cusco pass and see 15 historic sites. Visit the artisan quarter in the San Blas neighborhood. Buy souvenirs in the less-touristy Chinchero market too.

8. “Drift Away On A Puffy Cloud”

The Incas once called the Chachapoyan the “people of the clouds.” Their mist-shrouded mountain lair looks like a movie location. The former inhabitants of the Chachapoyas region left a number of roundhouse remains and hilltop fortifications. Archeologists are most impressed though by how they preserved their dead in the cliffs and underground vaults.

9. “Read Between The Lines”

The intricate drawings etched on the Peruvian coastal desert area known as the Nazca Lines. Roughly 400 kilometers south of Lima, this place is one of the world’s most popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Experts believe these mysterious markings were made by the Nazca Indians between the years 500 B.C and 700 A.D.

10. Go White Water Rafting On The Rio Apurimac

Ride the churning waters! One of the most exciting and popular white water rafting trips will have you roaring down the breathtaking Rio Apurimac. Your rapid ride begins not far from Cusco at an altitude of roughly 3,400 meters and it quickly becomes a wet, wild ride from there.

11. Take In The Inti Raymi Festival

Veteran visitors say this nine-day festival is the most “spectacular celebration” in the country. Harkening back to Incan days, this mix of processions and rituals to the Sun King, Inti Raymi, focuses on the upcoming harvest. The culmination of this festival occurs on June 24, at the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, north of Cusco.

12. Celebrate ‘Mummies Day’ In Arequipa

The colonial city of Arequipa has a Baroque town center, is built mainly of white volcanic rock, and is framed by three volcanoes. Here you’ll find the museum named Santuarios Andinos. It’s there you’ll find the mummified bodies of young people once used as human sacrifices in the peaks that overlook the city.

13. Travel To The Lost City Of Choquequirao

High on a hill is the lonely city of Choquequirao. It’s more remote and harder to reach than Machu Picchu. Constructed in an architectural style similar to that of Machu Picchu, and ringed by stones, the city can be found where three rivers meet. It’s a fairly difficult two-day hike to get here.

14. Visit The Ballestas Islands

Frequent flyers call these islands “Peru’s Galápagos.” First, be sure to visit the Paracas National Reserves not far from Pisco. Check out the nigh legendary beaches at Mendieta and La Mina. Learn of the mysterious origins of the huge hillside carving, the Paracas Candelabra geoglyph. Then go see the albatrosses, boobies, and sea lions.

15. “Take The Last Train To . . .”

No, don’t take the last train to Clarksville. Take a comfy train ride to South America’s largest lake, Lake Titicaca. Also the world’s highest navigable lake, The Incans called it the sun’s birthplace. It’s famous for its man-made isles. The islands are made out of totora reeds and provided floating homes for some of the locals.

16. Meet The Bears In Chaparri Area

The well-known Spectacled Bear is South America’s only species of bear and one of the most popular animals of the tropical Andes. Paddington, one of the world’s most famous fictional bears, is a spectacled bear. You can meet his real-life cousins at the popular Chaparri Conservation Area in Peru. It’s a great educational place to visit.

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