Peru Travel

Cusco, gateway to the ancient Incan empire.

Read about Samantha Brown's travels in Cusco and Machu Picchu. Read and add to these pages: Peru: Hotels Peru Sightseeing Peru: Restaurants Pictures of Peru Shopping in Peru

Machu Pichu, and the Incan Trail Exchange travel tips and info about traveling in Peru!

Peru at a Glance:

Capital of Peru: Lima

Population of Peru: 28,674,000

Currency: Nuevo Sol

Languages Spoken:
1. Spanish
2. Quechua
3. Aymara

Largest Cities/Population:
1. Lima 8.1 million
2. Arequipa 819,000
3. Trujillo 757,000



Major National Holidays:
1. Carnaval February or March
2. Dia de los Trabajadores May 1st
3. Fiestas Patrias Independence Celebrations July 28-29

Know Before You Go

Tips for getting around:
One hot spot destination of Peru is the ancient Incan capitol of Cuzco and the city of Machu Picchu. You cannot land in Peru which is at sea level and then go immediately to Machu Piccu within 24 hours. You will need to stay in Cusco (pop. 319,000) and rest at least 24 hours prior to going to Machu Picho because of the high altitude so make sure you put room in your schedule to allow for that.


Immunizations needed (if any):



Travel documents needed (visas, etc):



Savvy traveler tips (safety, using the phones, local customs, etc):

The altitude in Cusco needs your attention.
There are many active volcanos.

Interesting fact:

If you've every played Trivial Pursuit, you'll remember that "Lake Titicaca" was the anwer to almost every question about lakes. "What is the highest navigatable lake in the world?" Lake Titicaca at 12,507 ft. It is also the largest lake in South America and the largest lake in the world above 6,500 feet.