Peru Route: Machu Picchu, Nazca Lines and Rainbow Mountain

Travel through the main destinations of Peru through a route that connects Machu Picchu, Cusco, the Mountain of the Seven Colors, the Nazca Lines, the Colca Canyon and the Peruvian Amazon. This itinerary ranges from Inca ruins in the Andes to desert landscapes, oases, and tropical forests that characterize the country's diverse geography.

Mode
Places
Start
Perú: An impossible landscape
End
Fortaleza de Saksaiamán
Stops
16
Video author
travmap
Updated

Stops on this route

  1. Perú: An impossible landscape — Andean nation that combines snow-capped mountains, Amazon rainforest and coastal deserts in a geographically extraordinary territory.
  2. Nazca Lines geoglyphs — Ancient designs engraved on the desert plateau that form monumental figures visible only from the air, created more than a thousand years ago.
  3. Wanchaq, Perú — Andean historic center where Inca architecture merges with colonial constructions, being the heart of the ancient empire.
  4. Machu Picchu gateway from Cusco — Inca citadel suspended between Andean peaks, accessible from Cusco and considered one of the world's archaeological wonders.
  5. Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) — A multicolored summit located in the Andes whose mineral layers create natural strips of vibrant hues at high altitude.
  6. Ausangate snow peaks visible — A snow-capped mountain range of more than five thousand meters that dominates the Andean horizon with its permanent glacial peaks.
  7. Nazca Lines on southern plateau — Pre-Hispanic geoglyphs traced on the desert plateau of the south, representing animals and geometric figures of monumental scale.
  8. Huacachina village at oasis — Coastal town surrounded by a natural oasis in the middle of the desert, famous for sand sports and green lagoon.
  9. Huascarán mountain landscape — Snow-capped peak of almost seven thousand meters, the highest mountain in Peru, which dominates the Cordillera Blanca.
  10. Huascarán National Park in Cordillera Blanca — Protected reserve that preserves glaciers, alpine lakes and Andean ecosystems of extraordinary beauty in the northern highlands.
  11. Santa Catalina Monastery near Arequipa — Colonial convent built with white volcanic stone, whose multicolored cloisters represent the monastic life of the sixteenth century.
  12. Arequipa gateway to Colca Canyon — A white mountain city located at the base of volcanoes, the main starting point for the Colca Canyon.
  13. Laguna Humantay turquoise color at high altitude — Glacial lake of intense turquoise hue nestled in the Andean peaks at an elevation of more than four thousand meters.
  14. Route toward Salcantay near Humantay — Mountainous trail that crosses snow-capped mountains and Andean lagoons, connecting traditional villages with snow-capped peaks.
  15. Machu Picchu — Ancient Incan citadel nestled in the Andes mountains, one of the seven wonders of the modern world
  16. Fortaleza de Saksaiamán — Large stone fortress complex near Cusco featuring monumental Incan architecture

Useful for your trip

Transport
To get to Machu Picchu, the easiest option is to take the train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, which is quick and comfortable.
Tip
The Inca Trail is a more interesting alternative to Machu Picchu: several days in the mountains, hikes and altitude, with the reward of arriving at sunrise.
Timing
In Machu Picchu, the sunrise is especially magical: the first rays of sunlight touch the stone while the clouds slowly open between the mountains.
Tip
Machu Picchu is located more than 2400 m above sea level and the weather changes in a matter of minutes, with clouds crossing the mountains quickly.
Timing
The Mountain of Seven Colors (Vinicunca) exceeds 5000 m in height, so getting there is a real test of breathing and heart rate.
Tip
In Cusco, the height is felt even before exploring the city: the air seems thinner and the steps become slower.
Tip
To see the Nazca Lines in their entirety, you need to see them from the air, as from the ground they only appear as long marks on the stone.
Timing
In Huacachina, the sunset is especially magical: from the top of a dune an infinite sea of sand opens up while the sun hides on the horizon.
Tip
Lake Titicaca is located at an altitude of more than 3800 m between Peru and Bolivia, with a landscape that is disorienting due to the proximity of the sky and the cold air.
Transport
From the city of Puno, boats depart to the floating islands of the Uros and other islands such as Taquile and Amantaní in Lake Titicaca.
Tip
In many areas of the Amazon rainforest there are still communities that can only be reached by boat or small planes.
Timing
In Huascarán, the park is best explored slowly with long trails, feeling the height, tiredness and cold, not quickly from a viewpoint.

Video on this route

Wonders of Peru | The most incredible and unreal places in Peru | 4K Travel Guide

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