The trip is planned by local experts to give the traveller a truly off-the-beaten-track experience.
The Peruvian government has recently introduced a strict four-hour time limit for visitors to Machu Picchu.
Rough Guides has responded by creating a trip that is designed to bring visitors closer to some of Peru’s other lesser-known, but just as spectacular, ancient sites to help tackle overtourism.
The new Rough Guides trip to Peru was created by a local expert who lives in the country – meaning travellers are guaranteed a unique experience away from the main tourist trail. This will alleviate pressure on the places that can suffer from having too many tourists. At the same time, the traveller gets to discover the hidden gems that they wouldn’t necessarily get through booking with a traditional tour operator or going it alone. In fact, this trip doesn’t even include a visit to Machu Picchu; Rough Guides hopes to raise awareness of the fact that there are many other historical and cultural sites just as interesting and important to the country’s social history as Machu Picchu.
Travellers who book this trip to Peru can expect to enjoy an in-depth glimpse into Peruvian life – visiting traditional peoples, seeing ancient pyramids and temples, and travelling to amazing natural wonders. The trip also takes travellers to some of the hidden gems of Peru, such as the Kuelap fortress (the ‘new Machu Picchu’).
As the trip is planned by local experts who know all about the quirky, unusual things to do that tourists don’t know about, this trip is a great way to experience the parts of Peru that you wouldn’t be able to book yourself. Some of the things travellers can expect are to:
● Take a trip to the first centre of civilisation in the Americas
● Go to the ancient mud-brick city of Chan Chan
● Visit a traditional family that descends from Mochica people
● Travel on horseback to one of the highest waterfalls in the world and try and catch a glimpse of toucans, monkeys, and mountain lions
● Meet local fisherman and see them work on their traditional reed boats
● Visit the ancient fortress of Kuelap, built more than 600 years before Machu Picchu
Karin, the Rough Guides local expert in Peru, says: “This trip includes visits to rarely-visited destinations in Peru. Overtourism is becoming a huge issue in many popular destinations like Machu Picchu, and this can have a very negative effect on the environment. However, we are aware that it’s hard for people to plan a trip off the main tourist trail in a country they are not familiar with, which is why we’ve decided to create an experience that offers an alternative route – showing travellers lots of other amazing destinations and highlights Peru has to offer.
“This is one of the best alternatives to the classic routes of Peru since some of the well-known places have become too overcrowded and touristy. While on this route travellers will find almost pristine destinations and a sense of privacy they wouldn’t in the aforementioned destinations.”
