Amazon Region (Tambopata)

Puerto Maldonado is the capital of the Madre de Dios region and is located on the Río Madre de Dios in the Amazon lowlands. For most travelers, the city primarily serves as an arrival point: from the airport, transfers and boats continue to lodges along the rivers. From the Plaza de Armas, you can see the Río Madre de Dios and the Billinghurst Bridge.Flights are available from Lima and Cusco.The German Foreign Office advises against night bus journeys, specifically citing the Puerto Maldonado–Cusco route where intercity buses have been attacked.

The Tambopata National Reserve protects Amazon rainforest south of Puerto Maldonado and is the most easily accessible rainforest area in Southern Peru. Accommodations are lodges on the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers, which organize guided excursions, usually as multi-day packages.Lago Sandoval: an oxbow lake about 15 kilometers from Puerto Maldonado, which you explore by rowboat after a boat trip and a walk. Birds, monkeys, and caimans are often spotted en route.Clay Licks (Collpas): On riverbanks, parrots and macaws gather early in the morning to eat mineral-rich clay. The Collpa Chuncho is accessible by an early boat trip.An entrance fee is required for the reserve, which is often not included in the tour price.

The Sacred Valley follows the Río Urubamba northwest of Cusco and was an important agricultural region for the Inca. The town of Pisac is located about 30 kilometers from Cusco, known for its handicraft market, especially on Sundays, and the terraces and temples of the Inca site on the mountain above the town.On the high plateau above the valley are the circular terraces of Moray, which the Inca presumably used for agricultural experiments, and the salt pans of Maras, where salt still evaporates from a spring today. At the western end of the valley lies Ollantaytambo, with the train station to Machu Picchu.Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray, and Chinchero are included in Cusco's Boleto Turístico.The valley lies lower than Cusco and is well-suited for the first days of acclimatization.

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and is now the starting point for almost every trip to Machu Picchu. Under Pachacútec, a planned city with religious and administrative areas emerged. The Spanish retained the layout and built their churches and palaces on the Inca walls. Since 1983, the city has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.The heart of the city is the Plaza de Armas with its Cathedral and arcades. The Santo Domingo Monastery stands on Qorikancha, the Inca Sun Temple, whose walls are still visible. On Calle Hatun Rumiyoc is the famous twelve-angled stone, above it the artisan quarter San Blas. The Mercado San Pedro is the city's main market. Above the city lies the Inca site of Sacsayhuamán with its mighty stone walls, the venue for Inti Raymi on June 24.Cusco is located at around 3,500 meters: Take it easy for the first few days.For Sacsayhuamán and the Inca sites in the Sacred Valley, you'll need the Boleto Turístico, available as a ten-day general ticket or as partial tickets. Qorikancha and the Cathedral are not included.

The region around Cusco is the heartland of the Incas and Peru's most important travel destination. The former Inca capital, Cusco, is situated at around 3,500 meters, its center has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. Northwest lies the Sacred Valley of the Urubamba with the ruins and markets of Pisac, the Inca town of Ollantaytambo, and the terraces of Moray and Maras. At the end of the valley is Machu Picchu, accessible by train to Aguas Calientes.