Peru

Peru is the South American trip nearly every first-time visitor takes — and for good reason. Machu Picchu earns its photographs, the Sacred Valley is genuinely fascinating, and Cusco is one of the more pleasant high-altitude cities to spend three or four days in.

The pace matters here. Altitude affects everyone differently; we always recommend two nights in the Sacred Valley (at roughly 2,800m) before climbing to Cusco (3,400m). Built into our standard itineraries.

An optional Amazon coda — three or four nights at a lodge accessed by Madre de Dios or Iquitos — adds a completely different ecosystem to the trip.