Explore incredible Peru Vacations and adventures for families with Carmen Medina Vasquez of Giardino Tours. Located in Peru, their travel company has more than 28 years of experience and has been working for sustainable tourism in Peru since its early years.
For more family vacation inspiration, check out all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!
What makes Peru Vacations great for Families?
In Peru, there is so much to experience. We know that different things will interest different kids. But generally, in my experience, children love mystery and are so curious, they enjoy fascinating stories, new food and clothes, and new music. They enjoy being close to animals and learning how important they are.
And around every corner in Peru, there is a story to be told, new dishes to be tried, local communities to be visited, faces to be found in the mountains, dunes, valleys, or stones, nurturing our love for animals and nature feeding baby alpacas or enjoying educational activities in our Amazon Forest, listening to new music, finding new friends by sharing with locals and much more.
Tell Us About Peru.
Peru is located on the west side of South America and just south of the Equator. It is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina, and is a country of jungle, mountain, and coast. These three types of terrain form a megadiverse climate and geography.
Peru has two seasons, the wet from January to March and the dry from April to December. If you want to visit the Andean area, I recommend the dry season and if you want to go surfing and enjoy our summer in the coastal region, I recommend the wet season.
What makes Peru special?
Peru is a country of natural and cultural treasures with a strong touch of mystery and spirituality. So many things make Peru special and a wonderful place to visit.
Our History. In Peru, you will enjoy an incredible amount of interesting history easily accessible to any traveler. Wherever you are, visiting a museum, walking around a town or village, or hiking to one of the hidden Inca ruins, you will always be surrounded by the strong presence of history and its cultural influences.
Our People & Traditions. Normally, when we are traveling It is always so interesting to meet new people and to experiment with new cultures, but in Peru, you will feel this act of “meeting” even more interesting because Peruvians, love to share what we are, how we feel and what we do.
Our culture is a mix of Spanish, Indigenous, Asian, and African influences. We can say that our Peruvian identity has been formed through the combination of customs, races, and traditions. Most Peruvians still have a direct link with their Inca ancestors, and we are proudly conserving the Quechua and Aymara cultures.
In Peru we have about 3,000 popular festivals a year, keeping alive the legacy of our millenary culture. So, when you visit Peru on days that we have a festival, you can be sure that you will take part in the party! The whole family can enjoy the street dancers, colorful costumes, our rich Peruvian music, and our good food as well.
Also, when you visit the villages or markets, you always will see women weaving these exquisite patterns in their textiles, maybe artisans carving wood, or making jewelry, people playing music, painting canvas, etc. Peru offers a variety of beautiful artisanal crafts, where history, culture, art, and talent, are all in one.
Our Natural Diversity. Peru is a country of jungles, mountains, and coast, with almost 28 individual climates. This creates a diverse ecosystem and natural variety, all in one country.
You can see snow in the Andes, and not far away, you can sandboard in the desert by the Huacachina Oasis. See penguins at Ballestas Islands next to the desert of Paracas. Feel like Indiana Jones exploring the Amazon Forest. Hike up to the top of a mountain or hike down to one of the deepest canyons in the world Colca Canyon.
The varieties and combinations are unlimited. And for families with kids, you won’t need to worry as it is diverse enough to provide a thrilling experience for everyone.
Our Incredible Food. The gastronomy, like the geography in Peru, is very diverse. And due to our different climates, very rich in products and ingredients with special flavors that make Peruvian food incredibly tasty. It has been considered the best culinary destination by the World Travel Awards for 8 years in a row!
You cannot leave Peru without trying the Peruvian Ceviche, Huancaína style Potatoes, Stuffed Rocoto, Cause Limeña, Anticuchos, Juane, Fish soup, Pachamanca, Saltado, and much more.
Peru Vacations: Lima City
Many travelers do not invest time in Lima, but Lima has charms to offer. It was the capital of the viceroyalty and was ‘The City of Kings’. Today it is the capital of Peru and one of the most famous gastronomic destinations in the world. Some of the best international restaurants are in Lima, and you cannot leave Lima without visiting its historical city center with Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, its Convents such as Santo Domingo and San Francisco with its Catacombs, its amazing museums such as Larco Herrera or Gold and its popular neighborhoods of Barranco and Miraflores.
Peru Vactions: Ica Region
If we keep south from Lima, we enter the Ica region. Where you will have 4 important high lights that will be so interesting for whole family. First you have the Paracas National Reserve, that is a protected area for marine ecosystems that you can visit in a tour of 3 hours or with a short hiking experience and offers a stunning coastal scenery with exceptional beaches and diverse wildlife.
In the same area you will find the Ballestas islands, also called the small Galapagos, that offer a close observation of colonies of sea lions, Humboldt penguins, an incredible number of seabirds like Dominican gulls, guanay cormorants, Peruvian pelicans and more.
Also, in this region you will find the Huacachina Oasis, this oasis is a patch of palm and acacia trees in the heart of an endless expanse of sand and dunes. Teens will love the great adventure of riding dune buggies, sandboarding, walking on the dunes and enjoying a golden sunset!
Very close to the oasis, and if you enjoy mysteries, we can visit the Nazca Lines, that are universally known as one of the great mysteries of humanity because these 2,000-year-old imposing engravings in the Nazca Desert, whose meaning is unknown, can only be contemplated completely from the air. Why are these huge shapes there? How were they designed? Nobody knows and it will be a lot of fun to discover new theories with whole family after visiting this great mystery.
Peru Vacations: Arequipa
Another interesting destination is Arequipa, also called the white city of Peru.
A beautiful city with a special colonial charm. It is located about 2,300mts (7,546 feet) and it is the perfect place to get used to the high altitude.
Arequipa city is surrounded by 3 volcanoes and offers a historical city center declared UNESCO World Heritage with buildings made of white volcanic stone and is blessed with a pleasant climate and eternal sunshine.
Among its greatest attractions are the Main Plaza with its beautiful Cathedral, colonial streets, popular markets, alpaca textile factories and shops, great gastronomy, adventure activities like rafting and hiking, and beautiful countryside to enjoy a picnic and nature.
And you must visit at least one of its interesting and colonial Monasteries like La Recoleta, Santa Teresa, and the well-known Santa Catalina Monastery. Visiting these places is like taking a trip back in time, walking through its color-full colonial streets, rooms, chapels, museums, and patios.
Peru Vacations: Colca Canyon
A little further away from Arequipa city, you can visit the Colca Canyon, also known as “The Valley of Wonders” because of its extreme natural beauty.
In Colca Canyon, travelers observe the South American camelids such as Vicunas, lamas, and alpacas in their natural habitat. Enjoy the beautiful colorful terraces along the valley, share experiences with locals, feed alpacas on the farms, and see the stunning depth of the canyon, which is almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the USA.
And observe the Andean condor. It is an amazing experience to watch these huge birds gliding over your head or crossing the walls of the canyon. Normally, after you see the flight of the Condor, you will understand better why the Incas considered the Condor, a sacred bird!
If you can make it to Colca Canyon for a Peru family vacation, it will be something that for sure you won’t forget.
Peru Vacations: Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is close to the city of Puno is also another fascinating highlight in Peru. Lake Titicaca was the “Sacred Lake” of the Inca. There are many legends about the origin of the Inca Empire. One of these says that Viracocha, the main god or creator god, had his children, Manco Kapac & Mama Ocllo, spring from the water of the lake to found Cuzco and the Inca dynasty. So, you can imagine how important is Titicaca Lake for Peruvian people!
The Lake is located between Bolivia and Peru at an altitude of 3,810 meters (12,500 feet) so is considered the highest navigable lake in the world.
In this area, travelers can enjoy excursions with a boat or kayak to visit the floating islands of Uros, where people preserved a floating lifestyle for hundreds of years using the reeds that grow in the lake to make their houses, the boats, and the islands.
You can also visit some of its land-islands like Taquile, Amantani, or Suasi and visit sacred places, learn about the culture and traditions, and observe the farms.
I recommend travelers take an overnight tour one the islands of the Lake. This experience allows you to share activities with a local family like cooking together, playing soccer with the kids, participating in a dance activity, or learning about the way of life of the communities and support the economics of these local families.
You will fall in love when you observe the magic combination of fresh air and water with the intense blue color of the lake with the Andean sky. For me, enjoying the sunset on Lake Titicaca is one of my best travel moments.
Peru Vacation: Cusco
Cusco, is one of the best-known destinations in Peru, not only for its impressive beauty but also for being where the trip to Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley begins.
The city is located on a slope of the Andes and was the capital of the Inca Empire, so imagine the importance it had and the symbolic spirituality that it possesses. Also, Cusco was one of the most important cities in the Spanish colonial period.
This city offers a mixture of two cultures by preserving the remains of Inca temples and constructions, right next to the colonial buildings, streets, and squares.
At the end of all excursions, I always recommend my clients to take a free day in this magical city, to walk through its streets, cafes, restaurants, neighborhoods, the popular markets or do some shopping. The work of artisans, textiles, and artists will leave you speechless.
Also, Cusco is the door to the most incredible tours and hikes to this area of Peru, such as the Sacred Valley, South Valley, Machu Picchu, the amazing Inka Trail, the Rainbow Mountain, Salkantay Mountain, Choquekirao City, and much more.
For families, and depending on the age of the children, you will find so many options to enjoy the areas of Cusco like bike tours or zipline experiences through the Sacred Valley. Visit the Cacao Museum to make your own chocolate. Visit alpaca farms to feed baby alpacas. Visit the indigenous markets and observe how locals work with colors and textiles. Participate in a Mother Earth offering experience, cross Incas hanging bridges, and more.
Peru Vacation: Machu Picchu
Peru is dotted with so many Inca sites, but for sure none is so famous as Machu Picchu, and with good reason! The citadel is considered the seventh wonder of the modern world, and it is the most spectacular urban creation of the Inca Empire.
But it is the location that has this special magic that fascinates the whole world. Machu Picchu sits on top of a mountain in the tropical forest, offering spectacular scenery. This is a unique artistic achievement and a masterpiece of architecture when you imagine that in this city were, plazas, temples, tombs, rooms for storing food, stone canals, stairways, and platforms. In Machu Picchu you will find more than 700 terraces that helped to promote agriculture, served as part of an extensive system of water distribution, and helped also against erosion.
It is not surprising that in Peru it is said that in Machu Picchu everything is sacred and cultural, and is related to each other, including the natural environment where Machu Picchu is located.
Machu Picchu is open every day of the year and offers special rates for children and students. The number of visits is limited, so it is recommended to reserve the entrance ticket in advance.
Machu Picchu can also be visited by hiking the famous Inca Trail for 4 or 2 days.
Peru Vacation: Amazon Rainforest
Few people know that Peru possesses most of the Amazon Rainforest after Brazil.
The Amazon is the largest tropical forest in the world and with the greatest diversity on the planet. Do you know that the Peruvian rainforest is home to more than 6,000 kinds of plants? And some of these plants are even used in modern drugs to cure diseases.
More than 20% of the Earth’s oxygen is produced only in this area, so imagine how important is to protect our Amazon rainforest, and tourism, as an educational tool, plays a very important role.
Appreciating and learning about the diversity of nature while adventuring along trails, looking for caimans and otters in the river, fishing for piranhas, and walking on platforms or suspension bridges to observe birds, are just some of the options that Peru offers to enjoy and discover our Rainforest.
Peru has excellent exclusive lodges that work for the preservation of our Amazon. From standard to luxury class, the lodges offer everything that you need for a safe, relaxed trip with interesting activities. There are even lodges with specialized packages for families with educational programs and activities like Tambopata National Reserve. It offers special trails designed for kids, so children discover the Amazon and learn what Mother Nature wants to share with them, night lectures for families and games, and also the chance to help the team at the lodge find new species with special tools.
Peru Vacation Packages for Families
The organization of family trips is for us very important. We adjust the trip to meet each family’s needs and visit the most important attractions, such as Machu Picchu or Colca Canyon, with optional extra activities.
We know that every family has individual interests, so we are in frequent communication with the family from the beginning until they return home. We try to keep flexibility in programs and give families the best options for them to enjoy Peru.
For example, our program “Peru Dream” is a package of 11 days that allows you to experience the best of the Peruvian Andean world.
In this package, you will visit Lima city with its Museums – Arequipa city – the Colca Canyon – Lake Titicaca with its islands – Cusco city – The Sacred Valley with all its remains and the amazing Machu Picchu citadel.
During the trip you will enjoy colonial architecture, Inca and pre-Incan ruins, deep valleys, terraces and lakes, short walking, amazing landscapes, optional activities to keep children curious, regional gastronomy, interacting with local people, and more.
Peru offers a large number of hotels from 3 to 5 stars and boutique types, which are comfortable, cozy, all of them include buffet breakfast and hot water all day.
Depending on the family budget we can organize a package that covers all your interests and needs.
During your journey, your guide and agent will be in contact to give you the best tips and information.
Where can families learn more & start planning?
We will be so happy to help you so I invite you to check our website or to send us an email,
Also, on our website, you will find the FAQ Peru where we answer many questions of our clients.
You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Peru has an official website for all visitors, with news, information about destinations, and important updates.
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Thank you for joining us, Carmen!
For more family vacation inspiration, tune in to all the podcast episodes. Adventure Awaits!