Peru & Bolivia Travel Blog: Expert Guides & Insider Tips 2026

Permits for the Classic 4-Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu have sold out through mid-July. In the face of the overwhelming demand for the Inca Trail, a variety of alternative treks are growing in popularity. Although they are not as well-known, and thus lack some of the cache of the Inca Trail, these more affordable options can be booked with less notice, cost less, and are less trafficked...

10% of Peru's territory is protected in national parks, natural reserves, and historic sanctuaries. The 35 zones managed by the SERNANP state agency were visited by record numbers last year- 150,000 more than the previous year. Some of the top sites, such as Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary and Titicaca National Reserve, were expected; others were surprises, such as Huascarán National Park, and still others, especially in the Amazon, surprises by their absence...

Archeologists in Peru announced the discovery of an ancient temple at El Paraiso Archeological Complex in the Chillon valley just northeast of Lima. Dating back 5,000 years, the newly discovered temple (dubbed the Temple of Fire) will provide invaluable insight into one of the Americas' oldest populated sites.

The shipbuilding residents of the small island of Suriqui on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca are planning a new and ambitious undertaking: the construction of a totora reed ship, built only with the same pre-Columbian methods these Aymara descendents have been using for the last thousand years, to sail on a trans-oceanic excursion from New York to Spain via the Canary Islands in May or June of 2014.

One of the most notable carnavals of Peru is quickly approaching- the Amazon Carnaval, based in Iquitos, the largest city of the Peruvian rainforest. The city has announced that the principal activities of this year's Carnaval will take place from February 7^th through 10^th, with ten indigenous communities will be participating, including the Shawi, Cocama, Maijuna, Yagua, and Candoshi. Festivities will include float contests and parades, costumed dance groups, bod

The Lord of Sipán is considered one of the last 30 years's most important archaeological discoveries. Many travelers visit the northern desert coast of Peru to see this Moche tomb and its museum, which displays a great amount of ceramics and other findings alongside the intricate golden treasures of the Moche. Clearly, interest in the 2000 year old Moche civlization is on the rise, as the Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum in Lambayeque received more visitors this year than ever before.