Rainbow Mountain 2026: A First-Timer’s Guide to Vinicunca
The ridge looks painted. Red, mustard, green and white stripes run across the slope. That is Rainbow Mountain, also called Vinicunca or Winikunka, high in…
Chankillo 2026: A First-Timer’s Guide to Peru’s Ancient Solar Observatory
Thirteen stone towers stand in a row on a desert ridge. For centuries, people watched the sun rise and set behind them to read the…
Wari Archaeological Complex 2026: A First-Timer’s Guide to Ayacucho’s Ancient Capital
Six centuries before the Incas, a city of tens of thousands ruled much of the Andes. Its ruins still stand on a dry plateau near…
Kotosh 2026: Visiting Huánuco’s Temple of the Crossed Hands for the First Time
Two pairs of crossed arms, shaped in mud about 3,800 years ago, made a small hill in central Peru famous. The hill is Kotosh, just…
Cumbemayo 2026: A First-Timer’s Guide to Cajamarca’s Ancient Aqueduct
About 3,000 years ago, people in the Andes cut a water channel straight into volcanic rock. It still runs across the hills above Cajamarca today.…
Qorikancha 2026: A First-Timer’s Guide to Cusco’s Temple of the Sun
Walls once covered in sheets of gold still stand in the middle of Cusco. A Spanish church now sits on top of them. That strange…
Sillustani 2026: A First-Timer’s Guide to the Burial Towers near Puno
Stone towers stand on a windy hill above a quiet lake, high on the Peruvian altiplano. The tallest rises about 12 metres. Each one was…
Kuelap Fortress 2026: A First-Timer’s Guide to the Chachapoya Citadel
In the mountains of northern Peru, a huge stone wall wraps around an entire ancient city. The Chachapoya people built it, and you reach it…
Túcume, the Valley of the Pyramids: A First-Timer’s Guide for 2026
Picture 26 ancient pyramids spread around a single hill in a flat valley. That is Túcume, in Peru's Lambayeque region. Most visitors to northern Peru…
Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum 2026: First-Timer’s Guide to Moche Gold
Picture a ruler from the 7th century, buried with a gold scepter, turquoise ear ornaments and eight companions. That is what you meet at the…