Beyond Machu Picchu: Lima & the Peruvian Amazon

Lima – More Than a Stopover

Most travellers fly into Lima for a single night before continuing on to Cusco and Machu Picchu. It’s rarely intentional, it's just how many itineraries are structured. After experiencing Lima firsthand on a recent FAM trip, I can confidently say that spending time here is essential.

Lima is a capital city with confidence: layered history, a strong creative pulse, and one of the most exciting culinary scenes in the world. When given the time it deserves, it sets the tone beautifully for the rest of your journey through Peru.

Where to Stay

Country Club Lima Hotel

Located in the elegant San Isidro district and well positioned for sightseeing, Country Club Lima reflects the city itself - cosmopolitan, historic, and distinctive. Walking into what Architectural Digest named the 3rd best hotel lobby in the world, you immediately feel the sense of place. The hotel doubles as a living gallery, showcasing hundreds of colonial artworks on loan from the Pedro de Osma Museum.

Rooms are spacious and individually designed, the service is gracious, and the atmosphere feels like a private residence rather than a traditional hotel. Whether enjoying refined Peruvian and international cuisine or savouring a perfectly made pisco sour, Country Club Lima offers classic luxury with character.

Clients receive exclusive benefits when booking through our agency:

• Daily buffet breakfast

• Complimentary lunch or dinner once during the stay (minimum three courses, up to USD $100)

• Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

• Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability

  
  

Where to Go

Plaza Mayor (Plaza de Armas)

The heart of Lima’s historic center, Plaza Mayor is where Francisco Pizarro founded the city in 1535. Surrounded by grand colonial and republican-era buildings, it’s home to Lima Cathedral and the Archbishop’s Palace. Just steps away is Casa de Aliaga - the oldest house in the Americas continuously occupied by the same family for over 480 years.

Suggestion: Begin at San Martín Square, one of Lima’s most emblematic plazas, then walk along the pedestrian street Jirón de la Unión. Along the way, stop into cafés, shops, and historic sites - don’t miss the Baroque-style Basilica and Convent of Our Lady of Mercy - before arriving at Plaza Mayor.

Larco Museum

A must-visit in Lima, the Larco Museum houses more than 45,000 pre-Columbian artifacts spanning 5,000 years of history, including one of the world’s most fascinating collections of erotic art. Beyond the exhibits, the museum’s gardens and on-site restaurant make it an especially rewarding visit.

Tip: Hire a docent to gain deeper insight into the artifacts and their historical context.

Barranco

Lima’s most artistic and bohemian district, Barranco is where history, design, and creativity converge. Colourful buildings, murals, galleries, cafés, and ocean views give the neighbourhood an easygoing charm that invites wandering and lingering.

Fun tidbit: Legend says that if you make a wish, hold your breath, and cross the Bridge of Sighs without exhaling, your wish will come true!

What to Eat

Lima’s reputation as a culinary capital is well deserved. From ceviche and ají de gallina to pollo a la brasa and Nikkei cuisine, the city’s flavours reflect its diverse influences. One style of cooking that particularly stood out to me is chifa - Peruvian-Chinese cuisine.

Chifa traces its roots to Chinese immigration to Peru in the 19th century, when Cantonese cooking techniques blended with local ingredients. The name itself comes from the phrase “sik faan” (“to eat”), often heard before meals. Dishes like lomo saltado, Peru’s iconic beef stir-fry, are classic examples of this fusion.

Interesting detail: Over time, Peruvians even incorporated Cantonese words into everyday language, especially for ingredients like soy sauce and ginger.

The Peruvian Amazon – Into Nature

From the cityscapes of Lima, our FAM continued into the heart of the Amazon - a complete shift in pace and perspective. The Peruvian Amazon is not about luxury in the traditional sense. Instead, it delivers something rarer: moments that feel genuinely exclusive because of how remote they are.

Cruising the Peruvian Amazon

Our entry point was Iquitos, the gateway to the Peruvian Amazon, where we boarded the Zafiro, a 19-cabin luxury riverboat designed for intimate exploration.

With a limited number of guests, the experience feels personal and unrushed, with a level of service that genuinely impressed me throughout the cruise. The crew is warm, attentive, and intuitive, paired with the expertise of the naturalist guides who elevated every outing with context and storytelling. Dining onboard was another standout. Meals were consistently excellent, showcasing fresh ingredients alongside refined international influences.

Noteworthy: One of the drinks served onboard was camu camu juice, a small Amazonian fruit native to Peru with exceptionally high vitamin C content. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve since purchased camu camu powder to use at home - a small but lasting reminder of the experience.

Highlights

Pink river dolphins: I had no idea dolphins could be pink. While my own sighting was brief and from a distance, others on a nearby skiff enjoyed closer encounters. We did see numerous grey river dolphins throughout the cruise, each appearance unexpected and quietly thrilling.

Sloths: Spotting sloths high in the canopy felt like uncovering hidden treasures.

Guided rainforest walk: After overnight rain, the trails were muddy, humid, and alive, with mosquitoes and all. It was wonderfully real and a reminder that this is not a manicured destination, but a thriving, untamed ecosystem.

Night skies: With virtually no light pollution, the stars came into sharp focus, and we were even able to see the Milky Way stretching across the sky.

What to Know Before You Go

When incorporating an Amazon cruise into a Peru itinerary, it’s helpful to understand the two distinct seasons: wet season (high water) and dry season (low water). Neither is better than the other - each simply offers a different lens through which to experience the rainforest, and itineraries are thoughtfully adapted to suit both.

• High water season allows boats to navigate deeper into flooded forests and closer to the canopies of trees

• Low water season reveals more land trails, offering increased opportunities for guided rainforest walks

Do keep in mind: At low water season, the point of embarkation is in Nauta, which is around 2 hours from Iquitos. The road can be bumpy so those who are prone to motion sickness should prepare accordingly.

Mosquito repellent and protective clothing, such as long sleeves and high socks, are a must, ensuring comfort and allowing you to fully enjoy each excursion.

Clients receive exclusive benefits when booking through our agency:

• One-night accommodation in Iquitos prior to embarkation at the DoubleTree by Hilton

• Gourmet breakfast at the hotel until 10:00 AM

• Private transfer from the airport to the DoubleTree by Hilton Iquitos (official meeting point)

• Welcome pack in-suite with sparkling wine and a handcrafted local souvenir

• A 45-minute Amazonian massage—the perfect introduction to the rainforest experience

Final Thoughts

This combination of Lima and the Peruvian Amazon delivers a wonderfully balanced journey: polished city stays, extraordinary cuisine, close encounters with nature. It’s a complete itinerary on its own, or as an add on to other fantastic locations in the country.

If you've been considering Peru for your next trip, we'd love to help you start planning!