Choquequirao (near Cuzco) it's a 4 hour drive with a couple of interesting places to visit (Saywite & Tarawasi). Then it's a 2 day journey backpaking to reach the Inca citadel, you will be camping in the wilderness away from the crowds, maybe just one guide and a couple of mules to carry your stuff. They will tell you this was the last hideout for the Incas after the Spaniard conquest, but it's not true. it's just an administration center that controlled everything that came from the North-East (Antisuyo) towards Cuzco.
The White Mountain Ridge (Cordillera Blanca) is a beautiful country for trekking and Camping as well, since Huaraz is too commercialized and crowded, y would suggest you stay at Caraz. There are many places to visit like the Huascarán Mountain, Hoandoy Mountain, Jungay (a city of 20,000 that was covered almost completely by a giant avalanche caused by an Earthquake when part of the top of Huascarán fell over the Llanganuco Lagoon) & Chavin de Huantar.
Iquitos at the beginning of the Amazon River when 2 rivers join together, the Mara?on & the Ucayali. Between these 2 rivers there's an enormous National Park called the PACAYA SAMIRIA, there's no lodging inside the Pacaya Samiria except for the pointy tip where the amazon is formed, this is owned by a Peruvian company, unlike the more expensive international companies with all the modern accomodations (Electricity, Air Conditioning, etc), here you'll experience the jungle with Kerosene lamps and large ice cubes are brought in everyday by boat or foot (depending on the time of year). The place is called PIRANHA LODGE and to get there you first have to take a ride to the port of Nauta (1 hour) then a passenger boat to cross the Mara?on River then a smaller boat to the lodge if it's rainy season (Oct-Mar) or by foot (45 minutes) if it's dry season (Apr-Sep).
If you guys want mountains and really awesome alpine lakes, look into the Cordillera Blanca. The town of Huaraz can be used as a home base for exploring the region. The mountains in this area are just incredible - one was even voted the most beautiful (or photogenic, I can't remember which) mountain in the world! This area is at a high elevation, so you'll need a day or two to acclimatize before heading off on a treks.
Other people have mentioned areas in the Sacred Valley. It's true that this is a super scenic part of Peru, but it's also much more touristy. If you're looking for more backpacker-style adventure, hit up the trails around Huaraz.
Check it out:
http://www.anywhereperu.com/destinations...
If you're looking for jungles and rainforests to explore, you can start from either Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado. Iquitos is a larger, more developed area, and you can access the Amazon and all kinds of jungle areas from here. Puerto Maldonado is great as well, but smaller. Most of the Peruvian Amazon, however, is pretty big and kind of harsh, so it's recommended to take a guide or stay at a remote lodge while in the area.
This page has some good info on Iquitos:
http://www.anywhereperu.com/destinations...
Well, Peru has many different kind of wildlife places. I can cay Cusco City is the best option, From Cusco you can get supplies for your travels and get access to many places: MANU National Park (review thw web for more Info), Tambopata Reserved Zone, Bahuaja Sonene National Park. (All of them in the jungle), or Visit some mountains like Ausangate Snowcapped Mountain (Hi altitude and cold).. and many more pretty near to Cusco City.
I hope you and your GF speak spanish as the Lima airport has no spanish to english. Quoting my wife.... HUARAZ, IS CLOSE TO LIMA EITHER BY PLANE OR BUS TO HIKING TRAILS. JUNGLE IS IQUITOS, HOT TROPICAL JUNGLE BY PLANE ONLY. MACCHUPICHU -CUZCO MOUNTAINS CONSIDERED SAFE. My wife a peruvian citizen you go to computer for more info about these cities.
It is possible to hike the Inca trail with just the services of a guide, where you are just camping with one person leading you. You can't get a permit to do it totally alone, but you are carrying your own gear and cooking for yourself.
http://www.incatrailperu.com/index.html
My name is Dorion and my girlfriend and I are two young naturalists. We are currently trying to plan our first big trip, with the destination being Peru. We plan to be in Peru for only two weeks. What we are definitely most interested in is the wildlife and terrain of the country. We do NOT want to be a part of any tour groups, where we are forced to follow a leader and not be allowed to go at our own pace. We want to camp where we want, overnight, and pick up and backpack during the day, exploring new areas and finding lots of interesting animals. What I am asking you more experienced travelers is, what would be the best plan of action to be able to explore the wild by ourselves? We wanted to fly into Lima, and take a bus to the jungle, and hike a few trails and camp for a few days, but also have access to a city should we need supplies. We also want to hike a mountainous region, with plenty of cliffs to climb and appreciate. We do realize it is important to stick close to a city though! Please give us tips! Thanks!
