For adventurous lovers who wish to include snowy mountains, deserts, oceans, jungles, and ruins on their honeymoon, welcome to Peru. Who wants to miss the largest zipline, track llama, or white water raft through the largest mountain range in the world – the Andes?
For the sophistication of a large city, few can beat the cosmopolitan air history of Lima, the capital of Peru, or the historical and romantic city of Cusco, where honeymooners should be sure to visit Central, which has been named the second-best restaurant in the world.
Best Hotels and Resorts for a Peru Honeymoon
Hotel Paracas
Hotel Paracas is located on the coast by the Paracas National Reserve. Located on the Peruvian coast, the resort is surrounded by islands and desert.
Luxury rooms face the garden or the ocean. There are two swimming pools, a pampering spa, and a bar lounge with a view of the ocean. The Ballestas restaurant serves Peruvian delicacies while the Trattoria favors an Italian menu.
For honeymooning foodies, the resort’s “Be Epicurean” plan provides guests with a daily culinary experience separate from the usual menu, a weekly cooking class, tasting tour, or mixology class. Perfect for any honeymooners looking forward to being exquisite hosts.
Couples can visit the spa for massages and more healing therapies.
Vichayito Bungalows & Carpas Hotel
This hotel in Cusco is one of the last beach resorts in the vicinity and can be reached by plane from Lima. It overlooks the azure waters of Vichayito Beach and is surrounded by a palm-decorated landscape. It has won several TripAdvisor’s awards for excellence. Cusco is the center of the Inca empire, who began inhabiting the area in the 13th century.
Accommodation includes luxury tents and bungalows, all without the sound of the ocean. This kind of privacy is hard to beat for couples. The tents have double beds, terraces, bathrooms, minibars, and cable TV. A restaurant offers three meals a day.
For the ultimate wedding, couples with more than 50 guests can arrange for a beach altar, chairs, a justice of the peace, tables, decorations, a buffet table, a cocktail party, a three-hour open bar, cake, and music.
Antigua Casona San Blas
Antigua Casona San Blas, also in Cusco, is in the city’s art district. It is a great introduction to Inca history and culture. San Blas is filled with Inca architecture, old colonial mansions, boutiques, and eateries. This mecca of Inca heritage offers hikes on ancient trails.
Accommodation at Antigua includes traditional and superior rooms that come with nighttime tea service. For art lovers, the Xapiri Ground Art Suite has exhibits of genuine indigenous Inca art. The Stone & Salt Restaurant serves three meals a day, including a romantic candlelit dinner of Peruvian specialties, followed by a cocktail by the fireplace.
The resort’s spa offers private experiences for couples with steam baths, a jacuzzi, and massages. Guests can practice yoga and join a yoga class while the sun sets.
The Treehouse
The Treehouse is comprised of several lodges by the Amazon tributary, the Yarapa River. The Amazon shares the title of the longest river in the world with the Nile and is filled with mysteries – just like marriage. These secluded treehouses can be reached by a boat ride up the Amazon – in itself a great thrill. And it allows couples to very literally “get away from everything.” Truly an unforgettable experience.
Each treehouse is an Amazon jungle accommodation without distractions and maximum privacy. Some have river views, and all are popular with local birds such as parrots, toucans, and macaws. Animals usually associated with saltwater, such as dolphins and manatees have adapted to the Amazon and can be seen on a river cruise. Couples can even swim with the dolphins. Monkeys may occupy nearby trees. The lodges have showers, bathrooms, and sinks and range in height from 36 feet to 67 feet off the ground. This is a true honeymoon in the wild.
The main house offers three meals a day, and meals will be provided for excursions and hikes to Iquito and nearby villages. Premium alcohol is also available.
The ultimate Treehouse Lodge romance package includes excursions, fine Peruvian dining, a bottle of wine, and chocolates. The Treehouse has shamans who can perform wedding ceremonies by the water with professional pictures. That’s how to create memories.
Belmont Sanctuary Hotel
Belmont Sanctuary Hotel is the only luxury hotel next to the incredible Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world. It provides a breathtaking view of this Inca phenomenon. The Sanctuary is surrounded by an orchard garden and thousands of butterflies to add to the vista.
The rooms and suites, many with terraces, offer an unparalleled view of the local beauty. Meals with a Peruvian flair and a view are served three times a day. Guests can relax in the Tampu Bar over a cocktail. The hotel’s Gastronomy Journey includes meals, beverages, and a cooking class.
The Belmont Sanctuary offers tours, demonstrations of ancient Andean rituals, and yoga sessions. An ancient Inca coca leaf reading will assure couples of a long and happy future. Honeymooners can renew their vows under the guidance of a shaman.
History and Culture in Peru
Peru has been inhabited by a variety of tribes for 20,000 years with an ancient pre-Columbian culture that can be discovered through its ruins, temples, tombs, and mummies. The country is most associated with the last and best-known tribe, the Incas, who ruled an area larger than the Roman Empire from 1200 to 1532 A.D. until its capture by Spain in the 16th century. Peru finally achieved its independence in 1821. Peruvians still proudly wear their colorful traditional clothing as an expression of their culture, especially for special occasions. The region surrounding Lake Titicaca has very few modern clothes and is known for its beautiful weaving and embroidery.
Peru is a melting pot of Spanish, African, and indigenous tribal heritage. Spanish is the main language, and visitors would benefit from mastering a few simple phrases, such as “Habla ingles?”
Peruvians are natural foodies with bakeries everywhere to satisfy any sweet tooth. For the best food experience in Lima, enjoy a local cooking class that includes shopping for the best and freshest foods.
Central in Lima is considered either the number one or number two best Michelin restaurant in the world, depending on who you ask. Its 17-course tasting menu covers the gambit of Peruvian delicacies. For a major Michelin restaurant in an excellent location, prices are remarkably reasonable and a must-try for any honeymooners.
Top Things to Do in Peru
Machu Picchu Inca Trail
The Machu Picchu Inca Trail is the most popular way for honeymooners to explore the magical Machu Picchu (although click on the link for several alternatives). This trail was created by the Incas to reach their sacred Machu Picchu temple. The trail passes ruins and the Inca’s Sacred Valley. The trek lasts for three to four days starting with a tour pickup in Cusco. The hike is a slow ascent in latitude until hikers have reached the clouds. The highest point is Dead Woman’s Pass at 13,828 feet. Guides set up nightly tents for sleeping under the stars.
Rainbow Mountain Tour
The Rainbow Mountain Tour, which also originates out of Cusco, is a mountain that developed a stunning rainbow of colors due to the erosion of different minerals when glaziers melted. This is a honeymoon experience like few others. Its altitude of 5,200 far exceeds Mt. Everest. A guided tour can take one to two days, or couples can trek up on their own in a hard 3-hour climb.
Visiting Cusco
The 700-year-old city of Cusco is the gateway to the Incan empire. For most visitors, this is where it begins. And this will most likely be the area where honeymooners experience Peru at its finest. The main square is Plaza de Armas (see picture of the Cusco Cathedral above). The plaza is lined with restaurants and shops.
The San Pedro market is budget-friendly and filled with Peruvian goodies, including food or a genuine llama wool sweater. Follow the cobbled stoned streets to San Blas, the city’s artistic district filled with galleries.
For chocolate lovers, the Chocolate Museum is a marvel where guests can partake in a chocolate or truffle workshop and enjoy a tour of a chocolate factory.
Cusco has an abundance of luxury resorts that can be the base for exploring the entire Machu Picchu territory.
Wine and Pisco Tasting Tour
Wine and Pisco Tasting Tour explores Ica in Peru’s southern area which is well-known for growing red wine and producing Peru’s national drink called Pisco. The three-and-a-half-hour tour, which begins in Ica, includes hotel pickup, and tastings at two wineries. The Tacama vineyard is the oldest in South America and was created in the 16th century.
Romantic Amazon Cruise
A luxury seven-night Amazon Cruise is the best way to honeymoon in Peru. The upper deck has a jacuzzi, an observation area for watching the passing wildlife, and a lounge and bar. The dining room serves the best of Peruvian cuisine. Couples can leave the cruise for daily guided excursions through the rainforest and return for a relaxing couples massage. The Amazonian sunrises and sunsets can be captured from the observation deck to be shared for years to come.
Average Cost of a One-Week Honeymoon Trip to Peru
The average week-long honeymoon in Peru should cost approximately $1,200, which includes $49 daily on food and local transportation only. With the average hotel price ranging from $30 to $100 per night, a one week trip is relatively inexpensive, and it can be easily turned into a luxury getaway.
Travel within Peru is affordable as well, with a flight from Cusco to Lima costing approximately $40.00. Bus tours around the country hover around $20.00.
Best Time to Visit Peru
For energetic honeymooners who plan to trek through Peru’s beautiful landscape, May through October, the dry season, is the best time. It gets rainy between November and April, with the Inca trail closing in February due to excessive rain. This is also the least expensive time to see Peru.
The temperature does not vary much throughout the country, except it does get warmer in the Amazon. Although the Amazon has its rainy season, that is also the time the flora blooms in abundance, and the wildlife is most active.
The peak months, and most expensive, are July and August.
Weather in Peru
In Peru, the weather is mainly divided into wet and dry.
Different zones do show some differences. Lima is hot and dry throughout the year when temperatures reach up to 110 degrees. The temperature is a bit lower from May through October.
The Andes region, which includes Cusco and Machu Picchu, has a higher altitude and the temperature here can range from 68 to 77 degrees, which is close to ideal for honeymooners to hike, trek, and explore the terrain. A light sweater is advised for the evenings.
Not surprisingly, the Amazon region gets hot and humid, with an increase in rainfall from December through March. The daytime temperatures range from 85 to 90 degrees, which can drop to 68 degrees in the evening.
Getting to Peru
Peru opens a new world of travel to an ancient civilization, and it is easy to reach from the U.S. Prices for a flight can vary from a bargain at $200 to $1,500 one way. U.S. cities such as New York, Houston, Dallas Forth Worth, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Miami offer direct flights to Peru. Other flights may require that connections be made in Mexico or other Latin American Countries.
Airlines that fly into Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima are Canada Air, Spirit Airlines, Avianca, United Airlines, LATAM, Copa Airlines, Aeromexico, Jetblue, and Interjet.
No airline has direct flights from the US to Cusco. Visitors can fly into Lima and take another flight from there.
