We just got back from a Traveling Professor small group tour to Peru.   We took 10 travelers to South America on a tour to ancient Cusco, spectacular Machu Picchu and for the first time, The Traveling Professor went to the Amazon rain forest in what turned out to be a trip that exceeded all expectations.    To get a trip report, read The Traveling Professor's blog.   There is also a link to view all the photos from The Traveling Professor's small group tour to Peru.

Peru is a wonderful journey.   Lima is like Southern California and old Europe mixed together.   Cuzco is a cultural experience that all travelers should experience.   The train ride from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu is one of the most dramatic in the world.   It is difficult to describe in words the beauty and thrill of Machu Picchu.    The Sacred Valley is a spiritual journey.   The Amazon Jungle is one of the great outdoor experiences in this world today, right up there with the Galapagos Islands.   Peru is safe.  The hotels we stay in are better than anything we stay in Europe.   The food is world-class.  So, why are we not going to Peru in 2015?

#1 on just about everyone's bucket list is a trip to Peru, especially Machu Picchu.  We've done the trip many times and we think we have the best tour to Peru and Machu Picchu out there.  Our itinerary is terrific and includes many places no other tour company will take you in Peru and Machu Picchu.  We stay in some of the top hotels not only in Peru, some of them ranked in the Top 50 in the world by outfits like National Geographic.  We take all of the details to make sure your trip goes smoothly.  And, we only travel with small group of adult travelers.  Take a look at the details to the best trip to Peru and Machu Picchu in today's blog post.

For the most part, there are two ways to get to Machu Picchu:  take the train or walk.  Fortunately the train ride to Machu Picchu is spectacular and one of the highlights on The Traveling Professor's tours to Peru and Machu Picchu.   However, it is much more involved than buying a train ticket, hopping on and arriving at Machu Picchu.  To help make a tour to Peru and Machu Picchu a success, read more in my blog post on how to take the train to Machu Picchu.

Peru, Machu Picchu, Cusco, and the Amazon jungle is one of the most fascinating tours in the world.  TripAdvisor.com just ranked Machu Picchu as the #1 destination in the world.   The Traveling Professor runs a fully guided small group tour to Peru for adults in November (see HERE).  However, The Traveling Professor will also custom-design a tour to Peru for you with the dates you want to go and highlighting the sights you want to see.   Peru is exciting, safe, in many ways very modern, and a great travel value.  Take a look at the blog post for an example of a tour I just put together for two travelers from California.

Each year I take 2-5 small group tours to Peru and Machu Picchu.  The Traveling Professor has been doing that for about 3 years now.   I often speak at travel shows and with civic organization about traveling to Peru.  People call me with questions about Peru regarding altitude sickness, the safety of Peru, hotel quality, and well, they wonder if Peru is a "third-world" country.   In this blog post I will tell you more about Peru and what you can expect if you are traveling solo to Peru or on one of my small group tours to Peru and Machu Picchu.

When the euro hit a high of $1.50 against the dollar a few years ago, The Traveling Professor decided to develop small group tours to Peru and Machu Picchu.  Not only is Peru and Machu Picchu a spectacular place to visit, it offers travelers a fantastic value without sacrificing luxury or comfort.  In my opinion the overall quality of hotels and services exceeds those I experience in Italy, Paris or Spain.   I can also tell you that the culinary reputation of Peru is top-notch and I would rate Peruvian restaurants right up there with those in Europe.  Take a look at my blog post and see why you might want to consider holding off on a trip to Paris or Italy, and look at Peru now.

By far, my most adventurous and exciting program is The Traveling Professor's small group tour to Peru, Machu Picchu and the Amazon rain forest.   It took over a year to plan the itinerary and now, I think I have made it even better by including the Amazon jungle with accommodations at the world-class Inkaterra Amazonica resort.   This trip combines three distinct and separate regions of Peru.  We arrive at the ancient rock city of Cusco and immerse ourselves into the culture and rich history.   We travel to Machu Picchu and spend 2 nights (most tours bring you in in the morning and you are out by the afternoon) properly exploring the mystical city.  Then, we go into the Amazon jungle at the best eco-lodge in Peru for a program of 12 exploration adventures.  Read more in the blog post.

I was exhibiting at the Philadelphia Inquirer Travel Show this weekend and one of the most common concerns brought up by people interested in a tour to Peru and Machu Picchu was the issue of altitude sickness, also known as soroche or AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness).   No matter how you slice it, 10% of all travelers to Peru and Machu Picchu will get it, but in this blog post I will give my tips on how to avoid it and how to handle altitude sickness if you do indeed get it while on a tour to Peru.

Without a doubt, one of the most dazzling and memorable trips one can go on is a tour to Peru including Machu Picchu, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the Amazon Jungle.   When I planned my small group tour to Peru, I did it the right way, spending ample time at Machu Picchu, with guided tours not only of the major sights, but a view of Machu Picchu few travelers see.  We stay in top-notch hotels, including the Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica, one of the top eco-resorts in the word.  To get the details on my small group tour to Peru, see the blog post.