3 Must-Read Peru Travel Guide Books Before Visiting Peru
For those who want to visit Peru, most already have their minds and hearts set on traveling to this diverse nation after seeing photos of incredible mountains and landmarks.
And whilst we may not need any extra motivation per se, reading different travel guides can really benefit our experience (whether that is learning different perspectives or finding out about lesser-known destinations).
In this guide we’ll cover why you should read Peru travel guide books before visiting this diverse country, and how they can really enrich your experience. We’ll also cover a few personal recommendations that you can start reading today.
Table of Contents
Why Read Peru Travel Guide Books?
Quick Answer: Whether you are traveling for the first time or are a seasoned pro, travel guides can always offer us a fresh perspective of life in Peru.
For those who are starting out, travel guides often contain some really great itineraries to follow around the country, and help us navigate tasks such as how to book buses, eating local foods and also organizing our budget (which may be a lot different from back home).
Those who are more experienced with travel can also really benefit. Sometimes we get stuck thinking a certain way when traveling, and reading different travel guides can provide fresh local insights into places. This could be finding a novel market that isn’t so well-known online, or learning local Quechua phrases to help you connect better with the locals when hiking around Cusco.
3 Peru Travel Guide Books We Recommend Reading Before Coming To Peru
Below we’ll now list 3 of the very best Peru travel guides that we have personally read, and really recommend to enhance your experience when making the trip.
The Lonely Planet Peru (Best Peru Book For Travel Advice)
One of the most famous travel book creators, Lonely Planet has covered in-depth guides and itineraries for countries all over the planet. Here in Lonely Planet Peru we will learn about all of the must-visit destinations such as Machu Picchu, Arequipa, Cusco and the Amazon Jungle (as well as many lesser-known places too). This versatile book also contains information on hiking the Inca Trail, the cuisine of Peru as well as some language basics.
The Peru Reader (Best Peru Book For Deeper Cultural Understanding)
If you are looking to scratch below the surface of everything that is Peru, then you simply must read the Peru Reader. Author Orin Starn has done an incredible job teaching us about the key ancient civilisations of Peru and their indigenous ways, as well as detailing the events that led to the colonial conquest from Spain that has since changed the face of Peru. This book is perfect for really understanding Peru on a deeper level, and appreciating everything that you experience once you travel here.
Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center (Best Peru Book For Machu Picchu History)
Topping most of our own Peru Bucket Lists, Machu Picchu is a must-visit site when traveling around the Andean mountains of Cusco. Whilst we will learn about detailed history during our tours, we also suggest reading more about the ancient site. Explorer and author Johan Reinhard helps us to understand Machu Picchu on a deeper level, including the spiritual influence and significance of this site (including its importance as a central site for the surrounding regions).
Other Preparation Tips Before Your Trip To Peru
Whilst reading books is a great way of preparing your mind for a trip to Peru, there are other things we suggest doing.
If you are planning on heading on some high altitude treks in and around Cusco, then we highly recommend following a fitness plan so you won’t be too tired during the longer hikes. It’s also important to keep in mind that they will be harder given the altitudes, so it’s worth making things as easy as possible beforehand!
We also suggest exploring some of the different hikes that we offer around Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Whilst the Inca Trail and Salkantay Trek are the most well-known, there are others too such as Lares, Choquequirao Trek and Pallay Punchu which are less busy but just as impressive.
Overview Of Reading Travel Guide Books Before Coming To Peru
And that’s all for this guide on why you should read travel guides before traveling Peru.
Full of incredible insights and different travel perspectives, travel guides are still very important to this day (especially as we spend more time watching online content which isn’t usually as thorough). For Peru we’ll find many books that are great for understanding the country better, and especially for learning more about hiking in Cusco and the history of Machu Picchu.
If you’re interested in learning more about the history around the Sacred Valley region specifically, then we recommend reading more about what the Inca Trail was used for.