Peru is, by is very nature, a family friendly destination. You will find that local people are particularly welcoming if you have children and you won’t ever feel out of place in a restaurant with your children as they will be welcomed with open arms. If you were planning on taking them anywhere in Latin America, Peru has to be top of the list; with accessible, dense rainforest, stunning scenery and ancient Incan ruins, it offers something of interest for everyone in the family.

Older Children

For families with older children, Peru has adventurous activities on tap, especially in the Cusco area. Teenagers can tackle the Inca Trail, go white water rafting, mountain biking or horse riding. Up at Lake Titicaca, you can opt for a boat trip, or go paddling and explore by kayak. In the jungle, there is wildlife watching, kayaking, mountain biking and trekking on offer. 

For less active and more culturally minded teenagers, the ruins and history of the Sacred Valley can’t fail to be of interest. There is a great museum in Cusco which puts more context to the history and there are some lovely walking tours of Cusco.  Cusco has a young, laid back vibe, so teens will definitely enjoy the atmosphere which is fun and unstuffy. Chocolate lovers might want to consider booking on to a chocolate making workshop at the local chocolate museum.

Younger children

At first glance, a holiday with lots of cultural highlights might not be top of a wish list for those with the under 12’s. However, there is no reason at all why your children wouldn’t love the Incan Ruins at Machu Picchu, or the terraces in the Sacred Valley. For better or worse, visitors are free to roam to their hearts content throughout the archaeological sites, which means that children don’t have to stand behind ropes, but can explore the terraces and ruins by walking in them.  Our guides do their best to make the history relevant to all of their guests, but it might also be worth getting hold of a Horrible Histories ;Incredible Incas’ book to help make it fun.

The jungle is an absolute highlight for our younger guests. Not only do they get to visit a rainforest and see monkeys, parrots and a whole host of other wildlife, but they get a family friendly guide who organises activities for the whole family. The programme is loosely tied around a rainforest treasure hunt, which aims to teach about conservation and ecology as well as the flora and fauna of the jungle.  At night, you sleep in rooms with one wall open to the jungle, it doesn’t get much more exciting than that!

 If your children want to be able to let off some physical steam, we can arrange a gentle river trip, horse riding or some walking in the Cusco & Sacred Valley area.

Best time of Year for Families to Visit Peru

You can visit Peru most of the year round, although the time to avoid is January – March which is the height of the rainy season in the Andes and whilst Machu Picchu will be quiet, it will also be wet and cloudy. For uninterrupted views and sunny days, you would be best off visiting the summer school holidays. This is also the dry season in the rainforest, which makes mosquitoes less of a problem.  Be aware that June – September is the high season on the Inca Trail, so book well ahead to secure a permit.

 October half term Christmas & Easter are also possibilities. This will be the rainy season in the Rainforest, which can make the experience all the more evocative, but you will also experience high humidity, wet paths and mosquitoes. October & April in the mountains will be pleasant and less busy than the summer.

Tourdust Peru Holidays

We have developed two itineraries for families wanting to visit Peru. One is for older families wanting to trek the Inca trail and immerse themselves in Incan history and culture, as well as challenging themselves to a days white water rafting on the Urubamba River. Our other holiday is the Incas & Amazon holiday for those not wanting to attempt the trek. Families will still have a chance to visit Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, but will travel by train. They will then transfer to the rainforest for a fantastic jungle experience.

All of our Peru holidays are bespoke, so if you would like to tailor-make your itinerary, please don't hesitate to get in touch.