**Your Tour Itinerary**

Hey there!
Last time we looked at La Casona del Cuy, a restaurant serving the traditional staple meat, guinea pig. This notion of tradition prompted me to think of what really defines Peru, and so I did some digging...

It seems as though the essence of Peru is being misrepresented by travel agencies and tour groups as a marketing ploy to encourage travelers to "discover" Peru.

Machu Picchu

You need only type "Essence of Peru" into your search engine to see the available tour packages, each advertised as unique, although on closer inspection are quite similar. Each tour available is guided, so will you really "discover" Peru on one of these tours? With Machu Picchu, Lima City, and Sacred Valley all major stops, we must ask the question, will our view of these iconic locations be the view of the tour group, or will we have the opportunity to draw our own conclusions?

Lima City

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that tours should be avoided. They are a great, cost efficient way of seeing the world, meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. What I am saying, however, is that your experience in Peru may differ from tour to tour, as each group will have a different definition of what the real "essence" of Peru is.

Sacred Valley of the Incans

It is interesting to see that the pictures of these iconic landmarks do not show tourists, giving the impression that the areas are untouched and pristine. Trawling the internet for I managed to find a timelapse showing the movement of tourists around one of the latest Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu.


Fun Fact:
Machu Picchu has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, and is Peru's most visited attraction, welcoming hundreds of thousands of travelers each year.

The issue regarding alternate definitions of the Peruvian essence is not that your experience will be different, in fact I believe that this is a good thing as I feel travel should be unique for each person. The problem lies in the way each tour group represents Peru. So I ask this of you, make sure to look before you leap, or in this case research the area you are visiting to reduce any shock or disappointment that may arise.