My husband and I bring our kids with us on all of our trips. They have been to almost every country in Central and South America. The other day I asked my son (age 11) which trip was his favorite, and he told me it was the Aqua Expeditions Amazon cruise that we took in Peru.

The cruise was amazing. Our rooms had wonderful panoramic views of the Amazon River, and the common areas were very relaxed and beautiful. Several other families were on board so the excitement level was high.

The area of the Amazon the Aqua visits is in the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, a flooded forest covering five million acres at the headwaters of the Amazon basin. The kids were thrilled to see animals such as tarantulas, caiman (note the photo of the baby caiman), howler monkeys, and the elusive pink river dolphin. Some of the other passengers even spotted an anaconda!

We requested a visit to a local school and brought the students care packages with pencils, paper, crayons, and erasers. This was a meaningful experience for our family to see how other cultures’ schools are set up, with kids of all ages sitting on one dirt floor classroom in the jungle.

The teacher travels in from the city to teach the kids of the village and it was nice to see her commitment to their education. The children were very happy with their gifts and to meet our kids.

The Aqua Expedition Cruise travels with a doctor onboard, and so when my son ate a whole plate full of shrimp and got a rash, it was wonderful to see the doctor. After just a little Benadryl he felt as good as new.

Also in the Peruvian Amazon are many wonderful eco lodges that offer wonderful, and often more affordable, programs for families.

Another highlight was our visit to the Colca Canyon. We stayed at the lovely Las Casitas del Colca, where the kids could feed baby llamas, take art and cooking lessons, and go horseback riding on beautiful Peruvian Paso Horses.

For me personally, the highlight was the small authentic towns and markets. The gardens were beautiful, and we took time to relax here.

In Cuzco and the Sacred Valley we took private tours that taught the kids a lot about the Incas, and  they got to play on the Inca Slides, rock slides that are part of Inca ruins.  The Slides were a fun surprise as they had not been featured on standard tour descriptions.

While in the Sacred Valley we went horseback riding and visited a local community not on any tourist map. We found out a lot about local traditions and potato farming firsthand.

Our hotel in Cuzco, Inkaterra La Casona is one of the best hotels in all of Peru. The property is located on a small square facing the Monesterio, and the service was first-rate. (After that particular trip, I found another Luxury hotel in Cuzco that has some great family rooms, called Casa Cartagena.)

In general, the hotels in the Sacred Valley tend to be spacious and there is a large number of activities offered leaving kids fully occupied.  Activites include:  horseback riding, biking, hiking, volunteering in a school, planting trees, or even playing a local game of pick up soccer.

Machu Picchu is, of course, why most travelers chose this tour, and with good reason.

We stayed at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu hotel. It has lovely rooms surrounded by orchid gardens, and on site is both a pool and a spa. The hotel offers nature walks around the property that I highly recommend.

We made sure to stay at Inkaterra Machu Picchu for several days, so we had time enough to take all of the hikes around Machu Picchu that boast wonderful views of the Citadel from up above.

If you’re looking for an excuse to stay in Peru longer, a trip to the desert also works well for families. My kids loved riding across the sandy terrain in the buggy and sand boarding on the mountainous sand dunes. Other things to do in the desert areas include the Nazca mummies, flying over the Nazca lines, and cruising to the Ballista Islands to see sea lions, penguins, and over sixty species of sea birds.

For families traveling to Peru we make sure to use our expertise and knowledge of our past travels  and hotel inspections to match the client with the perfect activities, guides, and lodging dependent on the ages of the kids, budget constraints, and trip length.

Click here to find out more about our Peru Family Tours!

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