In May I spent a week in Peru. Machu Picchu is why most travelers journey to Peru, and as awe-inspiring as Machu Picchu is, there are many other fascinating parts of the country worth visiting as well.

Machu Picchu can be visited in numerous ways. The most strenuous is hiking the full Inca Trail, which requires 4 days of hiking/3 nights of camping. We did just one day of hiking, which required a train ride and then a 6-7 hour hike. The hike was somewhat difficult, but doable. The easiest way to get to Machu Picchu is to take a train and bus and arrive at the site directly. There is one hotel within the Machu Picchu gates and it is lovely to stay there for a night to experience the site in the evening and early morning without the throngs of daily visitors. A luxurious way to depart Machu Picchu is to take the Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Cusco. The train is beautifully appointed and has fine dining, a bar car and live music.

The other highlights of our Peru trip included:

• Lima - Peru’s capital has a lovely seaside location, a booming gastronomy scene and a historic downtown center that is a UNESCO world-heritage site.

• Cusco - This city was the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and is full of art and colonial architecture. The outskirts of Cuzco contain the stunning Incan archeological site of Sacsayhuaman.

• The Sacred Valley - This land of the Incas contains numerous interesting sights. Two of my favorites were the Moray agricultural terraces and the Maras salt flats, both Incan projects that are hundreds of years old.

In addition to all the culture in Peru, there are many active adventures, including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking and sand boarding. The lovely hotels throughout the country are the icing on the cake!