9. Backpacking Peru
Blessed with more than 70 summits over 18,000 feet, northern Peru is a popular venue for backpackers who want a challenge. Few know these trails better than Brian Morgan, president of Adventure Life, who specializes in adrenalin-pumping trips to Latin America. On his ten-day Cordillera Blanca Trek, you'll spend the first several days getting acclimated to the altitudes in the high-Andes mountain village of Huarez. Visit pre-Inca ruins, raft down the Rio Santa, or bike to the local market. Then it's on to the Cordillera Blanca. For five days, you'll hike on moderate to strenuous terrain past the towering peaks, flower-filled meadows, turquoise lakes, glaciers, and villages that have changed little since the time of the Incas. Cost is $1,495, including all guides, gear, lodging, and food.

Away.com's Peru Travel Guide