Rating: 
Summary: A big disappointment.
Review: I'd used Lonely Planet several times in both east and west Africa, and was impressed by the breadth of their coverage. So when planning a trip to South America, I bought their guide to Peru, as well as their books to Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile. The plan was to start in Quito and spend six months en route to Tierra del Fuego. Well, I'm in Cuzco now, and just steps from Machu Picchu, I've dumped all four at a book exchange. The Ecuador book (last written about eight coups and one currency ago) was a joke. Some of the museums I tried to visit had disappeared or moved, years ago. Many of the railways I tried to ride had been crushed in mudslides. The restaurants they recommended? Some never existed at all, according to townspeople. But it wasn't until Peru that I really lost all patience. The transportation information is a joke, and some of the information about jungle trekking near Iquitos is downright dangerous. The most infuriating thing about this is that this was a brand-new edition--it came out right before I left. Yet I really don't think they updated a single thing in the book--I've compared it with other travelers' old editions, and the two are identical; basically, Lonely Planet slapped another cover on the same old coverage and re-released it. I wouldn't recommend Lonely Planet's South American books to anyone. __________________________
Rating: 
Summary: For your journey to Peru, buy this book
Review: If you are going to buy one travel guide for your journey to Peru, buy this book. Rachowiecki has done a superb job on collecting, organizing and communicating both the essentials and the unique about this wonderful culture. Rachowiecki is and avid bird watcher and an inveterate traveler who has covered this country (the size of Alaska) top to bottom. His biography on Peru is excellent, and his sections on archaeology & history are succinct yet through. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: If you are going to buy one travel guide, but this Guide
Review: If you are going to buy one travel guide for your journey to Peru, buy this book. Rachowiecki has done a superb job on collecting, organizing, and communicating both the essential and the unique about this wonderful culture. The "Facts for the Visitors" is the best on the market, giving you all the information you need prior to leaving for Peru. The country is divided into nine regions and Lima, and the maps are much improved over the 1997 version. I used this guide for towns and places that no other guide lists and found the information to be on the money. Rachowiecki is an avid bird watcher and inveterate traveler who has covered this country, the size of Alaska, top to bottom. His biography on Peru is excellent, and his sections on archaeology and history are succinct yet thorough. "Lonely Planet" is known for its no-nonsense advice, off-the-beaten-path guides and pertinent information on a country's culture and social, geographical, and environmental bent. This book is a solid Lonely Planet guide and can't be beat. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Near Perfect
Review: In almost every conceivable way, this book provides accurate information. Of course, not every locale explored will be in a guidebook, as is the case with this one. There are a number of hostels, restaurants and sites that the book either glosses over or doesn't mention at all but structuring a trip on the recommendations in this tome will most definitely make your Peru trip thrilling and worthwhile. Rachowiecki is one of a small number of Lonely Planet authors capable of speaking with little hyperbole. A great book and a tremendous travel guide.
Rating: 
Summary: distances in kilometers
Review: Its very important for a lot of travelers like me who are traveling by motorcycle or by car or even in a bycicle that the distances are measured by kilometers and not in bus hours. One of the few distances that appear is the one from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, and maybe the conversion from miles to kilometers failed. from Cusco to Quincemil there are 272 kilometers not 250 as the book says. IS STILL THE BEST GUIDE TO EVERYWHERE IV'E TRAVELED THIS FAR
Rating:
Summary: great, but with deficiencies...
Review: like all travel guides, you can find something that is not there in 'lonely planet peru'... i traveled peru for three months last year and had the advantage of using three different guidebooks along the way... they all have their pros and cons, so a review of any of them must necessarily discuss these: the pros: the maps and city plans are substantially better than in the competitors' guidebooks (where footprint is severely lacking, for example)... lonely planet is one of the few cheap-o style travel guidebooks that gives you information on at least a few hotels that are not youth hostels, dives or other forms of bottom-barrel accommodation; in other words, they at least give you a few mid-range and expensive options if you wish to go that way... all the essentials are there, with great suggestions on places to sleep, eat and visit the cons: as with ALL of the backpacker/youth travel guidebooks (LP, footprint, rough guide, let's go), the information on sights/monuments/museums, etc., is SEVERELY lacking... there is just the most basic of information on the history of the sights that you have gone so far to see... which makes it necessary to buy another book, pay an expensive guide or some such thing... (for instance, you will rarely read detailed descriptions of the artwork to be found in a church and are often left wandering about saying 'this is so beautiful, i wonder what it is...i wish the guidebook would tell me more!') i know this would make the guidebooks huge, but even 50% more information would be wonderful so as to have a little bit more of a grip on what you are looking at after taking a 12-hour bus ride through the andes to get there! which is why, despite its quality, i always felt the need to take another guidebook along, just in case...using my usual technique of tearing out just the pages i would need from each book
Rating:
Summary: great, but with deficiencies...
Review: like all travel guides, you can find something that is not there in 'lonely planet peru'... i traveled peru for three months last year and had the advantage of using three different guidebooks along the way... they all have their pros and cons, so a review of any of them must necessarily discuss these: the pros: the maps and city plans are substantially better than in the competitors' guidebooks (where footprint is severely lacking, for example)... lonely planet is one of the few cheap-o style travel guidebooks that gives you information on at least a few hotels that are not youth hostels, dives or other forms of bottom-barrel accommodation; in other words, they at least give you a few mid-range and expensive options if you wish to go that way... all the essentials are there, with great suggestions on places to sleep, eat and visit the cons: as with ALL of the backpacker/youth travel guidebooks (LP, footprint, rough guide, let's go), the information on sights/monuments/museums, etc., is SEVERELY lacking... there is just the most basic of information on the history of the sights that you have gone so far to see... which makes it necessary to buy another book, pay an expensive guide or some such thing... (for instance, you will rarely read detailed descriptions of the artwork to be found in a church and are often left wandering about saying 'this is so beautiful, i wonder what it is...i wish the guidebook would tell me more!') i know this would make the guidebooks huge, but even 50% more information would be wonderful so as to have a little bit more of a grip on what you are looking at after taking a 12-hour bus ride through the andes to get there! which is why, despite its quality, i always felt the need to take another guidebook along, just in case...using my usual technique of tearing out just the pages i would need from each book
Rating: 
Summary: Better than the last edition, but still needs work.
Review: Lonely Planet Peru by Rob Rachowiecki is a good guide for Peru, but however, like others have said, this edition does not have much difference from the last edition. Many of the parts of Lima, Cuzco, etc., have not been changed at all, or if it has, it has been minimal. The chapter on Lima really needs to be updated, especially the introduction. Another problem is that the author has discluded many interesting places in Peru, such as the towns around Ayacucho. It says the names of towns, but the book never tells the reader about the place. Again, another problem with this book is its lackluster detail on Peruvian food. Peruvian food is in the top three of the western hemisphere for quality and the quantity of dishes, yet the author only mentions a scat few. Overall, this book is good for those who want a small and light book to take with you to Peru, but get another book that's even more updated like the Rough Guide to Peru. Technically, I would rate this edition 3 and a half stars.
Rating:
Summary: Useful, but insufficient
Review: Lonely Planet Peru exhibits the standard advantages and deficiencies of a guide that attempts to cover the entirity of what is a large and diverse country. I used the guide predominantly in my travels in Cuzco and the surrounding area so the information may not be applicable for other parts.
On the plus side, the information is generally accurate and reasonably comprehensive. Useful bars, restaurants, museums, hostels, bus stops and other useful locations are mentioned. Of course, there are plenty of other places that are missed out but that is to be expected in a guide that is this concise.
The street maps are good and reasonably well detailed, although it would be useful if some plans of smaller towns (such as Chinchero) that are popular with tourists could be included in a future edition.
Sections detailing the history and culture of the country are informative but brief.
The main negative I found with the book is, that like many country guidebooks, it focuses too heavily on the showpiece attractions (such as Machu Picchu) where plenty of information is available anyway and not enough on the smaller attractions (such as the smaller Inca ruins) where it is often difficult to ascertain where they are and what their significance is.
Overall, Lonely Planet Peru is a useful basic guidebook to the country, but a traveller wishing to find out things in more detail will need to scour other sources of information as well.
Rating:
Summary: Just got back from Peru, and my LP guide was heavily used
Review: My finger oil and dirt are all over the pages of my LP Peru book... I used it a lot, and it was accurate, informative, and reliable (or at least as much so as possible when accounting for the constant changes in the dynamic 3rd world). I stayed mostly in 2-star hostels or hotels, and all described in LP were accurate. I even managed to avoid getting sick from food while eating at many of LP's recommended eateries. (I would strongly recommend, however, to heed the warnings about altitude sickness.:) ) When they said a hotel or hostel was a good value, it was certainly accurate. I found LP Peru to be the best of the 3 LP's I used on the trip (Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil). Most maps are good, but sometimes street names are mentioned in the text and one has to search the maps street by street to find it (a minor complaint). Overall... its certainly a recommended book for Peru-bound travelers.
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