Itinerary
- Day 1
Lima
You'll arrive in Lima on Peru's Pacific coast and head to your hotel. Your tour leader meets you at 7:30pm for a welcome briefing, so if you get there earlier, you can check out the coastal paths toward Miraflores and Barranco or pop into the Larco Museum. There's an optional group dinner if you want to join in.
Optional Activities
- Independent coastal walk to Miraflores and Barranco
- Visit to Larco Museum for introduction to Peru's ancient history
- Dinner with tour leader and group
Landmarks/POIs Miraflores Barranco Larco Museum - Day 2
Lima to Arequipa
This morning you'll head to the airport for a flight to Arequipa, touching down around 10am and reaching your hotel by 11:30am. After checking in and grabbing lunch, the rest of the day is yours to explore and adjust to the altitude of 2,380 metres/7,810 feet. The city sits surrounded by snow-capped mountains, with the distinctive El Misti volcano dominating the landscape.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Lunch after hotel check-in
Landmarks/POIs El Misti - Day 3
Arequipa
Start your morning at the Santa Catalina Convent, a walled compound that once held 450 nuns and servants. You'll spend a couple of hours walking through narrow alleyways, seeing colourful arches, courtyards, churches, and 18th-century laundry areas. The afternoon is free to wander ornate churches and plazas around the city, or you can visit the MUSA museum if it appeals to you. When the sun sets, head to a rooftop bar to have pisco sours while watching the volcano glow.
Included Activities
- Visit to Santa Catalina Convent (approximately 2 hours)
Optional Activities
- Visit to MUSA - the Andean Sanctuaries Museum
- Explore colonial architecture and plazas
- Sunset pisco sour at a rooftop bar
Landmarks/POIs Santa Catalina Convent MUSA - Andean Sanctuaries Museum Arequipa Cathedral - Day 4
Arequipa to Chivay
You'll drive north for four hours across the Altiplano, passing behind the volcanoes that ring Arequipa on your way to Chivay. Keep an eye out for herds of llamas and alpacas, and if you're lucky, the harder-to-spot vicuña. Before you descend toward Colca Canyon, you'll stop at the trip's highest point at 4,910 metres/16,108 feet for photos.
Landmarks/POIs Colca Canyon - Day 5
Colca Canyon to Puno
An early start gets you to Colca Canyon, which drops twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. From the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, you'll explore Andean villages and Inca terraces while looking for condors soaring overhead. Later in the day, you'll drive east over Patapampa Pass (4,910 metres/16,108 feet) toward Lake Titicaca, arriving in Puno by evening. The journey takes roughly six hours including a lunch break.
Included Activities
- Visit to Colca Canyon and Cruz del Condor viewpoint
Landmarks/POIs Colca Canyon Cruz del Condor Lake Titicaca - Day 6
Puno to Taquile Island
You're taking a boat out on Lake Titicaca to see the floating reed islands where the Uros people live. Their islands are built entirely from totura reeds, which they also use for boats and homes. After that, you'll head to Taquile Island, a quieter spot where residents speak Quechua, the old Inca language. A 20-minute walk from the dock brings you to your guesthouse, and there's an optional longer evening walk if you feel like it.
Included Activities
- Boat trip to Uros floating islands
- Visit to Taquile Island
Optional Activities
- Evening walk on Taquile Island
Landmarks/POIs Lake Titicaca Uros Islands Taquile Island - Day 7
Taquile Island
You've got the morning free on Taquile Island to do your own thing. Walk up to see the Inca ruins, visit the market to check out locally-made embroidery, or just relax. In the afternoon, you'll board a three-hour boat back to Puno, where you'll have the rest of the day to stroll through local markets hunting for llama and alpaca wool pieces.
Included Activities
- Boat return journey to Puno (approximately 3 hours)
Optional Activities
- Walk to Inca ruins on Taquile Island
- Visit island market for locally-made embroidery
- Explore markets in Puno
Landmarks/POIs Taquile Island - Day 8
Puno to Sacred Valley
You'll follow Manco Capac's legendary route, the first Inca ruler heading toward Cusco. The journey takes you north across the Altiplano, over La Raya pass at 4,335 metres/14,239 feet, then down past the Inca temple at Raqchi to Andahuaylilles. From there, you'll switch to a private vehicle, skip Cusco itself, and drive through the Sacred Valley past small towns with the Andes rising on both sides. Watch for llamas and alpacas grazing on windswept pastures. The whole trip runs about 11 hours with stops included.
Landmarks/POIs La Raya Pass Raqchi Temple Andahuaylilles Sacred Valley - Day 9
Sacred Valley
You've got a free day with several options. If you like water activities, try kayaking or paddleboarding on Piuray Lagoon with instruction and safety gear provided. Otherwise, explore Maras and Moray to see impressive Inca terraces and unique salt mines, then do a 45-minute descent to Pichingoto. There's also a craft beer brewery for tastings and learning about local brewing. This evening, head to Misminay to share an Andean meal with local porters and do some stargazing while learning about ancient Inca cosmology.
- Meals
- Dinner (Andean meal with Misminay community prepared from local supplies)
Included Activities
- Andean meal and stargazing experience with Misminay community
Optional Activities
- Kayaking on Piuray Lagoon
- Stand-up paddleboarding on Piuray Lagoon
- Maras and Moray tour
- Craft beer brewery visit and tasting
Landmarks/POIs Piuray Lagoon Moray Maras Pichingoto Misminay - Day 10
Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu
You'll catch an early train along the Rio Urubamba toward Aguas Calientes, with high cliffs and peaks flanking the tracks the whole way. After dropping your bags at the hotel, take a bus up to Machu Picchu, the ancient citadel that stayed hidden until 1911 when American archaeologist Hiram Bingham found it. Explore the site, then head back down to Aguas Calientes. If you feel like it, you can soak in nearby natural hot baths this evening.
Included Activities
- Train journey to Aguas Calientes
- Bus transfer to Machu Picchu site
- Guided exploration of Machu Picchu
Optional Activities
- Natural hot baths in Aguas Calientes
Landmarks/POIs Rio Urubamba Machu Picchu - Day 11
Aguas Calientes
Your morning is free. You can relax in Aguas Calientes or go back to Machu Picchu for more exploring. If you want to pay extra, you can revisit the site at your own pace, hike to Machu Picchu Mountain (700 metres/2,296 feet, about 2.5 to 3 hours with cobbled stairs), or tackle Huayna Picchu Mountain (350 metres/1,148 feet, steeper, about an hour with exposed sections that aren't great if heights bother you). Otherwise, just enjoy the laid-back town with its good market, solid cafes, and local shops. Later, take the afternoon train to Ollantaytambo, then bus to Cusco.
Included Activities
- Train journey from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
- Bus transfer to Cusco
Optional Activities
- Second entry to Machu Picchu (unguided)
- Machu Picchu Mountain hike
- Huayna Picchu Mountain hike
- Explore Aguas Calientes market and cafes
Landmarks/POIs Machu Picchu Machu Picchu Mountain Huayna Picchu Mountain Aguas Calientes - Day 12
Cusco
You'll do a walking tour through Cusco starting at Sacsayhuaman fortress. From there, you'll head down an old Incan trail to San Cristobal, a colonial neighbourhood with sweeping city views. Then you'll navigate narrow old city streets to find the hidden Sapantiana aqueduct and explore the artsy San Blas area with its coffee shops and artisan workshops. You'll reach Plaza de Armas for Peruvian coffee, check out the sacred Qoricancha complex, and finish at Mercado de Wanchaq market. The walk covers about 4 kilometres/2.5 miles and takes 4 to 5 hours.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Three Monkeys Coffee with finest Peruvian beans at Plaza de Armas)
Included Activities
- Walking tour of Cusco including Sacsayhuaman, San Cristobal, San Blas, Plaza de Armas, Qoricancha complex, and Mercado de Wanchaq
Landmarks/POIs Sacsayhuaman San Cristobal San Blas Sapantiana Aqueduct Plaza de Armas Qoricancha Mercado de Wanchaq - Day 13
Cusco
You'll witness the Inti Raymi festival in Cusco, one of the most important ceremonies of the Inca Empire. It happens annually during the Southern Hemisphere winter solstice at Sacsayhuaman Fortress. You'll see ritual acknowledgement and appreciation to the Sun God with participants from different Peruvian regions dressed in colourful costumes, with music and shared food throughout.
Included Activities
- Inti Raymi festival at Sacsayhuaman
Landmarks/POIs Sacsayhuaman - Day 14
Cusco
Your tour ends after breakfast at the hotel in Cusco. You can depart whenever works for you. If your flight is later in the day, the hotel has luggage storage available. There's an optional visit to museum shops for souvenirs along the winding city streets before you head to the airport for your onward travel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Visit museum shops for souvenirs
Landmarks/POIs Cusco
