Itinerary
- Day 1
Lima
You'll touch down in Lima and meet up with your CEO and group for an initial welcome. If you've booked the Lima Cooking Class, someone will pick you up around 10:00 (or 10:30 between August and December) and take you to a local market and restaurant where you'll prepare and eat a traditional Peruvian meal, finishing around 13:00. If not, just settle into your hotel and get ready for what's ahead.
Included Activities
- Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Optional Activities
- Lima Cooking Class (4 hours)
- Day 2
Lima to Paracas
The morning is open for walking around Lima's pedestrian areas and finding a cafe to try ceviche or papa a la huancaina. After that, you'll board a bus and minibus heading down the coast toward Paracas. Once you arrive, try a Pisco sour while you get acclimated to your surroundings.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 3
Paracas to Nazca
Early hours allow for an optional boat trip to the Ballestas Islands to see sea lions, pelicans, penguins, and birds. Then you'll catch a bus heading south to Nazca. Along the way, you'll pass through Ica, a colonial town, and stop at a winery and the Oasis of Huacachina. The area is known for its massive sand dunes good for photography and sandboarding, plus local wines.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Huacachina Winery Visit
- Huacachina Oasis visit
Optional Activities
- Ballestas Islands Wildlife Tour
Landmarks/POIs Huacachina Oasis - Day 4
Nazca
A guided tour takes you through the Nazca desert cemetery and pottery studio to see remains of the ancient Nazca culture, including 2000-year-old mummies, bones, and pottery scattered across the desert. You'll also visit an artisan workshop where craftspeople make Nazca-style pottery. If you've booked a flight, you'll see the famous Nazca Lines from a light aircraft. That evening, board an overnight bus heading to Arequipa.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Nazca Desert Cemetery and Potter's Studio Guided Tour
Optional Activities
- Flight over Nazca Lines
Landmarks/POIs Nazca Lines Chauchilla Cemetery - Day 5
Arequipa
Your day in Arequipa, called the 'white city,' is free for exploring. History buffs can visit the Santa Catalina Monastery to get a sense of life from centuries past. Food lovers should check out a Picantería restaurant serving regional dishes like alpaca, shrimp, pork, and hearty soups with spicy sauces.
Optional Activities
- Arequipa City Tour & Santa Catalina Monastery
Landmarks/POIs Santa Catalina Monastery - Day 6
Arequipa to Chivay
You'll travel a rough, unpaved road through the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve where vicunas, alpacas, and llamas roam. Stop at the Mirador de Patapampa lookout, the highest point at 4,910 meters, with volcano views. Later you'll reach Chivay, a village near Colca Canyon, where you can rest or take optional thermal baths.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Hot Springs
Landmarks/POIs Mirador de Patapampa - Day 7
Chivay to Puno
Rise early for a guided tour of Colca Canyon to spot condors flying overhead. The bus then climbs over mountains and descends into Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. This is the world's largest lake above 2000 meters. You'll have some time to walk the markets and check out the city before evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Colca Canyon Guided Tour
Landmarks/POIs Colca Canyon Lake Titicaca - Day 8
Puno to Lake Titicaca
A boat takes you across Lake Titicaca to the Taquile Islands where you'll visit the community and have the option to eat lunch at a local restaurant with lake views. Then you'll cruise to another village for an overnight stay with a local family, giving you a chance to learn about highland life and participate in local traditions.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Lake Titicaca Guided Boat Tour Day 1
- Lake Titicaca Homestay
Landmarks/POIs Taquile Islands - Day 9
Lake Titicaca
Late morning you'll leave your homestay families and visit the Uros Islands on the way back to Puno. These are the famous floating islands made of totora reeds. The chullpas (funerary towers) at Sillustani, a pre-Inca site nearby, are also available as an optional stop. Lake Titicaca kayaking can be pre-booked if you want time on the water.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Lake Titicaca Guided Boat Tour Day 2
- Uros Floating Islands Visit
Optional Activities
- Lake Titicaca Kayak Excursion
- Sillustani burial site visit
Landmarks/POIs Uros Floating Islands Sillustani - Day 10
Puno to Cusco
You'll spend most of the day traveling by bus to Cusco through the high Altiplano region with sharp, beautiful scenery surrounding you. Once you arrive, explore a bit of the city, grab dinner somewhere, or prepare for heading into the Sacred Valley the next day.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 11
Cusco
This day in Cusco is yours to choose how to spend. If you're into hiking, tackle Rainbow Mountain. If food interests you, book a cooking class. Or simply wander the city on foot and relax in a cafe.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Cusco Cooking Class
- Rainbow Mountain Hike - Full-day Trip
Landmarks/POIs Rainbow Mountain - Day 12
Cusco
After breakfast at your hotel, you'll walk to Cusco Cathedral where your guide meets the group for a walking tour of the colonial side. You'll see colonial and Inca architecture throughout the city and visit the Sapantiana staircase waterfall aqueduct. Break for lunch near the main plaza, then walk back with the evening free.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Cusco Colonial Side Walking Tour
Landmarks/POIs Cusco Cathedral - Day 13
Sacred Valley
A full-day guided tour takes you through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You'll visit a women's weaving co-op to meet artisans and learn about traditional weaving and dyeing. Then check out a pottery-making community before lunch at the Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco, where money goes back to the community. After eating, hike to Ollantaytambo storehouses or explore the cobblestone streets and visit a Chicheria.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Buffet-style lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant with proceeds going directly back to the remote community)
Included Activities
- Ccaccaccollo Community and Women's Weaving Co-op visit
- Cuyo Chico Pottery Making Demonstration
- Parwa Community Restaurant the Sacred Valley
Landmarks/POIs Ollantaytambo - Day 14
Sacred Valley
Your G representative will guide you through the Sacred Valley. See the Maras Salt Mines and the ancient Incan agricultural terraces at Moray. Continue through small villages with Andean countryside views. Then visit the Chincheros ruins, which the Incas called the birthplace of the rainbow, offering expansive views. Return to Ollantaytambo for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Maras Salt Mines and Moray Visit
- Scenic Andean Drive and lunch near Maras
- Chincheros Ruins Visit
Landmarks/POIs Maras Salt Mines Moray Chincheros - Day 15
Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
After breakfast, climb the 200 stone steps to reach the top of the Ollantaytambo ruins. Then catch the scenic train to Aguas Calientes and take a walk around town. The rest of the day is free for the Machu Picchu Museum, Mandor Waterfalls, butterfly garden, or thermal baths to loosen up.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Ollantaytambo Ruins Visit
- Aguas Calientes Orientation Walk
Optional Activities
- Machu Picchu Museum Visit
- Mandor Waterfalls Optional Visit
- Machu Picchu Butterfly Garden
- Machu Picchu Thermal Baths
- 1-Day Inca Trail Hike
Landmarks/POIs Ollantaytambo - Day 16
Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu to Cusco
Start early to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu with your guide and take the guided tour of the ruins. Head back down by bus to Aguas Calientes to meet the group. Then ride the scenic train back to Ollantaytambo and van back to Cusco.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Machu Picchu Guided Tour
Landmarks/POIs Machu Picchu - Day 17
Cusco
This day in Cusco is open for exploring or just relaxing. Mountain biking is an option if you're up for it, or book a massage to recover from your time at Machu Picchu.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Mountain biking
- Massage
- Day 18
Cusco to Puerto Maldonado to Amazon Jungle
You'll fly to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon lowlands. After storing large luggage in town, drive to the pier and take a covered motorized boat to the G Lodge Amazon, an intimate jungle lodge. Look for birds typical of the river or forest edge during the ride. The Tambopata Rainforest has the world record for bird sightings. Local naturalist guides who speak multiple languages work at the lodge and will teach you about local flora, fauna, and medicinal plants. In the evening, go for a night walk to spot wildlife.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Wildlife-spotting Night Walk
Landmarks/POIs Tambopata Rainforest - Day 19
Amazon Jungle
Head out early when the jungle is most active and cool. Walk slowly through the forest with naturalist guides searching for wildlife, then take a canoe out on an oxbow lake. You might see anaconda, giant river otter, or black caiman, though these creatures are shy. Either way, plenty of birds, plants, and other animals are around. Relax in a hammock, swim in the local hole, or visit a nearby plantation. After dinner, go on a caiman-spotting cruise.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Jungle Excursions
- Caiman-Spotting Cruise
Landmarks/POIs Tambopata Rainforest - Day 20
Amazon Jungle to Lima
Eat a final Amazonian breakfast before heading back toward the airport by motorized boat and van. Fly to Lima and choose to have a final dinner out or Pisco sours to wrap up your adventure.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Final dinner in Lima
- Pisco sours
- Day 21
Lima
You'll depart Lima at any time. Your Peru tour comes to an end.
- Meals
- Breakfast
