Discover the wonders of Peru during 12 incredible days crossing this fascinating Andean country, visiting the main cities and cultural attractions. Beginning and finishing in the capital, Lima, then the culinary capital of Arequipa, the indigenous world of Lake Titicaca, and the Inca and Colonial richness of Cusco and Machu Picchu, the 'Lost City of the Incas'.

Your itinerary :

Day 1: Arrival in Lima

Day 2: Lima

Day 3 : Lima/Arequipa

Day 4: Arequipa/Puno

Day 5: Puno/Lake Titicaca, Taquile Islands

Day 6: Lake Titicaca, Taquile and Uros Islands / Puno

Day 7: Puno / Cuzco

Day 8: Cuzco / Sacred Valley

Day 9: Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu - Ollantaytambo Station - Cuzco

Day 10: Cuzco

Day 11: Cuzco

Day 12: Cuzco - Departure

Please note that the order of the activities may be changed without affecting the flow of the programme.

Upon your arrival in Lima, a transportation service transfers you from the airport to your hotel. The Peruvian capital is a metropolis filled with history and has approximately 10 million inhabitants. Nowadays, the city goes through an exciting process of cultural and economic change. 

Overnight at the selected hotel in Lima.

DAY 2 | LIMA

Breakfast at the hotel.

LIMA CITY TOUR (4 hours private tour with an English speaking guide). Visit Lima's Downtown, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO where you will see the Cathedral of Lima, located in the Main Square, the most important church in Peru built between 1542 and 1622, and one of the several beautiful colonial buildings, which constitutes an important part of the identity of the city. Then walk towards the Aliaga House -viceregal house delivered by Francisco Pizarro to one of his captains (Jeronimo de Aliaga) when the city was established- a jewel of colonial architecture currently inhabited by family members. Continue your tour by visiting the Church of Santo Domingo, built in the late sixteenth century, which has several viceroy altars and sculptures showing different periods and aesthetic manifestations. Then you will be transferred to the districts of San Isidro and Miraflores for a panoramic view, and make a brief stop at the Love Park before moving on to your hotel.

Overnight at the selected hotel in Lima.

Breakfast at the hotel. You are transferred to the airport.

Please note: the flight to Arequipa is not included.

AREQUIPA CITY TOUR (4 hours private tour with English-speaking guide). Your journey will start at the Plaza de Armas, one of the most beautiful in Peru, next to the magnificent Arequipa´s Cathedral built during the XVII century and rebuilt many times after several earthquakes. From there you will be transferred to the Santa Catalina Monastery, an authentic cloister built in 1579 who´s little religious citadel is still in use today. After that, visit the ´Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús´ (1590), considered a classical example of the baroque local architecture that holds inside an exceptional collection of paintings and murals. To end the day, visit the districts of Yanahuara and Carmen Alto, to have a panoramic view of Arequipa´s countryside.

Overnight at the selected hotel in Arequipa on bed and breakfast basis.

Included: Entry to Convento Santa Catalina and Iglesia de la Compañía in Arequipa

DAY 4 | AREQUIPA / PUNO (SILLUSTANI NECROPOLIS ON ROAD)

Transfer from Arequipa to Puno (7 hours private tour with English-speaking guide). In the morning, departure towards Puno: approximately 7 hours of transfer (including lunch break and visit on the way) on a road crossing the marvellous landscapes of the Andes and climbing towards the altiplano. Picnic lunch with a view of the Sillustani lagoon, followed by a visit to the Sillustani necropolis. In the late afternoon, arrive in Puno and check in at the hotel.

Overnight at selected hotel in Puno. Breakfast and box lunch included.

Included: visit to Sillustani

Breakfast at the hotel. Begin your Taquile-Uros adventure (on a private basis with English-speaking guide)

Motor-boat excursion to Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca, inhabited by Quechua-speaking natives. Lunch at a typical restaurant. In the evening, enjoy some traditional hospitality over dinner and stay at the home of local islanders for the night.

Overnight at homestay in Taquile with breakfast. Lunch and dinner included.

DAY 6 | LAKE TITICACA: TAQUILE ISLANDS & UROS - PUNO

After breakfast, start off the morning leisurely and stroll by the quaint streets of this colourful island. In the afternoon, go on a motorboat excursion over Lake Titicaca to visit the unique floating islands of the Uros. The Uros are an ancient culture that inhabits a series of artificial islands built using reeds growing in the lake itself. These are constructed by weaving reed in the areas where it grows thicker and thus forms a natural layer. Return to Puno in the afternoon.

Overnight at the selected hotel in Puno on a bed and breakfast basis.

TOURIST BUS from Puno to Cusco (10 hours shared services with English-speaking guide)

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the bus station. Travel through the jaw-dropping landscapes of the highland plateau, which are dotted by Andean hamlets and herds of grazing llamas and vicuñas. Stop en route at the archaeological site of Pukara, which dates from 200BC to 300AD, as well as in Raqchi to admire the ruins of an Inca temple built to worship Wiracocha, one of the most important Inca gods. There is one more stop before Cusco at Andahuaylillas, a picturesque town famed for the beautiful 16th century Church of St Peter the Apostle. It boasts a gilded baroque interior and frescoes so delicate that it is known as the ‘Sistine Chapel of America’. Arrival to your hotel in Cusco.

Overnight at selected hotel in Cusco. Breakfast and lunch included.

DAY 8 | CUSCO – SACRED VALLEY – CHINCHERO – OLLANTAYTAMBO (75km – 1.5 hours)

Breakfast at the hotel. CHINCHEROS-OLLANTAYTAMBO TOUR (6 hours private tour with English-speaking guide)

During the morning, you are picked up from your hotel to visit the town of Chinchero, a traditional Cusco urban centre located at an elevated point with a beautiful view of the valley. The inhabitants of this area preserve the artisan traditions and the inherited knowledge of the Incas and display them in their clothes and customs. In Chinchero there are also archaeological remains and a beautiful seventeenth-century church, one of the first Catholic buildings in Peru. Then, you are transferred to the Living Museum of Yucay, a centre of Andean handicraft traditions, where demonstrations of the elaboration of textile work, adobe, pottery and silverware are carried out in the same way in which they used to in ancient times; an original recreation of Incan traditions. In addition, you may be able to feed the ´residents´ at this museum. These include llamas, sheep and alpacas! Later, have lunch in Ollantaytambo and enjoy a superior Andean gastronomy experience in Chuncho restaurant, where the true spirit of the Sacred Valley radiates in a cosy atmosphere. Upon arriving in Ollantaytambo, visit its town, inhabited since Inca times, and climb the iconic fortress, built next to a mountain. At the end of this activity, you are transferred back to your hotel. On Sundays, also visit the local market.

Overnight at the selected hotel in Sacred Valley on bed and breakfast basis. Lunch included.

Included: Chinchero, Living Museum of Yucay and Ollantaytambo archaeological complex

Breakfast at the hotel. Luggage transfer to your hotel in Cusco. At the established time, you will be escorted from your hotel to the train station in Sacred Valley.

MACHU PICCHU TOUR (6 hours private tour with English-speaking guide). Your tour to Machu Picchu begins with a train ride to Aguas Calientes, arriving in approximately two hours. This town is also known as "Machu Picchu pueblo" - the town of Machu Picchu - and is the last stop before entering the most important archaeological site in Peru. In Aguas Calientes you can find a train station, a craft market, restaurants and hotels of different categories for those who prefer to spend the night at the foot of the mountain and climb it early.

After a short transfer by bus, reach Machu Picchu, a masterpiece of engineering and architecture that served as a sanctuary and retreat for the Inca ruler Pachacuti. Machu Picchu, which means "Old Mountain", is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. In the afternoon, head to the Aguas Calientes train station to take the train back to Ollantaytambo. A transportation service with a guide will pick you up from the Ollantaytambo train station at the established time, and will transfer you to your hotel in Cusco City. The guide will assist you with your check-in.

Overnight at the selected hotel in Cusco on bed and breakfast basis. Lunch included.

DAY 10 |CUSCO

CUSCO WALKING TOUR (4 hours private tour with English-speaking guide) Today you will participate on a walking tour starting at the Coricancha Temple, one of the most important buildings in the city. It was one of the most important centres of worship to the Sun God of the Incas that was converted into a convent after the arrival of the Spanish. Then visit the wonderful Cusco Cathedral, built between 1560 and 1664, and end the tour visiting the San Pedro market, a pantry of thousands of products from different areas of the region. Finally, you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Overnight at the selected hotel in Cusco on bed and breakfast basis.

Included: Coricancha temple and Cathedral

DAY 11 |CUSCO

Breakfast at the hotel. The day is at your leisure to explore.

During your tour, you will stay in Standard Rooms in a selection of either Standard or Superior hotels, depending on the package chosen.

Your Standard category hotels:

In Lima: Hotel Arawi Express (or similar)

In Arequipa: Casa Andina Standard (or similar)

In Puno: Casona Plazo Puno (or similar)

In Taquille Island: Homestay (or similar)

In Cuzco: San Francisco Plaza (or similar)

In the Sacred Valley: Tikawasi Vallery (or similar)

Your Superior category establishments :

In Lima : Arawi Prime (or similar)

In Arequipa: Casa Andina Select (or similar)

In Puno: Jose Antonio Puno (or similar)

In Taquille Island: Homestay (or similar)

In Cuzco: Jose Antonio Cusco (or similar)

In the Sacred Valley: Sonesta Posada Yucay (or similar)

In case of unavailability, the mentioned hotels can be replaced by another of similar category.

Visit the archaeological site of Moray, which consists of mysterious concentric circular platforms, and Maras, with its impressive salt mine complex in this half-day tour.

Witness the magnificent show of the "Alternative Rainbow Mountain", Palcovo! Marvel at the stunning range of colours on display, formed by millions of years-worth of mineral deposits, as you hike to reach the summit of 4900m.

Immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes, cultural richness and vast history of this region in a full-day private tour. Witness the imposing mountains of Salkantay and Humantay before hiking up to Humantay Lagoon for a picturesque lunch. 

Dive into the heart of Inca culture... Head for Peru where an exceptional stay awaits you! Covered by part of the Amazon, this country has many natural treasures but also an abundance of extraordinary cultural wealth. From the immensity of Machu Picchu, to the beautiful colonial Cuzco, the seven-coloured mountain or the Geoglyphs of Nazca, it is a veritable mosaic of landscapes that will pass before your eyes. You will be amazed by the beauty of Lake Titicaca where you can meet the local inhabitants, the Uros, and share unique moments. Delicious and varied gastronomy, a smiling population and fascinating animals will complete this panorama. A trip rich in experiences is guaranteed!