Itinerary
- Day 1
Lima
You'll be picked up from Lima airport and taken to your hotel. At 6 pm there's a welcome meeting with your group and tour leader. If you arrive early, check out some of the city's colonial bar scene beforehand. Later on you'll have a welcome dinner at one of Lima's top restaurants with views of ancient ruins, featuring creative modern takes on traditional Peruvian dishes.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome dinner at one of Lima's best restaurants with views surrounded by ancient ruins, featuring creative Peruvian dishes with modern twists)
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Welcome meeting with group leader
- Welcome dinner at fine dining restaurant with views of ancient ruins
Optional Activities
- Visit bars converted from old mansions in Lima
- Day 2
Lima to Arequipa
Start the morning with a walking tour through downtown Lima led by your guide, seeing the buildings around Plaza Mayor and visiting the historic catacombs of Saint Francis Monastery. After that you'll head to Alameda de Chabuca Granda, a local favorite spot. Then you fly to Arequipa, a Spanish colonial city. Once there, your leader takes you on an orientation walk to see the unique white volcanic architecture and the backdrop of El Misti volcano.
Included Activities
- Downtown Lima walking tour
- Plaza Mayor visit
- Saint Francis Monastery catacombs visit
- Alameda de Chabuca Granda exploration
- Flight to Arequipa
- Arequipa orientation walk with leader
Landmarks Plaza Mayor Saint Francis Monastery Alameda de Chabuca Granda El Misti - Day 3
Arequipa
A local expert guide takes you through Arequipa starting at Plaza de Armas, the main square. You'll continue to Santa Catalina Monastery and San Ignacio Chapel, then tour the Basilica Cathedral where you'll learn about its complex history from 1656 to now. The afternoon is yours to spend as you like, picking up alpaca jumpers at Mundo Alpaca, visiting the museum with 'Mummy Juanita', or exploring the surrounding hills and rivers.
Included Activities
- Arequipa walking tour with local guide
- Plaza de Armas visit
- Santa Catalina Monastery visit
- San Ignacio Chapel visit
- Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa tour with specialist guide
Optional Activities
- Mundo Alpaca - meet llamas and alpacas and purchase alpaca jumpers
- Active adventure in surrounding hills and rivers
- Juanita Museum - view 'Mummy Juanita' (PEN20)
- Inca Museum - entrance fee (PEN10)
Landmarks Plaza de Armas Santa Catalina Monastery San Ignacio Chapel Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa Mundo Alpaca - Day 4
Arequipa to Colca Canyon
You'll drive through the Altiplano high plains toward Colca Valley and Canyon. Along the way look out for grazing vicunas, llamas and alpacas, and stone cairns built by local Indigenous communities. There's a stop at the highest point (4910 m/16,108 ft) for views of the canyon, which is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. You'll see pre-Inca terraces and traditional villages, then relax in hot springs at Chivay before arriving at your resort with waterfalls, gardens and pools.
Included Activities
- Drive through Altiplano high plains
- Colca Canyon viewpoint photo stop at highest point (4910 m)
- Chivay hot springs soak
Landmarks Altiplano Colca Canyon Chivay - Day 5
Colca Canyon to Puno
Get up early to visit Cruz del Condor viewpoint where you might spot Andean condors soaring overhead. After lunch you'll start driving to Puno with a stop at Sillustani archaeological site for about an hour. You'll climb the hill to see ancient funeral towers (chullpas) built by pre-Inca civilizations. By evening you arrive in Puno, located on Lake Titicaca's shores, known as Peru's folklore capital with strong Aymara and Quechuan Indian culture.
Included Activities
- Cruz del Condor viewpoint visit
- Sillustani archaeological site tour
Landmarks Cruz del Condor Sillustani Lake Titicaca - Day 6
Lake Titicaca
Today you'll cruise Lake Titicaca to see the scenery and unique cultures. Departing from Puno port, you head to the floating Uros Islands, which are built entirely from layers of totora reeds. Next you visit Taquile Island and walk to the hilltop to see local traditional clothing and shops selling woollen handicrafts. You return to Puno for the evening, enjoying sunset over Lake Titicaca while sampling wine and cheese in the garden.
- Meals
- Dinner (Sunset dinner over Lake Titicaca with wine and cheese in the garden)
Included Activities
- Lake Titicaca cruise
- Floating Uros Islands visit
- Taquile Island visit and hilltop walk
- Sunset wine and cheese experience overlooking Lake Titicaca
Landmarks Uros Islands Taquile Island - Day 7
Puno to Cusco
You'll travel early to Cusco with multiple stops along the way, including a visit to Raqchi Archaeological Site. By late afternoon you arrive in Cusco at 3450 m/11,319 ft above sea level, so you'll have time to acclimatize. After settling in at your hotel, you take a casual walk around Plaza de Armas with your leader to pick up dinner recommendations.
Included Activities
- Raqchi Archaeological Site visit
- Cusco leader-led orientation walk around Plaza de Armas
Landmarks Raqchi Archaeological Site Plaza de Armas 
- Day 8
Cusco
Your walking tour covers the best of Cusco. You'll have a special tour of the World Heritage-listed Cusco Cathedral with a local historian guide, built atop an Incan palace and now holding art and religious pieces. Another local guide takes you through Coricancha Temple to learn how it evolved from a gold-covered temple to a Spanish church. You'll visit the colorful San Pedro market too. The afternoon is yours to explore or arrange optional activities like cooking classes or trekking.
Included Activities
- Cusco walking tour
- Cusco Cathedral tour with specialist historian guide
- Coricancha Temple tour with local guide
- San Pedro market visit
Optional Activities
- Cooking class at local restaurant using fair trade products
- Half-day Inkilltambo trek exploring archaeological site on city outskirts
- Inca Museum (entrance fee) - PEN10
- Pre-Colombian Museum - PEN20
- Machu Picchu Museum & Botanical Garden - PEN25
- Pisco Making Urban Adventure (Based on 2 participants) - USD57
Landmarks Cusco Cathedral Coricancha Temple San Pedro Market 
- Day 9
Sacred Valley
You head to the Sacred Valley, treasured for its climate, fertile land and the Urubamba River. At AMA Restaurant in Urubamba, you'll snack and learn about this social enterprise that provides employment and training for single mothers. Then you continue to Willoq community for pachamanca, an ancient Inca cooking ritual with meats and vegetables cooked slowly in the earth. You'll learn traditional textile techniques and make your own bracelet. Later you explore Ollantaytambo with an expert guide discussing the Inca settlement and Spanish defeat.
- Meals
- Snack (Snack and drink at AMA Restaurant social enterprise), Lunch (Home-cooked pachamanca lunch - ancient Inca cooking ritual with meats and vegetables marinaded in spices cooked slowly in the earth)
Included Activities
- AMA Restaurant social enterprise visit with snack and drink
- Willoq community ancient pachamanca cooking ritual and home-cooked lunch
- Traditional textile technique learning and bracelet making with local women
- Ollantaytambo archaeological site tour with expert local guide
Landmarks AMA Restaurant Willoq Community Ollantaytambo Urubamba River 
- Day 10
Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu
You travel from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes on the 360 Machu Picchu Train, which has high domed windows and an open-air observation carriage for Andes views. After disembarking and dropping luggage at your hotel, you take a bus up the winding road to Machu Picchu. A guide leads you through the ruins sharing its mysterious history, explaining it's believed to be 15th-century headquarters of Emperor Pachacuti though its true purpose remains unknown. You return to Aguas Calientes for the night.
Included Activities
- 360 Machu Picchu Train to Aguas Calientes
- Machu Picchu entrance and guided visit
Landmarks Machu Picchu Andes Mountains - Day 11
Machu Picchu
You wake before sunrise and return to Machu Picchu for a second visit. This time you explore more of the extraordinary architecture including temples, palaces and living quarters. The sight of the ruins against a forested mountain backdrop offers great photo opportunities from different angles. You return by bus to Aguas Calientes, then catch a standard train back to Ollantaytambo and drive to Cusco for the evening.
Included Activities
- Machu Picchu second visit
Landmarks Machu Picchu 
- Day 12
Cusco to Amazon Rainforest
You catch a flight to Puerto Maldonado, arriving early afternoon. From there you take a bus to the port and board motorized canoes into the Amazon rainforest. Keep watch for macaws, herons, alligators and capybaras along the way. You arrive at Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion, a 380-hectare private ecological reserve with 25 cabanas and expert local guides. After lunch at the lodge you explore Concepcion Trails with a guide. As darkness falls, you join a guided Twilight River boat ride spotting caimans, then enjoy dinner featuring local Amazon ingredients.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch at Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion lodge), Dinner (A la carte dinner featuring local Amazon ingredients)
Included Activities
- Flight to Puerto Maldonado
- Motorized canoe transfer to lodge
- Lunch at Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion
- Concepcion Trails exploration with expert guide
- Twilight River boat ride
Landmarks Amazon Rainforest 
- Day 13
Amazon Rainforest
After breakfast you board a dug-out wooden canoe to glide across Lake Sandoval watching for red howler monkeys, giant river otters and colorful macaws. Following lunch, you can optionally walk the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway, a 344 m network of suspension bridges high above the forest floor where you might spot toucans, woodpeckers, monkeys and three-toed sloths. You can join a night walk to discover nocturnal forest activity or book a spa treatment before dinner with your group.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Lake Sandoval dug-out canoe excursion
Optional Activities
- Inkaterra Canopy Walkway - 344 m suspension bridge network
- Night jungle walk
- Spa treatments
Landmarks Lake Sandoval Inkaterra Canopy Walkway - Day 14
Amazon Rainforest to Lima
You travel back to Puerto Maldonado this morning, then fly to Lima and arrive early afternoon. You'll have a few hours at leisure to check out any sights you may have missed earlier in the trip. You'll reunite with your group and leader for a final dinner featuring a menu of Peruvian dishes to remember your time in Peru.
- Meals
- Dinner (Farewell dinner featuring a delectable menu of Peruvian delights)
Included Activities
- Flight from Puerto Maldonado to Lima
- Farewell dinner with group and leader
Optional Activities
- Leisure exploration of Lima sights
- Day 15
Lima
Your adventure concludes after breakfast. If you'd like to spend more time in Lima, speak to your booking agent about extending your stay.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Extend stay in Lima (arrange with booking agent)
