8 days
Private and group
Included
Year-round
Short Itinerary: Peru in 8 Days Cusco, Paracas & Ica
- Day 1: Arrival in Lima – Transfer to hotel
- Day 2: Flight Lima – Cusco – Cusco City Tour
- Day 3: Cusco – Sacred Valley – Aguas Calientes
- Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
- Day 5: Hike to Rainbow Mountain
- Day 6: Flight Cusco – Lima – Lima City Tour in the afternoon
- Day 7: Ballestas Islands – Huacachina Oasis – Return to Lima
- Day 8: Transfer from hotel to Lima Airport – Farewell
Embark on an unforgettable 8-day adventure through Peru, beginning in Lima, the country’s historic and culinary capital, before flying to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. There, you will enjoy a city tour of its main attractions and explore the impressive Sacred Valley of the Incas, spending the night in Aguas Calientes. The following day, you will visit the majestic citadel of Machu Picchu and continue your journey with a hike to the famous Rainbow Mountain. Back in Lima, you will discover its charms on an afternoon city tour and later explore the rich marine life at the Ballestas Islands and feel the thrill of the dunes in Huacachina. Finally, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure, taking with you unforgettable memories of this complete tour across Peru.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Lima – Free afternoon
Upon your arrival at the Lima airport, our staff will be waiting to welcome you and transfer you in private transportation to your hotel. After check-in, you will have the afternoon free to rest from your trip or, if you prefer, take a stroll around the city or enjoy our Peruvian cuisine as you begin to get familiar with Lima.
Overnight in a hotel in Lima.Day 2: Flight Lima – Cusco – Cusco City Tour
After breakfast at the hotel, we will pick you up and transfer you to the Lima airport to board your flight to Cusco (approx. 1h 35 min). Upon your arrival in Cusco in the morning, our staff will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel and assist you with check-in.
Around 1:00 p.m., we will begin the City Tour, picking you up from your hotel to visit the Temple of the Sun, or Qoricancha, one of the most important sites of the Inca period. Afterward, we will board our transport to visit the nearby archaeological complexes: the impressive Sacsayhuamán Fortress, Qenqo, Puka Pucara, and Tambomachay. At approximately 6:00 p.m., we will return to your hotel.
Day 3: Cusco – Super Sacred Valley – Aguas Calientes
Early in the morning, after breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel to begin our tour through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our first stop will be Chinchero, where we will visit a traditional weaving center and learn about ancestral textile techniques, as well as explore the Inca ruins located there. We will then continue to Moray, an ancient Inca agricultural experimentation site famous for its circular terraces. Next, we will visit the Maras Salt Mines, an impressive collection of salt pools that create a unique landscape.
Afterward, we will head to Urubamba, where you will have free time for lunch. Following lunch, we will continue toward the Ollantaytambo Fortress, where we will explore the Inca town and learn about the historical importance of this archaeological site. Once the visits are complete, you will board the train that will take you to the town of Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). Upon arrival, our staff will be waiting to accompany you to your selected hotel.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
Day 4: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes - Cusco
After breakfast at the hotel, we will head to the station to board the tourist bus to the citadel of Machu Picchu, enjoying a scenic 30-minute ride through the Andean landscape. Upon arrival, we will begin a guided tour of approximately 3 hours through the most important sectors of Machu Picchu, visiting plazas, ceremonial enclosures, terraces, temples, and viewpoints from where you can take excellent photographs and appreciate the grandeur of the Inca city.
At the end of the visit, we will take the bus back to the town of Aguas Calientes. There, you will have free time to enjoy lunch at one of the local restaurants, explore the town, relax by the river, or shop for handicrafts and souvenirs. This is also a great moment to rest and review the photos taken during your Machu Picchu experience before beginning the return journey.
In the afternoon, we will board the train back to Ollantaytambo. At the station, our staff will be waiting to assist you and accompany you to our tourist transport for the road trip to the city of Cusco, which takes approximately 2 hours. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel to rest.
Overnight in Cusco.
Note: Entry to Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain is optional and has an additional cost of USD 70 per person (advance reservation required).
Day 5: Cusco – Rainbow Mountain – Cusco
We will pick you up from your hotel at 4:30 a.m. to begin the trip in our tourist transport toward Rainbow Mountain. We will travel for approximately 2 hours until reaching the restaurant, where we will have breakfast for about 30 minutes. We then continue for another hour to the starting point of our hike, where the guide will provide the necessary instructions before beginning the trek.
Around 8:00 a.m., we will start the hike from the control point toward Vinicunca Mountain (5100 m a.s.l.). At approximately 10:00 a.m., we will arrive at the summit of Rainbow Mountain, where you will have time to take photos and listen to the guide’s explanation about the site and its geological formation. Around 11:00 a.m., we will begin the return hike back to the point where our transport awaits us, and then continue to the restaurant to enjoy lunch.
After lunch, at around 3:00 p.m., we will begin the return trip to the city of Cusco. The estimated arrival time is approximately 5:30 p.m., and you will then be transferred to your hotel to rest.
Overnight in Cusco.
Note: The use of a horse during the hike is optional and has an additional cost of 90 soles round trip (not included in the package).
Day 6: Flight Cusco – Lima – Lima City Tour
Early in the morning, approximately 2 hours before your flight departure, we will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco to transfer you to the airport. Upon your arrival in Lima, our staff will be waiting at the airport to assist you and take you by tourist transport to your hotel in the city.
In the afternoon, around 2:00 p.m., we will begin a tour of the “City of Kings.” During the city tour, you will visit Lima’s Historic Center, the Parque del Amor, the Main Square, the Government Palace, the Cathedral of Lima, the Archbishop’s Palace, and other representative landmarks of the city, appreciating its architecture and historical richness.
We will then continue with a visit to the Convent and Museum of San Francisco, an important religious complex from the 17th century, where you can admire its beautiful library and the famous catacombs. At the end of the tour, we will return to the hotel so you can rest.
Overnight in Lima.
Day 7: Lima – Ballestas Islands – Huacachina – Lima
We will pick you up early from your hotel in Lima to begin the trip to Paracas, where we will board a boat to the Ballestas Islands and enjoy the rich marine biodiversity during a 2-hour tour. After returning to the bay, we will continue the journey to Ica, where we will visit a local vineyard to learn about the wine and pisco production process and enjoy a tasting of selected varieties.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Huacachina Oasis, where you will experience an exciting adventure in dune buggies and try sandboarding on the towering sand dunes. After the activity, we will begin the return trip to Lima, arriving at your hotel in the evening.
Overnight in Lima.
Day 8: Farewell and Transfer to the Airport
On this last day, after breakfast at your hotel, we will pick you up approximately 3 hours before your flight departure to transfer you to the Lima airport, where we will assist you with the check-in process for your return flight to your home city.
We say goodbye wishing you an excellent trip back and hoping to have the opportunity to welcome you again on a future visit.
What’s included in the tour
Includes
Lima
- Pickup from the airport and transfer to your hotel in Lima.
- Reception and transfer Lima airport – hotel.
- Lima city tour (transportation, guide).
- 02 hotel nights in Lima.
Cusco
- Flight Lima – Cusco.
- Pickup and transfer from the Cusco airport to the hotel.
- City Tour excursion (transportation, guide, entrance ticket).
- Tourist transportation, guide, entrance ticket, breakfast and lunch.
- Transfer hotel – Cusco airport.
- Flight Cusco – Lima with 12 kg suitcase.
- 02 hotel nights in Cusco.
Sacred Valley / Aguas Calientes
- Transportation, guide and entrance ticket (tourist ticket).
- One-way train Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes.
- 01 hotel night in Aguas Calientes.
Machu Picchu
- Entrance to Machu Picchu.
- Consettur bus up and down to Machu Picchu.
- Professional guide in Machu Picchu.
- Return train ticket.
- Return transportation to Cusco.
Paracas / Ica
- Transportation Lima – Paracas – Ica – Lima.
- Boat, guide, buggies, sandboards and entrance tickets.
- 01 hotel night in Ica.
Not included
- Meals not mentioned.
- Entrance to the hot springs (S/ 10 soles, approximately 3 USD, optional).
- Entrance to Huayna Picchu (70 USD).
- Travel insurance.
Recommendations
- Original passport or ID.
- Comfortable layered clothing and a windbreaker jacket (Cusco, Rainbow Mountain, cool nights).
- Trekking shoes for hikes (Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain, Huacachina).
- Sunscreen, hat/cap, and sunglasses.
- Small backpack, bottled water, and snacks for the tours.
- Suitcase or backpack of maximum 10–12 kg for the train to Machu Picchu.
- Personal medication and, if necessary, altitude sickness pills (consult your doctor).
- Camera or cellphone with a portable charger (power bank).
- Cash in soles (small bills) for expenses not included.
TRIP PRICES
Option 01
Group service-
Expedition or Voyager train
-
Entrance fees for all visits
-
Hotel 2***
Option 02
Group service-
Expedition or Voyager train
-
Entrance fees for all visits
-
Hotel 3***
Option 03
Private service-
Panoramic train
-
Entrance fees for all visits
-
Hotel 4***
- Request a quote in advance.
- Reserve your Machu Picchu entrance and hotel 3 to 4 months in advance.
- Ask about discounts for groups of 5 or more travelers.
- Ask about discounts for tourists from Andean Community (CAN) member countries.