Peru Ideal

DAY 1. LIMA: Arrive in Lima and enjoy a private transfer, with a dedicated driver, to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 2. LIMA / PARACAS: Start your day with breakfast at the hotel. Our tour begins at the remarkable Larco Museum situated in Pueblo Libre district, showcasing a comprehensive collection of over 5,000 ceramic pieces, as well as exquisite gold, silver, and pre-Columbian erotic art.

Next, explore the historic center, stopping at Casa Aliaga, a colonial mansion adorned with priceless art and history. Proceed to Plaza de Armas to view the Government Palace, Archbishop’s Palace, Municipal Palace, and other notable colonial-era structures. Visit the 16th-century Cathedral during this exploration.

Afterward, transfer to the bus station to hop on a tourist bus to Paracas. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 3. PARACAS / NASCA: After breakfast, your transportation service will collect you for a transfer to Paracas pier, specifically to the Chaco station, the departure point for a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands. This natural reserve is famed for its stunning geological formations, extraordinary fauna, and remnants of a pre-Incan culture that thrived in the desert.

The Ballestas Islands are home to sea lions, pelicans, Humboldt penguins, and other species. Along the way, observe the mysterious candelabra lines etched in the sand.

After the tour, you’ll be transferred to the bus station for a journey to Nazca. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 4. NASCA / AREQUIPA: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, followed by a transfer to the airport for an overflight of the Nazca Lines. Upon arrival, complete the necessary procedures, which take about 45 minutes, before flying over these amazing figures.

Spot 13 figures including the whale, trapeze, dog, astronaut, monkey, condor, compass, spider, hummingbird, parrot, tree, hands, and alcatraz.

Afterward, you’ll be transferred to the bus station to catch a bus to Arequipa (10 hours). Arrive in Arequipa at night and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 5. AREQUIPA: Start with breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a free morning for rest or personal activities. In the afternoon, embark on a journey beginning with a transfer from the hotel to the heart of Arequipa, in the colonial district of San Lazaro, the city's founding site.

Visit the Main Square, one of Peru’s most beautiful, adjacent to the grand Arequipa Cathedral, constructed in the 17th century and rebuilt after numerous earthquakes. See the Cathedral and the Church Compañía de Jesús (1590), a classic example of local baroque architecture housing exceptional paintings and murals.

Next, visit Santa Catalina Monastery, a genuine medieval cloister from 1579 still in use today. Explore Yanahuara and Carmen Alto districts for a panoramic view of the countryside, offering a breathtaking image.

Discover Cayma district by visiting the Plaza Mayor and the Church San Miguel Arcángel de Cayma, located in front of the square, where an anonymous collection of paintings depicting the Virgin’s miracles awaits. Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

DAY 6. AREQUIPA / PUNO: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the bus station for a tourist bus ride to Puno (6:30 hours). Arrive in Puno and transfer to the hotel. Enjoy a free afternoon and overnight stay.

DAY 7. PUNO: After breakfast, transfer to Puno’s lake port for a boat ride to the floating islands of the Uros. The Uros are an ancestral society living on artificial islands made from the totora plant, which grows in Lake Titicaca.

These islands are crafted by weaving totora into natural layers, upon which they build homes and cook outdoors to avoid fires.

Following the Uros visit, embark on a boat trip to Taquile Island, a Quechua-speaking island that was part of the Incan Empire. Here, observe cultural activities and learn about the island’s history.

After lunch, return to Puno’s port and transfer back to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 8. PUNO / CUSCO: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the bus station for a tourist bus journey to Cusco (8 hours).

The tour begins at the Museum of Pucará, showcasing a magnificent collection of monoliths, stone sculptures, and ceramics from the Pucara culture, which developed in Peru and Bolivia's highlands.

Next, the journey reaches Raya Pass, the highest point on the route at 4,335 meters above sea level, marking the border between Cusco and Puno. Here, take a short break to admire the snow-capped Chimboya and capture stunning landscapes.

Continue the bus journey to Sicuani for a buffet lunch featuring local and regional dishes, vegetables, desserts, and mate de coca, a hot beverage.

The ride proceeds to the archaeological site of Raqchi, at 3,450 meters above sea level. Visit the Temple of Wiracocha, built beside the Vilcanota River in the 15th century.

The final stop is Andahuaylillas, at 3,093 meters above sea level, a charming Andean town home to the 17th-century Sistine Chapel, featuring golden leaf work and Cusco School paintings.

Arrive at Cusco’s bus station and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 9. CUSCO / SACRED VALLEY: Breakfast at the hotel. Begin a 30 km journey from Cusco to Pisac, renowned for its vibrant market and stone-built archaeological temples offering incredible valley views and impressive Inca terraces.

Proceed to Urubamba for a buffet lunch and continue to Ollantaytambo, once the Inca army's headquarters and a religious and agricultural site, known for its breathtaking views and advanced irrigation systems.

Visit Chinchero, famous for its colorful Inca market filled with traditional crafts like ceramics and Andean textiles.

Afterward, transfer to Ollantaytambo train station to board the Train Expedition to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and attend a short briefing with the guide in preparation for the next day’s Machu Picchu tour. Overnight stay.

DAY 10. MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Ollantaytambo train station to board the Train Expedition to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, take a bus to the magnificent Machu Picchu Citadel, known as the Lost City of the Inca. Enjoy a 2-hour guided tour of this remarkable archaeological site with stunning landscapes.

Machu Picchu, a World Heritage Site, was central to Inca agriculture and the most significant urban center of the Incan Empire. Explore at your leisure, capture photographs, or opt to climb Huayna Picchu (optional) for panoramic views of the entire citadel. You may also choose to return to Aguas Calientes for lunch (optional).

At the designated time, return by train to Ollantaytambo, followed by a bus ride to Cusco, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel in the historic center. Overnight stay.

DAY 11. CUSCO: Breakfast at the hotel. Begin the afternoon tour with a visit to the Temple of the Sun, known as Koricancha, representing the fusion of Incan and Spanish cultures, with its foundations used to build Santo Domingo's Church and convent.

Next, visit Cusco Cathedral in the Main Square to admire beautiful religious paintings from the Cusco School. The tour continues to Sacsayhuaman, an impressive archaeological complex with massive carved stones perfectly fitted together, reportedly built by over 20,000 men over 70 years.

Proceed to Qenqo, a religious temple where the Incas worshipped deities like the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Explore its underground galleries and admire the semicircular amphitheater.

Continue the adventure at the military complex of Puca Pucara, meaning “Red Fortress” due to its reddish hues. Finally, visit Tambomachay, a center for water worship featuring aqueducts and waterfalls fed by nearby springs. Conclude the tour at El Regocijo Square, a block from Plaza de Armas. Overnight stay.

DAY 12. CUSCO / LIMA / OUT: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer with a dedicated driver to Cusco airport for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival in Lima, connect to your international flight.

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