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19 Day itinerary in Peru, South America

Culture, nature & Adventure in Peru

This is the perfect itinerary seeking for a complete experience in Peru. This program includes gastronomy, adventure activities, the typical and must-see highlights, contact with native communities including a homestay in the Titikaka Lake (highest navigable lake on Earth).

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LeandroAna

By Leandro and Ana

Overview

Physical Difficulty

Demanding
help_outline

Recommended Age

Everyone

Operated in

English, Spanish

GUIDANCE

On Some Day Trips

starting point

Lima

trip type

Private

trip attributes

Hiking

Visit markets

Meet local people

Rural home stays

Indigenous culture

Outdoors & Nature

Food & Drink

Start

Night

End

Highlights

1

Machu Picchu

2

Peruvian Gastronomy

3

Inca Trail

4

Titikaka lake

Itinerary

Superior Accommodation expand_more

Day 1

place Welcome to Peru!

Upon arrival, our staff will be waiting at the airport to transfer you the selected hotel. Overnight in Lima.

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Hoteles el tambo
Day 2

place Gastronomic Experience

Breakfast at the hotel. After hotel pick up, we will begin our culinary adventure in a traditional Peruvian market, where our guide will show you the ingredients and products such as fruit, spices and seasoning used as a base in our world-famous national gastronomy. Next, we will transfer to the renowned La Rosa Nautica restaurant, privileged for being right next to the seashore, and where we will delight ourselves with some of the culinary pleasures that Peru has to offer. You will learn how to prepare the famous Pisco Sour and the classic limean ceviche. After that, you will also be able to enjoy an exquisite lunch while contemplating a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. We will then begin with the city tour, where we can see the Colonial Centre, the Main Square, the Archbishop´s Palace and the Lima Town Hall. We will visit the Santo Domingo convent, whose hallways were transited by San Martin de Porras and Santa Rosa of Lima in the XVII century. Their remains still lie there. The tour will begin with a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, the beaches of the district of Miraflores from the Park of Love, continuing with some traditional residential and commercial zones of Lima. We will then proceed with the historic centre of Lima. Return to hotel.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Hoteles el tambo
Day 3

place Day at leisure for optional activities

Day at leisure. Optionally, you can request an excursion for an extra cost. OPTIONAL: PACHACAMAC TOUR + BUFFET LUNCH AND PERUVIAN “CABALLO DE PASO” SHOW (NOT INCLUDED). Pick up from the hotel. Approximately 31 km from Lima, moving through the Panamericana Sur Highway, we find Pachacamac, one of the largest and most important archaeological centers in Peru, which was once the most consulted Huaca (oracle) in the Andean world. It was a religious center dedicated to the most important deity of the Peruvian coast, Pachacamac, who is said to be the builder of the world and the force that animated human beings. During the archaeological excavations a wooden stick or scepter carved with the design of this idol was found: a character with two faces (due to the duality of the Andean world) who should be pleased or offered sacrifices so that tragedies did not occur. The Archaeological Sanctuary of Pachacamac occupies an area of almost 500 hectares, and is constituted by a set of mud pyramids, where you can distinguish palaces, temples, squares, streets, etc., highlighting the Temple of the Sun and the Acllahuasi. Pachacamac is currently considered one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the capital and an important research center. This complex has a Site Museum where you can see all the evidence that has been rescued from the sanctuary. Then we will visit a themed restaurant, located inside a typical Lima hacienda house, where we will have a delicious buffet lunch accompanied by typical Peruvian dances and a spectacular closure with the star show of the Peruvian Paso Horse, where Caballo, Chalán and Amazona will delight us with typical dances of Northern Peru; A unique experience that cannot be missed. Overnight in Lima.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Hoteles el tambo
Day 4

place Lima to Arequipa

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport to board the flight to Arequipa city. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon the White City opens up its doors in a tour that begins in the Carmen Alto viewpoint from where we will be able to admire the beautiful landscape of farming terraces and the three guardian volcanoes that surround the city: Misti, Chachani and Pichu-Picchu. We will then continue to the colonial district of Yanahuara, famous for its church built in Andalusia style, and its viewpoint with is gorgeous architecture surrounded by sillar stone arches. We will then visit the Monastery of Santa Catalina, an impressive religious monument that had been closed to the public for nearly 400 years; its narrow streets, plazas and gardens reminds us of the ancient districts of Seville or Granada. Finally, we will head for the Main Square, where we will be able to see the Cathedral and the arches that surround the plaza, and then visit the Church of the Company of Jesus founded in the 17th century by the Jesuits, and which stands out for its cloisters and the famous Saint Ignacio Dome. Overnight in Arequipa.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Casa Andina Standard Arequipa
Day 5

place Day at leisure

Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure. OPTIONAL: SILLAR ROUTE (NOT INCLUDED) Sillar is the origin of the architecture of the White City and its tourist route is developed in the district of Cerro Colorado. In addition to the natural landscapes of the area, you can observe the process of extraction, styling and megatallado of the ashlar. Hotel pick up to begin with the tour. At the agreed time, departure to the Sillar Route, which is located 45 minutes from the city of Arequipa, here you can appreciate the quarry in operation of Añashuayco and the beauty of the shingles ravine declared cultural heritage of the nation. In addition, they will visit the front carving of the company church carved by the stonecutters in the quarry of the quarry; to then be able to observe how the process of extraction of the ashlar is carried out by the quarry masters. Return to hotel. Overnight in Arequipa.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Casa Andina Standard Arequipa
Day 6

place Day at leisure

Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure. OPTIONAL: COLCA (NOT INCLUDED) Day 1: EXCURSION TO THE SCENIC OVERVIEW OF THE VOLCANO, COLCA CANYON Today we will set off to the spectacular Colca Valley going up the foothills of Chachani volcano and admiring the Misti and Picchu Picchu Volcanoes. Then we cross the vicuñas reservation of Pampa Cañahuas where we can see them running free in the high Andean lands. Peculiar villages around us. Free afternoon to rest and enjoy the hotel and the optional visit to the thermal baths in the area. Overnight at Colca Valley. Day 2: EXCURSION TO THE SCENIC OVERVIEW OF THE CROSS OF THE CONDOR Breakfast at the hotel. Early in the morning we will go to the Condor Cross viewpoint. Before us the shocking flight of the condors, huge Andean birds on the brink of extinction and symbol of the Andes Mountain Range. The view at this place allows us to appreciate the canyons depth, considered as one of the deepest in the world. We will then visit the Maca and Yanque towns which still keep the colonial churches. At the arranged time, you will have to take the bus to Puno city. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Arequipa.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Casa Andina Standard Arequipa
Day 7

place Arequipa / Puno

Breakfast at the hotel. At the coordinated time, transfer to the Arequipa bus station to travel to the city of Puno. Upon arrival, you will be transferred from the station to the hotel to rest. Overnight in Puno.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: La Hacienda
Day 8

place Navigate on the highest lake on Earth and take a memorable experience back home.

At 7.30 hs. we will pick-up you from the hotel to Titicaca Lake pier to take a motor boat. On the way, we will stop by the floating Islands of Uros for a guided interpretation of the local way of life of the Uros people. Once there the friendly locals will welcome us on their handmade floating islands built with totora reed, a plant which it grows in the same lake. Later on, we will continue our trip toward Amantani, where a welcoming group of local people is waiting for us. After we are assigned to our host families, we will walk with them to the houses. Lunch in local house. In the Afternoon, we will spend time with the local family and share with them the regular activities they do as farmers. Then we will follow the stone pathway fixed among the farmers’ fields of the islands and walk towards the highest point in Amantani Island. This lookout point is called “Pachatata” and it has been for many centuries the sacred place of worship for the people of this community. From this site we will enjoy the view of the magnificent Lake Titicaca and its islands. Dinner in local house. In the local culture, there is always a reason to enjoy the folk music and dance because that is an important part of life in the Andes. This is the reason why after dinner, the community of Amantani organizes a gathering of local families and guests in the “salon communal”. A local group of musicians play Andean music with the traditional instruments and we are invited to join in the dance and happy celebration. We are also given the wonderful opportunity to try on the local dresses, “ponchos” and costumes. Overnight in Homestay.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

place Let's discover more of this amazing lake.

After breakfast, we will leave Amantani Island and continue in direction to Taquile. Once there we will start a soft hike up to the community. At some point during the visit we will enjoy a textile and cultural exhibition and the tour guide will offer an interpretation of the traditional clothing and textile designs from Taquile. Following we will have a traditional lunch prepared with products typical of the area. Finally, we will start a 45-minute hike down to the main dock to back to Puno. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: La Hacienda
Day 10

place Puno / Cusco

Breakfast at the hotel. At the indicated time, you will be transferred to the train station to take The Titicaca Train to Cusco. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Cusco.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Casa Andina Standard Cusco San Blas
Day 11

place Full insight of the Imperial City

At the coordinated time, hotel pick up to begin with our exclusive imperial city tour. We will visit the San Pedro market, where we will soak ourselves in the local flavour and familiarize with the products of the area in this market which supplies the whole city. Next, we will get away from the crowds and make our first stop in the San Cristobal lookout point to enjoy a panoramic view of the city. We will continue to Sacsayhuaman, a multipurpose place where people worshipped the Sun, Moon and Earth; it was also used as a military fortress and astrological centre. Subsequently we will arrive to Q´enco, a cult centre related to the fire element. Next, we will go to Puca Pucara, a place which was used as a supply centre and Inca control post; here, ceremonies to the Wind were held. Finalizing the tour, we will get to Tambomachay, a Water and fertility cult centre. Return to the city of Cusco. Lunch included. After this, we will visit the Main Square; the imponent Cusco cathedral, which hosts colonial artworks of great value. Next, we will continue to the temple of Qoricancha to admire all its magnificence. The quechua name “Qoricancha” means “Golden Enclosure”, its lavishness can still be felt in these walls that were once completely covered in gold. Immediately after, we will go to San Blas, an cusquean artisan neighbourhood. This part of the tour will be brief and easy to descend by foot, visiting some of the galleries of the most renowned artisans of the city, until we arrive to the Hatun Rumiyoc street. In this street we will find the Inca Roca Palace, also known as the Archbishop´s Palace, and finally we will have time to admire the world-famous Twelve Angled Stone. Return to hotel.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Casa Andina Standard Cusco San Blas
Day 12

place Day at leisure in Cusco

Breakfast at the hotel. Optionally, you can request a tour for an extra cost. OPTIONAL: MARAS & MORAY IN ATVs (NOT INCLUDED) At the coordinated time, our staff will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco to transfer you to the outskirts of Chincheros, where the ATVs and the necessary equipment to take the tourist walk await you. Here the specialized guide will provide you with all the necessary information about the proper use of ATVs, and will describe the route to be travelled. Culminating the brief orientation begins the journey towards Moray, where we will have enough time to appreciate the terraces built taking advantage of huge natural depressions on the ground surface. After the visit, we will go to the town of Maras, where we will have a short stop in the main square, then go to the famous salt mines that are made up of more than 4000 small pools on the mountainside. Finishing the tour, we return to the starting point where mobility will be waiting to return to Cusco. Overnight in Cusco.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Casa Andina Standard Cusco San Blas
Day 13

place Put on the shoes and start te adventure!

Transfer to Piscacucho very early in the morning, located at Km 82 of the railway. Check and security point to access and begin the great adventure of the Inca Trail. We start walking along the left bank of the Urubamba River that flows to the northeast of the Sacred Valley, through forests of eucalyptus, beautiful landscapes and archaeological sites that only those who chose this route have the privilege to enjoy. The first remains we will encounter almost immediately are the archaeological sites of Q'ente, Pulpituyoc, Kusichaca and Patallacta. Overnight in Camp. Note: The camps indicated here may vary due to technical issues, and / or because the official entity assigns the camps, according to the offer and demand to offer a better service.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14

place Inca Trail

We will wake up early in the morning to contemplate the beauty of mountains and breathe the fresh air that Mother Nature offers to us. Meanwhile we will have an energizing breakfast that will help us overcome the great challenge that we will face this day: conquer the Warmiwañusqa’s peak at 4250 m.a.s.l, the highest pass of the route. From this point we will have a wonderful view of Wayllabamba on one side and Runkuraky on the other side. In this direction we will continue on the third day. Immediately after the pass we will descend to the Pacaymayu valley located at 3600 m.a.s.l and here we will camp for the second time. Overnight in Camp. Note: The camps indicated here may vary due to technical issues, and / or because the official entity assigns the camps, according to the offer and demand to offer a better service.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15

place Inca Trail

This day might be the most interesting of the trail because of the various archeological sites that we will visit. After breakfast we will start the ascension to the second pass: Runkurakay inlet at 3970 m.a.s.l. Approaching noon we will arrive and visit the archaeological complex of the same name, situated at 3800 m.a.s.l where we will see a small oval structure, which is believed that could have served as watchtower. After passing the inlet, we will descend towards Yanacocha (Black Lagoon), where the landscape begins to change and we will begin to get into the edge of the jungle arriving to Sayacmara (3624 m.a.s.l). This is a beautiful archaeological complex built in semicircular shape, with different levels, narrow streets, liturgical fountains, patios and irrigation canals. After visiting this place, we will continue towards the third pass: Phuyupatamarca Inlet at 3700 m.a.s.l where we will find one of the most complete and best preserved archaeological sites of the route at the highest peak of the mountain. The descent continues up to Wiñaywayna where we will camp for the third time, located just five minutes from the complex of the same name.Wiñaywayna was considered by the Incas as the city of eternal youth. Overnight in Camp. Note: The camps indicated here may vary due to technical issues, and / or because the official entity assigns the camps, according to the offer and demand to offer a better service.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 16

place Machu Picchu!

This is the last section of the Inca Trail, and we will get up very early to have breakfast and start the ascent to the Inti Punku or Suns gate. The excursion will take us about an hour to reach the edge of the cliffs of the mountain, from where we will have a privileged view of the sunrise over the imposing Sacred City of Machu Picchu. After living this indescribable experience, we will descend towards the archaeological centre, after crossing through the check point, where we can keep our belongings to begin the guided tour of Machu Picchu, a World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The tour lasts approximately two hours and then we will have free time to walk around the citadel or climb the mountain of Huayna Picchu. Buffet lunch in Belmond Sanctuary Lodge is included. At the agreed time, we will descend to the town of Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Cusco City. Return to the city of Cusco, where our staff will be waiting to receive you and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Cusco.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Casa Andina Standard Cusco San Blas
Day 17

place Day at leisure in Cusco

Breakfast at the hotel. Optionally, you can request a dinner in Map Cafe for an extra cost. Overnight in Cusco.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Casa Andina Standard Cusco San Blas
Day 18

place Day at leisure in Cusco

Breakfast at the hotel. Optionally, you can request a tour for an extra cost. Overnight in Cusco.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

  • Superior Accommodation: Casa Andina Standard Cusco San Blas
Day 19

place Goodbye!

Breakfast at the hotel. At the coordinated time, transfer to the airport to proceed with the itinerary. End of our services

Meals: Breakfast

What’s Included

Accommodation expand_less

  • Hoteles el tambo
  • Casa Andina Standard Arequipa
  • La Hacienda
  • Casa Andina Standard Cusco San Blas

Meals expand_less

  • Breakfast (18)
  • Lunch (7)
  • Dinner (4)

Transport expand_less

  • Transfers Airport – Hotel – Airport in each city.
  • Train ticket Puno / Cusco in Titicaca Train Service.
  • Expedition Train Ticket from Aguas Calientes to Cusco.

Activities expand_less

  • City Tour in Lima.
  • City tour in Arequipa.
  • Sailing in the Titicaca Lake.
  • Visit to a local community.
  • Visit to the community of Taquile Island.
  • City tour in Cusco & Nearby Ruins.
  • Inca Trail: 4 days/ 3 nights.
  • Visit to Machu Picchu.

Extras expand_less

  • Permanent assistance in each destination.
  • Entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary.

Not Included expand_less

  • International or domestic air fares.
  • Services and non-mentioned meals in the itinerary.
  • Drinks
  • Early check-in, late check-out and hotel extras.
  • Personal expenses.
  • Medical consultations and medicine expenses.
  • Tips for guides and hotel staff.
  • Optional excursions.

About Leandro

TEAM LEAD

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Expertise: 

Cycling

Kayaking

Hiking

Rafting

Visit markets

Meet local people

Rural home stays

Indigenous culture

Meditation

Wellness retreat

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