Cusco city tour, sacred valley, Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and Colca Canyon 10 days

Peru Tour, is an authentic Peruvian experience. Embrace many tastes of the culture and admire diverse landscapes, archaeology and nature. This trip covers the best Peru destinations which will delight you with its uniqueness, 10 fun-filled days to experience completely different flavors of Peru. 

In this tour you'll visit Titicaca the highest navigable lake in the world, the ancient capital of the Inca empire Cusco, traveling the sacred valley that preserve remarkable Inca archaeology sites, you will take the train that run across mountain sides, until the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. We end this tour with a guided tour to the lake Titicaca and to the impresive Colca Canyon.

Peru Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Lima

Arrival to Lima at any time during the day. Transfer from airport to the hotel in Lima, where you are going to meet a river Explorers assistant, who will give you tips on what to do in Lima and also will explain the flight itinerary and transfer time for the next day. Overnight in Lima. (No meals included).

Day 2 Cusco

Depending flight time, we will transfer you to the airport to catch a flight to Cusco. In Cusco we will wait for you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. After the hotel check in, we will have a little city tour around Cusco.
City tour departures at 1 pm. Tour guide to Sacsayhuaman, Puca Pucara, Qenqo Tambomachay all Inca archaeological sites around Cusco. Hotel en Cusco. (No meals included).

Day 3 Sacred Valley

After breakfast we will start with the tour around 9 am, we will drive towards Pisaq, in the way, we will pass small towns built in the high Andean mountains in Cusco such as Qorao, Huancalle and Taray authentic Peruvian Andean villages, minutes after, we will arrive to the viewpoint of the Sacred Valley where we will stop to admire and take pictures of this beautiful place. The Valley is surrounding of snow capped mountains as Pitusiray, Sahuasiray, Veronica, Chicon located between 5000 to 6500 meter sea level and the Urubamba River who transverse this valley, this river was the principal resource for agricultural purposes at the Incas time.

The complex of Písac, lie atop a hill at the entrance to the valley. The ruins are separated along the ridge into four groups: Pisaqa, Intihuatana, Qallaqasa and Kinchiracay, including a number of bathes and temples. Intihuatana (The Temple of the Sun), is the focus, suggest that it served as an astronomical function. Q'allaqasa, which is built onto a natural spur and overlooks the valley, is known as the citadel.

The hillside is lined with agricultural terraces constructed by the Inca and still in use today. These terraces were created by hand. Pisac is supposed to control a route which connected the Inca Empire with the border of the rain forest.

After this tour, we will go back to Pisaq town where we will stop for one hour in the popular Pisaq market where you can buy handicrafts and some other souvenirs that this place offers.

Around 11 or 12, we will be driving towards Ollantaytambo, after 40 minutes, we stop to have a buffet lunch in one of the most prestige restaurants of the valley, after lunch, we continue driving to Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacutec who conquered the region and built the town with many terraces, temples, store houses, quarries, bathes and defenses. At the time of the Spanish conquest Peru it served as a fortress for Manco Inca, leader of the Inca resistance.

The town of Ollantaytambo, is an Inca leaving city, the people owns many of the houses that was used in the past for our ancestors, today this people uses the same buildings.

After the guided tour, depending the train time service, we will get ready to catch the train to Aguas Calientes (town bellow Machu Picchu), it will take one hour and 45 minutes to arrive; at the train station there will be the hotel personal that will transfer us to the hotel. Hostel in Machu Picchu.

Day 4 Machu Picchu

Today there are two options; the first is for the adventure people, early in the morning you can hike for about two hours until Machu Picchu Citadel. The second choice is taking the bus that will take 30 minutes until we arrive to Machu Picchu Citadel.

Our guide will take you around the area for two hours guided tour in the wonders of this impressive complex. Machu Picchu citadel is located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Cusco the Inca capital, it was never found by the Spanish and consequently not plundered and destroyed, as it was in the case with many other Inca sites. Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle grew over much of the site, and few knew of its existence. On July 24 1911, Machu Picchu was discovered by Hiram Bingham.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished stone walls. The three primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu.

After the guided tour there will be plenty of time to take pictures, walk around the places that we like the most and then, we meet with the rest of the group at Aguas Calientes to catch the train to Ollantaytambo, and from there take a bus to the hotel in Cusco.

Day 5: Puno

Early morning we will pick you up from your hotel to the Bus station. Here we will catch a Bus that will take to Puno, in the way you will visit many different archaeological sites that is usually not visited by many tourists.

The highest pass on this ride will be La Raya (4313 m.), there after you'll pass beautiful small Andean towns until we arrive to the Hotel in Puno. Once you drop the luggage and take a nice shower, you'll meet your guide to have a nice tour guide around the City. After dinner, the Titicaca guide will give a briefing about the tour.

Day 6-7: Lake Titicaca tour

Get on board of an unforgettable travel experience, early depart by motor boat on the way visit the Uros reed floating islands and enjoy stepping on its interesting surface. Continue for 2 hours motor boat ride, we will arrive to the Peninsula of Capachica, where we will have a soft 1 hour walk, through an original pre-Inca path; the views are spectacular, while enjoying the country side life.

Picnic lunch by the lake, after we will continue by motor boat towards Ticonata Island. At arrival, we will be welcome by the community, and be leaded to our accommodation at the Ticonata Eco – Village. This place is formed by typical conical houses which are a copy of the pre –Incan houses on the area, the thatched roofs give the island a unique character. Short Hike to the ancient ritual place at the top of the hill that still is in use by the locals in authentic ancestral ceremonies, sunsets are spectacular.

This program is a sustainable project that involves people of a community that shares all the benefits and work equally between its members. Later we will have a typical dinner, bonfire and native dances preformed by the islanders, where you can feel and breathe the essence of a culture. Here one of the wise man will tell us about their magic world and traditions, and the locals will tell us from firsthand how the daily life and traditions are. While, enjoying the milky way stars. Meals include (Breakfast-lunch-dinner)

In the second day, after an early breakfast on native cereals, we traverse in our boat to Amantani island, it will take 2 to 3 hours depending on the season. On Amantani Island we will visit the Village and have a pleasant soft walk to observe the locals, farms and the unique town build in top of the Island. Lunch in a local house and some time to learn about the culture and people, later by motor boat we will return to Puno city, arrival at 4.30pm approximately. Meals include (Breakfast-lunch). Overnight in Puno. Meals included 2 breakfasts - 2 lunches - 1 diner.

Day 8-9: Colca Canyon

We will depart from Puno around 8 am, there after we will drive for about 5 hours until the beginning of a death road in Arequipa, where there will be a van waiting for us to take us to the Colca Canyon.

North of Arequipa is the amazing Colca Canyon. Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in North America, the distance from the Colca riverbed to the top of the cliff is more than 13,100 feet. We will have a nice walk near the canyon. After this you can have a nice relaxing time in the Calera hot springs. On the second day, we will have a little bus ride to Cruz del Condor where we can appreciate the canyon and the impressive condors flying.

After this we will go to Arequipa. Overnight in Arequipa. (2 breakfasts-2 lunches-1 dinner)

Day 10 Lima

Flight back home. If your flight departures is late in the evening, we can organize a city tour or give you some tips to shop, also we can arrange lunch in one of the best restaurants in town, you can enjoy the delicious sea food as ceviche, black shells, rise with mariscos etc, this will be the perfect end for your Peru tour package.

What is included?

• Meals Included: All breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners
• Transfers: All transfer inside Peru after your arrival. Is not included in the price transfer from the Airport to the hotel the day at your arrival and the last day when you leave Peru. This can be arranging for 20 USD dollars per person.
• Accommodation: Hotels 9 nights, hostel at Aguas Calientes, guest house 1 night at Ticonata Island in Lake Titicaca.
• Transport: Public buses, local flights, train, motor boat.
• Lake Titicaca: Guided tour on Taquile, Amantani and the Uros Islands, one night accommodation in a guest house.
• Machu Picchu: Local guide, entrance fees, train tickets, bus to and from Machu Picchu, hostel and bus from Ollanta to Cusco.
• Colca canyon: Local guide, transport, one night accommodation in a hostel.
• Group leader: We provide an assistant in every city you'll visit; they will give information and tips at the moment of your arrival to each City in Peru.

What is not included?

• Hotels and meals during the days that passengers want to stay in Cusco, Puno or any of the cities, instead of continuing with the trips..
• Transfer from the Airport to the hotel the day at your arrival and the last day when you leave Peru. This can be arrange for 20 USD dollars per person
• Activities not mentioned in the tour description.

What to bring?

Weather can be different in Peru because the Andean mountains, we recommend to bring some warm clothes especially if you travel during May to September the early mornings and nights in Cusco and Puno can be very cold.

Any other items that you wish to pack are at your own discretion however you should attempt to comply with the suggested luggage weight limit.

• Travel documents: passport, visas, travel insurance certificate, air tickets (with photocopies).
• Any vaccination certificates required
• Money: traveller's cheques/cash/credit or debit card, money belt
• First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, aspirin, band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking).

For more information look at our Peru travel Information at the left hand side of the page.

Peru tour - map

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Peru tour notes

All the services in this tour package including food, buses and hotels are good, safe and clean. The hotels and hostels are very nice and they are always located in safe places in all the cities that you will visit.

We work with some of these hotels:

• El Carmel Lima
• El Mariel Lima
• Casona Real Cusco
• Cusco Plaza
• Hotel Intiqa Puno
• La Casa de mi Abuela Arequipa