Visit the beautiful colonial city of Lima, also known as the ‘City of Kings’ after its history of being governed by the Spanish Viceroyalty. Lima is full of history, colonial buildings, culture and is as one of the best culinary destinations in the world. You will visit the incredible The Huacachina Oasis, known as the “Oasis of America. ”You will then travel to the majestic city of Cusco, the beautiful Sacred Valley and the main event: Machu Picchu, one of the ‘New 7 Wonders of the World.’
ITINERARY
Day 1: Lima – arrival
Upon your arrival in Lima, a representative of Into Peru will pick you from the airport and take you to your accommodation in the city of Lima. We recommend picking a hotel in Miraflores, San Isidro or Barranco as the most tourist-friendly areas.
In the afternoon , we will pick you up from your hotel to then start our tour that presents the City of Lima in its three historical periods: Pre-Hispanic, Colonial and Modern.
ANCESTRAL LIMA: We begin our tour with a panoramic view of the “Huaca Pucllana”, a magnificent ceremonial and archaeological center built in the IV century AD.
COLONIAL LIMA: We visit the Historic Centre of Lima, where you will be able to see more than fifty monuments and colonial buildings, highlighting the Paseo de la República, Plaza San Martín, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Cathedral Basilica, the Municipal Palace among others, we will also visit the Convent of Santo Domingo*, its Sevillian cloister stands out, the oldest university in South America was founded there and they keep the remains of the Peruvian saints: Santa Rosa de Lima , San Martin de Porres, San Juan Macías.
CONTEMPORARY LIMA: We will visit the most traditional residential areas of Lima, San Isidro, Miraflores and Larcomar. At the end of the tour we will drop you off at your hotel.
*In the event that the Santo Domingo Convent is closed, the San Francisco Convent will be visited.
No meals included on this day
Day 2: Huacachina & Islas Ballestas
We will pick you up from your hotel and leave for Paracas Beach Resort, (trip duration approximately 3 hours). We will make a stop in Chilca to enjoy a delicious breakfast of pork, and tamales (not included in the price).
09:00 am. Arrival at the Paracas Beach Resort, you will go to Puerto El Chaco accompanied by the tour guide, here you will have a wonderful tour to the Ballestas Islands, you will be able to see all the wild life in the area, such as sea lions, Humboldt penguins, black or guanay cormorants, flamingos, parihuanas and various sea birds.
The sea lions as well as the penguins will probably approach our boat and you will be able to see the, close. Thousands of seabirds fly between the islands and their nests can be seen on the rocks. You will also see the Candelabra. The tour guide will tell you about the different hypotheses about its formation (approximately 01:40 hours).
At the end of the excursion there will be time to buy some snacks and drinks. After this, we will go to a candy store, where we will taste the traditional artisanal chocoteja, as well as alfajores, jams, artisanal cookies, stuffed mouse, etc.
11:00 am. Departure to the city of Ica.
12:00 pm. Arrival and excursion to the Oasis of La Huacachina, which is located just 5 km from the center of the city of Ica. In this beautiful lagoon you can enjoy the peace of the place and have some free time to walk and take some pictures.
Dune buggy tour and sandboarding in the Huacachina sand dunes. This tour is both thrilling and beautiful, transporting you at high speeds deep into the desert to see the huge sand dunes on the coast. These mountains of sand are beautiful and surreal.
02:30 pm:The guide will take you to the Restaurant where the worldwide known Pisco, is made.
The Winery of Piscos and Wines was founded in 1856. Very old facilities that reflect the history of Pisco and the artisanal tradition of making Pisco since the 16th century. After visiting the winery facilities, visitors will be invited to taste and/or try the main products made in the winery: Wines, Piscos, Pisco Creams, Macerados and Mistelas.
04:30 pm: Departure to Chincha.
05:30 pm: Stop in Chincha at La Bodega – wine and pisco tasting along with a live show of folk music and dance to the sound of Cajón, dance competition.
06:00 pm. Departure to the city of Lima.
09:00 pm. Arrival to Lima
Duration :Full Day approximately from 4:30 am to 9:00 pm
Day 3: Lima – Cusco walking tour
Hotel pick up and transportation to Lima’s airport
Lima – Cusco flight
Cusco airport pick up and transportation to your hotel in Cusco
Walking tour of Cusco:
We will pick you up from your hotel and take you to one of the most popular markets in the City, San Pedro market. Here, our tour guide will tell you about the tradtions of local people and the different things you can find here such as unique fruits, local cuisine, medicinal plants and crafts.
After this, we will walk to San Francisco plaza where you will learn about the different local trees in our region. We will walk by Garcilaso street and visit a local chocolate factory to learn about the cacao in Cusco.
We will then walk to Cusco Plaza where our tour guide will tell you about the history of our city from ancient times until now .
Day 4: Sacred Valley tour
We will pick you up from your hotel between 8:00 and 8:30 am
Our first stop will be Pisac, an important archaeological complex located at the top of a steep hill, with enormous platforms (or terraces) and Inca temples of solid and perfect construction.
We will then visit Pisac artisan market, one of the best-known in Peru. At noon we will have buffet-style lunch in Urubamba. We will continue to the town of Ollantaytambo, a place with great walls and ancient canals, considered one of the few towns that has been continuously inhabited since the time of the Incas.
There you can explore the impressive fortress, once the site of legendary battles and ancient religious ceremonies. The tour concludes in Chinchero, a place with a beautiful plaza, ancient Inca walls and a beautiful landscape of agricultural fields, peaks and snow-capped mountains of the Cordillera.
We will return to your hotel in Cusco around 7:00 p.m.
Meals: Buffet lunch
Day 5: Machu Picchu
Excursion to Machu Picchu: The day will start early in the morning with a visit to the stunning Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, where you will have a 2 hour guided tour. Afterwards, you will have time to explore the Wonder of the World and ensure you get the perfect photos!
After exploring Machu Picchu, you will take the bus down to Aguas Calientes where you will have time to eat lunch and visit the colourful Machu Picchu Pueblo craft market. When you are ready, you will be taken to the train station to head back to Cusco where one of our representatives will be waiting for you at the station to take you to your accommodation where you will spend the night.
Meals: 3 course lunch
*Service by Expedition Peru Rail train. You can upgrade to Vistadome at checkout.
Day 6: Free day in Cusco
Free day in Cusco to explore the city
Day 7: Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain
We will pick you up between 4:30 and 5:00 am from your hotel in Cusco. We’ll depart heading south from Cusco and drive for approximately 2.5 hours until we get to Cusipata where we will have breakfast at around 7:20 am. After breakfast, we will head towards Llaqto, passing through various small towns. At this point you will have the opportunity to rent a horse to help you during the walk. This is when the extraordinary ascending trek starts, we will walk for approximately 1.5 hours towards the mountain Vinicunca, also called the rainbow mountain, located above 5200m (17,060 ft). During the tour you will have great views of the amazing landscapes of the Ausangate area.
Once at the peak, you can enjoy the mountain in all its splendor, have a rest and ensure you get all the photos necessary! The mountain’s variety of colours are a result of the different minerals contained within it. Afterwards, we will head back to Llaqto where we will have lunch. Afterwards, we will make our way back to Cusco (3 hours), arriving back at the city at approximately 5:30 pm.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Day 8: Cusco departure
Breakfast will be provided by your hotel. At the pre-arranged time, you will be taken to Cusco’s airport for your flight.
End of services
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
- 24 hour support provided by Into Peru
- Transportation airport – hotel – airport
- Entrance tickets to the mentioned attractions and excursions
- Transportation to all attractions
- Professional and certified tour guides
- On the day of your visit to Machu Picchu, the following is included: Aguas Calientes return PeruRail Expedition train, bus Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes, professional tour guides and entrance to Machu Picchu.
- We offer an upgraded train service on PeruRail Vistadome or the luxury PeruRail Hiram Bingham. Please let us know if you would like to upgrade.
- Buffet lunch during the Sacred Valley tour
- 3 course lunch during the Machu Picchu tour
- Lunch during the Rainbow Mountain tour
What’s not included:
- Domestic flights
- Meals not mentioned, tips and other personal expenses.
- Other services not mentioned in the program
- Accommodation (You can add this at check out)
Difficulty: Easy
Max Altitude: 3827m
THE BEST OF PERU IN 8 DAYS PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS
LIZ – BEAUTIFUL CUSCO & LIMA TOUR
“Into Peru are THE people to help you plan your tailor-made trip to Peru! They helped us plan a three week trip to celebrate my 50th birthday. From start to finish our trip was incredible. Our itinerary was faultless and everything went to plan, thanks to Into Peru! As part of our trip we helped at an orphanage for two days – really recommend this. Such a humbling experience. If you’re thinking about going to Peru, think no more – just do it – contact Into Peru!”
BEN – BEAUTIFUL CUSCO & LIMA
“Into Peru made this trip of a lifetime possible. Had none of the usual travel hassles to worry about, they took care of all of it! So friendly, so brilliant, because they sorted it all for us it meant all of our energies could be spent on enjoying such a beautiful vibrant country, and seeing so much of it. Thanks to Into Peru – you’ve made a lifetime ambition a thoroughly amazing reality. Can’t recommend highly enough!”
