The best of Peru in 10 days

Day 1: Arrival in Lima

Welcome to Peru!

Upon arrival at Lima International Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Meals: Not included
Overnight: Lima

Day 2: Lima City Tour & Culinary Experience

After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel to begin a unique cultural and gastronomic journey through Lima.

Your culinary adventure starts at a traditional Peruvian market, where you will discover a wide variety of local products, vegetables, and essential ingredients of Peruvian cuisine. You will also enjoy tastings of exotic fruits such as cherimoya, lúcuma, aguaymanto, and pacae.

Next, we visit a renowned restaurant for a hands-on cooking experience, where you will learn how to prepare Peru’s iconic Pisco Sour and the world-famous ceviche. Afterwards, enjoy an exquisite lunch featuring the most representative dishes of Peruvian gastronomy.

In the afternoon, we continue with a guided tour of Lima, the “City of Kings.” Visit the Historic Center of Lima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where Spanish colonial Lima was founded in the 16th century. Highlights include:

• Plaza San Martín

• Plaza Mayor

• Government Palace

• Cathedral of Lima

• Archbishop’s and Municipal Palaces

• Desamparados Station

We will then visit the Convent and Catacombs of San Francisco, one of the most important religious complexes of the 17th century, including its library, cloister, choir, and underground catacombs.

The tour continues through the modern districts of Miraflores and San Isidro, with a stop at the romantic Parque del Amor, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Return to your hotel.

Duration: Approximately 7 hours (starting around 10:30 am)
Meals: Lunch
Overnight: Lima

Day 3: Paracas, Ballestas Islands & Huacachina Oasis (Full Day)

Early morning pick-up from your hotel (around 4:30 am) for a full-day coastal adventure.

We travel south to Paracas, stopping in Chilca for an optional breakfast of traditional pork and tamales (not included).

Upon arrival in Paracas, we head to El Chaco Port for a boat excursion to the Ballestas Islands, home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife including sea lions, Humboldt penguins, flamingos, cormorants, and pelicans. You will also see the mysterious Candelabra geoglyph, whose origins remain a fascinating mystery.

After the excursion, enjoy free time for snacks and shopping, followed by a visit to a traditional sweet shop to taste chocotejas, alfajores, jams, and artisanal cookies.

We then continue to Ica and visit the stunning Huacachina Oasis, a natural lagoon surrounded by towering sand dunes. Enjoy free time to explore and take photos before embarking on an exhilarating dune buggy ride and sandboarding experience.

Later, we visit a historic Pisco and wine winery, founded in 1856, where you will learn about the artisanal production process and enjoy tastings of wines, piscos, macerados, mistelas, and pisco creams.

On the return journey, stop in Chincha at La Bodega for additional tastings and a lively Afro-Peruvian music and dance show, featuring the traditional cajón.

Return to Lima in the evening.

Duration: Full day (approx. 4:30 am – 9:00 pm)
Meals: Not included
Overnight: Lima

Day 4: Lima – Cusco | Cusco City Tour

Transfer to Lima airport for your flight to Cusco.

Upon arrival in Cusco, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Later, enjoy a guided Cusco City Tour, starting with:

• Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun) and the Convent of Santo Domingo, showcasing the fusion of Inca and colonial architecture.

Continue to the impressive Inca sites surrounding the city:

• Sacsayhuamán, with its massive stone walls and panoramic views of Cusco

• Qenqo, a ceremonial and ritual site

• Pucapucara, a former military and control post

• Tambomachay, a sacred site dedicated to water worship

Return to your hotel.

Duration: Approximately 4 hours
Meals: Not included
Overnight: Cusco

Day 5: Sacred Valley of the Incas

Morning pick-up from your hotel.

Visit the impressive archaeological site of Pisac, featuring agricultural terraces and ceremonial structures. Continue to the Pisac Artisan Market, famous for its colorful handicrafts.

Enjoy a buffet lunch in Urubamba, followed by a visit to Ollantaytambo, one of the best-preserved Inca towns, still inhabited since Inca times. Explore its fortress, temples, and ancient water channels.

Conclude the tour in Chinchero, known for its colonial church, Inca foundations, and scenic Andean landscapes.

Return to Cusco in the evening.

Meals: Buffet lunch
Overnight: Cusco

Day 6: Machu Picchu – The Lost City of the Incas

Early hotel pick-up according to your train schedule.

Transfer to the train station and board the PeruRail Expedition train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). Upon arrival, transfer to the bus station for a scenic 30-minute ride up to Machu Picchu.

Enjoy a guided tour of this world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by free time to explore and take photographs at your own pace.

In the afternoon, return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and free time before boarding the train back to Cusco. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.

Meals: Lunch
Overnight: Cusco

Day 7: Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca)

Early morning pick-up (around 4:00 am) and departure south of Cusco.

Stop in Cusipata for breakfast, then continue to Llaqto, where the hike begins. Optional horse rental is available.

The hike takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach Rainbow Mountain (5,200 m / 17,060 ft). Enjoy breathtaking views of the colorful mountain and the surrounding Ausangate landscapes.

After time for photos and rest, descend back to Llaqto for lunch before returning to Cusco in the late afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Overnight: Cusco

Day 8: Cusco – Puerto Maldonado | Amazon Rainforest Experience

Flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado.

Upon arrival, travel by road and boat along the Tambopata River, enjoying your first taste of Amazonian cuisine en route. After a short jungle walk, arrive at Refugio Amazonas, a charming ecolodge nestled in a chestnut forest.

Settle into your spacious room and enjoy lodge amenities. In the afternoon, visit the Canopy Tower for panoramic rainforest views and excellent birdwatching opportunities.

Before dinner, attend a night lecture by Wired Amazon researchers. Later, participate in the Discovering New Species night activity alongside scientists.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight: Refugio Amazonas

Day 9: Macaw Clay Lick & Amazon Farm

Early morning visit to the spectacular Macaw Clay Lick, where hundreds of parrots and macaws gather at dawn in one of the Amazon’s most impressive wildlife displays.

In the afternoon, participate in the AmazonCam activity, setting camera traps along jungle trails. Visit a local Amazon farm to learn about sustainable agriculture and traditional uses of rainforest plants.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight: Refugio Amazonas

Day 10: Tambopata – Lima | Departure

After an early breakfast, return to Puerto Maldonado and board your flight back to Lima.

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