Top Travel to Peru 10 Days

 If desired, we can adapt the itinerary according to your personal wishes and interests by adding extra days, activities or destinations to your travel route. Just consult your travel advisor about the different options – everything is possible!

Day 1 Flight to Cusco and City Tour through the capital of the Incas

We will assits you at the airport of Cusco and take you to your hotel, you will have some free time to have a first look around Cusco: visit the charming quarter San Blas, famous for its crafts and arts stores and gallerys, the historical center with its ancient Inca stone walls, narrow streets and colonial buildings, churches and museums.

In San Blas and the center you find a variety of local restaurants to enjoy a typical Peruvian lunch and lots of nice small cafes. At around 1:00pm we will pick you up at your hotel you will start your guided tour through Cusco, the capital of the Incas, with a local tour guide. You will first visit the impressive cathedral on the main square “Plaza de Armas” and then walk through some of Cusco’s oldest Inca streets to the “Qoricancha” temple, also called the temple of the sun. This extraordinary building is one of the most important examples for the clash between Inca and Colonial culture, as the Spanish built their Catholic monastery upon the remains of the ancient Inca temple. After visiting the temple, you will hop on a small bus that will take you the archaeological zone in the upper part of Cusco.

Here, you can find one of the most important Inca ruins of Peru: Sacsayhuaman, an extended archaeological complex with huge stone walls and a lot of mysteries. You also visit the ceremonial center of Qenqo, the small ruins of Puka Pukara and the water temple Tambomachay. You’ll return to the city center in the late afternoon / early evening.

Day 2 Visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas (B, L)

The Sacred Valley is a beautiful valley with picturesque landscapes and small charming villages located between Cusco and Machu Picchu. We will pick you up at around 8:00am in the morning and travel to the valley, our first stop being the village of Chinchero. Here, we will visit one of the most extended archaeological complex of Peru located on the top of the hill. Then we’ll stop in the city center for a visit of the colorful market where people from the valley sell their handmade textiles, pottery, paintings, jewelry and food. After a little shopping tour we continue our journey through the sacred valley  for visit moray a agricultural laboratory then the huge salt manes of maras then we continúe  to the town Urubamba where a delicious lunch buffet is waiting for you. On a full stomach we continue approx. 1 hour to Ollantaytambo, a beautiful traditional village that hosts other Inca ruins worth visiting. Finishing the tour, you have to walk approx. 10 minutes to the train station of Ollantaytambo to catch the train leaving to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town). Arriving in Aguas Calientes (the journey by train takes approx. 1,5 hours), we will pick you up at the train station and take you to your hostel where you’ll have another short briefing about your Machu Picchu tour the next day.

Day 3 The highlight of your Peru tour: ¡Machu Picchu! (B)

Excited?! Today you will visit Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World! Early in the morning you start your little hike up to the main entrance of Machu Picchu. We recommend taking the first tour at 6:00am, with your local guide you will explore the massive Inca city built on top of the mountain in the middle of the jungle. You will visit its terraces, temples, houses and palaces and learn about Machu Picchu’s history, the life of the Incas living here, the discovery of this magic place and much more. After the tour which takes about 2 – 2,5 hours you will have time for your own explorations and can basically stay the whole day at Machu Picchu (we recommend taking snacks with you and enjoy your lunch inside of the complex). In the afternoon, you walk down or take the bus (optional) back to Aguas Calientes where you have some more time to pick up your luggage at the hotel, grab some food and then take your train back to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. In Ollantaytambo you’ll be picked up and travel back to Cusco in a small tourist van arriving at night.

Day 4 Travel through the Andes to Puno (B, L)

Today, you will continue your journey through the Andes along the “Sun Route”: in a comfortable tourist bus you will travel to Puno – a nice ride through picturesque landscapes. Along the way you will stop at different points of interest: you will visit the colonial town Pukara and its museum and stop for some amazing photos at the “La Raya” pass on 4300m. You’ll enjoy a delicious typical lunch in Sicuany and continue to the Inca ruins of Raqchi to visit the Wirachocha temple. Your last stop before arriving to Cusco will be the village Andahuaylillas, where you will visit its church, also known as the “Sixtine Chapel of the Americas” due to its impressive arts. You will arrive in Puno around 5:30 pm in the afternoon. We’ll pick you up at the bus station and take you to your hotel.

Day 5 Visit the floating islands & island Taquile at Lake Titicaca (B, L)

We pick you up in the morning and take you to the harbor of Puno. Here, you will get on a boat and start your tour on the Lake Titicaca. During the journey you can enjoy the amazing view of the deep blue, huge lake from the panoramic deck of the boat. Your first stop will be the floating islands of the Uros, a group of small islands that are entirely made off reed. The inhabitants of the islands, the community of the Uros, have preserved their traditional lifestyle since hounded of years. You will have some time to visit one of the islands, learn about the culture of the Uros and (depending on which island you stop, the Uros have an established rotation system for the visit) take a ride in a traditional reed boat (optional). After visiting the Uros, you will continue your journey by boat to visit the remote island Taquile, a beautiful island with ancient Inca terraces. Again, the inhabitants still live a very traditional lifestyle and visitors are asked to respect the rules and norms while visiting the island. That’s why your guide will explain to you some rules (such as not taking photos without asking and not giving sweets to the children) before entering the island. On the island you will make a little walk to the main square where the locals will receive you and take you to their houses for lunch and you will enjoy a nice typical meal such as trout with rice and potatoes and a delicious soup. During or after lunch your guide will show and explain you more about the culture of the Taquile and show you the traditional clothes they wear which actually show the marital status of each inhabitant. After that you will have some more time on the island before returning to Puno.

Day 6 Bus from Puno to the Colca Canyon (B)

We’ll pick you up between 6:00 am in the morning and start traveling through breathtaking landscapes towards the Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world. We pass Pampa canahuas and some lagoons in the canyon and at approx. 13:00 pm arrive to the village Chivay in the middle of the canyon where you check into your hotel, during the afternoon you can enjoy the calera hot springs and walk in this nice village.

Day 7 Visiting the Colca Canyon, the world’s second deepest canyon See the flight of the Condors (B,L)

After breakfast we will go towards the “Cruz del Condor”, a strategical viewpoint that shows you a magical view of the Canyon and the perfect spot to observe the flight of the majestic condor, Peru’s national bird with a wingspan up to incredible 3 meters. We continue our tour through the Colca Canyon, visiting the small villages Pinchollo, Maca and Yanque with its beautiful colonial churches and stopping at different viewpoints to enjoy the view. Returning to Chivay we have time for lunch then we come back to Arequipa arriving at 6 pm.

Day 8 Arequipa Walking Tour – Lima (B)

At around 9:00 am in the afternoon we pick you up for a walking tour through the “White City” (we prefer the walking tour to the “traditional” panoramic bus tour that most agencies offer). With your tour guide you walk through the small charming streets of the historical center, visit the main square “Plaza de Armas” with its beautiful Jesuit church “La Compañía” and the colonial building “La Casona Tristan del Pozo”. You will also visit the Santa Catalina Monestary, a beautiful monastery with its narrow alleys full of flowers, colorful walls and its many rooms with original ancient furniture. The city tour ends in the center and you will have more time for your own explorations or a nice lunch. In the afternoon we will transfer you to the airport flight to Lima, upon your arrival we will transfer you to the hotel in Lima city.

Day 9 Lima Paracas – Ballestas Islands- Huacachina – Lima (B)

A driver will pick you up at around 3:30 am and take you to the bus station where you board a comfortable tourist bus. You travel down South along the coast on the Panamerican highway to the city of Ica (approx. 4 hours in the morning at around 8:00 am we will walk towards the harbor of Paracas, located approx. 1,5 hours from Ica. Here you will board a small motor boat taking you to the Ballestas Islands approx. 30 minutes from the coast. Here you can observe Humboldt penguins, sea lions, cormorants, Peruvian boobies and other sea-birds from a very short distance. On your way back to the dock you will also see the so-called “Candelabra”, a mysterious symbol that was carved into the face of the cliff by an unknown civilization. Here you will be picked up at the bus station and be taken straight to the oasis Huacachina in the middle of the desert of Ica. You will have time to relax at the hostel pool between sand dunes and palm trees, have lunch in one of the restaurants around the small oasis, take a little walk through the desert or climbing up one of In the afternoon around 15:00 pm you will be picked up for a thrilling and beautiful adventure: an experienced driver will take you at high speed deep into the desert and dunes around the oasis in a so-called sand buggy. You will stop at various points to contemplate the beautiful scenery and enjoy the sunset within the desert. Adventurous travelers are invited to try sandboarding, sliding down the dunes on special sand boards. Then take a bus back to Lima.

Day 10 Transfer out (B)

Free day to visit Miraflores is a safe quarter located at the coast of Lima so you can without worrying take a walk on the “Malecon” (the beautiful seafront), visit the center of Miraflores and its “Parque Kennedy” (the central park) or have a delicious lunch or dinner in one of the many restaurants. The neighboring quarter Barranco is also worth a visit!
According the time of your international flight we will transfer to the airport.