8-Day Peru Itinerary - Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

The 8-day tour will start with a personal reception at Lima airport by your guide and driver, who will accompany you in your private transport to your hotel in Lima.

At 1:30pm, you will be collected from your hotel and taken on a 4-hour tour of the city of Lima.

The first half of the tour will be a visit to the historic center of the Peruvian capital. Sites include:

• The Plaza de Armas (the main square)
• The Government Palace
• The Cathedral of Lima
• The Archbishop’s Palace
• The Cordano Bar (Lima’s oldest bar)
• San Francisco Museum

The second half of the tour will be a visit to the Pueblo Libre district, home to the privately-owned Larco Museum. Here you will find more than 45,000 pieces of original pottery, located in an 18th-century mansion built on a pre-Columbian 7th-century pyramid. Marvel at the countless treasures displayed in one of the world’s most prestigious museums for gold and silver. The Larco Museum’s exclusive collection of pre-Columbian erotic ceramics makes it one of the most popular attractions in South America.

At the end of the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Lima.

5:00am: Pick up from your hotel in Lima.

Travel 245 km along the Pan-American highway to Paracas, a tourist resort in the province of Pisco. Stop for breakfast in the city of Chincha on the way (optional). Arrive in Paracas at 7:45am.

8:00am: Depart by boat to Ballestas Islands. Here you can appreciate the famous Candelabra, an immense petroglyph located in the Bay of Independence in Paracas. 30 minutes offshore, you can observe the biodiversity of marine fauna and birds resident in the Ballestas Islands, including Guaneras, Peruvian Piquero, Cormorant Guanay, Cormorant of Red Legs, Zarcillo, Peruvian Pelican, Humboldt Penguin, sea lions, and dolphins. After 2 hours, you will return to shore.

10:00am: 1-hour drive in private transport to the city of Ica.

11:00am: Visit the award-winning Vitivinicola Winery ‘El Catador’. Here you’ll learn about artisanal wine and pisco making processes and taste the liquors made in the winery.

1:00pm: Take lunch in Ica (optional), and drive to Huacachina.

4:30pm: Visit the Oasis and Lagoon of Huacachina. A natural oasis located 5 km west of Ica. Its emerald green waters are surrounded by huge sand dunes and an abundance of palm trees and eucalyptus trees (introduced species). It is also home to the carob tree species known as Huarango, which is used for resting migratory birds that pass through this region. Here you will take a 90-minute tour in a beach buggy (tubular). An activity perfect for people who like speed, adrenaline, and wind in their face! And do not mind a sand bath from the buggy climbing up and down the massive dunes! At the end of the tour, you will return to the Oasis of Huacachina to walk alongside the lagoon and take photos.

6:30pm: Depart Huacachina and drive 30 minutes to your hotel in Ica.

Day 3 will begin with breakfast in your hotel in Ica.

At 8:00am, your private transport will pick you up and drive you 2 hours to the city of Nazca.

The flight will be 45 minutes long and will give you the chance to observe the famous Nazca Lines, including:

1. The Whale
2. Trapezoids
3. Astronaut
4. Monkey
5. Dog
6. Condor
7. Spider
8. Hummingbird
9. Alcatraz/Flamingo
10. Parrot
11. The Hands
12. The Tree

After the flight, you will take lunch in Nazca and then depart in your private transport on the 6-hour drive back to your hotel in Lima.

Day 4 will begin with breakfast in your hotel in Lima.

Your private transport will then pick you up and drive you to Lima airport to board your mid-morning flight to Cusco.

After a 90-minute flight, you will land in Cusco to be greeted by your guide and driver, who will accompany you in your private transport to your hotel in Cusco.

Once at the hotel, you can relax and enjoy an aromatic cup of coca-leaf tea and take lunch (not included) in one of the local restaurants before beginning the afternoon’s tour of Cusco.

At 1:30pm, you will regroup with your tour guide and private transportation to commence the tour of the Inca capital. The 4-hour tour will take you on a journey through Cusco’s most prominent historical sites such as the Temple of the Sun or Qoricancha, which was the religious, geographical, and political center of Cusco during the period of the Incas. The astounding Inca fortress of Sacsayhuamán, whose stonework is so impeccable that it is said ‘will endure as long as the world itself’. And finally Q’enqo, a sacred Incan pilgrimage site that once served as an astronomical observatory and mummification house.

On the City Tour of Cusco, your personal tour guide will also accompany you around the famous San Pedro market and Plaza de Armas before returning you to your hotel by 6:00pm.

Day 5 begins with breakfast at your hotel in Cusco.

7:30am: Pick up from your hotel in Cusco. After a 1-hour drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, you’ll briefly stop at the Mirador de Taray to capture breathtaking photos of the valley from one of its famous viewpoints.

A further 30-minute drive will bring you to the archaeological park of Pisaq, the home of the famous Intihuatana ‘sundial’, and the first Inca fortress of the tour. Fulfilling many functions including ceremonial, religious, and astronomical, the 15th-century Inca refuge of Pisac is rich in history and offers one of the most spectacular views of the Sacred Valley from above.

After guiding you through the incredibly well-preserved stonework of the archaeological site, your guide and your transport will accompany you back down the valley for a perusal through the town’s iconic market, cobbled streets, and authentic plazas.

The afternoon’s tour will begin surrounded by the natural beauty of Urubamba, the largest town in the Sacred Valley and our lunch destination for the day. With a multitude of restaurants to choose from, you can treat yourself to anything from local cuisine to a buffet lunch from only $20 USD (optional extra cost).

After lunch, your transport will take you alongside the Urubamba River to the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo. Here, your guide will accompany you through the bustling local markets and the famous Inca fortress that towers above the town. The strategic position and architectural sophistication of the site offer visitors some of the most spectacular views of the Sacred Valley from above. The exquisite stonework and rich history of Ollantaytambo will take you and your guide on an impressive journey through Inca antiquity before you complete the day’s tour of the Sacred Valley at Ollantaytambo train station.

The final journey of the day will be aboard the tourist train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town). The 1-hour 45-minute train ride will treat you to breathtaking scenes of snow-capped mountains, Inca farming terraces, and more remarkable Inca ruins. After which you will once again be greeted by your tour guide and escorted to your hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes, the home of Machu Picchu.

Day 6 will begin with breakfast in your hotel in Aguas Calientes.

At 6:30am, your guide will escort you to the bus station where you will board the tourist bus to Machu Picchu. The scenic route from Aguas Calientes takes you on a 30-minute bus ride up the mountainside to the entrance of the Inca citadel. Once inside, you will be taken on a 3-hour tour of Machu Picchu where you will make your way through the Inca city with your personal guide. As well as visiting the famous sites of the Temple of the Sun, the central plaza, and the stepped terraces, you will have plenty of opportunities to take the bucket-list photos you came for atop the panoramic viewpoint of Machu Picchu. Before boarding the bus back down the mountain, your guide will also allow you time to explore the mysteries of the sanctuary alone.

Once you have regrouped with your guide and taken the bus back to Aguas Calientes, there will be time to take lunch in one of Machu Picchu town’s many restaurants (optional extra), before boarding the train back to Ollantaytambo. There you’ll be greeted by your guide and private transportation who will take you on the 2-hour drive back to your hotel in Cusco. Arrival time in Cusco is approximately 6:30pm.

There will also be time to climb Huayna Picchu mountain or Machu Picchu mountain on this tour after your guided tour of the Inca citadel. However, please be aware, this will be an extra cost of $75 USD per person and will involve an extra 2 hours of hiking. Return to Cusco will therefore be aboard a later train and arrival time in Cusco will be approximately 8:30pm.

The Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley tour starts with a pick up at 5:00am from your hotel in Cusco.

Your private transportation will take you on a 2-hour drive through the picturesque towns and valleys of the Peruvian Andes until you reach the town of Cusipata. Here we will stop for a delicious breakfast in a local restaurant amidst the stunning backdrop of the surrounding mountain range.

After breakfast, your driver will transport you a further 90 minutes up the valley to the start of the hike. Accompanied by your guide, you will begin at an elevation of 4,650 m / 15,255 ft. If you do not wish to hike the 90-minute trail to the first viewpoint, our Rainbow Mountain tour includes the optional use of a horse. The horse will happily carry you for 1 hour to the first viewpoint, but if you wish to reach the highest viewpoint, you will need to hike the final 20 minutes on foot, to the summit at 5,040 m / 16,535 ft.

Once you have arrived at the viewpoint, you will be treated to the beautiful views of Vinicunca and its natural formation of mineral-rich striking colors, including vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.

The mountains surrounding Vinicunca comprise the breathtaking hills of the Red Valley. The mountains get their name from the distinct presence of iron oxide in the rock, giving visitors a unique viewpoint of a deep red mountain range. Should you wish to view the valley from the Mirador del Valle Rojo, your guide will accompany you along the trail for an additional 30 minutes to enable you to get some even more astonishing photos. Thankfully, the Red Valley is much quieter than the trails of Rainbow Mountain, treating you to an exclusive experience amongst the Cordillera de los Andes.

Once you have taken in your surroundings and bagged as many photos as you can carry, you will descend back down the mountain with your guide. Your driver will be waiting for you to return at the end of the hike, ready to transport you back to the restaurant in Cusipata for a well-deserved rest and lunch.

The final leg of the tour will be the 2-hour drive back to Cusco. Arrival at your hotel is approximately 4:00pm.

Day 8 will begin with breakfast in your hotel in Cusco.

At the appropriate time, you’ll be picked up by your guide and driver and transferred to Cusco airport in plenty of time to board your return flight to Lima.