Itinerary Highlights
- Explore the culinary highlights of Lima by Bike
- Zip line through the Sacred Valley
- Stand-up Paddle board on a high altitude lagoon
- Mountain Bike past Inca ruins
- Trek the Royal Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
- Explore the Archaeological sites around Cuzco by horseback
- Fly over the Nazca Lines and visit the Peruvian Desert
What's Included
- Flights
- Accommodation Throughout
- Transfers
13 nights from £5,195 per person
Kerry Cook
Travel Specialist
Peru is a dream destination for the adventurous traveller, with a range of things to do and see to suit all levels of activity. This itinerary spends time in Lima, seeing the city by bike and finding some of the best local eateries, before moving on to the Sacred Valley the adventure sports centre for Peru and one of the most beautiful parts of the country. In the Sacred Valley there is the option to experience one of the most scenic zip lines in the world, stand-up paddle board or Kayak on a stunning high-altitude lagoon and even mountain bike near an ancient Inca settlement. Continue your trip to Machu Picchu, with a full day hike that is the final part of the Inca Trail, arriving to the Sun Gate for unforgettable views and a rewarding night in a comfortable hotel at the end of the trail. Finish your time in the high Andes in vibrant Cuzco, surrounded by dramatic peaks, savouring the hustle and bustle of the cobbled streets before having the opportunity to see the ruins on the outskirts of the city by horseback. To complete your trip, return to Lima for a final two days based on the Pacific Coast, with the chance to fly over the enigmatic Nazca Lines as well as venturing out into the Peruvian Desert at Huacachina for the unique experience of sandboarding over the dunes.
Itinerary
Day 1 | Fly UK to Lima
Start your Peruvian adventure today as you fly into the country's main city of Lima where you are collected from the airport by a local representative. Miraflores is an upmarket neighbourhood full of restaurants, shops and residential areas. From your hotel you can easily walk to the Parque de Amor (Park of Love) and Huaca Pucllana ruins that date back to AD400. Overlooking the ruins the restaurant offers incredible views, especially when illuminated at night.
Day 2 | Lima
Visit the traditional district of Barranco by bike whilst exploring Lima's unique and increasingly well-known gastronomic scene. Learn about the flavours, colours, aromas and stories behind the renowned cuisine as you visit small typical Limean restaurants, called Huariques. Try a variety of local dishes as you cycle around the district and stop to learn about what is putting Peru on the map for food lovers across the world.
Day 3 | Lima to Cuzco to Sacred Valley
Begin your week of adventure by flying into the ancient capital of Cuzco. You are collected and wind your way into the Sacred Valley, passing dramatic landscapes, attractive colonial towns and ancient Inca sites. You arrive in the afternoon at your accommodation based in Ollantaytambo town and have the afternoon free to explore some of the old Inca settlement independently and begin to acclimatise to the altitude in this area of the Andes.
Day 4 | Sacred Valley
Today you head out for one of the most stunning views of the Sacred Valley. You begin the adventure by climbing 400 metres up a rock face “via ferrata”, which involves a path of protruding metal steps whilst secured to a line that ensures your safety at all times. The total climb time is approximately one hour, and at the top you take lunch at the highest point with spectacular and unrivalled views over the surrounding Sacred Valley. After lunch, the adrenaline continues as you descend via a circuit of six zipline cables ranging from 250 metres to 700 metres in length, for grand total of 2400 metres to the valley floor. Please note that this excursion can be also swapped for a white-water rafting adventure instead.
Day 5 | Sacred Valley
Today you are taken to a beautiful spot just outside of Chinchero in the Sacred Valley, Laguna Piuray. This high-altitude, small lagoon with views of the snow-capped peak of Salkantay mountain, it is not only one of the most picturesque settings in the Sacred Valley, but also on some of the cleanest and flattest waters for water sports. You are given the choice of kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding on the lake, and then explore the reed banks and viewpoints from across the water. At the end of the time paddling, you have a typical Andean lunch laid out back at the lakeside, with a range of local specialities.
Day 6 | Sacred Valley
Today discover the Sacred Valley by bike. Set out by bike along a hilly track past the Huaypo Lagoon to reach the important Inca agricultural site of Moray, where enormous Pre-Incan circular and semi-circular agricultural terraces were constructed. The area is so large that at least 3000 plant varieties, including potatoes and corn, could have been grown. From there, continue on to the town of Maras, where you stop for a picnic lunch before continuing downhill to visit the largest salt pans in the region, the Salineras of Maras. Finish with a 30 to 40-minute decent to the village of Pichingoto, which was the top salt producer during the Spanish colonial era. Admire corn fields and green prairies, spectacular mountain landscapes and picturesque villages, before crossing the Urubamba River for your transport back to your hotel. Please that this trip today can also be arranged riding electric bikes, to make the climbs a little easier!
Day 7 | Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu
From the train station at Ollantaytambo, take the Vistadome service to KM104 of the Inca Trail. Here you embark on a 13km hike to reach Peru's most iconic sight, Machu Picchu. After a short stop at a small Inca site, begin an ascent of which takes you to a beautiful valley shrouded in cloud forest. You continue on the scenic trail uphill before arriving at your lunch stop and a beautiful waterfall leading to Wiñay Wayna, the most important archaeological site in the area after Machu Picchu. The final stretch of walking arrives at the Puerta del Sol (the Sun Gate) or Intipunku, for majestic views over the ancient citadel and a short decent into the site. You have some time enjoy the views of Machu Picchu before then heading down to the village and your comfortable hotel bed, prior to a more extensive tour tomorrow.
Day 8 | Machu Picchu to Cuzco
With its remote and spectacular location, this awe-inspiring ancient city was left totally forgotten until the early part of the 20th century. Now recognised as a worldwide 'must visit' destination, it is the highlight of any trip to Peru. The site, often shrouded in a deep white mist, exudes grandeur and oozes mystery. This morning, learn about the Inca history from your knowledgeable guide. For the most spectacular views, climb the steep steps of Wayna Picchu which towers roughly 300 metres over the citadel. At the end of your visit, you then take the train journey all the way back to Cuzco and your base for the next night.
Day 9 | Cuzco
Cuzco is often regarded as the archaeological capital of the Americas and the city is a delight to explore on foot. You explore the centre, from the beautiful Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas main square to the bohemian artist neighbourhood of San Blas. Later, learn about the history of the city with your local guide by saddling up and riding on horseback to explore the outlying ruins of Sacsayhuamán.
Day 10 | Cuzco to Lima to Paracas
Depart Cuzco and the Andes this morning, flying back towards Lima and the capital of Peru. From here you are collected and driven around four hours south down the Pacific Coast towards the town of Paracas. Paracas is a good base from which to visit the Nazca Lines, as well as travel inland to the Desert. The Paracas National Park is a rugged and wildlife rich area on the Paracas peninsula and also known for its mysterious Candelabra, a huge prehistoric geoglyph etched into a hillside.
Day 11 | Nazca Lines
You are collected and driven to the airport in Pisco to board a light aircraft for your spectacular flight over the Nazca Lines. The lines are a large number of geoglyphs including a bird, a monkey, a spider and a fish. Covering nearly 1000 square kilometres, there are nearly 300 figures etched into the desert sand, some as shallow as 20cm deep. Many attempts have been made to explain the site but until now, there is still no clear reasoning, they truly are a bizarre mystery. From the skies, gain a bird's-eye view of these remarkable lines.
Staying at
Hacienda Bahia Paracas
Day 12 | Huacachina
Today you are driven inland from the coast and towards the desert town of Ica. From here you venture out onto one of the driest deserts on earth for an exciting journey up and down the sand dunes. Experienced drivers first take you in off sand buggies, gradually working your way up the dunes for spectacular views across the vast expanse of desert landscape. Along the way there are various photo opportunities, as well as the chance to try sandboarding for an exhilarating experience riding down the sand.
Day 13 | Flight Home
Today you are collected and driven back north up the Pacific Coast to Lima, in time for your chosen flights from the Peruvian capital.
Kerry Cook
Travel Specialist
Pricing Information & Dates
13 nights from £5,195 per person
Kerry Cook
Travel Specialist
Price Includes
- Return International Flights as per the itinerary
- All airport taxes and security charges
- Accommodation and meals as specified
- Transfers as specified
- Activities and excursions as specified
- All entrace fees on sightseeing tours as specified
Price Excludes
- Travel Insurance
- Any meals not specified in the itinerary
- Tips and gratuities
- Optional excursions
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- We've been leading wildlife travel since our first South Africa tours over 25 years ago
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- We take care to actively contribute to the conservation of environments we visit
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