Itinerary Highlights
- Take the train to discover the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu
- Soak up the historic atmosphere of the Santa Catalina convent in Arequipa
- Watch out for soaring condors in the Colca Canyon
- Visit the indigenous people who live on the floating reed islands at Lake Titicaca
- Admire the well-preseved colonial architectural charm in Cuzco
- Visit the Peruvian Amazon and experience the sights and sounds of the Rainforest
What's Included
- Flights
- Accommodation Throughout
- Transfers
14 nights from £4,795 per person
Kristen Lanskail-Morris
Travel Specialist
Our Wonders of Peru tailor-made tour encompasses the key highlights of a holiday to Peru and is the perfect in depth introduction to one of Latin America's most diverse countries. Start your trip with a visit to the bustling coastal capital city of Lima, with a chance to see the modern Peru with its established gastronomy scene and high quality accommodation, as well as its colonial charm and attractive historical centre.
Continue your trip to one of Peru's most photogenic cities nestled in the far south of the country, where the 'White City' of Arequipa is framed by El Misti volcano. Here you have the opportunity to step back in time as you meander through the Santa Catalina convent, founded in 1580, before then venturing up into the Andes mountains, for a night staying in beautiful Colca Valley.
From here you have the chance to spot the majestic Condor in the Colca Canyon, en route to arriving at the shimmering Lake Titicaca. Cross the high-altitude lake with a visit to the traditional Uros floating reed islands before arriving at the heart of the ancient Inca Empire and the city of Cuzco. No holiday to Peru is complete without a visit to this charming city with its cobbled streets, colourfully dressed locals and well-preserved colonial buildings that all create a magical energy. Complete your Peruvian archaeological adventure at Machu Picchu citadel, arriving by train to discover the history, architecture and beliefs of the Incas before the Spanish invasion.
Finally, having travelling through the magical highlands of Peru, you have the chance to experience an entirely different ecosystem, as you visit the lush Amazon Rainforest. You stay at an Amazon lodge and have the opportunity to explore the diverse wildlife of the largest rainforest in the world.
Please note that this is a suggested itinerary and can be amended around any of your personal preferences, travel dates or flight schedules, allowing total flexibility for longer stays in a certain part of the country or to omit something that you are not looking to do.
Itinerary
Day 1 UK - Lima
Arrive in Lima the capital of Peru, and transfer to your hotel located in the heart of the Miraflores district, close to a great selection of restaurants and cafes and the downtown area. This bustling city offers a mix of experiences from the colonial downtown with historic buildings to the dramatic clifftop shoreline overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Day 2 Lima
Today you are taken to explore the city of Lima also known as the City of Kings. You visit the Plaza de Armas main square and the San Francisco monastery, as well as the excellent Larco Museum, where the well presented collection of Peruvian artefacts offers the perfect introduction to Peruvian history. This evening you may then wish to take in one of the excellent restaurants Lima has to offer, with options to dine in one of the restaurants nominated in the world's top 50.
Day 3 Arequipa
This morning take a flight to Arequipa in southern Peru, and begin your acclimatisation to altitude at this initial base of 2300m above sea level. You have the afternoon at leisure to explore some of the 'white city' on foot and take in the attractive architecture and backdrop of 'El Misti' Volcano.
Day 4 Arequipa
Today you are taken with a guide around the UNESCO World Heritage city centre of Arequipa. The centre of is one of Peru’s most beautiful, and the main plaza with the El Misti volcano looming behind it is where you start your tour. You have the chance to look around at the city’s most distinguished buildings, before next visiting the Santa Catalina Monastery. Founded in 1579; its cloisters, picturesque streets and plazas remain much the same as they were centuries ago. The last stop is at the small Santuarios Andinos Museum. Here you can see the mummified remains of Juanita, an Incas sacrificed to the mountain gods and buried in the ice for nearly 500 years.
Day 5 Arequipa - Colca Canyon
Depart Arequipa today through the town of Yura to the Colca Canyon. Reaching a depth of 3,400 metres the 62 miles of the Colca Canyon is one of the deepest in the world. The valley was home to the Cabana and Collagua people almost 2,000 years ago, who built a system of terraces that trap melting run-off water from nearby snow-capped volcanoes. You have the afternoon to relax around your lodge, and you may wish to visit the nearby hot springs, or simply take your the time to acclimatise to the higher altitude.
Day 6 Colca Canyon - Lake Titicaca
Early morning is the best time for spotting condors in flight at the Cruz del Condor viewpoint. A large family of Andean condors nest nearby and can often be spotted gliding effortlessly in the early morning thermal air currents. After lunch, continue through the canyon towards the lakeside town of Puno, stopping in small local towns & market en-route. As the sunsets, admire the calm of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.
Day 7 Lake Titicaca - Uros & Taquile Islands
Today cross the shimmering waters of Lake Titicaca to the Uros floating reed islands and on to Isla de Taquile. The first stop is at the unique Uros Islands, constructed entirely from buoyant tortora reeds which the locals also use to build their homes, boats and crafts. Continue over the lake to Taquile Island, home to around 2200 people, living peacefully on this slice of natural beauty. The slopes of the Island are lined with Inca terraces and there are spectacular views from the highest point over the water and even onto Bolivia.
Day 8 Lake Titicaca - Cuzco
Travel by road today across the spectacular Andean altiplano with a stop at La Raya, a remote settlement and the highest point of the journey at 4313m where locals offer their handicrafts for sale. There are also plenty of photo opportunities from the dramatic landscape to inquisitive llamas. As you drive north, the landscapes become lush and increasingly populated until you are finally immersed in the enigmatic charm of colonial Cuzco, the heart of the Inca Empire.
Day 9 Cuzco
Today you are taken to explore the city of Cuzco with its Inca and colonial history as well as the impressive ruins of Sacsayhuaman up on the outskirts of the city. These ruins are a wonderful example of Inca military architecture made up of three large terraces which overlap in a zigzag fashion. The city of Cuzco was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and is filled with Spanish arches and squares, and houses with wooden balconies jutting over narrow cobbled streets.
Day 10 Sacred Valley of The Incas
You are collected this morning and taken through some of the best of Sacred Valley of the Incas. The landscape is a dramatic contrast to Cuzco, with steep sided mountains flanking a fertile valley floor carved by glaciers. Your journey takes you to Racchi for incredible views before passing the circular agricultural terracing of Moray, and then the salt flats at Maras salt flats. Continue to one of the most imposing archaeological complexes of the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo, where you visit the fortress and then the town which is considered the "only living Inca city". You are dropped off at your Sacred Valley hotel later on this afternoon.
Day 11 Machu Picchu
From the train station at Ollantaytambo you board the train to Aguas Calientes. You are met at the station and taken to the spectacular citadel of Machu Picchu, discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. At its prime, Machu Picchu was thought to have up to 500 inhabitants and was linked to Cuzco and the jungle by a series of trails. Experts continue to dispute why the site was abandoned as it remained an enigmatic secret to the Spaniards. You overnight in the village below the ruins this evening.
Day 12 Machu Picchu - Cuzco
This morning you have your entrance fee to re-enter the site of Machu Picchu included, and you are at leisure to explore the site without a guide. You have the opportunity to perhaps take one of the hikes within the site up to the Sun Gate for a different perspective over the ruins, or to the Huayna Picchu peak. In the afternoon board the train back towards Cuzco for your final evening in the Andes.
Day 13 Cuzco - Puerto Maldonado
Fly today from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado, and the entry point for the southern Peruvian Amazon. You are collected from the airport and travel by boat to your lodge, where on arrival you begin your excursions into the Rainforest.
Day 14 Peruvian Amazon
Today is a full day based at your Amazon lodge for excursions lead by the expert local guides. You wake up early to the sounds of the rainforest for an excursion into the Tambopata Reserve, and to Lake Sandoval. Glide in a wooden canoe, across a beautiful, mirror-like oxbow lake that is home to the endangered giant river otter, as well as red howler monkeys, red-bellied macaws, anacondas, side-neck turtles and black caimans. You return to your lodge for lunch before then taking in the Canopy Walkway, above the forest for views across the treetops. You have chances of spotting colourful toucans, macaws, woodpeckers and trogons as well as monkeys, and sloths. You have dinner included in your stay, and a can choose from a range of typical Amazonian specialities.
Day 15 Puerto Maldonado - Lima - UK
You have a final morning at the Amazon lodge before you travel back via river to Puerto Maldonado, where you take the flight to Lima to then connect on to your flights back to the UK.
Kristen Lanskail-Morris
Travel Specialist
Pricing Information & Dates
14 nights from £4,795 per person
Kristen Lanskail-Morris
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
Why Choose Us?
Passionate travel experts
- We've been leading wildlife travel since our first South Africa tours over 25 years ago
- Our Travel Specialists have lived in their specialist area for years
- We work with local guides to immerse you deeper in our diverse range of experiences
Personal & tailor-made
- You'll speak to your own expert who'll share their first-hand knowledge
- We'll make your itinerary seamless with 24/7 emergency contact available
- Your Travel Specialist will listen to ensure you have the best chance of seeing the wildlife you love
Responsible by nature
- We take care to actively contribute to the conservation of environments we visit
- For select countries, we make a charitable donation on your behalf when you make your booking
- We've partnered with conservation experts and NGOs to curate responsible tours
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office check www.gov.uk/travelaware
