Overview
Itinerary
Arrive in Lima for the first day of your journey. Dubbed “City of the Kings,” the historic centre of Lima was founded by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro in January 1535 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After you're met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, unwind before celebrating your first night with your Travel Director and fellow travellers this evening over dinner and drinks. (DW) Stay: MGallery Manto, Lima
Explore the coastal, colourful capital of Peru with your Local Expert and fellow female travellers. Delve into its colonial past and see key attractions, including the Cathedral of Lima, the Government Palace, the Archbishop's Palace and City Hall. Visit Casa Aliaga, an impressive mansion that has been home to the Aliaga family for generations, for a tour with Wilma Ehni de Aliaga. Art lovers will enjoy experience at the Museo Larco where an archaeologist will share her knowledge of the museum as you indulge in lunch against a backdrop of an 18th-century garden.
After lunch, meet a Local Expert who will show you Museo Larco, highlighting women's impact and the museum's private collection. End your day by delving into Peruvian culture and ancient history. (B/L)
This morning, catch your flight to the ancient capital of Cusco. Begin your tour of the Sacred Valley while taking in impressive views on your scenic drive along the way. Indulge your curiosity learning how its lower elevation and fertile land for growing crops, including corn, potatoes and quinoa, made it a revered location for the Incas.
After a few stunning photo stops, enjoy lunch at Altar Inca, perched above a valley surrounded by some of the most impressive views of the region. Enjoy a leisurely trip to your hotel for the next couple of nights, the luxurious Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel, where the evening is yours to do as you please. We recommend that you rest to adjust to the altitude comfortably. (B/L) Stay: Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel & Wellness, Urubamba
With curiosity and confidence, visit the Maras salt pans where the Incas harvested their salt. Learn how today the salt from Maras is exported to the entire world.
Then move on to an Incan laboratory in Moray, an archaeological site close to Cusco, to find out more about the ideal altitude to grow crops in the Sacred Valley. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience visiting a local traditional Quechua weaver in the Sacred Valley to learn about the importance these textiles have in shaping personal and regional identities. Afterward, make your way to Laguna Piuray where you'll enjoy a Pachamanca, a traditional Peruvian feast, for your lunch.
In the evening, transfer to Hacienda Huayoccari to discover this gem of the Sacred Valley while exploring its grounds and small museum. Conclude the day by sitting down to a Farm-to-Table Peruvian dinner. (B/L/DW)
Embark on a grand adventure beginning with an IncaRail train ride. Sit back and relax as you enjoy the scenic journey to Machu Picchu Pueblo, the gateway village to Machu Picchu. On the way, visit the Ollantaytambo ruins – a town and archaeological site that was both a fortress and a temple – followed by a stop at a local house in the village's cobblestoned old town and a visit with a local family.
In the afternoon, visit Machu Picchu where you'll meet your Local Experts for a guided visit in small groups with like-minded travellers. Explore the iconic ruins as you learn about their historical and archaeological significance as well as the importance of their location. Set high in the Andes Mountains, the ruins offer spectacular scenery and history dating back to the 15th century. End your day with a relaxing dinner and drinks at your hotel. (B/DW) Stay: Inkaterra Forest, Machu Picchu
Your in-depth journey of Peru continues as you take in the breathtaking landscapes discovering Machu Picchu on your own. Spend the morning exploring at your own pace, with your Travel Director on-hand to answer any queries you may have.
The afternoon is yours at leisure. Relax back at your hotel or perhaps explore the town of Aguas Calientes. Named for the hot springs north of the town, Aguas Calientes is also home to a handicraft market and the Allcamayo waterfall surrounded by exotic trees, butterflies and orchids. Spend the evening as you please before sitting down to dinner with your fellow travellers. (B/DW)
More sights and insights await returning by train to Ollantaytambo where you will transfer to the ancient city of Cusco. Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco showcases a mix of Spanish colonial architecture, ancient remains and a lively cosmopolitan scene. Join a walking tour with a Local Expert to see its cathedral and the Qorikancha temple, the most important temple in the Inca Empire.
Enhance your day by visiting the hand-picked Mantay store, one of four stores in Cusco that support the Mantay project of underaged, often abused, mothers and their young children by providing a home and education. With an evening free to explore, consider asking your Travel Director for recommendations to discover more about this ancient city. (B) Stay: JW Marriott El Convento, Cusco
Peru's Incan history and archaeology will inspire the mind of any curious traveller. Start your day with a walking tour of Sacsayhuaman, a citadel built during the reign of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the ninth Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cusco. Deepen your discoveries with Insight Choice. Opt to join a Local Expert on a guided hike of the Inca ruins at Puca Pucara. Alternatively, explore the artisan bohemian neighbourhood of San Blas and visit the prestigious art galleries.
After lunch at Pachapapa, visit San Blas Church and the surrounding streets before making your way to San Pedro Market to delight your senses with an array of local produce. At the city's planetarium, discover the insights of astronomy, cosmology and its influence on Andean culture on a private, after-hours tour. Conclude a memorable day delighting your taste buds as you try local delicacies paired with hot wine. (B/L)
No visit to Peru is complete without sampling local chocolate. Join an optional visit to the ChocoMuseo where you'll learn more about the chocolate-making process and the cacao bean, the seed of the cacao tree used to make chocolate. Or, perhaps relax and enjoy the facilities at your hotel. Set in a beautiful 16th-century building, make the most of this boutique hotel's signature spa and Andean-inspired healing treatments, massages, facials and custom spa packages.
In the evening, join your fellow female travellers for a memorable dinner at the Inka Grill restaurant where you will toast to your adventures and lifelong friendships formed. (B/DW)
Embark on the next leg of your journey with a flight from Cusco to Lima. Arriving in Peru's capital city, head out on a leisurely coastal drive to town of Paracas. This beach town where the desert meets the Pacific Ocean is the ideal jumping off point for the Ballestas Islands as well as Paracas National Reserve. Indulge your curiosity learning how this protected desert peninsula is known for its abundant wildlife and as an important archaeological area once home to a prehistoric civilization from 800 BCE and 200 BCE. (B) Stay: Paracas, a Luxury Collection Resort
Peru's Incan history and beautiful landscapes will inspire the mind of any curious traveller. Uncover insights into Paracas' local culture meeting fishermen and women who share their daily lives and routines in this charming coastal town.
Deepen your discovery of the area and treat yourself to incredible views with a flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a collection of giant geoglyphs drawn in the desert sand by the Nazca people. Look out from your aircraft for representations of plants and animals including a spider, hummingbird, cactus plant, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower and tree measuring up to 1,200 feet (370 meters) long.
Conclude another grand day over a sea-to-table meal at your luxurious resort by the bay. (B/D)
Home to blue footed boobies, Humboldt penguins, Peruvian pelicans, fur seals and sea lions, the Ballestas Islands are famous for their abundant marine life as well as striking rock formations. Soak it all in on this morning's scenic cruise with your Local Expert. Experience another side of the area in the nearby city of Chinca at a pisco distillery for a tasting. Sip and savour the national drink in Peru in this region known for growing grapes and producing the best pisco.
Enhance your cultural discoveries at one of Peru's finest small museums housing mummies, skulls, fossils, ceramics, textiles and artifacts from the Inca and other significant civilizations of the region. (B/L)
Lands so rich with history they will leave you spellbound. Embark on your return to Lima, stopping at Hacienda San José in Chincha. On your insightful tour, learn how this former slave plantation portrays a dark chapter of Peruvian history. Tour the original building and baroque chapel, viewing frescoes, agricultural equipment, a web of catacombs and underground tunnels which were used to bring the slaves from the coast to the Hacienda. After immersing yourself in Peru's history, your tour concludes with a drop-off at the Lima airport. (B/L)
Trip Inclusions
- Cathedral of Lima: This morning, explore Peru's buzzing capital with your Local Expert, including the Cathedral of Lima, the Government Palace, the Archbishop's Palace and City Hall.
- Sacred Valley: The Maras Salt Mine will inspire the mind of any curious traveller. Learn how salt once harvested by Incas at this site is now exported to the entire world. Discover how the Incas found a water stream with high salt content and learned - in Pre-Incan times - how to build terraces to extract salt. You'll be amazed at how, to this day, it is not known where the water actually comes from and has only been measured in the last 20 years during which the flow and intensity has not changed.
- Sacred Valley: Peru's Incan history and archaeology will inspire the mind of any curious traveller. At the Moray Incan laboratory northwest of Cusco, learn how the Incas determined the ideal altitude to grow crops in the Sacred Valley. You'll be fascinated by how this ancient culture learned how to build these terraced circular depressions on a high plateau at an altitude of about 11,500 feet and experimented with different kinds of soils and temperatures to grow their crops.
- Machu Picchu: Transfer to the station for your 360° IncaRail train ride. This train ride offers an unforgettable experience journeying through the Andes Mountains in style with large panoramic views allowing guests to enjoy the amazing scenery of the lush mountains and the Urubamba River en route to Machu Piccu Pueblo.
- Sacred Valley: On the way, visit the Ollantaytambo ruins, consisting of a large fortress built in the 1400s, a stepped terrace, and an area known as the Princess Baths, where ceremonial bathing took place. Later, stop by a a local house in the village and meet the family living there.
- Aguas Calientes: Peru's Incan history and archaeology will inspire the mind of any curious traveller. With a full day, you have the option to return to Machu Picchu for a different circuit. Or, take advantage of a day at leisure in Aguas Caliente – the town of Machu Picchu of 3,400 residents - to stroll along the river, go shopping for that perfect local souvenir or grab a coffee all midst the cloud forest.
- Cusco: Once you arrive, head on a walking tour of Cusco with a Local Expert. Explore what's known as the "historic capital" of Peru as you discover its ancestral magic through visits to the cathedral and the Qorikancha temple.
- Cusco: Start your day with a walking tour of Cusco, before heading to Sacsayhuaman.
- Paracas: A windswept coastline and haven for wildlife. The Ballestas Islands are a wildlife sanctuary that hold over 200 species of birds including Peruvian boobies, Inca terns, pelicans, red-legged cormorants and Humboldt penguins. You'll treasure this opportunity to see these penguins in their natural habitat alongside a plethora of different birds.
- Paracas: The pride of Peru and their national drink, Pisco is a must-try on any trip to Peru. Visit the beautiful Hacienda La Caravedo to learn about how Pisco was traditionally made on this unique opportunity to see the oldest, continuously operating distillery in the Americas established in 1684 and the biggest distillery in South America. In addition to learning about this tasty beverage, you'll love learning how the distillery has plants on their rooftop to offset Co2 emissions.
- Machu Picchu: Enjoy a guided visit with a Local Expert.
- Cusco: Visit Cusco's planetarium to learn more on how the Incas interpreted the stars. After a reception with hot wine (or tea) and appetizers, local experts will explain and share stories about the influence the stars had on Andean culture. You'll then be led to a room specially accommodated to view the ancient night skies, weather permitting.
- Paracas: Take to the skies on your Peru tour to see the iconic Nazca Lines, archaeological enigmas scratched in the ground 500 B.C. and A.D. 500. Gaze down in awe of these massive designs and patterns you can only view from above. Your private flight will show you many of the lines, complete with their names and a bit of history. From above, you'll observe the different types: straight, geometric (such as triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, spirals, arrows, zigzags, and wavy lines), and pictorial (including a spider, hummingbird, cactus plant, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower, tree, lizard, dog, and even a mysterious humanoid figure). Some of the animal geoglyphs are up to 1,200 feet long! You'll also learn why the Nazca culture created these lines in the desert plains of the Rio Grande de Nazca River basin and how the Nazca people were able to carve out such massive designs.
- Lima: Unwind at your luxury abode in Lima before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travellers in the evening for a dinner that elegantly captures typical flavours of the Peruvian capital.
- Lima: Visit Casa Aliaga that the Aliaga family has called home for 17 generations. Meet Wilma Ehni de Aliaga, who'll show you around her family's impressive mansion and share personal stories. Learn how the colonial home dates to the founding of Lima in 1535 and is the oldest dwelling in the Americas that has been in the same family for generations. Discover how the home was rebuilt and reshaped after earthquakes and architectural trends and represents both the Colonial and Republican history of Lima.
- Join archaeologist Samantha Encalada Rafael from Museo Larco to indulge in lunch in its 18th-century garden setting. You'll love this opportunity to learn insights into the museum's history and the archaeologist's experience working there.
- Visit Museo Larco in Lima's Pueblo Libre District, the highest-rated museum in South America housing the largest collection of Pre-Columbian art. Meet a local specialized guide who will lead you through the museum and share its private collection with you. You'll also delve into Peruvian culture, its ancient history and religious beliefs and learn about the role of women in ancient Peru.
- Founded more than 20 years ago with the aim of sheltering and helping teenage mothers and their children, Mantay store not only offers a safe place, but also provides women with health services, education and job training. The women at Mantay apprentice at a leather workshop as part of their vocational training, learning how to make beautiful hand-sewn leather goods. Once the women reach the age of 18, they transition out of the home with their children but can continue to work full-time in the workshop, providing them with the opportunity for long-term stabilised income. To commemorate your visit, you'll receive a small present supporting the Mantay project.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Cusco: Explore the bohemian neighbourhood of San Blas and visit the prestigious art galleries.
- Cusco: Join a guided hike of the Inca ruins in Puca Pucara.
- Sacred Valley: Visit a local traditional Quechua weaver in the Sacred Valley for a private textile presentation. You'll learn about ancient weaving techniques and the importance these textiles have in shaping personal and regional identities.
- Prices include economy air and air-related charges for the flights between Lima - Cusco. This trip experiences high elevations, we recommend guests with preexisting medical conditions talk with a doctor prior to travel.
- Sacred Valley: Make your way to the small lagoon of Laguna Piuray where you'll enjoy your lunch of Pachamanca, a traditional Peruvian feast.
- Cusco: Enjoy an immersive slow-cooked Cusquenian lunch at Pacha Papa. Lunch will be served al fresco at the courtyard of a historic mansion in the artsy neighbourhood of San Blas.
- Cusco: In the evening, join your fellow travellers for a memorable Celebration Dinner at Inka Grill, where you'll embark on a journey of flavours from Ceviche Palteado to Quinotto and Aji de Gallina.
- Dining Summary: 12 Breakfasts (B), 6 Lunches (L), 5 Dinners with Wine (DW), 1 Dinner (D)
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
Download Brochure
Insight Vacations North & South America (2026-27)
Dates & Pricing
USD
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Insight Vacations. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
Similar Tours
13 Days Lima Lima
Operated By: Insight Vacations
13 Days Lima Lima
Operated By: Insight Vacations
