13-Day Peru Grand Tour: Lima, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca & Machu Picchu

Today’s Highlight: Touch down in Peru and settle into one of Lima’s most vibrant neighborhoods.

Welcome to Peru. Upon arrival, our team will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Miraflores or Barranco. The rest of the day is yours to settle in, take a first walk along the Pacific cliffs, and soak up the energy of South America’s culinary capital.

Overnight in Lima

Today’s Highlight: Dive straight into Lima’s extraordinary food scene,  either on a full culinary tour or through a hands-on market visit and tasting.

Lima is one of the world’s great food cities and Day 2 is dedicated entirely to understanding why. Choose between a full guided culinary tour through local markets, street food stalls, and one of Lima’s celebrated restaurants or a more intimate market visit and tasting experience, exploring the ingredients, producers, and flavors that make Peruvian cuisine unlike anything else on Earth. Either way, ceviche, pisco, and causa are on the menu.

Breakfast & Lunch included

Overnight in Lima

Today’s Highlight: Walk the UNESCO-listed historic center and discover the colonial elegance that earned Lima its place on the world heritage list.

A guided half-day tour of Lima’s historic center: the grand Plaza Mayor, the ornate Cathedral, the baroque architecture of the colonial quarter, and the famous catacombs beneath the San Francisco Convent, one of the most remarkable underground sites in the Americas. The afternoon is free to explore Miraflores or Barranco at your own pace before an early evening transfer to prepare for tomorrow’s flight south.

Breakfast included

Overnight in Lima

Today’s Highlight: Arrive in Peru’s most beautiful colonial city, framed by snow-capped volcanoes and built from white volcanic stone.

A short flight south brings you to Arequipa (2,335m / 7,660ft), the White City. Your afternoon guided tour takes in the spectacular Santa Catalina Monastery, a self-contained colonial city within a city covering over 20,000 square meters, the grand Plaza de Armas, and the historic streets of the city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arequipa also has one of Peru’s finest regional food scenes, and dinner is the perfect first introduction.

Breakfast & Lunch included

Overnight in Arequipa

Today’s Highlight: Descend into one of the world’s deepest canyons, past ancient terraces and traditional Andean villages still living by the old ways.

Depart early for Colca Canyon, at over 3,400m below its rim, one of the deepest gorges on Earth. Today’s route winds through dramatic volcanic landscapes, past pre-Inca agricultural terraces still farmed by local families, and through traditional Collagua and Cabana villages where colonial churches, elaborate textiles, and centuries-old customs remain very much alive. Stop at the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint for your first chance to spot giant Andean condors, wingspans up to 3.2m, soaring on the morning thermals above the canyon.

Breakfast & Lunch included

Overnight in Colca Canyon

Today’s Highlight: A final morning in the canyon before crossing the vast altiplano to the shores of Lake Titicaca.

A second morning in Colca allows for a deeper exploration of the canyon floor, local hot springs, and further condor sightings before the afternoon transfer across the high altiplano to Puno (3,830m / 12,565ft). The drive itself is one of the most atmospheric on the itinerary, open grasslands, grazing alpacas, and distant volcanic peaks stretching to the horizon. Arrive in Puno in the late afternoon and settle in ahead of a full day on the water tomorrow.

Breakfast & Lunch included

Overnight in Puno

Today’s Highlight: Walk on islands made entirely of reeds, meet the families who built them, and climb to a hilltop view over the world’s highest navigable lake.

Board a boat for the Uros Islands, entirely man-made floating platforms constructed from totora reeds, where the Uros people have maintained their unique way of life for generations. Spend time with local families, learn how the islands are built and maintained, then continue to Taquile Island. This UNESCO-recognized community has preserved its textile traditions so completely that their weaving is listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Hike to the hilltop plaza for sweeping lake views and enjoy a traditional lunch before heading back to Puno.

Breakfast & Lunch included.

Overnight in Puno

Today’s Highlight: Cross the vast altiplano by train as the Andes rise around you, one of South America’s great rail journeys.

Today’s transfer from Puno to Cusco is an experience in itself. The train departs on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays, crossing the open altiplano grasslands, passing through small Andean towns, and climbing steadily into the mountains with panoramic windows framing the landscape throughout. Arrive in Cusco in the afternoon with time to settle in before heading to the Sacred Valley tomorrow.

Breakfast included

Overnight in Cusco

Today’s Highlight: Ancient Inca engineering, a surreal salt landscape, and an afternoon with an Andean family who still lives by the old ways.

Transfer to the Sacred Valley for a full day of Inca culture and authentic Andean life. Visit Moray, the Inca’s remarkable circular agricultural terraces designed as an open-air laboratory using altitude to create different micro-climates. Continue to the Maras salt mines, where thousands of terraced pools have harvested mineral-rich spring water since pre-Inca times, still worked by the same local families today. The afternoon takes you into a local Andean community for a traditional weaving demonstration and a home-cooked lunch in the valley.

Breakfast & lunch included

Overnight in Cusco

Today’s Highlight: The Inca’s most complete surviving town, a feast cooked underground, and an evening train ride into the mountains.

Explore Ollantaytambo, the most intact example of Inca urban planning still standing, with dramatic fortress terraces and original stone streets still in daily use. Then sit down to a traditional Pachamanca feast: marinated meats and vegetables slow-cooked in an earth oven with hot volcanic stones, just as Andean communities have done for over 1,000 years. In the late afternoon, board the scenic train to Aguas Calientes as the valley narrows and the mountains close in around you.

Breakfast & lunch included

Overnight in Aguas Calientes

Today’s Highlight: Machu Picchu before the crowds, early entry, expert guiding, and the citadel almost to yourself.

Rise early for first entry into Machu Picchu, morning mist, golden light, and the ruins nearly to yourself. Your licensed guide brings the architecture, astronomy, and Inca history fully to life. After time to explore at your own pace, descend to Aguas Calientes and board the train back to Cusco for the night.

Breakfast & lunch included

Overnight in Cusco

Today’s Highlight: Two civilizations layered on top of each other and an unforgettable final dinner in the Andes.

A full guided day in Cusco takes in Koricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, where perfectly fitted stonework still stands beneath a Spanish colonial church, the vibrant Plaza de Armas, and the monumental ruins of Sacsayhuamán overlooking the city. The evening closes the tour in style: for standard bookings, dinner at Tunupa combines a traditional Andean dance show with sweeping Plaza de Armas views. For premium bookings, MAP Café, set inside the Museo de Arte Precolombino, offers one of the finest dining experiences in Cusco in an extraordinary setting.

Breakfast & Dinner included

Overnight in Cusco