Is Peru a good destination for a family vacation?

Yes, Peru works very well for families when the trip is paced for children. Kids connect with llamas, train rides, chocolate workshops and Inca ruins they can explore, while parents get Machu Picchu and Cusco. The main thing to plan around is altitude, so the first days should be lower.

Is the altitude in Cusco safe for children?

Most children adapt well when they arrive gradually. Cusco sits at about 11,150 ft (3,400 m), so our family tours go to the lower Sacred Valley first. Guides carry oxygen and a first aid kit and watch for headaches or nausea. Check with your pediatrician before traveling, especially with toddlers. Our guide on altitude sickness explains the symptoms to watch for.

Do US children need special documents to travel to Peru?

US citizen children entering Peru as tourists for less than 183 days do not usually need extra documents, even with only one parent. A notarized travel authorization applies to dual US-Peruvian nationals and longer stays. Airlines may still ask for a consent letter from the parent who is not traveling. Each child also needs a passport valid for at least 6 months on arrival.

Can you take a stroller to Machu Picchu?

No. Strollers are not allowed inside Machu Picchu, and the site has many stone stairs, so plan to carry small children on the steeper sections. Restrooms are only at the entrance, outside the turnstiles, and there is no re-entry, so plan a stop before you go in.

Do children pay to enter Machu Picchu?

Children pay reduced rates, but the age for free or reduced entry varies between official sources because two fee structures apply to the site. Every child needs a personal ticket that matches their passport. We confirm the exact rate for your children in writing when we book.

How much does a family tour of Peru cost?

Our private family tours start from USD 1,789 per person for 7 days, USD 3,399 for 9 days and USD 3,789 for 12 days, in the entry hotel category. On the 7-day tour, children under 5 sharing a room are not charged as a third bed. International flights are extra.

What is included in your Peru family tours?

Our family tours include private tours with all entrance tickets, English-speaking licensed guides, airport transfers with our staff, hotels, the meals listed in the itinerary with vegetarian and vegan options, trekking poles, a first aid kit and oxygen for the hikes, and virtual support during the trip.

How many days do you need in Peru with kids?

Plan at least 7 days to see Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco without rushing children. With 9 days you can add rest time and more hands-on activities, which suits small kids. With 12 days, teens can add active days such as Rainbow Mountain or the desert coast.

What is the best time to visit Peru with kids?

The dry season, May to September, is the easiest time for families, with sunny days in the Andes and drier paths at Machu Picchu. It overlaps with US summer break, so June to August is busy and books early. May and September are good compromises if your school calendar allows.

Are your family tours private?

Yes. Every family tour is private: only your family and your own guides, never strangers, so you can slow down, take a break or skip an activity whenever the kids need it. We are also ESNNA certified, the Peruvian standard for protecting minors in tourism.

Peru Family Tours

Private 7, 9 and 12-day trips paced for kids, teens and parents

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WhyYou’ll Love These Tours

A Guide Just for the Kids On our family trips one guide looks after the parents and another the children, so nobody has to sit through a lecture.
ESNNA Certified We hold ESNNA certification, Peru’s national standard for the protection of minors in tourism, run by MINCETUR.
Altitude Planned for Kids All 3 itineraries go from Cusco airport straight down to the Sacred Valley, lower than Cusco, before the bigger days.

What Our Travelers Say About Us

An unforgettable Peru trip thanks to Exploor Peru!

Exploor was the best choice we made for our Peru trip. They planned every part of the trip exceptionally well right from the planning to scheduling and sharing of information.

They had a great team who were prompt, friendly and thorough. A big shoutout to Rosmy from the planning team and Maik and Grimaldo who were our guides. They went over and above for each leg of the trip. Great vehicles, good restaurant selection for meals, well-explained tours made the whole experience very memorable and comfortable. An added bonus was the great photo taking which our guides were experts in 🙂 10/10 recommended!

harivk2106, USA

Best of the best

Exploor made it possible to be completely hands off and thoroughly enjoy the is trip. I am beyond pleased with their services and would highly recommend! They were also very accommodating to flight delays and such.

The admin team: Walter, Karen, Rosmy held down the plans! The tour guides: Kari and Andrea …10/10! I feel like I completed a college course on the history of Peru! The drivers made us feel 100% safe and were also very accommodating. Well done team!!

Nathaly A, USA

Rated 4.9 out of 5 based on 1,500+ reviews on TripAdvisor

An unforgettable Peru trip thanks to Exploor Peru!

Exploor was the best choice we made for our Peru trip. They planned every part of the trip exceptionally well right from the planning to scheduling and sharing of information.

harivk2106, USA

Best of the best

Nathaly A, USA

Family Trips to Peru, Built Around Your Kids

Taking children to Peru raises fair questions: how they will cope with the altitude in Cusco, whether a 7-year-old will enjoy 3 hours of ruins, and what happens when someone gets tired halfway through the day. Our family tours answer them in the itinerary itself: short transfers, hands-on activities between the big sights, and 2 guides, one for the parents and one for the children.

The 7-day Peru family tour, from USD 1,789, covers the essentials: an alpaca farm on the way into the Sacred Valley, Moray and the Maras salt pans with lunch at a local family’s home, a llama walk, the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes), an early guided visit of Machu Picchu and a chocolate-making workshop in Cusco.

The 9-day family tour, from USD 3,399, is our pick for small children: the Magic Water Circuit fountains in Lima, a day at Lake Piuray making little ceramic bulls, a Pachamanca lunch and a llama walk. The 12-day family tour, from USD 3,789, suits teens, with a bike tour in Lima, an ATV or bike ride to Maras and Moray, a night at a llama lodge, stargazing and a shorter route to Rainbow Mountain. Families with older kids can swap the train for the 2-day Inca Trail on both.

What every family tour includes. Private tours with entrance tickets, English-speaking licensed guides, airport transfers with our staff, the meals listed day by day (vegetarian and vegan options available), and trekking poles, a first aid kit and oxygen for the hikes. On the 7-day tour, children under 5 sharing a room do not add a third bed charge: the room is priced for 2.

Machu Picchu with kids. Strollers are not allowed inside, and the only restrooms are at the entrance, outside the turnstiles, with no re-entry once you are in. Tickets are personal, so each child’s name and passport must match the booking. Ages for free or reduced child entry vary between sources, so we confirm the rate for your children in writing when we book.

Documents. US citizen children entering Peru as tourists for less than 183 days do not usually need extra paperwork, even with one parent, but airlines sometimes ask for a consent letter. Our Peru entry requirements guide has the details, and our guide to booking a stress-free family tour covers what to ask any operator.

7-Day Peru Family Tour: Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu & Cusco

The trip your family will still be talking about in ten years.

Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

7 days /

from:USD 1789

Perfect for Small Children

The Ultimate 9-Day Peru Family Tour

Built for families who want an adventure, not a package.

Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

9 days /

from:USD 3399

Perfect for Teens

Ultimate 12-Day Peru Family Tour

Everything Peru has to offer - experienced as a family.

Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

Didn’t Find Your Perfect Match?

No two travelers are the same, and your family trip to Peru shouldn’t be either. With our tailor-made tours, you can adjust every detail to match your style, pace and interests.

100% tailor-made itinerary
Handpicked hotels & restaurants
24/7 support

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Erik Exploor Peru travel expert and tour specialist

Erik, Peru travel expert

Featured Experiences for Families

Llama & Alpaca Encounters
Every family tour has time with llamas and alpacas: alpacas at a farm or weaving village, a guided llama walk and, on the 12-day trip, a night at a llama lodge.
Chocolate-Making Workshop
In Cusco, kids and parents follow cacao from bean to bar, make their own chocolate and taste it at the end. It is on the 7-day and 9-day family tours.
Machu Picchu Family Adventure
An early entry and a licensed guide who tells the Inca story in a way children follow: how they built without mortar or the wheel, and why the terraces are there.
Lake Titicaca Island Visit
Not in our set family itineraries, but easy to add: a boat to the Uros floating islands at about 12,500 ft (3,810 m), best once kids have adjusted in Cusco.

7, 9 or 12 Days: Which Family Tour Fits Your Kids?

First trip or a short school break: 7 days. Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco without rushing, with an animal or hands-on activity almost every day. From USD 1,789.

Young children: 9 days. More time in the Sacred Valley, a lakeside picnic day at Piuray and the Chocolate Museum, and nights back in the valley after Machu Picchu. From USD 3,399.

Teens: 12 days. Bikes, ATVs, a llama lodge, Rainbow Mountain on a shorter route and an optional desert extension to Paracas and Huacachina for dune buggies and sandboarding. From USD 3,789.

When to go. The dry season, May to September, is the easiest for families, and US summer break falls right in it, so June to August books up first. Machu Picchu tickets often sell out 60 days or more ahead, and earlier for those months, so book as soon as your dates are fixed. The wet season, November to April, is greener and quieter, with some rainy afternoons.

Altitude and age. Cusco sits at about 11,150 ft (3,400 m) and the Sacred Valley at about 9,200 ft (2,800 m). We start every family trip in the valley, and our guides carry oxygen, but talk to your pediatrician before you travel, especially with toddlers. Our guide to the best Peru tours for American families compares the options in more depth.

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Did You Know?

The salt pans of Maras have been worked by local families since before the Incas, and the salt is still sold for cooking today. To protect it, visitors can no longer walk between the pools: you see them from the viewpoint above. For families that is good news. The viewpoint is safer with small children than the narrow, slippery edges of the pools, and you can buy a bag of Maras salt at the small stands nearby to take home.