Peru Ideal Tour in Lima, Peru - Discover the Best Attractions and Experiences

About this tour

DAY 1. LIMA: Arrival in Lima and private transfer, with driver only, to the hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 2. LIMA / PARACAS: Breakfast at the hotel. We will begin the tour at the wonderful Larco Museum, located in the Pueblo Libre district, where you can see a complete collection of more than 5,000 ceramic pieces, as well as gold and silver, and pre-Columbian erotic art.

Next, we'll go to Lima's historic center to visit the Casa de Aliaga, a colonial mansion with beautiful rooms filled with priceless art and history. We'll continue to the Plaza de Armas, where we'll find the Government Palace, the Archbishop's Palace, the City Hall, and other important colonial-era buildings, including the 16th-century Cathedral.

After the visit, you will be transferred to the bus station to take the tourist bus to Paracas. Upon arrival in Paracas, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 3. PARACAS / NASCA: In the morning, after breakfast, the transport service will pick you up from the hotel to transfer you to the Paracas dock, more precisely to the Chaco station: boarding point for the boat trip to the Ballestas Islands.

It is a nature reserve with beautiful geological formations, impressive wildlife, and remnants of a pre-Incan culture that thrived in the desert, establishing a successful society under harsh conditions. The Ballestas Islands are home to boobies, pelicans, sea lions, and Humboldt penguins, among other species found in the archipelago.

Along the way, you can see the still-unexplained lines drawn in the sand, forming a candelabra shape. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to the bus station to take the tourist bus to Nazca. Upon arrival in Nazca, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 4. NAZCA / AREQUIPA: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your flight over the Nazca Lines. Upon arrival, we will first complete the necessary procedures, which take approximately 45 minutes, and then prepare to fly over these fantastic geoglyphs.

You will see 13 figures such as the whale, the trapeze, the dog, the astronaut, the monkey, the condor, the compass, the spider, the hummingbird, the parrot, the tree, the hands, and the pelican. At the end, you will be transferred to the bus station to take the bus to Arequipa (10 hours). Arrival in Arequipa in the evening and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 5. AREQUIPA: Breakfast at the hotel. Morning free for rest or personal activities. In the afternoon, we will go to the center of Arequipa, to the colonial neighborhood of San Lázaro, where the city was founded.

Next, we will visit the main square, one of the most beautiful in Peru, and neighbor of the imposing Arequipa Cathedral, built in the 17th century and completely rebuilt after several earthquakes.

We will see the Cathedral and the Church of the Society of Jesus (1590), considered a classic example of local baroque architecture that houses an exceptional collection of paintings and murals.

From there we'll go to the Monastery of Santa Catalina, an authentic medieval cloister built in 1579 and still in use today. Then, we'll visit the districts of Yanahuara and Carmen Alto for a panoramic view of the countryside—a truly fantastic sight.

You will visit the main square of the Cayma district and the Church of San Miguel Arcángel de Cayma, located there. The parish church houses a collection of paintings by an anonymous artist depicting the miracles of the Virgin Mary. Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

DAY 6. AREQUIPA / PUNO: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the bus station to take the tourist bus to Puno (6:30 hours). Arrival in Puno and transfer to the hotel. Free afternoon and overnight stay.

DAY 7. PUNO: After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the lake port of Puno, where a regular boat will take you to the floating islands of the Uros. The Uros are an ancestral society that inhabits a series of artificial islands built on the base of the totora reed plant, which grows in the lake itself.

The islands are constructed by weaving totora reeds in the areas where they grow thickest, forming a natural layer. On top of this, they built their houses, also made of totora reeds, and cooked outdoors to avoid potential fires.

After visiting the Uros Islands and a 1.5-hour boat ride, you will continue your journey to Taquile Island. Unlike the other Aymara-speaking islands in the lake, this island is Quechua-speaking. It was once part of the Inca Empire, and remnants of this culture can still be seen in its architecture. Once there, you will receive a brief explanation of the island and witness a cultural activity.

After lunch, you will return to the port of Puno, where our transportation will be waiting to take you to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 8 PUNO / CUSCO: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the bus station to take the tourist bus to Cusco (8 hours).

We will begin the tour at the Pucará Lithic Museum , which we will reach after more than an hour's walk from Abra La Raya. This museum has an important collection of monoliths, stone sculptures, and ceramics belonging to the Pucará culture, which flourished in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia.

Next, we'll reach the highest point of the trail, known as La Raya Pass, located at 4,335 meters above sea level. We'll make a short stop at this point, which marks the border between the cities of Cusco and Puno, and where the snow-capped Chimboya mountain is located.

We will continue our journey by bus for about 40 minutes until we reach the city of Sicuani, to enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at a local restaurant.

We will continue the route until we reach the next stop at the archaeological center of Raqchi at 3,450 meters above sea level. The temple of the god Wiracocha was built during the 15th century next to the Vilcanota River.

The final stop will be Andahuaylillas, located 3,093 meters above sea level. This beautiful Andean town boasts an architectural gem dating back to the 17th century, known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas for its stunning gold-leaf work and paintings from the Cusco School.

We will arrive at the bus station in Cusco, and transfer you to the hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 9. CUSCO / SACRED VALLEY / MACHU PICCHU: Breakfast at the hotel. We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco to begin the 30 km journey to Pisac. This fantastic place has an incredible market and archaeological temples of stone buildings, with amazing views of the valley and the magnificent Inca platforms.

Then we'll continue to Urubamba for a delicious buffet lunch, and afterwards we'll arrive in Ollantaytambo. Its temple served as the headquarters of the Inca army, as well as a religious and agricultural site. It boasts breathtaking views and over a hundred Inca platforms with an advanced irrigation canal for that period.

We will visit Chinchero, and its typical and colorful Inca market, full of traditional crafts such as ceramics and Andean textiles.

After the visit, we will transfer you to the train station in Ollantaytambo, where you will board the Expedition Train to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel and have a short meeting with your guide before the tour to Machu Picchu, scheduled for the following day. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 10. MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the bus that will take you to the magnificent Citadel of Machu Picchu, known as the Lost City of the Inca. The 2-hour guided tour will allow you to explore this impressive archaeological site with incredible landscapes.

Machu Picchu, a World Heritage Site, was the main center of Inca agriculture and the most important urban center of the Inca Empire. Enjoy your free time at Machu Picchu, take photos, or if you're feeling adventurous, you can climb Huayna Picchu (optional) and admire the entire citadel from all around. You also have the option to return to Aguas Calientes and have lunch (optional).

At the agreed time, you will return by train to Ollantaytambo station and be transferred by tourist bus to Cusco, and then dropped off at your hotel located in the city center.

DAY 11. CUSCO: Breakfast at the hotel. In the afternoon, we will begin our tour by visiting the Temple of the Sun, known as Koricancha. This symbolic site is a clear example of the fusion between Inca and Spanish cultures, and its foundation was used to build the Church of Santo Domingo and its famous convent.

Next, we'll visit the Cathedral, located in the main square, to admire beautiful religious paintings from the Cusco School. The Cusco City Tour continues at Sacsayhuaman, an amazing archaeological complex with enormous carved stones that fit together perfectly. It's said to have been built by more than 20,000 men and took over 70 years to complete.

Next, we'll visit Qenqo, a religious temple where the Incas worshipped their gods, such as the sun, the moon, and the earth. You'll have an incredible experience exploring its underground galleries and admiring a semicircular amphitheater. We'll continue this entertaining excursion to the Puca Pucara military complex, which means "Red Fortress" because of its reddish architecture.

Next, we'll visit the Tambomachay water worship center, with its aqueducts and waterfalls fed by nearby springs. Finally, we'll return to Plaza El Regocijo, one block from the Plaza de Armas. Overnight stay.

DAY 12. CUSCO / LIMA / OUT: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer with driver only to Cusco airport for your flight to Lima. Arrival in Lima and connection with your international flight.

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