Classic Peru
12 days, Lima to Cusco
Itinerary
Day 1Lima
Arrive at any time.
We suggest arriving early to experience everything Lima has to offer. A full day tour will be available to book during your trip check-out process.
If you booked the Lima Cooking Class it does not include extra time in Lima and we highly recommend booking pre-trip accommodation. You will be picked up from your hotel at approx 10:00 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return back to your hotel around 13:00.
Please note that hot water shortages and power outages can be fairly common in Peru (even in upgraded hotels and private homes). We appreciate your patience and understanding that these occurrences are outside of our control.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Optional Activities - Day 1 HideShow
Lima Cooking Class (4hrs)
Get a taste of Peruvian cuisine, visit local markets, sample exotic fruit, select fresh ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes influenced by China, Italy, West Africa, and Japan.
Please note that if you are travelling with a family there is no age restriction on this activity and the cooking class is acceptable for children.
Lima City Tour
40USD per personDiscover Lima’s cultural and culinary highlights on this half-day guided tour. Visit the Santo Domingo Monastery, walk around Plaza de Armas, marvel at the Bodega y Quadra Museum, and get to know some of Lima's lovely neighbourhoods. Stop to enjoy some authentic Peruvian tapas and be introduced to Pisco Sours during a demonstration and tasting.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Hotel Santa Cruz (or similar)
Day 2Lima/Puno
Fly to Juliaca and transfer to Puno. Take it easy in the afternoon, wandering the markets and exploring the city.
Fly to Juliaca then take a short bus ride to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Titicaca is also the largest lake in the world above 2000m, and the views from its Islands are stunning.
Visitors arriving in Puno will likely feel the effects of the 3,827m altitude. Symptoms include shortness of breath, headaches, general lethargy, and a reduced appetite. This is no cause for alarm; it is simply your body’s way of coping with the altitude. It may take a little time to acclimatize, but before long you probably will not even notice it. Take it easy for the first day or two, and reduce alcohol and cigarette consumption to minimize the effects. Be sure to drink plenty of water and do not attempt too much in any given day.
Plane
Transfer to the airport in Lima by van (about 45 minutes away) for the short flight to Juliaca.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Free Time
Spend some time getting acclimatized and exploring the city, be sure to check out the view of the lake.
Accommodation
Pukara House (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 3Puno/Lake Titicaca
Enjoy a guided tour of Lake Titicaca and a homestay in a small village.
Head out by boat across Lake Titicaca. Visit the community on the Taquile Islands and opt to have lunch in a local restaurant with spectacular views.
Afterwards, cruise to the another village (this can vary based on community availability) for an overnight homestay on the shores of the lake. This experience provides an opportunity to learn more about rural life in the Peruvian highlands and to participate in local traditions. Eat with the family, learn some Quechua and Spanish language skills, try on traditional costumes, and help out with daily chores around the village.
Lake Titicaca Guided Boat Tour Day 1
Board a boat on Lake Titicaca and head to Taquile Island for an optional delicious Peruvian lunch at a restaurant followed by some shopping at the local weaving cooperatives. Taquileños are known for their fine handwoven textiles and clothing, men are taught how to knit around age five and they create the majority of the textiles. After, enjoy an overnight stay with a host family and a chance to learn about life on the islands.
Your G for Good Moment: Lake Titicaca Homestay
In the aymara community of Luquina Chico on Lake Titicaca, 40 families welcome you to experience their way of life. Thanks to the support of G Adventures and Planeterra, the local families here have strengthened their communities, preserving traditions and creating opportunities for future generations. Split into smaller groups and get a taste of local life firsthand as we move into family homes for the night. Play soccer with the children, enjoy some dancing, watch dinner being made, learn about regional cuisine, and dress up in local clothes for an unforgettable evening with the whole village, enjoying traditional music and dancing. Lend a hand the next morning, and help out with chores like feeding animals, harvesting local produce, or bringing back buckets of water from the well.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 4Lake Titicaca/Puno
Visit the floating islands of Uros before returning to Puno. Opt to visit to Sillustani burial site.
Leave the homestay families late morning and visit the Uros Islands on the way back to Puno. A popular optional activity in Puno is a visit to the spectacular chullpas (funerary towers) of Sillustani, a pre-Inca archaeological site only a short drive away.
Opt to pre-book the Lake Titicaca Kayaking on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Lake Titicaca Guided Boat Tour Day 2
Spend the morning with the homestay families, then depart after lunch. Visit the floating islands of Uros on the way back, and learn about the unique lifestyle of the locals. Meet residents and learn how they built the islands with totora reeds, which are also used to make their homes, boats, crafts (and are also edible!).
Uros Floating Islands Visit
Take a tour of these unique islands. Learn about the buoyant totora reeds that grow in the shallows of Lake Titicaca used to make everything from the islands themselves to the boats the islanders use for transportation (if constructed well, they last up to six months ). Find out from locals how the islands are constructed; as the layers closest to the water start to rot, they are replaced with fresh reeds on top.
Free Time
Make the most of one last afternoon in Puno.
Optional Activities - Day 4 HideShow
Sillustani Burial Towers Entrance
59PEN per personTake a guided tour of the Sillustani burial towers known as "chullpas." Be awed by these fantastic ruins located outside Puno – their remarkable towers stretch up to 12m (39 ft) in height.
Lake Titicaca Kayaking
Take to the waters of the highest navigable body of water in the world, Lake Titicaca, and paddle out to Laquina Island. Get a glimpse into local island life before heading back across the lake to Puno.
Accommodation
Pukara House (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 5Puno/Cusco
Hop on the bus for a full day's drive to Cusco.
The trip from Puno to Cusco takes the better part of the day, with stark, beautiful scenery en route as you travel through the high Altiplano region. Check out a bit of Cusco, find a spot for dinner or get prepared to head into the Sacred Valley.
Local Bus
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Accommodation
Cusco Plaza Saphi (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 6Cusco/Ollantaytambo
Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley. Stop at the G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar).
Travel through the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting a G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op. Meet the women and learn about traditional weaving and dyeing. Opt to pick up some handmade souvenirs and textiles directly from the women who made them.
Have lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn about the G Adventures for Good project and eat a delicious buffet-style lunch. Proceeds of this meal go directly back to the remote community.
Private Vehicle
Make stops along the way as you pass through this gorgeous valley, descending in elevation the whole way.
Your G for Good Moment: Ccaccaccollo Community and Women's Weaving Co-op visit
Visit the Ccaccaccollo community centre which G Adventures travellers' donations helped create in 2005, thereby enabling local women to sell traditional textiles to travellers. See local weaving and dyeing techniques used to create garments and souvenirs, and learn how the Planeterra weaving co-operative has impacted the community and those who visit it. This includes the purchase of alpacas to provide a steady supply of wool, looms, and sewing machines as well as several training courses on production, sales and small business management.
Cuyo Chico Pottery Making Demonstration
In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Using clay from their surroundings, they mold bowls, plates, and all manner of decorations. Learn about the ceramics process as well as the traditional adobe brick-making that forms the basis of houses throughout the valley, all while taking in a spectacular view of the Pisac Ruins. After the demonstration, peruse the items for sale directly from the artisans in their shop.
Your G for Good Moment: Parwa Community Restaurant the Sacred Valley
Contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families in the Sacred Valley, by eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, to become a successful farm-to-table program that boosts the local economy and several spin-off microenterprises.
Optional Activities - Day 6 HideShow
Ollantaytambo Storehouse Ruins and Hike
Get your blood flowing on a steep hike up to the Pinkuylluna Incan storehouses. Perched on the hill, these ruins provide excellent views of the Sacred Valley and the Ollantaytambo ruins below.
Accommodation
Lilium Valle Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 7Lares Trek
Depart Ollantaytambo by van to Lares town where the hike begins. Spend the first night at a G Adventures-supported campsite in Cuncani.
The Lares Trek is a scenic, less touristic route to hike through the Andes. It is one day shorter than the Inca Trail but higher in elevation. Enjoy G Adventures-supported handmade biodegradable soap products for use on the Lares Trek.
The locations and distances may change on this hike, as camping will be done in different places depending on pace, ability, and weather. The first night will always be spent at the G Adventures-supported, community-owned and managed campsite in an indigenous village previously bypassed by the tourism industry. In most cases, the CEO will hike the Lares Trek with the group.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Lares Trek (Lares-Cuncani)
Start early and drive (3 hrs) to Lares town where the hike will start with a leisurely pace through the valley of Cuncani. Hike 4km (2.5 mi) to Chancachaca then stop for lunch. Be sure to rest and rehydrate because the altitude here is around 3480m (11,417 ft).
Continue trekking along rocky mountain paths 4.7km (3 mi) to the isolated village of Cuncani. Camp here for the night at 3872m (12,703 ft) at the G Adventures-supported community run campsite.
Your G for Good Moment: Handmade Biodegradable Soap Products
Enjoy G Adventures-supported handmade biodegradable soap products, for use on our treks. This G Adventures for Good project empowered local Cusqueña women to start their own business in order to reduce the environmental impact of treks in the region. Planeterra provided $10,000 of seed funding for two young entrepreneurs to register their biodegradable products in order to sell them to the tourism industry. "Esencia Andina" is now a successful business that produces biodegradable soaps, detergents, and natural products for travellers, guides, porters, and cooks on our treks.
Your G for Good Moment: Cuncani Community Campsite
Spend the night at the Lares Community campsite, owned and managed by the 71 families that belong to the Cuncani community. The earnings from the campsite are allocated for investment in social projects such as health, education, nutrition, and infrastructure improvements to water and electricity.
Accommodation
Cuncani Camp Site (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 8Lares Trek
Start early to hike from the foothills of Sicllaccasa Mountain to its high pass (4,800m/15,748 ft), providing scenic views of lagoons and the snow-capped Chicon Mountain. Celebrate after reaching the highest point by making an offering of coca leaves to the Andean gods. After the morning hike, stop to rest and take in the amazing view. Continue hiking downhill to our second campsite near the stream for the night.
Lares Trek (Cuncani - Kuyoc)
Hike from the foothills of Sicllaccasa Mountain 12.2km (7.6 mi) to its high pass at 4,800m (15,748ft), providing scenic views of lagoons and the snow-capped Chicon Mountain. Celebrate after reaching the highest point by making an offering of coca leaves to the Andean gods.
Hike downhill another 2.2km (1.3 mi) to QuencaPata, for lunch and to take in the amazing view.
Continue hiking downhill another 2.6km (1.6 mi) to our second campsite near a stream. Sleep tonight at about 4,114m (13,497 ft) elevation.
Accommodation
Suttoq Pacchaq Camp Site (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 9Lares Trek/Aguas Calientes
Enjoy the last few hours of hiking before travelling by van to Ollantaytambo and train to Aguas Calientes to enjoy a good night's rest at your hotel.
Lares Trek (Kuyoc - Punta Carretera)
Follow the trail to see typical Andean flora and fauna, llamas and alpacas. Descend through the valley of Pumahuanca and meet friendly local Quechua people and explore some Inca storehouses along the way. Trek 3-4 hrs to reach the town of Pumahuanca. Enjoy lunch then hop a van to Ollantaytambo. Continue by train to Aguas Calientes.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Train
Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Accommodation
Seven Machu Picchu Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 10Machu Picchu/Cusco
Rise early and enjoy a guided visit to Machu Picchu. Later, travel back towards Cusco by train.
Rise early to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu with your guide. Enjoy a guided visit to the ruins, then head back down by bus to Aguas Calientes to meet up with the rest of the group. Take the scenic train back to Ollantaytambo to meet the van for the ride back to Cusco.
Local Bus
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Machu Picchu Guided Tour
Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.
Local Bus
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Train
Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Cusco Plaza Saphi (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 11Cusco
Enjoy a free day to explore Cusco or relax. Choose to pre-book the Rainbow Mountain hike or the Cusco Cooking Class, or opt for other active options like mountain biking.
Pre-book the Rainbow Mountain hike or the Cusco Cooking Class on the checkout page to include these optional activities on your tour. or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
If you pre-book the Cusco Culinary Bundle, you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return back to your hotel around 16:00.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Cusco, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like visiting Museo Inka, Museo de Historia Regional, and whitewater rafting. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 11 HideShow
Rainbow Mountain Hike - Full-day Trip
Lookout over these colourful Andean mountains striped with maroon, turquoise, lavender, and gold. The sediment, elevation, and proximity to the ocean create a landscape that has to be seen to be believed. Get started early to drive around 3 hours approximately to the starting point of this challenging, yet rewarding full-day hike. Reaching 5,029m (16,500 ft) this 8 km hike is no walk in the park, but these unique mountains do not disappoint. The ascent takes approximately 1.5 hours.
Mountain Biking
Take to two wheels and head out into the hills around Cusco for some nature-meets-adrenaline fun. Try a trip to the Sacred Valley, perhaps, visiting an Inca ruin along the way.
Horseback Riding
150PEN per personHop in the saddle and explore Cusco’s archaeological sites by horseback on a 3.5 hr tour – no previous experience needed. Dress for the weather, and bring sunblock and a hat, just in case.
Cusco Cooking Class
Channel your inner chef and get a taste of Peruvian cuisine. Learn all about the essential ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes with a local expert
Accommodation
Cusco Plaza Saphi (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 12Cusco
Depart at any time.
Optional Activities - Day 12 HideShow
Inka Museum
10PEN per personGet ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.
Cusco Tourist Ticket
130PEN per personThis ticket allows admission at 16 sights of the city of Cusco including many popular museums and cathedrals, the ticket also provides entrance to Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park, and sights in the South Valley of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Cusco City Tour
45PEN per personEnjoy a half-day tour of Cusco's main sights. Walk around the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore this city steeped in one of the world's most alluring and ancient cultures. Visit Qenqo, Koricancha, the Cathedral, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and the archaeological site of Sacsaywaman.