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Upgraded Peru Explorer
15 days, Lima to Lima
Itinerary
Day 1Lima
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.
Arrive in Lima at any time. On arrival you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel.
Please note: 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 (10:30 from Aug-Dec) 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.
Private Vehicle
On arrival you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your CEO will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.
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.
Full Day Lima Experience
150USD per personExperience the highlights Lima along with its important eras in history such as, the Pre-Hispanic Oracle of Pachacamac. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the bohemian district of Barranco and visit the colonial convent of San Francisco and its latest addition, the Magic Water Park.
Bike Miraflores and Barranco
35USD per personHead out on a bike tour through Miraflores and Barranco visiting iconic districts in Lima along the way. You will bike a total of 13km or about 8 miles on this particular tour. Take in the colourful atmosphere as you pass by historic house in the Bajada de Baños district and visit the famous Puente de los Suspiros.
Huacas and Larco Museum by Night
90USD per personTour three different Huacas in the city which were built during pre-Inca times in the middle of Lima. Then, visit the Larco Museum where you will enjoy a 3-course dinner in the restaurant there.
MALI & Peruvian Paso Horse with dinner
90USD per personVisit Parque de la Exposición, a historical park in the city and the Art Museum of Lima which exhibits art developed from pre-Inca, Colonial and Present times. Then, visit a Hacienda where you will experience a performance of typical, local dances and see the Marinera Dance with the horses while you enjoy a buffet dinner.
Day 2Lima/Paracas
Drive south along the coast to the town of Paracas. Take an orientation walk with the CEO and enjoy a free evening to try one of the many nearby seafood restaurants.
Enjoy a drive down the coastal desert to Paracas, a sleepy fishing village that serves as the starting point for all tours to the Ballestas Islands.
There is little to do in town, but for those that love seafood and are looking to try Peru's national drink, the Pisco Sour, it's heaven.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 3Paracas/Nazca
Set off by boat in the morning on an excursion to the nearby Ballestas Islands, home to sea lions, penguins and thousands of seabirds. Then continue to the Tacama Winery to learn about wine and pisco production in Peru with the opportunity to sample. In the afternoon drive to Nasca, with a stop en route at the oasis town and sand dunes of Huacachina.
The Ballestas Islands are often referred to as "the poor man's Galapagos." Home to hundreds of sea lions and many species of marine birds, including the Humboldt penguin, incredible wildlife spotting is pretty much guaranteed.
Continue south by land to Nazca with a stop to see the Huacachina sand dunes along the way.
Ballestas Islands Trip
Get ready to do some amazing wildlife watching on this trip to Ballestas Islands (aka Lima's Little Galapagos) on the Peruvian Coast. Spot playful sea lions, Humboldt penguins, boobies, pelicans, and more than 200 species of sea birds. Be sure to bring a camera to capture some amazing pics.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Huacachina Sand Dunes
Choose to explore the magical sand dunes in the pleasant town of Huacachina. Opt to climb to the top of the huge dunes and be rewarded with amazing views; the dunes surround a beautiful turquoise lagoon lined with palm trees, and rolling sand dunes decorate the horizon. Try to reach the summit for sundown when the landscape is washed with amazing colour. You can also take advantage of trying a new sport while you’re there and choose to wax up a sandboard to take the fast way down. It’s something like snowboarding (but on sand, of course).
Your Foodie Moment: Pisco winery visit and tasting
Located in the Ica Valley, visit one of South America's oldest and most picturesque wineries. Take a guided tour of its vast grounds and learn about the production of wine and spirits in Peru. Round off your visit with a taste of pisco, the local spirit made from grapes.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 4Nazca
Visit a pre-Inca cemetery in the desert to see the remains of mummies and pottery, then stop by a local ceramics studio for a demonstration of traditional techniques. Opt for an overflight of the Nasca Lines, mysterious ancient drawings etched on the ground that are best seen by air. For dinner, enjoy a delicious pachamanca meal, an age-old practice of cooking food buried in the ground underneath hot stones.
Nazca is home to one of the world's greatest archaeological mysteries, the Nazca Lines. The entire desert area was also once the home for the ancient Paracas and the Nazca cultures, which preceded the Incas by more than half a millennium.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Nazca Desert Cemetery and Potter's Studio Guided Tour
See remains of the Nazca culture during an included tour of the ancient Pre-Inca desert cemetery site of Chauchilla. Spot 1500-year-old mummies, bones, and pottery on the desert floor. The entire desert area was also once home to the ancient Paracas and the Nazca cultures, which preceded the Incas by more than half a millennium. Stop for a visit at an artisan’s workshop, where modern masters create Nazca style pottery.
Your Foodie Moment: Pachamanca
Enjoy a traditional meal. Assist in the preparation of a thousand-year-old tradition: "Pachamanca," an ancient ceremony akin to the Polynesian meal of burying a variety of delicious treats wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooking them with pre-heated rocks buried in the ground.
Optional Activities - Day 4 HideShow
Flight over Nazca Lines
Take to the skies for the best view of the enigmatic Nazca Lines, a series of patterns and pictures etched in the ground, crisscrossing a wide area of flat desert. Marvel at the lines measuring up to 10km (6 mi) in length, yet, remaining perfectly straight. See depictions of birds, insects, and animals only recognizable from the air. Decide for yourself the origin of the lines – who drew the lines, and why, remains a mystery. Current beliefs suggest that they may be part of complex agricultural calendar.
Please note that this activity does not include a tourist ticket fee of S/.47 PEN per person, payable directly by each traveller at the airport in Nazca.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 5Nazca/Arequipa
Travel south on a full-day drive along the coast and into the Andes to Arequipa, surrounded by volcanoes. Enjoy a free evening after settling into the hotel.
Embark on a very long drive, which will include rest stops and lunch en route.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 6Arequipa
Take a guided walking tour of Arequipa, discovering the historical centre and the 16th-century Santa Catalina Monastery. Afterwards dig into the region's renowned cuisine with a cooking class led by a chef at a traditional restaurant, and eat a delicious lunch of local delicacies. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the city or relaxing at a cafe.
Peru’s second most important city after Lima, Arequipa maintains a traditional colonial style and more laid back pace in comparison with the capital. Spectacular mountains surround Arequipa, the most famous of which is El Misti Volcano. Standing at 5822m (19096 ft), it has a beautiful snow-capped peak.
Arequipa City Tour
Get out and explore "the white city" on this walking tour, stop at picturesque viewpoints to capture the surrounding volcanoes, marvel at the white volcanic sillar rock architecture, and visit one of the most stunning colonial buildings in the country, Santa Catalina Monastery.
Santa Catalina Convent Visit
Tour the Convent of Santa Catalina during the city tour, offering a brief respite from the outside world and a unique view into a by-gone way of life. Those with an interest in history, culture, and architecture will definitely enjoy the visit.
Arequipa Cooking Class
Ready to dig in to Arequipa’s renowned regional cuisine? Head to a popular local restaurant for a gastronomic adventure. Located amongst charming cloisters in the city centre, the restaurant is a traditional “picantería” serving up local delicacies like “cuy” (guinea pig) and fried cheese with native potatoes. Learn from the best with a cooking class led by one of the chefs before sitting down to a delicious three-course meal. Be sure to try the rocoto relleno (stuffed spicy peppers) and sample a glass of “chicha.”
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 7Arequipa/Cusco
Take a flight further into the Andes to Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy a free afternoon to acclimatize and to explore the city's plazas, shops and museums.
Every year Cusco attracts thousands of travellers who come to delve into its noble but tragic past. It is the perfect base for optional explorations around the city and area as well as a range of outdoor activities. Relax and explore this fascinating city, and take time to acclimatize to the high altitude.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 8Cusco/Urubamba
Send a full day exploring the Sacred Valley, stopping first at the G Adventures–supported Parque de la Papa, a rural Andean community working to preserve hundreds of varieties of native potato. Take a tour of the Inca Ruins at Pisac and Ollantaytambo, and enjoy a delicious lunch at the G Adventures–supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosqo.
Private Vehicle
Times includes all stops and visits enroute through the Sacred Valley.
Pisac Ruins Guided Tour
Tour the fascinating hilltop citadel of Pisac, an Incan ruin with plunging gorges, a ceremonial centre, and winding agriculture terracing that's still in use today. Be captivated by this truly amazing site sitting amid sweeping green valleys and mountain peaks. Explore the back of the site to see a pocketed cliff across Kitamayo Gorge, which once contained hundreds of Inca tombs.
Ollantaytambo Ruins Guided Tour
Tour the town and fortress of Ollantaytambo with a local guide. Take a step back in time at this Inca archaeological site; it still shows signs of its former glory, including agricultural terraces, a Temple Hill, and storehouses. Learn how the area, overlooking the Urubamba River Valley, was an important stronghold during warfare between the Spanish and Incas.
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.
Your G for Good Moment: Parque de la Papa (Potato Park)
Parque de la Papa (meaning "Potato Park") serves two important purposes for the community of Pampallacta: the preservation of agricultural biodiversity and economic opportunity. We will visit the park to learn about life in a rural agricultural Andean community and take a tour of the seed conservation program, which is preserving heritage potato species. We will also learn about traditional planting, harvesting and indigenous weaving practices. With G Adventures' support, the community is able to create jobs in the area and invest in local businesses, which helps the community preserve their culture.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 9Urubamba/Aguas Calientes
Board a scenic train along the Urubamba River to the town of Aguas Calientes, at the foot of Machu Picchu. The afternoon is free for optional excursions like a visit to the local hot springs or a nearby waterfall. Visit a botanical garden, or wander the handicraft stalls in town as you prepare for an early start the following day to go up to Machu Picchu.
Board a morning train that winds through the spectacular Sacred Valley to the end of the line: the village of Aguas Calientes, a frontier town nestled in the hills beneath Machu Picchu. This is the closest town to Machu Picchu, making Aguas Calientes an ideal night stop.
To best enjoy this area, take advantage of the opportunity to visit the butterfly house, botanical gardens, or hot springs. Opt for a day hike to Mandor Gardens to see orchids and a waterfall, enjoying the lush, green scenery en route.
Please bear in mind that the town has several amenities, but is also geographically remote meaning services are sometimes more basic than one would assume. As the only option for travellers visiting Machu Picchu, the development of infrastructure has happened quite quickly, much without proper planning, and the focus on providing quality service may not be up to the standards experienced in other parts of the country.
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.
Free Time
Enjoy some free time for optional activities or just relax.
Optional Activities - Day 9 HideShow
Hot Springs Visit
6USD per personSoak your sore muscles in the local hot springs for which the town, Aguas Calientes, was originally named.
Butterfly House Visit
Learn about the four stages of a butterfly’s life at this learning centre and breeding project. Observe varied species of butterflies, some unique to the area.
Mandor Gardens Visit
This botanical garden boasts a beautiful waterfall, varied wildlife and lush scenery. Walk along one of the trails and admire the many orchids.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 10Aguas Calientes/Cusco
Rise early for a guided tour of Machu Picchu to explore the temples and terraces of the Inca mountaintop citadel. In the afternoon, return by train and private bus to Cusco.
Rise early to take advantage of viewing Machu Picchu in the early morning light. This is the best time to view the "lost city of the Incas." Join our local guide for a detailed interpretation of the site and Inca history.
Later in the afternoon, return by train to Ollantaytambo or Poroy and then transfer by van to Cusco, arriving in the evening.
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.
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.
Optional Activities - Day 10 HideShow
Inca Bridge Visit
FreeUse any leftover energy from your Machu Picchu hike to visit the Inca Bridge site nearby (thought by some to be a secret back entrance to Machu Picchu). Trek up to the bridge that's cleaving to a 579m (1,900 ft) cliff, and soak in amazing views of cloud forest along the way.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 11Cusco
Enjoy a free day in Cusco to continue to explore the city or to choose from a variety of optional activities like whitewater rafting, mountain biking or take a cooking class. In the evening visit the Cusco Planetarium to learn about the importance of astronomy to the ancient Inca and, weather permitting, look up at the stars through telescopes.
Take in the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore a city steeped in tradition. There are numerous optional activities including horseback riding, mountain or motor biking, rafting, hiking or visits to Inca ruins or museums around town.
Please note if you pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class, on day 11 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
Cusco Planetarium
Look to the night sky for a different view of the city. Explore the Cusco Planetarium surrounded by the serene nature of the Llaullipata Ecological Reserve. Enjoy a presentation on the southern sky, contemporary astronomy, and the ancient Incas’ relationship with the cosmos. Check out the on-site museum and use the telescopes to admire the stars (weather-permitting).
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
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.
Cusco Archaeological Tour
Explore some of the most important Inca ruins outside the city. Admire Saqsaywaman's monumental stonework. See Tambomachay's fountains, thought to be an ancient spa or a military outpost. Discover the natural cave in Qenqo – home to the ancient temple of Puma.
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
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.
Whitewater Rafting Urubamba
69USD per personRise for an early morning pick up and drive to Chuquicahuana for a safety briefing. Enjoy a full day of rafting on the Upper Vilcanota River (about 2.5 hrs on the water). Be thrilled by fast rapids that are a constant Class III and IV for around 11km (9 mi), and don’t forget to take in the gorgeous scenery. Rehash all the excitement afterward over a riverside picnic lunch.
Cusco Cathedral Visit
40PEN per personEnjoy a visit to this beautiful cathedral; its construction began in 1559 and continued for another hundred years. Be sure to check out its excellent collection of colonial art, and the vault containing the remains of the famous Inca historian, Garcilaso de la Vega.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 12Cusco/Puno
Travel from Cusco across the high Altiplano to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. The rest of the day is free after checking into the hotel.
The trip to Puno takes the better part of the day, and includes stark, beautiful scenery en route as you travel through the high Altiplano region.
Located at 3830m (12,566 ft) above sea level, Puno is the highest night stop on the tour. As a result the weather can be extreme with very cold nights and a strong sun during the day. You also should take some time to acclimatize to the high altitude.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 13Puno
Set off by boat on a guided tour of Lake Titicaca, stopping at the floating reed islands of Uros and then Taquile Island before having lunch with a local family in the community of Luquina Chico on the shores of the lake. Spend the rest of the afternoon free after returning to Puno or opt for a tour to the nearby pre-Inca burial site of Sillustani.
In the morning, board a comfortable 35-foot fully equipped speed boat to explore the lake. Stop at various islands to enjoy the lake's scenic splendor and to meet the friendly people of these communities.
Day Trip to Lake Titicaca
Head out for a day on beautiful Lake Titicaca. Travel to Taquile Island to visit the community and check out the spectacular views. Do some shopping at the local weaving cooperatives and learn about the Taquileños, known for their fine handwoven textiles and clothing.
Continue on to the floating islands of Uros. Learn about the 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.
Lake Titicaca Community Home Lunch
Visit the Luquina Chico community on the shores of beautiful Lake Titicaca and take in sweeping views of the lake and its islands. During lunch in the home of a local family, get a personal view of everyday life in rural Peru.
Optional Activities - Day 13 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.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 14Puno/Lima
Transfer to the Juliaca airport and take a flight back to Lima for one final night on the town.
Time for some last-minute shopping in Puno before the flight back to Lima and the final stop on the journey.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 15Lima
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
Optional Activities - Day 15 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.
Bike Miraflores and Barranco
35USD per personHead out on a bike tour through Miraflores and Barranco visiting iconic districts in Lima along the way. You will bike a total of 13km or about 8 miles on this particular tour. Take in the colourful atmosphere as you pass by historic house in the Bajada de Baños district and visit the famous Puente de los Suspiros.
Huacas and Larco Museum by Night
90USD per personTour three different Huacas in the city which were built during pre-Inca times in the middle of Lima. Then, visit the Larco Museum where you will enjoy a 3-course dinner in the restaurant there.
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.
Full Day Lima Experience
150USD per personExperience the highlights Lima along with its important eras in history such as, the Pre-Hispanic Oracle of Pachacamac. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the bohemian district of Barranco and visit the colonial convent of San Francisco and its latest addition, the Magic Water Park.
MALI & Peruvian Paso Horse with dinner
90USD per personVisit Parque de la Exposición, a historical park in the city and the Art Museum of Lima which exhibits art developed from pre-Inca, Colonial and Present times. Then, visit a Hacienda where you will experience a performance of typical, local dances and see the Marinera Dance with the horses while you enjoy a buffet dinner.