Highlights
- Sample local food and sip pisco sours in Lima's best neighborhoods
- Take a scenic hike to see the sarcophagi of Karajia near Chachapoyas
- Hop on a quad bike to discover the Inca villages of Moray and Maras
- Rise and shine to watch the sunrise and hike around Machu Picchu
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Lima, Explore the Peruvian Capital | Lima |
| Day 2 | Lima City & Food Tour | Lima |
| Day 3 | Fly to Jaén, Transfer to Chachapoyas, Free Time | Chachapoyas |
| Day 4 | Discover the Citadel of Kuélap | Chachapoyas |
| Day 5 | Hike to Gocta Waterfall | Chachapoyas |
| Day 6 | Visit the Sarcophagi of Karajia | Chachapoyas |
| Day 7 | Fly to Cusco via Lima, Explore the City | Cusco |
| Day 8 | Cusco Market & Street Food Tour | Cusco |
| Day 9 | Moray & Maras ATV Tour, Train to Machu Picchu | Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu |
| Day 10 | Discover the Treasures of Machu Picchu, Train to Cusco | Cusco |
| Day 11 | Day Trip to Mollebamba with Guided Hike | Cusco |
| Day 12 | Depart Cusco |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Lima, Explore the Peruvian Capital
Welcome to Peru! Your flight lands in the capital city of Lima, a vibrant metropolis and one of Peru's largest cities. Located at the site of a pre-Columbian Indigenous settlement, conquered by the Inca empire in the 15th century and later by the Spanish conquistadores, Lima has a fascinating history and a diverse mix of cultures. Your driver will collect you from the airport and transport you to your hotel. Settle in, then head out to explore.
Lima's breezy location on the Pacific Ocean makes it a perfect city for exploring on foot. Head downtown to mingle with locals and grab a bite to eat in one of many award-winning restaurants. Take in views over the ocean from the clifftop paths of El Malecón de Miraflores. This is also home to the eclectic Parque del Amor (Love Park), which includes beautiful mosaic walls, and Huaca Pucllana, a large clay pyramid built around 500 CE with seven staggered levels. Make your way to the uppermost section for great views of the city.
If you need a break from the hustle and bustle, Parque Kennedy offers a relaxing and tranquil atmosphere. You can stroll through the park and admire the beautiful flowers and trees or sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of the central fountain. This is also a great place to shop for souvenirs, as local vendors set up daily to sell handmade crafts. End the day in the bohemian district of Barranco—a popular oceanside neighborhood for artists, tourists, and locals alike—for a relaxed evening, drinking pisco sours and sampling Peruvian desserts.
Day 2: Lima City & Food Tour
Get out and explore Lima today on a guided tour. First, you'll head to the historic center, Plaza de Armas (main square), a UNESCO World Heritage Site packed with fascinating Spanish architecture. You'll visit impressive colonial landmarks, including the Convent of Santo Domingo. Built in the 16th century by the Dominican Order of Friars, it's located near the plaza and is famous for its magnificent Baroque architecture and the underground Catacombs.
Next, head to the Museo Larco for a spellbinding introduction to Peru's ancient cultures, presented wonderfully and told through intriguing ceramics and gold artifacts. Then, it's time to explore Lima's culinary roots—it's known as the gastronomic capital of the Americas, after all. Peruvian food is justly famous for the quality of its ingredients, many of which you'll discover with your guide at a local mercado.
Next, sample coffee at an organic Peruvian coffee roastery. Stop for a seafood lunch of causa (avocado and seafood layered with mashed potatoes) or ceviche, and dine amid views of pre-Inca ruins. Finish with a quick lesson on how to make the perfect pisco sour—a Peruvian classic. Your tour will end on the picturesque cobbled byways of the historic bohemian neighborhood of Barranco for one last snack of picarones (sweet potato doughnuts).Day 3: Fly to Jaén, Transfer to Chachapoyas, Free Time
Day 4: Discover the Citadel of Kuélap
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
After an early breakfast, depart for the archaeological ruins of Kuélap, the fortress of the Chachapoyas, known as the "Warriors of the Clouds." Meet your guide and driver for a one-hour trip south to reach Kuélap. Then, board a cable car for a 20-minute journey to La Malca, the starting point for your visit. Upon entering La Malca, there's an easy, one-mile walk, which takes about 30 minutes.
This ancient citadel, a former stronghold of the Chachapoyas people, predates the Inca empire by half a millennium. This site was inhabited until the conquest by the Inca in 1470 and later by the Spanish in 1534. The ruins sit majestically above a mountain ridge at 9,500 ft (2,895 m), and its towering walls and round stone houses have earned it the moniker "Machu Picchu of the North." Check out notable sites, such as Major Temple and El Torreón, as well as friezes representing the Chachapoyas civilization's deities.
Learn the fortress's mythology and history from your guide, explore the structures independently, and enjoy incredible views of the nearby valley. The guided visit will last approximately 2-3 hours, after which you'll head back down the mountain and, after lunch in a local restaurant, return to your hotel in Chachapoyas in the afternoon.
Day 5: Hike to Gocta Waterfall
Today is active, so enjoy a hearty breakfast before leaving for Cocachimba, the starting point of your hike to the Gocta Waterfall. Gocta is one of the highest waterfalls in the world, standing at 2,500 feet (762 m). Although this waterfall was known to the local community for centuries, it wasn't until 2002 that the world caught wind of it after a German expedition publicized its location. The surrounding communities had kept the waterfall a secret based on a local legend that a mermaid protecting its waters would curse those who revealed its whereabouts.
You'll see a diverse landscape as you hike by sugar cane crop fields, marked by traditional trapiches (mills), before entering a cloud forest with trees covered by orchids, lichens, and mosses. Keep an eye out for gallito de las rocas, the national bird of Peru.
Note that the higher altitude of this waterfall makes it a more challenging hike, which takes about six hours. For an alternate way of visiting Gocta, you can travel by horseback. Keep in mind that the last mile of the journey will have to be done on foot since there's no path suitable for horses; this portion takes 45 minutes each way. After enjoying the views of this mystical place and taking a dip in its clear waters, return to Chachapoyas for the evening.
Day 6: Visit the Sarcophagi of Karajia
After breakfast in Chachapoyas, meet your guide for a 27-mile transfer through the Utcubamba Valley to Cruzpata, where you'll begin the journey to see the Karajia Sarcophagi.
This half-mile tour will take two hours as you reach these amazing clay coffins whose shape mimics human bodies. These seven (initially eight) coffins nestled in a cliffside hold Chachapoyas mummies and date back to the 15th century, before the conquest of the Incas. The sarcophagi are approximately eight feet (2.4 m) tall, have human forms, and are decorated with skulls, figures, and colors.
You'll learn about the Chachapoyas' funeral rites and traditions as you observe these figures, whom locals refer to as the "ancient wise men." Then, hike back to the car and return to Chachapoyas for a free evening.
Day 7: Fly to Cusco via Lima, Explore the City
Head back to Lima's airport this morning for your flight to Cusco. This ancient city is the former capital of the Inca empire, which reigned from the 13th to 16th centuries. Remember: you'll be 11,000 feet (3,000 m) above sea level, so take it easy and remember to drink lots of water. Since the Incas designed Cusco as a city for walking, start your exploration of the narrow stone alleyways on foot. Walk through the plaza, where you can sit on a balcony and have a cup of coca tea while adjusting to the elevation.
From there, walk down Hatunrumiyoc Street and admire the ancient Inca walls, notably the 12-Angle Stone, so named because its dozen angles fit perfectly in the surrounding stones. It's a shining example of the ancient Incas' stonemasonry prowess. History lovers should consider checking out the Qoricancha, or The Temple of the Sun. The Inca built it, and after the arrival of the Spanish, it became the basis for the construction of the Santo Domingo Convent.
Artistic types might want to explore San Blas, an old bohemian quarter famous for its white walls, blue doors, and creative artisan community. Or, head to the slopes above the city to check out Inca sacred sites like Sacsayhuaman and Q'enqo.
Day 8: Cusco Market & Street Food Tour
Today, you'll meet your guide for a culinary tour of Cusco, starting in Mercado Central de San Pedro, the city's most famous municipal market. There's no better way to know the soul of this city than by browsing its kiosks and marveling at the abundance of fresh produce, which includes many of Peru's thousands of varieties of potatoes. Do as the Peruvians do and purchase a fresh fruit smoothie from one of the market's many food vendors.
As you explore the lively market and the quaint surrounding streets, you'll also try key Peruvian specialties, including chocolate, coffee, tamales, and cherimoya (custard apple), which is particularly delicious in ice cream. After sampling nine different traditional snacks, drinks, and dishes, you'll have the rest of the day free to explore more of Cusco or to relax at your hotel.
Day 9: Moray & Maras ATV Tour, Train to Machu Picchu
After breakfast this morning, prepare for a day of activity as you're picked up and transferred to the nearby Sacred Valley, the base from which your quad bike tour to the villages of Moray and Maras begins. Get instructions on using a quad bike before setting off across rolling green farmland for the first of the two major sights on this adventure, Moray. This is an utterly distinctive complex of stone amphitheaters developed by the Incas, with the exact reason for their construction unknown. However, historians believe the Incas built Moray to test crop production in different micro-climates.
Your quad bike tour will continue to the salt mines of Maras, a few miles from Moray. The Inca developed this striking patchwork of stone pools and paths to harvest salt. Having seen Maras, return by quad bike to Cruzpata for your transfer back to the Sacred Valley. Afterward, you'll be transferred to Ollantaytambo in time to catch your train to Aguas Calientes. Take advantage of one of the many lively places to eat and recharge your batteries before you embark on one of South America's most extraordinary adventures, the iconic Machu Picchu, tomorrow.Day 10: Discover the Treasures of Machu Picchu, Train to Cusco
Since you stayed overnight in the town closest to the world wonder of Machu Picchu, meaning "Old Mountain," it's time to take advantage and get up early to beat the crowds. Take a 25-minute bus from Aguas Calientes through a cloud forest to reach the entrance of this 15th-century, UNESCO-listed Inca complex, located at 7,970 feet (2,430 m) and a masterpiece of engineering that served as a retreat for the Inca emperor. The citadel was abandoned 100 years after construction and remained largely hidden from the outside world until the early 20th century.
Enjoy the sunrise over the ruins, then meet your guide. Your guide will lead you around the site, explaining the complex's different buildings and hidden corners. Approximately one-third of the site has been reconstructed into its original structure, giving visitors a sense of the grandeur and artistry of the original citadel. After the guided tour, you'll also have time to explore the sanctuary independently.
After the tour, you'll take the bus back to Aguas Calientes and board the train to Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival, our driver will be waiting for you to transfer you to your Cusco hotel, where you can recharge your batteries for another early start tomorrow.
Day 11: Day Trip to Mollebamba with Guided Hike
Today, have an early breakfast before your guide picks you up for a two-hour drive into the countryside along a mountain road leading to the village of Mollebamba. Here, you'll visit the archaeological site of Puma Orqo (Puma Hill), which, according to Inca legend, was the origin of the four brothers who founded the Inca empire.
See the carvings and ruins, as well as sweeping Sacred Valley views, before embarking on a one-hour hike to the site of Maukallaqta. Considered the first Inca settlement, it predates Cusco and is home to the remains of many houses, important temples, and canal systems. You'll also see shards of Inca pottery, once large pots used to store the traditional Inca corn drink, chicha, which is still a staple in the Sacred Valley.
After a tour where you'll learn the city's history, you'll have time to explore the ruins independently. Stop to eat your box lunch before returning to Cusco for your final evening in Peru.
Day 12: Depart Cusco
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