Peru Express - 8 - Day Peru Tour Through Machu Picchu, Cusco, lima & Ica

Welcome to Peru. Your 8-day Inca Heartland adventure begins in Lima, the vibrant capital known as the City of Kings, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkable colonial centre. On arrival at Jorge Chavez International Airport, our team will be waiting to provide a private transfer to your selected hotel, where you can refresh and prepare for your first cultural experience in Peru.

The Lima city tour begins at 2:00 PM with pickup directly from your hotel. The first stop is Huaca Pucllana, a striking adobe ceremonial and archaeological complex built in the 4th century A.D. by the Lima culture, which still rises in the middle of the modern Miraflores district as a vivid reminder of Peru’s pre-Columbian past.

We then travel to the Historic Centre of Lima, where you visit the Museum of the Central Reserve Bank to admire the exclusive Treasures of Peru collection, featuring pre-Columbian ceramics, intricate gold artifacts and finely woven textiles from Chavín, Moche, Nasca, Chimu and Inca cultures, telling the long story of Andean civilization.

Finally we explore modern Lima, driving through the elegant neighbourhoods of El Olivar in San Isidro, Miraflores, Larcomar shopping cliffs and the romantic Parque del Amor with its sweeping views over the Pacific Ocean. The tour concludes around 6:30 PM back at your hotel, leaving the evening free to enjoy Lima’s famous gastronomy scene at your own pace.

If you prefer the Lima city tour in the morning, it starts at 9:00 AM and lasts approximately 4 hours; please request this option in advance through your travel agent.

Today is one of the most action-packed days of the tour. We leave Lima at approximately 4:00 a.m. and drive south along the Peruvian Pacific coast, arriving in Paracas in time for a coastal breakfast before boarding a speedboat to the Ballestas Islands, often called the “Poor Man’s Galapagos” for their extraordinary marine biodiversity.

On this guided boat excursion you will see Humboldt penguins, red-footed boobies, flamingos, pelicans, guanay cormorants and large colonies of sea lions resting on the rocky shores, while the boat passes beside the mysterious Candelabra geoglyph etched into the Paracas Peninsula’s cliffs.

Afterwards we travel to the city of Ica, the cradle of Peruvian pisco production, where you visit a traditional vineyard to learn about the artisanal distillation of Peru’s signature grape spirit. The visit includes a guided tasting of selected pisco varieties followed by a typical regional lunch featuring iconic Ica dishes.

In the afternoon we head to the spectacular Huacachina Oasis, listed among the most beautiful natural oases in the world, for an adrenaline-filled dune buggy ride across the desert and a sandboarding session down towering dunes that reach 100 meters high. The day closes with an unforgettable sunset over the sands of the Ica Desert before we return to your hotel in Lima.

Important: The dune buggy and sandboarding activity is not recommended for pregnant travelers, children under 5, seniors or people with back conditions; the desert scenery and sunset can be enjoyed instead.

After breakfast you board an early flight from Lima to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and gateway to Machu Picchu. On arrival at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport our team provides a comfortable private transfer to your hotel, with the morning kept deliberately free so your body can adjust to the altitude of 3,400 meters before any sightseeing.

From 1:30 p.m. the Cusco city tour begins at the most iconic landmarks of the imperial city. We start at Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun, once the most sacred religious centre of the Inca Empire, where mystical Andean energy merges with colonial Spanish architecture and finely polished stone walls once entirely covered in sheets of gold now form the foundation of the Convent of Santo Domingo.

The tour continues to the majestic fortress of Sacsayhuaman, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its colossal zigzag walls of perfectly cut limestone blocks, some weighing more than 100 tons. From there we visit the ceremonial site of Q’enqo with its underground sacrificial chamber, the Red Fortress of Pukapukara and finally Tambomachay, known as the Inca’s Bath, where crystal-clear ceremonial fountains still flow with the same hydraulic precision as five centuries ago.

The tour concludes around 6:30 p.m. back in the city centre, leaving you free to enjoy Cusco’s vibrant nightlife and world-class Andean gastronomy at the cafes and restaurants surrounding the Plaza de Armas.

Cusco sits above 3,400 m. Please inform us of any respiratory or heart conditions; if altitude sickness appears, a free day exploring the historic streets at your own pace is recommended before the more demanding treks.

The day begins early at approximately 6:30 a.m. with pickup from your hotel for an extended Super Sacred Valley tour, one of the most scenic drives in the Peruvian Andes. The first stop is Chinchero, a traditional Andean weaving town where you visit a textile interpretation centre and learn how local women still produce intricate fabrics using natural dyes from cochineal, eucalyptus and indigo, following techniques passed down for generations.

Next you reach Moray, the enigmatic Inca agricultural laboratory of concentric circular terraces that creates microclimates and was likely used to acclimatize crops grown across different altitudes of the empire. From there we continue to the impressive Maras Salt Mines, a striking landscape of more than 3,000 natural salt pools cascading down the mountain slope, still harvested by hand today by the families of the local salt cooperative.

Around midday we stop in Urubamba for a generous buffet lunch featuring traditional Andean dishes such as quinoa soup, alpaca steak, fresh river trout and tropical fruit from the valley’s mild climate, paired with hot Andean herbal infusions.

In the afternoon you visit the iconic fortress of Ollantaytambo, a monumental Inca military, agricultural and religious complex, and one of the few places where the Incas defeated the Spanish conquistadors in open battle. Afterwards you are transferred to the Ollantaytambo train station to board your scheduled service to Aguas Calientes. On arrival, your guide will provide a detailed briefing for the next day’s visit to Machu Picchu.

The train journey is in tourist class. To upgrade to the Vistadome panoramic or Vistadome Observatory service, add USD 80 per leg per person, subject to availability.

After breakfast at the hotel you begin the most anticipated day of your Peru tour. A short scheduled bus climbs the winding Hiram Bingham road to the entrance of Machu Picchu, where a professional bilingual guide leads you through the Inca citadel on a 2 to 3 hour guided visit, sharing its history, archaeology, sacred architecture and deep spiritual meaning within the Andean cosmovision.

The true purpose of Machu Picchu may always remain a partial mystery, since no written records of the complex survived. Most archaeologists now believe it to have been the 15th-century royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, while others see it as an astronomical observatory or an elite religious retreat. Your guide can advise you on the best viewpoints, the Inca Bridge path and how to make the most of your visit to this New Seven Wonder of the World.

Later you take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for a well-deserved lunch at a local restaurant before boarding your train back to Ollantaytambo, where our team will be waiting to provide a safe private transfer to your hotel in Cusco.

Your Machu Picchu visit depends on the assigned circuit type and ticket availability. For high season (April to September) we recommend booking at least 5 months in advance to secure the best entry route.

Today’s adventure begins with pickup from your hotel in Cusco at approximately 4:30 a.m. We drive about two hours through the highlands towards the town of Mollepata, where you enjoy a hearty Andean breakfast designed to fuel the demanding hike ahead.

Afterwards we continue to Soraypampa, the starting point of the trek located at the foot of the Salkantay mountain range. From here you begin the ascent to the Humantay Lagoon at 4,200 meters above sea level, a strenuous but rewarding hike of around two hours that climbs through high Andean grasslands with sweeping views of glaciers and snow-capped peaks.

At the top you are met by the unforgettable sight of the turquoise Humantay Lagoon, fed by the meltwater of the Humantay glacier and considered a sacred Apu by local communities, who still leave offerings to the mountain spirits on its shores. After taking photographs and resting at the viewpoint, we descend back to Soraypampa.

We then return to Mollepata for a comforting buffet lunch with traditional Andean specialities, followed by the drive back to your hotel in Cusco, arriving in the late afternoon.

Not suitable for people with hypertension, severe respiratory illnesses or heart conditions. Proper acclimatization in Cusco beforehand is essential. An optional horse-and-handler service is available at extra cost.

This iconic tour begins with pickup from your hotel in Cusco at approximately 4:30 a.m. We start a two-hour drive south towards the picturesque town of Pitumarca, climbing steadily into the high Andes through dramatic landscapes of alpaca and llama herds, traditional villages and snow-capped peaks.

On arrival we enjoy a traditional Andean breakfast specifically designed to provide the energy needed before the demanding ascent. Afterwards we begin the hike to the summit of Vinicunca along an incredible high-altitude route, passing herders, ichu grasslands and the rarely-seen Apu Ausangate, the most sacred mountain in southern Peru.

Upon reaching the summit at 5,036 meters above sea level you will admire the unique mineral colours of Vinicunca, the famous Rainbow Mountain, with its stripes of turquoise, lavender, gold and crimson formed by oxidized sediments over millions of years. It is the perfect place to capture unforgettable photographs of one of Peru’s most iconic landscapes.

After the visit we descend and return to Pitumarca for a comforting buffet lunch, before beginning the journey back to Cusco, arriving at approximately 5:00 p.m.

Not suitable for people with hypertension, respiratory illnesses or heart conditions. Acclimatizing well in Cusco beforehand is key. An optional horse-and-handler service is available at extra cost.

Your Inca Heartland journey through Peru comes to an end this morning. We coordinate the best time to collect you from your hotel in Cusco and provide a comfortable private transfer to Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport for your domestic flight back to Lima or onward connection. It has been a true joy to share this Andean adventure with you; we wish you a safe flight home and hope to welcome you back to Peru for new routes through the Amazon, the northern beaches or the southern desert very soon.

All hotels are subject to availability, and each property manages its own check-in and check-out times, which should be considered when planning your stay.