Peru & Bolivia Tour - 13 Days from Machu Picchu to the Uyuni Salt Flats

Welcome to Peru. Your two-country adventure begins in Lima, the colourful capital known as the City of Kings. You will be collected from Jorge Chavez International Airport and taken to your hotel. The Lima city tour begins at 2:00 PM with pickup from your hotel.

The first stop on this journey through time is Huaca Pucllana, an impressive adobe ceremonial and archaeological center built in the 4th century A.D. Afterward we head to the Historic Center of Lima, where you will visit the Museum of the Central Reserve Bank to admire the exclusive Treasures of Peru collection of pre-Columbian ceramics, gold artifacts and fine textiles.

Finally we explore modern Lima, visiting the iconic neighbourhoods of El Olivar in San Isidro, Miraflores, Larcomar and the Parque del Amor. The tour concludes around 6:30 PM with a return to your hotel.

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

Leave Lima at approximately 4:00 a.m. and travel down the Peruvian coast to the Paracas Peninsula for an excursion to the Ballestas Islands. These islands are home to abundant marine wildlife, including pelicans, red-footed boobies, flamingos, sea lions and even Humboldt penguins, all seen up close on a guided boat tour.

Afterwards we travel to the city of Ica, where you will visit a traditional vineyard to learn about the artisanal production of Pisco, Peru’s signature spirit, with a tasting of selected varieties followed by a typical regional lunch.

In the afternoon we head to the spectacular Huacachina Oasis, considered one of the most beautiful in the world, for an adrenaline-filled dune buggy ride and sandboarding across the desert dunes, ending with a breathtaking sunset over the sands. We then return to your hotel in Lima for the night.

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.

This morning after breakfast you catch an early flight to Cusco. On arrival at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport our team transfers you comfortably to your hotel, with the morning free to acclimatize to the altitude and rest.

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

The tour continues to the majestic fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the mysterious site of Q’enqo, the Red Fortress of Pukapukara and finally Tambomachay, known as the Inca’s Bath, where crystal-clear fountains still flow with the same precision as centuries ago.

The tour concludes around 6:30 p.m. back in the city centre, where you can enjoy Cusco’s vibrant nightlife and renowned gastronomy.

Cusco sits above 3,000 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.

The day begins early at approximately 6:30 a.m. with pickup from your hotel for an extended Super Sacred Valley tour. Your first stop is Chinchero, a traditional Andean town where you visit a textile interpretation centre and see how local weavers preserve ancestral techniques.

Next you reach Moray, the enigmatic Inca agricultural laboratory of concentric circular terraces, followed by the impressive Maras Salt Mines, a striking landscape of approximately 3,000 natural salt pools still worked by hand today. Around midday you stop in Urubamba for a comforting buffet lunch of traditional regional dishes.

In the afternoon you visit the iconic fortress of Ollantaytambo, a monumental Inca military and religious complex, before being transferred to the train station to board your selected service to Aguas Calientes. That evening, your guide provides 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 Observatory service, please ask your travel agent; all services are subject to availability.

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

The true purpose of Machu Picchu may always remain a mystery, since no written records of the complex exist. Most archaeologists believe it to be the 15th-century estate of Emperor Pachacuti. Your guide can advise how to make the most of your visit to this wonder of the world.

Later you take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for a well-deserved lunch before returning by train to Ollantaytambo, where our team transfers you safely to your hotel in Cusco.

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

This iconic tour begins with pickup from your hotel in Cusco at approximately 4:30 a.m. We start a two-hour drive to the picturesque town of Pitumarca, where we enjoy a traditional breakfast designed to provide the energy needed before the ascent.

Afterwards, we begin the hike towards the mountain along an incredible route through high Andean landscapes. Upon reaching the summit you will admire the unique colours of Vinicunca, the Rainbow Mountain, and capture unforgettable photographs of this iconic Cusco landscape.

After the visit, we return to Pitumarca for a comforting lunch and then drive back to Cusco, arriving around 5:00 p.m. with time to rest at your hotel. At approximately 9:00 p.m. we collect you for the transfer to the bus terminal, where you board a comfortable night bus to Puno – a journey of about 8 hours in reclining seats.

Not suitable for people with hypertension, respiratory illnesses or heart conditions. The Rainbow Mountain trek can be swapped for a lighter activity such as Humantay Lake on request. An optional horse-and-handler service is available at extra cost.

You arrive in Puno at approximately 6:00 a.m., where our team welcomes you and transfers you to your hotel before the day’s tour begins. You then head to the port to embark on a journey across Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.

Your first stop is the legendary Uros Floating Islands, an artificial archipelago made entirely of totora reeds, where local families share their ancestral construction techniques and unique way of life. The journey continues to Taquile Island, internationally renowned for its exceptional textile art, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, where you enjoy a traditional lunch prepared with fresh local ingredients.

At the end of the day you return to the port of Puno and transfer to your hotel to rest after a magical day on the lake.

Hotel check-in in Puno is at midday, so your room is assigned on return from the tour; a luggage storage service is available so you can leave your belongings and start the tour. Lake Titicaca sits above 3,800 m, so sunscreen is recommended.

Pickup from your hotel begins at 7:00 a.m. and we set off along the shore of the majestic Lake Titicaca toward the border with Bolivia. After about three and a half hours we reach Kasani, where we make a short stop for immigration formalities, then continue to Copacabana, Bolivia, arriving around 11:00 a.m. Bolivian time.

After lunch we board a boat to the legendary Isla del Sol, sailing across Lake Titicaca for about an hour and a half to the southern end of the island. There we visit the archaeological remains of the Temple of the Inca and walk up the ancient Yumani staircase to the Fountain of Youth, where you can purify yourself with its sacred waters.

In the afternoon we return to Copacabana and board our transport to La Paz, arriving around 9:00 p.m. for a warm welcome and transfer to your hotel.

On entering Bolivia there is a time change, as Bolivia is one hour ahead of Peru. A valid passport or identity document is required; it is each traveler’s responsibility to carry the documents needed to clear immigration.

After breakfast at the hotel you have the entire day free to explore the beautiful city of La Paz at your own pace. We recommend keeping to short outings, which helps your body continue to acclimatize to the altitude, and our team is happy to suggest places you can visit on your own.

In the evening, at approximately 8:00 p.m., we collect you from your hotel and transfer you to the bus terminal, where you board a comfortable night bus bound for Uyuni. The journey takes about 9 hours in reclining seats, so you can rest along the way.

We recommend exchanging money to Bolivian pesos in La Paz, where exchange rates are more favourable. You can leave your main luggage in storage at the La Paz hotel, since you return to the same hotel, and travel to Uyuni with only what you need for one night.

You arrive in Uyuni at approximately 6:00 a.m., where our team welcomes you and takes you to enjoy breakfast before the tour begins around 9:30 a.m. The first stop is the Train Cemetery, where old locomotives rest among the Altiplano landscape as witnesses of time.

The journey continues to the village of Colchani, where you learn about the salt extraction process and local handicrafts, before entering the majestic Uyuni Salt Flats to see the salt eyes, the Stairway to Heaven, the salt sculptures and the Dakar monument. You then visit the Playa Blanca salt hotel-museum and reach Incahuasi Island, a reserve of giant cacti in the middle of the infinite white, where you enjoy a picnic lunch in the heart of the salt flat.

There is free time for the famous perspective photographs, one of the most unique spectacles in the world, and the day closes with an enchanting sunset before the transfer back to your hotel.

The water mirror effect for perspective photos occurs during the rainy season (December to April) and is subject to weather conditions.

At 8:30 a.m., after breakfast, we set off on a route through some of Bolivia’s most authentic landscapes. We visit the colonial village of Pulacayo and make a stop at the Tholapampa landscape to collect quartz, observing wild Andean fauna along the way – llamas, vicunas and rheas in their natural habitat.

We then enter the village of Tomave to visit the San Miguel Colonial Church, an architectural gem of the region, followed by an open-air picnic lunch in the middle of the Bolivian Altiplano. The afternoon is for the Tomave hot springs, where you can bathe in the thermal waters and enjoy the panoramic view of Tomave Lagoon.

We return to the city of Uyuni at approximately 6:00 p.m. and, in the evening, transfer you to the bus terminal for the night bus back to La Paz, travelling in reclining seats so you can rest.

Bring swimwear to enjoy the hot springs. You check out of your room at the start of the tour, as we return to the hotel only briefly in the evening before the night bus.

You arrive in La Paz at approximately 6:00 a.m. and are transferred to your hotel to rest before the tour begins, coordinated with your agent. The panoramic city tour explores the cultural, historical and architectural richness of the highest city in the world, passing the Plaza Murillo, the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the San Francisco Church and the replica of the semi-underground temple of Tiwanaku.

From the Killi Killi viewpoint you take in the immensity of La Paz framed by snow-capped peaks, and visit the Witches’ Market, where locals buy products for ritual ceremonies such as the Ch’alla and offerings to the Pachamama. The tour also includes a ride on the famous La Paz cable cars.

You then continue to the southern part of the city to visit the Valley of the Moon, a lunar landscape of clay formations that seems to belong to another world.

The city tour lasts about 3 hours and includes the cable car experience, one of the most distinctive ways to see La Paz from above.

Your Peru and Bolivia adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. We coordinate the transfer time according to your departure flight, and our team accompanies you to La Paz airport to say goodbye and thank you for sharing this journey. It has been a joy to travel with you across two countries; we wish you a safe flight home and hope to welcome you back soon.

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