Travel to Peru from Mexico 8 days

Welcome to Peru. Your 8-day journey begins in Lima, the vibrant capital known as the City of Kings and considered by many the gastronomic capital of Latin America. On arrival at Jorge Chavez International Airport our team will be waiting to provide a private transfer to your selected hotel, where you can rest and prepare for the afternoon tour.

The Lima city tour begins with pickup from your hotel at 2:00 p.m. Our first stop is the Huaca Pucllana, a monumental adobe and clay pyramid built in the 4th century A.D., once the ceremonial and administrative center of the pre-Inca Lima culture and today one of the most striking archaeological sites in the middle of a modern city.

We continue to the Historic Center of Lima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we visit the Museum of the Central Reserve Bank. Its Treasures of Peru Collection displays ceramics, gold, and textiles from Chimu, Moche, Nazca, Chavin and other pre-Columbian cultures, offering an essential introduction to the millennia of civilization that came before the Incas.

The tour ends in the contemporary districts of Lima, where you will explore the elegant El Olivar park in San Isidro, the seaside neighborhood of Miraflores, the modern Larcomar cliff-top shopping complex, and the iconic Parque del Amor with its panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. The tour concludes at your hotel around 6:30 p.m. so you can rest.

If you prefer a morning Lima city tour, it can start at 9:00 a.m. 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 a 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 5,000 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 and a hot drink. 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 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. Your guide can advise you on the best viewpoints 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 included 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.

This unforgettable day begins with pickup from your hotel in Cusco at approximately 4:30 a.m. We begin a scenic 2-hour drive through rural Andean landscapes and mountain villages towards the town of Mollepata, gateway to the Salkantay range and one of the most sacred glacial regions in the Peruvian Andes.

In Mollepata you enjoy a hearty traditional Andean breakfast designed to give you the energy needed for the ascent. Afterwards we continue by road to Soraypampa, the starting point of the trek at 3,900 meters above sea level.

From there the hike to the Humantay Lagoon takes approximately 2 hours along a moderately steep trail that climbs to 4,200 meters. On arrival you will be face to face with one of the most photographed lakes in the Peruvian Andes: turquoise waters fed by the glaciers of Mount Humantay (5,473 m), which rises dramatically behind the lagoon. Local Andean tradition considers this a sacred site where offerings to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) are still made with stacked stones known as apachetas.

After time for photographs and quiet contemplation, we descend back to Soraypampa and return to Mollepata for a comforting buffet lunch, before beginning the journey back to Cusco.

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

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.

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.

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 at the start of the trek.

Your 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 connecting flight to Lima and onwards to Mexico City. 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 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.