Secrets of Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu

We know how exhausting international flights can be, so we will save you from the stress of navigating alone at the moment of your arrival in the Peruvian capital. At Lima Airport, our Machu Travel Peru host will be looking for you at the arrival gate to accompany you to the hotel of your preference.

Once you have settled in your room, you can take a comforting shower, leaving behind the fatigue of such a long flight and rest or you can take advantage of the time to enjoy the best Peruvian gastronomy with a tasty lunch (on your own) in your hotel or surrounding areas.

Later, we will begin a fantastic city tour of Lima's colonial and modern zones.

You can lose yourself among French style, republican squares like the Plaza San Martin or the City's main square (Plaza de Armas) while wandering by a charming colonial alley called Jirón de la Unión. Following this, our guide will lead you to the colonial Monastery of San Francisco, where you can appreciate its beautiful Spanish baroque architecture and some religious sculptures from colonial times. But, the best of all will be exploring the hidden underneath its enigmatic catacombs! Here, you’ll know why this monastery was considered the first cemetery for the first Lima inhabitants.

After you return to your hotel, why not enjoy a beautiful afternoon at your own pace by exploring zones of Miraflores, a Lima tourist district, walk in the beautiful Kennedy Park or go shopping in the famous Larcomar Mall center.

In the evening, for dining, we recommend you consider the restaurants Central or Maido, which are considered the best in the country and currently holding 1st and 6th, respectively, in the world’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2023. Please remember that, due to their popularity, it is necessary to secure reservations in advance!

Tomorrow will be a big day!

The white city, its beautiful European-style historic center. Condors and deep canyons will be waiting for us today! But first, you'll enjoy a comfortable breakfast with delicious fresh ingredients in your Lima hotel. Later, at a predetermined hour, our host will pick you up from the hotel and take you to Lima International Airport, where he'll dispatch you on a direct flight to Arequipa.

Through your Airplane’s window, you will see the immense Pacific Ocean collapse against the desert coast that gradually become thinner until giving way to mountains typical of the Andes. And suddenly, an imposing volcano called Misti will occupy all your vision with its white peak, and you will realize that a charming city lies at its feet, Arequipa.

Once you arrive in the White City, our local host will welcome you and transport you to your Arequipa hotel, chosen previously. Take a rest, and prepare yourself to begin our fantastic Arequipa City Tour! Your local guide will pick you up a few hours later to begin this magical experience.

Known as "La Ciudad Blanca", Arequipa is famous for its numerous magnificent temples, convents, colonial houses, and palaces constructed from a white volcanic stone called Sillar. It is a white toned volcanic stone with which most of the central, historic buildings are made.

First, you will find a colonial mini-city lost in time in the Monastery of Santa Catalina, one of Peru's most fascinating colonials and religious convents. The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena is different from other colonial heritages in this part of Latin America due to its fusion of Spanish and Andean elements that is clearly observed. Its charming, colorful alleys are mixed with cozy squares, lithic water fountains, and the cells of the novices who once lived there.

Continuing this wonderful Andean experience, we'll then journey around its beautiful central districts like Mirador Carmen del Alto, Yanahuara, Sachaca, Tingo, Mansion del Fundador, Sabandia, and Paucarpata. They are perfect examples of the European architectural influence in charming buildings at the foot of a volcano.

Finally, our local guide will return you to the hotel. He'll give you some recommendations to avoid altitude sickness and about the best restaurant in the city to enjoy a wonderful lunch or dinner on your own. After the afternoon, you will be free to explore Arequipa’s trendy downtown districts or wherever you choose.

This day, the fourth deepest canyon in the world, will be waiting to be explored! Early in the morning, after a delicious breakfast provided by your Arequipa hotel, our tour guide will pick you up to start your magical journey through Colca Canyon.

On the way, we will have fantastic views of the Misty, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu volcanoes, which, like lithic giants, will cover our journey to the famous canyon.

We’ll make a first stop at the Pampa Cañahuas National Reserve, where we can appreciate vicuñas, huanacos, and other wild Andean species in their natural environment. This will be a real luxury since Andean camelids are considered endangered, and there are very few places in the world where you can see them freely.

Later, we will pass through many quaint little Andean villages distributed along the canyon, where we'll see the ancient style of life, traditions, and even charming handicrafts made by their inhabitants.

After, we will stop to enjoy a tasty lunch in an enchanting place inside the canyon, strategically chosen by our tour guide.

Later, we'll drop you off at your hotel in the middle of the Colca Canyon. Consequently, you will have the rest of the afternoon to rest and enjoy a comfortable dinner on your own or explore the surrounding areas of your hotel at your leisure. Optionally, you may want to visit, on your own, the local hot springs, La Calera.

Today, we'll have an incredible journey from Colca Canyon to Puno. We will wake up very early for a gorgeous breakfast at the hotel.

Later, once you check out, our local tour guide will pick you up to continue your trip to the Condor Cross Viewpoint. There, we can admire the flight of the majestic condors, one of the biggest birds of prey in the world, like winged deities furrowing the highest of the Andean skies. Furthermore, these vast and beautiful birds symbolize the Andes Mountain Range. Their bare reddish necks, red crests, completely dark plumage, and strong claws will delight any spectator lucky to be there.

As if that were not enough, we will also be able to appreciate the depths of what is considered the fourth deepest canyon in the world. Approximately 4,160m or 13,650ft deep, this is double the depth of the Grand Canyon in the USA!

But our visit will not end there!  we will then go to the charming towns of Maca and Yanque; where we will find typical colonial architecture and get to know a typical Andean village, which you can find throughout the entire Peruvian Andes. You can interact with its inhabitants and buy the beautiful crafts they made.

Next, we'll taste a delicious lunch made of local ingredients and totally included in our program as a tasty farewell to such a beautiful place.

A couple of hours later, your private tour guide will dispatch you, in your private transportation, directly to Puno City. The trip will last 5 hours across impressive mountains, snow, and high plateaus.

Once you arrive in Puno, another local Machu Travel Peru host will wait for you to welcome you and tak you to your Puno hotel. You will only have to enjoy your accommodation and have a delicious dinner on your own in some of the best Puno restaurants recommended by our staff.

Welcome to the highest navigable freshwater lake in the world!  Lake Titicaca is located right beside Puno therefore, to get the most from this day, you should start with a delicious breakfast provided by your hotel early in the morning. Later, your host will pick you up from your hotel to the local port, meet up with our tour guide and begin our magic journey through Lake Titicaca!

We will navigate by cool waters while the sky's deep blue blends with the water's color on the horizon, and an imposing sun shines on us while our tour guide tells us about the legend of the Inca origins. Some minutes later, we'll run aground on some drifting, floating islands, handmade from reeds, called Uros. Its friendly locals will show us their lifestyle and customs and tell us about its extensive history of over 2,000 years!

After cordial farewells, we will continue our journey until we reach the island of Taquile. A place where time has stood still and whose residents still live by their ancestral customs and traditions, even dressing according to your marital status! In Taquile, we will enjoy a delightful traditional lunch included in our program while relaxing.

After, we will have an excellent opportunity to explore the island, see its inhabitants' charming fabrics and handicrafts, and even enjoy the best views of the entire Titicaca Lake.

Finally, our boat will return to the Puno local port, where our host will bring you back to your hotel that afternoon to rest, have dinner on your own, and begin to make beautiful memories of that day.

On the sixth day, our Andean experience heading to Cusco will start with a delicious breakfast offered by your Puno hotel. Next, your Machu Travel Peru guide and private transportation will pick you up to begin this magical adventure through the Route of the Sun, the same route used by the first Incas who come from south Altiplano to Cusco. Our dream journey will begin by visiting the Pucara Museum, located a few kilometers from Puno, where you will have the chance to get a traditional ceramic Pucara bull, which is very famous not only in Peru but also in South America.

Later, in the middle of the morning, our private transportation will make a stop at La Raya (The line) to feel, for a few minutes, the temperature and the different sensations that occur at the highest point between the Puno and Cusco regions (more than 4,319 m.a.s.l. / 14,170 ft.)

Our following stop will be in a charming zone of the Andean plateau. A place specially chosen by our private guide, to enjoy a delicious lunch totally included in our program!

Entering more to the South Valley near to Cusco, we will discover an ancient Inca palace, even much older than those located in Cusco, called Raqchi or the Palace of Wiracocha, where we will be able to lose ourselves between history and astonishing legends told by our private tour guide. Following our private journey, we'll be fascinated with a colonial catholic chapel decorated with giant religious paintings from the end of the 16th century, called Andahuaylillas or the Sistine Chapel of America. Each painting will tell us a fascinating story of syncretism between the Andean and Catholic religions.

Upon arrival at Cusco, our private transportation will transfer you directly to your previously selected Cusco hotel. You will only have to rest and enjoy the accommodation. There, your private guide will give you a little briefing on your Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu tour of the following days, besides some good recommendations of restaurants in the city to enjoy a tasty dinner on your own.

OPTIONAL: This fantastic journey from Puno to Cusco can also be done in other luxury options, like trains: Titicaca and the Andean Explorer. Moreover, you can enjoy this journey onboard an exclusive tourist bus with other people. Contact our travel agents!

On this day, you will be ready to visit the Rome of America or the ancient Inca empire capital. We refer to Cusco! So, after a comforting and delicious breakfast provided by your exclusive hotel, your local tour guide will pick you up to begin to explore this fantastic city.

During Inca times, the Plaza was known as Wakaypata (“The Place of Tears” or “The Weeping Square”) and was a place for religious ceremonies and military parades. There is located the Cathedral of Cusco.

Discover Cusco losing yourself between its charming stone alleys, appreciating the renaissance architecture of the Cathedral of Cusco, and its famous painting collection of unique art style called "Escuela Cusqueña".

Following on, your guide will lead you to Qoricancha temple, some meters away from the Cathedral, where you will be fascinated with the mix of Inca and Spanish architectural styles, besides some original remains of the Inca temples.

Next, you will be transported to the past by exploring the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, with its giant rocks perfectly fitted into its structure. The tour will continue by visiting the Qenqo Inca ceremonial center with its ancient sacrifices. Then, the Inca military barrack, Puca Pucara, will fascinate you with its function and its picturesque location. Finally, our guide will show you the retreat place of the Inca sovereign called Tambomachay, with its beautiful water fonts, where the sovereign spent long periods resting and hunting.

Later, our tour will end in the main square. You might enjoy a nice lunch or dinner on your own in one of the many nearby restaurants, or we can arrange to drop you off at your hotel. Just tell your guide what you would like to do!

This day, the treasures of Sacred Valley will be waiting for you! After a delicious breakfast in our Cusco hotel, our local tour guide will pick us up to begin to explore the Sacred Valley.

Upon entering the Sacred Valley of the Incas, we will visit an exceptional project called Awanacancha, where you’ll be able to appreciate the 4 types of South American camelids bred in captivity: the llama, the alpaca, the guanaco, and the vicuña. Also, you can feed them and learn to distinguish them. As if this were not enough, the Sacred Valley locals who work there will show you how they use their Inca ancestors’ techniques to transform the delicate fur of these animals, especially the alpaca and vicuña, into beautiful and colored clothes through traditional weaving, like multi-colored belts and exquisitely embroidered blankets, among others.

Then, we’ll continue descending through the valley slope until we reach a spectacular Inca archaeological site over a hill called Pisac, with magnificent terraced fields on its hill slopes, among Inca enclosures, squares, temples, and even an Inca cemetery! Our first contact with a rich Andean past! Descending into the modern town, we will lose ourselves among the colored stands of the famous Pisac traditional market, where we will be fascinated by its beautiful handicrafts made by local people, like fabric crafts, sculptures, jewelry, and paintings with Andean thematic.

Next, we will go to a charming restaurant in the middle of the beautiful landscapes of the Sacred Valley to enjoy a delicious lunch made from local ingredients, fully included in our program. You can choose the restaurant, in advance, with the advice of our travel consultants.

Finally, we’ll go to our hotel in the middle of the spectacular scenery of the Sacred Valley and you can enjoy a delicious dinner here, on your own. A well-deserved sleep is guaranteed tonight!

The Sacred Valley still has treasures to discover, and you will not miss a thing! This day assures an unforgettable trip in a perfect climate. The Sacred Valley is known for its charming climate 365 days a year. First, you'll enjoy a delicious breakfast at your luxury hotel. Then, with our guide, we will begin our adventure through the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Discover Ollantaytambo, a fortress that was the last Inca refuge in Andean lands during the Spanish invasion. Wander among its narrow alleys, temples, enclosures and squares of well-carved, perfectly fitted, stone architecture. This incredible experience will be accompanied by stories and myths that your guide will tell you about the place. One notable mention, the fantastic ancient love story legend about an Inca military General and a beautiful Princess, the daughter of the Inca emperor Pachacutec.

Next, you will go to enjoy a delicious and exclusive lunch made from local ingredients in a quaint restaurant in the middle of the amazing landscapes of Maras, Moray, and Ollantaytambo. Moreover, you can enjoy another variety of fresh drinks there, on your own!

Then, our next stop will be the white slopes of Maras. There, you will enjoy the brightness of 2,000 small Inca salt wells that are still used by local people today to provide themselves with salt. By the way, the Maras salt is recognized worldwide as being perfect for grills and barbecues.

Moving on, our guide will transfer up to Moray, where you'll be fascinated by a series of circular terraces, in the form of rings, that go into the earth's deeps. These circle terraces were used as an Incan laboratory to acclimatize crops. They sowed a specific type of seed in each circular terrace, from the smallest and deepest ring to the largest, to see the quality of the harvest they obtained.

Finally, we’ll return to the hotel to for a deserved rest, you can take a relaxing shower or, maybe, enjoy a fantastic dinner on our own.

The day to conquer Machu Picchu has come! After a delicious breakfast in your hotel, our host will take you to Ollantaytambo train station to dispatch you on a charming and comfortable train heading to Aguas Calientes, the modern town of Machu Picchu. The magical train trip will last one and a half hours, crossing the spectacular Peruvian jungle, always accompanied by the singing of exotic birds, leafy undergrowth, and the Vilcanota river that will follow the train's movement, like a snake on the lookout for its prey!

Once you arrive at Aguas Calientes train station, our local guide will await you at the arrivals gate. With your guide, you’ll go to the bus station to take a “CONSETTUR” bus heading to the top of a mountain where Machu Picchu citadel is located. After 35 minutes of the bus trip, the bus will drop you at the same entrance gate to Machu Picchu.

Then, you will enter the famous Inca citadel to start living the magic there! You can get lost between enclosures, squares, temples, and stone alleys perfectly carved and fitted. Exploring for two hours the mysteries and magic of an Inca citadel that continues to amaze the world with its beauty. Of course, as a soundtrack, you will listen to the stories of its construction, inhabitants, and function from your private guide.

Once the tour is over, but not before taking your dream photo of Machu Picchu, our tour guide will dispatch you in a CONSETTUR bus returning to Aguas Calientes town. There you’ll enjoy a fantastic lunch included in our program in one of the best restaurants in the zone.

Next, you’ll have to go to the Aguas Calientes train station to take your train to return to Cusco. There, you will take a comfortable train back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy train stations. Whatever station you arrive at, another member of our staff will wait for you to transfer to the Cusco Hotel, where you can enjoy a delicious dinner on your own, before taking a relaxing shower and enjoying a well-deserved rest.

Don't worry; as you can see, you will always be assisted at any departure or arrival point!

OPTIONAL: If you want to continue enjoying Machu Picchu, this package, like all the others, can be fully customized by adding a night in Aguas Calientes. So, on the following day, you'll be able to enjoy a second visit to the enigmatic Inca citadel or hike to nearby mountains like Huayna Picchu and get fabulous photos of Huayna Picchu. Just tell us your requirements, it’s as easy as that!

We know that this is the most challenging part of the journey. Being able to say goodbye to such good moments. That is why at Machu Travel Peru, we want to save you this trouble. You will only have to enjoy a comforting breakfast fully included in your hotel reservation while our staff assists you at check out.

Then, we will accompany you to the Cusco airport to assist you with the boarding process and send you on your flight heading to Lima.

Like the sound of our "Simply… Peru" tour? Do you have extra requests or questions? Please don’t hesitate to write to us. We will always be attentive to personalize your dreams in Peru at your desire!

NOTE: This program will allow you to visit Lima, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Puno, Lake Titicaca, the Sacred Valley, Pisac, Moray, Salineras, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu and Cusco. Additionally, you can add more exciting day tours in Cusco or another destination in Peru. Please take a look at our package list for more options.