This 8-day Peru vacation takes you on one of the world’s greatest hiking treks, the Inca Trail, as well as to Lima and Cusco. It features first-class accommodations and a mix of private and shared tours.
Your trip to Peru begins in Lima, the Peruvian capital, and its political and culinary centre. Delve into the city’s history with a private city tour. Start in and around the Plaza de Armas, the administrative centre of the city, where you'll find the presidential palace as well as main cathedral before you head to the nearby religious landmark of the Convent of Santo Domingo. Cap off the tour at the Larco Musuem, home to a world-famous collection of pre-Columbian art.
From Lima, fly to Cusco, once the capital of the Inca Empire. A private city tour will introduce you to its historical landmarks, including the churches of the Plaza de Armas, the former Inca temple of Qorikancha, and the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a fortress overlooking the city from the nearby hillside. End the tour with some sundowner snacks and a glass of sparkling wine at the fortress, enjoying the best views of Cusco at sunset.
Begin your trek along the Inca Trail by driving to the living Inca town of Ollantaytambo. Head to the end of the road and meet your porters to begin your hike up the hillside, following the flow of the Urubamba River. You’ll hike for several days along the Urubamba River, sleeping alongside Inca ruins and traversing through a stunning environment surrounded by mist-draped mountains and lush forest. Sleep alongside the ruins of Llactapata, spot hummingbirds as you hike through cloud forest, summit the difficult Warmiwanusca (Dead Woman’s Pass) and descend into the Pacasmayo Valley before reaching Vilcabamba Range, with some stunning views of the surrounding area.
On your final day of hiking, you’ll pass through cloud forest to Winay Winay and the Sun Gate, Inti Punku, where you’ll enjoy your first views of the ruins of Machu Picchu. Descend to Aguas Calientes for the night and return before dawn the following morning for a full tour of the Lost Citadel of the Incas. Explore the magnificent ruins, learn about the mysterious history of its construction and abandonment, and take in the views of the surrounding snow-capped peaks.
At the end of your Machu Picchu tour, you’ll descend back to Aguas Calientes and catch the train back to Cusco.
