Trip to Peru 8 days, Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu

Welcome to Peru! We know how exhausting international flights can be, so upon your arrival in the Peruvian capital, we will make your arrival as smooth and stress-free as possible. Your Inti Sun Trek representative will be waiting for you at Lima Airport, holding a sign with your name, to welcome you and transfer you comfortably to your selected hotel.

After checking in, you can take time to relax, enjoy a refreshing shower, and recover from your journey. If you prefer, you may also explore the nearby areas or enjoy Peru’s world-famous gastronomy with lunch at your hotel or at one of the many excellent local restaurants (meals not included).

Depending on your arrival time, you also have the option to join the Lima City Tour, available daily at 8:30 AM or 2:00 PM. During the tour, you will explore the three stages of Lima: Ancestral, Colonial, and Modern Lima. Highlights include a panoramic view of the Huaca Pucllana Pyramid, the Historic Center of Lima with its impressive colonial architecture, the San Francisco Convent and Catacombs, and the modern districts of San Isidro and Miraflores.

The tour also includes a visit to the Central Reserve Bank Museum, where you can admire an important collection of pre-Columbian gold, ceramics, and textiles.

Note: The Central Reserve Bank Museum is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays.

If you prefer not to join the city tour, you can explore Lima at your own pace by visiting the district of Miraflores, one of the city’s most popular tourist areas. You may enjoy a walk through Kennedy Park or go shopping at the famous Larcomar shopping center, located along the Pacific coast.

In the evening, we highly recommend enjoying dinner at Central or Maido, both recognized among the best restaurants in the world by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Due to high demand, advance reservations are highly recommended.

Overnight in Lima.
Included meals: None.

Between 4:30 and 5:00 AM, we will pick you up from your hotel in Lima and begin our journey south to Paracas.

Upon arrival in Paracas, we will head to the El Chaco pier to board a modern speedboat for an excursion to the Ballestas Islands, located in Paracas Bay. During the tour, you will enjoy spectacular coastal scenery and observe a great variety of marine wildlife, including sea lions, Humboldt penguins, flamingos, parihuanas, and many seabirds. Along the way, you will also see the famous Candelabro geoglyph carved into the hillside, while your guide explains the different theories surrounding its origin. The boat tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.

After the excursion, we will continue to the city of Ica, where you will have free time for lunch (not included).

Later, we will visit the Noelia Chocolate Factory to taste traditional local products such as chocotejas, alfajores, jams, artisanal cookies, filled mousse, and more.

In the afternoon, we will explore the beautiful Huacachina Oasis, a natural lagoon surrounded by impressive sand dunes. Here, you will enjoy an exciting dune buggy ride and sandboarding experience across the desert, as well as free time to walk around the oasis and take unforgettable photos.

Before returning to Lima, we will visit a local winery where you will have the opportunity to taste some of the region’s most traditional products, including wines, piscos, pisco creams, macerates, and mistelas.

At approximately 7:00 PM, we will board the bus back to Lima. Upon arrival around 10:00 PM, our team will transfer you to your selected hotel.

Overnight in Lima.
Included meals: None.

Today, your adventure in the Andean highlands begins! After enjoying breakfast at your hotel in Lima, your host will accompany you to the airport for your flight to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire.

During the flight, you may admire the dramatic change in landscapes as the Pacific coastline and desert dunes gradually give way to the majestic Andes Mountains, once home to one of the most extraordinary civilizations in history — the Incas.

Upon your arrival at Cusco Airport, your Inti Sun Trek representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals area, holding a sign with your name, to welcome you and transfer you comfortably to your selected hotel.

At 3,399 meters (11,152 feet) above sea level, Cusco offers not only incredible history and culture but also breathtaking mountain scenery. After check-in, we recommend taking time to rest, acclimatize to the altitude, and perhaps enjoy a traditional coca tea at your hotel.

Depending on your arrival time, you may also enjoy lunch at a local restaurant or begin exploring the charming streets of Cusco at your own pace.

You also have the option to join the Cusco City Tour, available daily at 9:00 AM or 1:00 PM. During the tour, you will visit some of the city’s most important historical and archaeological sites, including the impressive Cathedral of Cusco, Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), and the nearby Inca archaeological complexes of Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay.

If you prefer not to join the tour, you can spend the afternoon wandering through the Plaza de Armas, visiting the artistic neighborhood of San Blas, browsing local artisan shops, or relaxing in one of Cusco’s cozy cafés.

In the evening, we highly recommend enjoying dinner at Chicha by Gastón Acurio or Uchu Peruvian Steakhouse, both excellent options to experience traditional Peruvian and Andean cuisine.

“It’s not altitude sickness… it’s the feeling of being closer to heaven.”

Overnight in Cusco
Included meals: Breakfast at the hotel in Lima.

We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 6:30 a.m. and travel for one hour by tourist van to Chinchero, a small village with beautiful views of the Sacred Valley. In this charming village, you will see adobe homes, narrow cobbled streets, and people in traditional Peruvian dress. Here, the villagers still practice many Inca traditions and crafts. If you wish, you will see a demonstration of how wool is washed and dyed using native plants and minerals. You will also visit the beautiful INCA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE AND COLONIAL TEMPLE OF CHINCHERO.

We will then continue our journey to MORAY to see the fascinating site used by the Incas for agricultural experiments and seed cultivation. There, you will learn how they cleverly designed a drainage system at the bottom of the terraces in order to avoid flooding during the rainy season.

After the tour of Moray, you will take a 20-minute bus ride to THE SALT MINES OF MARAS. At this amazing site, you can see the pans fed by saline spring water that were built on steep terraces along one side of a narrow valley. The water is distributed throughout the pans by a network of channels, where it slowly evaporates, leaving the salt behind. Salt has been collected from Maras since pre-Inca times, and it is thought that a collective of salt ‘miners’ has maintained the terraces and channels for hundreds of years. Then, we will follow the beautiful route to Urubamba, the heart of the Sacred Valley, where we will stop for a BUFFET LUNCH.

We will continue our scenic journey to the amazing town of OLLANTAYTAMBO. Ollantaytambo is a classic Inca town that has preserved the traditional Inca urban layout of narrow streets alongside flowing streams. As you walk through the stone streets, the gentle sound of flowing water will make it easy for you to imagine the city as it was in the time of the Incas. In the upper part of the town, there is an impressive ceremonial center that was used for water worship, as well as a mighty fortress that protected access to the lower part of the valley.

Finally, you will board the 4:30 p.m. train to Aguas Calientes. After an hour-and-forty-minute journey through the Andes, you will arrive at the Aguas Calientes train station, where you will be greeted by our staff and escorted to your hotel or hostel. Here, you can relax and rest before your day at Machu Picchu. At dinner, you will be briefed on the next day’s tour.

Overnight in Aguas Calientes
Included meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

Today is the day you will visit Machu Picchu

After planning your trip, today you will finally visit Machu Picchu, one of the most impressive wonders of the world.

To begin your visit, from Aguas Calientes you will take the bus that will take you directly to the entrance of the citadel. The journey takes approximately 25 minutes, and the bus ticket is included in our package.

Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu

Buses depart from Aguas Calientes and take you directly to the entrance of Machu Picchu.

Duration: approximately 25 minutes
Bus ticket: included in the tour

Machu Picchu Entrance Time

Your entrance time will depend on availability at the time of booking and the circuit assigned on your admission ticket.

We recommend reviewing your entrance time in advance so you can properly plan your arrival at the citadel entrance.

Guided Tour of Machu Picchu

Once inside Machu Picchu, you will enjoy a guided tour lasting approximately 2 hours.

During the tour, you will visit some of the main areas of the citadel, including temples, Inca enclosures, agricultural terraces, and ceremonial areas.

Our guide will share the history of Machu Picchu with you and explain its architecture, culture, and the extraordinary engineering techniques developed by the Incas.

Return to Aguas Calientes

At the end of the visit, you will once again take the bus back to Aguas Calientes.

Once in town, you will have free time for lunch and to rest before heading to the train station. Remember to arrive with enough time to board your return train.

Would You Like to Visit Huayna Picchu?

You can also add the hike to Huayna Picchu, provided there is availability and you have purchased the corresponding ticket in advance.

Entrance times are:

Group 1: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Group 2: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

The time of your hike will depend on the ticket purchased and may take place before or after your visit to the citadel.

Important: Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu, and Machu Picchu Mountain are different attractions. Entrance to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain requires an additional ticket and is subject to availability.

If you would like to include Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain in your experience, please let us know in advance so we can check ticket availability.

Overnight stay in Cusco

Today is free for you to relax or continue exploring Cusco at your own pace. You may choose to visit local museums, explore colorful markets, discover hidden streets filled with history, or simply enjoy the unique atmosphere of the city.

Optional tours such as ATV tours, cooking classes, or additional cultural experiences can also be arranged upon request.

Overnight in Cusco
Included meals: Breakfast

Your day will begin with an early pickup from your accommodation in Cusco, between 4:30 and 5:00 am. Our private transportation will take you from the south of Cusco to the town of Cusipata. The transfer lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Upon arrival in Cusipata, we will have breakfast. After breakfast, we will continue our trip to the Rainbow Mountain for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. On the way to the mountain, you will have the chance to enjoy beautiful landscapes and to see the wildlife.

We will start our adventure with an uphill walk of about 1 hour and 30 minutes, with snow-capped mountains and wonderful landscapes in the background. Then, we will finally reach the viewpoint from which we will be able to appreciate the colors of Rainbow Mountain and the stunning views it offers.

After visiting and taking pictures, we will return the same way we came with a 1.5-hour hike, have lunch, and start the drive back to Cusco, arriving between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m.

Overnight in Cusco
Included meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast, you will check out of your hotel and be transferred to Cusco Airport for your onward journey. If your flight is later in the day, you may have some free time for last-minute shopping or exploring nearby attractions. Upon your arrival in Lima, you will connect with your international flight back to your country.