Overview
Also known as The Kingdom of the Sun, Peru is one of the most representative countries of Latin America due to the mix of native Indian, Afro American and European cultures. Peru is a country where the traditional customs have transcended through the years and they are the base for the current way of life. The contrast produced because of the different landscapes and people is the reason why Peru is a country so interesting for you to visit. The City of Kings was once the scenario of the war against the Spanish conquerors, who came in a ruthless search for the gold that was hidden somewhere in Peru. However, their most wanted treasure was the Lost City of the Incas: Machu Picchu, which they never found.
Itinerary
Your tour begins in Lima
- Meals: None
- Transfer airport – hotel
Arrival at the airport in Lima where you will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel.
Lima was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro as “The city of the kings” and became the capital and most important city of the Spanish Viceroyalty. Today it is still Peru’s most important city as it gives home to about 9 million people, almost 30% of the national population. The historical city centre comes with splendid colonial style architecture, ample squares as the Plaza de Armas (or Plaza Mayor) and grand churches which yielded it the declaration as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. In its modern quarters such as Miraflores and San Isidro you can find present day architecture, rich entertainment possibilities and a great number of first class hotels and restaurants. Peruvian cuisine is excellent and gets more and more famous in the world and Peruvians are extremely proud of their typical dishes.
Middle Class: Overnight at Hotel Holiday Inn 4* or Similar (standard room)
Comfort Class: Overnight at Hotel Iberostar 5* or Similar (superior room)
A Full day tour in Lima
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
- City Tour including San Francisco monastery and Larco Museum (4h)
Today you will explore the city on a sightseeing tour through Lima. The Plaza de Armas with the beautiful buildings of the government Palace, the town hall, the Palace of the Archbishop and the Cathedral are still the most important places in town. After that you will visit the beautiful San Francisco monastery which displays the largest collection of religious art in America. The highlight of this convent is the visit of the underground vaults known as “Catacumbas” or Catacombs.
Proceed through the modern districts of San Isidro and Miraflores and to the Coastline enjoying the view over the beaches of Lima and the Pacific Ocean.
Afterwards, enjoy a guided visit of one of the Lima’s most noted museums, the Larco Museum which houses the world’s largest private collection of Peruvian pre-Columbian Art. Mr. Rafael Larco Hoyle founded the museum on July 28, 1926, in the Chiclin sugar estate in Trujillo, naming it as his father as an expression of filial homage. In 1958 he moved the collection to Lima, installing the Museum in a Colonial house in the district of Pueblo Libre, where it currently functions. This locale was adapted to the characteristics style of the 18th century Colonial houses from Trujillo. The approximate 45,000 objects of the collection have been exhibited to the public in the Permanent Hall, Jewellery Vault and the Classified Storage Area ever since.
The Halls of the Larco Museum are organized by subjects. The Metals, Ceramics, the Stones, the Culture, the Great Jewellery Vault and Textile Halls emphasize the technological aspects by Pre-Columbian cultures. Finally the World’s unique Erotic Hall gives us a glimpse of the fascinating sexual life of ancient Peruvians.
LUNCH CAFÉ MUSEO LARCO HERRERA
In the afternoon the following optional tour can be booked:
Optional: Visit of the Waterpark and dinner (4h)
You will be picked up at the hotel and driven to the city center. You will visit the Parque de la Exposición, one of the biggest waterparks that exists within a city. There you can marvel at different shapes of fountains illuminated with different colors. The highlight of each evening is the music show at the biggest fountain with the water dancing at the rhythm of the tunes.
After the show you will stop at a famous restaurant in Barranco to enjoy a buffet dinner and a spectacular show of traditional folk dances from the Coast, Sierras and Jungle of Peru.
**Remark: Visit of the Waterpark is only possible from Tuesday to Sunday. The tour can also be booked on regular seat-in-basis (shared with other international travelers)
Middle Class: Overnight at Hotel Holiday Inn 4* or Similar (standard room)
Comfort Class: Overnight at Hotel Iberostar 5* or Similar (superior room)
Visit the Chinchero Community of Cusco City
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
- Transfer hotel – airport
- Flight Lima – Cusco (not included)
- Transfer Airport Cusco – hotel Yucay including visit of the Chinchero community and the Chinchero market en route
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco. Upon arrival you will start the tour with a visit to Chinchero community located 28 km away from Cusco. Here are the remains of what was the royal hacienda of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, as well as beautiful colonial temples built on Inca’s foundations. However, its main attraction is its Sunday market originally dedicated to the people of the valley to barter their products. This colourful and lively market still fascinates people with its variety of handicrafts and textiles made in true pre-Columbian style.
Then you will be transferred to “El Mirador de Racchi” where you will have a splendid view of the Sacred Valley. Afterwards you will enjoy a typical lunch, followed by the transfer to your hotel.
Middle Class: Overnight at Hotel Sonesta Cusco Standard 4* or Similar (standard room)
Comfort Class: Overnight at Hotel Libertador Palacio del Inca Luxury 5* or Similar (classic room)
Explore Yucay and the Ollantaytambo Ruins
- Meals: Breakfast
- Half day excursion to the Ollantaytambo Ruins (4h)
For the morning program the following optional tours can be booked on site:
Optional: Moray and Maras,) and Chincheros (4h)
The excursion starts with the visit to Moray, a little Andean community which is famous for its embedded amphitheater, formed by four circular terraces which seem to disappear into the interior of the puna, like an artificial crater. Evidences seem to suggest that Moray was an important Inca agricultural research center. Finally, you will be transferred to visit the Salt Mines of Maras. With the salt which is tapped by exposing salt water that bubbles to the surface from a spring called Qoripujio in men-made wells to the sun, people earn their living. The view of this complex of nearly 3,000 wells is spectacular. The local people demonstrate the ancient techniques to visitors, even allowing you to participate.
**Remarks: Visits are not recommended during the rainy season (November to April)
Optional: Trekking to the terraces of Yucay and Ollantaytambo (4 hours)
An easy and relaxing hike to enjoy nature. Behind the Plaza of Yucay you will see an impressive group of terraces that follow the outline of the mountain and are still in use by the locals.
The trail will take you to witness also the old Incan water channel used for the irrigation of the agricultural terraces.
In the afternoon, a visit to Ollantaytambo, a typical Inca community, is included. Towering above the town of Ollantaytambo we will find the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo. Steep stone terraces rising from the edge of town lead up to the fortress ruins at the top of the hill. A stone stairway leads up through the terrace walls, allowing visitors to step out on them. One of the best-preserved areas lies north of the Hanan Huacaypata square: an area of 15 blocks of houses built on top of carved stone walls.
Middle Class: Overnight at Hotel Sonesta Cusco Standard 4* or Similar (standard room)
Comfort Class: Overnight at Hotel Libertador Palacio del Inca Luxury 5* or Similar (classic room)
A day in Machu Picchu
- Meals: Breakfast; Lunch
- Full day tour to Machu Picchu
Transfer by bus to the train station of Ollantaytambo where the tour starts by train that goes through the fertile plain of the Urubamba valley and on to Aguas Calientes. From there, small busses drive up the steep mountain to the ruin town.
Machu Picchu called the Lost City of the Incas, this cultural heritage of mankind is a beautifully located impressive stone city constructed with a technique incredible for its era and even for present times. Stone upon stone, fitted together perfectly without any cement, with impressive delicacy, exquisite detail and discrimination worthy of the world’s greatest palaces. There are many theories about Machu Picchu, but one thing is for sure - it is one of the most impressive sites in the world.
Enjoy a guided visit of around 2 hours of the ruins and return by bus and train to Ollantaytambo station. Transfer to your hotel in Cusco.
Cusco is South America's archaeological capital and oldest continuously inhabited city is now one of Peru’ s most important and most frequented tourist attractions. Nevertheless, it is still remaining its vivid legacy as the hub of the Inca Empire: Quechua-speaking Inca descendants can still be found multitudinously in the centuries-old stone-walled city streets. Cusco also boasts magnificent repositories of colonial art – fine examples can be found in the Cathedral and Museum of Archaeology.
Middle Class: Overnight at Hotel Xima 3* or Similar (standard room)
Comfort class: Overnight at Hotel Aranwa Cusco Boutique 5* or Similar (classic room)
A half day city tour
- Meals: Breakfast
- Half day city tour and visit of the ruins
- Afternoon at free leisure
Today you will start for a half day city tour. It will be shown the exact center of the Incan Empire, the Plaza de Armas. There one can find the Cathedral built on the ruins of the ancient Inca Palace. The Cathedral borders on other churches on both sides. Next stop will be the old town with its magnificent renovated colonial buildings; some of them are being used as hotels.
Proceed to Sacsayhuaman, a ruin site located approx. 3km above Cusco. Sacsayhuaman also offers a fabulous view over the city. Afterwards visit the surrounding ruins.
**Remark: To protect the historic center of Cusco, vehicles are no longer allowed in the main square.
The afternoon is free at leisure.
Middle Class: Overnight at Hotel Sonesta Cusco Standard 4* or Similar (standard room)
Comfort class: Overnight at Hotel Libertador Palacio del Inca Luxury 5* or Similar (classic room)
A tour from Cusco to Puno
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
- Overland transfer Cusco/Puno – On shared basis
A full day bus tour from Cusco to Puno leads through the Peruvian highland along snow-covered peaks of the Andes, small villages and reaches its highest point in La Raya at 4.300m above sea level. On route you will visit the town of Andahuaylillas, the ruins of Racchi and the small town of Pucara. Lunch in a typical restaurant en route is included.
Upon arrival in Puno transfer to your hotel.
**Remark: The full day transfer is shared with international travelers and accompanied by a bilingual English/Spanish speaking guide.
Puno – The beauty and charm of Puno town is made up by its habitants’ kind personality and by its mixture of typical Andean architecture that is to be found all way down from the sides of the hills until the bank of the Titicaca Lake. Its archaeological, cultural and architectural variety and richness owes Puno to the fact that it once has been inhabited by three different civilizations on the banks of the Titicaca Lake: Aymara, Quechua and Spanish. This multicultural origin has created a mestizo race that is also found in their artistic and cultural expression and especially in an incomparable folklore which is second to none and has made Puno the “Folklore Capital of Peru”. But the main attraction of Puno is the Titicaca Lake, a must for any visitor. The Sacred Lake of the Incas is one of the most enigmatic places in the world. It is the highest navigable lake and combines beautiful sights, culture and history.
Middle Class: Overnight at Hotel Sonesta 4* or Similar (standard room)
Comfort class: Overnight at Hotel GHL Lago Titicaca 5* or Similar (classic room)
Visit the Uros Islands
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Box dinner
- Full day excursion Uros & Taquile including lunch – On shared basis
- Transfer to Juliaca airport
- Flight Juliaca – Lima (not included)
- Transfer airport - hotel
In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Puno’s dock where you will depart towards the Uros Islands on Titicaca Lake. The Uros are 40 small floating islands made of packed totora (reed), located within the Titicaca National Reserve. Here the inhabitants of the lake, the Uros, live just as their ancestors did, maintaining their customs and idiosyncrasies.
After visiting the Uros Islands we will continue by boat to Taquile Island. There are no roads or electricity in Taquile and the locals have maintained their traditions and culture and many still wear traditional dresses. The Taquileños are known for their high-quality handicrafts, especially for the knitting, which is exclusively performed by males. In the main square there is a cooperative shop, selling woollen goods and hand-woven items, as well as a small church.
A typical lunch at Taquile Island is included.
**Remark: The excursion is shared with international travelers and accompanied by an English-speaking guide.
Transfer from the hotel to the airport of Juliaca. A box dinner will be provided during the transfer.
Flight to Lima and upon arrival transfer to the hotel.
Middle Class: Overnight at Hotel Holiday Inn 4* or Similar (standard room)
Comfort Class: Overnight at Hotel Iberostar 5* or Similar (superior room)
Your tour ends on this day
- Meals: Breakfast
- Transfer hotel – airport
Transfer to the airport for your international flight back home (not included).
Book This Tour
Terms & Conditions
General Conditions:
1. Departure is guaranteed with a minimum of 02 participants. The operation of the tour can only be guaranteed by the end of the free cancellation deadline of the land services, which is 40 days prior departure (release).
2. The transfers on arrival and departure day are included in the round-trip rate from 02 persons on; in case 01 pax arrives/departs separately, a surcharge for the extra transfer will apply.
3. All transfers and excursions are on seat-in-service and include local English speaking guides (changing in each area), except of the following non-exclusive services:
- Day 07: Transfer Cusco/Puno on regular seat-in basis
- Day 08: Excursion Uros & Taquile on regular seat-in basis
Transfers and excursions are provided together for middle and comfort class passengers.
4. The small group guarantee of max. 16 participants cannot be ensured for services on regular seat-in-basis (non-exclusive services).
5. Cancellation Policy:
- Until 40 days before arrival no cancellation fee
- From 39 until 20 days before arrival 50% cancellation fee
- From 19 until 1 days before arrival 80% cancellation fee
- Arrival day 95% cancellation fee.
Cancellation fees for flights are subject to separate cancellation conditions depending on the airline. For some airlines cancellation fees will apply already 60 days before arrival
6. In case of early transfers, breakfast at the hotel cannot be guaranteed. If a dinner is included in the program, it cannot be guaranteed in case of unforeseen late arrivals.
7. Bordering the train to/from Machu Picchu /Aguas Calientes the passport or copy has to be shown.
8. For the train ride to/from Machu Picchu /Aguas Calientes only one 5 kg piece of hand luggage is allowed. For the visit of Machu Picchu we recommend good shoes, the trail is without handrail and could be slippery. Walking sticks need to have a rubbery end in order to be permitted inside the Sanctuary.
9. For entering Machu Picchu Sanctuary, it is not allowed to bring glass, plastic bottles or food. Large backpacks (more than 20 litre volume) have to be stored at an extra cost at the storage by the entrance.
10. For groups travelling through Cusco please note that due to regulations in order to protect the historic buildings and streets, certain larger vehicle sizes are not allowed in some central areas of the city. This implies that that various parts of the city tour will be done walking, and in order to approach hotels groups will be split up temporarily in smaller vehicles, and some vehicles will be travelling for a short period of time without an assistant (driver only).
11. Palace Tours is not responsible for any belongings of the passengers carried during any services rendered, such as transfers or tours.
12. We hold an allotment for the needed internal flights and can provide the booking accordingly. In this case, we will issue the tickets and invoice the tour operator accordingly. In case the tour operator books the internal flights themselves, we inform the correspondent flight numbers to be booked. With this, we can ensure that the whole group will travel together on the same flights.
13. Our prices include taxes, entrance fees, tax & service charge in the hotels and the obligatory luggage fees at the airports and in the hotels. Meals are included as and when mentioned in our program (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
14. Room Tax at the hotel in Brazil is not included in our quotes. This tax is an optional payment and passengers will be instructed locally that its payment is not mandatory.
15. Our prices do not include: airport taxes, airfares, personal expenses, extras in the hotels and tips.
16. We have the right to sell this tour to other clients without any exception.
17. The above mentioned rates for pre- and post-nights at the group hotels are subject to availability and valid for max. 3 nights. From the 4th night on, a higher rate could apply.
18. Optional tours can be pre-booked through Palace Tours or in cash, on the spot. Credit cards may not be accepted on the spot reservations.
19. A Complete passenger list including names, passport number, nationality, profession and date of birth is required, 8 weeks prior to arrival.
20. Flights not booked via Palace Tours can only be reconfirmed by Palace Tours with the correct and complete file key of your booking.
21. For group flight reservations in general, no seat assignments can be made in advance so that preferred seating cannot be guaranteed. Groups are checked in at the airport, when the seats are distributed by the airlines.
22. Rates for hotel services in Peru are based on bookings made by non-resident foreign visitors who stay in Peru for periods of sixty days or less. For nationals or foreigner resident in this country rates are not valid and a surcharge of 18% local VAT tax applies on all hotel services. This surcharge also applies in case the booking is based on one foreign passenger and one Peruvian passenger sharing the same room. At check-in at every hotel in Peru a copy of the passport and also from the migration card will be made. This procedure is necessary for the exoneration of this tax.
Since December 2016, the migration card (TAM) is electronic only and printed upon arrival ONLY on request. Kindly let the guests know to request their printed migration card (TAM) in order to present it during check-in at the hotels. Also, double check your passport has been properly stamped. A secondary procedure is in place in case the guest fails to present the TAM at the hotel.
Important: Cancellation charges for hotel services may increase to 118% of the sales rate in case of no-show or last-minute cancellation. In case the requirements are not met by the guests, the 18% local VAT tax will be charged directly to them.
23. Please inquire at the competent authorities about the actual entry permit, validity of passports and the vaccination regulations.
24. Our general conditions apply.
25. Palace Tours' liability will be limited to the reimbursement of services supplied for failure of services contracted by us. We cannot be held liable for any injury, loss, accident, delay or irregularity occasioned by air-carriers or third-party suppliers and by natural phenomena, sickness, war, quarantine, strike, or any other kind of force major or by attendance to Federal Police, customs and Health Authorities regulations.
Conditions of Payment:
Unless otherwise agreed, the full payment is due 40 days prior to arrival.
Tips & FAQ
We recommend the following individual pre-stay tours and add on other destinations (Brazil, Argentina)
- 3 days/2 nights North of Peru
- 3 days/2 nights Peru’s South Coast - Paracas, Nazca
- 4 days/3 nights or 3 days/2 nights Amazon Lodge / Iquitos, Peru
We recommend the following individual post-tours:
- Extension Rio de Janeiro
- Beach extension Buzios
- 3 days / 2 nights or 4 days / 3 nights Manaus Amazon Ecopark Lodge
- 4 days / 3 nights Pantanal Araras Eco Lodge
- 4 days / 3 nights Recife
- 3 days / 2 nights Brasilia
- 4 days / 3 nights Florianopolis
- 5 days / 4 nights Chapada da Diamantina
In addition to this, we offer customized extensions in all regions upon request.
Media Gallery
Plaza De Armas of Lima
Cusco City
Machu Picchu
Iguazu Falls
Sugar Loaf Mountain of Rio De Janeiro
Christ the Redeemer Statue
A view of Titicaca lake from Taquile Island
Ollantaytambo Ruins