Meals: B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner
Upon your arrival in Lima, we will pick you up from the International airport of Lima and we will take you to your hotel located in Miraflores. You will have the remainder of the day to relax or walk around. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At 8:45a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel in order to start a city tour. During this city tour, we will take you to downtown Lima where you will visit the Cathedral, the main square, the Catacombs, the San Pedro church, and the "Plaza San Martin". This tour will include a visit to the Larco Museum. After enjoying the beautiful architecture and art of downtown Lima and the Museum, we will take you to the airport in order to take an evening flight to Arequipa. Upon your arrival to the airport of Arequipa we will pick you up and we will drive you to your hotel located in downtown Arequipa. You will spend the night at your hotel.
In the morning you will have time to walk and enjoy the beautiful colonial style of the city. At 2:00p.m., you will start a guided city tour. This tour will include a visit to the Cathedral, the Monastery of Santa Catalina, Casa Tristan, Carmen Alto and Yanahuara. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At about 7:30a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel. A comfortable minibus will take you to Chivay, where the Colca Valley is located, after about a 4 hour trip. On the way, you will observe llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas in their natural habitat as well as several Andean birds. Upon arrival in Chivay, you will enjoy lunch and after that you will be accommodated at your hotel. In the afternoon you will enjoy the natural hot springs of the region. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At about 7:00a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel in order to start a guided tour of the beautiful Colca Valley. Your first stop will be the Condor Cross where you will observe the impressive Andean condor flying in its natural habitat. After watching this spectacle, we will take you to the Andean town of Maca where you will visit the local church and rest before continuing. Upon arrival to the town of Chivay, you will enjoy lunch and immediately after we will take you to your hotel in Arequipa. You will be in Arequipa at about 5:00p.m. You will spend the night at your hotel.
Bus superior service Arequipa - Puno. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At 7:30a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel in order to take a motorboat through different Andean islands located in the Lake Titicaca. Your first stop will be the floating islands of Uros. These islands are made out of totora. After interacting with the locals for about an hour, your motorboat will take you to the natural island of Amantani where you will spend the night with a local family. Your host will provide you lunch and dinner.
At about 7:30a.m., you will say goodbye to your hosting family and then a motorboat will take you to the Taquile Island. At Taquile, you will observe the local customs of the natives and you will eat lunch at a local restaurant. You will be back in Puno at about 5:00p.m. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At 7:00a.m., you will take a tourist bus towards Cusco. This ride will last about 8 hours. Your first stop will be the town of Pukara. At Pukara the Pre-inca culture of the same name ruled prior to when the Incas conquered the area. Your next stop will be the town of Sicuani where you will enjoy a typical buffet style lunch. After lunch, you will visit the ruins of Raqchi where the temple of the Wiracocha deity is located. Your next stop will be the town of Andahuaylillas. At Andahuaylillas, you will visit the church known as the Sistine Chapel of South America. You will arrive in Cusco at about 5:00p.m. Upon arrival, we will pick you up and we will drive you to your hotel located in downtown Cusco. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At 2:00p.m., you will start a guided city tour. This tour will include a visit to the Cathedral, the Temple of Qoricancha, and the Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay. This tour will let you learn about the Inca culture as well as some aspects of the conquest of the Inca's Empire and the colony. At about 6:00p.m., you will be back at your hotel. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At about 8:30a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel in order to start a guided tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This tour will let you observe an amazing view of the Urubamba River and the valley as well as a visit to the ruins of Pisac and the marketplace of the same name. After lunch, which is included on the package, we will take you to the Andean town of Ollantaytambo where you will have a guided tour of the incredible Inca ruins of the town. You will spend the night at this enigmatic town.
At about 8:30a.m., your guide will pick you up from your hotel and at that time you will meet your group for the hike. Once your entire group gets together at the main square of Ollantaytambo you will head to the Km. 82, also called Piscacucho, where you will start the trek. The Inca Trail will take you through beautiful landscapes towards your lunch camp located near to the ruins of Llactapata. After lunch, you will continue your hike towards your first campsite located at Huayllabamba located about 10,160 feet above sea level. Once at your campsite you will eat dinner. Today you will hike for about 5 hours.
After breakfast you will start the most difficult day of the trek. You will hike at a constant incline until you reach the pass known as Warmiwañusca or Dead Woman's Pass located about 13,770 feet above sea level. The views at this point are incredible. After resting, you will start going down towards your campsite named Pacaymayo. At Pacaymayo you will enjoy lunch and dinner. If it is not cloudy at night, the sky will provide you an incredible sky full of stars. Today you will hike for about 6 or 7 hours.
After breakfast you will start the most beautiful day of the trek. Your first stop will be the ruins of Runkurakay and then the second pass of the trek named after the ruins. Your next stop will be the ruins of Sayacmarca. After a short tour at Sayacmarca, you will eat lunch and then you will start hiking again. On the way to your last campsite at Wiñaywayna you will stop at the ruins of Phuyupatamarca. At the camp you will be able to take a hot shower and then eat dinner. Today you will hike for about 7 hours.
You will eat a very early breakfast around 4:30a.m. and then you will start your hike towards the gate of the sun or Intipunku. If it is not cloudy, you will have an amazing view of Machu Picchu. Once at the Citadel, you will have a guided tour of about two hours. After that you will have time to wander around or climb the Huayna Picchu Mountain. Around midday, you will meet with the rest of the group to take a bus down to Aguas Calientes. In the afternoon, you will take a train towards Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival to the Ollantaytambo train station, transfer to your hotel in Cusco will be provided. You will spend the night at your hotel.
Today, we will pick you up from your hotel and we will drive you to the airport of Cusco in order to take a plane to Lima. End of our services.
Note: Porters will carry the heavy gear; you will hike carrying only your personal pack, sleeping bag and pad. If you are considering bringing some photography equipment or other heavy accessories, or just simply don't want to carry anything, please request the services of an additional porter to carry your personal belongings; this way you will freely enjoy the hike. (This is highly recommended if you have never hiked over 10,000 feet). Cooks handle all the kitchen chores.
| ACCOMMODATION | Price per traveler (USD) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option | LIMA | AREQUIPA | COLCA | PUNO | CUSCO | OLLANTAYTAMBO | DOUBLE | SINGLE |
| Tourist | La Castelllana (Lima) | Viza (Arequipa) | Colca Llaqta (Colca) | Intiqa (Puno) | Antawasi (Cusco) | Ollantaytambo Lodge (Ollantaytambo) | $2,299 | $2,615 |
| Superior | La Hacienda (Lima) | Casa Andina (Arequipa) | Pozo del Cielo (Colca) | Casa Andina (Puno) | Tierra Viva Plaza (Cusco) | Pakaritampu (Ollantaytambo) | $2,505 | $3,099 |
| Premium | BTH Lima Golf (Lima) | El Cabildo (Arequipa) | Casa Andina (Colca) | Sonesta Posadas del Inca (Puno) | Casa Andina Premium (Cusco) | Casa Andina Premium (Ollantaytambo) | $2,889 | $3,845 |
| Deluxe | Casa Andina Premium (Lima) | Casa Andina Premium (Arequipa) | Colca Lodge (Colca) | Casa Andina Premium (Puno) | Palacio del Inka (Cusco) | Tambo del Inka (Ollantaytambo) | $3,639 | $5,349 |
NOTE: We book the hotels listed in the itinerary whenever possible. During busy seasons or when booked within 90 days of the tour date, we may need to substitute hotels of equal or higher category.
+ Vistadome train upgrade Aguas Calientes to Poroy: USD $95.00
Yes. The 16-day Lima–Arequipa–Puno–Cusco–Inca Trail package is our most comprehensive tour, combining Peru's three major regions: the Pacific coast (Lima), the southern Andes cities (Arequipa, Colca Canyon), the Altiplano lakes and culture (Puno, Lake Titicaca, Amantani Island), the Inca heartland (Cusco, Sacred Valley), and the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. It is designed for travellers who want to experience all of Peru's highlights in one journey.
The itinerary is brilliantly structured for altitude. Lima is at sea level. Arequipa (2,335 m) provides gentle introduction to altitude. Chivay in the Colca Valley (3,633 m) raises that further. Puno and Lake Titicaca (3,812 m) take you higher still. Cusco (3,400 m) is actually slightly lower than Puno, so by the time you start the Inca Trail on Day 12, your body is well-adapted. Most travellers on this tour experience minimal altitude effects.
Lima: 1 night. Arequipa: 3 nights. Colca Valley (Chivay): 1 night. Puno: 2 nights. Amantani Island with a local family: 1 night. Cusco: 3 nights. Ollantaytambo: 1 night. Inca Trail camps: 3 nights. Total: 15 nights in 16 days. The balance of city, lakeside, and mountain camp nights gives the trip excellent variety.
We use a superior tourist bus service with comfortable reclining seats. The journey from Arequipa to Puno takes approximately 5–6 hours through scenic Andean countryside at elevations over 4,000 m. The road crosses the Altiplano (high plateau) — a vast, treeless landscape with grazing llamas and alpacas and sweeping mountain vistas. Bring layers as it can be cold even on a sunny day.
Yes, and many solo travellers rate the family stay as the highlight of the entire tour. You are matched with a host family and typically share meals and an evening cultural performance with other trekkers from your group. The language barrier is easily bridged through gestures and laughter. Bring a small gift for your host family — local chocolates, postcards, or small notebooks for children are appreciated.
The first 11 days of sightseeing require moderate fitness — comfortable walking on uneven cobblestones and boat rides, but no demanding physical activity. Days 12–15 (the Inca Trail) require good aerobic fitness: 6–8 hours of hiking daily with a high-altitude mountain pass at 4,215 m on Day 13. The extended acclimatization on this tour means most people in reasonable health manage the trail well. Begin cardio training 8–10 weeks before departure.
Yes. We offer standard (3-star), comfort (4-star), and premium (5-star) hotel tiers for city nights. You can mix categories — for example, standard in Arequipa and premium in Cusco. The Amantani Island stay is always with a local family (no hotel available). On the Inca Trail, camping is mandatory for everyone. Contact us and we will send you hotel options for each category.
The dry season (May–September) is optimal, offering clear skies for Colca Canyon condor sightings, calm lake conditions on Titicaca, and reliable weather on the Inca Trail. June and July are peak months — busiest but best weather. April and October are excellent shoulder months with fewer crowds. The tour runs year-round except when the Inca Trail closes in February for maintenance.
You need to arrange your own international flight into Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport (airport code: LIM). We will provide transfer from the airport to your hotel on the first night included in the package. If your international flight arrives late at night or very early, the Lima stay acts as a buffer and transition day. We recommend arriving on or before Day 1 — let us know your flight details so we can coordinate.
I took three weeks off work for this and I would do it again tomorrow. The 16 days encompassed everything that makes Peru so extraordinary — the colonial elegance of Arequipa, the surreal vastness of Titicaca, the Inca grandeur of Cusco and Machu Picchu. The acclimatization built into the route meant I felt strong and energetic on the Inca Trail. Absolutely world-class organisation.
This tour does not cut corners. The condors at Cruz del Cóndor, the Amantani family night, the porters' cheerfulness despite the loads they carry, the chef producing three-course meals at 4,000 metres — every element was handled with care and pride. Worth every cent. I have recommended this tour to four friends already.
Travelling as a couple for our 10th anniversary, we wanted something truly special. This tour delivered beyond what I thought possible. The Amantani family gave us a hand-knitted blanket as a gift. The Inca Trail on Days 12–15 was the physical and emotional peak of the whole experience. We both stood at the Sun Gate in total silence — it said everything.
Excellent value for the scope of what is covered. The superior bus Arequipa-Puno was comfortable and the landscape crossing the Altiplano was hypnotic. I loved how each section of the tour felt genuinely different — coast, volcano country, lakeside, mountain — before the grand finale of Machu Picchu. Only minor wish: one more day in Arequipa.
As someone who had never hiked before, I was uncertain about the Inca Trail but the guides were incredibly patient and motivating. The acclimatization built into the 16 days made the trail genuinely achievable. The whole experience — from the Larco Museum to the Sun Gate — changed how I see human history. I came home a different person.
Perfect pacing throughout. I never felt like I was racing from one highlight to the next. The Colca Canyon hot springs, the Taquile Island weavers, the Cusco city tour at dusk, the Inca Trail through cloud forest — each experience had room to breathe and be absorbed. A remarkable 16 days I will be talking about for decades.
Secure your spot with a deposit starting from US$ 250. Permits are limited and popular dates sell out months in advance.