Peru Travel 13 Days: Best Peru Tours and Vacations in Peru

A spectacular day in the City of Kings. On day two you will begin your tours. Peru is a country of incredible contrasts and surprising treasures. Today you will start in the morning by touring central Lima. With its 2000 years of history, it will amaze you. The center of colonial Lima has been declared to be part of the Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Its historic edifices surround the Plaza Mayor which is also known as the Plaza de Armas.

The Lima City Tour begins at the Huaca Pucllana Pyramid which was constructed in the 4th century B.C. This was a magnificent ceremonial center. It was an amazing archeological feat, and it was considered to be a sacred place by the Incas. After that you will continue to the historical center of Lima. There you can explore San Francisco Monastery and the Catacombs, the Plaza de Armas and the BCR – Museum. Then when you finish the City Tour Lima you will return to your hotel in the Miraflores neighborhood.

In the afternoon if you would like to continue a deeper exploration into Peruvian culture, you could participate in an optional tour to the Larco Herrera Museum. It is considered to be the finest museum in Lima. Here you will be able to see the largest collection in the world of pre-Columbian masterpieces, and a very impressive exposition of gold and jewels, the value of which cannot be estimated.

Early in the morning you will eat breakfast and get ready to catch your flight to Arequipa, the White City. The city received its name because many of its buildings are made of ¨sillar¨ which is a white volcanic stone found above 2325 masl. When you arrive at the Arequipa airport our team will be waiting there to warmly welcome you and to help you get settled in your hotel. At your hotel you will find complementary coca tea and muña tea freely available. These natural beverages will help your body to adjust to the high altitude of the White City.

The weather in Arequipa is always nice. So, it will be comfortable to wander around the town, morning, noon, or night. You could visit the Plaza de Armas in the center of the city. There are some gorgeous scenic overlooks. You could walk along the narrow, pre-Columbian streets, or go out to the green fertile countryside. There are even places that give cooking classes, and where you could cook up your very own lunch or dinner.

Santa Catalina Convent optional tour: This convent shouldn’t be missed. Occupying a whole block and guarded by imposing high walls, it is one of the most fascinating religious buildings in all Peru, and it is not just a religious building. This 20,000-sq-meter complex is almost a citadel within the city. It was founded in 1580 by a rich widow, Doña María de Guzmán. Santa Catalina is a very educational and inspiring place to explore.

Soon after eating a delicious breakfast you will leave the White City behind as you go out on a new adventure in the Colca Valley. You will travel through the verdant countryside until you reach one of the deepest canyons in the world. During your journey you will pass through colorful villages that have been here for thousands of years.

During the trip you will make a brief stop at the Pampa Cañahuas National Reserve where you will see wild Vicuñas in their natural habitat. Next stop is the town of Chachani which is surrounded by Andean peaks and is full of llamas and alpacas. White glaciers covering the mountains contrast beautifully with the blue of the sky. The shepherds that are watching their flocks of llamas and alpacas sing out beautiful melodies that help them pass their time out in the fields.

In the afternoon you will arrive at the town of Chivay which is very close to Colca Canyon. That is where you will check into your hotel which is located just outside of town, and which has an incredible view of the canyon. After checking in you will be able to relax and take it easy for the remainder of the afternoon.

La Calera Hot Spring Optional Tour: Here the water of Life at the La Calera Hot Springs flows out of the Cotallumi Volcano at 80°C. Nevertheless, it is stepped down and finally reaches the pools designated for human use at a very comfortable 38°C. Calera hot springs are medically significant because they contain high levels of zinc, calcium, and iron. These pools were built so that you might receive the benefits of soaking in this mineral rich environment.

Today you will get up a little earlier than usual and have breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast you will ride to the Condor Overlook (Mirador del Condor), which is located on the edge of the canyon. Colca Canyon will be spread out below you in all its glory. Condors will fly up out of the canyon very close to you, and the sun will be rising over the jagged Peruvian peaks. These condors are quite used to the presence of humans.

After feasting your eyes on these amazing sights, you will return to Chivay. Along the route you will stop and see the pre-Incan tombs located on the nearby cliffs. Then you will pass through the very colorful towns of Pinchoyllo, Maca, & Yanque. The beautiful town of Yanque has some lovely churches and there are amazing scenic overlooks.

When you arrive at Chivay you will enjoy a fabulous lunch at whichever restaurant you choose. Around 1 pm., you will start travelling in the direction of Puno, the Capital of Peruvian Folklore. Along the highway you will stop briefly at Patapampa (4900 masl.) which is the highest point of all your journeys in Peru so far. From this mountain, nature will be spread out before you and the views of the volcanoes to the west, Sabancaya, Ampato, Misti, and Chachani, will be excellent. At the same time, you will also be able to appreciate the great pile of stones left here by travelers and pilgrims throughout the centuries. Usually, leaving a stone on the pile is the way of asking deities for a safe and pleasant trip.

Finally, you will arrive in Puno around 7:30 pm. Our team will help you to get settled in your hotel where you can enjoy a well-deserved on Lake Titicaca’s shore.

On this, your 6th day travelling around Peru, you will go out boat riding on Lake Titicaca. Pick up time at your hotel will be around 7 am. You will go over to the port, board our motor launch, and ride south to the Island of Taquile. At Taquile you will enjoy a 2-and-a-half-hour tour of the island which has been ranked the fourth most beautiful island in the world. Here you will visit the isolated weavers of this ancient community. According to pre-Columbian legend, the Incas actually learned how to weave from the artisans of this island. They are very, very skilled weavers. Taquile has been declared to be part of the Cultural Heritage of the Humanity by UNESCO.

You will leave Taquile at around noon and go travelling in the direction of the Chucuito Peninsula on the traditional route. Chucuito is located in the Aymara region of the Lake and represents the communal identity of the Peruvian – Bolivian Altiplano. In the community of Luquina Chico you will eat a wonderful Andean style buffet lunch.

Later in the afternoon, you will explore the Floating Islands of the Uros on your way back to Puno. At Uros the Peruvians who live here maintain their ancient customs and way of life by weaving together totora reeds which grow in the shallows of the Lake. These reeds are used to construct their floating islands and their houses.

This alternative program allows our clients to visit new tourist attractions which very few visitors know about. By going on this non-traditional expedition, our clients always feel very satisfied about discovering how the people who live on Lake Titicaca go about their daily activities.

After a comfortable stay at your hotel, you will begin the day by starting out on your Route of the Sun Tour to the cosmopolitan city of Cusco. You will be travelling across the Altiplano until you reach the fertile valleys of the Cusco region. On this fantastic journey you will stop and explore the exclusive pre-Incan museum at Pucara. Pucara museum features pre-Incan sculpture and ceramics and the sacred bull of Pucara.

On this tour the next stop will be La Raya Pass (4335 masl.), where you can take some amazing photos of the snow-capped summit of Chimboya. La Raya is a cold and remote spot from where you can view some of the highest and most beautiful peaks of the Andes Mountain Range. Rivers born here on this hillside flow towards Cusco, create the Amazon River, and eventually reach the Atlantic Ocean. Those rivers born on the opposite hillside flow towards Lake Titicaca and empty into the Pacific Ocean.

When you arrive in Sicuani you will eat an Andean style buffet lunch. In the afternoon you will be thrilled by the sight of the Incan Temple dedicated to their Supreme God, Wiracocha, which is located at Raqchi Archeological Complex. Here the high adobe walls, built on an Incan Imperial era stonework foundation, still tower over the surrounding plain.

Your adventure continues at the Temple of St. Peter, the Apostle, in Andahuaylillas, which is close to Cusco. It is considered the Sistine Chapel of the Americas, and it has beautiful murals on which the artists used real gold foil, and oil paintings painted by masters of the Cusco School. Soon you will arrive in the most beautiful city in all of the Americas, Cusco. When you check in to your hotel, you can relax or wander around town.

You probably have asked why Cusco is considered to be such a special city. It is because here it is possible to do all the activities and take part in every adventure sport that you have always wanted to try, from taking a free walking tour of the city to river-rafting on the Vilcanota River.

The Imperial City was the ancient capital of the Incan Empire. Now Cusco has been declared part of the Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It is a friendly city that is full of history and architecture. There are Incan ruins around every corner. There are also great examples of Spanish colonial architecture. It is well worth your while to spend time in Cusco, exploring the most iconic places and visiting the local galleries full of handmade textiles and other crafts.

In the morning after breakfast you will leave Cusco and travel to the most important Incan agricultural center, Moray. There you can observe the great skill that the Incas exhibited in their farming techniques and how they adapted plants to different climatic zones. You will see great circular terraces where the temperature changes depending on the elevation. It is thought by historians that the Incas studied climatic conditions and soil properties here. They learned how to grow and adapt different kinds of food crops that originally grew in different regions of their Empire. As you descend the terraces, the temperature increases. The Incas had extraordinary knowledge of climates and microclimates.

Next, you will go visit the traditional town of Maras. Here you will make a short stop to see the pretty houses which feature the coats-of-arms of Incan nobles who needed to move here during Incan and colonial times. Maras came to be inhabited by Incan nobles who originally lived in Cusco.

Salineras Salt Mines will be your next destination. This is an impressive site that consists of over 5000 small wells where salt is collected. Some of these wells are very old. The Incas mined salt at this site, and this practice continued throughout the reign of the Spanish viceroys. Local people let the salt water flow into depressions which they have dug out. Then the sun evaporates the water, leaving behind a crust of salt which is later collected and sold on the local market. After the Salt Mines tour, you will be driven to Urubamba for a good buffet lunch. Soon after lunch you will travel to the Ollantaytambo Archeological Center. Here you will explore this fantastic Incan fortress. Finally, when your tour is finished, you will board the Vistadome Train to Machu Picchu Pueblo.

This will be an absolutely fantastic day. Of all the Peru Travel destinations, Machu Picchu is unparalleled. Today you will explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu. Therefore, you will wake up very early, get ready, and eat breakfast at your accommodation. After breakfast you will board the bus in Aguas Calientes to go up to the Citadel of Machu Picchu.

When you arrive at Machu Picchu, you will be given a 3-hour private guided tour. You will visit the most important places in the complex like the House of the Guardian. At the House of the Guardian you will be able to view all of Machu Picchu in its entire splendor. You might as well take advantage of this opportunity to snap some amazing pictures. Your guide will give you a brief explanation of everything around you. Continue on to the imposing Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the High Priest, the Sacred Plaza, and the Ushnu.

Finally, after your tour you will have free time to rest and record videos and still photos. Marvel at this 15th century feat of engineering and return to Aguas Calientes for lunch at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Later you will board the Vistadome Train and ride back to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley or to the Poroy train station. In Ollantaytambo you will hop in our private van and be driven back to your hotel in Cusco. Here you can enjoy your well-deserved rest after an incredible day.

During your tour of Machu Picchu, you will have the option of climbing up either Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain. If you wish to climb up either one, it would be in your best interest to reserve your tickets at least 4 months in advance

Cusco City Tour begins at the iconic Cusco Cathedral. In this old church there are over 400 paintings by painters from the Cusco School of Fine Arts. Then you will visit the Incan Temple of the Sun, the Coricancha. Before the arrival of the Conquistadors, the walls of the Temple were covered with sheets of gold. All the stonework here is made in the Incan Imperial style and it is of the very finest quality. The roof of the Koricancha was made out of straw, and this was the most important religious site in all of their Empire.

After visiting the Koricancha you will go up out of the city and enter the spectacular Fortress of Sacsayhuaman. Sacsayhuaman is an unforgettable ruin that is built of gigantic limestone blocks. Some of these megalithic blocks weigh more than 100 tons, and they all fit together perfectly without mortar. Shaped like the head of a puma, this construction had military, religious, and ceremonial significance.

Up the hill from Sacsayhuaman you will enter the mysterious Incan site of Qenco. This carved stone formation is full of subterranean passages and decorated with mythical figures. In addition, you will visit the Bath of the Inca, Tambo Machay. Tambomachay was where the high priests of the water cult adored the sacred element, water. For that reason, there are two engraved aqueducts that transport and supply a constant flow of clean water all year round. Today the hike from Cusco to Tambomachay is one of the best hiking routes around because it offers an adventure to all travelers amidst wonderful natural scenery. Across the highway from Tambomachay, you will have the opportunity to buy sweaters, hats, ponchos, silver jewelry, handmade goods and inexpensive souvenirs for your family and for your loved ones at home.

Relax. After you wake up in the morning you will have enough time to eat breakfast at your hotel. Then we will pick you up in time to drive you to the airport in Cusco where you´ll catch your flight back to Lima. There you will enjoy your last night in Peru. During the airplane ride you will be able to contemplate the magnificence of the Andes, and to take a few last photos of this incomparable sight.

Upon your arrival at the Lima airport our team will meet you and take you to your hotel in the exclusive Miraflores neighborhood. They will be really happy to hear all about your wonderful experiences in the Magical Land of the Incas. Enjoy your free time for the rest of the afternoon. Your farewell dinner at La Huaca Puccllana Restaurant in the evening is optional.

Depending on your flight time back to your home country, our team will drive you to Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport in time for you to check in and board your flight home. We will bid you farewell as you begin your next adventure, hoping that you carry with you fond memories of fulfilled dreams and, above all, positive energy so that you will be able to continue to explore the best that our world has to offer.

*** Some flights depart shortly after midnight or very early in the morning on the 14th day of your tour. This will require transportation from your hotel to the airport very late on day 13. We will pick you up at your hotel approximately 4 hours prior to your flight departure time, because it takes an hour to get to the airport and it is necessary to check in for your flight three hours before all international flights.

If you are not yet ready to leave Peru, our team can help you extend your stay in this fantastic country. There are lots more tourist destinations that you could visit in Peru, such as the Nazca Lines, the Amazon River, and the Ballestas Islands.