Explore Peru by air, sea and land on this eight-day tour of the archaeological, cultural and natural treasures of this fascinating country. Discover the mysterious Nazca Lines from the sky, see the abundant fauna of the uninhabited Ballestas Islands as you sail by boat, and explore the remains of the Inca Empire and the country’s beautiful colonial cities by land.
Inclusions & Exclusions
✔ Museum in Lima; overflight to the Nasca Lines and Ballestas Islands in Paracas; Coricancha,Cathedral
✔ Bus from and to Machu Picchu on shared basis
✔ Lunch
✔ Train to Machu Picchu round trip in Expedition service (PeruRail) or Voyager (IncaRail)
✔ Breakfast
✔ Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay in Cusco, Cusco Tourist Tax (BTC ticket)
✔ Private transfers from and to the airport
✔ Shared transfers from and to the train stations
✔ Operated with bilingual: English -Spanish speaking local guide
✔ 7 nights' accommodation
✔ included and Machu Picchu on day 6.
✔ Admission to all major visits mentioned in the above itinerary: Casa Aliaga, Cathedral and Larco
✖ Expenses of a personal nature. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages during meals.
✖ Meals not stated in the programme
✖ Tips for driver and guide
✖ Optional visits mentioned as not included.
✖ International flights to Peru
✖ Domestic flights (we advise booking the first flights in the morning)
✖ International and domestic airport departure taxes
Pickup Locations
1. J Chavez Intl Airport
Additional Info: Arrive at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima. Upon arrival, a representative will be waiting to greet you at the airport and the transportation service will transfer you to your hotel at the scheduled time.
Itinerary
Day 1 : ARRIVAL LIMA
1
Arrive at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima. Upon arrival, a representative will be waiting to greet you at the airport and the transportation service will transfer you to your hotel at the scheduled time. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure in Lima, the capital of Peru and a city steeped in history. During Colonial times, the Historic Centre of Lima, known as the “Ciudad de los Reyes” (City of Kings), was the political, administrative, religious and economic centre for the Spanish in Peru. The historical centre is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. Lima is now a modern metropolis and is currently undergoing an exciting process of cultural and economic change.
Overnight in Lima.
Duration: 12 hours
Day 2 : LIMA
1
Today breakfast at the hotel is followed by a tour of the city of Lima. The route begins at the Larco Museum of pre-Columbian art. Housed in a former mansion, itself built on the site of a seventh-century, pre-Columbian temple, the museum boasts a very complete collection of gold and silver articles, pottery and erotic art. Continue on to Casa de Aliaga, the oldest Colonial mansion in Lima. The house has been owned and lived in by the Aliaga family and their descendants since conquistador Franzisco Pizarro granted the land to his trusted ally, Jerónimo de Aliaga in 1535. The tour will then guide you through the colonial centre of the city. Visit the impressive Plaza de Armas, the city’s central square and a showcase of Spanish colonial architecture. The Government Palace occupies the north side of the square and the magnificent, sixteenth century Cathedral of Lima is located to the east. Choose to finish the tour at the Larcomar Shopping Centre, an outdoor mall built into a sea cliff featuring 17 restaurants and over 70 shops, or to return to your hotel to put your feet up.
Overnight in Lima.
Duration: 12 hours
Day 3 : LIMA – PARACAS – NASCA LINES OVERFLIGHT - PARACAS (270 km – 4 hours)
1
Start the day with breakfast at the hotel, then a representative and the transportation service will transfer you from your hotel to the bus station, where our trip to Paracas begins. The four-hour journey will give you time to gaze out the window and appreciate the landscape of Peru and the Pacific coast. Our first destination is the airport of Pisco, where we will catch a flight over the mysterious Nazca lines. The small town of Nazca would go unnoticed on the map if it were not for the ancient geoglyphs etched into the sand that have given it worldwide fame. As you fly over the desert, lines take shape to form simple geometric designs, then some of the swirls and zigzags start to form more distinct shapes: a spider, a condor and a monkey, to name a few. If the weather conditions and the airspace allow, you will also fly over the recently discovered drawings in Palpa. Continue your flight over the mountains where marine fossils that date back millions of years were found and then fly back to Pisco to end your aerial experience. Once back on land, you will be transferred to your hotel in Paracas to enjoy your free afternoon.
Overnight in Paracas.
Duration: 12 hours
Day 4 : PARACAS - BALLESTAS ISLANDS - LIMA (265 Km - 3.5 hrs)
1
After breakfast at the hotel, head to El Chaco pier to embark on a boat ride to the Ballestas Islands. The Ballestas are a collection of rocky islets with beautiful geographical formations, just a few kilometres off the western coast of Peru. The islands are the ideal habitat for various species of birds and an eclectic mix of larger wildlife like seals, boobies, pelicans, sea lions and the endangered Humboldt penguin. Cruise around the islands’ dramatic cliffs and watch large herds of noisy sea lions relaxing on the rocks, birds stretching their wings and, if you’re lucky, dolphins near to your boat. While you will not disembark onto the islands, you will get startlingly close to this impressive array of wildlife. As you sail, you will also pass the Paracas Candelabra, a huge geoglyph that has been dated to around 200 BC, although the purpose and the creator of this three-pronged carving remain a mystery. At the end of your boat tour, you will take the bus back to Lima where you will spend the night at your selected hotel.
Overnight in Lima.
Duration: 12 hours
Day 5 : LIMA - CUSCO (90 Min by flight)
1
Start the day with breakfast at the hotel, then take a transfer to the airport to fly to Cusco. You will be met by one of our representatives in Cusco who will transfer you to your hotel. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of the former capital of the Inca Empire. The tour begins at the Santo Domingo Convent, a building constructed on the site of Coricancha, one of the most important Incan complexes dedicated to sun worship. According to historic records, the original temple walls depicted scenes of nature and were covered in gold leaf. After Coricancha, visit the imposing cathedral in the Plaza de Armas, then head to the Cusco hills, where you’ll find the fortress of Sacsayhuamán and panoramic views of Cusco. Continue on to Qenqo, an archaeological site where it is believed the Incas carried out religious rituals to improve harvests. Your tour ends in Puka Pukara, meaning 'strong red' in Quechua. Puka Pukara is believed to be an ancient military site comprising numerous rooms, courtyards, baths, aqueducts and towers. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Overnight in Cusco.
Duration: 12 hours
Day 6 : CUSCO – MACHU PICCHU - AGUAS CALIENTES (170km – 4 hrs)
1
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then transfer to the Ollanta station to begin your trip to Machu Picchu. Enjoy the approximately two-hour train ride through spectacular Andean landscapes to Aguas Calientes, also known as "Machu Picchu Pueblo", the last stop before entering the most important archaeological site in Peru. It is believed that Machu Picchu was built for the Inca emperor Pachacútec around 1450 as a holiday residence. The citadel was abandoned just over 100 years later – probably as a result of the Spanish Conquest – although historians have never uncovered why it was abandoned, or how it escaped the destruction that other Inca settlements faced. Instead, the jungle slowly engulfed its stone construction, covering it in a thick vegetation that kept it hidden and protected until the ‘lost city of the Incas’ was brought to international attention in 1911. Your tour will introduce you to the origins of this impressive citadel and guide you around some of its most iconic monuments, such as the main square, the royal rooms, the Temple of the Three Windows, the circular towers, the Sacred Clock and cemeteries. At the end of the tour, return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and some free time in the afternoon.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
Duration: 12 hours
Day 7 : AGUAS CALIENTES - CUSCO (170 Km - 4 hrs)
1
Today, breakfast at the hotel is followed by a relaxing morning at your leisure in Aguas Calientes, where you will find restaurants, bars, shops, and a craft market. Alternatively, you may return to Machu Picchu to further explore this spectacular ancient city. This day we suggest returning on your own to Machu Picchu to visit the other attractions. Some of the best views of the sunrise can be found by hiking up Huayna Picchu, which houses a complex of underground temples, and Inti Punku (the Sun Gate), both more than 300 metres above the citadel itself. Another option is to take the short 30-minute trek to the Inca Bridge, the secret entrance to Machu Picchu used by the Inca army. Built into a spectacular path along a sheer mountain side, the simple plank bridge could quickly be removed to scupper the progress of any unwanted arrivals. In the afternoon, board the train back to Ollanta station where you will be met by the transportation service who will transfer you back to your hotel in Cusco.
Overnight in Cusco.
Duration: 12 hours
Day 8 : DEPARTURE CUSCO
1
After finishing your breakfast at the hotel, the transportation service will transfer you to the airport to round off your eight-day tour of some of Peru’s most fascinating sights. Although this is the last day of your journey by sea, land and air through this inspiring country, we are confident that the memories created here will last a lifetime.
Breakfast included.
Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Additional info
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Rates do not apply to Peruvians or residents with more than 60 days of stay. If passengers are Peruvians or exceed 60 days of stay, sale taxes (18%) will be collected by our local operator
• Domestic flight from Lima to Cusco must arrive not later than 10:30hrs. Noon arrivals are too late.
• Please note that Check In in most hotels begins at 13:00 hrs. Clients will be subject to the availability of the room if they arrive before, waiting in the hotel lobby
• If your trip includes the visit to high altitude cities such as Cusco and Puno located at more than 3400 meters (11 200 feet above sea level), do not forget to take precautions in order to avoid altitude sickness. Passengers who have heart problems or high blood pressure should check with their doctor before travelling
• Upon arrival is recommended to rest for few hours, drink coca tea and eat lightly. As a reference Machu Picchu is located at 2400 meters (8 000 feet above sea level)
• IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW ENTRANCE REGULATIONS TO MACHU PICCHU The current restrictions on visits to Machu Picchu allow a maximum stay of 4 hours in the citadel accompanied by a guide during the first entry. If the visitor tours an alternate route (Mountain Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu) the passenger will have 3 hours to for this purpose, additional to the 4 hours in the citadel. If the passenger wishes to enter the citadel again during the afternoon shift or the next day, he must acquire previously an additional ticket to enter in the new shift. There is no ticket sale in the archaeological zone. It is forbidden the follow objects: professional cameras that require lights and tripods, or with telephoto lenses with a weigh higher than 2 kilos (in order to use them, special authorization is needed, as well as the payment of an additional fee), drones, selfie sticks, sprays, high heels, walking sticks without rubber tip, banners and posters, sharp objects and backpacks bigger than 40cm x 35 cm x 20 cm.
• INSTRUCTIONS Carry the same document that you presented to the agency, given that the train tickets and entrance to Machu Picchu will be issued with the same information In all train services to Machu Picchu, the passenger can carry only hand luggage (backpack, bag or briefcase) weighing no more than 5kg / 11lb on the train to / from Machu Picchu. You will find your luggage at the chosen hotel. Allowed size: 62 linear inches 157cm (height + length + width)
• NEW PLASTIC REGULATION: After the prohibition of the access of single use plastic items to 76 natural areas including Machu Picchu, it is important to use reusable bottles. Lima Tours installs a water refill point in our office in Aguas Calientes.
