Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Peru – Lima – Amazonas – Titicaca – Cuzco – Machu Picchu
100% customisable for you
Your Peruvian adventure begins with an overnight flight to Lima, which takes around twelve-and-a-half hours. Head to the airport, breeze through security and settle in for the journey south – ideally with a film, a glass of wine and at least some attempt at sleep.
Touch down in Lima the following morning, where you’ll be met at the airport and privately transferred to your hotel in Miraflores for a two-night stay. This leafy coastal district offers the perfect introduction to the country, with ocean views, buzzing cafes and some of Lima’s best restaurants.
Spend the rest of the day recovering from the flight however you please. You could wander the clifftop promenade, explore Barranco’s colourful streets or simply grab a table for fresh ceviche and watch surfers drifting across the Pacific below.
Today is yours to explore Lima at your own pace. The historic centre reveals another side to the city entirely, with grand colonial squares, ornate churches and elegant mansions recalling Peru’s Spanish past. The UNESCO-listed old town is home to landmarks like the Cathedral of Lima and Torre Tagle Palace, while Barranco continues to hum with galleries, coffee shops and bohemian energy.
Museum fans are particularly spoiled here. The Larco Museum offers a brilliant introduction to Peru’s ancient civilisations, while the Pedro de Osma Museum houses an impressive collection of colonial-era art inside a beautiful 19th-century mansion.
This evening, dinner is already taken care of at Maido, one of Lima’s most celebrated restaurants which serves Nikkei cuisine – the Japanese-Peruvian fusion style that has helped place Lima firmly on the global food map. Arrive hungry.
This morning, head to the airport to catch a one-and-a-half-hour flight north to Jaen before continuing overland to Cocachimba, a tiny village surrounded by cloud forest and mountain scenery. You’ll stay here for the next two nights in a lodge facing one of Peru’s most spectacular natural sights: Gocta waterfall.
At over 2,500ft high, Gocta crashes down the mountainside in two enormous drops, often partially hidden by drifting mist. From the hotel terrace, the view alone is enough to stop conversations mid-sentence.
The lodge itself keeps things relaxed and simple, with a swimming pool overlooking the valley and hearty cooking blending Andean and Amazonian influences. On clear evenings, tables are moved outside so dinner comes with a side of mountain views and rushing water in the distance.
Today, set out towards Gocta on foot, following forest trails rich in orchids, hummingbirds and tropical vegetation. As you get closer, the sound grows steadily louder until the waterfall eventually reveals itself in full force, plunging spectacularly into the valley below. The locals simply call it La Chorrera (‘The Fall’) which feels suitably dramatic for a waterfall this enormous.
Later, continue exploring the region’s Chachapoyas heritage with a visit to the cliffside sarcophagi of Karajia. Perched high above the valley, these mysterious funerary statues were created by the Chachapoyas civilisation long before the arrival of the Incas and remain one of Peru’s most striking archaeological sights.
Today’s journey south towards Leymebamba, which takes around two hours and 45 minutes, comes with several nice stops along the way. First up is Chachapoyas itself, where whitewashed colonial buildings frame a handsome Plaza de Armas beneath the twin towers of the cathedral.
Further south lies Kuelap, often described as Peru’s answer to Machu Picchu – although with far fewer crowds. Built high on a mountaintop ridge by the Chachapoyas civilisation, the vast stone fortress once protected an entire settlement and still feels wonderfully remote today.
By evening, arrive in Leymebamba for an overnight stay in a traditional colonial-style guesthouse.
Before leaving Leymebamba, stop at the excellent local museum, home to more than 200 Chachapoyas mummies discovered near Laguna de los Condores in the late 90s. Alongside the mummies sit ancient quipus – intricate knotted cords once used by the Incas for record keeping.
From here, continue south to Cajamarca, where you’ll stay for the next two nights in a hotel famous for its thermal springs – not a bad reward after a long day on the road.
Cajamarca holds an important place in Peruvian history. It was here, in 1532, that the Spanish captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa, effectively bringing the Inca Empire to an end.
Today, visit the famous Ransom Room, where Atahualpa supposedly promised to fill the chamber with gold and silver in exchange for his freedom – a promise that ultimately changed nothing.
The city itself also surprises with its impressive colonial architecture, particularly the cathedral and the striking Belen complex, whose elaborate facades helped define the Andean Baroque style.
Today involves a flight south to Arequipa via Lima, a journey that takes around five-and-a-half hours. Nicknamed ‘The White City’, Arequipa owes much of its beauty to sillar, a pale volcanic stone quarried from the surrounding region.
Your hotel sits just a short stroll from the Plaza de Armas. After checking in, head out and spend the evening wandering Arequipa’s atmospheric streets or finding a terrace table for dinner beneath the glow of the cathedral lights.
Arequipa is one of Peru’s most elegant cities and today is yours to explore it. The standout sight is undoubtedly Santa Catalina Monastery, a vast 16th-century religious complex so large it feels like an entire city hidden behind monastery walls.
Elsewhere, stroll through Yanahuara’s picturesque lanes, admire the volcanic backdrop or simply soak up the atmosphere around the Plaza de Armas.
Fancy diving deeper into the city’s history? We can arrange a private guided tour of Arequipa and Santa Catalina Monastery.
Today, board a comfortable bus for the six-and-a-half-hour journey to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. You’ll stay here for the next two nights in a cosy centrally-located hotel decorated with traditional aguayo textiles from the Altiplano region. The style is simple but welcoming – and after a long travel day, that’s exactly what’s needed.
At over 12,500ft above sea level, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world – and today, you’ll experience life on its waters firsthand.
Visit the floating islands of the Uros Titinos community, built entirely from layers of totora reeds that also form their traditional boats and homes. Afterwards, continue to Llachon on the Capachica Peninsula, where life moves to a gentler rhythm beside the lake.
Here, share a traditional meal with local families while taking in endless blue views stretching between water and sky.
Today’s scenic bus journey (around eight hours) brings you to Cusco, once the capital of the Inca Empire and still one of South America’s most fascinating cities.
You’ll stay for the next three nights in the artistic San Blas district, where narrow cobbled lanes wind uphill past galleries, workshops and hidden courtyards. Your hotel occupies a restored quinta arranged around a peaceful central patio – perfect for relaxing between explorations.
Spend the next two days exploring the city and surrounding sites. The Plaza de Armas, cathedral and Church of the Society of Jesus showcase the grandeur of colonial Cusco, while Sacsayhuaman’s enormous zigzagging stone walls remain one of the Inca civilisation’s great engineering feats.
There’s plenty more nearby too, from Tambomachay and Qenqo to Puca Pucara and the colourful San Pedro market. If you fancy going further afield, we can also arrange a day trip to the striking rainbow landscapes of the Palcoyo mountain range.
This morning, board the train from Poroy to Aguas Calientes, winding through increasingly dramatic scenery towards one of the world’s most iconic archaeological sites.
Then comes the moment itself: Machu Picchu.
Reached by shuttle bus climbing steep mountain roads, the legendary Inca citadel still manages to exceed expectations. The setting alone feels almost unreal, with terraces and temples perched high among mist-covered peaks.
Your private guide will be there to help unravel the extraordinary engineering and spiritual significance behind the site, turning awe into understanding – although there will still be plenty of moments spent simply staring at the view in disbelief.
Tonight, stay in Aguas Calientes beside the rainforest-covered mountains surrounding the ruins.
This morning, return to Machu Picchu for a second visit – because once is rarely enough.
Today also includes the climb up Machu Picchu Mountain itself, rising to over 10,100ft above sea level. The ascent is demanding in places, but the panoramic views across the citadel and surrounding peaks are more than worth the effort.
Later, travel back by train to Ollantaytambo before continuing into the Sacred Valley, where you’ll spend the next three nights in a contemporary Andean-style hotel surrounded by gardens and mountain scenery.
Today, explore the Sacred Valley alongside your private guide and driver. Begin in Pisaq, where colourful market stalls overflow with textiles, produce and traditional crafts beneath dramatic Inca terraces climbing the mountainside.
Then continue to Ollantaytambo, one of the finest surviving examples of Inca urban planning. Massive stone terraces and defensive walls dominate the valley while the old town still follows its original Inca street layout.
Return to your hotel this evening for a delicious dinner and early night ready for another busy day of exploring tomorrow.
Your final full day in Peru takes you through some of the Sacred Valley’s most fascinating landscapes.
Walk among the perfectly circular agricultural terraces of Moray, once used by the Incas as a kind of open-air farming laboratory, before continuing through rural Andean scenery towards the dazzling white salt pans of Maras. Here, thousands of salt pools cascade down the hillside in geometric patterns that seem almost too dreamlike to be real.
The walk itself takes around three hours and offers a final chance to soak up the scenery before tomorrow’s journey home.
Sadly, it’s time to leave Peru behind. Transfer to Cusco Airport for your overnight flight home via Lima. You’ll arrive back on home soil the following morning.
As the mountains fade beneath the clouds, expect memories of misty citadels, high-altitude lakes and cloud forest waterfalls to follow you all the way back to the UK – along with a sudden urge to put aji amarillo sauce on absolutely everything.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
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