Discover the best of Peru in 10 days. Begin your adventure by exploring Lima, the vibrant gastronomic capital and City of Kings, where the colonial past intertwines with modern coastal districts overlooking the Pacific. Continue to the enigmatic South Coast to marvel at the abundant marine life in the Ballestas Islands while practicing exhilarating sandboarding among the golden dunes surrounding the magical Huacachina Oasis.
Later, discover Arequipa, the impressive White City, built from volcanic ashlar and home to the fascinating Monastery of Santa Catalina, which remained closed for four centuries. Entering the majestic Colca Canyon, one of the deepest on the planet, you will admire the impressive flight of the Andean condor over spectacular mountain landscapes.
Arriving in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, you will be amazed by the perfect fusion of Inca and Spanish architecture while visiting magnificent surrounding archaeological sites. Touring the mystical Sacred Valley, you will appreciate important Inca ceremonial centers, colorful traditional markets, and stunning ancient agricultural terraces. Finally, culminate this unforgettable Peruvian experience at the legendary citadel of Machu Picchu, an archaeological gem recognized worldwide as a symbol of the ingenuity and power of the Inca civilization.
Overview
10-DAY PACKAGE SUMMARY
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
- Airport pickup and transfer to hotel
- Free day to relax.
Day 2: Lima City Tour (4 hours)
- Visit to ancient Lima and the Colonial Zone
- Tour of the Historic Center: Plaza de Armas, Government Palace, Municipal Palace, and Archbishop’s Palace
- Visit to the Convent of San Francisco and the Catacombs
- Tour of modern areas: San Isidro, Olivar Park, Parque del Amor, and the Malecón.
Day 3: Excursion to Paracas, Ica, and Huacachina
- Trip to Paracas (4 hours)
- Tour to the Ballestas Islands (2 hours): sea lion and penguin watching, and El Candelabro
- Visit to Vinícola El Catador with wine and pisco tasting
- Experience the Huacachina Oasis: sandboarding The dunes
- Return to Lima.
Day 4: Lima – Arequipa
- Transfer to the airport for flight to Arequipa
- Welcome and free afternoon in Arequipa.
Day 5: Arequipa City Tour
- Visit to the Carmen Alto and Yanahuara viewpoints
- Tour of the Santa Catalina Convent
- Tour of the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and the Compañía Church.
Day 6: Colca Canyon – Travel to Cusco
- Early departure (3:00-3:30 a.m.) to Cruz del Cóndor
- Visit to colonial towns: Pinchollo, Maca, and Yanque
- Stops at the Antahuilque and Choquetico viewpoints
- Hot springs and lunch in Chivay
- Stop at the Mirador de los Volcanes (4,910 meters above sea level)
- Flora and fauna observation in the Tocra wetlands and Pampa Cañahuas
- Night bus trip to Cusco (10 hours).
Day 7: Arrival in Cusco – City Tour
- Reception and time for acclimatization to the altitude (3,400 meters above sea level)
- Tour of the colonial city and Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun)
- Visit to archaeological centers: Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Pucapucara and Tambomachay.
Day 8: Sacred Valley – Aguas Calientes
- Visit to Pisaq: craft market and archaeological center
- Tour of Ccoya, Lamay, Calca and Urubamba
- Buffet lunch
- Visit to the archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo
- Train trip to Aguas Calientes (1h45min)
Day 9: Machu Picchu – Cusco
- Early ascent to Machu Picchu
- Guided tour of the citadel
- Optional: Ascent to Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu (additional $65)
- Lunch in Aguas Calientes
- Return by train to Ollantaytambo and transfer to Cusco
Day 10: Departure from Cusco
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Departure transfer as scheduled
Itinerary
Day 1. Welcome to Lima
Arrival in Lima. A representative from our travel agency will be waiting for you at the airport to welcome you and transfer you to the hotel of your choice.
Free day to rest.
Accommodation: Selected hotel in Lima | Meals included: None
Day 2. Lima – City Tour
Breakfast at the hotel.
At 9:00 am, a representative from our agency will pick you up to begin your tour of Lima, “City of Kings.”
ANCESTRAL LIMA: We begin our tour by exploring the modern district of Miraflores, where we will appreciate the majestic Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Inca ceremonial center built in the 4th century AD that has remarkably survived Lima’s urban expansion. We will continue to the romantic Parque del Amor (Love Park) on the Miraflores Malecón, from where we will enjoy spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.
The tour continues through the elegant district of San Isidro with its emblematic El Olivar Park.
COLLONIAL LIMA: Delving into Lima’s Historic Center, a World Cultural Heritage Site, we will discover more than fifty colonial monuments and buildings. We will walk along Paseo de la República and Plaza San Martín, where our guide will share fascinating historical stories. In the majestic Plaza Mayor (Plaza de Armas), we will admire the Government Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace with its fine wooden balconies, the imposing Cathedral Basilica, and the Municipal Palace.
The highlight of our tour will be a visit to the Convent of San Francisco, a 17th-century architectural gem. We will explore its ancient Library with historical texts, the magnificent wooden Choir, the serene Main Cloister decorated with Sevillian tiles, and the mysterious underground Catacombs, a former colonial cemetery that holds fascinating stories.
At the end of the tour, after approximately 4 hours, you can choose to return to your hotel or stay and explore the modern Larcomar shopping center, perfectly integrated into the cliffs overlooking the Pacific.
Accommodation: Selected hotel in Lima | Meals included: Breakfast
Day 3. Ballestas Islands + Huacachina Oasis + Ica Vineyards
At the scheduled time, pick-up from your hotel.
We will travel for a 4-hour trip to Paracas, where we will make our first stop at the Marina Pier. We will then pass through the SERNANP checkpoint to enter the Ballestas Islands. This excursion will last 2 hours and allow us to observe the enchanting marine life and the large formation in the sand, known as “El Candelabra.” The guide will give us a thorough explanation of the flora and fauna of this area, where we will see many sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and guano birds.
After the guided tour, we will spend about an hour traveling to the “Vinícola El Catador,” where we will savor a delicious meal and walk through the wineries, in addition to tasting some of the local wines and piscos.
Then we head to the Huacachina Oasis. There we will have an unforgettable experience, gliding from a high point on sandboards across the magical desert sand. After experiencing the adrenaline rush, we will take a walk through the Huacachina Oasis and take beautiful photos.
At the end of the tour, we will head back to Lima to rest.
Accommodation: Selected hotel in Lima | Meals included: Lunch, Breakfast
Day 4. Lima – Arequipa
Breakfast at the hotel to start the day off right.
At the agreed-upon time, we’ll head to the airport for your flight to Arequipa.
Welcome to Arequipa! Upon arrival, our team will greet you and comfortably transfer you to your hotel.
The rest of the day is free for you to explore the city at your leisure, enjoy the colonial architecture, or simply relax.
Accommodation: Selected hotel in Arequipa | Meals included: Lunch, Breakfast.
Day 5. Arequipa – Pedestrian City Tour And Santa Catalina Convent
Breakfast at the hotel
In the afternoon, we will visit the city of Arequipa: The Carmen Alto Viewpoint (where you can see the Chilina Valley), the Yanahuara Viewpoint, and the Santa Catalina Convent, a 17th-century “small town” opened to the public in 1970 after 400 years of cloister, which transports its visitors four centuries into the past. You will pass numerous spacious courtyards and gardens, the kitchen and slave quarters, and the stone laundries, the Plaza de Armas, where you will see the Cathedral (its only façade), the Church, and the Cloisters of the Company of San Ignacio.
Return to the hotel.
Accommodation: Selected hotel in Arequipa | Meals included: Breakfast.
Day 6: Full-Day Colca Canyon Adventure
Our adventure begins very early, between 3:00 and 3:30 a.m., when we will pick you up directly from your hotel in Arequipa.
We will immediately begin our journey through the town of Yura,
heading nonstop to the famous Cruz del Cóndor, making only a brief stop to enjoy a comforting breakfast along the way.
At approximately 8:30 a.m., we will arrive at our first main destination, the majestic Cruz del Cóndor, a privileged viewpoint from which we can contemplate one of the deepest canyons in the world and observe the natural sanctuary where the majestic Andean condor lives in its natural habitat.
On our return journey, we will make strategic stops in picturesque colonial towns such as Pinchollo, Maca, and Yanque, where we will have the opportunity to appreciate their beautiful colonial churches that preserve centuries of history and architecture. We will also visit the impressive viewpoints of Antahuilque and Choquetico, from where we will see ancient tombs and pre-Inca models, as well as enjoy the spectacular landscape of the Colca Valley, with its impressive traditional agricultural terrace system.
Around 11:30 a.m., in the town of Chivay, we will head to the relaxing hot springs where we can enjoy the medicinal waters. Later, at 12:30 p.m., we will enjoy a typical lunch in Chivay before beginning our return journey to Arequipa. On the return journey, at approximately 1:30 PM, we will stop at the impressive Mirador de los Volcanes, located 4,910 meters above sea level, the highest point on our tour.
We will continue to the Tocra wetlands, where we will appreciate the diversity of wild birds along with herds of alpacas and llamas in their natural environment. As we cross the Cañahuas Pampa, part of the Aguada Blanca and Salinas National Reserve, we will have the opportunity to observe groups of vicuñas, the elegant South American camelid known for having one of the finest fibers in the world.
Finally, around 5:00 PM, we will arrive back in the city of Arequipa, thus culminating our enriching adventure through the magnificent Colca Canyon.
We will depart for Cusco by bus from Cruz del Sur or other similar transportation, at approximately 8:30 PM. (Estimated travel time: 10 hours).
Accommodation: Overnight on board the bus | Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Day 7: Cusco – City Tour Cusco And Near Archaeological Centers
Arrival in the imperial city of Cusco. Reception at the bus station and transfer to your selected hotel. Free time to rest and acclimatize to the altitude (3,400 meters above sea level).
Half-Day City Tour
Between 1:00 and 1:20 pm, we will begin our tour of this fascinating colonial city built on Inca foundations. We will visit valuable paintings from the “Escuela Cusqueña” as well as the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun, known as the Royal House of the Sun of Cusco.
We will continue to the four main archaeological sites surrounding the city: Sacsayhuamán, an impressive fortress located 5 km from the city center; Qenqo, an ancient sacred amphitheater dedicated to the worship of the god Puma, where ritual sacrifices were performed; Pucapucara, a strategic reddish fortress that takes on its characteristic color at sunset; and Tambomachay, a temple dedicated to the worship of water.
Return to the hotel and overnight stay in Cusco.
Accommodation: Selected hotel in Cusco | Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.
Day 8: Cusco – Sacred Valley Of The Incas – Aguas Calientes
Breakfast at the hotel.
At the agreed-upon time, we will begin our excursion to the legendary Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will first visit the charming colonial city of Pisaq with its famous artisan market and then ascend to its impressive archaeological center, where we will admire the magnificent agricultural terraces of Inca architecture. We will continue our tour through the picturesque villages of Ccoya, Lamay, Calca, and Urubamba.
We will enjoy a buffet lunch before heading to Ollantaytambo in the afternoon to visit its monumental archaeological complex, a gigantic structure that served as an agricultural, administrative, social, and religious center during the Tahuantinsuyu Empire.
Finally, we will take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (a scenic 1 hour and 45-minute trip), where we will spend the night to prepare for our visit to Machu Picchu the next day.
Accommodation: Selected hotel in Aguas Calientes | Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 9: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Breakfast at the hotel
Early in the morning, we will take the bus up to the marvelous citadel of Machu Picchu, rediscovered in 1911 by explorer Hiram Bingham.
We will enjoy a comprehensive guided tour of the main buildings of this archaeological treasure, including the Mirador, water mirrors, quarries, sacred rock, the Plaza Mayor, and other important areas.
Optional: Possibility of ascending Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu Mountain for an additional cost of $65.00 per ticket (subject to availability).
We will descend to Aguas Calientes to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we will take the train back to Ollantaytambo station, where a shuttle will be waiting to take us back to Cusco.
Accommodation: Selected hotel in Cusco | Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.
Day 10: Cusco
Breakfast at the hotel.
At the appropriate time, transfer to and from the airport.
Breakfast for this day will depend on the hotel pickup time.
End of service
Included
TOUR INCLUDES
General
- Shared services with a professional bilingual guide (Spanish or English).
- Entrance fees included.
Lima
- Transfers in/out of Lima.
- 3 nights’ accommodation in Lima with breakfast.
- Half-day city tour in Lima
Paracas – Ica
- Round-trip tourist transportation.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off.
- Ballestas Islands tour.
- Entrance tickets to Paracas.
- Traditional lunch.
- Sandboarding and dune buggies.
- Entrance tickets to Huacachina.
- Tour guide.
- Permanent assistance during the trip.
- Wine and pisco tasting.
- Chocoteja and sweets tasting.
- Taxes.
- Permanent assistance.
- First aid kit.
Arequipa
- Transfers in/out of Arequipa.
- 2 nights’ accommodation in Arequipa with breakfast.
- Walking tour of the city and the Santa Catalina Convent.
- 1-Day Colca itinerary
- Night bus ticket (Arequipa/Cusco) – Cruz del Sur or similar (night on board).
Cusco
- Transfers in/out Cusco.
- 3 nights’ accommodation with breakfast.
- City tour and nearby archaeological sites.
- Sacred Valley of the Incas with lunch.
- 1 night in Aguas Calientes with breakfast.
- Machu Picchu: via Expedition Perú Rail or Executive Inca Rail (subject to availability).
- 1 lunch in Machu Picchu at a local restaurant.
NOT INCLUDED
- Domestic or international airline tickets.
- Services not detailed in the itinerary
- Hot and/or cold beverages.
CONTACTS
TERMS
- All rates are in US dollars (may vary depending on the price of the day) amounts are given per person.
- Rates valid only for domestic tourists include VAT.
- All our rates are subject to the availability of the current quotation for the US dollar.
- Kindergarten: Children under 02 years and 11 months. This group does not pay for any service and is not entitled to food, bed or seat on the tours.
- Children from 03 to 10 years 11 months: This group has a special rate and we share rooms with their parents.
- Over 11 years: This group is subject to the same rate for adults.
- Minors must always travel with an identity document.
- Rates do not apply to holidays, Easter, bridge weekends, national holidays, Christmas or New Years.
More Information
Arequipa, a legendary and historic white stone city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Watched over by its beautiful volcanoes in Ampato, Chachani and especially the El Misti Volcano.
With its streets, buildings and churches of a spectacular colonial construction; with a wonderful geography that gives us a fertile valley and deep canyons among them, Cotahuasi and Colca, whose beauty and impact are impressive.
AREQUIPA
Arequipa is situated at an altitude of 2325 m in the desert mountains of the Andes. This beautiful city is built almost entirely of sillar, a kind of white volcanic stone. This is why Arequipa is called the White City. With its one million inhabitants, Arequipa is the second largest city of Peru.
The main location, the Plaza de Armas is the most beautiful in the country. The Cathedral is magnificent and the shopping arcades are in colonial style.
Monastery of Santa Catalina
The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena, or also known as the Convent of Santa Catalina, is a religious tourist complex located in the historic centre of Arequipa. What makes the visit especially interesting is that the monastery itself is a small city, 20,000m2 surrounded by a 4-metre high wall that separated the life of the cloistered nuns from that of the rest of the inhabitants of Arequipa.
How to get to the Monastery of Santa Catalina?
The Monastery of Santa Catalina is located just a few blocks from the imposing Plaza de Armas of the city, so you can get there from anywhere in the historic centre of Arequipa.
Dreamy Tours, we offer a City Tour in Arequipa that includes a guided visit to the monastery of Santa Catalina, as well as other tourist attractions of the city.
Get To Colca Canyon
The Colca Canyon is located about 4 hours from the city of Arequipa. The best way to get there is to take a tour or hike that includes transportation to and from Arequipa.
What is the best season to visit the Colca Valley?
You can visit the Colca all year round, however the best time to visit is between April and May as the rainy season is coming to an end and these are the months that show the greenery of the Colca Valley and all its landscapes.
Did you know that, if you want to make a direct connection between the city of Puno and Lake Titicaca after the Colca Canyon, you also have the option of 2 days in the Colca with transfer to Puno, perfect for not having to return to the city of Arequipa!
We can also make the connection to the city of Cusco. The city of Cusco is rich, for the amount of tourist resources that it presents, and for the history that precedes it. Among the tourist attractions found in Cusco, there are places like the Historic Centre of Cusco, which includes more than seven catholic churches of colonial origin.
How to travel from Arequipa to Cusco?
Direct travel: You can travel directly from Arequipa to Cusco. Buses leave Arequipa at 8:00pm and 8:30pm.
Travel time is approximately 9 hours.
Sacred Valley
Hidden beneath the tawny foothills of formidable hills, the beautiful Urubamba River Valley, known as the Sacred Valley.
It lies about 15km north of Cuzco as the condor flies, along a narrow road of hairpin bends.
It is well worth exploring this quiet and attractive corner of the Andes with attractive colonial towns and isolated woven villages. The star attractions are the markets and towering Inca citadels of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, but they are also packed with other Inca sites.
Its countless hiking trails are deservedly gaining in popularity. Adrenaline activities range from rafting to rock climbing.
If you wish to visit the Sacred Valley, the first thing you should do is buy the Cusco Tourist Ticket, with which you will have access to various attractions in the city and the Sacred Valley.
Main citadels in the Sacred Valley to visit:
Pisac – Pisac is located 33 kilometers from the city of Cusco (and is known as the gateway to the Sacred Valley). It is world renowned for its handicraft market and its impressive archaeological remains, located in the upper part of the town. This town is valuable for its location and fertile land. Its Inca and colonial constructions are admirable. Also, Pisac is famous for being an ideal place for spiritual retreats.
Urubamba – Urubamba is one of the most remarkable cities of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It was born during the colony and is considered the corn capital of the world, thanks to the fact that it is watered by numerous rivers that rise in the peaks of the glacial mountains.
All this territory was appreciated by the Incas because of the fertility of its lands. It is one of the best places to relax. There you will see many foreigners who decided to leave their countries and stay there.
Ollantaytambo: is localized 97 km, in the northwest of the city of Cusco. In the Incas times, was fortress city, with temples, walls,
is located 97 kilometres northeast of the city of Cusco. During the Inca period it was a fortified city with temples, defence walls as well as urban and agricultural sectors. It is known to have served as an administrative checkpoint. It is believed to be one of the most important archaeological sites in Peru and South America.
Chinchero – Chinchero is located 28 kilometres from the city of Cusco. It is one of the highest points in the valley: 3,772 metres above sea level (12,375 ft), where the palace of the emperor Tupac Yupanqui once stood, but which was destroyed by the Spaniards.
In its place they built the colonial church of Nuestra Señora de Monserrat. This church, built in the 17th century, includes canvases of the ‘Cusco School’. The town is also famous for its handicraft market where bartering is still practised.
Maras – Maras is famous for its proximity to hundreds of salt wells that form a spectacular landscape. In Maras you can see more than 5 thousand salt extraction wells built during the Inca period. The salt mines of Maras are one of the four places in the world where pink salt can be obtained. The villagers sell this salt in the main markets of Cusco.
Moray – Moray is located 74 kilometres from the city of Cusco and is home to the famous Inca circular terraces. This set of concentric circular terraces gives the sensation of being an artificial crater. Moray was one of the main ‘agricultural research centres’ of the Inca empire. It was dedicated to the experimentation and sowing of crops from different places.
The different climates and altitudinal levels were constructed with the intention of making it possible to grow crops from the coast and jungle in cold climates.
History of the Citadel of Machu Picchu – Machupicchu
This ancient Inca city known as Machu Picchu or Machupicchu, is one of Peru’s most precious treasures. It was built in the middle of the 15th century and it is believed that it was one of the residences of the ninth Inca of the Tahuantinsuyo, Pachacutec,
(considered the great transformer of the Inca empire), although in it there are also the remains of a great Sanctuary (Sacred Place where they worshipped their diverse gods, especially the Sun God), with diverse temples such as: temple of the sun, temple of the 3 windows, temple of the Pachamama, the Inti Huatana, the royal Mausoleum, among others,
Its name means old mountain – Machu Picchu, and refers to the place where it is located, at about 2453 m.a.s.l., on a rocky premonitory between Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. Machu Picchu is divided into 3 sectors: agricultural sector, religious sector, urban sector.
Today, this Inca jewel is one of the country’s tourist attractions. Travellers come to (Aguas Calientes-Machupicchu village) to start the Inca trail made popular by Hiram Bingham at the beginning of the 20th century.
The historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983. Machu Picchu Peru.
Price
HOW MUCH?
We have price alternatives that accommodate all budgets, prices per person, expressed in US Dollars.
Make your quotes and reservations by email [email protected], you can also communicate with one of our sales executives at the telephones detailed below, we will be happy to assist you.
Phone – WhatsApp: +51 969 787 221
Phone – WhatsApp: +51 986 994 218
HOW TO BOOK THE TOUR?
To start the reservation process, please send us the following information:
- Name and surname:
- Passport number:
- Nationality:
- Date of Birth:
- Phone:
- Very important – We need the address and information about the hotel that you are staying at, in the city of Arequipa, to be able to pick you up at the time when the tour starts
To confirm reservations it is required to pay 50% in advance and the other 50% can be paid upon arrival at your destination.
PAYMENT METHODS
- IZIPAY
- PAYPAL
- WESTER UNION
- MONEYGRAM
- TRANSFER TO OUR BANK ACCOUNT PERU