Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Peru and Bolivia: Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and Uyuni
13 days from Cusco to La Paz: the Sacred Valley, a night below Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca from Puno and Copacabana, La Paz and the Uyuni salt flats.
13 days · Cusco to La Paz · up to 12 guests
Machu Picchu as the morning cloud lifts off the peaks Photo: Scott Umstattd scott_umstattd, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Machu_Picchu_Through_Clouds_(Unsplash).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 13 days, 12 nights
- Start and end
- Cusco to La Paz
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Easy to moderate walking of 2 to 4 hours a day on cobbles, stone steps and uneven ground, every day at altitude: Cusco about 3,400 m, the Sacred Valley about 2,800 m, Machu Picchu about 2,430 m, Puno and Lake Titicaca about 3,830 m, La Paz about 3,640 m and the Uyuni salt flats about 3,660 m. The hardest walks are the Machu Picchu circuit and the climb from the dock on Taquile, about 40 minutes uphill; each has an easier option. Day 8 is a long road day across the border.
- Meals included
- 12 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 830 (estimated price)
- Season
- Best April to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Machu Picchu at the 6 am entry, after a night in Aguas Calientes below the site
- Pisac before the day-tour buses and Ollantaytambo in the quieter late afternoon
- The floating reed islands of the Uros and a full boat day to the Uros and Taquile, with lunch above the lake
- The Colla burial towers of Sillustani on the way into Puno
- Across the border to Copacabana and its basilica, then over the Strait of Tiquina to La Paz
- Tiwanaku, a UNESCO site, then the cable car down from El Alto into La Paz
- Sunset on the Salar de Uyuni and a 4x4 day to the giant cacti of Incahuasi
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 830 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Cusco
Alejandro Velasco Astete airport (CUZ) to your hotel in Cusco
- Dinner
- Stay in Cusco
- Drive about 15 min
Most international flights reach Peru through Lima, so you fly on to Cusco, about 1 hour 20 minutes, and land at Alejandro Velasco Astete airport (CUZ), about 5 km from the centre. A driver meets you in arrivals for the short drive to our hotel in the historic centre.
Evening
Cusco sits at about 3,400 m, and today is about the altitude: nothing is planned before the evening, so you can rest, drink plenty of water and try the coca tea that every hotel offers. If you feel well, wander the stone lanes near the hotel at an easy pace. The city was the capital of the Inca empire, and Spanish churches and mansions stand everywhere on Inca walls of fitted stone. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the two weeks ahead: how we pace the altitude, the border day into Bolivia and what to pack for the salt flats. Then we walk to an early, light welcome dinner. To join the briefing, plan to land by about 3 pm.
Included
- Pick-up at Cusco airport (CUZ)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early evening briefing; rest is the plan
Activity: Walk slowly, drink plenty of water and skip alcohol tonight; most people feel the altitude on the first day.
Cusco: Sacsayhuaman, San Blas and Qorikancha
Sacsayhuaman, then on foot down through San Blas to the Plaza de Armas and Qorikancha
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cusco
- Drive about 15 min
A slow start. At about 9:30 am we drive ten minutes up to Sacsayhuaman, the Inca complex above the city, where three tiers of zigzag walls of huge fitted stones face a wide grassy esplanade. Starting at the top means the walk back into town is mostly downhill, which matters on the second day at altitude. We go down lanes and steps into San Blas, the artisans' quarter, past the twelve-angled stone on Hatun Rumiyoc street, to the Plaza de Armas. Inside the Cathedral, built over an Inca palace, look for the colonial Last Supper with a roast guinea pig on the table.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal near the square. Early in the afternoon we visit Qorikancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, where Dominican friars built their monastery on top of the curved Inca walls. Cusco's old centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. From about 3 pm the rest of the day is yours: rest, the San Pedro market or the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.
Included
- Sacsayhuaman with your guide
- Walk through San Blas and past the twelve-angled stone
- Cusco Cathedral
- Sit-down lunch near the Plaza de Armas
- Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun
Easier option: Take a taxi from Sacsayhuaman to the Plaza de Armas instead of walking down through San Blas.
Free time: Afternoon from about 3 pm and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot, mostly downhill on steps and cobbles at about 3,400 m.
The Sacred Valley: Pisac and Ollantaytambo
Cusco to Pisac, then down the Sacred Valley via Urubamba to Ollantaytambo
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ollantaytambo
- Drive about 2.5 h
Your main bag stays at the Cusco hotel, and you take a small bag for two nights. We leave at 8 am and drive about an hour over the hill and down into the Sacred Valley, reaching the Pisac ruins at about 8:45, ahead of most day-tour buses from Cusco. Temples of fitted stone surround a carved ritual rock high above the town, with curved terraces falling to the Urubamba River.
Afternoon
Then we walk the market square in Pisac town, busiest on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and drive on down the valley to Urubamba for a slow sit-down lunch. In the late afternoon, when the midday wave has left, we climb the terraces of Ollantaytambo to the Temple Hill and its wall of six huge pink stones, hauled from a quarry across the river. In 1537 Manco Inca held off a Spanish force here, one of the few times the Incas beat them in open battle.
Evening
We sleep in Ollantaytambo, about 600 m lower than Cusco, which most people notice in a better night's sleep.
Included
- Pisac ruins with your guide
- Pisac market
- Sit-down lunch in Urubamba
- Ollantaytambo ruins and the Temple Hill
Easier option: At Pisac, stay in the upper sector near the car park, where the walking is gentle; at Ollantaytambo, climb only the first terraces.
More active option: Climb from the Ollantaytambo terraces to the Pinkuylluna storehouses on the slope above the town, about an hour up and down.
Free time: Evening free in Ollantaytambo
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on stone steps and terraces, at about 2,800 to 3,000 m.
Ollantaytambo on foot, then the train to Aguas Calientes
Ollantaytambo old town, then by train down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Aguas Calientes
- By train
Morning
A slow morning. After breakfast your guide walks the group through the old town of Ollantaytambo, where families still live on the Inca street grid, inside blocks of stone-walled courtyards, with water channels running beside the lanes. It is one of the few places in Peru where the Inca town plan is still lived in. In the late morning we board the train for about an hour and a half down the Urubamba gorge, from dry hills into green cloud forest, with large windows for the view.
Evening
Aguas Calientes is a small town wedged in the gorge below Machu Picchu, at about 2,040 m, the lowest night of the trip. Lunch is your choice, and the afternoon is free: soak in the town's hot springs, or walk about 30 minutes along the river to the Manuel Chavez Ballon site museum. We sleep here for one reason: tomorrow's 6 am entry to Machu Picchu. In the evening the group has dinner together, and your guide explains the timings for the morning.
Included
- Walk through the Inca streets of Ollantaytambo with your guide
- Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
- Dinner in Aguas Calientes
Optional experiences
- Hot springs in Aguas Calientes (entry paid locally)
More active option: Walk about an hour each way along the railway from Aguas Calientes to the Mandor gardens and waterfall; a small entry is paid there.
Free time: Afternoon free in Aguas Calientes
Activity: An easy day. The train allows only a small bag, about 5 kg; your main bag waits at the Cusco hotel.
Machu Picchu at 6 am, back to Cusco
Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and back, then by train to Ollantaytambo and by road to Cusco
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cusco
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
This is the one pre-dawn start, and the reason we slept here. We take one of the first buses up the zigzag road, about 25 minutes, and walk in at the 6 am entry, when the site is at its quietest and, in the dry season, the cloud lifts slowly off the peaks. A licensed Machu Picchu guide, required by the site's rules, leads the group on a circuit that passes the upper viewpoint for the classic view over the citadel and Huayna Picchu, then down through temples, plazas and terraces. The Incas built Machu Picchu in the 15th century, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Tickets are sold by circuit and time, so the route depends on the circuit available when we book.
Afternoon
We ride down for a sit-down lunch in Aguas Calientes, take the mid-afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo and drive about an hour and three quarters over the Chinchero plateau to Cusco, where your main bag is waiting.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Machu Picchu buses up and down
- Machu Picchu entry at 6 am with a licensed site guide
- Sit-down lunch in Aguas Calientes
- Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
- Drive to Cusco
Optional experiences
- Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain climb, where tickets are available (price shown when you book)
Easier option: Walk the lower terraces and plazas with your guide and skip the steps to the upper viewpoint.
More active option: Add a Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain ticket: steep stone steps, about 2 to 3 hours.
Free time: Evening free in Cusco
Activity: About 2.5 to 3 hours on foot at Machu Picchu, about 2,430 m, with many uneven stone steps. If the train runs late, our driver waits at Ollantaytambo.
Fly to the altiplano: Sillustani and Puno
Cusco to Juliaca by air, then by road via Sillustani to Puno
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Puno
- Drive about 1.5 h
The road from Cusco to Puno takes 7 to 10 hours by bus, so we fly instead.
Morning
After a slow breakfast we drive to the airport for a late-morning flight of about an hour to Juliaca, on the high plain north of Lake Titicaca at about 3,825 m.
Afternoon
Our vehicle meets the group and we stop for a sit-down lunch on the way. In the afternoon we reach Sillustani, on a peninsula in Lake Umayo, where the Colla people, and later the Incas, buried their nobles in chullpas: round stone burial towers, some about 12 m high, built of finely cut blocks that widen towards the top. In the late-afternoon light the towers glow against the blue of the lake, and the walk up the hill is short but steep at this height. Then it is about 35 km to Puno, on the shore of Lake Titicaca at about 3,830 m, the highest town of the trip. We give it to you only on day 6, after five days at altitude.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Transfer to Cusco airport
- Flight from Cusco to Juliaca
- Sit-down lunch on the way to Sillustani
- Sillustani burial towers with your guide
Easier option: Stay on the lower path at Sillustani and see the towers from below.
More active option: Walk the full loop of the Sillustani hilltop to the far towers above Lake Umayo, about 30 minutes more.
Free time: Evening free in Puno
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot at Sillustani, a short, steep climb at about 3,900 m. Walk slowly; Puno is the highest town of the trip. Flight times are set by the airline and sent with your final itinerary.
Lake Titicaca: the Uros and Taquile
Puno by boat to the Uros islands and Taquile, then back to Puno
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Puno
- By boat
A full day on the lake, by boat from Puno's port at about 8 am. First, about 30 minutes out, the Uros islands: platforms of totora reeds, built up layer on layer as the bottom rots away, where families live in reed houses and show how the islands are anchored and renewed. We arrive early, before the bigger boats. Then it is about two and a half to three hours across open water to Taquile, an island of stone terraces and farming families who manage their own tourism. Taquile's textile art is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage: the men knit, the women spin and weave, and what they wear tells you who is married and who holds office. From the dock we walk up 30 to 40 minutes to the main square, slowly, at about 3,950 m.
Afternoon
Lunch is with a local family above the lake, often quinoa soup and lake trout. Then we go down several hundred stone steps to the boat and are back in Puno by about 5 to 6 pm, depending on the lake.
Included
- Full-day boat trip on Lake Titicaca
- The Uros floating reed islands
- Taquile island with your guide and a local guide
- Lunch on Taquile
Optional experiences
- Reed boat ride between two Uros islands (paid locally to the families)
Easier option: Walk up from the dock at your own pace with your guide at the back; the boat can wait on the other side of the island, so you only walk down once.
More active option: Walk the ridge path across Taquile from the main square to the far dock.
Free time: Evening free in Puno
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on Taquile, with a 30 to 40 minute climb and several hundred stone steps down. About 6 to 7 hours in the boat in all: about 30 minutes to the Uros and 2.5 to 3 hours each way between the Uros, Taquile and Puno, depending on the boat and the wind. Bring sun protection and a warm layer; the lake wind is cold.
Across the border: Copacabana and the Strait of Tiquina
Puno to the Kasani border and Copacabana, then by the Strait of Tiquina to La Paz
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in La Paz
- Drive about 6 h
The one long road day, about 300 km and 6 hours of driving, 9 to 10 hours with the stops, because there is no shorter way from Puno to La Paz that keeps the lake. We leave at 8 am and follow the shore for about two and a half hours to the Kasani border, where we walk through the Peruvian and Bolivian posts with your guide and meet our Bolivian vehicle and driver. Eight km on is Copacabana, a pilgrimage town on a bay of the lake.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal of lake trout, then we visit the white Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana, which keeps a 16th-century image of the Virgin carved by an Indigenous sculptor. At the Strait of Tiquina we cross in a small passenger boat, about 10 minutes, while the van crosses on a wooden barge. The last two and a half hours run across the altiplano with the snow peaks of the Cordillera Real ahead, and we drop into La Paz at about 6 pm.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Drive from Puno to La Paz with your guide
- Help at the Kasani border crossing
- Sit-down lunch in Copacabana
- Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana
- Boat across the Strait of Tiquina
Easier option: Skip the basilica visit in Copacabana and rest at the lunch spot by the bay; the boat at Tiquina is short and seated.
More active option: Climb Cerro Calvario above Copacabana, about 45 minutes up stone stations of the cross, for the view over the bay, while the others take a longer lunch.
Free time: Evening free in La Paz
Activity: A day mostly in the vehicle, broken by the border, lunch and the strait. Keep your passport handy. The border usually takes 30 to 60 minutes.
Tiwanaku, then the cable car into La Paz
La Paz to Tiwanaku and back through El Alto, then Mi Teleferico down into the city
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in La Paz
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about an hour and a half up through El Alto and west across the flat altiplano, past adobe farms and grazing llamas, to Tiwanaku, near the southern end of Lake Titicaca. Between about AD 500 and 1000 it was the centre of a state that reached into what are now Peru, Chile and Argentina, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Afternoon
We arrive in the morning, before the midday sun, and a local site guide walks us through the sunken temple with its carved stone heads set into the walls, onto the Kalasasaya platform to the Gate of the Sun, past the eroded Akapana pyramid and on to Puma Punku, where precisely cut stone blocks lie scattered on the ground. The two site museums hold carved pieces from the site; your guide confirms on the day which are open. Lunch is a sit-down meal in Tiwanaku village. On the way back the van leaves us at a cable car station in El Alto, and we ride Mi Teleferico down over the rooftops in the late afternoon light.
Included
- Tiwanaku with a local site guide: the sunken temple, Kalasasaya and the Gate of the Sun, Akapana and Puma Punku
- Both site museums
- Sit-down lunch in Tiwanaku village
- Cable car ride on Mi Teleferico from El Alto down into La Paz
Easier option: See Kalasasaya, the sunken temple and the museums, then wait in the shade while the others walk to Puma Punku.
More active option: Ride a second Mi Teleferico line with your guide after the descent, about 30 minutes across the city, for a different view of the valley.
Free time: Evening free in La Paz
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot over flat, open ground at about 3,850 m, with strong sun. The cable car is seated and takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
Valle de la Luna and old La Paz
La Paz to Valle de la Luna, then the old centre on foot
- Breakfast
- Stay in La Paz
- Drive about 1.5 h
At about 9 am we drive 30 to 40 minutes down through the southern suburbs, a few hundred metres lower than the centre, to Valle de la Luna, a small valley where wind and rain have cut the clay and sandstone into a maze of pale spires and gullies. A marked trail with railings and short bridges loops through it in about 45 minutes. Then we drive back up to the old centre for a walk with your guide. Plaza Murillo holds the Cathedral, the Legislative Palace and the old presidential palace; a few blocks away is Calle Jaen, a colonial street lined with small museums. Then we walk to the stone Basilica of San Francisco and the square in front of it. Behind the basilica, the Witches' Market sells herbs, charms and dried llama foetuses for offerings to Pachamama, the earth mother. We finish at about 1 pm.
Afternoon
Lunch and the rest of the day are yours, the free afternoon in La Paz before the salt flats.
Included
- Valle de la Luna with your guide
- Walking tour of old La Paz: Plaza Murillo, Calle Jaen, the Basilica of San Francisco and the Witches' Market
Optional experiences
- Mountain bike ride down the Yungas road (the Death Road) with a specialist operator, a full day in place of this programme (price shown when you book)
Easier option: Take the short loop at Valle de la Luna, about 20 minutes on a flat path.
More active option: Ride the Yungas road by mountain bike with a specialist operator instead of the day's programme.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2.5 hours on foot, on steep streets at about 3,640 m in the centre.
Fly to Uyuni and a first sunset on the salt
La Paz to Uyuni by air, then the Train Cemetery, Colchani and the edge of the salar
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Uyuni
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A morning flight of about an hour takes us south over the altiplano to Uyuni, a frontier town at about 3,660 m on the edge of the largest salt flat on earth. The flight replaces a road day of 9 to 10 hours.
Afternoon
After lunch together and time to check in, we drive a few minutes out of town to the Train Cemetery, where steam engines and wagons from the mining railway era have been left to rust in the desert. In the late afternoon we head about 22 km north to Colchani, where families still dry, grind and pack salt by hand, and on onto the Salar de Uyuni itself. In the dry season the white crust cracks into a pattern of hexagons as far as you can see. We stay out on the salt as the sun goes down and the surface turns pink, then blue, then dark, and the cold comes quickly.
Evening
Dinner tonight is free in Uyuni. We stay two nights at the same hotel.
Included
- Transfers to El Alto and Uyuni airports
- Flight from La Paz to Uyuni
- Lunch in Uyuni
- The Train Cemetery
- Colchani salt village
- Sunset on the Salar de Uyuni
Easier option: Skip the Train Cemetery and rest at the hotel until the late-afternoon drive to the salt.
Free time: Evening free in Uyuni
Activity: Short walks only. The salt is blinding: bring sunglasses, sunscreen and a warm layer for sunset. Flight times are set by the airline and sent with your final itinerary.
Across the salar to Incahuasi
Uyuni across the Salar de Uyuni to Incahuasi island and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Uyuni
- Drive about 4.5 h
Today we switch to 4x4s with local drivers, no more than four guests in each so everyone has a window. We leave at about 8:30, cross onto the salar near Colchani and stop at the salt monuments and the Dakar Rally sculpture, then drive west for about two hours across the white crust towards the volcanoes on the horizon. Incahuasi is an island of rock in the middle of the salt, covered in giant columnar cacti, some several metres tall, and in fossil coral from the time the salar was a lake.
Afternoon
We arrive before the midday wave of day tours and walk the trail to the top for the view across the salt. Lunch is a sit-down meal at tables set up on the salt beside the island, then there is time for the classic perspective photos.
Evening
We drive back east in the afternoon, about 200 km and four and a half hours of driving in all, a little over our 4-hour cap because Incahuasi sits far out in the middle of the salar, broken by a stop every 30 to 45 minutes, and reach Uyuni at about 5 pm for a farewell dinner together.
Included
- 4x4 day on the Salar de Uyuni with local drivers, no more than four guests per vehicle
- Salt monuments and the Dakar Rally sculpture
- Incahuasi island and its summit trail, entry fee included
- Lunch on the salt beside Incahuasi
- Farewell dinner in Uyuni
Easier option: Walk the flat path around the base of Incahuasi instead of the climb to the top.
More active option: Climb to the summit of Incahuasi, about 45 minutes up and down on rocky steps.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Uyuni before dinner
Activity: The Incahuasi trail is steep and rocky at about 3,700 m. The salt is flat and the 4x4 ride is smooth.
Fly back to La Paz
Uyuni to La Paz by air
- Breakfast
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
A last breakfast, then a drive of a few minutes to the town's small airport for the morning flight to La Paz, about an hour in the air. The airline sets the departure time, which we send with your final itinerary; on the schedules we have seen it leaves around 9 am, and we leave the hotel about an hour before, so the alarm is no earlier than on a normal day. The flight crosses the altiplano, with the white of the salar falling away behind and, on a clear day, the snow peaks of the Cordillera Real ahead as we come in to El Alto, at about 4,060 m. Your guide flies with you and sees the group to the arrivals hall at El Alto International Airport (LPB), where the trip ends in the late morning. If you fly home today, book an onward flight leaving after about 3 pm: the Uyuni flight is small and is sometimes delayed by wind or weather, and the buffer protects your connection. If you want more time in La Paz, we can book extra nights and the transfer into the city.
Included
- Transfer to Uyuni airport
- Flight from Uyuni to La Paz
- Arrival at El Alto International Airport (LPB)
Activity: Book an onward flight from La Paz leaving after about 3 pm, or add a night in La Paz. The exact Uyuni flight time is sent with your final itinerary.
- Cusco2 nights
- Ollantaytambo1 night
- Aguas Calientes1 night
- Cusco1 night
- Puno2 nights
- La Paz3 nights
- Uyuni2 nights
- La Pazend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: April to October is the dry season across the route: clear skies at Machu Picchu after the morning cloud lifts, a calm lake and a firm white salt crust at Uyuni. Days are sunny and nights are cold, below freezing in Puno, La Paz and Uyuni from June to August. The salar's mirror effect needs the rainy season, about December to March, when we do not run this trip.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and the Uyuni salt flats in one trip, without long bus days
- People who are healthy at altitude, or willing to take it slowly and plan for it
- Travellers who like guided mornings and free afternoons
- Solo travellers and couples who prefer a group of 12 or fewer to a coach
Not for you if you want
- Anyone with a heart or lung condition their doctor says rules out sleeping above 3,800 m
- Hikers who want the Inca Trail: see our Inca Trail trip instead
- Step-free access: Cusco, Machu Picchu and Taquile mean many stone steps
- The salar's mirror effect, which needs the rainy season we do not run in
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
12 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Cusco2 nights
- Ollantaytambo1 night
- Aguas Calientes1 night
- Cusco1 night
- Puno2 nights
- La Paz3 nights
- Uyuni2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 12 nights: 3 in Cusco (2 at the start, 1 after Machu Picchu), 1 in Ollantaytambo, 1 in Aguas Calientes, 2 in Puno, 3 in La Paz, 2 in Uyuni at the same hotel
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with heating; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- No camping, homestay or dormitory nights
- Twin rooms, or a single room for a supplement of CAD 830
Transport
- Pick-up at Cusco airport (CUZ) and drop-off at El Alto International Airport (LPB)
- Flights from Cusco to Juliaca (day 6), La Paz to Uyuni (day 11) and Uyuni to La Paz (day 13)
- Trains from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and back
- Machu Picchu buses up and down
- Our own vehicle and driver in Peru, and a Bolivian vehicle and driver from the border
- Boat day on Lake Titicaca to the Uros islands and Taquile, and the boat across the Strait of Tiquina
- 4x4s with local drivers on day 12, no more than four guests per vehicle
- Cable car ride on Mi Teleferico
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 in Cusco to day 13 in La Paz, across the border and on every flight, boat and 4x4
- A licensed site guide at Machu Picchu, a local site guide at Tiwanaku and a local guide on Taquile
Activities
- Cusco: Sacsayhuaman, San Blas, the Cathedral and Qorikancha
- Sacred Valley: Pisac ruins and market, Ollantaytambo ruins and old town
- Machu Picchu entry at 6 am with a guided circuit
- Sillustani burial towers
- Lake Titicaca: the Uros islands and Taquile
- Copacabana and its basilica
- Tiwanaku and its two museums
- La Paz: Valle de la Luna, a walking tour of the old centre and the Witches' Market
- Uyuni: the Train Cemetery, Colchani and sunset on the salar
- Salar de Uyuni by 4x4 and Incahuasi island
- All entry fees for included sights, including the Cusco tourist ticket sites
Meals
- 12 breakfasts
- 9 lunches: Cusco, Urubamba, Aguas Calientes, on the way to Sillustani, Taquile, Copacabana, Tiwanaku, Uyuni and on the salar
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Cusco, dinner in Aguas Calientes and a farewell dinner in Uyuni
Not included
- International flights, and the flight from Lima to Cusco (we can book it for you)
- A visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance, which must cover travel at altitude
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities: Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, the Aguas Calientes hot springs, an Uros reed boat ride and the Yungas road bike ride
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
- Personal expenses and laundry
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 830 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
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Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
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Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Twelve nights in central hotels, 12 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 3 dinners, three domestic flights (Cusco to Juliaca, La Paz to Uyuni and back), the Machu Picchu trains and buses, our own vehicles and the 4x4s, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including Machu Picchu, the Cusco sites, Taquile, Tiwanaku and Incahuasi.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, against 16 on most Peru and Bolivia trips. On the salt flats we put no more than four guests in each 4x4, so everyone has a window seat and nobody shares a vehicle with strangers.
Does the guide change at the Bolivian border?
No. One See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all 13 days, from Cusco airport to El Alto airport, across the border and on every flight and boat. Local guides join where the sites require them: a licensed guide at Machu Picchu, a site guide at Tiwanaku and a local guide on Taquile.
How bad is the altitude, and how fit do I need to be?
Moderate fitness is enough, but altitude affects everyone. You start in Cusco at about 3,400 m, so day 1 is for rest; we then go lower to the Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes, and reach Puno, at about 3,830 m, only on day 6. See your doctor before booking and ask about altitude medicine.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
A room of your own costs a supplement from CAD 830, shown before you book, with no surprise at checkout. If you would rather share, tell us when you request to book. Sharing is on request and depends on another solo guest of the same preference booking the same departure; if nobody does, the single supplement applies.
When is the best time to go?
April to October, the dry season, when Machu Picchu has clear mornings, the lake is calm and the Uyuni salt crust is firm. June to August is the coldest, with frosty nights in Puno, La Paz and Uyuni. The rainy months bring cloud at Machu Picchu and floods on the salar, so we do not run then.
Do I need a visa for Peru and Bolivia?
It depends on your passport. Many visitors, including Canadians, can enter Peru without a visa, and Bolivia's rules for some nationalities, including US citizens, have changed recently, so check the current rule for both countries. When you book, we confirm your entry paperwork with you, including any Bolivian pre-registration and the yellow fever advice.
How does the border day work, and why is it so long?
Day 8 is about 6 hours of driving and 9 to 10 hours out, because Puno to La Paz by the lake has no shorter way. Your guide walks you through both border posts at Kasani, usually 30 to 60 minutes, then we break the day with lunch and the basilica in Copacabana and a boat across the Strait of Tiquina.
Why only one night in Ollantaytambo and in Aguas Calientes?
Because each night has a job. Ollantaytambo is where the Machu Picchu train starts, so sleeping there makes day 4 a slow morning instead of a dawn drive. Aguas Calientes puts us at the 6 am entry before the trains arrive. Your main bag stays at the Cusco hotel, so both are light nights with a small bag, and you return to the same Cusco hotel on day 5.
How is this different from your other Peru and Bolivia trips?
This trip links the two countries in 13 days, Cusco to La Paz, with Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and the salt flats. Our Lima, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu trip spends longer in Peru, and our Bolivia trip adds Sucre, Potosi and the southern desert lakes to Laguna Colorada.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. The small group starts from CAD 4,895 per person sharing, with taxes included.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, vehicles and 4x4s. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, trains, flights and drivers.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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