5/5
Peru: Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca
12 days from Lima: two nights in the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu at 6 am, two in Cusco, the Altiplano road to Puno and three nights on Lake Titicaca.
12 days · Round trip from Lima · up to 12 guests
Machu Picchu as the morning cloud lifts 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
- 12 days, 11 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Lima
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 7 h on day 8
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly 2 to 4 hours on foot on touring days, on cobbles, uneven Inca stone paths and steps without handrails, at heights from sea level in Lima to about 3,950 metres on Taquile, with one short stop at the La Raya pass, about 4,320 metres. The hardest walks are the Ollantaytambo terraces and the Taquile stairway; the longest day is the road to Puno. Every steep stretch has an easier option, and you can sit out any walk.
- Meals included
- 11 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 940 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Machu Picchu at 6 am, after a night at the foot of the mountain
- Ollantaytambo's terraces and the Maras salt pans in the morning, ahead of the day-tour buses from Cusco
- The road across the Altiplano to Puno, with the painted church of Andahuaylillas, the Inca temple at Raqchi and the La Raya pass
- The Uros reed islands, then lunch with a family on Taquile
- A day on the Capachica peninsula with lunch in the Llachon community, and a kayak on the lake for those who want one
- Sacsayhuamán, the Cathedral and Qorikancha in Cusco, with a free afternoon after
- Lima's old centre, the Larco Museum and a ceviche lunch
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 7 h, on day 8.
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 940 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 7 h, on day 8.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Lima
Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) to your hotel in Miraflores
- Dinner
- Stay in Lima
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) at any time today. A driver meets you in arrivals for the drive to Miraflores, about 20 km and usually under an hour, longer at rush hour.
Evening
We stay in Miraflores, on the cliffs above the Pacific, because it is easy to walk in the evening and close to good restaurants, and we come back to the same area for the last night. If you land early, follow the Malecón, the clifftop path of parks and gardens, to the Parque del Amor and watch the paragliders ride the sea breeze. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group to talk through the twelve days ahead: why we sleep in the Sacred Valley before Cusco, what to pack for cold nights on Lake Titicaca and how the small train bags work. Then we walk to a welcome dinner for a first taste of Peruvian cooking, such as causa, lomo saltado and a pisco sour for those who want one. To join the briefing, plan to land by about 3 pm; later arrivals are briefed at breakfast.
Included
- Pick-up at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Lima: the old centre and the Larco Museum
Miraflores to the historic centre, the Larco Museum in Pueblo Libre and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lima
- Drive about 1.5 h

Morning
After breakfast we drive about 40 minutes into Lima's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. We walk around the Plaza Mayor, past the Cathedral and the Government Palace, to the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, with its tiled cloisters, its old library and the catacombs beneath the church, where the city buried its dead until the early 1800s. Late in the morning we cross to Pueblo Libre and the Larco Museum, set in an 18th-century mansion built over a pre-Columbian pyramid. Its galleries of Moche, Nazca, Chimú and Inca pottery, gold and textiles are a clear introduction to the cultures you meet over the next ten days, from the Inca heartland to the shores of Lake Titicaca.
Afternoon
Lunch is ceviche, eaten the way Limeños eat it, at midday. We are back in Miraflores by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is free: walk to the murals of Barranco and the Puente de los Suspiros, or rest before tomorrow's early flight.
Included
- The historic centre of Lima with your guide: the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral and the Government Palace (outside)
- The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco and its catacombs
- The Larco Museum
- Ceviche lunch
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Fly to Cusco, then down to the Sacred Valley
Lima to Cusco by air, then by road through Pisac to Urubamba
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sacred Valley (Urubamba)
- Drive about 2.5 h

Morning
An early breakfast and one of the few early starts: the flight to Cusco, about 1 hour 20 minutes, over the Andes. Cusco sits at about 3,400 metres, so we do not stay there yet. Our driver meets us at the airport and we head straight out over the hills and down into the Sacred Valley, where the hotel near Urubamba is about 500 metres lower and easier on the body for the first two nights. On the way we stop at the viewpoint above Taray, where the Urubamba River and its patchwork of maize fields open out below.
Afternoon
In Pisac we sit down to a late lunch and walk through the town's market square; buying is entirely up to you. We follow the river down the valley and reach the hotel by mid-afternoon.
Evening
The rest of the day is for resting: drink plenty of water, walk slowly, go easy on alcohol tonight and try the coca tea the hotel offers. Your guide checks in with everyone before dinner.
Included
- Flight from Lima to Cusco
- The Taray viewpoint over the Sacred Valley
- Lunch in Pisac and time in the market square
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: Cusco airport is at about 3,400 metres. Tell your guide if you feel unwell; the valley hotel is lower.
Moray and the Maras salt pans, a free afternoon
Urubamba up to the Moray terraces and the Maras salt pans, then back to the valley
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sacred Valley (Urubamba)
- Drive about 1.5 h
We leave at about 8 am and climb out of the valley onto the high plateau, reaching Moray at about 8:30, ahead of most day tours from Cusco. Moray is a set of rings of Inca terraces built into natural hollows, where many archaeologists believe the Incas tested crops at different temperatures; your guide explains how the bottom ring can be several degrees cooler than the top. From there it is a short drive to the Maras salt pans: thousands of small pools stepped down a hillside, fed by a salty spring and worked by local families for centuries, seen from a path above.
Afternoon
We are back on the valley floor for a sit-down lunch by about 1 pm. The afternoon is free, the first real one of the trip: read in the hotel garden, walk by the river into Urubamba, or rest. It is quiet on purpose, because tomorrow we pack for the train and the day after starts early.
Included
- Moray terraces with your guide (Cusco tourist ticket)
- The Maras salt pans, community entry fee included
- Sit-down lunch in the Sacred Valley
Easier option: Watch Moray from the rim instead of walking down to the lower terraces.
More active option: Walk down from the salt pans to the valley floor on a footpath, about an hour, with the van waiting below.
Free time: Afternoon free
Ollantaytambo, then the train to Aguas Calientes
Urubamba to Ollantaytambo, then the train down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Aguas Calientes
- Drive about 30 min
We pack once and drive about 30 minutes down the valley to Ollantaytambo, reaching the ruins at about 8:30 am, ahead of most day tours from Cusco. Terraces climb steeply to the Temple Hill and its wall of six huge pink stone blocks, hauled from a quarry across the river. In 1537 Manco Inca held off a Spanish force here, one of the few Inca victories in open battle.
Afternoon
Below the ruins, families still live on the Inca street grid, with stone water channels running beside the lanes, and we walk it before lunch in town. Your main bag goes on to Cusco in our vehicle, and you take an overnight bag. In the early afternoon we board the train for about an hour and a half down the Urubamba gorge, from dry hills into cloud forest, with windows in the carriage roof. Aguas Calientes is a small town wedged in the gorge below Machu Picchu.
Evening
The late afternoon is free for the hot springs or the site museum, then we have dinner together.
Included
- Ollantaytambo archaeological site with your guide (Cusco tourist ticket)
- Walk through Ollantaytambo's Inca town
- Lunch in Ollantaytambo
- Train to Aguas Calientes
- Dinner in Aguas Calientes
Optional experiences
- The Aguas Calientes hot springs
Easier option: Stay on the lower terraces and in the old town while the group climbs to the Temple Hill.
More active option: Climb the path to the Pinkuylluna storehouses on the hill opposite the ruins, about an hour up and back.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Machu Picchu at 6 am
Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, then the train to Ollantaytambo and the road to Cusco
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cusco
- Drive about 2 h

This is the early start the first week builds to, and the reason we sleep in Aguas Calientes. We take one of the first buses up the zigzag road and walk in at 6 am, when the site is at its quietest and, in the dry season, the cloud lifts off the peaks as the sun reaches them. Built in the mid-1400s, most likely for the Inca ruler Pachacuti, and listed by UNESCO in 1983, Machu Picchu sits at about 2,430 metres on a saddle between two peaks. A licensed Machu Picchu guide, required by the site's rules, leads the visit on a circuit that passes the upper viewpoint for the classic view over the citadel and Huayna Picchu, then down through temples, plazas, houses and terraces. Tickets are sold by circuit and time, each allowing one entry, so the route is fixed before we go.
Evening
We ride down for lunch in Aguas Calientes, take the mid-afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo and drive about an hour and three quarters to Cusco, arriving early in the evening.
Included
- Machu Picchu entry at 6 am with a licensed site guide
- The buses between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
- Lunch in Aguas Calientes
- Train to Ollantaytambo, then our vehicle to Cusco
Easier option: Take an early bus down after the guided visit and rest in Aguas Calientes before lunch.
More active option: Add a Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain ticket, if you ask when you book; daily numbers are small.
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot inside Machu Picchu, on stone steps without handrails.
Cusco: Sacsayhuamán, the Cathedral and Qorikancha
Sacsayhuamán, San Blas, the Plaza de Armas and Qorikancha
- Breakfast
- Stay in Cusco
- Drive about 15 min

A slower start after yesterday. At about 9:30 am we drive ten minutes up to Sacsayhuamán, above the city, where zigzag walls of fitted stone blocks, the largest estimated at well over 100 tonnes, face a wide grassy esplanade. The walk back down through San Blas, the artisans' quarter, is downhill all the way, and we pass the twelve-angled stone on Hatun Rumiyoc street on the way to the Plaza de Armas. Inside the Cathedral, built over an Inca palace, look for the colonial painting of the Last Supper with a roast guinea pig on the table. Across the square stands La Compañía, the Jesuit church with its carved stone front.
Morning
Late in the morning we visit Qorikancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, where Dominican friars built their church and monastery on top of the curved Inca walls. Cusco's old centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.
Evening
Lunch and the afternoon are yours: the counters of the San Pedro market, a museum, or an early night before tomorrow's long road day.
Included
- Sacsayhuamán with your guide (Cusco tourist ticket)
- Walk through San Blas and past the twelve-angled stone
- Cusco Cathedral, entry included
- Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun, entry included
Easier option: Ride the van down from Sacsayhuamán to the Plaza de Armas instead of walking.
Free time: Lunch and afternoon free
Across the Altiplano to Puno
Cusco through Andahuaylillas, Raqchi and the La Raya pass, then Pucará to Puno
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Puno
- Drive about 7 h
Today is the one long road day of the trip, about 390 km and roughly seven hours of driving, over the 4-hour limit we set ourselves. The scheduled Titicaca train runs only a few days a week, and flying to Juliaca would skip the Altiplano, so we drive in our own vehicle and break the road into short stages, never more than about two hours without a stop. We leave at 7 am, one of the few early starts. First, Andahuaylillas, a village church whose walls and ceilings are covered in colonial paintings. Then Raqchi, where the tall adobe wall of the Inca temple of Wiracocha still stands on its stone base, with rows of round storehouses beside it.
Afternoon
We sit down to lunch near Sicuani, then climb to the La Raya pass, about 4,320 metres, for a short stop below snow peaks where herders graze alpacas. Beyond the pass, Pucará's small museum keeps carved stones older than the Incas. We reach Puno, on Lake Titicaca at about 3,830 metres, in the late afternoon.
Included
- Drive across the Altiplano with your guide
- The painted church of Andahuaylillas, entry included
- The Inca temple of Raqchi, entry included
- Sit-down lunch on the way
- The La Raya pass
- The Pucará museum, entry included
Easier option: Stay in the warm vehicle at La Raya; the snow peaks are in view from the roadside.
Free time: Evening free in Puno
Activity: The longest day: about 7 hours of driving within a day of about 10 hours, broken by four stops and a sit-down lunch. La Raya is about 4,320 metres: walk slowly and stay only a few minutes.
Lake Titicaca: the Uros and Taquile
Puno by boat to the Uros floating islands and Taquile, then back to Puno
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Puno
- Drive about 15 min

We are at Puno's port by about 7:30 am, ahead of the main wave of boats, for a full day on Lake Titicaca, which lies at about 3,810 metres and is crossed by passenger boats all year. Half an hour out, through channels cut in the reeds, we reach the Uros islands, built by their families from layer on layer of totora reed and topped up with fresh reed as the bottom layers rot. A family shows us how the islands are anchored and how the reed boats are made. Then it is about two hours across open water to Taquile, where the Quechua-speaking islanders' weaving and knitting, the knitting done by the men, is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
Afternoon
We walk up through terraces to the main square, at about 3,950 metres, and sit down to lunch with an island family: quinoa soup and fresh lake trout. Afterwards we walk down the stone stairway to the boat on the far side and are back in Puno around 5 pm.
Included
- Boat day on Lake Titicaca with your guide
- The Uros floating islands, with a visit to a family's island
- Taquile Island and its main square
- Lunch with a family on Taquile
Easier option: Go at your own pace on Taquile; if the climb is too much at this height, stay on the Uros and return to Puno on an earlier boat, arranged on the day.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot on Taquile, including a stone stairway of several hundred steps at almost 4,000 metres.
Llachon and the Capachica peninsula
Puno along the lakeshore to the Capachica peninsula and Llachon, then back to Puno
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Puno
- Drive about 3 h

A later start at 8:30 am. We drive north along the lake and out onto the Capachica peninsula, about an hour and a half, through farming villages where barley and potatoes grow on old terraces down to the water. Llachon is a Quechua community at the tip of the peninsula that receives visitors on its own terms: families run the visits, and the money stays in the village. We walk with a local host up the hill behind the village for a wide view over the lake to Amantaní and, on a clear day, the snow peaks of the Bolivian Cordillera Real.
Afternoon
Then we sit down to lunch with a family, often a soup, lake fish and potatoes cooked in the earth, and hear how the community farms, fishes and weaves. Early in the afternoon there is time on the small beach below the village.
Evening
We drive back to Puno by about 5 pm, and the evening is free on Jirón Lima, the pedestrian street.
Included
- The Capachica peninsula with your guide
- Walk above Llachon with a local host
- Lunch with a family in Llachon
Easier option: Skip the hill walk and wait by the lake in the village; the view from the shore is wide too.
More active option: Paddle a kayak along the shore below the village with a local guide, about an hour, if the lake is calm.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot on farm paths at about 3,850 to 4,000 metres.
Fly back to Lima, a farewell dinner
Puno to Juliaca airport (JUL), fly to Lima, then Miraflores and Barranco
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Lima
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
A last breakfast by the lake, then about an hour's drive across the plain to Juliaca's airport, the one serving Puno, for the flight to Lima, about an hour and 40 minutes. We set the flight for late morning so there is no pre-dawn start. Back at sea level, the air feels thick and easy. After checking in again in Miraflores, your guide walks those who want to along the clifftop to Barranco, Lima's old seaside quarter, with its murals, the wooden Puente de los Suspiros and the steps down to the beach.
Afternoon
Lunch is your own choice, and there are good places in both neighbourhoods. The late afternoon is free for a rest or last shopping.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner together, a chance to compare photos of Machu Picchu and the lake and to say goodbye properly before the airport tomorrow.
Included
- Transfer from Puno to Juliaca airport
- Flight from Juliaca to Lima
- Walk from Miraflores to Barranco with your guide
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Take a taxi to Barranco, or rest at the hotel.
Free time: Lunch and late afternoon free
Activity: Juliaca to Lima flights are usually nonstop; the flight time is confirmed with your tickets.
Lima, then home
Miraflores to Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
The last day is free. Walk the Malecón once more, visit the Mercado de Surquillo for fresh fruit you will not find at home, or sit in a café in Miraflores with a last coffee. Your hotel keeps your bags until the transfer. Lima's airport is about 20 km from Miraflores, usually an hour by road but longer at rush hour, and our driver takes you there in good time for your flight, with your guide checking your departure before saying goodbye.
Evening
Most flights to Canada, the US and Europe leave Lima in the evening or late at night, which suits the day well. Plan to be at the airport three hours before an international departure. We can add extra nights in Lima, or arrange time on the coast, if you want to stay on.
Included
- Drop-off at Lima airport (LIM)
Free time: Day free until your transfer
Activity: Any flight time works; allow an hour or more for the drive and three hours at the airport.
- Lima2 nights
- Sacred Valley (Urubamba)2 nights
- Aguas Calientes1 night
- Cusco2 nights
- Puno3 nights
- Lima1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May to September brings dry, sunny days, clear views of the Andes and frosty nights in Cusco and Puno; it is also the busiest season at Machu Picchu, which is why we go in at 6 am. April and October are quieter, with some showers. From November to March the rains bring cloud over Machu Picchu and the occasional train or road disruption.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-time visitors to Peru who want Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca in one trip
- Travellers who want time on the lake, not a single boat day
- A gentle start to altitude, with the first two nights in the lower Sacred Valley
- Travellers who would rather sleep in a hotel than a homestay with shared facilities
Not for you if you want
- Arequipa and the Colca Canyon: see our 15-day Grand Peru trip instead
- A shorter trip without Titicaca: see our 9-day Lima, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu by Train trip
- The Inca Trail: this trip reaches Machu Picchu by train
- Step-free access: Inca sites, Taquile and the old towns mean steps and uneven stone
- Anyone advised by their doctor to avoid high altitude
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
11 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Lima2 nights
- Sacred Valley (Urubamba)2 nights
- Aguas Calientes1 night
- Cusco2 nights
- Puno3 nights
- Lima1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 11 nights: 3 in Lima (Miraflores; 2 at the start and 1 at the end), 2 in one Sacred Valley hotel near Urubamba, 1 in Aguas Calientes, 2 in central Cusco, 3 in Puno
- Central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Lima airport (LIM)
- The flight from Lima to Cusco and the flight from Juliaca to Lima
- Our own vehicle and driver in Lima, Cusco and the Sacred Valley, from Cusco across the Altiplano to Puno, and to Llachon and Juliaca airport
- The train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and back
- The buses between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
- Boats on Lake Titicaca to the Uros and Taquile
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, including on the train and the flights
- A licensed Machu Picchu guide inside the site, as the rules require, and local guides and hosts where other sites and communities ask for them
Activities
- Lima: the historic centre, the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco with its catacombs, the Larco Museum and a walk to Barranco
- Sacred Valley: the Cusco tourist ticket, covering Moray, Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuamán, plus the Maras salt pans and the Taray viewpoint
- Machu Picchu: a 6 am entry with a licensed guide
- Cusco: Sacsayhuamán, San Blas, the Cathedral and Qorikancha
- The Altiplano road: Andahuaylillas church, the Raqchi temple, the La Raya pass and the Pucará museum
- Lake Titicaca: the Uros floating islands, Taquile, and a day in the Llachon community on the Capachica peninsula
Meals
- 11 breakfasts
- 8 lunches: ceviche in Lima, Pisac, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes, on the road to Puno, with a family on Taquile and with a family in Llachon
- 3 dinners: welcome in Lima, Aguas Calientes and farewell in Lima
Not included
- International flights to Lima and home
- Visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance, with medical evacuation cover for altitude
- Meals not listed: 4 lunches (days 1, 7, 11 and 12) and 8 dinners
- Drinks
- Tips for your guides, drivers, hosts and boat crews
- Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain tickets
- Optional activities, such as the Aguas Calientes hot springs and the kayak at Llachon
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 940 (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
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
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
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
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Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 4,690 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 5,080. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 5,520.
What does the price include?
Eleven nights in central hotels, the flights from Lima to Cusco and from Juliaca to Lima, the train to Machu Picchu and back, a 6 am Machu Picchu entry with the buses, our own vehicle across the Altiplano, boats to the Uros and Taquile, the Llachon day, every entry in the day plan, 11 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 3 dinners, airport transfers and a See Sight Tours guide throughout.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. Many Peru trips take up to 16, so with us the group fits in one boat on Lake Titicaca, around one table at a family lunch in Llachon, and close enough to hear the guide at Machu Picchu.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from the welcome briefing in Lima to the airport on the last day, including on the trains and flights. Machu Picchu requires its own licensed guides, so one joins us there, and local hosts lead the visits in the Uros, Taquile and Llachon communities.
How do you help with the altitude?
By the order of the route. We fly into Cusco and drive straight down to the Sacred Valley, about 500 metres lower, for two nights, then Aguas Calientes lower still, before two nights in Cusco and three in Puno at about 3,830 metres. Ask your doctor about altitude medicine before you travel.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. Most days mean 2 to 4 hours on foot over cobbles, uneven stone paths and steps, and the Taquile stairway at almost 4,000 metres is the hardest stretch. Every demanding day has an easier option, such as staying on the lower terraces at Ollantaytambo, and you can sit out any walk.
I'm travelling solo. What will I pay?
A room of your own costs from CAD 940 more, and we show it before you request to book, with no surprise at the end. If you would rather share, ask when you book and we tell you whether a share is possible on your departure.
When is the best time to go?
April to October. May to September is the dry season, with clear skies, the best light on Lake Titicaca, frosty nights in Cusco and Puno and the most visitors at Machu Picchu. April and October are quieter with some showers. From November to March the rain brings cloud and the odd train or road disruption.
How do you get from Cusco to Lake Titicaca?
By road in our own vehicle, about 390 km and seven hours of driving, the one day over our 4-hour target. We break it with stops at Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, the La Raya pass and Pucará, and a sit-down lunch. At the end we fly back to Lima from Juliaca instead of driving.
Do we stay in a homestay on Lake Titicaca?
No. We stay three nights in a heated hotel in Puno and go out to the islands by day: the Uros and Taquile on one day, and Llachon on the Capachica peninsula on another, with lunch at a family's home on both. You meet island families without sleeping in shared facilities.
How does booking work?
Pick your start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. No payment is taken when you request, and the price is per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 5,520 for the small group.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 9,935 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we quote the same hotels, trains, tickets and guides.
Do I need a visa for Peru?
Most visitors from Canada, the US, the UK and the EU do not need a visa for a tourist stay; check the rules for your own passport. Your passport must be valid for the whole trip, and we need its details when you book to issue your flight, train and Machu Picchu tickets.