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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

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.

PERUANDESALTIPLANOPacific OceanLake Titicaca12345LimaDays 1 to 3, 11 to 12CuscoDays 3, 6 to 8PisacDay 3Sacred Valley (Urubamba)Days 3 to 5Moray and MarasDay 4OllantaytamboDays 5 to 6Aguas CalientesDays 5 to 6Machu PicchuDay 6AndahuaylillasDay 8RaqchiDay 8La Raya passDay 8PucaráDay 8PunoDays 8 to 11Uros islandsDay 9TaquileDay 9LlachonDay 10

Tap 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

  1. Lima2 nights
  2. Sacred Valley (Urubamba)2 nights
  3. Aguas Calientes1 night
  4. Cusco2 nights
  5. Puno3 nights
  6. Lima1 night
  • Overnight stop
  • Day trip
  • By boat or train
Print itinerary

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+1-888-961-6584

Guest reviews

What guests say

Reviews from guests on our day tours.

Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
google

5/5

Parminder did a great job guiding us around, giving us tips & teaching us the history of the falls. A great experience!

Jane
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

Good views of the surrounding area of Halifax in a comfortable minivan

Susan
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

June was brilliant- made good contact beforehand and really attentive and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I was special- something only experience can do. Thank you June.

Tom L
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and even provided some humor.

MandL83
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Peter was a very good guide, giving us insight into the various parts of the Park, including parking lot congestion details, trail and viewing location suggestions.

Darren O
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Excellent morning spent with my guide Nancy. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip

4.7/5 from 38,601 guest reviews

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.

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