5/5
Peru: Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and the Amazon
11 days from Lima: two nights in the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu by train with a night in Aguas Calientes, two nights in Cusco and three nights at a Tambopata rainforest lodge.
11 days · Round trip from Lima · up to 12 guests
The Sacred Valley of the Incas near Pisac Photo: McKay Savage, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peru_-_Sacred_Valley_%26_Incan_Ruins_317_-_fertile_river_valley_-_11057578384.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 11 days, 10 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Lima
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy to moderate walking: 2 to 4 hours a day on uneven stone paths and terrace steps at Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, at 2,000 to 3,800 metres. In the rainforest, forest trails of 2 to 5 km on flat but muddy ground, plus boat and canoe trips. Every longer walk can be shortened or sat out.
- Meals included
- 10 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 895 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to November; best May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Pisac's terraces at opening, before the coaches come up from Cusco
- Moray and the Maras salt pans in the afternoon, before they close, included rather than sold as an extra
- The train along the Urubamba river and a night in Aguas Calientes, so Machu Picchu is an early, unhurried morning
- Sacsayhuamán at opening and Qorikancha, then a free afternoon in Cusco
- Three nights at a Tambopata lodge: a dawn clay lick, an oxbow lake by canoe and caiman eyes on a night boat
- Lima's clifftop malecón on arrival and its historic centre with the San Francisco catacombs on the last morning
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 895 (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 Lima
Jorge Chávez International Airport to your hotel in Miraflores
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Lima
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM), where a driver meets you in arrivals for the drive to Miraflores, about 20 km and up to an hour in Lima's traffic.
Evening
Plan to land by mid-afternoon so you can join the evening; the latest arrival time is confirmed with your final itinerary. Miraflores sits on cliffs above the Pacific, and if you have energy left, the malecón is a few minutes' walk from the hotel: a clifftop path of parks and lookouts where paragliders ride the sea breeze and the sun sets straight into the ocean. In the evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on what lies ahead: the early flight to Cusco, how we handle the altitude, what to pack for the train and the rainforest. Then we walk to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner and a first taste of Lima's cooking, from ceviche to lomo saltado.
Included
- Pick-up at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in Miraflores
Free time: Free until the evening briefing; the Miraflores malecón is a short walk away
Fly to Cusco, sleep lower in the Sacred Valley
Lima to Cusco by air, then over the Chinchero plateau to the Sacred Valley
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sacred Valley
- Drive about 1.5 h

Morning
A morning flight takes about an hour and twenty minutes from the coast to Cusco, at about 3,400 metres. Instead of staying in the city, we drive straight out over the Chinchero plateau, where on a clear day the snow peaks of the Cordillera Urubamba line the horizon. In Chinchero, at about 3,760 metres, we stop briefly at the colonial church built on Inca foundations and watch a weaving demonstration: natural dyes from plants and insects, and backstrap looms, with no obligation to buy.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal on the way down. By mid-afternoon we reach our hotel near Urubamba, at about 2,870 metres, some 500 metres lower than Cusco, which is the kindest place to spend the first Andean nights.
Evening
The rest of the day is for coca tea, water, an early night and getting used to the thin air slowly.
Included
- Flight from Lima to Cusco
- Drive to the Sacred Valley via Chinchero
- Chinchero church and a weaving demonstration
- Sit-down lunch on the way
Easier option: Skip the Chinchero stop and go straight to the hotel to rest.
Free time: Afternoon free to rest at the hotel
Activity: Take the first day at altitude slowly: drink water, walk gently and go easy on alcohol tonight.
Pisac at opening, then Moray and Maras
Urubamba to Pisac and back, then up to Moray and the Maras salt pans
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sacred Valley
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave after an early breakfast to reach the Pisac archaeological park when it opens, around 7 am, before the tour buses arrive from Cusco. Walk the curving agricultural terraces and the Intihuatana sector, where some of the finest Inca stonework sits on a ridge high above the valley, and look across the gorge to a cliff dotted with Inca tombs.
Afternoon
Down in Pisac town there is time for the craft market before we head back along the valley for lunch, hosted by a family in a farming village: potatoes, corn and quinoa grown a few steps away. After a short rest at the hotel we drive up to the plateau in the mid-afternoon, timed to reach both sites well before they close, usually around 5 pm. Moray is a set of circular terraces sunk into the ground that the Incas may have used to test crops. Nearby, the Maras salt pans are thousands of small pools fed by a salty spring and worked by local families.
Included
- Pisac archaeological park at opening, with your guide
- Pisac craft market
- Hosted lunch with a family in a Sacred Valley village
- Moray circular terraces
- Maras salt pans
Easier option: Skip the afternoon at Moray and Maras and stay at the hotel.
More active option: At Pisac, walk down from the upper sector through the terraces to the town instead of riding down, about 1.5 hours mostly downhill on stone steps.
Free time: Midday rest at the hotel
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot at Pisac on stone paths and steps, up to about 3,400 metres; Moray and Maras are short walks.
Ollantaytambo early, then the train to Aguas Calientes
Urubamba to Ollantaytambo, then by train along the Urubamba river to Aguas Calientes
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Aguas Calientes
- Drive about 30 min

Ollantaytambo is a living Inca town, still laid out on its original street grid with water running in stone channels beside the lanes.
Morning
We are at the temple hill when it opens, around 7 am, and climb the steep terraces in soft morning light while most visitors are still on the road from Cusco. Your guide shows you the unfinished Temple of the Sun, six huge blocks of pink stone hauled across the river from a quarry on the far side. Your main bag goes ahead to the Cusco hotel today, so you travel light with a small overnight bag.
Afternoon
After lunch in Ollantaytambo we board the panoramic-window train for about an hour and a half down the Urubamba gorge, where the dry valley gives way to cloud forest, orchids and waterfalls. Aguas Calientes sits at about 2,040 metres beneath the mountain.
Evening
The evening is free: the thermal baths, the market or an early night.
Included
- Ollantaytambo temple hill at opening, with your guide
- Lunch in Ollantaytambo
- Panoramic-window train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
- Main luggage taken ahead to your Cusco hotel
Optional experiences
- Thermal baths in Aguas Calientes. Small entry fee paid locally.
Free time: Evening free in Aguas Calientes
Activity: About 1.5 hours on the Ollantaytambo terraces, with steep stone steps. The train allows only a small bag.
Machu Picchu in the early morning, then back to Cusco
Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, then by train to Ollantaytambo and by road to Cusco
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cusco
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
Because we slept at the foot of the mountain, the bus up is a short ride of about 25 minutes, not a pre-dawn transfer from Cusco. We enter on an early timed ticket, aiming for the first slots, and a licensed Machu Picchu guide we book for the group takes you round with your See Sight Tours guide. Built in the 15th century and listed by UNESCO in 1983, the citadel sits on a saddle between two peaks, with Huayna Picchu rising behind it. We start at the upper terraces for the classic view while the light is soft, then walk down past the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows and the main plaza, on the circuit our tickets allow. Allow about two and a half to three hours inside.
Afternoon
After lunch in Aguas Calientes we take an early-afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo and drive about two hours to Cusco, arriving around 6:30 to 7 pm, where your bag is waiting.
Included
- Bus up to Machu Picchu and back down
- Machu Picchu early timed entry with a licensed site guide and your See Sight Tours guide
- Lunch in Aguas Calientes
- Early-afternoon panoramic-window train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
- Drive to your hotel in Cusco
Optional experiences
- Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Separate ticket, limited numbers each day; ask when you book.
Easier option: Stay on the lower, flatter parts of the circuit and wait at the café by the entrance while the group climbs to the upper terraces.
More active option: Add a Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain ticket (see the optional extra) for a steep climb of about 2 to 3 hours with the citadel below you.
Free time: Evening free in Cusco from about 7 pm; dinner on your own, or your guide can suggest a place near the hotel
Activity: About 2.5 to 3 hours on foot at around 2,430 metres, with many stone steps and no step-free route.
Sacsayhuamán at opening and the stones of Cusco
Sacsayhuamán, Qorikancha and the Plaza de Armas
- Breakfast
- Stay in Cusco
- Drive about 30 min

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire, and its old centre is listed by UNESCO for the way colonial churches and mansions sit on top of Inca walls.
Evening
After a night in Cusco and three lower Andean nights before it, its altitude of about 3,400 metres no longer feels like a climb. We start at Sacsayhuamán above the city at opening, around 7 am, walking along three tiers of zigzag walls built from enormous stones fitted without mortar, with the red roofs of Cusco below. Back in the centre we visit Qorikancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, where a Dominican convent was built over the finest curved masonry in the city, then walk Hatun Rumiyoc street to the twelve-angled stone and on to the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas. On a Sunday the order may swap, as Qorikancha keeps shorter hours. The tour ends by late morning or early afternoon. The afternoon is yours: San Pedro market, the San Blas artisans' quarter, a museum or simply a long lunch.
Included
- Sacsayhuamán at opening, with your guide
- Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun
- Hatun Rumiyoc and the twelve-angled stone
- Cusco Cathedral
Easier option: Ride down from Sacsayhuamán with the van instead of walking down through San Blas.
More active option: Walk down from Sacsayhuamán to the centre through the steep lanes of San Blas, about 40 minutes.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Cusco
Activity: About 3 hours on foot, with steep cobbled lanes; Cusco's altitude makes hills feel harder than at home.
Down to the Amazon and up the Tambopata river
Cusco to Puerto Maldonado by air, then by boat up the Tambopata river to the lodge
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tambopata
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
A short morning flight of about 50 minutes drops you from the Andes to Puerto Maldonado, at about 180 metres, and the air turns warm and heavy as the doors open. At the lodge's office in town we leave large bags in storage and take only a small one into the forest. From the river port, a covered motorised canoe carries us up the Tambopata river, between one and three hours depending on the lodge we confirm, watching the banks for herons, kingfishers, turtles and capybaras.
Afternoon
Lunch is served on arrival or on board. After settling into rooms with their own bathroom, a resident naturalist guide leads a first walk on the trails near the lodge, explaining how to move quietly and what the forest sounds mean.
Evening
After dinner we head out with torches on a night walk for frogs, insects, spiders and, if we are lucky, a tarantula at its burrow.
Included
- Flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado
- Luggage storage in Puerto Maldonado
- Motorised canoe up the Tambopata river to the lodge
- Afternoon forest walk with a naturalist guide
- Guided night walk
- All meals at the lodge
Easier option: Skip the night walk and stay at the lodge after dinner; the boat in is a seated ride, with life jackets and a covered roof.
Activity: Expect heat and humidity after the cool Andes. Long sleeves, trousers and repellent help on the trails.
A dawn clay lick and the oxbow lake
Tambopata: the clay lick, an oxbow lake and the river at night
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tambopata
- By boat
Morning
We leave the lodge before dawn by boat to reach a clay lick at first light, the time when parrots, parakeets and, on good mornings, macaws gather on the exposed riverbank to eat the mineral-rich clay. Activity changes with the season and the weather, so your guide reads the morning and we wait quietly from a hide or the boat. Breakfast is back at the lodge. Late in the morning we walk to an oxbow lake, a cut-off loop of old river, and paddle across it in a canoe looking for hoatzins, herons, turtles and the families of giant otters that live on some of these lakes. The hot middle of the day is free for a hammock, a shower and a book.
Evening
After dinner we go out on the river by boat with a spotlight to find the red glow of caiman eyes along the banks.
Included
- Dawn visit to a clay lick with your naturalist guide
- Oxbow lake by canoe
- Caiman-spotting boat trip after dark
- All meals at the lodge
Easier option: Skip the pre-dawn clay lick, sleep in and join the group for the oxbow lake after breakfast.
Free time: Midday free at the lodge
Activity: A 4:30 to 5 am start for the clay lick. Trails to the lake are flat but can be muddy; the lodge lends rubber boots.
Above the canopy and into the forest
Tambopata: the canopy, a medicinal plant trail and a Brazil nut forest
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tambopata
An early start again, because the forest is most active in the first hours of light. We climb the lodge's canopy tower or walkway to stand level with the treetops, where toucans, tanagers and parrots feed and howler or spider monkeys may cross the branches. Back on the ground, your naturalist guide walks you along a medicinal plant trail, explaining how local families use bark, leaves and resins, and on to a stand of Brazil nut trees, the giants of this forest and an income for many families in Madre de Dios. The middle of the day is free again.
Afternoon
In the late afternoon there is a choice: a longer walk deeper into the forest with the guide, or a quiet hour at the lodge watching the river.
Evening
The last lodge dinner comes with a talk from the naturalists on what the group has seen.
Included
- Canopy tower or walkway with your naturalist guide
- Medicinal plant trail
- Brazil nut forest walk
- All meals at the lodge
Easier option: Stay at the lodge in the late afternoon, in a hammock by the river.
More active option: A longer late-afternoon forest walk of about 3 hours with the naturalist guide, looking for monkeys and birds as the heat drops.
Free time: Midday free at the lodge
Activity: Canopy towers mean many steps or a ladder-like stair; tell your guide if heights are a problem and you can stay below.
Back down the river and fly to Lima
Tambopata river to Puerto Maldonado, then by air to Lima
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Lima
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
After a last breakfast at the lodge we take the boat back down the Tambopata river to Puerto Maldonado, one more chance to spot a capybara or a heron on the banks. We collect the large bags from storage and fly to Lima, about an hour and forty minutes on a direct flight, or a little longer via Cusco on days without one. The change is sudden: from the rainforest to the cool, grey air of the Pacific coast.
Afternoon
We drive to your hotel in Miraflores or Barranco and the afternoon is free to rest, swim if the hotel has a pool, or walk the clifftop malecón.
Evening
In the evening we gather for a farewell dinner at a Lima restaurant, a good place to try a pisco sour and Peruvian-Japanese or Peruvian-Chinese dishes, and to swap photos from the forest.
Included
- Motorised canoe back to Puerto Maldonado
- Flight from Puerto Maldonado to Lima
- Transfer to your hotel
- Farewell dinner in Lima
Free time: Afternoon free in Lima
Lima's historic centre and home
Miraflores to the historic centre, then Jorge Chávez International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Afternoon
On the last morning we drive into Lima's historic centre, listed by UNESCO, before the midday traffic. Your guide walks you round the Plaza Mayor, with the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace and its carved wooden balconies, and on to the Monastery of San Francisco. Beneath its church lie the catacombs, where bones from colonial-era burials are laid out in patterns in the vaults, and above them a library of old books under a carved ceiling. There is time for a coffee or an early lunch on your own nearby before we drive you to Jorge Chávez International Airport, about 45 minutes to an hour from the centre depending on traffic.
Evening
Flights from Lima to North America mostly leave in the evening or late at night, so book one leaving after about 6 pm to see the centre without hurrying.
Included
- Lima historic centre walk with your guide: the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace
- Monastery of San Francisco and its catacombs
- Drop-off at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
Easier option: If your flight leaves before about 2 pm, we drive straight from the hotel to the airport.
Free time: Late morning free in the centre
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 6 pm to see the centre.
- Lima1 night
- Sacred Valley2 nights
- Aguas Calientes1 night
- Cusco2 nights
- Tambopata3 nights
- Lima1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May to October is the dry season in the Andes and the lowlands: clear mornings at Machu Picchu, low rivers and good wildlife on the riverbanks. Between May and August a cold front from the south, the friaje, can bring a cool, grey day or two to Tambopata. November to April brings rain, greener hills and slippery paths.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-time visitors to Peru who want the Andes and the rainforest in one trip
- Travellers who want Machu Picchu without a multi-day trek
- Wildlife and bird lovers happy with early starts
- Solo travellers who want a set price for a room of their own
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who wants to hike the Inca Trail (see our Inca Trail trip)
- Step-free access: Machu Picchu, Pisac and Ollantaytambo mean many uneven stone steps
- Travellers who need air conditioning and wifi every night
- Anyone who cannot fly or ride in small boats
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
10 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Lima1 night
- Sacred Valley2 nights
- Aguas Calientes1 night
- Cusco2 nights
- Tambopata3 nights
- Lima1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 10 nights: 1 in Lima (Miraflores), 2 in the Sacred Valley near Urubamba, 1 in Aguas Calientes, 2 in central Cusco, 3 at a Tambopata rainforest lodge, 1 in Lima
- Central 3-star-plus hotels and a lodge room with its own bathroom, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
- Flights Lima to Cusco, Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and Puerto Maldonado to Lima, economy with checked luggage
- Our own vehicle and driver in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, and for Lima transfers
- Panoramic-window train between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes, both ways
- Bus up to Machu Picchu and back down
- Motorised canoe between Puerto Maldonado and the lodge
- Main luggage taken ahead to Cusco and stored in Puerto Maldonado
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, from Lima to Lima
- A licensed Machu Picchu site guide, booked for the group
- Resident naturalist guides at the lodge
Activities
- Lima: Miraflores malecón, the historic centre and the Monastery of San Francisco catacombs
- Sacred Valley: Chinchero, Pisac at opening, Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo at opening
- Machu Picchu early timed entry
- Cusco: Sacsayhuamán at opening, Qorikancha, the twelve-angled stone and the Cathedral
- Tambopata: a dawn clay lick, an oxbow lake by canoe, the canopy tower or walkway, forest walks, a night walk and a caiman-spotting boat trip
Meals
- 10 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 5 dinners
- Welcome dinner and farewell dinner in Lima
- A hosted lunch with a Sacred Valley family
- Sit-down lunches on touring days
- All meals at the rainforest lodge
Not included
- International flights to and from Lima
- Travel insurance
- Vaccinations and travel clinic advice
- Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain tickets
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks, including at the lodge bar
- Thermal baths in Aguas Calientes
- Tips for guides, drivers and lodge staff
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 895 (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
What does the price include?
Ten nights in hotels and a rainforest lodge, three domestic flights, the train to Machu Picchu both ways, the Machu Picchu bus and timed entry with a licensed guide, our own vehicle and driver, every site in the day plan, all lodge excursions and meals, 10 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 5 dinners, and your See Sight Tours guide throughout.
How big is the group?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests. Most Peru and Amazon trips take up to 16, which makes a difference in a canoe on an oxbow lake, on Machu Picchu's narrow paths and around the dinner table.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from Lima to Lima. At Machu Picchu we book a licensed site guide who knows the citadel in depth, and at the lodge resident naturalist guides lead the forest walks and boat trips with your guide alongside.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. Expect 2 to 4 hours a day on foot on uneven stone steps and terraces at 2,000 to 3,800 metres, and flat but muddy forest trails in Tambopata. Every longer walk has an easier option, and the pre-dawn clay lick can be skipped.
How do you help with the altitude?
We fly from Lima to Cusco and drive straight down to the Sacred Valley, about 500 metres lower, for the first two nights. Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes are lower again, so Cusco comes after three nights lower down. Ask your doctor about altitude medicine before you travel.
I'm travelling solo. Do I pay more?
Only if you want a room of your own, and the price is shown up front: from CAD 895 more for the whole trip, lodge included. You join the same group, the same table and the same excursions as everyone else, with no surprise charges at checkout.
When is the best time to go?
May to October, the dry season in both the Andes and the Amazon, brings clear mornings at Machu Picchu and low rivers for wildlife. April and November are good shoulder months. January to March is the heaviest rain, so departures then are confirmed with the train and river operators first.
What is the jungle lodge like?
A rainforest lodge on the Tambopata river, reached by motorised canoe from Puerto Maldonado, with private rooms that have their own bathroom, mosquito nets and resident naturalist guides. Electricity and wifi can be limited. We name the lodge when we confirm your dates.
Will we see macaws, monkeys or jaguars?
Birds, monkeys and caimans are very likely; macaws at the clay lick depend on the season and the morning. Giant otters live on some oxbow lakes and are often seen. Jaguars and tapirs are present but rarely seen, so treat any sighting as a bonus.
Do I need a visa or vaccinations for Peru?
Canadian, US, UK and EU passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay; bring a passport valid for six months. For the Amazon, see a travel clinic about yellow fever vaccination and malaria advice for Madre de Dios at least a month before you fly.
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 8,990 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, flights, train and lodge.
How does booking work?
Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 4,995 for the small group. Pick your start date and request to book; we confirm your trip within 24 hours, including Machu Picchu tickets and flights. Nothing is charged until we confirm.