Compare Majestic Peru by Intrepid Travel vs Peru - The Family Adventure by Adventure Unbound

Day 1 Lima

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Peru. Kick off your adventure in the coastal capital of Lima with a welcome meeting at 2 pm, where you'll meet your leader and fellow travellers. After, head out on a walking tour of the vibrant Miraflores area with your leader. Enjoy some free time to explore at your own pace, then perhaps meet back up with the group for an optional dinner. Whether you dine with the group or sample the city's renowned food scene on your own, don't miss the chance to try Peru's national dish – ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice, often served with hot peppers). If you're not a fan of seafood, there are plenty of other excellent options on offer – ask your leader for tips on the best local eats.

Day 2 Paracas

Today, start with a guided walking tour of Lima's historic centre. Stroll atmospheric streets flanked with ornate mansions, palaces and Spanish colonial churches, taking in Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral of Lima, the San Francisco Monastery and the central market. Your leader will guide you through the market, where you'll find vendors selling a variety of fresh produce and regional specialties like cuy (better known as guinea pig) – a Peruvian delicacy! Head away from the tourist trail and visit Alameda de Chabuca Granda. This pedestrian strip is where Limenos (locals from Lima) go for street food and entertainment. Later, travel by minivan to beautiful Paracas.

Day 3 Nazca

Today, take a 2-hour boat tour to Islas Ballestas – home to abundant wildlife, including pelicans, red-footed boobies, flamingos, sea lions and penguins. After some awesome wildlife viewing, hop in a private van to one of the world's most mysterious archaeological sites – the Nazca Lines, stopping off at the oasis town of Huacachina to grab some lunch. Nazca’s origins date back to the 2nd century BC, and thanks to the dry desert conditions, mummies, textiles, ceramics and other relics have been remarkably well-preserved, providing archaeologists with clear snapshots of the highly developed, pre-Inca civilisation. Head to the viewing tower, or maybe take an optional flight over the lines for even better views! Leave Nazca at sunset, then drive south to a local’s traditional mud house in the middle of the desert. Among paintings of local flora, you’ll have a homemade pachamanca dinner (in the Quechua language, pacha means earth and manka means pot) – a traditional Peruvian dish of potatoes, meat and herbs baked with hot stones. Eat with your hosts after a brief ceremony thanking Pachamama (with chicha, otherwise known as corn beer).

Day 4 Arequipa

Leave Nazca behind this morning and travel to Arequipa by private vehicle. Standing at the foot of El Misti Volcano and boasting beautiful baroque buildings, Arequipa vies with Cusco for the title of Peru's most attractive city. Built out of a pale volcanic rock called sillar, the old buildings dazzle in the sun, giving the city its nickname – the 'White City'. The main plaza, with its cafes and nearby cathedral, is lovely to wander and stretch your legs after a long driving day.

Day 5 Arequipa

Get to know this beautiful city with the help of a local guide. Visit the main plaza, Santa Catalina Monastery and San Ignacio Chapel on a walking tour. After, head for lunch with your group at a picanteria for some classic Arequipa favourites like rocoto, relleno, solterito and queso helado. Practice your Spanish with the locals and then you're free to explore Arequipa at your own pace. Maybe return to the main square to take a closer look at the cathedral, cafes and eateries or explore the suburb of Yanahuara. You may also like to visit the Juanita Museum, which houses Peru’s famous ‘Ice Maiden’, the Inca mummy of a girl who died in the 1440s. Ask your tour leader for other tips on how to make the most of your free afternoon.

Day 6 Puno

This morning you’ll travel by minivan to Puno – a town located on the shores of Lake Titicaca. It's a long drive, but the dramatic views of Peru’s highlands, the Altiplano, make it an exceptionally scenic one. As you approach Puno, stop to pay a visit to the ruins of Sillustani. Tucked between small villages on a beautiful peninsula near Lake Umaya, the pre-Inca ruins comprise circular towers called chullpas that served as burial sites for noblemen. Continue to Puno, a melting pot of Aymara and Quechuan Indigenous culture. Traditional Andean customs are still strongly represented here, earning the town the title of Folklore Capital of Peru.

Day 7 Puno / Lake Titicaca

Start the day with a tour of Lake Titicaca. It is 3820 m above sea level and holds the title of the highest navigable lake in the world. While cruising across its waters, hop in a motorboat and learn about the lake’s spiritual significance for the Quechua. Stop off at Uros Titinos – floating islands made entirely from layers of totora reeds. As you'll find out, the islands are constantly under construction – as the reeds closest to the water begin to rot, more layers are added. Reeds are used for making everything on the island, including the boats used to travel to the mainland, which can last up to 12 months. Continue to Taquile Island, where the locals make their livelihood out of textiles. Here, knitting is strictly a male domain, while women do the spinning. To reach the main part of the island, there is a one-hour uphill walk on a paved path with great views of the lake. Sit down to an optional set lunch consisting of a local staple, quinoa soup, washed down with a cup of muna tea (Andean mint tea). After a brief stay, a descent of about 500 steps brings you back to the boat, which will take you back to Puno.

Day 8 Cusco

Take a scenic bus ride across the Altiplano towards Cusco. You’ll be travelling by public tourist bus, and while there’s a rest stop along the way, it’s best to stock up on snacks before your journey. Cusco is the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city, and colonial buildings are built upon foundations that remain from Inca times. Set out to discover some of Cusco's lesser-known sights on a guided walking tour – visit the facade of Qoricancha temple, San Pedro market, the main square, 12 Angled Stone, Regocijo Square and San Blas Square. Tonight, ask your leader for great restaurant recommendations for dinner.

Day 9 Cusco

Enjoy a free day in Cusco, the heart and soul of Peru. You may like to visit the city’s many museums and archaeological sites with your included boleto turistico (tourism ticket). This includes the Contemporary Art Museum, Regional History Museum, Qosqo Native Art Museum and the Inca ruins of Q'enqo, Pica Pakara, and Pisac. The most easily accessible among these sites is Qoricancha, which was once the Incan empire's richest temple until the Spanish built a Dominican church on top of it.

Day 10 Sacred Valley - Ollantaytambo

Today, you’ll hop on a bus and drive through the Sacred Valley. Known as Wilcamayo to the Incas, the valley has been a source of livelihood for the locals for hundreds of years. You’ll see maize crops covering the terraced valley walls and the sacred river beneath. Just outside Cusco, stop off for a guided tour of the Inca fortress, Sacsayhuaman. Overlooking the city from its hilltop position, the fortress is built out of massive stone blocks and is the ultimate example of the Inca's military strength. You’ll then head to the AMA restaurant in Urubamba for coffee and homemade cakes – this café provides job opportunities and childcare solutions to single mothers and decadent treats to visitors. Travel further into the Sacred Valley to visit the Huilloq community, where tourists are an uncommon sight. Be welcomed with an offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth) and learn about the community’s ancestral textile techniques. Sit down for a pachamanca lunch and then drive onwards to the day’s final destination – Ollantaytambo. Here, you’ll take a guided tour of the town’s archaeological site, including remnants of an Inca city and soaring views over the present-day settlement.

Day 11 Aguas Calientes

This morning, catch a train through the winding Urubamba Valley, climbing to Aguas Calientes – this seriously scenic journey will surely give your camera a good workout. If you’d like to give your legs a workout too, your leader can recommend some beautiful walks around Aguas Calientes. The city is nestled in the cloud forest at the foot of Machu Picchu, so it’s the perfect place to kick back and take in your peaceful surroundings. One Day Inca Trail If you're the active type, you can choose to trek the One Day Inca Trail today (11 km or 7 miles). Keep in mind that you must pre-book this option at least 30 days before departure. If you choose this option, the day begins bright and early with a 6:30 am train ride to the starting point. With a local guide leading the way, the trail will lead uphill and downhill, passing a few archaeological sites. See Chachabamba and Winay Wayna (2680 m altitude), also known as 'Forever Young'. This impressive complex is considered by many to be the most impressive site on the whole Inca Trail and is made up of a terraced agricultural centre, religious sector and urban sector. From here, it's about a 1.5-hour trek to Intipunku (the Sun Gate), where (weather permitting) you'll enjoy unforgettable views over the ‘Lost City of the Incas’ as you enter Machu Picchu. Depending on how long the trek takes, you'll have time to snap some pics and look around before taking a short bus ride down to Aguas Calientes, where you'll re-join the group and spend the night at a hotel.

Day 12 Machu Picchu - Cusco

Take an early bus up the winding road to Machu Picchu at 5.30 am. The city was built around 1440 AD as a country retreat for the Incan nobility, but there’s evidence that the land had been a sacred Incan site for much longer. Another school of thought is that this was an astronomical observatory. Take a guided tour around the awe-inspiring ruins of temples, palaces and living quarters and decide for yourself. After your tour, catch the bus back to Aguas Calientes, followed by a scenic train ride to Ollantaytambo and finally a drive to Cusco, where you’ll spend the night.

Day 13 Cusco

Enjoy free time to delve deeper into all Cusco has to offer. You may like to use your boleto turistico to check out any sites you missed last time you were here or simply grab a coffee from a cafe at Plaza de Armas and do some people-watching. For those still seeking an active adventure, the hills that surround Cusco are well-suited for some mountain biking. Ask your tour leader for advice on optional activities and how to make the most of your free day.

Day 14 Lima

Take a short flight from Cusco to Lima. You will be unescorted on your flight today. When you arrive in Lima, you’ll be transferred to your hotel and met by a local leader who can assist with any optional activities or final arrangements. When you arrive in Lima, the day is free to spend how you wish. Visit some of the sites you missed at the beginning of the trip, or maybe do some last-minute souvenir shopping. Why not gather the group for one final night out on the town? Your tour leader will be happy to offer tips on how to make the most of your last day.

Day 15 Lima

With no activities planned for today, your adventure comes to an end after breakfast. If you’d like to extend your stay in Lima, just get in touch with your booking agent.

Day 1:

Welcome to an unforgettable, unbound Machu Picchu vacation! It's important to remember as you read this itinerary that our groups are limited to 12 guests, making our incredible Machu Picchu tours intimate in nature.

Upon arrival to Peru, we make the connections of the trip quite easy. Guests are greeted by one of our friendly airport officers and escorted to the night's hotel. Not all tour companies provide transfer service, but we aim to add superfluous service making the start to the vacation and being in a foreign country as smooth and relaxing as possible.

After a quick check in, guests are briefed on the fabulous adventure that awaits. They are given a handy "travel kit" which includes travel documents such as itineraries, transportation tickets and hotel information.

Day 2:

Meals Included : Breakfast, Lunch and  Dinner

Guest wake up rested and ready for an incredible journey!

After a delicious breakfast, guests return to the Lima Airport for a 90 minute flight over the beautiful Andes Mountains to Cusco, the heart of the Inca Empire. After the short flight, guests again will be met by one of our representatives in order to make the transition to the next hotel stress-free. Our accommodations for today will be situated at a prime location within the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

En route to the hotel, we will stop to visit the picturesque town of Pisac, an Andean village esteemed for its traditional market. This is a great place to pick up those souvenirs that will make the memories of your South American trip last forever. The market's primary day is Sunday; however, you will still be able to shop for fabulous buys no matter what day your travel with us happens to fall on. Locals from all over the Peruvian and Machu Picchu region come to sell here, making it a shopper's delight.

We continue to Urubamba, a town whose name literally means "flat land of spiders". We'll get to enjoy a nice lunch and then a fun Peruvian Paso horse presentation. Prepared to be wowed by what these amazing animals can do!

After our lunch and horse show, we visit the fascinating city of Ollantatamb. Ollantatamb is unique with its distinct Inca urban planning, huge boulders and stone structures. There are many sights to be had here, including temples, terraces, storehouses, quarries and military defenses. All retain the ancient Inca artistry that makes this region so amazing.

With a full day of exploring the sensational Sacred Valley, we arrive back at our hotel for a well-deserved rest. Dinner is included at the hotel.

Day 3:

Meals Included : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Be sure to fuel up at breakfast for the adventure that awaits today! (Alternatively, guests can use this day to further explore the Sacred Valley on their own.)

This morning we are transferred to the point where we will begin our full day bike ride. We first pass the Huaypo Lagoon, a pretty area with a mix of terrains. Our ride here is easy on the eyes and also an easy ride with its small hills and simple corners.

We make a stop at the archaeological park of Moray, an interesting plateau area with terraces designed like corn mazes. Visitors marvel at the Incan ingenuity while also taking in the simple pleasures of the surrounding area.

After Moray, we continue to the nearby village of Maras. We'll partake in a tasty box lunch and then jump back on the bikes to the Inca salt terraces that this location is famous for.  All of that white is quite a sight!

A relaxing downhill journey into the Sacred Valley by Pichingoto and Tarabamba concludes the day's events. We return to our hotel for dinner filled with new memories of the amazing Sacred Valley on this Machu Picchu tour.

Day 4:

Meals Included : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After a good sleep and a delicious breakfast, we say goodbye to the Sacred Valley and are transferred to the train station. It's a 90 minute journey with stunning views that arrives at the archaeological sites of Chachabamba and Wiñaywayna.

A moderate hike of 4 miles (or about four hours) reward guests with the site of Wiñay Wayna. Guests soon see why its name means "forever young", with its gorgeous Incan agricultural centers and numerous terraces. All of these wonders are set on a hillside, making for a unique perspective.

We continue onto Intipunku or "Gateway of the Sun", a breathtaking ancient Incan metropolis. Guests have about an hour to explore this ruin-laden area (a tour of the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu will be provided the next day).

Finally our small groupl take a shuttle bus down the rolling hills to the village of Machu Picchu, where we will spend the night.

Day 5:

Meals Included : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today is all about Machu Picchu, one of Peru's most famous gems. A short 20 minute shuttle ride puts guests up close and personal with this incredible testament to ancient architectural greatness. The stone city was first found by Hiram Bingham in 1911 and has been amazing visitors ever since.

Machu Picchu is unique in that it was built on a spot ripe with vegetation and between two mountains. It even got its name after one of them (Machu Picchu, or "Old Mountain"). The neighboring mountain is fittingly called Huayna Picchu, or "Young Mountain". Below Machu Picchu is a jungle that is just exploding with flora and fauna.

Included today are tours of Machu Picchu's Sanctuary, but there will also be plenty of free time on your own to take in the delights of this wondrous monument. A hearty lunch will be provided within the Lodge after touring the Sanctuary.

ROW guests are pampered in our first class train as we travel back to Ollantaytambo Station (about two hours) where we dine and overnight in Cusco.

Day 6:

Meals Included : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After a delicious breakfast, we visit some of the fascinating attractions that the city of Cusco has to offer. Cusco's Spanish colonial monuments (including the Main Square) and cathedral are toured, both rich in historical importance and visually striking.

Guests then continue onto the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, a Spanish building with a stoned exterior that was built right on top of previously existing Inca foundations. It is the site of a temple (Koricancha) where the ancient Incas used to worship the sun, and this temple is fabled to have had walls originally made out of pure gold.

After this "golden" visit we explore the surrounding ruins of Cusco, including Sacsayhuamán. Sacsayhuamán puts Stonehenge to shame with its three overlapping platforms of boulders, each over 360m long. It is thought to be designed as a fortress of sorts. Even if that wasn't its original purpose, there's no denying that Sacsayhuamán was yet another great accomplishment among a long list of others for the Incans.

We enjoy lunch at one of Cusco's best restaurants before being transferred to the local airport and boarding a flight to Puno.

Day 7:

Meals Included : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

We have an early start today so guests don't miss a moment!

We visit the floating island of Uros by motorboat. These islands were actually handmade using natural reed material by the local Uros people! (see what they look like in the slideshow above) The islands are still inhabited and maintained by these people today.

After checking out the islands, we continue onto Llachon - Santa Maria and prepare for our kayak experience. After a safety briefing, guests are sure to be dazzled as they receive a unique (unbound!) opportunity to paddle alongside Amantani Island and take in the pristine beauty of Lake Titicaca.

Amantani Island is a welcome paradise from the hustle and bustle of daily life. We enjoy a lunch typical of the region and later travel by hike to a temple on the far end of Amantani. Our guests witness a richly hued, stunning sunset; then have a scrumptious dinner and celebrate with new friends with our home stay family. Overnight on Amantani Island.

Day 8:

Meals Included : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a refreshing breakfast, guests jump back in kayaks and paddle from Amantani Island to Llachon Island. The journey is nothing short of magnificent with views of snow-capped mountains, all the while taking in the simple serenity Lake Titicaca provides.

On the Island of Llachon, we visit a friendly village where natives have kept their culture and ancestral roots unblemished for centuries. They even provide us with a fun weaving demonstration along with lunch!  After a walk alone the beach we return to get ready for dinner.

Dinner is served at the hotel later in the day. Overnight on Llachon Island.

Day 9:

Meals Included : Breakfast

One last chance for adventure awaits as we return by boat to Puno. The last order of business on the fabulous Machu Picchu unbound tour is a visit to Chulpass Sillustani. These fortified towers were the burial grounds for the Collas and Incas. They were once referred to as "houses of the soul", and the dry conditions often resulted in the bodies being mummified, although this was not done with intention.

After a flight to Lima Airport, guests are be met and assisted with international flight connections back home or on to other destinations with ROW like Ecuador or the Galapagos Islands. Hugs, kisses, phone numbers and emails are shared as guests part from new friends made and everlasting memories created.