Discover Peru

Experience Overview

Peru may be vast and wonderfully varied, but this compact adventure gets to the heart and soul of the country in a relatively short time, thanks to a finely tuned itinerary based on years of local knowledge. Join your expert tour leader to explore the great cities of Cuzco and Lima, meet villagers living on Lake Titicaca’s floating reed islands, and travel deep into the Andean mountains to discover magnificent Inca ruins, including Machu Picchu, one of the Seven New Wonders of the World.
Profile
— Accommodation: 8 Classic nights (hotels) — Travel by internal flight, train, boat and private bus — Group normally 5 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
At a Glance
— Accommodation: 8 Classic nights (hotels) — Travel by internal flight, train, boat and private bus — Group normally 5 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
Trip For You
This trip is graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us. Suitability: Cuzco and many of the Inca sites (including Machu Picchu) are built on hillsides and sightseeing often involves walking up and down steep streets or on uneven steps or terraces. As such, you should have a good level of mobility and a reasonable level of fitness. Machu Picchu: Exploring the ruins involves a reasonable amount of walking, including up and down steep and uneven stone steps. Journeys: The size of Peru means there are some long drives (the longest is nine hours) and early starts. The private buses used are comfortable and the scenery is outstanding, plus there are several stops to break up long journeys. Strikes are not uncommon in Peru and while these are generally peaceful protests, they can result in roadblocks and disruption to travel. In this event, your leader will amend your itinerary if necessary to minimise the impact. Altitude: Although graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate), the altitude can make physical activity feel more tiring than at sea level. As this trip spends considerable time at altitude, we ask you to refer to the Altitude Warning within the Trip Notes for more information and advice on how to limit the effects of altitude sickness. The tour allows for gradual acclimatisation, with the highest location being Lake Titicaca at 12,467ft (3,800m) above sea level. Please ensure your travel insurance covers you up to this altitude. It can be cold at these altitudes, particularly from May to August (although these months benefit from lower rainfall). You should bring appropriate clothing. Please note, it is essential you read the Machu Picchu regulations in the Important Information section of the Trip Notes before you book this trip.
Eating Drinking
Peruvian cuisine is loved for its flavours and originality; it’s well worth digging into the local delicacies. Among these are ceviche (seafood or fish marinated in lime juice), lomo saltado (a Peruvian take on a beef stir-fry), and various hearty soups including the delicious quinoa soup. Other dishes include roasted cuy (guinea pig), alpaca steak. To drink, there’s pisco sour, the national beverage. Hotel breakfasts are normally simple buffet-style affairs, usually including bread/toast and jam, cereal, sometimes eggs or a cooked dish, sometimes fruit, tea/coffee and fruit juice. We cannot guarantee that wheat- or gluten-free products will be available for breakfast in all locations – if you have an intolerance you may wish to bring your own breakfast food from home. Where lunch and dinner are not included, we’ll visit local cafes and restaurants. The tap water in Peru is not safe to drink. Free drinking water will be provided in large containers, so please bring a refillable bottle with you.
Transportation
A variety of transport is used during this tour and vehicle types may vary depending on group size: travel is by train, boat, minibus/coach and one internal flight. Airport transfers are by private car or minibus. The main road journeys are by private minibus or coach with heating/air-conditioning and may or may not have a toilet on board. We travel by train (with Peru Rail/Inca Rail) from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu) and back in expedition/executive class. Seating is four seats to a table and the carriages have panoramic windows and there is air conditioning/heating. The boat on Lake Titicaca is private to our group, and there is a local guide from one of the Lake Titicaca island communities. The boat is enclosed as it can get cold at this altitude but there are large windows on all sides and an outside deck to the rear. Life jackets are provided.
Joining Instructions
Key information Start hotel: San Agustin El Dorado Hotel, Av. El Sol 395, Cuszo 08002 Phone: +51 84 231232 Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately Airport: Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ) Getting to the start hotel The start hotel is approximately 10 minutes’ drive from the airport. We provide free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for all customers. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative. Catching your return flight We provide free departure transfers for all customers to Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) from the end hotel. Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfers will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and from the end (or post-tour) hotel and will be on the date on which the tour starts/ends; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.
Weather Information
The diverse geography of Peru results in a very varied climate between different regions. Lima falls within the coastal desert region of Peru, with a mild climate and very little rain all year. From April to November, the sky is almost always grey and cloudy and the air is humid. Average daytime temperatures in Lima remain between about 18C-24C (64F-75F) during this period, with July and August typically being the coolest. Nights are also mild, typically 15C-18C (59F-64F). From December to March, the Lima skies are clear and temperatures at their warmest, but elsewhere in the country this is the rainy season. Cuzco and the Andes have a temperate climate. December to March is the rainy season in Cuzco/the Andes and April to November is the dry season; characterised by clear skies and strong sunshine in the mornings, sometimes clouding over as the day progresses. Daytime temperatures are usually pleasant (around 20C/68F on average) but night times only 5C-10C (41F-50F), except for May, June, July and August when days are cooler and nights are often close to, or a few degrees below, freezing. In the Andes, however, anything is possible at any time of year, including cloud, rain or even snow, and rapid, unexpected changes. Lake Titicaca is high (12,460ft/3,800m above sea level). The sun is strong but the air can be cold, and nights can be close to freezing. You will need to bring warm layers and a waterproof or windstopper. Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu are in the cloud forest with large amounts of precipitation all year round as clouds move up from the Amazon Basin. Rain here can be heavy but is seldom prolonged. Cold fronts sometimes occur from July to August. Peru is affected by the El Niño weather phenomenon where warming of Pacific Ocean surface water off South America drives a shift in the atmospheric circulation resulting in abnormally high levels of rainfall over parts of South America. These events occur at irregular intervals of two to seven years, and last nine months to two years. In El Niño years, temperatures in Lima can be much warmer than described above but it still rarely rains in Lima.
Spending Money
Food, drinks and similar incidentals can vary in price enormously in Peru and are relatively expensive compared to other developing nations. Allow about US$15‐US$20 per meal not included to eat at good restaurants. Cheaper food is abundant at small local cafes, although sanitary conditions at these places cannot be guaranteed. Bottled water and soft drinks are readily available for around US$1‐US$2 each. Please note, the Peruvian Ministry of Tourism may increase entrance fees to archaeological sites at any time. If this happens, we will inform you of the increase and the additional amount will be payable locally. Peruvian airport taxes are included in the price of your flight ticket, and there will be no need to pay these locally. Peruvian passport or identity card holders Please note that the cost of Exodus holidays in Peru is based on the assumption that you do not hold a Peruvian passport or resident card. If you are officially resident in Peru or are a Peruvian passport holder, you will be liable to an additional 18 percent tax on the majority of services, and this extra sum will be payable locally to our local partner. Other nationalities are exempt from this tax. Please notify us at the time of booking if you are legally resident in Peru or hold a Peruvian passport so that we can advise you of the total cost of these taxes. Optional excursions (bookable locally) Your tour leader can tell you about the full range of optional excursions available throughout your tour. — Bean to bar workshop at the Chocomuseum (two hours), which is shared with other tourists. — Private pisco sour class and tasting in a bar in the San Blas neighbourhood (three hours). Minimum two people to run. — Andean music experience at a local musician’s home (two hours). Minimum two people to run. Please note that optional excursions can only be booked locally. Prices of excursions vary depending on the number of people taking part. The prices given within these Trip Notes are based on four participants and are intended as a guideline only. Actual prices will be more for smaller group sizes and less for larger group sizes. Please note, cash is the preferred method of payment for any of the optional activities. For some activities, a minimum number of participants may be required. Some activities may not always be possible due to weather, seasonality, national holidays or unforeseen circumstances.
Tipping
It is customary in Peru for local staff to receive tips, which can be an important source of extra income for hard-working crew. Tipping is greatly appreciated, but not compulsory and based on service provided. Whether and how much to tip is a personal decision; however, we have included some guidelines below. Please note, Peruvian sol is the preferred currency for tips (but US dollars are also fine). Tipping kitty: On this trip we recommend running a tipping kitty. A tipping kitty means we tip as a group, and individuals don’t need to worry about giving out small tips to various people who have helped during the trip (ie drivers, local guides, boatmen, hotel staff). We suggest a contribution of US$6 per person per day. Tour leader: Leaders are fairly paid for their role but are always grateful for recognition of their skills and hard work. Tips should be based on their performance and engagement with the group. If you are happy with their work, we recommend somewhere around US$6 per person per day, but you are encouraged to contribute what you feel happy giving.

Highlights