Amazing Peru with Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca

Tour code AKSR0120. Adventure Tour. 8 days, 5 cities.

Lima (1 night), Cusco (3 nights), Puno (2 nights), Lima (1 night), Lima

Starts in Lima, Peru. Ends at Lima, Peru.

From $3,003 per person, twin sharing. Next departure 3 January 2027.

Experience Peru through its three big icons: the colonial charm of Lima, the Inca heart of Cusco with Machu Picchu, and the floating reed islands of Lake Titicaca. Guided throughout, with internal flights and the scenic bus route from Cusco to Puno all included.

Highlights

  1. Machu Picchu by train, Machu Picchu
  2. Uros floating islands, Lake Titicaca
  3. Taquile Island weavers, Lake Titicaca
  4. Sistine Chapel of Peru, Andahuaylillas
  5. Scenic bus to Puno, La Raya pass

Day by day

Day 1: Arrival in Lima

Lima

Sights: Lima, Jorge Chavez airport, Miraflores

Welcome to Peru. Your journey begins at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, the colonial capital on the Pacific coast. Our local team meets you in the arrivals hall and transfers you privately to your hotel in the city. Peru is seven hours of flying from most of the US East Coast, so the rest of the day is kept easy on purpose. Settle into your room, step out for a short walk around the neighborhood if you feel up to it, or simply rest for the days ahead. Lima is at sea level, which gives your body a gentle start before Cusco at 3,400 meters later in the

Hotel: Hotel in Lima, category per booking

Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Fly to Cusco and city sights

Lima, Cusco

Sights: Cusco, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay

After breakfast, a private transfer takes you to the airport for the included morning flight to Cusco. The old capital of the Inca Empire sits in the Andes at over 3,400 meters, so the first hours are set at a slow pace to let your body adjust. On arrival, we meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel to check in and rest. In the afternoon, a guided tour steps you through the city's great Inca sites. You walk the vast tiered walls of the Sacsayhuaman citadel, built from stone blocks weighing up to 3,000 tons, carved and placed with no mortar. Next is the Qenqo adoratory, an amphitheater cut into the rock that served as a ceremonial place, followed by the Puka Pukara fortress and the Tambomachay water temple on the hillside above the city. The tour closes at Qorikancha, the former Temple of Gold, whose walls were once sheathed in sheets of gold before the Spanish built the Santo Domingo Convent on its foundations. Return to the hotel for the evening.

Hotel: Hotel in Cusco, category per booking

Meals: Breakfast

Day 3: Day trip to Machu Picchu

Cusco, Aguas Calientes, Cusco

Sights: Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, Urubamba River

Today is the big one. After an early breakfast, we transfer you to the railway station in Cusco and you board the expedition-class train through the Urubamba valley to Aguas Calientes, the small town at the foot of the mountain. From the station, a short bus ride climbs the winding road to Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. Your English-speaking guide walks you through the terraces, the royal palace, the temple complex and the main residential zones. Built by Emperor Pachacutec in the 15th century as a royal retreat, Machu Picchu sits at 2,450 meters and was never found by the conquistadors. It was rediscovered in 1911 and today holds its place as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Enjoy lunch at the El Mapi restaurant in Aguas Calientes before boarding the return train to Cusco. On arrival, a transfer takes you back to your hotel for the night.

Hotel: Hotel in Cusco, category per booking

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 4: Leisure day in Cusco

Cusco

Sights: Cusco, Plaza de Armas, San Blas

After the long Machu Picchu day, today is yours to spend in Cusco at your own pace. Many travelers choose to wander the Plaza de Armas with its grand Cathedral, climb the narrow lanes of San Blas to meet local artisans, or sit over a long lunch at one of the Peruvian restaurants the city is known for. The San Pedro Market is close by and worth an hour of browsing for Andean textiles, fresh fruit and local life. For travelers who want a fuller day, we can add an optional excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas (at a supplement), with Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, and the Awanakancha center, where you feed llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. Whatever you choose, keep the pace easy. Cusco sits at over 3,400 meters, and a lighter day here will pay off before tomorrow's drive to Puno.

Hotel: Hotel in Cusco, category per booking

Day 5: Cusco to Puno via Andahuaylillas and Raqchi

Cusco, Puno

Sights: Andahuaylillas church, Raqchi temple, Pucara Lithic Museum

Today is a long but rewarding day of scenery and sights as you cross the Andes from Cusco to Puno. After breakfast, we transfer you to the station and you board the Wonder tourist bus, which runs this route with planned sightseeing stops along the way. First stop is the village of Andahuaylillas, home to the San Pedro Church, often called the Sistine Chapel of South America for its painted ceilings and gilded stucco built on the foundation of an older Inca temple. Next is Raqchi, the only Inca site with 22 stone columns that once held up the roof of the great temple to Viracocha, the creator god. Buffet lunch is served in the town of Sicuani. In the afternoon, the bus climbs to the La Raya pass at 4,319 meters for a quick photo stop among the snow-capped peaks, then on to Pucara to visit the Lithic Museum of pre-Inca stone work. The journey closes with your arrival in Puno around 6 pm, where we take you to your hotel on the shores of Lake Titicaca at 3,860 meters.

Hotel: Hotel in Puno, category per booking

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 6: Lake Titicaca, Uros and Taquile Island

Puno

Sights: Lake Titicaca, Uros floating islands, Taquile Island

After breakfast, we transfer you to the port of Puno for a full day on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world and a sacred place in Andean belief. Local legend says Manco Capac, the first Inca, was born from these waters, and the Uros people who live on the lake still describe themselves as "people of the lake." Your boat sails out to the Uros floating islands, a cluster of more than forty hand-built platforms made entirely from totora reeds. Here you meet a local family, walk on the springy reed ground, learn how the islands are built and rebuilt, and take a short ride on a traditional reed boat. The boat then continues deeper into the lake to Taquile Island, where time slows down. There are no cars, no police and no stray animals, only the island's famed weavers whose textile tradition was recognized by UNESCO in 2005. The main village sits high on the hill at 3,950 meters, so plan on a gentle climb to reach it. Enjoy a traditional lunch on the island, then sail back to Puno in the late afternoon for the night at your hotel.

Hotel: Hotel in Puno, category per booking

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Day 7: Fly to Lima

Puno, Juliaca, Lima

Sights: Lima Miraflores

After breakfast, we transfer you from Puno to Juliaca airport for the included flight back to Lima, a scenic descent from the altiplano to sea level. On arrival in Lima, we meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours. Travelers who want to see the city often choose the optional Lima city tour, which covers the Miraflores district, the Love Park with its views of the Pacific, the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site, the Historic Center with the San Francisco Cathedral and the Plaza Mayor, closing at the Magic Water Circuit, a park of illuminated fountains listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The tour also visits Casa Aliaga, a colonial mansion still owned by the same family since 1535 and one of the finest house museums in the Americas. 

Hotel: Hotel in Lima, category per booking

Meals: Breakfast

Day 8: Departure from Lima

Sights: Lima, Jorge Chavez airport

Enjoy a final breakfast at your hotel in Lima before we transfer you to Jorge Chavez International Airport for your international flight home. If your departure is late in the day and you have time to spare, we recommend adding an optional visit to the Larco Herrera Museum on the way to the airport, listed among the 25 best museums in the world. The museum is set in an 18th century colonial mansion built on top of a pre-Columbian pyramid and holds 45,000 pieces of ceramics, textiles, jewelry and gold from the Inca, Moche, Nazca and Chimu civilizations. It also has an excellent restaurant, Café del Museo, for a last Peruvian meal before you fly. From all of us at Akshar, thank you for traveling with us, and safe journey home.

Meals: Breakfast

Where you will stay

Lima (2 nights)

Cusco (3 nights)

Puno (2 nights)

What is included

Hotels and stays

Meals

Coach and ground transport

Tour manager and guides

Sightseeing and entry fees

Flights and visa

What is not included

Meals

Flights and visa

Travel insurance

Tips and gratuities

Personal expenses

Optional tours

Departures

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need to see Peru?

Eight days is enough to see the three signature destinations of Peru: Lima, Cusco with Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca at Puno. The route includes two internal flights so you spend time at the sights, not on the road.

What is included in the Peru tour package?

Seven hotel nights with daily breakfast, three touring lunches, two internal flights (Lima to Cusco and Juliaca to Lima), the Wonder tourist bus from Cusco to Puno, the expedition-class train to Machu Picchu, English-speaking guides, all airport transfers and all admission tickets listed in the program.

Is Machu Picchu included in this Peru tour?

Yes. Day 3 is a full day trip to Machu Picchu by train from Cusco, with a local guide at the citadel, lunch at El Mapi in Aguas Calientes, and the return train in the afternoon.

What is the best hotel tier on the Peru tour?

Akshar Travels offers three tiers. The 3-star tier uses Britania Lima, Sueño del Inca Cusco and Sol Plaza Puno. The 4-star tier moves to Ikonik, Xima and Casona Plaza. The 5-star tier upgrades to DoubleTree by Hilton Lima, Aranwa Cusco and GHL Lago Titicaca. All three tiers run the same itinerary.

When is the best time to visit Peru?

The dry season from May to September is the clearest window for Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. April and October are good shoulder months with fewer visitors. The rainy season from November to March is still open, with warmer days in Lima and afternoon showers in the highlands.

Are there group departures for Peru?

Yes. The tour runs on 40 fixed group departure dates through 2027, with a minimum of 2 travelers. A dedicated New Year departure is on December 29 and includes a supplement for the New Year's Eve dinner.

Need to know

Cancellation policy

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