Overview
Also known as The Kingdom of the Sun, Peru is one of the most representative countries of Latin America due to the mix of native Indian, Afro American and European cultures. Peru is a country where the traditional customs have transcended through the years and they are the base for the current way of life. The contrast produced because of the different landscapes and people is the reason why Peru is a country so interesting for you to visit. The City of Kings was once the scenario of the war against the Spanish conquerors, who came in a ruthless search for the gold that was hidden somewhere in Peru. However, their most wanted treasure was the Lost City of the Incas: Machu Picchu, which they never found.
Itinerary
Your Itinerary
LIMA
Meals: None Transfer airport – hotel Arrival at the airport in Lima where you will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel. Lima was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro as “The city of the kings” and became the capital and most important city of the Spanish Viceroyalty. Today it is still Peru’s most important city as it gives home to about 9 million people, almost 30% of the national population.
The historical city centre comes with splendid colonial style architecture, ample squares as the Plaza de Armas (or Plaza Mayor) and grand churches which yielded it the declaration as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.
LIMA
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch City Tour including San Francisco monastery and Larco Museum (4h) Today you will explore the city on a sightseeing tour through Lima. The Plaza de Armas with the beautiful buildings of the government Palace, the town hall, the Palace of the Archbishop and the Cathedral are still the most important places in town.
After that you will visit the beautiful San Francisco monastery which displays the largest collection of religious art in America. The highlight of this convent is the visit of the underground vaults known as “Catacumbas” or Catacombs.
CUSCO
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Transfer hotel – airport Flight Lima – Cusco (not included) Transfer Airport Cusco – hotel Yucay including visit of the Chinchero community and the Chinchero market en route Transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco. Upon arrival you will start the tour with a visit to Chinchero community located 28 km away from Cusco.
Here are the remains of what was the royal hacienda of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, as well as beautiful colonial temples built on Inca’s foundations. However, its main attraction is its Sunday market originally dedicated to the people of the valley to barter their products.
CUSCO
Meals: Breakfast Half day excursion to the Ollantaytambo Ruins (4h) For the morning program the following optional tours can be booked on site: Optional: Moray and Maras,) and Chincheros (4h) The excursion starts with the visit to Moray, a little Andean community which is famous for its embedded amphitheater, formed by four circular terraces which seem to disappear into the interior of the puna, like an artificial crater.
Evidences seem to suggest that Moray was an important Inca agricultural research center. Finally, you will be transferred to visit the Salt Mines of Maras.
CUSCO
Meals: Breakfast; Lunch Full day tour to Machu Picchu Transfer by bus to the train station of Ollantaytambo where the tour starts by train that goes through the fertile plain of the Urubamba valley and on to Aguas Calientes.
From there, small busses drive up the steep mountain to the ruin town. Machu Picchu called the Lost City of the Incas, this cultural heritage of mankind is a beautifully located impressive stone city constructed with a technique incredible for its era and even for present times.
CUSCO
Meals: Breakfast Half day city tour and visit of the ruins Afternoon at free leisure Today you will start for a half day city tour. It will be shown the exact center of the Incan Empire, the Plaza de Armas. There one can find the Cathedral built on the ruins of the ancient Inca Palace.
The Cathedral borders on other churches on both sides. Next stop will be the old town with its magnificent renovated colonial buildings; some of them are being used as hotels. Proceed to Sacsayhuaman, a ruin site located approx. 3km above Cusco. Sacsayhuaman also offers a fabulous view over the city.
PUNO
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Overland transfer Cusco/Puno – On shared basis A full day bus tour from Cusco to Puno leads through the Peruvian highland along snow-covered peaks of the Andes, small villages and reaches its highest point in La Raya at 4.300m above sea level. On route you will visit the town of Andahuaylillas, the ruins of Racchi and the small town of Pucara.
Lunch in a typical restaurant en route is included. Upon arrival in Puno transfer to your hotel. **Remark: The full day transfer is shared with international travelers and accompanied by a bilingual English/Spanish speaking guide.
PUNO
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Box dinner Full day excursion Uros & Taquile including lunch – On shared basis Transfer to Juliaca airport Flight Juliaca – Lima (not included) Transfer airport - hotel In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Puno’s dock where you will depart towards the Uros Islands on Titicaca Lake.
The Uros are 40 small floating islands made of packed totora (reed), located within the Titicaca National Reserve. Here the inhabitants of the lake, the Uros, live just as their ancestors did, maintaining their customs and idiosyncrasies. After visiting the Uros Islands we will continue by boat to Taquile Island.
LIMA
- Meals: Breakfast
- Transfer hotel – airport
Transfer to the airport for your international flight back home (not included).
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Terms & Conditions
General Conditions:
1. Departure is guaranteed with a minimum of 02 participants. The operation of the tour can only be guaranteed by the end of the free cancellation deadline of the land services, which is 40 days prior departure (release).
2. The transfers on arrival and departure day are included in the round-trip rate from 02 persons on; in case 01 pax arrives/departs separately, a surcharge for the extra transfer will apply.
3. All transfers and excursions are on seat-in-service and include local English speaking guides (changing in each area), except of the following non-exclusive services:
- Day 07: Transfer Cusco/Puno on regular seat-in basis
- Day 08: Excursion Uros & Taquile on regular seat-in basis
Transfers and excursions are provided together for middle and comfort class passengers.
4. The small group guarantee of max. 16 participants cannot be ensured for services on regular seat-in-basis (non-exclusive services).
5. Cancellation Policy:
- Until 40 days before arrival no cancellation fee
- From 39 until 20 days before arrival 50% cancellation fee
- From 19 until 1 days before arrival 80% cancellation fee
- Arrival day 95% cancellation fee.
Cancellation fees for flights are subject to separate cancellation conditions depending on the airline. For some airlines cancellation fees will apply already 60 days before arrival
6. In case of early transfers, breakfast at the hotel cannot be guaranteed. If a dinner is included in the program, it cannot be guaranteed in case of unforeseen late arrivals.
7. Bordering the train to/from Machu Picchu /Aguas Calientes the passport or copy has to be shown.
8. For the train ride to/from Machu Picchu /Aguas Calientes only one 5 kg piece of hand luggage is allowed. For the visit of Machu Picchu we recommend good shoes, the trail is without handrail and could be slippery. Walking sticks need to have a rubbery end in order to be permitted inside the Sanctuary.
9. For entering Machu Picchu Sanctuary, it is not allowed to bring glass, plastic bottles or food. Large backpacks (more than 20 litre volume) have to be stored at an extra cost at the storage by the entrance.
10. For groups travelling through Cusco please note that due to regulations in order to protect the historic buildings and streets, certain larger vehicle sizes are not allowed in some central areas of the city. This implies that that various parts of the city tour will be done walking, and in order to approach hotels groups will be split up temporarily in smaller vehicles, and some vehicles will be travelling for a short period of time without an assistant (driver only).
11. Palace Tours is not responsible for any belongings of the passengers carried during any services rendered, such as transfers or tours.
12. We hold an allotment for the needed internal flights and can provide the booking accordingly. In this case, we will issue the tickets and invoice the tour operator accordingly. In case the tour operator books the internal flights themselves, we inform the correspondent flight numbers to be booked. With this, we can ensure that the whole group will travel together on the same flights.
13. Our prices include taxes, entrance fees, tax & service charge in the hotels and the obligatory luggage fees at the airports and in the hotels. Meals are included as and when mentioned in our program (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
14. Room Tax at the hotel in Brazil is not included in our quotes. This tax is an optional payment and passengers will be instructed locally that its payment is not mandatory.
15. Our prices do not include: airport taxes, airfares, personal expenses, extras in the hotels and tips.
16. We have the right to sell this tour to other clients without any exception.
17. The above mentioned rates for pre- and post-nights at the group hotels are subject to availability and valid for max. 3 nights. From the 4th night on, a higher rate could apply.
18. Optional tours can be pre-booked through Palace Tours or in cash, on the spot. Credit cards may not be accepted on the spot reservations.
19. A Complete passenger list including names, passport number, nationality, profession and date of birth is required, 8 weeks prior to arrival.
20. Flights not booked via Palace Tours can only be reconfirmed by Palace Tours with the correct and complete file key of your booking.
21. For group flight reservations in general, no seat assignments can be made in advance so that preferred seating cannot be guaranteed. Groups are checked in at the airport, when the seats are distributed by the airlines.
22. Rates for hotel services in Peru are based on bookings made by non-resident foreign visitors who stay in Peru for periods of sixty days or less. For nationals or foreigner resident in this country rates are not valid and a surcharge of 18% local VAT tax applies on all hotel services. This surcharge also applies in case the booking is based on one foreign passenger and one Peruvian passenger sharing the same room. At check-in at every hotel in Peru a copy of the passport and also from the migration card will be made. This procedure is necessary for the exoneration of this tax.
Since December 2016, the migration card (TAM) is electronic only and printed upon arrival ONLY on request. Kindly let the guests know to request their printed migration card (TAM) in order to present it during check-in at the hotels. Also, double check your passport has been properly stamped. A secondary procedure is in place in case the guest fails to present the TAM at the hotel.
Important: Cancellation charges for hotel services may increase to 118% of the sales rate in case of no-show or last-minute cancellation. In case the requirements are not met by the guests, the 18% local VAT tax will be charged directly to them.
23. Please inquire at the competent authorities about the actual entry permit, validity of passports and the vaccination regulations.
24. Our general conditions apply.
25. Palace Tours' liability will be limited to the reimbursement of services supplied for failure of services contracted by us. We cannot be held liable for any injury, loss, accident, delay or irregularity occasioned by air-carriers or third-party suppliers and by natural phenomena, sickness, war, quarantine, strike, or any other kind of force major or by attendance to Federal Police, customs and Health Authorities regulations.
Conditions of Payment:
Unless otherwise agreed, the full payment is due 40 days prior to arrival.
Inclusions & Exclusions
INCLUDED:
3 nights at the selected hotel in Lima
2 nights at the selected hotel in Sacred Valley
2 nights at the selected hotel in Cusco
1 night at the selected hotel in Puno
Transfers and tours on private basis
Meals mentioned above on the itinerary
Entrance in Cusco and Sacred Valley: Cusco tourist tax (it allows to visit Ollantaytambo Fortress, Sacsayhuaman and others nearby ruins in Cusco).
Round trip train tickets to/from Machu Picchu ( Vistadome or Voyager)
Bus Ticket Machu Picchu / Aguas Calientes
Entrance to Machu Picchu
Bus from Cusco to Puno on shared basis (includes entrances to Racchi, Andahualillas and Pucara + Typical lunch)
Full Day Uros & Taquile Island on shared basis (include a typical lunch)
This tour is available as a private tour also with the supplement. Please contact us for the details.
Accommodations
HOTELS Superior Class (4*):
LIMA
Hotel Holiday INN
(Standard Room)
CUSCO
Hotel Sonesta Cusco Standard
(Standard Room)
SACRED VALLEY
Casa Andina Premium Valle
(Superior Room)
PUNO
Hotel Sonesta
(Standard Room)
HOTELS Deluxe Class (5*):
LIMA
Hotel Iberostar
(Deluxe Room)
CUSCO
Hotel Libertador Palacio del Inca Luxury
(Classic Room)
SACRED VALLEY
Hotel Tambo del Inca Luxury Collection
(Deluxe Room)
PUNO
Hotel GHL LAGO TITICACA
(Premium Sunrise)
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
Best of Peru is a 9-day, 8-night tour. It starts in Lima, flies to Cusco for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, continues overland to Puno on Lake Titicaca, and returns to Lima for your flight home. You spend 3 nights in Lima, 2 in the Sacred Valley, 2 in Cusco and 1 in Puno.
Superior class uses 4-star hotels: Holiday Inn in Lima, Sonesta Cusco, Casa Andina Premium Valle in the Sacred Valley and Sonesta in Puno. Deluxe class uses 5-star hotels: Iberostar in Lima, Libertador Palacio del Inca in Cusco, Tambo del Inca in the Sacred Valley and GHL Lago Titicaca in Puno.
Included are 8 nights at your selected hotels, private transfers and tours, meals listed in the itinerary, the Cusco tourist ticket, round-trip train tickets to Machu Picchu, the bus between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu entrance, the shared bus from Cusco to Puno with entrances and lunch, and a shared full-day Uros and Taquile tour with lunch.
No. The flights from Lima to Cusco and from Juliaca to Lima, and your international flights, are not included. All airport transfers are included, and we can help you plan the domestic flights.
On day 5 you transfer to Ollantaytambo station and ride the train through the Urubamba valley to Aguas Calientes on the Vistadome or Voyager service. A bus then climbs the mountain to the citadel. Train tickets, the bus and Machu Picchu entrance are all included.
Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, is a stone city built with remarkable precision, its stones fitted together without mortar. It sits dramatically on a mountain ridge and is a cultural heritage site of mankind. The Spanish conquerors never found it, which helped preserve it.
On day 2 a 4-hour tour covers the Plaza de Armas with the Government Palace, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace, and the San Francisco monastery with its catacombs and collection of religious art. You continue through San Isidro and Miraflores to the coast, and the tour includes the Larco Museum. Lunch is included.
Chinchero is an Andean community 28 km from Cusco, visited on day 3 on the way to the Sacred Valley. It has remains of the royal estate of Inca Tupac Inca Yupanqui, colonial churches built on Inca foundations and a colourful market, famous on Sundays, that began as a place for valley people to barter.
On day 4 a 4-hour excursion visits the Ollantaytambo fortress. Optional tours bookable locally include Moray, with its circular Inca terraces thought to be an agricultural research centre, and the salt pans of Maras, where salt is still harvested from a natural spring.
On day 6 a half-day tour shows you the Plaza de Armas, the centre of the Inca Empire, the Cathedral built on an Inca palace and the old town's colonial buildings. You then visit Sacsayhuaman, about 3 km above Cusco, with views over the city, and nearby ruins. The afternoon is free.
Day 7 is a full-day shared bus tour across the Andean highlands with an English and Spanish speaking guide, reaching 4,300 m at La Raya pass. Stops include Andahuaylillas, the ruins of Raqchi and the town of Pucara, with a typical lunch included.
The Uros are about 40 small floating islands made of totora reed in the Titicaca National Reserve, where the Uros people still live much as their ancestors did. On day 8 you visit them by boat, then continue to Taquile Island, with lunch, before transferring to Juliaca airport.
Yes, parts of the tour are at high altitude. Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Puno are all in the Andes, and the road to Puno crosses La Raya at 4,300 m. The itinerary goes to the lower Sacred Valley first, which helps you adjust. Speak to your doctor before travelling if you have health concerns.
Breakfast is included daily from day 2. Lunch is included on days 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8, and a box dinner on day 8. Other meals are at your own expense.
Transfers and tours are private, except the Cusco to Puno bus tour and the Uros and Taquile excursion, which are shared with other travellers. The whole tour can be made fully private for a supplement.
Yes. Before the tour you can add northern Peru, the south coast with Paracas and Nazca, or an Amazon lodge near Iquitos. After the tour, options include Rio de Janeiro, Buzios, the Brazilian Amazon near Manaus and the Pantanal. Custom extensions are available on request.
A 25% deposit confirms your booking, and the balance is due 65 days before departure. The fare for your dates and class is shown on this page or confirmed in your quote.
Yes. Child pricing uses two bands based on age at departure: 0 to under 5, and 5 to under 12. Share the children's ages when you enquire and we will confirm rates and rooms.
Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610, where a travel specialist or our AI assistant will answer. Any departure dates listed on this page can be booked directly online; if none suit you, tell us your preferred dates and we will send a quote.
Yes, single occupancy is available on request. Contact us with your preferred dates and hotel class and we will quote the single supplement. Solo travellers are welcome on every part of this itinerary.
We recommend the following individual pre-stay tours and add on other destinations (Brazil, Argentina)
- 3 days/2 nights North of Peru
- 3 days/2 nights Peru’s South Coast - Paracas, Nazca
- 4 days/3 nights or 3 days/2 nights Amazon Lodge / Iquitos, Peru
We recommend the following individual post-tours:
- Extension Rio de Janeiro
- Beach extension Buzios
- 3 days / 2 nights or 4 days / 3 nights Manaus Amazon Ecopark Lodge
- 4 days / 3 nights Pantanal Araras Eco Lodge
- 4 days / 3 nights Recife
- 3 days / 2 nights Brasilia
- 4 days / 3 nights Florianopolis
- 5 days / 4 nights Chapada da Diamantina
In addition to this, we offer customized extensions in all regions upon request.
Media Gallery
Plaza De Armas of Lima
Cusco City
Machu Picchu
Iguazu Falls
Sugar Loaf Mountain of Rio De Janeiro
Christ the Redeemer Statue
A view of Titicaca lake from Taquile Island
Ollantaytambo Ruins
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