Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca
Combine spectacular Machu Picchu with mythical Lake Titicaca
Days: 10 | From: $7,590/per person
- Includes accommodations at first class hotels that reflect the best of local culture
- Includes excursions and tours with superb private guides
Enjoy world class cuisine and museums in Lima, then renew your sense of wonder exploring lost Incan cities and contemporary Peruvian culture. End your trip by the sparkling azure waters of Lake Titicaca. This trip combines the classic highlights of Peru with an in-depth exploration of the mythical Andean lake.
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We tailor itineraries to your dates and interests, adjusting hotels, excursions and length as desired.
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At a glance
- Lima
1 night: renowned cuisine and world class museums - Sacred Valley
2 nights: Andean life and ancient ruins in this magnificent river valley - Machu Picchu
1 night: time to explore this stunning icon in depth & at non-peak hours - Cusco
2 nights: take in the captivating and bustling former Incan capital - Lake Titicaca
3 nights: experience culture and history at this mythical Andean lake
All itineraries are fully customizable. We will send you a personalized variation that reflects your interests and travel dates at no extra cost. Call to discuss your travel plans with one of our Specialists who know this region firsthand.
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Sample itinerary
Welcome to Lima
Arrive to Lima, former capital of the Spanish empire in the Americas, and transfer to your first class hotel in Miraflores, Lima’s main cultural and commercial district. This is a great area for strolling around and is home to many of Lima’s best restaurants.
Private tours of Lima or visits to any of Lima’s museums can be arranged; we can also arrange culinary tours focusing on Peru’s increasingly renowned cuisine, or art tours for those with special interests.
Accommodations: Atemporal
Housed in a renovated 1940s townhouse in the chic Miraflores district, this six-room hotel provides a relaxed atmosphere with excellent service. Atemporal offers its guests an alternative lodging experience in three room categories: Grand, Charming, and Cozy. Atemporal is entirely private, meaning only guests and those they invite can use its exclusive spaces, with their offbeat but functional collector’s aesthetic, including a veranda, salon and private garden.
Upgrades and alternatives: Hotel B, Miraflores Park Hotel, and othersFly to the Sacred Valley of the Incas
Fly over the Andes to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire. Your local guide will meet you at the airport and take you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a long, fertile river valley surrounded by snowcapped peaks that lies between Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Visit Chinchero, a traditional small town situated on a plateau overlooking the Sacred Valley. Explore a colonial church with remarkable paintings and frescoes, which was constructed over the ruins of an Incan temple and is surrounded by impressive Incan terracing. Chinchero is also home to several highly-regarded weaving cooperatives known for their high-quality textiles. Peru is known for its intricate traditional weavings, many of which use symbols to tell stories or depictions of daily life.
Afterward enjoy lunch at a great small restaurant founded by a renowned local chef. Your private guide will be there to help you make the most of the entire experience.
Accommodations: Hotel Sol y Luna
The Sol y Luna Lodge is located in Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas, not far from the town of Urubamba. Peruvian art adorns each of the first class, comfortable adobe cottages, whose terraces offer spectacular views of the mountains. A place that does things the right way, this hotel has long been among our traveler favorites due to the superb accommodations, location, and service. The property offers two outstanding restaurants. There is also a stable with beautiful horses that can be taken out into the surrounding mountains on horseback riding excursions. This is a Relais & Chateaux property.
*Includes: Breakfast, LunchAlternative lodging options: Albergue Ollantaytambo: for those who prefer to stay right in Ollantaytambo
Incan Sites and Ancient Villages: Moray, Maras, and Ollantaytambo
Spend the day exploring more of the Sacred Valley, seeing less-visited sites that will deepen your understanding of the local culture.
Discover the unique Incan site of Moray and the nearby town and ancient salt pans of Maras. After a scenic picnic lunch, visit Ollantaytambo, one of the few towns to survive in its current layout from Incan times.
Machu Picchu
Travel by train to Machu Picchu, one of South America’s most iconic sites.
Visit this remarkable site with a private guide and enjoy lunch at the famous Sanctuary Lodge before returning to your hotel in Aguas Calientes.
Accommodations: Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
This hotel sits on its own 12 secluded acres in Aguas Calientes, the town located at the base of Machu Picchu. The hotel is ideally located in natural surroundings, a short walk to the train station and the shuttles that take visitors to the ruins, but just outside the town, which is quite touristy. Guests follow stone pathways to their rooms, located in comfortable one- or two-story whitewashed casitas. Unlike the other hotels in Aguas Calientes, the Pueblo is set in a natural cloud forest, allowing you to experience the beauty of this unique ecosystem during your stay.
*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerUpgrades and alternatives: Belmond Sanctuary Lodge (LOCATED RIGHT AT THE GATE TO THE RUINS; A GOOD OPTION FOR THOSE WANTING TO AVOID WAITING IN LINE FOR THE SHUTTLE BUS), Sumaq (A HIGH END OPTION IN TOWN ALONG THE RIVER)
Machu Picchu and Cusco
Return to Machu Picchu in the early morning to explore and discover the citadel on your own. You’ll also have the chance to hike to the top of Huayna Picchu, the mountain that towers above Machu Picchu (about 2 hours round trip).
After visiting the ruins, catch the afternoon train back to Cusco, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel.
Accommodations: Inkaterra La Casona Cusco
A Relais & Chateaux property, La Casona is set in a restored 16th-century colonial manor house, which was built over an Inca complex and later occupied by the conquistadors of Peru. Its 11 suites surround an elegant courtyard, and the hotel offers a dining room, dining terrace, lounge and sitting area. La Casona graciously preserves the site's historic details while offering modern comfort and amenities. An exclusive boutique hotel experience, and one of the top options in Cusco.
*Includes: Breakfast, LunchUpgrades and alternatives: Palacio Nazarenas, Palacio del Inka
Private Tour of Cusco: History, Culture, Architecture, and more
Get to know Cusco with your knowledgeable private guide, visiting the historical highlights of this fascinating city. Visit Sacsahuaman, the massive Incan fortress on the hills above the city, where you can enjoy views out over Cusco and the entire surrounding area. Afterward enjoy the afternoon to explore more of the city on your own.
Travel to Lake Titicaca
Fly over the Altiplano to Lake Titicaca. (You also have the option to take the Andean Explorer train instead of flying. This is a long train ride, about 10 hours, but it is an excellent way to see the Altiplano up close, and is recognized as one of the best scenic rail journeys in South America.)
Your hotel at Lake Titicaca is one of the very top options in this area, with great guides and an enviable location. En route to the hotel you will stop to visit Lampa, a well-preserved colonial city with striking architecture and a beautiful church.
Accommodations: Titilaka Lodge
Titilaka Lodge boasts a prime location on Lake Titicaca, completely removed from the relative congestion of Puno, where most other hotels are located. A Relais & Chateaux property, the hotel features eighteen rooms, all of which overlook the lake, and is located on a private peninsula covering four acres, with two private beaches. This is the most refined lodging option in the area and offers outstanding packages that include meals and excursions to local cultural and historical sites, such as Taquile Island and nearby towns and villages. The hotel features a dining room with expansive lake views, a bar and wine cellar, outdoor wrap-around terraces and boardwalks, a media and game room, and a massage room.
*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerUros and Taquile
Navigate across Lake Titicaca to the floating Uros Islands and the Island of Taquile. The floating islands have been constructed from junco reed roots by the Aymara-speaking Uros Titino people that inhabit them. Your hotel has exclusive access to one of these islands, keeping you off the tourist path and letting you gain insight into the traditional way of life in this area.
Taquile Island is one of Titicaca’s larger natural islands and home to several small Quechua villages. Taquile is known for its traditional textiles, which have been designated UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. After your visit here, you will enjoy a picnic lunch with sweeping views of the azure expanse of Lake Titicaca, with Bolivia’s Cordillera Real mountain range on the horizon.
You have a variety of excursions available to explore this unique area with Titilaka’s excellent guides: A relaxed walk along the shore, a hike to an ancient Incan arch, kayaking on the lake, cycling through the Plateria district, and more. You also have the option to simply relax at the lodge and enjoy the tranquil beauty of the lake.
Sillustani Ruins / Depart for Home or Your Next Destination
This morning after breakfast you will head to the airport, stopping en route to visit the fascinating ruins of Sillustani, an ancient set of funerary towers built on a rise in the Altiplano by a pre-Incan culture.
Fly to Lima, where you can catch your connecting flight home or to your next destination.
If you have extra time prior to your international flight, we often arrange a driver for our travelers so they can go out to eat or see some more of Lima prior to their departure.
Popular Ways to Customize This Itinerary
Add extra days in Lima or Cusco: Both are worth exploring on your own, and we can arrange a variety of activities, including city tours, culinary excursions, visits to ruins and historical sites, and active options such as hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
Take part in a Pachamanca, a traditional Andean cooking ceremony on the shores of Lake Piuray.
Hike to Machu Picchu: Get off the train at Kilometer 104 to walk the last four to six hours along the famous Inca trail. Or see our Inca Trail to Machu Picchu itinerary for information about hiking the whole trail over several days.
Combine your trip with a visit to Iguazu Falls.
Include some downtime for rest and relaxation! Some free time to unwind or have a massage will allow you to feel refreshed and ready for the remainder of your trip. Many of our properties include excellent spas or wellness centers. We can help arrange these services or include properties that offer health & wellness amenities.
Contact us to learn about more options for designing and customizing your trip.
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