WhyYou’ll Love This Tour
Adrenaline from Coast to Summit
Sand dunes, ATVs, Via Ferrata, the Inca Trail, and Rainbow Mountain, push yourself and come home with stories.
Peru’s Most Iconic Landscapes, Back to Back
From Huacachina’s desert oasis to the peaks of Vinicunca, the continent’s most varied scenery in 10 days.
Adventure With a Safety Net
Certified guides, full safety equipment, and end-to-end support, just show up.
Overview
Experience Peru’s greatest adventure on our Peru adventure tours. This is a private journey that takes you from the desert coast of Lima and the dunes of Huacachina through the ancient ruins and adrenaline-filled valleys of the Sacred Valley, to the legendary citadel of Machu Picchu and the multicolored slopes of Rainbow Mountain. This itinerary is designed as a 10-day Peru trip for travelers who want to push their limits without sacrificing comfort. Every activity is guided by certified local experts, every transfer is handled, and every day delivers a landscape more dramatic than the last. Backed by 1,500+ five-star reviews and our core philosophy of “German precision, Peruvian passion.”
Huacachina & the Ballestas Islands: Desert Coast at Its Best
Your adventure begins on Peru’s Pacific coast. The Ballestas Islands deliver sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and thousands of seabirds on dramatic coastal rock formations, before the landscape shifts entirely to Huacachina, a desert oasis ringed by South America’s tallest sand dunes. Dune buggies, sandboards, and a golden sunset set the tone for everything that follows.
Sacred Valley: ATVs, Via Ferrata & Zipline
From Cusco, we head straight into the Sacred Valley for three days of back-to-back adventure. An off-road ATV ride takes you across the highlands to the circular terraces of Moray and the cascading salt pools of Maras. The following day, strap into a harness and tackle the Via Ferrata, a guided climb up a sheer cliff face above Ollantaytambo, before soaring down on a zipline with the entire valley beneath you. No prior experience required.
Ollantaytambo & the Inca Trail: History Meets the Trail
The adventure deepens at Ollantaytambo, the most intact Inca town still standing, before a traditional Pachamanca feast cooked underground on volcanic stones. The next morning, set off on the legendary Inca Trail: 12km through cloud forest, mountain passes, and ancient ruins, ending at the Sun Gate with Machu Picchu spread out below as the light fades.
Machu Picchu: The Main Event
An early entry puts you at the citadel in the morning mist, ahead of the crowds, with a licensed guide who brings the architecture, astronomy, and Inca history fully to life. After time to explore at your own pace, the train returns you to Cusco for a well-earned night’s rest.
Rainbow Mountain: The Final Summit
The last great day of the tour rises before dawn. Choose between Vinicunca, the iconic multicolored mineral slopes at over 5,000m, or Pallay Punchu, a lesser-visited alternative with equally dramatic scenery and far fewer crowds. Either way, grazing alpacas, snow-capped peaks, and sweeping Andean views make this an unforgettable final chapter.
Itinerary at a Glance
- Day 1 : Arrival in Lima
- Day 2 : Huacachina & Ballestas Islands
- Day 3 : Flight to Cusco & Transfer to the Sacred Valley
- Day 4 : ATV Tour: Moray & Maras Salt Mines
- Day 5 : Via Ferrata & Zipline
- Day 6 : Ollantaytambo & Pachamanca Feast
- Day 7 : Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
- Day 8 : Machu Picchu & Return to Cusco
- Day 9 : Rainbow Mountain: Vinicunca
- Day 10 : Farewell
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival in Lima
Today’s Highlight: Touch down in Peru and settle into one of Lima’s most vibrant neighborhoods.
Welcome to Peru. Upon arrival, our team will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Miraflores or Barranco. The rest of the day is yours to settle in, take a first walk along the Pacific cliffs, and soak up the energy of South America’s culinary capital.
Overnight in Lima
Optional: Add our Lima half-day city tour and explore the city’s beautiful neighborhoods, local markets and more.
Day 2 : Huacachina & Ballestas Islands
Today’s Highlight: Sandboard down towering dunes at sunset and cruise past sea lions, penguins, and seabirds on Peru’s wild Pacific coast.
An early start takes you south to the Ballestas Islands, often called the “Poor Man’s Galápagos”, where boats weave past massive colonies of sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and thousands of seabirds on dramatic coastal rock formations.
In the afternoon, the landscape shifts entirely: welcome to Huacachina, a tiny oasis village ringed by some of the tallest sand dunes in South America. Ride a dune buggy to the crests and sandboard down as the desert turns gold at sunset.
Breakfast & Lunch included.
Overnight in Lima
Day 3 : Flight to Cusco & Transfer to the Sacred Valley
Today’s Highlight: Trade the desert coast for the Andean highlands and ease into altitude with a first stop in the Sacred Valley.
An early flight brings you to Cusco (11,150 ft.). Rather than heading into the city straight away, we transfer you directly to the Sacred Valley, lower in altitude and the perfect place to acclimatize before the adventure days ahead. Stop at the colorful Pisac market and ruins for your first taste of Inca culture, then settle into your valley hotel and rest up.
Breakfast & Lunch included.
Overnight in Sacred Valley
Day 4 : ATV Tour: Moray & Maras Salt Mines
Today’s Highlight: Tear through the Andean highlands by ATV and arrive at two of the Sacred Valley’s most remarkable landscapes.
Gear up for an off-road ATV ride across the highlands to Moray, the Inca’s fascinating circular agricultural terraces, designed as an open-air laboratory using altitude to create different micro-climates.
Continue to the Maras salt mines, where thousands of terraced pools cascade down the hillside, harvesting mineral-rich spring water the same way they have since pre-Inca times. Prefer a slower pace? This day can also be done on horseback.
Breakfast & Lunch included.
Overnight in Sacred Valley
Day 5 : Via Ferrata & Zipline
Today’s Highlight: Climb a vertical cliff face above the Sacred Valley, then soar back down on a zipline with the whole valley beneath you.
Today is pure adrenaline. Strap into your harness and tackle the Via Ferrata, a guided climb up a sheer rock wall above Ollantaytambo using fixed iron rungs, with safety equipment and experienced guides every step of the way.
At the top, the reward is immediate: a zipline descent with sweeping panoramic views over the patchwork of fields, rivers, and mountains that make up the Sacred Valley. No prior climbing experience required.
Breakfast & Lunch included.
Overnight in Sacred Valley
Day 6 : Ollantaytambo & Pachamanca Feast
Today’s Highlight: Explore the Inca’s most complete surviving town and share a feast cooked underground in the Andean tradition.
Start with a guided visit to Ollantaytambo, the most intact example of Inca urban planning still standing, where dramatic fortress terraces rise above original stone streets still in daily use. Then sit down to a traditional Pachamanca: marinated meats and vegetables slow-cooked in an earth oven with hot volcanic stones, just as Andean communities have done for over 1,000 years. Overnight in Ollantaytambo, steps from the trailhead and ready for tomorrow.
Breakfast & Lunch included.
Overnight in Sacred Valley
Day 7 : Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Today’s Highlight: Trek one of the world’s most iconic paths through cloud forest, ancient ruins, and mountain passes, arriving at the Sun Gate as the light fades.
An early start onto the legendary Inca Trail. Today’s route covers approximately 12km through some of the most dramatic scenery in the Andes, cloud forest, high mountain passes, and a string of ancient Inca ruins that hint at what awaits at the end.
Your expert local guide shares history and natural detail throughout. At the trail’s end, reach the Sun Gate for your first view of Machu Picchu below, before descending to Aguas Calientes for a well-earned rest.
Breakfast & Box Lunch included.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes
Day 8 : Machu Picchu & Return to Cusco
Today’s Highlight: Step inside Machu Picchu before the crowds arrive, then return to Cusco with one of the world’s great ancient sites behind you.
Rise early for the first entry into Machu Picchu, morning mist, golden light, and the citadel nearly to yourself. Your licensed guide brings the site to life: the architecture, the astronomy, the agricultural terraces, and the story of how this entire city was built without mortar or the wheel.
After time to explore independently, descend to Aguas Calientes and board the train back to Cusco for the night.
Breakfast & Lunch included.
Overnight in Cusco
Day 9 : Rainbow Mountain: Vinicunca
Today’s Highlight: Hike to one of Peru’s most extraordinary natural wonders a mountain streaked with vivid bands of color at over 5,000 meters above sea level.
Rise before dawn for the drive to the trailhead. Depending on conditions, weather, and your preference, choose between two spectacular options: Vinicunca, the famous Rainbow Mountain, with its iconic multicolored mineral slopes or Pallay Punchu, a lesser-visited alternative that offers equally dramatic scenery with far fewer crowds.
Either way, the high-altitude landscape of grazing alpacas, snow-capped peaks, and sweeping Andean views makes this one of the most memorable days of the entire trip.
Breakfast & Lunch included.
Overnight in Cusco
Day 10 : Farewell
Today’s Highlight: A final Peruvian breakfast before the journey home.
Enjoy a last breakfast before our private driver transfers you to Cusco Airport for your onward flight. You leave with sore legs, full memories, and very likely plans to come back.
Breakfast included.
- Detailed Itinerary
- Airport transfers with our staff accompanying you
- All tours stated in the itinerary with fluent English speaking licensed local guides
- Entrance tickets for all tours
- Hotels with breakfast if selected
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary above (vegan and vegetarian options available). We eat in some of the best restaurants in the area.
- Trekking pole, first aid kit and oxygen for the hikes
- Welcome kit and virtual support during your trip
- Not Included
- Domestic and international flights (domestic flights will be added in the quote if desired)
Prices
Based on double/triple occupancy and the hotels mentioned below or similar ones in the same category.
- Service
- Comfortable 3-start hotels
- Standard train to Machu Picchu
- Shared/private transfers
- Daily breakfast
- Service
- Upgraded 4-start hotels
- Vistadome train to Machu Picchu
- More comfortable transport
- Restaurant upgrades
- Service
- Luxury 5-start hotels Ico
- Hiram Bingham train (optional)
- VIP private transfers
- Exclusive experiences
Hotels
JW Marriott
- 250 m from the oceanfront
JW Marriott Miraflores offers ocean-view rooms, excellent dining, and a well-equipped gym, in a prime waterfront location beside Larcomar for an upscale stay.
Souma Miraflores
- 650 m from Parque Kennedy
Souma Miraflores offers modern comfort near Parque Kennedy and Larcomar, with air-conditioned rooms, outdoor pool, fitness center, rooftop terrace, restaurant, and convenient access to Lima’s highlights.
Lima 18 Boutique Hotel
- Steps from Huaca Pucllana
Lima 18 Boutique offers charming, intimate accommodation in the heart of Miraflores, with just 11 air-conditioned rooms featuring curated artwork and modern touches, a serene garden terrace, complimentary à la carte breakfast, and attentive personalized service — all within walking distance of Parque Kennedy, Huaca Pucllana, and Larcomar.
Palacio del Inka Luxury Collection
- 500 m from Plaza de Armas (main square)
Palacio del Inka, beside the Koricancha Temple, is a luxury hotel built on original Inca foundations, featuring stunning colonial architecture and guided historical tours.
Novotel
- 350 m from Plaza de Armas (main Square)
Novotel Cusco, set in a restored 16th-century building just three blocks from the main square, offers modern comfort, local charm, and a heated courtyard for relaxing.
Rumi Punku
- 300 m away from Plaza de Armas (main square)
Hotel Rumi Punku is a charming 3-star stay just 300m from Cusco’s Plaza de Armas, offering cozy rooms with private bathrooms and cable TV, free WiFi, and a traditional courtyard garden.
Tambo Del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa
- Next to Urubamba River
Tambo del Inka is a luxury Sacred Valley resort with a private train station to Machu Picchu, elegant rooms with local details, a spa, pool, and stunning mountain views.
Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado
- 11 km from Ollantaytambo
Casa Andina Premium Sacred Valley offers mountain views near Ollantaytambo, with a spa, outdoor activities, gardens, playgrounds, and an observatory for relaxed stargazing.
Tierra Viva Valle Sagrado
- 11 km to Ollantaytambo
This hotel offers 36 spacious rooms with warm wood and stone accents, lush gardens, Andean mountain views, and an on-site sauna for a relaxing retreat.
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
- 250 m from the oceanfront
Inkaterra El Pueblo sits at the foot of Machu Picchu near the train station, offering upscale comfort, lush nature, and an immersive stay for your visit.
Casa del Sol Machu Picchu
- Next to train station
Casa del Sol Machu Picchu is a luxury retreat near the train station, with elegant rooms, modern comforts, private bathrooms, mini-bars, satellite TV, luggage storage, and attentive concierge service.
Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu
- Next to train station
Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu offers 53 cozy rooms in central Aguas Calientes, with mountain and river views – an ideal, comfortable stay before visiting Machu Picchu.
