Meals: B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner
Upon your arrival in Lima we will pick you up from the International airport of Lima and we will take you to your hotel located in Miraflores. You will have the remainder of the day to relax or walk around. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At 8:45a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel in order to start a city tour. During this city tour, we will take you to downtown Lima where you will visit the Cathedral, the main square, the Catacombs, the San Pedro church, and the "Plaza San Martin". This tour will include a visit to the Larco Museum. After enjoying the beautiful architecture and art of downtown Lima and the Museum, we will take you to the airport in order to take an afternoon flight to Arequipa. Upon your arrival to the airport of Arequipa we will pick you up and we will drive you to your hotel located in downtown Arequipa. You will spend the night at your hotel.
In the morning you will have time to walk and enjoy the beautiful colonial style of the city. At 2:00p.m., you will start a guided city tour. This tour will include a visit to the Cathedral, the Monastery of Santa Catalina, Casa Tristan, Carmen Alto and Yanahuara. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At about 7:30a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel. A comfortable minibus will take you to Chivay, where the Colca Valley is located, after about a 4 hour trip. On the way, you will observe llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas in their natural habitat as well as several Andean birds. Upon arrival in Chivay, you will enjoy lunch and after that you will be accommodated at your hotel. In the afternoon you will enjoy the natural hot springs of the region. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At about 7:00a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel in order to start a guided tour of the beautiful Colca Valley. Your first stop will be the Condor Cross where you will observe the impressive Andean condor flying in its natural habitat. After watching this spectacle, we will take you to the Andean town of Maca where you will visit the local church and rest before continuing. Upon arrival to the town of Chivay, you will enjoy lunch and immediately after we will take you to your hotel in Arequipa. You will be in Arequipa at about 5:00p.m. You will spend the night at your hotel.
Early in the morning we will pick you up from your hotel and we will drive you to the airport of Arequipa where you will take a flight to Cusco. Upon your arrival in the airport of Cusco we will pick you up and we will drive you to your hotel located in downtown Cusco. You will have the afternoon to rest and acclimatize. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At 2:00p.m., you will start a guided city tour. This tour will include a visit to the Cathedral, the Temple of Qoricancha, and the Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay. This tour will let you learn about the Inca culture as well as some aspects of the conquest of the Inca's Empire and the colony. At about 6:00p.m., you will be back at your hotel. You will spend the night at your hotel.
At about 8:30a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel in order to start a guided tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This tour will let you observe an amazing view of the Urubamba River and the valley as well as a visit to the ruins of Pisac and the marketplace of the same name. After lunch, which is included on the package, we will take you to the Andean town of Ollantaytambo where you will have a guided tour of the incredible Inca ruins of the town. Return to Cusco in the evening.
At about 6:30a.m., we will take you to the train station in order to take the Expedition train to Aguas Calientes. Upon your arrival in Aguas Calientes, we will take you to your hotel in order to check-in. Then you can go to have lunch in town. In the afternoon you might enjoy the hot springs of the town. You will spend the night at your hotel in Aguas Calientes.
Early in the morning you will take a bus to Machu Picchu where you will have a 2 hour guided tour of the most important rooms and temples. After the tour, you will be free to wander around. In the afternoon, you will take the train to Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival to the Ollantaytambo train station, transfer to your hotel in Cusco will be provided.
Today, we will pick you up from your hotel and we will drive you to the airport of Cusco in order to take a plane to Lima. End of our services.
| ACCOMMODATION | Price per traveler (USD) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option | LIMA | AREQUIPA | COLCA | CUSCO | AGUAS CALIENTES | DOUBLE | SINGLE |
| Tourist | La Castelllana (Lima) | Viza (Arequipa) | Colca Llaqta (Colca) | Antawasi (Cusco) | Wiracocha Inn (Aguas Calientes) | $1,965 | $2,249 |
| Superior | La Hacienda (Lima) | Casa Andina (Arequipa) | Pozo del Cielo (Colca) | Tierra Viva Plaza (Cusco) | Santuario (Aguas Calientes) | $2,149 | $2,685 |
| Premium | BTH Lima Golf (Lima) | El Cabildo (Arequipa) | Casa Andina (Colca) | Casa Andina Premium (Cusco) | El Mapi (Aguas Calientes) | $2,525 | $3,475 |
| Deluxe | Casa Andina Premium (Lima) | Casa Andina Premium (Arequipa) | Colca Lodge (Colca) | Palacio del Inka (Cusco) | Sumaq (Aguas Calientes) | $3,325 | $4,939 |
NOTE: We book the hotels listed in the itinerary whenever possible. During busy seasons or when booked within 90 days of the tour date, we may need to substitute hotels of equal or higher category.
+ Vistadome train upgrade: USD $90.00
The Colca Canyon in southern Peru is one of the world's deepest canyons — about twice the depth of the Grand Canyon at its deepest point. It is carved by the Colca River over millennia and flanked by terraced Andean hillsides and traditional villages. The canyon is most famous for the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the world's largest flying bird by wingspan, which rides the canyon thermals every morning at the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint — one of the most spectacular wildlife experiences in South America.
Arequipa is one of Peru's most beautiful cities. Its colonial centre is built almost entirely from white sillar volcanic rock, giving it a distinctive luminous quality — hence its nickname "La Ciudad Blanca" (The White City). The Monastery of Santa Catalina alone justifies the visit: a 16th-century convent-city with colourful courtyards, cobblestone lanes, and remarkable art spanning 400 years. The city is also surrounded by dramatic volcanoes and has an excellent food scene — many of Peru's most celebrated chefs are from Arequipa.
Yes. The package includes three domestic flights: Lima to Arequipa, Arequipa to Cusco, and Cusco to Lima. These cover all necessary air travel within the tour routing and are booked on your behalf. Specific flight times are subject to airline scheduling; we confirm departure times once the tour is booked and flights are confirmed with the carrier.
The Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint sits at approximately 3,900 m (12,795 ft) above sea level. It is higher than Arequipa (2,335 m) and even Cusco (3,400 m). The drive from Arequipa to the viewpoint takes you through increasingly dramatic high-altitude landscape. Some visitors feel shortness of breath or mild headache at this elevation. The condors typically fly between 9 and 11 a.m., so the tour is timed to arrive at the optimal viewing window.
The tour is naturally structured to help you acclimatize. You start at sea level in Lima, then fly to Arequipa (2,335 m) where you spend 3 nights — a comfortable introduction to moderate altitude. From Arequipa you fly to Cusco (3,400 m) where two rest-and-sightseeing days further your adaptation. Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu base) is at 2,040 m — actually lower than both Arequipa and Cusco, which feels like pleasant relief.
The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena is one of South America's most remarkable buildings. Founded in 1579 and closed to the public until 1970, it is a self-contained city within Arequipa's walls — covering 2 hectares with its own streets, plazas, and gardens. Hundreds of nuns lived here in complete enclosure for centuries. Today it is immaculately restored: blue and orange painted corridors, terracotta pots overflowing with geraniums, and quiet cloisters. A guided tour typically takes 1.5–2 hours.
Chivay is the main town of the Colca Valley, surrounded by terraced hillsides and traditional Andean architecture. It has comfortable hotels (we use good mid-range properties) with hot water and central heating — essential as nights here drop near zero. The natural hot spring baths (La Calera) on the edge of town are warm and soothing after a full travel day. Chivay's small central square has restaurants and a nice local market.
You can — this tour's routing (Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, Machu Picchu) is similar to our Lima–Arequipa–Cusco Inca Trail trekking package. Converting to a trekking tour adds the 4-day Classic Inca Trail and 3 additional nights, replacing the train to Machu Picchu. Inca Trail permits are required and should be booked well in advance. Contact us and we will send details and availability for the trekking version.
The Santa Catalina Monastery stopped me in my tracks — I had not expected something so vast and so beautiful inside the middle of a city. The condor sighting was extraordinary; I was metres away from birds with 3-metre wingspans catching thermals. Then Machu Picchu a week later. This tour packs three world-class experiences into 11 days beautifully.
I am a wildlife photographer and the condor shots I got at Cruz del Cóndor are the finest of my career. The guide timed our arrival to perfection. The Colca Canyon landscape itself is staggering — the terracing on those canyon walls represents an incomprehensible amount of human labour. Adding Machu Picchu afterward almost felt like overkill given how amazing Colca was, but Machu Picchu was just as astonishing.
Excellent value for 11 days including three internal flights. The Colca Canyon hot springs after a long first Arequipa day were a highlight I had not seen in other tour reviews — a lovely, warm end to a travel day. The Sacred Valley on Day 8 was beautifully guided, and the train to Aguas Calientes wound through some of the most dramatic gorge scenery I have ever seen.
The three nights in Arequipa were very well spent. The city itself is gorgeous and the food scene is incredible — we had the best meal of our trip at a local restaurant near the monastery. The Colca tour was perfectly timed with the condors. And Machu Picchu, approached by train through the narrowing gorge, felt like arriving at somewhere truly remote and mythical.
This was my partner's 50th birthday trip and it exceeded everything we hoped for. The Arequipa acclimatization meant we had no altitude trouble in Cusco or at Machu Picchu. The guide at the monastery spent two hours with us going deep into the history of the cloistered nuns' lives — fascinating. A magnificently organised tour from first pickup to last airport drop.
Secure your spot with a deposit starting from US$ 250. Permits are limited and popular dates sell out months in advance.