Peru bite-sized trips

Inca Trail & Machu Picchu

A well-trodden path but still one full of wonder and awe, Southern Peru offers a wonderful mix of cultures, colourful cities, and dramatic scenery. From the city of Lima with its markets brimming with exotic fruits and tasty snacks to the dramatic Colca Canyon stretching out in front of you for miles, there is a whole array of experiences in this region to get stuck into.

How does it work?

1. Explore our regions and pick your favourite bite-sized trips.

2. Add them to your travel plan and send it our way.

3. Your Peru Specialist will stitch it all together into a personalised holiday, made just for you.

Or, if you’d prefer something ready-made, our itineraries are good to go. You can book them as they are or chat with your Specialist about adding extra experiences. Get in touch with our destination experts to start planning.

Private, tailor-made holidays your way
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Unique and small-scale stays

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1
Explore the Cobbled Streets of Cusco
Itinerary:
Cusco
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Price:
From £249 per person (excluding flights)
Explore Cusco, the Inca heartland and a city of colourful contrasts. Nestled in a highland valley where ancient ruins rub up against retail giants and carnivals crash through cobbled streets, it’s got its very own brand of flair.
2
Rainbow Mountain Ramble
Itinerary:
Cusco
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Price:
From £169 per person (excluding flights)
As spectacular as it is secluded and challenging to reach, Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain) is a barely discovered area with landscapes which seem like they could be from another planet. It’s a fairly tough 4 hour trek which requires a decent level of fitness, but you’ll pass through green wilderness dotted with alpacas, and walk against a backdrop of the snowcapped Andes. After a couple of hours you’ll reach the bizarre and beautiful Rainbow Mountain, and it’ll all seem totally worth the effort.
As spectacular as it is secluded and challenging to reach, Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain) is a barely discovered area with landscapes which seem like they could be from another planet. It’s a fairly tough 4 hour trek which requires a decent level of fitness, but you’ll pass through green wilderness dotted with alpacas, and walk against a backdrop of the snowcapped Andes. After a couple of hours you’ll reach the bizarre and beautiful Rainbow Mountain, and it’ll all seem totally worth the effort.
3
Markets & Plazas of Lima
Itinerary:
Lima
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Price:
From £179 per person (excluding flights)
Lima is usually the starting point for any Peruvian holiday, but it has much more to offer than just an airport. A proud Latino city, often cloaked in mist from the Pacific Ocean and with a famed food scene, Lima fizzes with energy. Staying in a locally run hotel in a pleasant part of town, you’ll be shown around Miraflores food market and the charming colonial centre by your Limeño guide, before setting off to explore the city independently.
Lima is usually the starting point for any Peruvian holiday, but it has much more to offer than just an airport. A proud Latino city, often cloaked in mist from the Pacific Ocean and with a famed food scene, Lima fizzes with energy. Staying in a locally run hotel in a pleasant part of town, you’ll be shown around Miraflores food market and the charming colonial centre by your Limeño guide, before setting off to explore the city independently.
4
Culture and Cookery in Arequipa
Itinerary:
Arequipa
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Price:
From £249 per person (excluding flights)
Arequipa is an understated highlight of Peru – an attractive city with a distinct personality and a striking volcanic backdrop. Wander along cobbled streets to the local market and enter an explosion of colour, sounds and smells. Step inside a local home and learn the secrets of how to cook perfect quinoa, chicha or caldo verde.
5
Condors in the Colca Canyon
Itinerary:
Arequipa - Coporaque - Cruz del Condor - Arequipa
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Price:
From £269 per person (excluding flights)
Around twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, the Colca Canyon slices through the Andes and affords some of the most spectacular views on the continent. Home to communities which have barely changed over the years, as well as one of the world’s largest flying birds – the Andean condor – there’s more to this place than just photo opportunities.
6
Into the Amazon – Jungle Lodge
Itinerary:
Puerto Maldonado
Duration:
4 days / 3 nights
Price:
From £389
Spend a few nights sleeping in a comfortable lodge in the heart of the mighty Amazon rainforest, feeling a million miles away from civilisation. Travelling to your riverside base by boat, you’ll head out with expert local guides to explore the jungle and the incredible Amazonian wildlife. Your lodge is owned by the Native Community of Infierno, so you’ll also meet the people who call this amazing place home. All meals and activities are included during your stay.
Spend a few nights sleeping in a comfortable lodge in the heart of the mighty Amazon rainforest, feeling a million miles away from civilisation. Travelling to your riverside base by boat, you’ll head out with expert local guides to explore the jungle and the incredible Amazonian wildlife. Your lodge is owned by the Native Community of Infierno, so you’ll also meet the people who call this amazing place home. All meals and activities are included during your stay.
7
Coastal Road to Nazca
Itinerary:
Lima - Huacachina - Islas Ballestas - Nazca - Arequipa
Duration:
5 days / 4 nights
Price:
From £399 per person (excluding flights)
Take your time travelling along Peru’s weird and wonderful coast, a surreal mix of enigmatic etchings, giant sand dunes, sea lion colonies and desert lagoons. Surf down the golden dunes and drift around the Islas Ballestas, spotting wild dolphins and penguins as you sail. It’s a bizarre and beautiful adventure. Whisking you from Lima to Arequipa over five days, you’ll stop at the oasis town of Huacachina and have the chance to see the mysterious Nazca Lines.
Take your time travelling along Peru’s weird and wonderful coast, a surreal mix of enigmatic etchings, giant sand dunes, sea lion colonies and desert lagoons. Surf down the golden dunes and drift around the Islas Ballestas, spotting wild dolphins and penguins as you sail. It’s a bizarre and beautiful adventure. Whisking you from Lima to Arequipa over five days, you’ll stop at the oasis town of Huacachina and have the chance to see the mysterious Nazca Lines.
8
Sea Lions and Sand Dunes
Itinerary:
Lima - Islas Ballestas - Huacachina - Arequipa
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Price:
From £414 per person (excluding flights)
Sleep on the edge of a surreal desert lagoon, hurtle down giant sand dunes and sail around islands crammed with sea lions. Welcome to the curious, otherworldly coastline of Peru. Machu Picchu, the Andes and the Amazon might take all the glory, but this area of Peru takes the biscuit when it comes to bizarre. Travelling by private car and sleeper bus over 3 days, you can soak up the strange scenery at your own pace.
Sleep on the edge of a surreal desert lagoon, hurtle down giant sand dunes and sail around islands crammed with sea lions. Welcome to the curious, otherworldly coastline of Peru. Machu Picchu, the Andes and the Amazon might take all the glory, but this area of Peru takes the biscuit when it comes to bizarre. Travelling by private car and sleeper bus over 3 days, you can soak up the strange scenery at your own pace.
9
Titicaca Island Hopping
Itinerary:
Puno - Uros - Amantani - Taquile - Puno
Duration:
4 days / 3 nights
Price:
From £199 per person (excluding flights)
Stay amongst the local community on an island marooned in Lake Titicaca, sleeping in a traditional clay hut and learning about life on the world’s highest lake. It’s a unique chance to get to know the traditional Quechua Indians of Titicaca and watch drifting clouds reflect off the bright blue lake, as you explore the ancient lake’s famous floating islands.
10
Lost Cities and Waterfalls – Kuélap and Gocta
Duration:
4 days / 3 nights
Price:
From £349 per person (excluding flights)
Often referred to as the Machu Picchu of the north, the ruins of Kuélap sit dramatically on a mountain ridge and are a worthy rival to Peru’s most famous site, with fewer tourists too. Once home to the Warriors of the Cloud Forest, Kuélap predates the Inca Empire and provides a jaw-dropping glimpse into the past. Staying in the peaceful town of Chachapoyas, you’ll also visit one of the world’s highest waterfalls – the remote and spectacular Gocta Falls.
Often referred to as the Machu Picchu of the north, the ruins of Kuélap sit dramatically on a mountain ridge and are a worthy rival to Peru’s most famous site, with fewer tourists too. Once home to the Warriors of the Cloud Forest, Kuélap predates the Inca Empire and provides a jaw-dropping glimpse into the past. Staying in the peaceful town of Chachapoyas, you’ll also visit one of the world’s highest waterfalls – the remote and spectacular Gocta Falls.
11
Huaraz – Cordillera Blanca Trek
Itinerary:
Lima - Huaraz - Huascaran National Park - Lima
Duration:
6 days / 5 nights
Price:
From £799 per person (excluding flights)
Trek through the world’s highest tropical mountain range, a land of endless snowy peaks and wisps of cloud reflected in blue lagoons – it’s hiking heaven. Visit traditional towns tucked away in the Andes and swing in a hammock with valley views.
12
Enchanting Blue Humantay
Itinerary:
Cusco - Humantay Lake - Cusco
Duration:
2 days / 1 night
Price:
From £95 per person (excluding flights)
The bright blue glacial lake Humantay is one of the highlights during the multi-day Salcantay trek. If you don’t have time for the multi-day trek, but would like to see the enormous mountains and glaciers reflected in this impressive lake why not choose a day trip . The tough climb at over 4000 meters altitude is rewarded with a beautiful view.
13
Typically Titicaca
Itinerary:
Puno - Uros - Taquile - Puno
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Price:
From £174 per person (excluding flights)
Stay in the youthful town of Puno, from where you’ll set off on a day-trip to the islands and communities of Lake Titicaca. Meet the locals who call this place home, and sit back as you glide across the still waters by speedboat. Titicaca was a sacred place for the Incas, believed to be the birthplace of the sun, and the lake remains one of the most peaceful and beautiful spots on the continent.
Stay in the youthful town of Puno, from where you’ll set off on a day-trip to the islands and communities of Lake Titicaca. Meet the locals who call this place home, and sit back as you glide across the still waters by speedboat. Titicaca was a sacred place for the Incas, believed to be the birthplace of the sun, and the lake remains one of the most peaceful and beautiful spots on the continent.
14
Waves and Rays in Máncora
Itinerary:
Máncora
Duration:
4 days / 3 nights
Price:
From £502 per person (excluding flights)
Peru may not be famous for its beaches, but the popular little town of Máncora is where it’s at if you fancy feeling the sand between your toes during your Peruvian adventure. Only a couple of hours from the border with Ecuador, and with year-round temperatures in the mid-20s, this former fishing village may not be the Maldives, but provides a well-earned opportunity to kick back and relax next to the Pacific at the end of your holiday.
Peru may not be famous for its beaches, but the popular little town of Máncora is where it’s at if you fancy feeling the sand between your toes during your Peruvian adventure. Only a couple of hours from the border with Ecuador, and with year-round temperatures in the mid-20s, this former fishing village may not be the Maldives, but provides a well-earned opportunity to kick back and relax next to the Pacific at the end of your holiday.
15
A Break in Bogota
Duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Price:
From £209 per person (excluding flights)
On your way to Peru or Chile, why not make a quick stopover in Bogota, the capital city of Colombia? Amble along cobbled streets, past colonial buildings and impressive street art then swing by a road-side cafe for a cup of tinto – a small cup of strong Colombian coffee. With a local artist you’ll discover a different side to this incredible city as you wander through the labyrinthine streets of La Candelaria, the city’s historic heart.
On your way to Peru or Chile, why not make a quick stopover in Bogota, the capital city of Colombia? Amble along cobbled streets, past colonial buildings and impressive street art then swing by a road-side cafe for a cup of tinto – a small cup of strong Colombian coffee. With a local artist you’ll discover a different side to this incredible city as you wander through the labyrinthine streets of La Candelaria, the city’s historic heart.