Classical Peru Tour

Visit some of the most notable places in Peru, rich in archaeological remains and colonial architecture: Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.

Duration
5 days
Group size
14 people
Country
Peru

Classical Peru Tour Overview

Visit some of the most notable places in Peru, rich in archaeological remains and colonial architecture: Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.

This tour visits some of the most notable places in Peru, rich in archaeological remains and colonial architecture: Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.

Peru, in South America, offers a varied and authentic mix of culture, nature and cuisine. The ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu is one of the main reasons to travel to South America, but there is much more to see throughout Peru.

Lima, the capital and largest city of Peru, has important churches, monasteries, mansions and balconies. Its main attractions include the Historic Centre, a World Heritage Site; the Plaza Mayor (main square); Lima Cathedral; the Government Palace; the Church and Convent of San Francisco; the Gastronomy House and many more.

Cusco is a city where history is visible in its streets, squares, valleys and towns. Places you will visit here include the Sacred Valley, the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, the most important archaeological site in Peru.

The variety of its scenery, people and activities makes Peru one of the most distinctive destinations on the continent. The Classical Peru Tour suits travellers interested in colonial monuments, archaeology and natural scenery.

Key highlights of the Classical Peru Tour

Itinerary

  1. When you arrive in Lima, you are met and transferred to your hotel for the night.

    Altitude
    150 m (490 ft)
    On foot
    None, arrival day
    Night in
    Hotel, Lima
    Meals
    None

  2. After breakfast, at the scheduled time, you tour Lima, the capital of Peru. The tour begins in the historic centre with important buildings such as the Government Palace, Lima Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace and the Municipal Palace. It also includes the Church and Monastery of San Francisco, the largest complex of colonial art in the Americas. You will see the stone facades and wooden balconies of the colonial houses, and pass Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Inca structure that was most likely an important ceremonial and administrative centre of the Lima culture. The tour ends in the modern districts of San Isidro and Miraflores. San Isidro has modern apartment buildings and parks such as El Olivar, with olive trees brought from Spain in the 15th century. Miraflores has its Central Park and the Larcomar shopping centre overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

    Altitude
    150 m (490 ft)
    On foot
    Easy walking, 2–3 hrs
    Night in
    Hotel, Lima
    Meals
    Breakfast

  3. After an early breakfast, you are transferred from the hotel to the airport at the scheduled time for the flight to Cusco. On arrival, you are met and transferred to your hotel. At the scheduled time, there is a guided city tour. You visit the Cathedral, notable for its architecture and its collection of paintings from the Cusco School (Escuela Cusqueña); the Temple of the Sun, or Koricancha, which was used as the foundation of the Santo Domingo Monastery and is a classic example of the fusion of Inca and Western cultures; and the archaeological sites of Sacsayhuaman, Q'enqo and Tambomachay. You then return to the hotel.

    Altitude
    3,400 m (11,150 ft)+3,250 m
    On foot
    Easy walking, 2–3 hrs
    Night in
    Hotel, Cusco
    Meals
    Breakfast

  4. After an early breakfast, you set out on a full-day excursion to Machu Picchu, the most important archaeological site in Peru. The citadel is located 113 km (70 miles) north-west of Cusco. The day starts with an early transfer to the railway station for the morning train to Aguas Calientes, which takes about three and a half hours. A 20-minute bus ride then takes you up to the archaeological site for a guided tour. Rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu is considered a masterpiece of architecture and a unique record of the Inca civilisation. After the visit, you return to the village of Aguas Calientes, where lunch is provided. At the scheduled time, you return to Cusco and are transferred to the hotel. Lunch in Aguas Calientes is included.

    Altitude
    3,400 m (11,150 ft)
    On foot
    Easy walking, 2–3 hrs
    Night in
    Hotel, Cusco
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch

  5. After an early breakfast, you are transferred from the hotel to the airport for the flight to Lima. On arrival in Lima, you are met and transferred to the hotel. The afternoon is free. We suggest an optional tour to one of the museums, such as the Gold Museum or the Archaeological and Anthropological Museum. In the evening, we suggest dinner with a show.

    Altitude
    150 m (490 ft)−3,250 m
    On foot
    None, flight day
    Night in
    Hotel, Lima
    Meals
    Breakfast

What's included

  • Lima
  • 4 transfers (arrival and departure) and a city tour
  • 3 hotel nights with breakfast.
  • Cusco
  • 2 transfers (arrival and departure) and a city tour including the surrounding ruins
  • Excursion to Machu Picchu with lunch included
  • 2 hotel nights with breakfast included.

Not included

  • Entry tickets
  • International and domestic airfares, visa fees, airport taxes and insurance of any kind
  • Main meals during the tour
  • Transport of luggage of any kind during hiking
  • Personal expenses such as drinks, room service, laundry, telephone calls at hotels and tips.
  • Train tickets
  • Any additional expenses caused by, or liability for, disruption to the programme due to circumstances such as weather conditions, sickness, natural disasters or riots.
  • Liability for, or insurance against, injury, loss of life, accidents or loss of goods.
  • Camera fees.
  • Personal equipment such as sleeping bags, walking sticks, shoes and crampons.
  • Any other expenses incurred due to bad weather, road closures, landslides and so on, and anything not listed as included.

Reviews

Exceptional5.0 out of 5Reviews from Tripadvisor
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Showing 10 reviews from 901 on Tripadvisor

Amazing Company

November 2017, Tripadvisor

We were familiar with Earthbound Expeditions as the company that we used last time our of New Zealand uses Earthbound as their local company. We decided to book directly through Earthbound this time and must say we are extremely with their care and attention and professionalism. The owner Rajan is hands on and personally does the arranging of tours himself. On site he is also at the front for dealing with clients and does an amazing job. The tea houses we stayed in were the best and our guide and porters were top notch. We had some problems with health in the mountains and had to be evacuated and Earthbound saw to making it as easy and stress free an event as possible. Follow up in Kathmandu during hospitalization and recovery at the Thamel Eco Resort was beyond expectation and we cannot recommend this comany enough or sing accolades loud enough. You will be taken care of from the time your feet hit Nepal until the time you return. Thank you Rajan and staff for making this adventure unforgettable in a very very good way!

Susan WCharlottetown, CanadaRead on Tripadvisor

Amazing Company

November 2017, Tripadvisor

We were familiar with Earthbound Expeditions as the company that we used last time our of New Zealand uses Earthbound as their local company. We decided to book directly through Earthbound this time and must say we are extremely with their care and attention and professionalism. The owner Rajan is hands on and personally does the arranging of tours himself. On site he is also at the front for dealing with clients and does an amazing job. The tea houses we stayed in were the best and our guide and porters were top notch. We had some problems with health in the mountains and had to be evacuated and Earthbound saw to making it as easy and stress free an event as possible. Follow up in Kathmandu during hospitalization and recovery at the Thamel Eco Resort was beyond expectation and we cannot recommend this comany enough or sing accolades loud enough. You will be taken care of from the time your feet hit Nepal until the time you return. Thank you Rajan and staff for making this adventure unforgettable in a very very good way!

Susan WCharlottetown, CanadaRead on Tripadvisor

Incredible trip with Earthbound

November 2017, Tripadvisor

I recently organised a solo trip to Nepal with Earthbound Expeditions (Kathmandu, white water rafting, hiking Annapurna and Chitwan). Earthbound were great to deal with, they tailored the trip perfectly to what I was interested in and were really flexible with any changes I made. Rajan was great at answering any queries I had quickly both from the uk and when I was in Nepal. Everything was perfectly arranged-accommodation provided was to a high standard and all transport and activities took place when expected. The guides Earthbound use were the best I came across. Most guides claim to speak fluent English which simply wasn’t true most of the time. The Earthbound team speak perfect English, were so attentive and went out of their way to make sure my trip was great. Most people I met along the way mentioned how jealous they were at how good our guides were! I cannot recommend this company enough to people considering a trip to Nepal.

Voyager741322Read on Tripadvisor

Incredible trip with Earthbound

November 2017, Tripadvisor

I recently organised a solo trip to Nepal with Earthbound Expeditions (Kathmandu, white water rafting, hiking Annapurna and Chitwan). Earthbound were great to deal with, they tailored the trip perfectly to what I was interested in and were really flexible with any changes I made. Rajan was great at answering any queries I had quickly both from the uk and when I was in Nepal. Everything was perfectly arranged-accommodation provided was to a high standard and all transport and activities took place when expected. The guides Earthbound use were the best I came across. Most guides claim to speak fluent English which simply wasn’t true most of the time. The Earthbound team speak perfect English, were so attentive and went out of their way to make sure my trip was great. Most people I met along the way mentioned how jealous they were at how good our guides were! I cannot recommend this company enough to people considering a trip to Nepal.

Voyager741322Read on Tripadvisor

Another amazing adventure!

November 2017, Tripadvisor

This is my third trip with Earthbound and it has once again been an amazing experience. I wanted to go off the beaten track and so I had my trip tailor made to suit my wishes. From the first initial plans with Badri in London to arriving at Kathmandu airport and to the final return to that airport I was always looked after my my hosts, Rajan and Kedar. My day visiting Changu Narayan, Bhaktapur and Patan was so exciting and interesting made so by Resham Raz who is very knowledgeable and passionate about his country. I stayed in the Thamel Eco Resort, Pokhara Eco Resort and Himashu Homestay (see other reviews) and was looked after and made to feel very welcome, part of the family. During my 10 day trek, starting in Pokhara and ending in Muktinath, I was led by my guide Narayan who took great care to make sure that I trekked safely and our food and accommodation was good and we had some exciting and funny experiences together! The experience of being so close to some of the world’s greatest mountains will stay with me forever. I can only once again thank Rajan and his excellent team of guides and employees for making this possible. I am now planning my next adventure with them!

LavaLuluLeicester, United KingdomRead on Tripadvisor

Another amazing adventure!

November 2017, Tripadvisor

This is my third trip with Earthbound and it has once again been an amazing experience. I wanted to go off the beaten track and so I had my trip tailor made to suit my wishes. From the first initial plans with Badri in London to arriving at Kathmandu airport and to the final return to that airport I was always looked after my my hosts, Rajan and Kedar. My day visiting Changu Narayan, Bhaktapur and Patan was so exciting and interesting made so by Resham Raz who is very knowledgeable and passionate about his country. I stayed in the Thamel Eco Resort, Pokhara Eco Resort and Himashu Homestay (see other reviews) and was looked after and made to feel very welcome, part of the family. During my 10 day trek, starting in Pokhara and ending in Muktinath, I was led by my guide Narayan who took great care to make sure that I trekked safely and our food and accommodation was good and we had some exciting and funny experiences together! The experience of being so close to some of the world’s greatest mountains will stay with me forever. I can only once again thank Rajan and his excellent team of guides and employees for making this possible. I am now planning my next adventure with them!

LavaLuluLeicester, United KingdomRead on Tripadvisor

Mansarovar & Mt.Kailash Parikrama

September 2017, Tripadvisor

I recently complete the 15-daytrip. All I can say is the trip and trekking experience were beyond par, thanks to earthbound expeditions. They were simply amazing. From the moment we arrived at the airport in Kathmandu, a team member was waiting to transport us to our hotel. The accommodation the whole way up the mountain and back was great and the food was also great everywhere we stayed and we were able to make menu changes if we need. Our guides Kedar, Arjun and our cook Gopal, were all great and friendly and helpful the entire way. They stayed close to everyone and made sure we were well taken care of physically and mentally Overall the experience we had trekking and horse riding to Mt. Kailash was exceptional from start to finish. I intend to return to go back to Mansarovar with my husband to island peak and I will definitely be doing it through earthbound when I return. If you are considering a trip to Everest base camp use them, I would highly recommend them.

DI1680Harrodsburg, KentuckyRead on Tripadvisor

Mansarovar & Mt.Kailash Parikrama

September 2017, Tripadvisor

I recently complete the 15-daytrip. All I can say is the trip and trekking experience were beyond par, thanks to earthbound expeditions. They were simply amazing. From the moment we arrived at the airport in Kathmandu, a team member was waiting to transport us to our hotel. The accommodation the whole way up the mountain and back was great and the food was also great everywhere we stayed and we were able to make menu changes if we need. Our guides Kedar, Arjun and our cook Gopal, were all great and friendly and helpful the entire way. They stayed close to everyone and made sure we were well taken care of physically and mentally Overall the experience we had trekking and horse riding to Mt. Kailash was exceptional from start to finish. I intend to return to go back to Mansarovar with my husband to island peak and I will definitely be doing it through earthbound when I return. If you are considering a trip to Everest base camp use them, I would highly recommend them.

DI1680Harrodsburg, KentuckyRead on Tripadvisor

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