Peru Beach Vacation: Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley and Cusco 11 days

Peru Beach Vacation – Itinerary

Day 1: Lima

Begin your vacation in the capital of Peru, Lima. There will be a guide and a taxi waiting at your arrival in Lima airport to transfer you to your hotel.

Lima is a multi-ethnic and proudly holds a multi-cultural  heritage. The city offers a wide range of tourist attractions such as museums, cultural life, and colonial architecture. Lima, winner of the World Travel Awards’ prize for Best Culinary Destination in South America for the last 5 years, has some of worlds’ finest restaurants. Take advantage of your stay in Lima to discover the exclusive tastes of Peru – we’ll recommend a handful of excellent restaurants. For more information about our culinary trips, please contact us.

Meals: No meals
Accommodation: Hotel in Lima

Day 2:  Lima Cusco Sacred Valley

Fuel up on breakfast before transferring to Jorge Chavez International Airport. Catch a short flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, meet your guide and transfer, they will take you to the Sacred Valley. Due to high altitude and to make your stay more pleasant we choose to transfer you directly to the Sacred Valley. We noted that our visitors do not have so much trouble adapting to the altitude when in Sacred Valley this is because the sacred valley is just above 2800 meters sea level considered the starting point to get altitude sickness. But no worries you will have time to see and explore Cusco but not just yet!

Our first stop is Moray which was the Incas experimental agronomic center. Here are three immense holes in the ground with distinctive circular terraces along the sides. These were used to re-create 12 different micro-climates and 20 different environmental zones. Thanks to this intelligent measure the Incas were able to experiment with and develop the use of different crops. Then it’s on to Salineras. Some people describe this place as “It looks like a piece of the moon had fallen to Earth and its white remains are filled with crystalline water.” The salt mine in Salineras is more than 10 thousand square meters large and home to entire families who work there for generations. Centuries have passed, however the community members of Maras continued to work in the same way as 600 years ago, extracting the mineral that will later become commercialized.

In the afternoon we will catch the train to Machu Picchu. The train ride follows the Urubamba River and includes great views of the surrounding mountains. Along the way, the landscape dramatically changes from highlands into a deep canyon with lush rain forest.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Aguas Calientes.

Day 3: Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo

After an energetic breakfast we will get a 30 minutes transfer by bus to Machu Picchu. A complete guided tour around this magical complex is provided by your trip guide while walking along mystical temples, terraces, chambers, miradors and altars including a full information of the Temple of the Sun, the astronomical observatory and the countless of terraces.

After your 3-hour guided tour, there will be enough time to explore Machu Picchu on your own or choose to hike Montaña, Huchuy Picchu, Intipunku or Huayna Picchu (highest peak behind Machu Picchu).

After enjoyed the magic of the place, go back to Aguas Calientes and have a nice lunch. In the afternoon/early evening, we will meet at the train station. The train will take us back to Ollantaytambo.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Ollantaytambo

Day 4: The Sacred Valley – Ollantaytambo – Pisac

We start our morning walking from our hotel along the charming streets of Ollantaytambo, a unique town that keeps its urban plan from Incas time. Your guide will give you a comprehensive guided tour at the town’s impressive fortress. How did they manage to carry giant carved rocks from a specific remote mountain to Ollantaytambo is just one of many unanswered questions.  We only see the fascinating result: enormous stones fitted precisely to build temples, terraces, fountains, an astronomical calendar and much more.

Later we board the bus for the next scenic 40-minute drive along the impressive mountains and the Urubamba River on the Sacred Valley until we arrive to the mountaintop of the Pisac complex. You will be walking through ruins, tunnels and temples and explore at this Inca complex skillfully built into a steep cliff while your guide describes the history hidden behind this place. We will enjoy spectacular vistas of the mountain’s sides, stone buildings, temples, crop terraces that still is in used by local farmers.

After visiting the Pisac complex, we will head back to Pisac and visit its famous handicraft, produce and textile market. Andean people from far away gather here 2 times a week to sell and buy from Andean product such as corn, potatoes, quinoa to handicrafts products.

We boar our private bus for a last 45 minutes ride. Along the road there will be stops to enjoy panoramic views of the valley, visit a weaving center until we arrive to Cusco.

Meals: No meals

Accommodation: Hotel in Cusco

Day 5: Cusco

Today’s is easy. You will have the whole morning to rest. In the afternoon we will take you for a city tour.

The city tour in Cusco, which begins at Plaza de Armas and continues through the Temple of the Sun (QoriKancha) before finishing up outside city limits with visits to Sacsayhuaman temple; Ritual Center Q’enko as well as Puka-Pukará complex. From all these remains is worth noting that Sacsayhuaman is some of the biggest Inca Constructions.

The amazing megalithic walls of this ancient ruin rise high in the middle of a dry grassland. The giant stone blocks, some weighing up to 200 tons each and fitted together perfectly like puzzle pieces, gives an appearance that is generous yet protective at once.

Night flight to Lima.

Meals: Breakfast.

Accommodation: Hotel in Lima

Day 6: Flight to Piura

Early transfer to airport and flight to Lima and then to Piura where one of our guides will wait for you to drive for 2 hours through mountains, small villages and beaches until Mancora. Once you book into your hotel you can relax and enjoy the sun.

The turquoise waters of the northern Peruvian ocean have made Mancora one of Peru’s most attractive beach destinations. With 365 days of sunlight (Yes, 365) and temperature of 26 °C – 79 °F the northern beaches has been Peru’s best secret that now are open for tourists.

The confluence of the know warm Niño and the cool Humboldt currents attracts countless of sea wildlife such as sea turtles, humpback whales, dolphins and fresh fish. This place offer a wide selections of delicious seafood, vibrant nightlife in a perfect fascinating setting makes this place a legitimate paradise.

Day 7 – 10: Free days at Mancora Beach

Enjoy your vacation at the beach, discover the local cuisine and just relax.

We also provide a range of different extra activities you can choose from:

Boat tour (Half Day): Go on a half-day boat tour along the Pacific Ocean offering wildlife sightings, such as blue-footed boobies, sea turtles, fur seals, dolphins and more. During winter, you can spot humpback whales migrating for warmer waters.

Snorkel with turtles: Departures everyday from 7 am, finishing at 11 am. The turtle Eco adventure tour is  a unique adventure. North from Mancora the turtle tours prides itself in providing a unique style tours. This is the only opportunity to swim with the beautiful green sea turtles on South America. Once  with the proper snorkeling gear (Snorkeling gear included) jump into the water and  enjoy this magical experience. The turtles often swim close to us, before swimming away again. Be aware that touching the turtles is strictly forbidden, as this could cause them to drown. With these precautions in mind we can enjoy an unforgettable moment close to wildlife.

Horseback riding: Go riding along the mountain sides. Departure mornings and afternoons.

Mangrove national park tour (Full day) The tours starts at 8 am. Drive from hotel following the Panamericana highway via the Tumbes city to the Mangrove National reserve. We board a boat towards Puerto Pizarro, an ecosystem composed of mangroves, estuaries, and navigable channels that belongs to the Tumbes River delta. Later, you will visit wonderful island locations such as Amor (Love), La Isla Hueso (The Bone Island) and la Isla Ballena (The wale Island) that counts beautiful beaches where we will have time to relax and refresh ourselves, as well as present you to one of the most exquisite seafood dishes of the Peruvian northern part.  Continuing on with the tour we sail to other islands  to spot variety of birds, sea turtles, crocodiles and caimans, enjoying beautiful views of the mangroves and the surroundings. After the tours ends we will take you back to the the hotel at approx. 8 pm.

Day 11: Flight to Lima

Transfer from hotel, Flight to Lima and then home.

What’s included?

Meals Included: All breakfasts and 2 lunches.

Transfers: All transfers after your arrival in Peru.

Accommodation: Hotels and lodges.

Transport: Public busses, local flights, train, motor boat, private transprt.

Sacred Valley tour: Comprehensive guided tour, entrance fees, private transport and lunch.

Machu Picchu: Full guided tour, entrance fees, bus tickets Aguas Calientes -Machu Picchu Aguas Calientes, train tickets Cusco – Aguas Calientes – Cusco.

Beach tour: Hotel resort, all breakfast, transfer in an out.

Group leader: We provide a guide who will assist you in each city of the trip who will provide information and tips during your Peru Adventure tour.

What’s not included?

Hotels and meals when passengers want to stay at the hotels, instead of continuing on with the trips.

The extra activities at Mancora Beach are not included in the price and cost an extra fee. Please contact us for more info.

What to bring

Travel documents: travel insurance certificate, flight tickets, passport, visas (with photocopies).

Lightweight long trousers, shorts, thermal/fleece top, bathing suit, T-shirts, sandals, sports shoes, sunglasses, watch or alarm clock.

Personal items: eco-friendly toiletries (bio-degradable – no pollutants please!), hat, sunblock, insect repellent.

Money: traveler’s cheques/cash/debit card or credit card, money belt.

Refillable water bottle and water purification pills.

First-aid kit.

Small backpack to carry personal items during the day.

For more information about this tour or any other Peru tours please read our Peru travel info.

Hotel rooms

The price for this package is arranged to accommodate 2 people in a hotel room. If you desire to have your own private room, extra charges will be applied to the standard price.

Hotels, hostels and lodges are carefully selected according to the best hotels reviews in TripAdvisor, usually 4 and 5 points hotels.

These are the hotels that we will use for your vacation:

• Lima: Andesmar hotel 3 stars – Double suite.
• Cusco: Andariego hotel 3 stars – Queen double bedroom.
• MachuPicchu: Gringo Bills hotel 3 stars – Superior room.
• Zorritos: Casa Andina Select 4 stars – Superior room.

Not satisfied with the hotels, upgrade to 4 or 5 stars, we have a long range of hotels from colonial to modern in almost all the arrival destinations.

Departures

Flexible departures for couples, friends or families vacation in Peru