Explore Peru, your way.

Create your own exclusive Intrepid trip to Peru, with our team of travel experts by your side every step of the way. Whether it's finding the best food in Lima, uncovering the history of Cusco, or discovering the best way to explore the wild Amazon jungle and soaring Andes mountains, our immersive trips enable you to explore authentic local culture in a sustainable, experience-rich way. From when you travel, to who with, this is Peru your way. 

Build your dream trip

What is an Intrepid Tailor-Made Experience?

Fully custom or
ready-made itineraries 

Your own personalised journey or adapt one of our
pre-designed trips.

Destination
specialists

Access the expert local destination knowledge of our travel experts, with support until the end of your trip.

Flexible booking
& departures

Our dates or yours – you choose when and where you’d like to begin your trip.

Choose your leader level​

Create an adventure that suits you – from local guides along the way to escorted by a local leader from start to finish.

Choose your style of accommodation

No matter your style, we'll always seek out unique places with great character, location, and comfort.

Choice of inclusions

Number of meals, public or private transport, number of activities, the choice is yours.

Tailor-Made Peru highlights

Travellers eating street food in Lima

Lima

Become a Peruvian snack expert as you explore the streets of Barranco, tasting your way through local life and food.

View of food at Manos Unidas

Cusco

Get the chance to see the difference that your travel can make by visiting two social projects that support marginalised groups in the community.

Traveller trying on traditional clothes in the Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley

Explore the Inca ruins of the Sacred Valley, then practice your Quechua before a typical lunch with a local community in the valley.

Travellers looking over the ruins of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Learn the secrets of the hidden city of the Incas on a guided tour of Peru's greatest ruins.

Travellers walking the Amazon Jungle

Amazon Jungle

Stay in a hidden lodge and explore the depths of the jungle by boat, tree-top walk and trail as you seek out the countless wildlife.

Tailor-Made Peru feature stays

Villa Barranco Exterior

Villa Barranco

El Mercado Hotel room view

El Mercado Hotel

El Mapi Hotel facade

El Mapi Hotel

Hacienda Concepcion Lodge main house

Hacienda Concepcion Lodge

Tailor-Made Peru itinerary inspiration

12 Days: Lima to Lima

This trip gives you a starting point for what your Tailor-Made trip to Peru could look like. Treat it as inspiration, as each trip is created uniquely for you.

Welcome to Lima, known as the ‘City of Kings’. On arrival, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your centrally located accommodation. After some time to freshen up, your guide will meet you in reception and welcome you to the city over a complimentary refreshment. Now is the time to ask any questions or ask for any local recommendations – your guide will be more than happy to assist you while they brief you on the days ahead. This evening is free for you to relax or explore – your guide will have all the best suggestions for dinner.

Accommodation: Villa Barranco

 

Inclusions

  • Arrival transfer in Lima
  • Welcome meeting at the hotel with local guide

Optional Activities

  • Half day city tour of Lima - US64 per person (based on two people participating)

This morning is free to spend as you like. You might enjoy wandering around the nearby neighbourhood of Miraflores or visiting Parque del Amor (Love's Park), where you can enjoy a view across Lima's beaches. In the afternoon, take a walking tour around the bohemian district of Barranco with your local guide. Here the streets are lined with traditional casonas (colonial-style houses) and the homes of vibrant artists, musicians, and writers. Get off the well-known paths as you taste your way through local life and cuisine with a street food tour. Explore a lively area that’s well-known for the restaurants serving up local delights like anticuchos (beef hearts), picarones (small donuts), organic ice cream and more traditional Limeñan food – you’ll soon become a Peruvian snack expert. The cherry on top is the final stop in a local bar, where you can try traditional draft beer at a typical bar, dating back to 1937. The rest of the evening is free to enjoy as you wish – there is often live music or interesting Limeños to chat with.

Accommodation: Villa Barranco

Meals included: Breakfast

Inclusions

  • Walking tour around the district of Barranco including street food tour with private local guide

Optional Activities

  • Half day visit to Larco museum - US69 per person (based on two people participating)
  • Half day visit to Pachacamac ruins - US77 per person (based on two people participating)

After breakfast, you’ll head to the airport and catch a flight to the once Imperial city of Cusco. Meet your local guide at the airport and transfer to your accommodation. It’s no surprise that the city is a traveller favourite. The signs of the Inca Empire are all around you if you look closely, like the tapering Inca stonework that provided the foundations for many of Cusco’s colonial and modern buildings. The city is the continent's oldest continuously inhabited city, home of the Inca Empire for two centuries before the Spanish built their first capital here. Today Cusco is a fascinating combination of both cultures, and you can choose to take it easy and acclimatise to the city's 3,450-metre high (11,150 ft) altitude, or get out and begin to explore the many Baroque churches and ancient temples that dot the city. In the afternoon, you’ll learn more about Peruvians (and Peruvian food!) with a cooking class that will teach you to prepare traditional recipes handed down over generations. On the way to a beautiful cooking studio, stop at a local market to discover some Peruvian treasures (food – the best kind of treasure). Explore a huge variety of fruits, vegetables, and fiery spices, and maybe make a purchase or two. Next, head to the studio where you’ll have a practical class and learn to prepare nutritious and healthy dishes using iconic Peruvian ingredients, all guided by a Peruvian professional chef. Enjoy a refreshing drink and, best of all, taste what you’ve cooked as part of a four-course tasting menu.

Accommodation: El Mercado Hotel

Meals included: Breakfast, dinner

Inclusions

  • Departure transfer in Lima
  • Arrival transfer in Cusco
  • Cooking class in a private studio (in 2022 this class will be held at Nuna Raymi instead of a private studio)

Optional Activities

  • Half day walking tour around the centre of Cusco - US33 per person (based on two people participating)

Enjoy the morning to relax or continue exploring the city of Cusco at your own pace. Today also offers the chance to see the difference travel can make, beginning this afternoon with a visit to Mantay House, a social project that offers support and training to young single mothers. Learn about the work that the project does, see the skills on display with leather and floral art, and maybe even give your own talents a test with a workshop to create your own souvenir. This evening, enjoy a dinner at a cafe and pizzeria supported by Manos Unidas, an organisation that works with people with developmental and intellectual disabilities to offer them training, education and opportunities they might otherwise miss out on. It’s a great chance to enjoy a delicious dinner created and served by the students and to chat with the students about your own part of the world.

Accommodation: El Mercado Hotel

Meals included: Breakfast, dinner

Inclusions

  • Half day visit to Mantay NGO

Optional Activities

  • Half day visit to the four nearby ruins of Cusco - US51 per person (based on two people participating)

Today you’ll leave Cusco and travel to the lush Sacred Valley. Known as Wilcamayo to the Incas, the fertile valley has long been the main source of food for the high Andes. As you explore you’ll see the maize crops that surround the river and cover the terraces carved high into the valley walls. From here continue on to the ruins of Pisac, your first real chance to see and learn about different aspects of Inca culture, from fine art stone works to impressive agricultural terraces. Then drop into a community in the valley to learn about the daily life here and, if it’s a market day, take some time to browse the stalls in search of hand-painted beads or warm ponchos – maybe practising some local language, Quechua, before a typical local lunch. Say tupananchiskama (goodbye) and drive along the Urubamba River towards Ollantaytambo, an amazing example of Incan urban planning. Explore the ruins of one of the few places the Incas defeated the Spanish, and the impressive rock formation that represents the Inca god Wiracocha. The final part of today’s journey is probably the most memorable – a train ride to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu (approximately 1 hour 45 minutes). The train travels along the edge of the Urubamba River and then up to the cloud forest that marks the way to the famous sanctuary. You’ll be met in Aguas Calientes and have time to relax in your hotel after a busy day.

Accommodation: El Mapi by Inkaterra Hotel

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Inclusions

  • Full day visit to the Sacred Valley of the Incas including the ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo and a local community
  • Train tickets from Ollantaytambo town to Aguas Calientes town on INCA RAIL The Voyager service
  • Assistance at Aguas Calientes train station with local guide

Get an early start this morning and head to the Machu Picchu ruins, starting with a short bus ride up the steep, zigzagging road to the impressive Lost City of the Incas. This is one of those genuinely magical places, and your first glimpse of these ruins in the mist is something to remember. The site is perched high in the Andes, surrounded by verdant cloud forest, with the river Urubamba running through the gorge far below. Hidden away on a ridge, Machu Picchu is invisible from below, so it's no surprise it remained a secret for so many years (until 1911). Your ticket grants access to the site for 4 hours. Explore the upper terrace with your guide first, making sure to get that unforgettable picture. You’ll then take a guided tour of the ruins, learning more about these 200 or so houses and temples. It's fascinating to be able to gaze down on the city from above and imagine how it would have looked during the height of the Inca Empire. When you’ve had your fill, catch the bus back into town and enjoy some spare time to have lunch and a look around. In the afternoon, take the train back to Ollantaytambo and return to Cusco by private vehicle (approximately 2 hours).

Accommodation: El Mercado Hotel

Meals included: Breakfast

Inclusions

  • Tourist bus tickets from Aguas Calientes town to Machu Picchu ruins (round trip)
  • Visit of Machu Picchu ruins
  • Train tickets from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo on INCA RAIL The 360° Service
  • Transfer from Ollantaytambo train station to Cusco

Enjoy a free day to follow your interests and explore Cusco as you wish. Food, history, culture, whatever might take your fancy. Today is the best time to use your included “Boleto Turistico” to visit some of the numerous museums, churches and sites around the city, including the Contemporary Art Museum, Regional History Museum, Qosqo Native Art Museum and the Inca ruins of Saqsaywaman, Q'enqo and Pica Pakara. You might also explore the San Pedro market, the main square, the 12 Angled Stone, Regocijo Square, San Blas Square, or the Qoricancha temple, once the Incan empire's richest temple until the Spanish built a Dominican church on top of it. Don't miss the opportunity to sample mate de coca (coca tea) while here and, if you're feeling adventurous, why not try one of the many establishments serving up cuy, better known by the English name guinea pig.

Accommodation: El Mercado Hotel

Meals included: Breakfast

Inclusions

  • Full Boleto Turistico pass with access to 16 archaeological sites/museums

Optional Activities

  • Half day cooking class including lunch or dinner - US184 per person (based on two people participating)
  • Cusco Pisco Making Urban Adventures - US56 per person (based on two people participating)
  • Half day stand-up paddle (or kayaking) at Piuray Lake - US115 per person (based on two people participating)
  • Half day bike tour in Tiobamba and Chinchero villages - US137 per person (based on two people participating)
  • Half day visit to the salt ponds of Maras and the agricultural Inca terrace of Moray - US85 per person (based on two people participating)

In the morning, transfer to the airport to take the flight towards Puerto Maldonado, the gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. Once you arrive, begin your wilderness adventure with a 25-minute boat ride along the clay-coloured Madre de Dios River to reach a hidden jungle lodge. Settle into your stylish accommodations in the private eco-reserve, then head to the palm-thatched main dining room for a filling lunch before you begin to explore the depths of the jungle on foot, starting from the Eco Centre. Wind your way through nature trails for an immersive introduction to the intricate ecosystems of the Amazon basin, surrounded by primary and secondary rainforest teeming with exotic wildlife and tropical plants. As darkness falls, you’ll witness the memorable transformation of the rainforest from a diurnal to a nocturnal environment on a guided twilight river boat ride. Watch and listen as the animals and birds of the daytime give way to the species specially adapted to the shadows of the night. See if you can spot caiman lurking on the riverbanks and the stars of the Southern Hemisphere. In the evening enjoy a dinner that uses local Amazon ingredients for inspiration, then listen to the calls and croaks of the rainforest as you fall asleep tonight.

Accommodation: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion Lodge

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Inclusions

  • Departure transfer in Cusco
  • Arrival transfer in Puerto Maldonado
  • Conception Trails in the Amazon
  • Night walk into the Amazon

This morning you’ll visit Lake Sandoval, a glassy, u-shaped lake located inside the protected Tambopata National Reserve, one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Make your way there on a jungle trail as the sun streams through the canopy and hear stories from your guides about unexpected encounters with poison frogs and camouflaged creatures. Board a dugout wooden canoe to quietly paddle through mangroves and glide onto the water surrounded by palms. The lake is home to thousands of species of birds, the endangered giant river otter, red howler monkeys, red-bellied macaws, anacondas, side-neck turtles and black caimans. After lunch back at the lodge, take a short boat ride across the Madre de Dios River and then climb up to a series of treetop observation platforms, strung together by seven suspension bridges. This is an unforgettable chance to get a bird’s eye view of the rainforest and really get a sense of its size. Look out for white-throated toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, squirrel monkeys and the three-toed sloth. Back at ground level, follow a trail through the seasonally flooded aguajales wetlands on an elevated wooden boardwalk. Then, come nightfall, explore the rainforest on foot under the cover of darkness, feeling your senses heighten to the movements and sounds found in the undergrowth. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Accommodation: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion Lodge

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Inclusions

  • Visit to the Sandoval Lake
  • Visit to the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway

This morning learn more about the rainforest's tropical plants and their local medicinal uses by visiting the lodge’s organic bio-orchard and 30-hectare Palmetum, a collection of 19 Amazonian palms in a plot reserved for rainforest restoration and conservation. After lunch, enjoy a relaxing paddle boat ride in a dugout canoe in a nearby lagoon to enjoy the scenery and spot hoatzins, fly catchers and graynecked woodrails, perhaps with the sounds of red howler monkeys bellowing in the distance. Get close to the surprising remains of a semi-submerged steamboat in waters that also hide caiman and piranha. Using the practice of catch and release, you can even fish for piranha using a simple wooden rod like the local indigenous communities do. Make the most of your final evening here in the Amazon by visiting the nearby clay licks and watch the night routines of the attracted animals.

Accommodation: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion Lodge

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Inclusions

  • Visit to the organic bio-orchard
  • Paddle boat ride on the oxbow lake

After breakfast, farewell the Amazon and start your trip back to Puerto Maldonado city to take the flight back to Lima. On route you’ll have an amazing view of the sunrise over the Tambopata River. Once in Lima, your local guide will meet you and will transfer to your hotel located in the bohemian district of Barranco. Make the most of the final night of your trip – Barranco has some of the best restaurants in the city and a variety of top-notch bars and breweries all close to each other. Unsurprisingly, it’s also home to some of Lima’s most popular nightlife.

Accommodation: Casa Republica Boutique Hotel

Meals included: Breakfast

Inclusions

  • Transfer in Puerto Maldonado
  • Arrival transfer in Lima

Optional Activities

  • Evening tour to the Magic Water Circuit

Today is the last day of your trip. There are no more activities scheduled for today. If you need extra accommodation or an optional activity, we are happy to help organise this (subject to availability). Otherwise you will be picked up from your hotel’s foyer and transferred to the airport to take your flight.

Meals included: Breakfast

 

Inclusions

Departure transfer in Lima

 2021 prices from:
 2022 prices from:
 £ 3,105
 £ 2,830
 € 3,474
 € 3,235
 AU$ 5,862
 AU$ 4,951
 US$ 4,324
 US$ 4,304
 CA$ 5,302
 CA$ 4,973
 NZ$ 6,332
 NZ$ 5,426
 
These costs, as well as our inspirational itinerary, are subject to change and availability, and surcharges may apply over peak travel seasons. Your consultant will be able to give you more information. Price listed is per person twin share, and does not include international flights.

Interested? Get in touch below

Build your dream trip

Tailor-Made FAQs

Tailor-Made FAQs

Read more about Peru

Peru destination page