Enchanting Peru with Nazca Lines & Ballestas Islands

Note: Flights may not be available on all departures.

You can find more details on the Before You Depart page.

Welcome to Lima, the capital city of Peru. This afternoon, we'll start our guided tour of the modern side of Lima, visiting the districts of San Isidro and Miraflores which feature modern architecture, shopping centers, and beautiful parks overlooking the ocean like "El Olivar" and "Parque del Amor". We'll drive through Lima's downtown where we can see several colonial buildings and monuments. In the historical center, admire the colorful colonial architecture around Plaza San Martín and the Plaza de Armas where we can also see the Government Palace, Cathedral, and Municipality. We'll visit the San Francisco Monastery, and explore its underground maze of tunnels and catacombs. We'll end our day at the Larco Museum where we can appreciate a collection of pre-Columbian ceramics, textiles, gold, and silver pieces totaling over 45,000 artifacts. This evening, we'll enjoy a variety of regional dishes at the Café Del Museo in the museum's lovely terraced garden filled with colorful flowers.

After breakfast this morning, we'll fly to Cusco and then travel by bus onward to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Along the way, we'll enjoy a buffet lunch at Princesita Restaurant. In the restaurant's gardens, we'll experience a Shaman ceremony, introducing us to the ancient rituals of Peru. During the ceremony, the shaman will thank Pachamama, or Mother Earth, and welcome us to Cusco. After lunch, we'll continue through the Sacred Valley to Awanakancha, a weaving center that still uses ancient weaving techniques and traditions. Here, we'll also see the four camels of South America - llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos. We'll also learn more about how natural plants are used to dye the precious wool of these animals. Next, we'll check in at our hotel and enjoy some free time before we gather together for dinner at our hotel.

On today’s full-day excursion, we'll visit the world-renowned and colorful Indian market in Pisac where many beautiful crafts are traded. Later, we'll travel through the lush valley to Ollantaytambo and explore the splendid ruins of this massive ancient fortress. The village below is a fine example of the Incas incredible urban planning skills. This evening we'll enjoy dinner together at the hotel.

Embark today on an expedition to Machu Picchu. We'll travel by train through the lush Urubamba Valley passing along stunning scenery. We arrive in Aguas Calientes where we'll take a bus up the steep mountain to “the Lost City Of the Incas”. The beauty of its location and the genius construction make Machu Picchu travel the jewel of all Inca settlements and is theorized to have been an observatory. To this day nobody can explain how the Incas managed to transport the huge blocks of limestone for the city’s construction onto the mountaintop. Our expert guide will lead us through the ruins and share the amazing story of Machu Picchu. We'll have some free time to further discover the mystical ruins and absorb the beauty of this enchanting site. Later, we re-board the train to the Sacred Valley and from there, journey to magical Cusco by bus.

Cusco is a vibrant town, dotted with archaeological sites. This morning we'll enjoy a guided walking tour visiting the city's most important Incan and Colonial landmarks. We'll visit Qoricancha, the Incan temple of the sun which later served as the foundation for the Catholic monastery of Santo Domingo. Next, we'll visit the cathedral, considered the best repository of colonial art from the Cusco school. The cathedral was built over the palace of the Inca Wiracocha, which was considered the religious and political center of Cusco during the Inca era. We'll also walk through the Incan street of Loreto, which perfectly showcases Cusco's old town and remarkable Inca walls. This afternoon is free to explore Cusco independently! Consider a visit to the amazing ruins of Sacsayhuaman, an Inca architectural masterpiece with fabulous views of the city below.

Today is free to explore this magical city independently! Cusco has so much to offer from incredible museums like Museo de Arte Pre-Colombino (MAP) and the Museo Inka, or spend the day exploring local markets or the picturesque San Blas district! We may also consider joining an optional tour Moray with its unique circular agricultural terraces and the Maras salt ponds or a visit to the chocolate museum!

After breakfast this morning, we'll travel by bus through the Peruvian highlands along snow-covered peaks before we descend down to Puno located on the edge of Lake Titicaca. En route, we'll visit the colonial church of Andahuaylillas, nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of the Americas, with its lovely simple exterior and beautifully ornate interior.

Today we'll discover the uniqueness of the Uros, islands that literally float on Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake. We'll meet resident families dressed in traditional and colorful outfits who welcome us and show us their homes, boats, and islands made of totora reed. Every year, they replenish the islands with a new layer of reed and continue to maintain the Aymara language and other traditional ways of living. Next, we'll take a boat ride to the island of Taquile. Be amazed by this matchless island with elaborate pre-Inca terraces, unpaved roads where there are no cars, no electricity nor pollution. Learn about the people’s unchanged lifestyles for thousands of years and their unique traditions based on community collectivism. On the island, men are taught to knit and women weave and yarn, blending these crafts into their unique social arrangements.

After breakfast, we'll visit a local house where we'll learn how a local family works their fields and more about their daily life and customs. After our visit, we'll continue to Juliaca airport for our flight back to Lima. This evening, we'll enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

Early this morning we'll travel south by bus to Paracas, a coastal village renowned for its climate, beautiful beaches, and rich marine wildlife and ecosystems. We'll travel to the Pisco airport where we'll board an aircraft and fly over the mysterious Nazca Lines. Located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain, these pre-Columbian geoglyphs were scratched onto the surface of the ground between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D. and are among archaeology's greatest enigmas thanks to their size, nature, quantity, and continuity. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a series of complex designs with some designs up to 300 meters long.

This morning, we'll board a speedboat to Ballestas Islands. On our way out to the Pacific Ocean, we'll pass by the National Reserve of Paracas and during a short photo stop, we'll be able to take photos of the "El Candelabro" figure etched into the side of a hill. Once we reach the islands, we'll have a chance to see animals in their natural environment from our boat. There are thousands of different birds like cormorants, pelicans, and penguins plus other animals like sea lions. This afternoon, we'll travel back to Lima.

Note: The Ballestas Islands are protected and not to be walked on. We will not leave the boat during this excursion but will get close enough to take photos of the animals.

Our tour comes to an end after breakfast today. Travelers who purchased our air-inclusive package will travel to the airport for our return flight to the U.S. filled with memories of our Peruvian adventure!

Book flights with ease with our partner, Exito Travel, to enjoy flexible flight options to and from our tour!

You can find more details on the Before You Depart page.

¡Bienvenidos a Lima! This afternoon, our guided tour begins in San Isidro and Miraflores which feature modern architecture, shopping centers, and beautiful parks overlooking the ocean like "El Olivar" and Parque del Amor". We'll continue to the heart of the city, passing colonial buildings and monuments until we reach the historical center. Here, we'll admire the colorful colonial architecture of Plaza San Martín and the Plaza de Armas, seeing the Government Palace, Cathedral, and Municipality. We'll explore San Francisco Monastery's underground maze of tunnels and catacombs, then view some of the pre-Columbian ceramics, textiles, gold, and silver pieces that make up Larco Museum's 45,000+ artifacts! This evening, we'll taste a variety of regional dishes at the Café Del Museo in the museum's lovely terraced garden filled with colorful flowers.

This morning we'll fly to Cusco, then drive onward to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Along the way, we'll enjoy a buffet lunch at Princesita Restaurant and experience a Shaman ceremony in the restaurant gardens, introducing us to the ancient rituals of Peru. During the ceremony, our shaman will thank Pachamama, or Mother Earth, and welcome us to Cusco. We'll continue to Awanakancha, a weaving center that still uses ancient weaving techniques. We'll also see the four camels of South America - llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos, and learn how natural plants are used to dye the wool. Later, we'll check into our hotel and enjoy some free time before dinner together.

On today’s full-day excursion, we'll visit the world-renowned and colorful Indian market in Pisac where many beautiful crafts are traded. Later, we'll travel through the lush valley to Ollantaytambo and explore the splendid ruins of this massive ancient fortress. The village below is a fine example of the Incas incredible urban planning skills. This evening we'll enjoy dinner together at the hotel.

Today's expedition to Machu Picchu begins with a train through the lush Urubamba Valley. We'll arrive in Aguas Calientes where we'll drive up the steep mountain to "the Lost City of the Incas". The beauty of its location and the genius construction make Machu Picchu the jewel of all Inca settlements. Theorized to have been an observatory, no one can explain how the Incas managed to transport the huge blocks of limestone used for the city's construction onto the mountaintop. After our expert guide shares the amazing stories and sites of Machu Picchu, we'll have some free time to explore further. Later, we'll take the train back to the Sacred Valley, then continue onward to Cusco by bus.

Today's guided tour takes us back in history to both Incan and colonial Cusco. We'll visit Qoricancha, the Incan Temple of the Sun, and how the temple later served as the foundation for the Catholic monastery or Santo Domingo. Similarly, we'll see the cathedral which was built over the palace of the Inca Wiracocha, which was considered the religious and political center of Cusco during the Inca era. Today, the cathedral is the best repository of colonial art from the Cusco school. We'll walk along the Incan street of Loreto which showcases Cusco's old town and remarkable Inca Walls before enjoying free time to explore this vibrant town independently. We might consider a visit to the amazing ruins of Sacsayhuaman, an Incan architectural masterpiece with lovely views of the city below.

Today is free to explore this magical city independently! Cusco has so much to offer from incredible museums like Museo de Arte Pre-Colombino (MAP) and the Museo Inka, or spend the day exploring local markets or the picturesque San Blas district! We may also consider joining an optional tour Moray with its unique circular agricultural terraces and the Maras salt ponds or a visit to the chocolate museum!

After breakfast this morning, we'll travel by bus through the Peruvian highlands along snow-covered peaks before we descend down to Puno located on the edge of Lake Titicaca. En route, we'll visit the colonial church of Andahuaylillas, nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of the Americas, with its lovely simple exterior and beautifully ornate interior.

Today we'll discover the unique Uros Islands, which float on Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake. We'll meet resident families dressed in traditional and colorful outfits who welcome us and show us their homes, boats, and the islands made of totora reed. Each year, they replenish the islands with a new layer of reed adn continue to maintain the Aymara language and other traditional ways of life. Next, our boat ride takes us to Taquile where we'll be amazed y this matchless island filled with elaborate pre-Inca terraces, unpaved roads, no electricity, nor pollution. We'll learn about the lifestyles here that have been unchanged for thousands of years and the unique traditions based on community collectivism. Here, men are taught to knit and women weave and yarn, blending these crafts and their unique social arrangements together.

After breakfast, we'll visit a local house where we'll learn how a local family works their fields and more about their daily life and customs. After our visit, we'll continue to Juliaca airport for our flight back to Lima. This evening, we'll enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

Early this morning we'll travel south by bus* to Paracas, a coastal village renowned for its climate, beautiful beaches, and rich marine wildlife and ecosystems. After we check into our hotel, we have the rest of the day at leisure to relax or enjoy our hotel's amenities.

*Small groups under 10 will utilize a public motorcoach escorted by an English-speaking host.

This morning, we'll board our aircraft at Pisco airport and fly over the mysterious Nazca Lines. Located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain, these pre-Columbian geoglyphs were scratched onto the surface of the ground between 500 BC and 500 AD and are among archeology's greatist enigmas thanks to their size, nature, quantity, and continuity. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is made up of a series of complex designs with some designs up to 300 meters long.

This morning, we'll board a speedboat bound for Ballestas Islands. On our way out to the Pacific Ocean, we'll pass by the National Reserve of Paracas and during a short photo stop, we'll be able to take photos of the "El Candelabro" figure etched into the side of a hill. Once we reach the islands, we'll have a chance to see animals in their natural environment from our boat. There are thousands of different birds like cormorants, pelicans, and penguins plus other animals like sea lions. This afternoon, we'll travel back to Lima.

Note: The Ballestas Islands are protected and not to be walked on. We will not leave the boat during this excursion but will get close enough to take photos of the animals.

After breakfast, our journey through enchanting Peru comes to an end.