Peru
Ancient Wonders & Living Culture
Discover Peru
A Country Like No Other
Peru is a land of extremes. It holds 13 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more than 3,000 varieties of potato, 60% of the Amazon rainforest, and what many consider the world's greatest culinary scene — Lima alone has four restaurants in the World's 50 Best, including the current number one. From the cloud-wrapped ruins of Machu Picchu to the floating reed islands of Lake Titicaca, from the Nazca Lines etched into desert floor to the pristine jungles of Tambopata, Peru compresses a continent's worth of wonder into a single, endlessly layered country.
But the numbers only scratch the surface. Peru is Quechua grandmothers weaving textiles whose patterns encode centuries of knowledge. It is the Inca stonework of Cusco, so precisely fitted that not even a razor blade can pass between blocks. It is the taste of ceviche on a Lima afternoon, the flight of an Andean condor in Colca Canyon, and the silence of a highland lake at 3,800 metres.
At Condor Trails, Peru is personal. Our founder Aleksander was born in Jauja, a small town in Peru's Central Highlands, in the department of Junin. His parents still run tourinca.com, a travel company in the region. When we design your Peru journey, we are not drawing from guidebooks — we are drawing from a lifetime. We know which trail is empty at dawn, which family serves the best pachamanca in the Mantaro Valley, and how to find the Peru that lies beyond the postcard.
Explore the Regions
Where to Go in Peru
Eight distinct regions, each a world of its own. We design itineraries that weave them together — or let you dive deep into one.
- 4 restaurants in the World's 50 Best
- UNESCO Historic Centre & Museo Larco
- Bohemian Barranco & clifftop Miraflores
- Huaca Pucllana pyramid amid the city
- Machu Picchu — New Wonder of the World
- Ollantaytambo & Pisac living ruins
- Moray terraces & Maras salt mines
- Qorikancha, Sacsayhuaman, San Blas
- Uros floating reed islands
- Taquile — UNESCO textile heritage
- Amantani homestay experience
- Sillustani funeral towers
- UNESCO Historic Centre in white sillar stone
- Cruz del Condor — condors in flight
- Colca Canyon, twice the depth of the Grand Canyon
- El Misti volcano & hot springs
- UNESCO Nazca Lines overflight
- Ballestas Islands — sea lions & penguins
- Huacachina oasis & sandboarding
- Pisco wine route & Afro-Peruvian Chincha
- Kuelap fortress — "Machu Picchu of the North"
- Gocta Falls — one of the world's tallest
- Chan Chan — world's largest adobe city
- Huanchaco's ancient reed-boat fishermen
- Tambopata & Manu National Park
- Macaw clay licks & giant river otters
- Jungle lodges & canopy walkways
- Indigenous community visits
- Ferrocarril Central Andino — world's highest railway
- Jauja, Laguna de Paca & Mantaro Valley
- Artisan villages: weavings, silverwork, gourds
- Operated by tourinca.com — our family on the ground
Tailor-Made Journeys
Choose Your Journey
Seven curated routes to inspire your ideal Peru trip. Every itinerary can be customised to your pace, interests, and budget.
The essential first-timer route covering Peru's greatest icons — ancient citadels, Inca ruins, highland lakes, and world-class cuisine.
| Day | Location | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima | Arrive. Miraflores hotel. Afternoon Malecon walk. Dinner at La Mar or Isolina. |
| 2 | Lima | Historic Centre, San Francisco Catacombs, Huaca Pucllana. Afternoon: Museo Larco. Evening: Barranco, pisco sours. |
| 3 | Sacred Valley | Fly to Cusco. Drive to Sacred Valley for acclimatisation. Pisac market. Hotel at ~2,800 m. |
| 4 | Sacred Valley | Ollantaytambo fortress. Moray terraces and Salineras de Maras salt mines. |
| 5 | Machu Picchu | Train Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight. |
| 6 | Machu Picchu → Cusco | Sunrise entry at Machu Picchu. Guided tour. Return train to Cusco. |
| 7 | Cusco | Qorikancha, Plaza de Armas, San Blas, Sacsayhuaman. Evening San Pedro Market. |
| 8 | Cusco → Puno | Scenic bus via La Raya Pass (4,335 m). Arrive Puno, gentle orientation walk. |
| 9 | Lake Titicaca | Uros Floating Islands. Taquile Island (2.5 hr boat ride). Return Puno. |
| 10 | Puno → Lima | Morning: Sillustani funeral towers. Afternoon: fly Juliaca to Lima. Depart. |
For food lovers — Lima's world-famous restaurants, market tours, cooking classes, and Andean farm-to-table dining in the Sacred Valley.
| Day | Location | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima | Arrive. Barranco gastro tour — Merito, Isolina, or La Mar for ceviche initiation. |
| 2 | Lima | Surquillo Market tour. Cooking class: ceviche, lomo saltado, causa. Evening: Maido or Kjolle. |
| 3 | Lima | Museo Larco. Street food walking tour. Evening: Central tasting menu. |
| 4 | Sacred Valley | Fly to Cusco, drive Sacred Valley. Pisac market. Dinner at El Huacatay. |
| 5 | Sacred Valley | Andean food workshop: native tubers, quinoa, chuño. Visit a local cheesemaker. |
| 6 | Sacred Valley → Cusco | Chinchero weaving cooperative. Drive to Cusco. Dinner at Chicha by Virgilio Martinez. |
| 7 | Cusco | San Pedro Market deep dive. Pisco cocktail workshop. Dinner at Mapache. |
| 8 | Cusco → Lima | Fly to Lima. Farewell dinner at Astrid y Gaston. Depart. |
Peru’s ultimate adrenaline itinerary — sandboard desert dunes, mountain-bike ancient Inca singletrack, raft Class IV–V rapids through the Apurímac canyon, and trek to Choquequirao, the ‘other Machu Picchu’ with fewer than 50 visitors a day. Finish with Machu Picchu at sunrise.
| Day | Location | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima | Arrive. Miraflores. Evening paragliding over Costa Verde cliffs (tandem, 10-min flight, Pacific sunset views). |
| 2 | Lima → Huacachina | Drive south. Dune buggy ride + sandboarding at Huacachina (300-ft dunes). Pisco distillery visit. Overnight oasis hotel. |
| 3 | Huacachina → Cusco | Morning flight via Lima to Cusco. Afternoon acclimatisation in Sacred Valley (2,800 m). Trek briefing. |
| 4 | Sacred Valley MTB | Shuttle to 4,400 m. Mountain bike the Patacancha–Huilloc enduro trail: 1,350 m descent on Inca singletrack, rock gardens, switchbacks. Lunch at community village. |
| 5 | Sacred Valley MTB | Misminay–Moray–Maras ride: 1,200 m descent past Moray circular terraces and Salineras salt mines. Afternoon at leisure. |
| 6 | Sacred Valley → Apurímac | Transfer to Apurímac River put-in (2,000 m). Safety briefing. Afternoon paddle through Class III warm-up rapids. Camp on sandy river beach. |
| 7 | Apurímac Rafting | Full day of Class IV–V whitewater through Granite Canyon. Named rapids: Space Odyssey (IV+), Purgatory (V), The Labyrinth (V). Canyon walls rising 500 m. Camp. |
| 8 | Apurímac → Cachora | Final morning rapids including Toothache (V+). Extract from canyon. Transfer to Cachora. Trek briefing for Choquequirao. |
| 9 | Choquequirao Trek | Capuliyoc Pass (2,890 m) → descent to Playa Rosalina on the Apurímac River (1,450 m) → climb to Marampata (2,900 m). 22 km, 7–8 hours. |
| 10 | Choquequirao | Explore the ruins (3,270 m) — more archaeological area than Machu Picchu, only 30% excavated. Llama terraces, ceremonial plazas. Return to Marampata camp. |
| 11 | Choquequirao → Aguas Calientes | Trek to Cachora. Transfer to Santa Teresa. Train to Aguas Calientes. |
| 12 | Machu Picchu → Cusco → Lima | Sunrise at Machu Picchu. Guided tour. Train to Cusco. Evening flight to Lima. Farewell dinner. Depart. |
The places most tourists never see — cloud-forest citadels, towering waterfalls, the world's largest adobe city, and ancient reed-boat fishermen.
| Day | Location | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima | Arrive. Miraflores/Barranco evening orientation. |
| 2 | Trujillo | Fly to Trujillo. Historic Centre, colonial mansions, Plaza de Armas. |
| 3 | Trujillo | Chan Chan (UNESCO). Huacas del Sol y de la Luna. Sunset at Huanchaco. |
| 4 | Huanchaco | Watch caballito de totora fishermen. Optional surfing. El Brujo / Cao Museum. |
| 5 | Chachapoyas | Transfer to Chachapoyas. Colonial centre walk. |
| 6 | Gocta Falls | Full day: hike to Gocta Waterfall (771 m). Cloud forest, orchids, hummingbirds. |
| 7 | Kuelap | Cable car to Kuelap fortress. 2-hr guided tour of Chachapoyas ruins. |
| 8 | Leymebamba | Museum of Leymebamba — 219 mummies from cliff tombs. Return to Chachapoyas. |
| 9 | Chiclayo | Transfer to Chiclayo. |
| 10 | Chiclayo | Huaca Rajada — Tomb of the Lord of Sipan. Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum. |
| 11 | Paracas | Fly to Lima. Transfer south to Paracas. |
| 12 | Paracas → Lima | Ballestas Islands boat tour. Paracas National Reserve. Return Lima. Depart. |
Our signature route — the one no other operator offers. Travel by the world's highest railway to Aleksander's homeland, experience the living culture of the Mantaro Valley, and continue to Cusco and Machu Picchu.
| Day | Location | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima | Arrive. Historic Centre and Museo Larco. Evening pisco sour in Barranco. |
| 2 | Lima → Huancayo | Board the Ferrocarril Central Andino at dawn. 69 tunnels, 58 bridges, summit at Galera (4,782 m). Arrive Huancayo. |
| 3 | Mantaro Valley | Sunday Feria Dominical. Tourinca.com guided village tour: Hualhuas (weavings), San Jeronimo de Tunan (silverwork), Cochas Chico (carved gourds). |
| 4 | Jauja | Aleksander's hometown: colonial Plaza, cathedral. Boat ride on Laguna de Paca. Fresh trout lunch lakeside. |
| 5 | Tunanmarca | Tunanmarca ruins (Huanca culture). Torre Torre formations. Evening: pachamanca feast. |
| 6 | Ocopa & Tarma | Santa Rosa de Ocopa convent and library. Scenic drive to Tarma, "Pearl of the Andes." |
| 7 | Huancayo → Cusco | Transfer to Cusco (via bus/flight). Arrive late afternoon. Acclimatise. |
| 8 | Sacred Valley | Drive to Sacred Valley. Pisac ruins and market. Farm-to-table dinner. |
| 9 | Machu Picchu | Train to Aguas Calientes. Bus to Machu Picchu. Full guided tour. Return Cusco. |
| 10 | Cusco → Lima | Qorikancha, San Blas artisan quarter. Afternoon flight to Lima. Depart. |
A compact coastal road trip through wildlife reserves, desert oases, ancient geoglyphs, and the heart of Afro-Peruvian culture — all at sea level.
| Day | Location | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lima | Arrive. Barranco/Miraflores orientation. Pisco sour and ceviche. |
| 2 | Paracas | Drive south. Ballestas Islands boat tour. Sunset walk in Paracas National Reserve. |
| 3 | Paracas → Ica | Paracas Reserve full tour: red-sand beach, flamingoes. Drive to Ica via Pisco. |
| 4 | Huacachina & Ica | Tacama Winery tour. La Caravedo pisco distillery. Sunset dune buggy and sandboarding. |
| 5 | Nazca | Drive to Nazca. Overflight of the Nazca Lines (13 figures, 30 min). Optional: Chauchilla Cemetery. |
| 6 | Chincha | Drive to Chincha. Afro-Peruvian cultural immersion: Hacienda San Jose, El Carmen, local music. |
| 7 | Chincha → Lima | Morning market. Return to Lima. Farewell meal at Mayta or La Mar. Depart. |
Peru has nearly 1,900 bird species — second only to Colombia. This expedition takes you from the Andean highlands through Manu's legendary cloud forest to the Amazon lowlands, visiting macaw clay licks, the Cock-of-the-Rock lek, oxbow lakes teeming with giant otters, and finishing in the Junín highlands — Aleksander's homeland and Peru's #2 birding region. Expect 350–500+ species in 14 days.
| Day | Location | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cusco | Arrive in Cusco. Acclimatisation afternoon. Meet your expert birding guide for trip briefing. Huacarpay Lake for early endemics: Bearded Mountaineer, Rusty-fronted Canastero, Creamy-crested Spinetail. |
| 2 | Cusco → Manu Cloud Forest | Early departure via Paucartambo and Acjanaco Pass (3,600 m). Enter Manu cloud forest, birding en route. Arrive Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge (1,600 m). Hummingbird feeders, tanagers. Dusk: Swallow-tailed Nightjars. |
| 3 | Manu Cloud Forest | Pre-dawn visit to the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek — Peru's national bird in its famous courtship display. Full day birding the Manu Road: mixed-species flocks with quetzals, toucanets, and antpittas. Cloud-forest Screech Owl at dusk. |
| 4 | Manu Cloud Forest → Villa Carmen | Descend through cloud forest to foothill rainforest. Arrive Villa Carmen Biological Station (475+ species on record). Afternoon trail birding: Hoatzin, trogons, manakins. |
| 5 | Villa Carmen → Manu Lowlands | Board motorised canoe at Atalaya port. River birding along the Alto Madre de Dios: herons, kingfishers, caimans. Arrive Manu lodge by afternoon. Night walk for owls. |
| 6 | Manu Reserved Zone | Full day in the Reserve. Canoe to Cocha Salvador oxbow lake — giant river otters, Hoatzins. Canopy tower for cotingas, toucans, and raptors. 200+ species possible today. |
| 7 | Manu Reserved Zone | Pre-dawn macaw clay lick — hundreds of Red-and-Green Macaws, Blue-and-Yellow Macaws, parrots. Afternoon: forest trails for antbirds, woodcreepers, and mixed understorey flocks. |
| 8 | Manu → Puerto Maldonado | Morning birding. Boat journey downstream to Boca Colorado, then overland to Puerto Maldonado. Overnight. Trip list review with guide. |
| 9 | Tambopata | Travel upriver to Tambopata lodge. Afternoon birding: macaws, parakeets, Spangled Cotinga. Sunset: Black Caiman spotting. Night caiman walk. |
| 10 | Tambopata | Tambopata macaw clay lick (up to 11 Psittacid species). Oxbow lake excursion for Sunbittern, Sungrebe, herons. Canopy tower session. Giant Otter families. Potential Harpy Eagle nest visit. |
| 11 | Tambopata → Lima → Junín | Fly Puerto Maldonado to Lima. Connect to Junín highlands (drive or domestic connection). Evening arrival at Lake Junín area (4,080 m). Acclimatise. |
| 12 | Lake Junín | Boat ride on Lake Junín for the critically endangered, flightless Junín Grebe. Junín Rail in the reed marshes. Pampas de Junín: Andean Goose, Puna Tinamou, Vicuna herds. Guided by local community rangers. |
| 13 | Junín Highlands | Jauja — Aleksander's hometown. Laguna de Paca birding: Andean Coot, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Gull. Afternoon: Mantaro Valley artisan villages. Farewell pachamanca dinner with Canchaya family. |
| 14 | Junín → Lima | Morning birding in Mantaro Valley. Drive or train to Lima. Farewell. Depart. |
Not included: International flights, travel insurance, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, tips for guides and lodge staff.
Group size: 2–8 participants. Private departures available.
Physical level: Moderate. Trails are generally easy to moderate. Some early mornings (pre-dawn starts). Altitude up to 4,080 m at Lake Junín (acclimatisation day built in).
Essential Information
Before You Go
Everything you need to know to travel Peru with confidence.
No visa required for US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, or EU citizens. Stay up to 183 days. Passport must be valid for 6 months beyond entry. An immigration officer stamps your permitted stay on arrival.
Key tip: Arrive in the Sacred Valley (~2,800 m) before Cusco (3,400 m). Drink coca tea, hydrate constantly, and rest on arrival. Acetazolamide (Diamox) is available by prescription. Cusco and Puno are the highest-risk points for altitude sickness.
Peruvian Sol (PEN) — approximately S/3.7 = 1 USD. ATMs are widely available in cities. US dollars are accepted at most tourist venues. Credit cards work in cities; carry cash for markets and rural areas.
Yellow fever vaccine recommended for Amazon travel. Altitude medication (acetazolamide) is helpful for Cusco/Puno. Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines recommended. Travel insurance with emergency evacuation is essential.
Lima (LIM) is the gateway. Direct flights from London (~10 hrs), New York (~8 hrs), and Los Angeles (~9 hrs). Dublin connects via Madrid, Amsterdam, or US hubs. All itineraries begin and end in Lima.
The Difference
Why Condor Trails for Peru
We are not a booking platform. We are Peruvian — and this is personal.
Born in Peru
Aleksander is from Jauja, Junin. Quechua heritage. Not a tour operator who read about Peru — he grew up there.
Family on the Ground
His parents run tourinca.com in Peru. Real people, real connections — not a faceless partner network.
Bilingual Guides
Every guide speaks fluent English and Spanish. Born or long-resident in their regions — not bus-tour guides based in Lima.
Tailor-Made
No two trips are the same. Every itinerary is custom-built around your interests, pace, and budget — from $800 to $15,000+.
Start Here
Ready to Discover Peru?
Tell us about your dream trip and we will get back to you within 24 hours with a personalised proposal — built by someone who was born there.