Full Itinerary of the Peru Tour 8 Days

Eight days, one direction: Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, the road to Puno and two days on Lake Titicaca. Here is each day with times, meals and where you sleep. Private service, extra nights and hotel upgrades are arranged on request.

Day 1: Arrival in Cusco - Afternoon City Tour

Welcome to Cusco, 3,400 m / 11,155 ft above the sea. We meet you at the airport in the morning and drive you to San Agustín Internacional or a similar 3-star hotel near the historic center. Rest, drink water and eat light; a slow first morning is the best way to meet the altitude.

Around 1:00 p.m., your guide picks you up. On foot first: the Plaza de Armas, the Inca walls of Hatun Rumiyoc street with the Twelve-Angled Stone, and Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun, whose fitted stones still hold up a colonial convent.

Then by vehicle to the sites above the city: Sacsayhuaman and its zigzag walls of giant stones, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay, where Inca fountains still run. A stop at the Cristo Blanco viewpoint if time allows, and back in the city in the early evening. Tomorrow’s chapter: the Sacred Valley.

• Meals: not included
• Tour: half day, afternoon
• Hotel: San Agustín Internacional, Cusco, or similar 3-star hotel
• Maximum altitude: about 3,700 m / 12,139 ft
• Difficulty: easy, with walking and stairs at altitude

Tips: Arrive in Cusco in the morning to join the tour; if your flight lands later, ask us about an extra night before the tour. Walk slowly, skip alcohol today, and read our guide to altitude in Cusco before you fly.

Day 2: Sacred Valley - Pisac, Moray, Maras and Train to Aguas Calientes

Pickup around 7:00 a.m. for the valley of the Urubamba River. First stop, a camelid center to see llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and guanacos up close, then a viewpoint over the whole valley.

Pisac next: terraces that climb the mountainside and a market known for textiles, ceramics and silver. Lunch at a local restaurant in Urubamba.

In the afternoon, the circular terraces of Moray, the Maras Salt Mines where families still harvest salt from thousands of pools, and Ollantaytambo, a living Inca town with water channels running down its streets.

Dinner is included tonight, in Ollantaytambo or Aguas Calientes depending on your train time. Then the Expedition train follows the river into the cloud forest, and you check in at Ferré Machu Picchu or similar. Sleep early: tomorrow you take one of the first buses up.

• Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Transport: tourist vehicle and Expedition train
• Hotel: Ferré Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, or similar 3-star hotel
• Altitude: Aguas Calientes, 2,040 m / 6,693 ft
• Difficulty: easy to moderate, with walking and stairs at the sites

Tips: Pack a small overnight bag (about 5 kg / 11 lb); train luggage is limited. Your main suitcase stays at your Cusco hotel, where you return tomorrow. More in our Sacred Valley guide.

Day 3: Machu Picchu Guided Tour - Return to Cusco

Early breakfast, then one of the first buses up the switchbacks to Machu Picchu. At the gate you show your original passport and your ticket.

You enter by the route your ticket allows; we request Circuit 2 whenever it is available. For 2 to 3 hours your guide walks you through terraces, temples, houses and water channels, and explains how and why a city was built up here. There is time for photos. If you booked Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, the hike comes after the tour, according to your entry time and your train.

Bus down, lunch on your own in Aguas Calientes, and the Expedition train to Ollantaytambo, where a private vehicle takes you to your Cusco hotel. Arrival is usually around 7:30 p.m., depending on the train.

• Meals: breakfast at the hotel
• Guided tour: 2 to 3 hours
• Altitude: 2,430 m / 7,972 ft
• Return: bus, Expedition train and private transfer to Cusco
• Hotel: San Agustín Internacional, Cusco, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: easy to moderate, with stairs and uneven stone paths

Tips: Original passport, small daypack, rain protection, sunscreen, hat, water and some cash. No large bags, drones, tripods or food inside. See our Machu Picchu rules guide.

Day 4: Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley

The earliest start and the highest point of the trip. Pickup is around 4:30 a.m.; you sleep through the first two hours of road and wake up to breakfast at a local restaurant in the mountains.

The trail to the viewpoint is about 5 km / 3.1 mi each way, 10 km / 6.2 mi in total. The climb takes 1.5 to 2 hours at a slow, steady pace, and the viewpoint sits just over 5,000 m / 16,400 ft. Walk slowly, breathe, drink and stop when you need to. Your guide carries oxygen and a first-aid kit, and each traveler gets a trekking pole.

From the top, bands of red, ochre, green and turquoise run across the ridge. When conditions are safe, you continue to the Red Valley, a quieter viewpoint where the slopes turn rust red. The descent takes about an hour, then lunch at a local restaurant and the drive back to Cusco, arriving around 5:30 p.m.

If the climb feels like too much, horses can be hired locally for part of the trail; the final section is always on foot.

• Meals: breakfast and lunch at local restaurants
• Hike: 10 km / 6.2 mi round trip, 1.5 to 2 hours up and about 1 hour down
• Maximum altitude: just over 5,000 m / 16,400 ft
• Hotel: San Agustín Internacional, Cusco, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: moderate to challenging, mainly because of the altitude

Tips: Dress in layers: warm hat, gloves and a windproof jacket for the dawn, sunglasses and sunscreen for the climb. Bring water, snacks and cash in soles for horses or restrooms. Read our Rainbow Mountain guide. If you would rather skip the hike, tell us before booking and enjoy a free day in Cusco instead.

Day 5: Cusco to Puno by Tourist Bus - The Route of the Sun

A travel day that doubles as a tour. After breakfast we take you to the tourist bus to Puno, a service made for travelers, with a guide on board and stops along the way.

The stops typically include Andahuaylillas and its painted church, often called the Sistine Chapel of the Andes; Raqchi, where the tall walls of the Temple of Wiracocha still stand; La Raya Pass at 4,335 m / 14,222 ft, the high point between the Cusco valleys and the altiplano; and the Pukara museum. Lunch is included at a restaurant along the route. The order and stops depend on the service schedule.

The afternoon crosses the altiplano, flat and wide, with herds of alpacas and a first glimpse of Lake Titicaca before you reach Puno in the early evening. We transfer you to Casa Andina Standard Puno or a similar 3-star hotel. Puno sits at 3,827 m / 12,556 ft, so keep dinner light and rest.

• Meals: breakfast and lunch
• Transport: tourist bus with guide and cultural stops, about 10 hours including stops
• Departure: morning, confirmed with your final details [TO CONFIRM]
• Hotel: Casa Andina Standard, Puno, or similar 3-star hotel
• Maximum altitude: La Raya Pass, 4,335 m / 14,222 ft
• Difficulty: easy

Tips: Your suitcase travels in the bus hold; keep a daypack with layers, water, snacks, your passport and coins for restrooms. The sun is strong at La Raya even when the air is cold. Tonight, pack a small bag for two days on the lake.

Day 6: Lake Titicaca - Uros Floating Islands and Amantaní Homestay

Pickup between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. for the port of Puno and a boat onto the highest navigable lake in the world, about 3,812 m / 12,507 ft above the sea. Your main suitcase stays at your Puno hotel, where you return tomorrow.

First, the Uros: families who live on islands they build from totora reed, layer upon layer, and keep renewing from the top. You step onto the springy ground, learn how the islands and the reed boats are made, and hear how life on the water works today. Visits are short and respectful; buying a textile or taking a reed-boat ride is your choice.

Then a longer crossing to Amantaní, a farming island with no cars and no hotels. Your host family meets the boat and walks you to their home for lunch. The rooms are simple and clean, the welcome is real, and you are a guest in a working household, not a spectator.

In the late afternoon, a slow uphill walk to the Pachatata temple, about 4,100 m / 13,450 ft, to watch the sun set over the lake. Dinner is home-cooked. On many evenings the community invites visitors to an informal gathering with music and dancing; it is the family’s invitation, not a staged show, so it is never guaranteed.

• Meals: breakfast at the hotel, lunch and dinner with your host family
• Transport: shared boat from the port of Puno
• Accommodation: family homestay on Amantaní Island, basic and clean
• Altitude: 3,812 m / 12,507 ft at the lake, about 4,100 m / 13,450 ft at the temple
• Difficulty: easy to moderate, with an uphill walk at altitude

Tips: Nights are cold and the house has no heating: bring warm layers to sleep in, a headlamp, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, a power bank and cash in soles. A small practical gift for the family, such as fruit or school supplies, is welcome but optional. More in our Lake Titicaca guide.

Day 7: Amantaní - Taquile Island - Return to Puno

Breakfast with your host family and a goodbye at the dock, then a short crossing to Taquile, a quiet island with no cars, where men knit and women weave in a tradition recognized by UNESCO.

A steady uphill walk brings you from the dock to the main square, with terraces on one side and deep blue water on the other. Your guide explains how the island runs its own tourism and how the textiles tell who is single, married or in charge. Lunch at a local restaurant by the lake.

The boat back reaches Puno around 3:30 p.m. Check in again at Casa Andina Standard Puno or similar, and enjoy a free evening to rest.

• Meals: breakfast with your host family and lunch on Taquile
• Transport: shared boat
• Hotel: Casa Andina Standard, Puno, or similar 3-star hotel
• Altitude: 3,812 m / 12,507 ft, with an uphill walk on Taquile
• Difficulty: easy to moderate

Tips: The sun on the water is intense: hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, plus a windproof layer for the boat. Bring soles for crafts, and ask before you photograph people.

Day 8: Puno - Transfer to Juliaca Airport

Breakfast at the hotel, then a private transfer to Juliaca airport, about an hour from Puno, where the TreXperience service ends. The flight to Lima is not included; choose one with time for the transfer, check-in and possible delays, and send us your flight details so we can confirm your pickup.

• Meals: breakfast at the hotel
• Transfer: private, from your hotel to Juliaca airport

Not ready to stop? Continue to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, or cross into Bolivia by way of Copacabana. Write to us and we suggest the best order for your dates.

Peru Tour 8 Days Price and Booking

Prices are per person in US dollars. They include the 3-star hotels (San Agustín Internacional, Ferré Machu Picchu, Casa Andina Standard Puno, or similar), the family homestay on Amantaní, all listed tours and tickets, local guides, ground transport, the Expedition train, the Machu Picchu buses, the tourist bus to Puno and the Lake Titicaca boats. Flights into Cusco and out of Juliaca are not included. All services are subject to availability.

Small-Group Tour Price

Private Tour Price

Your own guide and vehicle, your own pace, your own timing. Good for families, couples and groups. Prices depend on group size and availability.

Note: Private service covers selected parts of the itinerary; we confirm which when you book. The trains, the Machu Picchu buses, the tourist bus to Puno and the Lake Titicaca boats are shared services.

Booking and Payment

• Deposit: US$800 per person. It secures your Machu Picchu ticket, train seats and hotels. Pay the balance online or at our Cusco office by card, PayPal or wire transfer.
• We need each traveler’s full name as on the passport, passport number, date of birth, passport expiry and nationality. Machu Picchu tickets are issued in your name and can’t be transferred.
• Tell us about dietary needs, pregnancy, or any heart, lung, knee or mobility concern, so we can plan the Rainbow Mountain day and the island walks safely or suggest an alternative.
• Tell us why you’re traveling too: a milestone birthday, a trip with your parents, a long-postponed dream. It helps us prepare.
• Cancellation and change rules: see our Terms and Conditions.

Student and Child Discount

• US$30 off per person

For travelers under 17 and students under 25 with a valid university ID showing name, photo, university and expiry date. ISIC cards are not accepted. Child discounts apply automatically; students send a copy of their ID when booking. If the ID is not accepted, the adult rate applies.

Customization and Upgrades

• Private service for selected parts of the itinerary.
• Hotel upgrade to selected 4-star or 5-star hotels.
• Train upgrade to Vistadome or Vistadome Observatory, subject to availability.
• Extra nights in Cusco before the tour, in the Sacred Valley, Aguas Calientes or Puno.
• Hotel instead of the homestay: a one-day Uros and Taquile tour with a second night in Puno, subject to availability.
• Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain when tickets and the schedule allow.
• Extensions to Humantay Lake, the Colca Canyon and Arequipa, Bolivia, the Short Inca Trail or the Amazon.

Changes depend on availability and may change the price. Contact us for a quote.

Packing List for the Peru Tour 8 Days

Eight days between 2,000 and 5,000 meters, and four very different mornings: cool Cusco, the humid cloud forest at Machu Picchu, a freezing dawn at Rainbow Mountain, and wind and hard sun on Lake Titicaca. Pack layers you can add and remove, keep your passport and valuables in your daypack, and bring a small overnight bag (about 5 kg / 11 lb) that you will use twice: one night in Aguas Calientes and one night on Amantaní. More tips in our Peru Packing List.

Essentials

Original passport (needed for the train, Machu Picchu and your flights), medication, travel documents, money and insurance details. Cash in soles is useful for horses at Rainbow Mountain, crafts on the islands and small restrooms; there are no ATMs on Amantaní or Taquile.

What to Wear?

Comfortable walking shoes with grip for stone paths and the Rainbow Mountain trail. Layers for every day: a warm hat, gloves, a fleece and a windproof jacket for the 4:30 a.m. start and the boats, a light waterproof jacket for Machu Picchu, a sun hat for the altiplano, and warm clothes to sleep in on Amantaní, where the house has no heating.

What to Put in the Daypack?

Water, sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm, snacks, rain protection, camera and personal items. On the bus day, keep layers, your passport and coins for restrooms with you; your suitcase travels in the hold.

What to Pack for Aguas Calientes and Amantaní?

A change of clothes, toiletries, medication, a charger and your Machu Picchu essentials. For the homestay, add a headlamp, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, a power bank and warm sleepwear. Train luggage is limited and the islands have no porters, so leave your main suitcase at your hotel in Cusco and later in Puno; you return to the same hotel each time. See our Machu Picchu packing list.

What We Provide

The 3-star hotels (San Agustín Internacional, Ferré Machu Picchu, Casa Andina Standard Puno, or similar), the family homestay on Amantaní with bedding, all listed transport, tickets and guides, the Expedition train, the Machu Picchu buses, a trekking pole plus oxygen and a first-aid kit at Rainbow Mountain, the tourist bus to Puno and the Lake Titicaca boats.

Optional Gear and Extra Items

Reusable bottle, a buff or scarf for dust and cold, hand warmers for Rainbow Mountain and the Amantaní night, motion-sickness remedies for the boats and the mountain roads, a small padlock for your overnight bag, and a small practical gift for your host family if you wish.

Travel Information for the Peru Tour 8 Days

What to know before you book: the pace, arrival times, altitude, Cusco and Machu Picchu tickets, the Rainbow Mountain hike, the bus to Puno, the two days on Lake Titicaca and the Amantaní homestay, hotels, weather and luggage.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Peru Tour 8 Days

Quick answers about the itinerary, arrival times, altitude, Rainbow Mountain, flights, hotels, the Amantaní homestay, Machu Picchu tickets, the bus to Puno, meals and customization.