This eight-day tour in Peru takes us to the Sacred City of Machu Picchu as well as on a Lake Titicaca islands tour. On this tour we’ll cruise across this highest of navigable lakes and visit the floating islands and the islands of Amantani and Taquile, where native ways and traditions have changed little in the past 1000 years.
On all Southern Crossings tours airport/dock transfers, domestic flights and entrances to sites are included.
Depart any day on a Lake Titicaca Islands tour and customize your Peru tour at no extra charge! We are family tour specialists.
Day 1: Arrive Lima. City tour today or upon return.
Day 2: Flight to Cuzco. Private City and ruins tour.
Day 3: Private Machu Picchu tour.
Day 4: Journey to Lake Titicaca, visiting Raqchi ruins, Andahuaylillas church and the Pukara Museum in route.
Day 5-6: Lake Titicaca islands tour. Floating Islands and islands of Taquile and Amantani.
Day 7: Flight to Lima and city tour today if not on day 1.
Day 8: Departure day.
What’s included in the trip
- Private airport pickup at the beginning of trip and drop off at end of the trip.
- Southern Crossings bilingual guides.
- All other internal transport excluding transport to optional restaurants, bars, sights and excursions.
- Domestic flights – Lima-Cusco, Lake Titicaca-Lima
- Six nights of 3 star hotel accommodation, one night family stay on Lake Titicaca.
- Breakfast included with all hotel stays.
- Private Machu Picchu excursion including bilingual guide, round trip Vistadome or Executive train fare, transportation to/from ruins/Aguas Calientes, and entrance to the Machu Picchu sanctuary.
- Private Lake Titicaca islands tour including private guide and three meals with local family.
- Guided tour between Cusco and Puno including a buffet lunch.
- Private Cusco city tour including entrance fees, private vehicle, driver and a professional guide.
- Private Lima city tour including entrance fees, private vehicle, driver and a professional guide.
- Cuzco Visitor’s Ticket which gives entrance to the major ruins, churches and museums in and around Cuzco.
- 24-hour customer support line while on tour.
What’s not included
International flight to/from Lima, pre- & post- tour accommodation, visas, vaccinations, personal insurance, meals except where specified above, drinks, laundry, souvenirs, tips while on optional excursions and other items of a personal nature. Medical travel insurance is not included through Southern Crossings, cancellation insurance is advisable.
Detailed trip itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Lima anytime today and private transfer to your hotel. If arriving during the day, your hotel will be in the neighborhood of Miraflores, with good artisan markets, green parks, beaches and restaurants. You’ll have an included city tour in the afternoon. The city tour lets you explore the wonders of the colonial capital, as you visit the famous Plaza de Armas, as well as the impressive Cathedral in the Plaza and the beautiful San Francisco Church. You also get a chance to take in some beautiful views of the coast at Parque de Amor.
Lima City Tour – Option 2: Larco Museum & Huaca Pucllana (upon request). Let us know if you would prefer this tour over the Cathedral Tour (or both for an extra fee). We could also plan a tour of the Huaca Pucllana at night if you have time in Lima. The site is lit up until midnight and looks amazing!
The Larco Museum is housed in an 18th century viceroyalty-era mansion. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, the Larco Museum is a stimulating and inspiring space in which visitors can enjoy and learn more about the fascinating history of ancient Peru. The cultures gallery provides a clear and captivating narrative account of more than 5000 years of pre-Columbian Peruvian history. Visiting the Larco Museum, with their more than 45,000 meticulously catalogued archaeological objects, is a unique experience.
The Archaeological Complex “Huaca Pucllana” was an Administrative and Ceremonial Center of the Lima Culture, a society that developed on the Peruvian Central Coast between 200 AD and 700 AD. Located in the modern district of Miraflores, the “Huaca Pucllana” was built around 500 AD. “Pucllana” is one of the most important ancient monuments in Lima. Based on the “Huaca Pucllana” architecture and found objects, it is believed that the complex was the heart of development of the “Lima Culture” and served as a ceremonial and administrative center.
If arriving late at night, you’ll be close to the airport for a bit more sleep before your next day’s flight, and you’ll have your city tour of Lima upon your return.
Day 2
A short flight brings us to the famous Inca city of Cuzco. After checking into your hotel, we set out to explore the incredible capital of the Inca Empire. We head to the picturesque Plaza de Armas and its cathedral to see the colonial influence in the city, and we can admire the stunning architecture of the church and also the native influences subtly woven in into the artwork. Onwards to Coricancha church, where the colonial and Incan architectures are on display side-by-side directly contrasted with each other. Afterwards we make our way above the city to the imposing fortress of Sacsayhuaman where we can marvel at the incredible stonework and architecture of the Inca civilization. We head back to Cuzco in the late afternoon.
Day 3
A beautiful early morning train journey across the high plain above Cusco then down the Urubamba Valley to majestic Machu Picchu. Known as one of the greatest architectural achievements in the world, this historic sanctuary is considered one of the seven man-made wonders of the world. On your private guided Machu Picchu tour, you will visit the guardhouse, main gate, agricultural zones, temple of three windows, astronomical observatory, main square, sacred rock, group of three doorways, royal enclosures, temple of the condor, fountains and tower areas. Return by train and car to Cuzco in the evening.
Day 4
This morning we head South to Puno on a guided bus tour. The trip there is beautiful, as we pass by Andean villages, herds of llama and alpaca, and high snow caps. We stop at the Inca site of Raqchi, the old colonial church at Andahuaylillas and the Pukara Culture Archaeological Museum. We arrive on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake at 12,500 feet above sea level and get to relax before your Lake Titicaca Islands tour of the lake the following day.
Day 5
Boats are the transport theme today as our Lake Titicaca islands tour begins and we head out across the water. Our first stop is the islands of Uros, completely constructed out of totora reeds and floating on the surface of the lake. We’ll take a walk across the spongy surface of these unique islands and go for a ride in a reed boat before continuing on to the island of Amantani, where we’ll spend the night with a local native family. A soccer game with the locals, an amazing sunset, and a music and dance fiesta in native garb are all on the agenda on Amantani today. Please note: our Lake Titicaca family stay is a truly authentic experience which includes being cooked for by and dining with the local family and staying in a room at their house. There is often just candlelight, no electricity, and the bathroom is an outhouse. This is a great experience which is the highlight of many people’s trip, but which can certainly be described as “basic” , “authentic” and “roughing it”. If you do not wish to spend the night on the islands, Taquile and the Floating Islands can be visited on a day trip.
Day 6
This morning we head to the island of Taquile as our Lake Titicaca islands tour continues. The native culture of Taquile is the most intact in probably all of the Andes, with its inhabitants maintaining the same customs and dress as they have for over 1000 years. Taquile Island is famous for its textile art that has been declared a UNESCO masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity. You will truly feel as though you have gone back in time as you walk the ancient stone paths of the island and observe its people. Afternoon boat ride back to Puno.
Day 7
After a morning flight to Lima, we’ll have the day free to enjoy the capital city’s many sights, including the Presidential Palace, the catacombs beneath the San Francisco church, and the National Archaeological Museum.
Day 8
Departure day. Your flight can depart anytime today. A transfer to the international airport is included.
Extra activities
Add extra activities such as river rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, climbing, surfing and free days to your custom itinerary. Ask about these options and we’d be happy to add them to your quote. If you have any special requests or interests like birding, cooking or crafting that you would like to explore please let us know!
Extra accommodation
We will gladly arrange additional accommodation for you before or after your trip.
Accommodation Upgrades
This tour includes three star hotels. We would be happy to give you an upgrade to four or five star. If you would like to select a specific hotel let us know your preference. We can then work it into your custom itinerary.
Single Person Supplement
A single supplement will be added to your quote if you are travelling alone.
Joining the tour
On all Southern Crossings tours, you are met at the airport by one of our representatives (holding a Southern Crossings placard), who will accompany you to our joining hotel. No bargaining or being swindled by airport taxis.
Is this trip for me?
Peru: Islands Express is an eight-day tour which includes a family stay on Lake Titicaca and high-altitude walks of 30-45 minutes. The rooms with the family are twin-share and clean, but also very basic, often with no electricity and always with the bathroom outside the house. It is possible to visit the Islands on a Lake Titicaca Islands tour day trip if you would prefer or to upgrade to a 4-star hotel on a different island. The trip also includes walking around ruins and during city tours. As always, a certain patience is required for the inconsistencies and occasional delays of developing-world travel.
Pre-trip planner
Required documents
All travelers to Peru are required to have a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are not required for E.U., U.S., Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport holders. For other nationalities, please consult the nearest Peruvian embassy or consulate. An onward ticket and proof of funds may also be required at entry and should be available to show to immigration. Traveler’s checks, currency, or a bank statement, from the bank or printed off the internet, are sufficient for proof of funds.
Required immunizations
No immunizations are required of travelers to these areas of Peru. Travelers may wish to receive hepatitis vaccinations and should be current on all other standard vaccinations. No areas visited on this trip are malaria or yellow fever zones. Please consult your physician or local health department for more information.
Climate
Rain is possible at any time of year, especially in high mountains and cloud forest, and one should always be prepared. The climate in sites we will visit is as follows:
Cuzco: days are warm if sunny, slightly chilly if cloudy. Nights are cold in Cuzco.
Lima: warm to hot days, cool evenings, almost never any rain.
Puno – Lake Titicaca islands tour: similar to Cuzco with stronger sun and colder nights.
Money guide
The unit of currency in Peru is the nuevo sol. Automatic cash points are available in Lima and Cuzco. Visa, MasterCard, Plus, and Cirrus are the most common usable types of cards. Traveler’s checks are difficult to cash (American Express is best, but you may be charged 5-8% to cash) or a Visa or MasterCard for cash advances are also options. Do not bring Money Grams or International Money Orders, as they are extremely difficult to exchange. Banks and exchange houses are available in Lima and Cuzco. For currency, U.S. dollars are recommended and most easily exchanged. Please note that cash must be untorn. It can be older looking, but even the slightest tear on an edge will make it unchangeable. Acceptable bills come out of the ATMs in country.
Expect to spend about US$5-12 on a meal, US$2 on a beer, water or soft drink in Peru on the Lake Titicaca Islands tour.
Artisan market prices are usually lower than people expect. Alpaca sweaters, for example, run between US$5 and $30. Currency Converter
