Family Luxury Adventure Travel in Peru

Hike part or all of the Inca Trail or simply marvel at the sunrise at Machu Picchu. Hike the Colca Canyon, which is twice the size of the Grand Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world. Perhaps a visit to turquoise lakes or a zip line in the Amazon Jungle is more your style? Peru is the ultimate mix of people, culture, food and adventure.

The ancient Incan culture will captivate you as you admire the engineering feats required to create the spectacular terraces, which criss-cross the highest peaks. On your Peru family vacation, you can explore the citadels and temples and sacred sites that can be found throughout the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and the outskirts of Cusco.

Exotic Food such as ceviche, Incan cola, tres leche, pisco sour, cuy (guinea pig). Peru is now a global culinary leader, with some of the best restaurants in the world.

Do you need an alpaca sweater? A warm hat with earflaps (and you certainly might in summer time in Cusco). Do you want to experience local village life? Peru is non-stop festivities and celebrations and incredible street life.

Day 1
Arrival in Lima and overnight.

Lima was once the capital of Spain’s South American empire. It is a sprawling city, with a colonial core, and beautiful seaside suburbs. You will be staying in one of these lovely areas close to the sea, packed with restaurants, cafes, museums and boutiques.

Days 2
Introduction to Peru through its food. This morning you’ll enjoy a total sensory experience as you learn the secrets of Peruvian cuisine through a visit to popular street food outlets and local restaurants with a well known local chef. 

Later, visit a private home that has been in the hands of the same noble family for hundreds of years, and learn about the colonial history of Peru.

Tonight, you have the possibility (optional) of a meal at one of the top 10 restaurants in South America. Ask us if you’d like to make a booking!

Day 3
Fly to Cuzco. A short flight will take you to the Inca heartland of mountains and green valleys. On arrival, you’ll depart Cuzco immediately for the famous Sacred Valley, where you’ll be more easily able to adapt to the high altitude.  You’ll spend 3 nights here.

Day 4
Learn about the lives of the ancient Inca, and visit some of the incredible ruins that still dot the valley. Later, take a bike ride or hike into the mountains, where a local shaman will give you a traditional blessing, and where you’ll have a traditional lunch, baked in an underground oven. After lunch, you can relax back at your hotel and explore the local town at your leisure, or enjoy kayaking or SUP on a nearby lake.

Day 5
For the more adventurous, this morning enjoy a via ferrata climbing expedition followed by a zipline adventure. Alternative activities include a mountain hike to a little visited farming area where you can meet locals and see traditional farming methods still in use, or take a horseback ride at a local ranch. 

This afternoon, visit a traditional local market and learn something of the lives of the local people.

Day 6
It’s an early wake up as you depart by train to the starting point of the final day of the world famous Inca Trail. Hike the trail up the mountain, which ends at the famous Sun Gate, entrance to the sacred city of the Inca’s, Machu Picchu. Explore the site with your guide. After the visit, continue to the nearby town of Machu Picchu village, where you will spend the night.

Day 7
Today you can either return to Machu Picchu to hike the famous Huayna Picchu Mountain, with its incredible views over the site, or go for a hike with your guide to a waterfall amidst lovely scenery. This afternoon, you’ll travel by train to Cuzco. Spend 3 nights in Cuzco.

Day 8
Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is today a busy city with ancient remains, fascinating markets and great restaurants. Today you’ll visit the highlights of the city, and later you’ll enjoy a cooking lesson with one of Peru’s up and coming young chefs.

Day 9
Today enjoy a spectacular white water rafting trip through incredible countryside. (Alternative – a hike to an ancient Inca citadel totally off the beaten track and barely visited by any tourists.)

Day 10
Depart Cuzco and begin your journey back home.

Extend your trip?

Recommended Extensions:  

1. Peru has fabulous beaches in the far north of the country. Spend three nights relaxing at the beach, with great seafood and a great surfing vibe!
2. Travel to the Amazon jungle. Spend 4 nights at remote jungle lodges, learning about this fascinating biosphere and the animals that inhabit it. You may even have a chance to meet researchers from all over the world. 
3. Bolivia – a fascinating country that deserves its own dedicated trip, Bolivia is home to the world famous Uyuni Salt Flats , a remarkable and unique place that is easily added onto any Peru trip. 
4. Lake Titicaca – spend 3 nights exploring the highest navigable lake in the world, its peoples and its amazing ancient temples.

Peru is good all year round. Summer (Dec-March) is an especially good time for Lima and the coastal beaches. In Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley it is the rainy season and therefore low season. The Amazon can be especially wet. We feel it is an excellent time to travel – rain is sporadic most of the time and the weather is warm, and visitor numbers and prices are lower than at other times of year. The warm weather makes it easier to visit the high altitude regions, which get very cold in winter. Jun-Sep is winter – wonderful blue skies, dry weather and cold nights equals high season in most of the tourist areas. An excellent time, though it will be more expensive.

Excellent. Great accommodations, top-class English speaking guides and most of all the incredibly fascinating culture, makes it arguably the most interesting destination in Latin America for all ages.

Eat like royalty in Lima, learn to surf at the northern beaches and explore the Amazon jungle by dugout canoe.  Most visitors though are seeking to learn about the ancient Inca civilization and its mysteries, including the “Lost” city of Machu Picchu. How could a civilization build such incredible buildings and cities without using the wheel? Also adventure in spades – rafting, hiking, kayaking, SUP, via ferrata, ziplines…and of course the Inca Trail, awesome for families!

Peru has one of the great cuisines of the world. With many hundreds of potato species, the food never stops surprising. Seafood (Peruvians will say they invented ceviche) is excellent, while the average person is always happy with rotisserie chicken and fries or rice. Lima alone has two of the top ten restaurants in South America!

Accommodation ranges from boutique beach hotels to excellent family friendly accommodation, luxury lodges and deluxe river boats. Overall, the standards are excellent.

It can be. Machu Picchu is on the world’s bucket list, and everyone flocks to Peru. We can be very creative in designing itineraries and we are able to match budgets from 3* to ultra deluxe.

In some areas, guinea pig is a local delicacy!