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Peru's greatest road trip — sixteen days by private van and VIP overnight bus from Lima south to the Ballestas Islands and the Nazca Lines, then up into the Andes to Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu. The route covers extraordinary geography, remarkable archaeology and some of the most memorable food on earth. Done in a small group, with proper acclimatisation time at altitude and no rushing.
Arrive in Lima — Peru's coastal capital and one of South America's great food cities. Transfer to your hotel in Miraflores, the clifftop district overlooking the Pacific. This evening, welcome dinner at a traditional cevicheria — your introduction to Peru's extraordinary culinary culture.
Morning at the Larco Museum — the finest collection of pre-Columbian gold, ceramics and textiles in the world, housed in an 18th-century mansion surrounded by gardens. Afternoon in Lima's colonial historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its grand Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral and San Francisco Convent. Evening at leisure in Barranco, Lima's bohemian arts and restaurant district — an excellent place to try ceviche and pisco sour properly.
Early departure south along the Pan-American Highway to the Paracas Peninsula (3.5 hours by private van). En route, spot the enormous Candelabra geoglyph etched into the cliff above the bay — its origins as unexplained as the Nazca Lines. Morning boat trip to the Ballestas Islands: sea lions basking on every flat surface, Humboldt penguins waddling between the caves, vast colonies of Peruvian pelicans, boobies and cormorants. Afternoon at leisure in Paracas — a windswept desert settlement on the edge of one of South America's richest marine ecosystems.
Drive two hours south to Nazca — home to one of archaeology's greatest unsolved mysteries. Board a small plane for a 30-minute overflight of the Nazca Lines: enormous geoglyphs etched into the desert floor by the Nazca people between 500 BC and 500 AD. The hummingbird, spider, condor, monkey and astronaut figures are best appreciated from the air — at ground level, they're virtually invisible. Afternoon visit to the Huaca del Loro — a site on the edge of the desert where ancient aqueducts still carry water through underground channels constructed two thousand years ago.
A second day in Nazca to explore the area properly. Morning at the Chauchilla Cemetery — one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites in Peru: Nazca mummies sitting upright in open tombs in the desert, exactly as they were buried, still wrapped in textiles, surrounded by ceramics and offerings. Visit the Maria Reiche Museum, dedicated to the German mathematician who spent her life measuring and protecting the Nazca Lines. Evening: board your VIP overnight bus towards Cusco — the road climbs from sea level to over 4,300m through the Andes.
Arrive Cusco in the morning — the Inca capital of the world, now a UNESCO World Heritage city at 3,400m above sea level. Transfer to your hotel and rest. Altitude affects people differently: some feel nothing, others experience headaches or mild breathlessness. A very gentle afternoon walk through the Plaza de Armas and the narrow cobbled lanes of the San Blas quarter is enough for today — your body needs time to adjust. Coca tea available everywhere. Early dinner and early bed.
A full day exploring Cusco properly. Morning at Sacsayhuamán — the massive Inca fortress above the city, built with stones weighing up to 125 tonnes fitted together without mortar. No one has ever satisfactorily explained how the Incas moved or positioned them. The Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), once sheathed entirely in gold leaf, now sits beneath a Spanish colonial church in one of history's most brazen acts of architectural overlay. Afternoon free to explore the artisan markets and streets of San Blas.
A free day in Cusco — by now the altitude should feel manageable and the city opens up. Optional visits include the Museo Inka (the finest collection of Inca artefacts in any museum), the San Pedro market, or the neighbourhood of San Blas with its working artisan workshops. This is also the best day to explore Cusco's remarkable restaurant scene — the city has quietly become one of the most interesting food destinations in South America. Evening at leisure.
Drive into the Sacred Valley of the Incas — a fertile basin at 2,800m where the altitude eases and the Urubamba River runs between sweeping terraced hillsides. Morning at Pisac: the hilltop ruins above the town are among the finest in the region, with panoramic views across the valley. Afternoon at Moray — the mysterious circular Inca terraces set into the earth like a natural amphitheatre, thought to have been an agricultural laboratory for testing crops at different altitudes. Overnight in the Sacred Valley.
Morning at Ollantaytambo — one of the best-preserved Inca towns in existence, where descendants of the Inca still live within the original grid of streets and irrigation channels built five centuries ago. The Sun Temple and agricultural terraces here are among the finest examples of Inca engineering anywhere. Afternoon: board the Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes, the small mountain town that serves as the gateway to Machu Picchu. The train journey itself is remarkable — the valley narrows, the mountains close in, and the vegetation turns from high-altitude scrub to cloud forest.
The main event. Early bus up the switchback road from Aguas Calientes to the citadel gates — aim to be inside before 7am, when the morning cloud still fills the valley below and Huayna Picchu disappears into the mist. As the sun rises, the terraces and temples emerge slowly from the cloud. Our expert local guide leads a two-hour tour of the citadel — the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana stone, the agricultural terraces, the urban sector. Afternoon free to explore at your own pace, or climb to the Sun Gate for an elevated view of the whole site.
Optional dawn entry to Machu Picchu — first bus at 5:30am, arriving at the citadel before the main crowds and in time for the light to come over the mountains. This is the version of Machu Picchu most photographs fail to capture — near silence, mist rising from the valley, llamas moving between the terraces. Those who prefer a slower morning can rest and explore Aguas Calientes, visit the hot springs or the Museo Manuel Chávez Ballón below the citadel. Afternoon at leisure.
Train back from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, then VIP bus through the Sacred Valley to Cusco. This return journey by road feels very different to the arrival by train — the landscape opens up and the scale of the Andes becomes clear. Arrive Cusco in the afternoon. Evening farewell dinner at one of Cusco's finest restaurants.
One of Peru's most extraordinary landscapes — and still relatively undiscovered by mass tourism. Pre-dawn departure from Cusco (5am) for the two-hour drive to the trailhead at 4,700m. The trek to Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain) is approximately 5km each way at altitude, reaching 5,200m at the summit ridge. The reward is extraordinary: a mountain striped in vivid red, yellow, green and turquoise — mineral deposits exposed by glacial retreat, creating colours that look almost too vivid to be natural. Return to Cusco by mid-afternoon. Rest of the day at leisure.
A free morning in Cusco — last chance to visit anything you missed, browse the artisan markets of San Blas, or simply sit in the Plaza de Armas and watch the city go about its day. Afternoon flight from Cusco to Lima (approximately 1.5 hours). Evening at leisure in Lima — the city feels very different at sea level after two weeks in the mountains.
A free morning in Lima — time for one last ceviche at a Miraflores luncheria, a walk along the clifftops above the Pacific, or a final browse of the artisan markets before transfer to Jorge Chávez International Airport for your onward flight home.
Our team has led small-group adventures across Asia, East Africa, the Caucasus and South America since 2006. We know the routes we run inside out — and we run them personally.
Never more than 10 people on this tour. Small groups move differently — you get into places larger groups can't, spend more time in the moment and actually get to know the people you're travelling with.
You book your own flights, so you have full flexibility over your dates, airline and route. We're always happy to advise on the best connections — just ask when you enquire.
No booking engine. Enquire and our team will be in touch within 24 hours to discuss everything personally — and to tailor the trip around your schedule and what matters most to you.
“Two unforgettable weeks in Peru with Tourio — Lima, the Nazca Lines, the ancient Inca temples and, at last, Machu Picchu. I had dreamed of seeing all of it since my early twenties, and now, almost four decades later, that dream finally came true thanks to the Tourio team. Thank you so much for the most magical time in magnificent Peru — every moment was worth the wait, and I’ll carry these memories with me forever.”
