Are you ready to embark on the ultimate adventure through South America and the holiday of a lifetime? Well, this enriching eight-night tour is certainly a fantastic way to start, with incredible authentic experiences throughout and the opportunity to visit several bucket list destinations on the agenda. You’ll be kicking things off in Lima, Peru; one of the largest cities in South America and this nation’s culture-rich capital, a comprehensive city tour will take you sightseeing through both the modern districts and historic centre of Lima before affording you the opportunity to visit landmark destinations like the impressive Basilica and Larco Herrera Museum. Rounding off the day with an evening enjoying contemporary Peruvian cuisine in Cala Restaurante, you’ll spend the night in Lima before travelling east and inland to Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Here, you’ll spend your first day exploring the unique archaeological sites at Moray and the impressive Salt Mines of Maras, with a traditional Peruvian pachamanca lunch to fuel your adventure, before heading north to Aguas Calientes in the Urubamba River Valley. Then, over the next two days, you’ll be afforded the chance to explore the enigmatic Incan ruins in Ollantaytambo and relish in two tours of Machu Picchu – one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and easily one of the most impressive surviving Inca Empire ruins open to exploration. While certainly a highlight of this incredible experience, the tour doesn’t stop there. Following on from your time in the Sacred Valley, you’ll have the chance to explore Cusco and its own abundance of Incan ruins. The historic capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is home to the temple ruins of Qorinkancha, the unique aqueducts of Tambomachay, and more. After this, you’ll head south to Santiago, Chile – another stunning South American city with a rich history to uncover. While you’re here, you’ll enjoy a sightseeing tour of the Chilean capital alongside visiting the Santa Rita Winery – one of the world’s best vineyards – for a tour and wine tasting. A rather relaxed end to a busy week, your stop in Santiago will give you time to rest and recuperate ahead of the next part of your thrilling getaway.
Things to know
Transfers
Transfers (where applicable) are shared.
Dietary Restrictions
This is a culturally immersive tour where you will be served traditional Peruvian cuisine throughout; although you will find limited vegetarian options available, you may find that the local cuisine does not accommodate some dietary restrictions.
Accessibility
While travellers with mobility issues – for example, those using walking sticks – will be largely fine outside of Machu Picchu (where the abundance of steps may cause issues), it would be difficult to provide the support wheelchair users need and thus this tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. If you have severe mobility issues, but do not require a wheelchair, you may want to discuss this in more detail with your travel professional before booking.
It’s strongly recommended that you consider this, and conduct your own research, before booking to determine whether this tour will be suitable for you, as travellers who are unable to walk unaided, unable to climb steps, and unable to walk for long periods of time will not be suited to several experiences on this tour.
Gratuities & Local Customs
While there is no set custom, a general rule of thumb to follow is that you should tip roughly 10% of the total bill at restaurants, to tour guides, and at hotels.
Insurance
If you’re choosing to travel, it’s important that you get appropriate travel insurance for your itinerary, covering any planned activities and medical expenses you may require in an emergency.
Customs
Some electronics and other goods may be subject to tax or duty when entering Peru. You can bring one laptop and two mobile phones into Peru without paying tax.
When you leave, you may be stopped and prosecuted if you’re carrying the following items:
- Products made from wild animal skins
- Crafts made with preserved insects, starfish, sea horses, or other sea creatures
- Crafts made with wild bird feathers, including condor feathers, turtle shells, teeth, bones, and other animal parts
The sale of souvenirs made with wild animal parts is illegal in Peru, and these items are sometimes sold in tourist markets in Cusco. You’re also not allowed to remove any archeological artefacts from Peru without seeking authorization beforehand.