Southern Treasures & Northern Whales
An epic sweep of Peru — Lima's table, the white city of Arequipa, the Colca condors, Cusco and Machu Picchu, then the warm northern beaches for humpback whales.
Your journey, stop by stop
A day to remember
Welcome to Lima
Arrival in Lima
Welcome to Peru! Touch down in the capital and transfer to your hotel to settle in.
🍽️ No meals included
Lima city tour & Larco Museum
Miraflores & San Isidro
Begin along the Pacific cliffs, taking in Lima's smart seaside districts with wide ocean views.
Huaca Pucllana
Pause at the great pre-Inca adobe pyramid, a ceremonial temple that has survived the city growing up around it.
Colonial old town
Explore the UNESCO historic centre — the Plaza Mayor, Government Palace and Cathedral — and the Santo Domingo convent that guards the relics of Peru's saints.
Museo Larco
Finish at the Larco Museum and its dazzling pre-Columbian ceramics, including the famous erotic gallery, then return to Larcomar or your hotel.
🍽️ Breakfast
Fly to Arequipa & city tour
Flight to Arequipa
Transfer to the airport and fly south to Arequipa (2,400 m), the elegant white city beneath three volcanoes.
Historic centre
Wander the Plaza de Armas, Municipal Palace, Cathedral and the Jesuit churches, all built from gleaming white sillar stone.
Santa Catalina Monastery
Step inside Santa Catalina, a city-within-a-city of ochre and blue lanes and one of Peru's most striking religious monuments.
Yanahuara & Carmen Alto
Visit the colonial Yanahuara district with its Andalusian-style viewpoint, the farming terraces of Carmen Alto and the leafy Selva Alegre quarter.
🍽️ Breakfast
Over the altiplano to Colca
Aguada Blanca reserve
Set out across the high plateau through Yura and the Aguada Blanca vicuña reserve, home to wild herds of these delicate camelids.
Tocra wetlands
Cross the Tocra wetlands, alive with migratory birds, and stop at the Mirador de los Volcanes for sweeping volcano views.
Chivay village & market
Arrive in Chivay around midday for lunch and a rest, then explore the town and its lively market.
🍽️ Breakfast, lunch
Condor's Cross & back to Arequipa
Cruz del Cóndor
An early start to the Condor's Cross viewpoint to gaze into the depths of the Colca Canyon and watch the majestic condors ride the morning thermals.
Maca & Yanque villages
On the way back, visit the colonial villages of Maca and Yanque and the Antahuilque viewpoint.
Return to Arequipa
Rejoin Chivay and travel back across the altiplano to Arequipa for the night.
🍽️ Breakfast
Fly to Cusco & city tour
Flight to Cusco
Transfer to the airport and fly to the imperial city of Cusco (3,400 m); take the altitude gently.
San Cristóbal & San Blas
Stroll the most picturesque quarters — the San Cristóbal viewpoint, the Siete Borreguitos lane, the Sapantiana aqueduct and artisan Plaza San Blas, down past the Twelve-Angled Stone to the Plaza de Armas.
Cathedral & Qorikancha
In the afternoon, visit the Cathedral and the Qorikancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun once sheathed in gold.
Ruins above the city
Explore the nearby Inca sites of Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay before returning to your hotel.
🍽️ Breakfast
Maras salt pans & Moray
Maras salt pans
Head into the Sacred Valley to the village of Maras and its cascade of salt pans, worked since Inca and colonial times.
Moray terraces
Marvel at the concentric terraces of Moray, an Inca agricultural laboratory of stacked microclimates, before returning to Cusco.
🍽️ Breakfast
Rainbow Mountain
Drive to Vinicunca
A pre-dawn departure by road to the trailhead at Vinicunca in the southern valley.
Climb to the pass
Walk roughly 1.5 hours up to the Vinicunca pass (5,000 m) for jaw-dropping views of the striped Rainbow Mountain and snowy Apu Ausangate.
Lunch & return
Free time at the summit for photos, then descend for lunch in Pitumarca and return to Cusco by mid-afternoon.
🍽️ Breakfast, lunch
Sacred Valley & on to Machu Picchu
Písac ruins & market
Discover the hilltop ruins of Písac and browse its colourful artisan market in the valley below.
Calca, Yucay & Urubamba
Pass the charming valley villages of Calca and Yucay, with a buffet lunch in Urubamba.
Ollantaytambo fortress
Climb the great terraced fortress of Ollantaytambo, with spectacular views down the Sacred Valley.
Evening train to Aguas Calientes
Board the evening Expedition train to Aguas Calientes; dinner included and overnight at the foot of Machu Picchu.
🍽️ Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Machu Picchu & back to Cusco
Guided tour of the citadel
Ride the bus up the switchbacks for a guided tour of the lost city — its religious, civil and military quarters — one of the seven wonders of the world.
Lunch in Aguas Calientes
Return to Aguas Calientes for an included lunch at your own pace.
Scenic train to Cusco
In the afternoon, take the train back to Poroy and transfer to your Cusco hotel to rest.
🍽️ Breakfast, lunch
Humantay Lake
Drive to Soraypampa
An early pickup and three-hour drive through Limatambo and Mollepata to the trailhead at Soraypampa.
Climb to the lake
Hike around two hours up to the turquoise Humantay Lake (4,200 m) beneath the glacier of Apu Humantay.
Descend & return
Descend to Soraypampa, transfer to Mollepata for lunch and return to Cusco by late afternoon.
🍽️ Breakfast, lunch
Fly north to the beaches of Tumbes
Flight to Tumbes
Transfer to the airport and fly (via Lima) to Peru's far north, Tumbes (7 m).
Beach hotel
Transfer to your beach hotel on the warm Pacific coast to relax and unwind.
🍽️ Breakfast
Whale watching
Sail from Los Órganos
An early start to the pier at Los Órganos, near the beaches of Punta Sal and Zorritos.
Humpback whales
Set out on a marine excursion to watch migrating humpback whales — and, with luck, dolphins and other species — before returning to your beach hotel.
🍽️ Breakfast
Beach day
Free day on the coast
Enjoy the beach and your hotel at leisure on the sun-warmed northern shore.
🍽️ Breakfast
Departure
Transfer to the airport
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima and onward journey home.
🍽️ Breakfast
Price per person
| Category | Single | Double | Triple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfort | 2487 | 2002 | 1991 |
| Tourist | 2684 | 2074 | 2029 |
| Tourist Superior | 3032 | 2259 | 2185 |
| Superior | 3380 | 2488 | 2467 |
| First Class | 3666 | 2612 | — |
| Deluxe | 4279 | 2927 | — |
| Top Deluxe | 5039 | 3328 | — |
Per person in euros, sharing, minimum 2 travellers. Flights not included. We’ll tailor a final quote to your dates.
Love the look of this one?
Send us a message and our local team will tailor Southern Treasures & Northern Whales to you — dates, pace and all the little details.
Find out more →