Contiki

• 5 Dinner (D)
• 13 Breakfast (B)
• 3 Lunch (L)

• Lima: Hit the streets of Lima with a Local Guide. Explore the vibrant Chinatown before diving into a buzzing market to taste exotic fruits. Check out Peru’s famous potatoes, corn, chillies and spices. Then it’s on to artsy Barranco for murals, galleries and the Bridge of Sighs, finishing with ocean views at Love Park. It’s a proper first taste of this wonderful country.
• Lima: Start above ground at Lima’s iconic cathedral, then head beneath the city into the San Francisco catacombs. It’s a maze of underground chambers lined with centuries-old remains and patterns built from bones. It’s equal parts fascinating and spine-tingly (not your average sightseeing stop).
• Arequipa: Get to know the ‘white city’ better. Explore the highlights like Plaza de Armas and take some pics of the incredible backdrop of volcanoes.
• Arequipa: Wander into Santa Catalina, a “city within a city” where bright painted walls, sunlit courtyards, and quiet cobbled lanes feel like stepping back in time. Add in the ornate Cúpula of San Ignacio, and you’ve got colour, history, and serious camera-roll material all in one hit.
• Colca Canyon: Brave the lookout point at 3287m. Take in the unrivalled views and spot some Andean Condor birds.
• Puno: If you’ve secretly always wanted to hop on one of these, here’s your chance.
• Puno: Jump on a boat to hop around the reed islands in the world’s highest navigable lake (3657m). And stop off to meet the locals.
• Puno: Spend a day immersed in the rich traditions and heartfelt warmth of the communities living on the islands of Lake Titicaca (AKA the highest navigable lake in the world).   
• Luquina: Settle into island life as a local family welcomes you into their home on Lake Titicaca. You’ll spend time getting to know daily life here, from hands-on activities like farming and weaving to simply soaking up the slower pace. It’s a chance to step away from the usual and see how these communities live, right in the heart of the world’s highest navigable lake.
• Luquina: Sit down to a home-cooked meal made with fresh, regional ingredients straight from the lake and surrounding land. Think warming quinoa soup, native Andean potatoes and freshly caught fish. You might even get involved in the prep before tucking in — all while swapping stories and getting to know your hosts over dinner.
• Puno: Stop off at a traditional Peruvian town and get a feel for local life. Step up your cultural knowledge at Pukara’s museum, packed with stories and artefacts from the region. Then take a quick wander through town to soak up the markets, colours, and everyday Andes energy.
• Cusco: Your chance to pick up some mementos at San Pedro Markets and then see Cusco Cathedral, San Blas and Coricancha.
• Cusco: Graze on cancha or cacao nibs as you browse the local wares and see historical sights.
• Sacred Valley: See llamas IRL and learn how Indigenous communities use weaving to share stories, identity, and culture — a tradition passed down without written language (and help keep ancient skills alive by providing sustainable income for local artisans!) Your visit here will help support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities.
• Sacred Valley: See this former heartland of the Incan Empire and hike around the Pisac ruins. 
• Machu Picchu: It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! Time to explore the Incan citadel with your new Contiki fam. #travelgoals
• Amazon: Glide along the river by boat as the Amazon switches into night mode. Keep your eyes peeled for glowing caiman eyes, night birds, and other creatures that only come out after sunset. It’s quiet, kinda eerie, and pretty dang epic.
• Puerto Maldonado: Ride on a canoe over the serene waters of the Sandoval Lake, surrounded by lush greenery. Who knows? You might spot giant river otters sticking their head out to give you a show.
• Puerto Maldonado: We’ll make our way through the lush green Amazon rainforest at our Jungle Lodge in Puerto Maldonado. There’s no better way to reconnect with nature!

Meet your Contiki Trip Manager and fellow travellers over a welcome dinner in Miraflores, Lima’s lively coastal district. It is a chance to get acquainted with the group and hear what to expect from the journey.

Miraflores brings together busy restaurants, neighbourhood streets and the nearby Pacific coast. Sharing a meal here offers a relaxed introduction to contemporary Lima and the people you will explore Peru with.

Explore Lima’s historic architecture with a local guide, visit Lima Cathedral and descend into the San Francisco catacombs. Above ground, grand colonial buildings reveal the city’s role as a Spanish viceregal capital.

Beneath the San Francisco church and convent, chambers hold centuries-old remains, some arranged in striking patterns. The contrast between ornate religious spaces and the quiet underground passages makes this a distinctive look at Lima’s colonial history.

Join a guided exploration of Lima’s neighbourhoods, from vibrant Chinatown to a market where you can taste exotic fruit and discover Peru’s many varieties of potatoes, corn and chillies. Explore Barranco’s murals and Bridge of Sighs, a landmark of the city’s arts district.

The experience brings together everyday food culture, street art and coastal scenery. At Love Park in Miraflores, take in Pacific views beside its colourful mosaic walls and sculpture.

Discover Arequipa on a guided walk through the White City, taking in the Plaza de Armas, cathedral and churches framed by nearby volcanoes. Visit Santa Catalina Monastery, whose painted walls, courtyards and cobbled lanes form a remarkable city within the city.

Arequipa’s pale volcanic stone gives much of its historic centre its distinctive glow. The monastery, founded in the 16th century, offers a more intimate view of the city’s religious heritage.

Take in the high-altitude landscapes around Colca Canyon, travelling through Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve with opportunities to look for vicuñas, llamas and alpacas. Pause at Patapampa’s viewpoint for broad views of the surrounding volcanic terrain.

A stop in Patahuasi introduces a traditional Andean herbal tea associated locally with acclimatisation. The route reveals the vast scale of southern Peru’s highlands and the animals adapted to life on the plateau.

Visit Cruz del Cóndor, a lookout over the immense depths of Colca Canyon. Watch for Andean condors riding the morning air, their broad wings visible against the canyon walls when conditions are right.

One of the world’s deepest canyons, Colca is also a lived-in landscape of Andean villages and agricultural terraces. The viewpoint offers both a chance to observe this iconic bird and a powerful sense of the terrain it inhabits.

Ride a local triciclo to the port and cruise onto Lake Titicaca. Visit the Uros floating islands to meet residents and learn how totora reeds are used to build and maintain their islands, homes and boats.

Explore Taquile Island’s textile traditions and walk uphill towards its main village. Taquile’s intricate textile art is recognised by UNESCO, making this a close encounter with skills and community traditions sustained around the lake.

Stay with a local family in Luquina on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Spend time learning about daily life, with opportunities to take part in activities such as farming or weaving, and share meals with your hosts.

At a home-cooked Andean dinner, regional ingredients might include quinoa, native potatoes and fish from the lake. Conversation around the table gives the overnight stay its character: a personal introduction to a living lakeside community.

Visit Pukara Museum to see artefacts and learn about cultures of the Andean highlands. Explore the Raqchi Archaeological Complex, an Inca site known for the remains of its monumental Temple of Wiracocha.

These two stops reveal different chapters of the region’s history, from Pukara’s earlier traditions to Inca architecture. At Raqchi, the scale of the surviving walls and surrounding structures offers a tangible sense of the site’s former importance.

Walk through Cusco’s historic centre to see the Plaza de Armas and cathedral, Inca-built streets and Q’oricancha, the Sun Temple. Visit San Pedro Market and continue into San Blas, with stops at the Twelve-Angled Stone and Siete Borreguitos street.

Cusco’s close-fitting Inca masonry sits alongside Spanish colonial buildings, making its layered history visible at street level. Market stalls and artisan neighbourhoods add the colours and flavours of everyday city life.

Take in Sacred Valley views from Taray, browse Pisac Market and learn about local textile traditions. At the Pisac Inca site, explore mountain-side ruins and viewpoints with your Trip Manager.

The valley was an important heartland of the Inca Empire, and Pisac’s terraces and stone structures show how its builders worked with steep Andean terrain. Encounters with local makers connect that historic landscape to weaving traditions still practised today.

Meet local artisans in the Sacred Valley and learn how Indigenous weaving shares stories and identity. See llamas and discover the skills behind textiles that carry patterns and knowledge through generations.

This visit offers a closer look at a living tradition rather than textiles as souvenirs alone. Supporting the makers helps sustain local livelihoods and the passing on of weaving techniques within their communities.

Explore Ollantaytambo’s Inca fortress in the Sacred Valley, including the imposing stonework of the Temple of the Sun. Look across the terraces and structures built into the mountainside above the town.

Ollantaytambo was a significant Inca centre, and its monumental construction shows how architecture and landscape were brought together. The site offers a striking perspective on the engineering, ceremony and strategic importance of the valley.

Explore Machu Picchu with an expert guide, spending a couple of hours among its temples, terraces and ceremonial spaces. Hear the stories behind the Inca citadel while taking in its dramatic mountain setting.

Built in the 15th century, Machu Picchu is celebrated for its precise stonework and remarkable relationship with the surrounding landscape. The guided visit gives context to the structures and the people who built them, with time to pause for photographs.

Explore the rainforest near Puerto Maldonado on an introductory jungle walk, looking closely at its plants, insects and possible wildlife sightings. Set out again on a nighttime river boat ride to watch for caimans, night birds and other creatures active after dark.

The change from daylight forest to dark water reveals two sides of the Amazon. Listen to the sounds along the river and keep watch for eyes reflecting in the boat’s light.

Canoe across Lake Sandoval, an oxbow lake surrounded by rainforest near Puerto Maldonado. Scan its calm waters and shoreline for hoatzins, colourful birds, monkeys and, if fortunate, giant river otters.

The stillness of the lake makes it well suited to observing wildlife without rushing through the landscape. Its dense green margins and open water offer a different perspective on the Amazon from a forest trail.

Join a guided hike through the Amazon rainforest near Puerto Maldonado, taking time to notice the layered vegetation and signs of life around the trail. The outing finishes with a chance to watch an Amazon sunset.

Walking brings the forest’s smaller details into focus, from plant forms to the calls moving through the canopy. As the light changes, the experience offers a quieter way to appreciate the scale and atmosphere of this tropical ecosystem.

Walk to a parrot clay lick near the jungle lodge and watch for birds gathering in the early morning. Their calls and bright plumage can turn a quiet patch of rainforest into a lively wildlife scene.

Clay licks draw parrots and other birds to exposed mineral-rich earth. Sightings depend on natural conditions, but the visit offers a focused opportunity to observe an Amazon behaviour in its forest setting.

Choose to soak in Chivay’s natural hot springs amid the high-altitude landscapes of the Colca Valley. Warm water and mountain air offer a restful contrast to the region’s rugged viewpoints and trails.

Chivay is a gateway to Colca Canyon, and its thermal waters provide a chance to slow down and take in the Andean setting. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Opt for a zipline experience near Chivay and see the Colca Valley from a more exhilarating angle. Gliding above the landscape adds an active element to a stay in this dramatic highland region.

The valley’s steep terrain and wide Andean views provide the setting for this adventure-focused choice. It is an alternative to a slower afternoon in Chivay; the experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose an optional mountain biking experience in the Cusco area for an active way to explore the Andean surroundings. Riding offers a change of pace from the city’s plazas, markets and historic streets.

The region’s highland setting is part of the appeal, with open-air views and the physical challenge of a cycling outing. Route and riding details can be confirmed locally. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Opt for a full-day hike to Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca, in the high Andes near Cusco. Walk through mountain scenery towards the mineral-coloured slopes that give the landmark its name.

The stripes of colour come from different mineral deposits exposed in the landscape. This is a high-altitude outing, where weather and walking conditions matter as much as the views. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join an interactive Peruvian cooking experience in Cusco and take part in preparing dinner rather than simply sitting down to eat. It is a hands-on opportunity to engage with the country’s food culture.

Peruvian cooking draws on ingredients and traditions from its coast, Andes and Amazon, giving plenty to discuss around the table. The exact dishes can be confirmed on tour. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Book an optional massage in Cusco for a restorative break from walking its cobbled streets and exploring the surrounding Andes. The experience offers time set aside specifically for rest.

Cusco’s busy plazas and historic neighbourhoods remain close at hand, but this choice is about slowing the pace and unwinding. Treatment details can be confirmed locally. The massage is at additional cost and bookable on tour.