Peru Grand Immersion – Coast, Andes & Amazon

Destination: Lima

Arrive in Lima, Peru’s vibrant coastal capital and the gateway to your Andean and Amazonian adventure. At Jorge Chávez International Airport, an Inside Peru Adventures representative will greet you and accompany you in a private transfer to your hotel in the lively district of Miraflores.

Today is all about rest and gentle arrival. Depending on your flight schedule, you may wish to stroll along the oceanfront Malecón, watch paragliders soaring above the cliffs, or enjoy your first ceviche or pisco sour at one of Lima’s renowned restaurants.

Upon arrival at the hotel, our team will confirm the time and details of your welcome briefing at breakfast on Day 2, when you’ll properly meet your IPA Tour Leader and fellow travelers and review the full itinerary together.

Arrival Note: We recommend arriving one day before the official itinerary begins, especially when traveling from overseas. Early check-in is subject to availability, but you may safely store your luggage and begin exploring at your own pace.

Details:

• Comfortable Transportation: Travel comfortably and confidently with Inside Peru Adventures.

• Private Airport Transfer: Included (Jorge Chávez Airport → Hotel), 45 min–1 hr approx.

• Meals included: None (meals on your own)

• Hotel Accommodation: 3★ hotel in Lima (double occupancy)

Destination: Ica

After a restful night, enjoy breakfast at the hotel and your welcome briefing with your Inside Peru Adventures Tour Leader. This is your chance to get an overview of the entire itinerary—coast, Andes, and Amazon—ask questions, and meet your fellow travelers before hitting the road.

After breakfast, depart Lima and head south along the Pan-American Highway toward Ica, a fertile desert oasis famous for vineyards, pisco, and the dunes of Huacachina. The drive takes around 6 hours with scenic stops along the way to stretch, enjoy Pacific views, and learn more about life on Peru’s southern coast.

Near Ica, visit a traditional pisco distillery to learn how Peru’s iconic spirit is crafted—from grape harvest and fermentation to distillation in copper or clay stills. You’ll have the chance to sample different varieties and discover why pisco is at the heart of Peru’s national cocktail, the Pisco Sour.

After the visit, stop for lunch at a local restaurant (meal not included), then continue to your hotel in Ica. Take some time for a short siesta or poolside rest, because the afternoon brings adventure.

Later, head to the Huacachina Oasis, where you’ll board 4x4 dune buggies for an exhilarating ride over rolling sand dunes. (Season permitting, you may also try sandboarding.) Enjoy the surreal desert landscapes and a beautiful sunset over the dunes before returning to your hotel for a relaxing evening.

Details:

• Comfortable Transportation: Lima → Ica (approx. 6 hrs with stops); private transport to Huacachina; 4x4 dune buggies in the desert

• Activities & Entrance: Pisco distillery visit & tasting, Huacachina dune buggy (and sandboarding, season permitting)

• Meals included: Breakfast (at hotel)

• Hotel Accommodation: 

• 3★ hotel in Ica (double occupancy)

Destination: Lima

Start the day with an early breakfast at the hotel, then depart Ica by private vehicle toward the port area near Pisco/Paracas (approx. 1–1.5 hrs). Here you’ll board a speedboat bound for the Ballestas Islands, often nicknamed the “poor man’s Galápagos” for their remarkable biodiversity.

Cruise along dramatic rock formations, arches, and sea caves as you look for Humboldt penguins, sea lions, pelicans, boobies, cormorants, and other seabirds, as well as starfish and rich marine life along the shores. Weather permitting, you’ll also see the famous Candelabro geoglyph, etched into the desert hillside facing the bay.

After the boat tour, you’ll have some free time in the port area or nearby Paracas to enjoy a coffee or snack (meals on your own), then begin your overland journey back to Lima—approximately 4 hours with scenic stops along the Pacific coast.

You’ll arrive at your Lima hotel in the evening. Check in, rest, and enjoy dinner independently in Miraflores. Your guide can recommend great spots for seafood, Peruvian fusion, or something light after a full day of exploring.

Details:

• Comfortable Transportation: Ica → Pisco/Paracas → Boat tour to Ballestas → Lima (private vehicle)

• Activities & Entrance: Ballestas Islands boat cruise

• Meals included: Breakfast (at hotel)

• Hotel Accommodation: 

• 3★ hotel in Lima (double occupancy)

Destination: Lima

After breakfast at your hotel, begin your deeper discovery of Lima’s rich colonial and pre-Columbian legacy. With your local guide, explore Colonial Lima: walk through elegant plazas, admire historic balconies and ornate churches, and visit the San Francisco Church and its catacombs—a fascinating window into Lima’s layered past and religious traditions.

At midday, you’ll stop at a carefully selected local restaurant, where you are free to choose your lunch (meals not included today)—a perfect chance to dive further into Lima’s world-class culinary scene.

The afternoon is at leisure. You may:

• Walk along the Miraflores cliffs at sunset

• Explore Barranco with its street art and boutiques

• Simply enjoy an early rest before the Andes.

  
  

In the evening, gather again for an included group dinner in Lima. This will also serve as your final pre-Andes briefing, where your Tour Leader will review the next days in the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, and Tambopata, answer last questions about altitude, packing, and logistics, and make sure you feel fully prepared for the next stage of your journey.

Details:

• Comfortable Transportation: Travel comfortably and confidently with Inside Peru Adventures (hotel ↔ historic center transfers)

• Entrance Tickets: San Francisco Church & catacombs

• Meals included: Breakfast (at hotel), Dinner (briefing dinner in Lima)

• Hotel Accommodation: 3★ hotel in Lima (double occupancy)

Destination: Sacred Valley

After an early breakfast at your hotel in Lima, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your short domestic flight to Cusco—the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. Upon landing, we won’t stay in the high altitude of the city just yet. Instead, we’ll head directly into the Sacred Valley, which sits at a more comfortable elevation and offers a gentler acclimatization to the Andes.

Your journey into Inca heartlands begins with two of the most extraordinary and photogenic sites in the region:

• Maras Salt Terraces: A surreal mosaic of over 3,000 shallow salt pools cascading down a mountainside, where local families still harvest salt using ancestral techniques. You'll learn about this sustainable practice and enjoy spectacular panoramic views.

• Moray Agricultural Lab: Marvel at this unique archaeological site consisting of concentric circular terraces. Believed to be a sophisticated Inca agricultural experimentation center, Moray showcases the empire’s mastery of microclimates and crop adaptation.

  
  

After the visit, we’ll continue to your 3-star hotel in Urubamba, where you’ll have time to relax, unpack, and breathe in the fresh Andean air. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with your tour leader and fellow travelers—a warm moment to share impressions, go over the next day’s plan, and receive important tips about traveling in altitude.

Note: We'll stop as a group at a local restaurant between visits. Each traveler will cover their own meal—this is a great chance to try traditional dishes and get to know your fellow adventurers.

Details:

• Comfortable Transportation: Travel comfortably and confidently with Inside Peru Adventures. 

• Domestic flight: Lima → Cusco 1h - 1h30m - Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

• Entrance Tickets: Included

• Meals included: Breakfast (at hotel) and dinner (at a local restaurant in Urubamba).

• Hotel Accommodation: 3★ hotel in Urubamba (double occupancy)

Destination: Sacred Valley

After breakfast, embark on a full-day journey through the Sacred Valley’s most iconic landscapes and ancient sites. Your first stop is Pisaq, where dramatic mountain slopes cradle a vast Inca complex of ceremonial plazas, watchtowers, and agricultural terraces. Stroll through the colorful artisan market below, famous for its high-quality textiles, silverwork, and handwoven crafts.

Continue along the Vilcanota River to Urubamba, where you’ll enjoy a delicious buffet lunch featuring a fusion of Andean ingredients and international cuisine.

In the afternoon, explore the spectacular ruins of Ollantaytambo, one of the last living Inca towns. Climb its monumental stone terraces, visit the ancient sun temple, and learn how this fortress once served as a stronghold against the Spanish conquest.

Conclude your day with a relaxing evening at a charming hotel in Ollantaytambo, where cobblestone streets and Inca-built walls still shape the daily lives of locals.

After visiting Ollantaytambo, you’ll be escorted to your 3-star hotel in Ollantaytambo for a comfortable overnight stay. 

Details:

• Comfortable Transportation: Travel comfortably and confidently with Inside Peru Adventures. 

• Entrance Tickets: Included

• Meals included: Breakfast (at hotel), Buffet Lunch 

• Hotel Accommodation: 3★ hotel in Ollantaytambo (double occupancy)