At a glance
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Don't forget that all of our itineraries are totally customized and so this is just an idea of what we can build for you.
Machu Picchu and Iguazú are the two natural-and-cultural wonders that most travelers come to South America to see, and the case for putting them in the same trip is straightforward: both reward proper time, both have a single best hotel, and the long flights to either are easier to justify when you’re seeing the other on the same ticket.
This itinerary builds eleven days around them.
You start in Lima for a night in Barranco, the cliffside arts district and home to most of what’s interesting about the city, then move on to the Sacred Valley to acclimatize at a gentler altitude than Cusco itself.
From there you take the Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu, stay overnight at the only hotel at the gates, and walk the citadel at sunrise before anyone else is on the mountain.
After two nights in Cusco you cross the continent for Iguazú Falls, staying on the Argentinian side at Awasi, a Relais & Châteaux all-villa property where each room has its own 4×4 and private guide.
Peru and the Argentinian side of Iguazú are shaped by a handful of small, exceptional hotels that fill quickly, from the 31-room Belmond Sanctuary Lodge at the gates of Machu Picchu to the 14 private villas at Awasi Iguazú and the intimate Sol y Luna in the Sacred Valley.
For travel between May and October, six to nine months’ lead time is typical, and a year gives you access to the rooms and Belmond Hiram Bingham train seats that make the journey feel special.
Getting from Cusco to Iguazú is a journey across two countries, with multiple flights and airport transitions that require careful timing, but when handled well it feels effortless, with private drivers, smooth connections, and every detail quietly taken care of.
Out Of Office approaches this as a fully tailored experience, shaped by first-hand knowledge of each destination, from choosing the right neighbourhood in Lima to pacing your time in Cusco and the Sacred Valley to manage altitude. The result is a journey that feels considered, seamless, and entirely your own, built around how you want to travel.
In detail
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Don't forget that most of our itineraries can be totally customized. Our expert team will be able to talk you through all the options.
- Day 1: Arrive in Lima
- Day 2: Lima
- Day 3: Fly to the Sacred Valley
- Day 4: Pisac and Ollantaytambo
- Day 5: Train to Machu Picchu
- Day 6: Sunrise at Machu Picchu, train to Cusco
- Day 7: Cusco
- Day 8: Fly to Iguazú
- Day 9: The Argentinian side
- Day 9: The Argentinian side
- Day 10: The Brazilian side
- Day 11: Fly home
Day 1: Arrive in Lima
Arrive at Jorge Chávez International and transfer to Hotel B in Barranco by private car. Hotel B sits in a restored Belle Époque mansion two blocks from the cliff path above the Pacific, and Barranco is where Lima’s gay scene and creative scene have settled over the past decade. Evening at leisure. Dinner suggestions include Maido (one of the world’s top tasting menus, books months ahead) or Isolina, an unfussy Peruvian comfort-food restaurant on the same street.
Day 2: Lima
A morning food tour through Surquillo market and the lanes of Miraflores with a private guide, finishing with ceviche at a small local restaurant. Afternoon at the Larco Museum, which holds the world’s best private collection of pre-Columbian art across a converted 18th-century mansion. Quiet evening at the hotel rooftop. Early night ahead of the altitude.
Day 3: Fly to the Sacred Valley
A morning flight to Cusco (around 90 minutes) and a private transfer directly to the Sacred Valley, dropping around 600 meters down to 2,800m, where the air is significantly easier on first-time visitors than Cusco itself. Check in at Sol y Luna near Urubamba, a clutch of individually designed casitas in landscaped gardens. Afternoon at leisure. Coca tea on arrival is standard practice and works as advertised.
Day 4: Pisac and Ollantaytambo
A private day with a guide through the valley. Pisac in the morning, with both the hillside Inca ruins and the village market. Lunch at Wayra, Sol y Luna’s open-air restaurant, with Peruvian Paso horses running in the paddock alongside. Ollantaytambo in the afternoon, the only Inca settlement still laid out on its original street plan and a working town rather than a museum piece.
Day 5: Train to Machu Picchu
A morning departure from Ollantaytambo station on the Belmond Hiram Bingham, the only luxury train to Machu Picchu, with brunch and live music onboard. Transfer up to the citadel for a private afternoon visit with a guide, then check in at Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel at the gates. Staying here means you walk into the citadel at sunrise the next morning before the day trains have even left Cusco.
Day 6: Sunrise at Machu Picchu, train to Cusco
A second guided visit at sunrise, when the high-altitude mist still sits in the valleys below the citadel and the site is at its most photogenic. Breakfast back at the lodge. Train down to Ollantaytambo and private transfer up to Cusco, climbing to 3,400m. You’ll feel the altitude on arrival; the hotel’s oxygen-enriched rooms make the first night easier.
Day 7: Cusco
A private morning tour of the historic center including Coricancha, the Inca sun temple over which the Spanish built the colonial cathedral, and the Plaza de Armas. Afternoon in San Blas, the artisan and gallery quarter up the hill, with stops at a contemporary art space and lunch at MAP Café inside the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. Evening at leisure.
Day 8: Fly to Iguazú
A long travel day. Morning flight from Cusco to Lima, then onward to Buenos Aires (around four hours), then a short flight to Puerto Iguazú. Private transfer to Awasi Iguazú, where you’re met at your villa with a welcome drink. Each villa has a private plunge pool, a dedicated guide, and a 4×4 assigned for the duration of your stay. Dinner at the main lodge.
Day 9: The Argentinian side
A private day at the falls. The Argentinian side has the boardwalks that get you physically closest to the water, including the Devil’s Throat, the deepest single section of the falls and the loudest natural sound most travelers will ever stand near. Lunch back at the lodge or in the park, depending on timing. Late afternoon by the pool at your villa.
Day 9: The Argentinian side
A private day at the falls. The Argentinian side has the boardwalks that get you physically closest to the water, including the Devil’s Throat, the deepest single section of the falls and the loudest natural sound most travelers will ever stand near. Lunch back at the lodge or in the park, depending on timing. Late afternoon by the pool at your villa.
Day 10: The Brazilian side
A border crossing in the morning for a half-day on the Brazilian side, which is where you see the system as a whole rather than from within it: a single curving panorama of 275 individual falls along three kilometers of cliff. A helicopter flight over the cataracts is available from the Brazilian side if conditions allow. Final dinner at Awasi.
Day 11: Fly home
Morning transfer to Puerto Iguazú airport for your international flight home, with a connection through Buenos Aires.
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