16 days tailor made from £7,000 pp
From £7,000 pp
At a glance
?
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.
Peru is one of the great travel destinations, and this journey covers it at the level it deserves. Lima is one of South America’s finest food cities, with Central and Maido consistently ranking among the best restaurants in the world.
Cusco is the former capital of the Inca Empire, its colonial churches and palaces built directly onto Inca stone foundations that have outlasted everything placed on top of them.
The Sacred Valley contains Inca sites at Pisac and Ollantaytambo that most travellers rush past on their way to the main event. And Machu Picchu needs no introduction. The 15th century Inca citadel sits at 2,430 meters above sea level in the cloud forest, its stone temples and agricultural terraces so precisely engineered that they have survived six centuries of Andean weather without mortar. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and one of the most visited archaeological sites on the planet.
What separates this itinerary is how you get there. The Belmond Hiram Bingham train from Ollantaytambo winds through the Andean cloud forest to Aguas Calientes in 1920s Pullman carriages, with a bar car and a kitchen turning out proper food for the journey.
Belmond Sanctuary Lodge sits at the entrance to Machu Picchu itself, the only hotel in that position, allowing you to visit the site after the day crowds have left and again at first light before they return.
In detail
?
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.
Days 1-2: Lima
Most travellers arrive expecting a stopover and leave wishing they had stayed longer. Lima’s Miraflores and Barranco districts are home to some of the best restaurants in South America, with Central, chef Virgilio Martinez’s flagship, consistently ranked among the top ten restaurants in the world, and Maido bringing the same level of ambition to Nikkei cuisine.
The colonial historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the clifftop Miraflores boardwalk looks out over the Pacific, and the Larco Museum houses one of the finest collections of pre-Columbian gold and ceramics anywhere in the Americas.
We recommend at least a full day here before moving on. The city rewards time, and arriving rested and oriented makes the transition into the mountains considerably smoother.
Days 3-4: Cusco
The flight from Lima to Cusco takes just over an hour and crosses the Andes at altitude, with views that set the tone for what follows. Cusco itself sits at 3,400 meters, and the itinerary is structured to allow proper acclimatization before ascending to Machu Picchu.
The Sacred Valley sits at around 2,800 meters and is where we spend the first days. The Inca sites at Pisac and Ollantaytambo are among the most significant in Peru, and the landscape of terraced hillsides and snow-capped peaks is unlike anywhere else in South America. Belmond Rio Sagrado sits on the valley floor with the Urubamba river running past it, and two nights here before the main event is time well spent.
Days 5-6: Machu Picchu
From Ollantaytambo, the Belmond Hiram Bingham train winds through the cloud forest to Aguas Calientes, arriving in time to transfer up to Belmond Sanctuary Lodge before the afternoon.
The site is a short walk from the hotel entrance, and the advantage of staying here is significant: an evening visit after the day crowds have cleared, and a first-light return the following morning before they return.
Both are a different experience from anything a day trip from Cusco can offer. A private guided visit with an archaeologist covers the site’s history, its engineering, and the questions that remain unanswered about what Machu Picchu was built for.
Days 7-8: Cusco
Returning to Cusco by train, the city itself deserves two proper days rather than being treated as a staging post. The historic centre is one of the best preserved in the Americas, with Spanish baroque churches and palaces built directly onto the foundations of Inca temples in a layering of civilizations that is visible in the stonework on almost every street.
The Coricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, is the most striking example, its original curved granite walls forming the base of the Santo Domingo Church above. Cusco also has a serious restaurant scene and some of the finest boutique hotels in South America, with Belmond Palacio Nazarenas and Inkaterra La Casona among the best small hotels on the continent.
Day 9: Departure
A final morning in Cusco before transferring to the airport for the flight back to Lima and onward connections home.
Further information
?
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.
The Belmond Experience
This itinerary is built around the full Belmond circuit in Peru, the most coherent luxury thread running through the country. Belmond Miraflores Park in Lima sets the standard on arrival. Belmond Rio Sagrado in the Sacred Valley positions you in the landscape before the altitude builds.
The Hiram Bingham train from Ollantaytambo is one of the great rail journeys in the Americas. And Belmond Sanctuary Lodge at the entrance to Machu Picchu is the only hotel that gives you the site before and after the crowds.
Belmond properties in Peru book out significantly ahead of peak season, particularly Sanctuary Lodge and the Hiram Bingham. We handle all reservations as part of the itinerary and know the lead times required to secure the right rooms on the right dates.
Other Suggested Trips
?
Our itineraries are here to inspire you. Everything we do is tailor-made so our team of luxury travel experts will customize an itinerary for you.
Luxury Latin America: Peru, Chile and Bolivia
Tailor-made Holiday
South America contains some of the most extraordinary landscapes on earth, and this 16-day journey shows you the best of three of them. Peru has the Inca heritage, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu, reached by the Belmond Hiram Bingham...
Gay Group Trip: Peru 8 Day Inca Adventure
Group Trip Departs: • 1st July 2026 • 21st October 2026 • 4th May 2027
This 8-day gay group trip through Peru fuses a relaxed travel concept with Peru’s most unique and memorable sites, all to form a truly unforgettable adventure. Our carefully crafted group trip allows you to take in the incredible mountaintop Inca...
Gay Group Trip: Amazon River Cruise And Machu Picchu
Group Trip
Embark on a luxurious gay friendly cruise and experience two of the ultimate bucket list destinations, Machu Picchu and the Amazon. You’ll begin by exploring the vibrant city of Lima. Then, you’ll fly to Iquitos and embark on a luxurious...
Why book with us?
Personal Service
We want to ensure you have the best experience with us so we’ll keep working on your itinerary until perfect. You will have your own personal dedicated member of our team who will help build a trip that is bespoke to you.
Call our travel experts on +44 (0)20 7157 1570
Our 5* Reviews
We pride ourselves in the number of clients that are referred to us by our existing customers. Our 5* Trustpilot rating is important to us, so we encourage you to browse our reviews. They speak for themselves and that's why you are in safe hands.