Peru Panorama: Lake Titicaca & Machu Picchu by Train

Arrive at any time.

Additional Information: We suggest arriving early to experience everything Lima has to offer. A full day tour will be available to book during your trip check-out process.



If you booked the Lima Cooking Class it does not include extra time in Lima and we highly recommend booking pre-trip accommodation. You will be picked up from your hotel at approx 10:00 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return back to your hotel around 13:00.



Please note that hot water shortages and power outages can be fairly common in Peru (even in upgraded hotels and private homes). We appreciate your patience and understanding that these occurrences are outside of our control.

ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Fly to Juliaca and transfer to Puno. Take it easy in the afternoon, wandering the markets and exploring the city.

Fly to Juliaca then take a short bus ride to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Titicaca is also the largest lake in the world above 2000m, and the views from its Islands are stunning.

Additional Information: Visitors arriving in Puno will likely feel the effects of the 3,827m altitude. Symptoms include shortness of breath, headaches, general lethargy, and a reduced appetite. This is no cause for alarm; it is simply your body’s way of coping with the altitude. It may take a little time to acclimatize, but before long you probably will not even notice it. Take it easy for the first day or two, and reduce alcohol and cigarette consumption to minimize the effects. Be sure to drink plenty of water and do not attempt too much in any given day.

TRANSPORT: MORNING Transfer to the airport in Lima by van (about 45 minutes away) for the short flight to Juliaca.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Spend some time getting acclimatized and exploring the city, be sure to check out the view of the lake.

Enjoy a guided tour of Lake Titicaca and a homestay in a small village.

Head out by boat across Lake Titicaca. Visit the community on the Taquile Islands and enjoy a local lunch with spectacular views.



Afterwards, cruise to the another village (this can vary based on community availability) for an overnight homestay on the shores of the lake. This experience provides an opportunity to learn more about rural life in the Peruvian highlands and to participate in local traditions. Eat with the family, learn some Quechua and Spanish language skills, try on traditional costumes, and help out with daily chores around the village.

ACTIVITY: Board a boat on Lake Titicaca and head to Taquile Island for a delicious Peruvian lunch at a restaurant followed by some shopping at the local weaving cooperatives. (Taquileños are known for their fine handwoven textiles and clothing, men are taught how to knit around age five and they create the majority of the textiles.) After, enjoy an overnight stay with a host family and a chance to learn about life on the islands.

ACTIVITY: In the aymara community of Luquina Chico on Lake Titicaca, 40 families welcome you to experience their way of life. Thanks to the support of G Adventures and Planeterra, the local families here have strengthened their communities, preserving traditions and creating opportunities for future generations. Split into smaller groups and get a taste of local life firsthand as we move into family homes for the night. Play soccer with the children, enjoy some dancing, watch dinner being made, learn about regional cuisine, and dress up in local clothes for an unforgettable evening with the whole village, enjoying traditional music and dancing. Lend a hand the next morning, and help out with chores like feeding animals, harvesting local produce, or bringing back buckets of water from the well.

Visit the floating islands of Uros before returning to Puno. Opt to visit to Sillustani burial site.

Leave the homestay families late morning and visit the Uros Islands on the way back to Puno. A popular optional activity in Puno is a visit to the spectacular chullpas (funerary towers) of Sillustani, a pre-Inca archaeological site only a short drive away.



Opt to pre-book the Lake Titicaca Kayaking on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

ACTIVITY: Spend the morning with the homestay families, then depart after lunch. Visit the floating islands of Uros on the way back, and learn about the unique lifestyle of the locals. Meet residents and learn how they built the islands with totora reeds, which are also used to make their homes, boats, crafts (and are also edible!).

ACTIVITY: Take a tour of these unique islands. Learn about the buoyant totora reeds that grow in the shallows of Lake Titicaca used to make everything from the islands themselves to the boats the islanders use for transportation (if constructed well, they last up to six months ). Find out from locals how the islands are constructed; as the layers closest to the water start to rot, they are replaced with fresh reeds on top.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Make the most of one last afternoon in Puno.

Hop on the bus for a full day's drive to Cusco.

The trip from Puno to Cusco takes the better part of the day, with stark, beautiful scenery en route as you travel through the high Altiplano region. Check out a bit of Cusco, find a spot for dinner or get prepared to head into the Sacred Valley.

TRANSPORT: MORNING Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Fill up on breakfast at your hotel in Cusco before walking to the Cusco Cathedral where your guide will meet the group for your walking tour of Cusco's colonial side. See the colonial and Inca architecture visible throughout the city and visit the Sapantiana staircase waterfall aqueduct before having lunch near the main plaza. Afterwards, walk back to the hotel and enjoy free time for the rest of the evening.

ACTIVITY: Spend time on a group walking tour of the colonial areas in Cusco. Start in Cusco City and finish with a visit to the Sapantiana waterfalls before having a delicious lunch at a restaurant near the main plaza.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Take advantage free time to further explore this lovely city.

Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley. Stop at the G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar).

Travel through the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting a G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op. Meet the women and learn about traditional weaving and dyeing. Opt to pick up some handmade souvenirs and textiles directly from the women who made them.



Have lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn about the G Adventures for Good project and eat a delicious buffet-style lunch. Proceeds of this meal go directly back to the remote community.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Visit the Ccaccaccollo community centre which G Adventures travellers' donations helped create in 2005, thereby enabling local women to sell traditional textiles to travellers. See local weaving and dyeing techniques used to create garments and souvenirs, and learn how the Planeterra weaving co-operative has impacted the community and those who visit it. This includes the purchase of alpacas to provide a steady supply of wool, looms, and sewing machines as well as several training courses on production, sales and small business management.

ACTIVITY: In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Using clay from their surroundings, they mold bowls, plates, and all manner of decorations. Learn about the ceramics process as well as the traditional adobe brick-making that forms the basis of houses throughout the valley, all while taking in a spectacular view of the Pisac Ruins. After the demonstration, peruse the items for sale directly from the artisans in their shop.

ACTIVITY: Contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families in the Sacred Valley, by eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, to become a successful farm-to-table program that boosts the local economy and several spin-off microenterprises.

Enjoy the Sacred Valley with your G representative today. Explore the sites of the Maras Salt Mines and the ancient Incan agricultural terraces of Moray. Continue on a scenic drive through small villages and stunning views of the Andean countryside. Then visit the Chincheros ruins. Known to the Incas as the birthplace of the rainbow, this site offers stunning views of the Andean countryside. Return to Ollantaytambo for the evening.TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.ACTIVITY: Drive a little more than an hour to get to the Moray archaeological site. Tour these unique Inca ruins, consisting of circular terraces and a sophisticated irrigation system located at 3500m (11483 ft). Learn about the history and study of this fascinating site – speculation has it that it was an Inca agriculture experiment station. Visit the impressive Maras Salt Mines, after Moray. See thousands of individual ancient salt pools spilling over a hillside. Learn about the different varieties of salt, and try the renowned pink salt, famous worldwide.ACTIVITY: Set out on a scenic drive above the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Stop along the way to look out over small farms carved into the hills and small villages dotted along the landscape. Enjoy the views and have lunch near Maras, opt to relax, explore the surroundings.TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.ACTIVITY: Chincheros is known to the Incas as the birthplace of the rainbow. This typical Andean village has Inca ruins, a colonial church, and sweeping mountain views. Explore the ruins and check out the impressive architecture of this ancient place.TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

After breakfast visit the Ollantaytambo ruins where you'll walk up the 200 stone steps to reach the top. Then, catch the scenic train to Aguas Calientes. After enjoying a quick orientation walk around the town of Aguas Calientes the group will have free time for optional activities. Opt to visit the Machu Picchu Museum, the Mandor Waterfalls, and the butterfly garden. Or consider taking a dip in some thermal baths to relax those muscles.

ACTIVITY: Explore this ancient site right in the heart of Ollantaytambo city. Learn about the principles of Incan architecture and get a first taste of climbing around a massive ruins site.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

ACTIVITY: The group will arrive at Aguas Calientes with their assistant guide or CEO and they will have an orientation walk through the town of Aguas Calientes. Your CEO can then help you coordinate any optional activities you may want to try during your time here.

FREE TIME: Spend free time getting to know the area. Maybe visit the local hot springs for a nice rejuvenating soak.

Rise early to enjoy a guided tour of Machu Picchu. After, catch the train towards Cusco.

Rise early to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu with your guide. Enjoy a guided visit to the ruins, then head back down by bus to Aguas Calientes to meet up with the rest of the group. Take the scenic train back to Ollantaytambo to meet the van for the ride back to Cusco.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

ACTIVITY: Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Enjoy a free day to explore Cusco or relax. Choose to pre-book the Rainbow Mountain hike or the Cusco Cooking Class, or opt for other active options like mountain biking.

Pre-book the Rainbow Mountain hike or the Cusco Cooking Class on the checkout page to include these optional activities on your tour. or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

Additional Information: If you pre-book the Cusco Culinary Bundle, you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return back to your hotel around 16:00.

FREE TIME: FULL DAY Make the most of your time in Cusco. Spend the afternoon shopping, visiting museums or just exploring the city.

Fly to Puerto Maldonado and continue by motorized boat to our comfortable and intimate G Lodge Amazon.

Fly to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the lowlands of the Amazon Jungle.



After a brief stop in town to store large luggage, drive to the pier and travel by covered motorized boat to the jungle lodge. En route, spot bird species typical to the river and forest edge. The Tambopata Rainforest area holds the world record for the most bird sightings in one area.



Local community members make up the majority of lodge staff, including multilingual naturalist guides. Take the opportunity to learn about the area’s rich flora and fauna and locals' extensive use of medicinal plants and other forest plant resources through traditional techniques for building, fishing, and hunting.

Additional Information: The lodge itself combines native architectural style and materials with low-impact, eco-friendly technology. Rooms are simple, but comfortable, with mosquito netting for individual beds, flush toilets, showers (with solar-heated hot water), and candles for lighting (no electricity).

TRANSPORT: On arrival, head by private vehicle to the lodge's office in Puerto Maldonado to store large luggage. Use one of the provided duffels to bring just what you need into the jungle. From there, travel about 1 hr to reach the boat landing.

TRANSPORT: Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.

ACTIVITY: Get the lowdown on local flora and fauna, and grab a flashlight to discover what’s living around lodge grounds. Receive help from the talented, expert naturalist guide to locate heaps of hidden creatures! Keep an eye out for snakes, tarantulas, owls, and poison dart frogs, just to name a few.

Enjoy guided excursions led by expert naturalists to spot wildlife at nearby oxbow lakes and along jungle trails. Spend some time relaxing in a hammock, enjoying the local swimming hole, or visiting a nearby plantation. Go on a caiman spotting cruise after dinner.

Head out early to catch the jungle at its wildest (and coolest). Walk slowly through the forest searching for wildlife before heading out on an oxbow lake by canoe. Search for anaconda, the elusive giant river otter, or black caiman. Even if you don't spot these shy creatures, there are plenty of other birds, interesting plants, and other animals about.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy visits to oxbow lakes to learn about the jungle and its inhabitants. Be introduced to the area’s rich flora and fauna by expert naturalist guides, who can teach extensive uses for medicinal and other forest plant resources through traditional techniques. Be prepared to go early morning or evening to avoid the heat of midday. Enjoy a leisurely pace – the trip requires some walking, but nothing too strenuous.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Spend time around the lodge or go further afield. Free time is yours to explore any way you like!

ACTIVITY: EVENING Head out after dark by motorized canoe to search for caimans on the river banks. Enjoy a lesson on caimans from the expert guide. Take advantage of the keen eyes of the expert naturalist guides – they are truly spectacular at spotting these elusive smaller cousins of alligators hiding on the muddy banks.

Fly back to Lima for an optional final dinner and night out.

Enjoy a delicious Amazonian breakfast before heading back to the airport by motorized boat and van. Fly to Lima and opt for a final night out for dinner or Pisco Sours.

TRANSPORT: Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.

TRANSPORT: Take a van from the pier to pick up stored luggage before heading to the Puerto Maldonado airport. Make a brief stop in Cusco en route to Lima. A private vehicle will be waiting to take the group to the Lima hotel.

Depart at any time.