Peru Tours with Flights from €1,900

The standard Peru itinerary is Lima → Cusco → Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu → back to Lima, 8-10 days. Most small-group tours give you one night in Lima to acclimate from the flight, fly to Cusco (3,400m), then immediately drop down to the Sacred Valley (2,800m) for 2 nights to help your body adjust before climbing again.

The Sacred Valley portion covers Pisac market, the Maras salt pans, Moray's circular terraces, and Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo you take the Vistadome or Expedition train 1.5 hours to Aguas Calientes for Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu itself is usually one full day: early bus up for sunrise, 2-3 hours with guide, afternoon free for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain add-ons (€75 each, book 2+ months out).

Budget €1,400-€1,900 per person for the 8-9 day version with a decent operator. Includes accommodation, domestic flights, train to Machu Picchu, all transfers, entry fees, guide, and most breakfasts. Lunches and dinners are mostly at your own cost, €8-€25 per meal depending on where.

The classic 4-day Inca Trail is the one most people have heard of. 45 km, ending at the Sun Gate above Machu Picchu at dawn. Permits are capped at 500 per day (about 200 for tourists, the rest for guides and porters) and sell out 4-6 months ahead for June-August. Add €700-€900 to your tour cost for the trek portion.

The Salkantay Trek is the main alternative: 5 days, harder (higher pass at 4,600m), more scenic, no permit cap. Runs €500-€750. Most 12-14 day Peru tours include Salkantay rather than Inca Trail for flexibility.

The Lares Trek is shorter (3 days), less touristed, goes through working Quechua villages. Good for travellers who want culture over bragging rights.

Short Inca Trail (2 days, 1 night) covers the final stretch and still gets you to the Sun Gate. €400-€550. Permits less competitive. Best choice if you want the name without the four full days.

If you are not a trekker at all, skip it entirely. The train from Ollantaytambo reaches the same endpoint and the ruins themselves are what you came for.

The 12-14 day Peru tour is what you build when you want more than the Cusco spine. Two additions are worth it.

The Amazon: fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado (45 min), then transfer 1-3 hours by boat to a jungle lodge in the Tambopata Reserve. 3 nights is the right amount — enough for a macaw clay lick, a canopy walk, and one proper night hike. €400-€700 per person for the lodge portion. Manu National Park is wilder but harder to reach and usually only worth it if you have 5+ days.

Lake Titicaca: fly or bus from Cusco to Puno, spend 2 nights. A day trip visits the Uros floating reed islands and Taquile; a homestay on Amantaní island is the more memorable option. Adds €250-€400.

Arequipa and the Colca Canyon are the third add, worth it for the condors at Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint and the white-stone colonial architecture. Adds €300-€450 and 3 days.

Full 14-day Lima-Cusco-Machu Picchu-Amazon-Puno-Arequipa-Lima packages run €2,400-€3,400 before flights and are the most complete version of Peru.

Cusco sits at 3,400m. Many travellers feel altitude within hours of arrival: headache, shortness of breath, poor sleep. A rough 20-30% get something worse — nausea, dizziness, full altitude sickness.

The trick most good tour operators use: fly Lima → Cusco, then descend immediately to the Sacred Valley (2,800m) for 2-3 nights before returning to Cusco. It works. If your itinerary keeps you in Cusco from day one, either push back or pre-medicate.

Diamox (acetazolamide) is the most effective preventive medication. Get a prescription from your GP before leaving — 125-250mg twice daily starting one day before ascent. Coca tea and coca leaves are widely available and help mildly; they are not a replacement for Diamox if you are altitude-sensitive.

Practical rules: no alcohol the first 48 hours, hydrate aggressively (3-4L/day), eat light, walk slowly. Do not plan a strenuous trek or Huayna Picchu in your first two days at altitude.

Puno (Titicaca) is higher than Cusco at 3,830m. Arequipa is lower at 2,335m. Plan your route so altitude gains are gradual.

Dry season runs May to September in the Andes and Amazon. This is peak season: clearer skies at Machu Picchu, reliable trekking weather, and best wildlife sightings in the jungle. Also the most expensive and busiest. June-August is the crunch point — Inca Trail permits sell out 6+ months in advance.

Shoulder months (April, May, September, October) are the sweet spot for Peru tours. Prices drop 10-20%, crowds thin, you still get mostly dry weather, and Machu Picchu is less mobbed in the afternoons.

Wet season is November to March in the Andes. Afternoon rain is frequent, some treks close (Inca Trail shuts entirely in February for maintenance), and mountain views at Machu Picchu can be cloud-covered. Upside: green landscapes, fewer tourists, and 25-35% lower prices. If you are flexible and bring waterproofs, it is a legitimate choice.

The Peruvian coast (Lima, Paracas, Nazca) has the opposite pattern: grey and misty June-October, sunny December-April. Most tour itineraries only touch Lima for 1-2 days so coastal weather is secondary.

Flight prices from Europe are highest in July-August and around Christmas. February-March and October-November are the cheapest windows.

Small-group tours (10-16 people) dominate Peru and for good reason. Operators like Intrepid, G Adventures, Exodus and On The Go all run mature Peru itineraries. €1,400-€2,200 for 9-10 days before flights. Reliable, good balance of structure and free time, English-speaking local guides throughout.

Family and youth variants run the same routes at slightly different paces and price points: Intrepid Family adds more hands-on activities (pottery workshops, cooking classes in Cusco); G Adventures 18-to-Thirtysomethings skews younger and more social.

Luxury Peru tours are a real category, led by Belmond (Hiram Bingham train, Sanctuary Lodge hotel at Machu Picchu gate) and Inkaterra. Full 9-day luxury itineraries run €6,000-€12,000 per person. Worth it for travellers prioritising comfort and unique access (sunset inside Machu Picchu from the Sanctuary Lodge, for instance).

Private tours are mid-priced: €2,500-€4,000 per person for 9-10 days, usually with a private guide, driver and mid-range hotels. Good option for two couples or a family who want flexibility without full luxury pricing.

Independent travel is doable — Peru tourism infrastructure is excellent — but you lose the altitude planning, Inca Trail permit handling and site pre-booking that tour operators do automatically.