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12-Nights Peru with Machu Picchu & the Nazca Lines - Small Group

Peru
12-Nights Peru with Machu Picchu & the Nazca Lines - Small Group
Peru
Insight Vacations
Vacation Offer ID 1569721
Reference this number when contacting our travel specialist.
Overview

Insight Vacations

Peru With Machu Picchu & The Nazca Lines - Small Group
Feast on Peruvian delicacies in Lima, tour the ancient Korikancha temple in Cusco and adventure through the Ollantaytambo ruins of Machu Picchu, on this 13-Day exploration of Peru. Embark on a Private Planetarium Tour in Cusco and uncover the influence of astronomy on Andean culture. Join a Local Expert in Machu Picchu for a guided tour through the ancient ruins-set high in the Andes against breathtaking backdrops. Visit the salt pans of Maras in the Sacred Valley where the Incas used to harvest the mineral and visit with a local Quechua Weaver to learn their ancient weaving techinques in a private presentation. In Paracus, be sure to pause at the Pisco distillery to sample this tasty local aperitif.


Dining Summary
  • 12 Breakfast (B)
  • 6 Dinner with Wine (DW)
  • 7 Lunch (L)
Choice Highlights
  • Choose between two carefully selected activities
  • Cusco: Join a guided hike of the Inca ruins in Puca Pucara.
  • Cusco: Delight your senses during a guided tour of the San Pedro Market.
Additional Included Highlights
  • Prices include economy air and air-related charges for the flights between Lima - Cusco. This trip experiences high elevations, we recommend guests with pre-existing medical conditions talk with a doctor prior to travel.
Authentic Dining
  • Cusco: Enjoy an immersive slow-cooked Cusquenian lunch at Pacha Papa. Lunch will be served al fresco at the courtyard of a historic mansion in the artsy neighborhood of San Blas.
  • Cusco: In the evening, join your fellow travelers for a memorable Celebration Dinner at Inka Grill, where you'll embark on a journey of flavors from Ceviche Palteado to Quinotto and Aji de Gallina.
  • Lima: Unwind at your luxury abode, before meeting your Travel Director and fellow travelers in the evening for a dinner.
  • Lima:  Make your way to Lima's Pueblo Libre District and indulge on a lunch in the Museo Larco's 18th century garden.
  • Sacred Valley: Make your way to the small lagoon of Laguna Piuray where you’ll enjoy your lunch of Pachamanca, a traditional Peruvian feast.
Insight Choice
  • Cusco: Join a guided hike of the Inca ruins in Puca Pucara.
  • Cusco: Delight your senses during a guided tour of the San Pedro Market.
Insight Experiences
  • Machu Picchu: Enjoy a guided visit with a Local Expert.
  • Cusco: Visit Cusco's planetarium to learn more on how the Incas interpreted the stars. After a reception with hot wine (or tea) and appetizers, local experts will explain and share stories about the influence the stars had on Andean culture. You'll then be led to a room specially accommodated to view the ancient night skies, weather permitting.
  • Paracas: Take to the skies on your Peru tour to see the iconic Nazca Lines, archaeological enigmas scratched in the ground 500 B.C. and A.D. 500. Gaze down in awe of these massive designs and patterns you can only view from above. Your private flight will show you many of the lines, complete with their names and a bit of history. From above, you’ll observe the different types: straight, geometric (such as triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, spirals, arrows, zigzags, and wavy lines), and pictorial (including a spider, hummingbird, cactus plant, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower, tree, lizard, dog, and even a mysterious humanoid figure). Some of the animal geoglyphs are up to 1,200 feet long! You’ll also learn why the Nazca culture created these lines in the desert plains of the Rio Grande de Nazca River basin and how the Nazca people were able to carve out such massive designs.
Make Travel Matter
  • Sacred Valley: Visit a local traditional Quechua weaver in the Sacred Valley for a private textile presentation. You'll learn about ancient weaving techniques and the importance these textiles have in shaping personal and regional identities.
Top Rated Highlights
  • Machu Picchu: Transfer to the station for your 360° IncaRail train ride. This train ride offers an unforgettable experience journeying through the Andes Mountains in style with large panoramic views allowing guests to enjoy the amazing scenery of the lush mountains and the Urubamba River en route to Machu Piccu Pueblo.
  • Sacred Valley: On the way, visit the Ollantaytambo ruins, consisting of a large fortress built in the 1400s, a stepped terrace, and an area known as the Princess Baths, where ceremonial bathing took place. Later, stop by a a local house in the village and meet the family living there.
  • Aguas Calientes: Peru’s Incan history and archaeology will inspire the mind of any curious traveler. With a full day, you have the option to return to Machu Picchu for a different circuit. Or, take advantage of a day at leisure in Aguas Caliente – the town of Machu Picchu of 3,400 residents - to stroll along the river, go shopping for that perfect local souvenir or grab a coffee all midst the cloud forest.
  • Cusco: Once you arrive, head on a walking tour of Cusco with a Local Expert. Explore what's known as the "historic capital" of Peru as you discover its ancestral magic through visits to the cathedral and the Qorikancha temple.
  • Cusco: Start your day with a walking tour of Cusco, before heading to Sacsayhuaman.
  • Paracas: A windswept coastline and haven for wildlife. The Ballestas Islands are a wildlife sanctuary that hold over 200 species of birds including Peruvian boobies, Inca terns, pelicans, red-legged cormorants and Humboldt penguins. You’ll treasure this opportunity to see these penguins in their natural habitat alongside a plethora of different birds.
  • Paracas: The pride of Peru and their national drink, Pisco is a must-try on any trip to Peru. Visit the beautiful Hacienda La Caravedo to learn about how Pisco was traditional

    Featured Destinations

    Ballestas Island

    Ballestas Island

    The Ballestas Islands are a spectacular group of islands with many caves and arches, which provide shelter for thousands of seabirds and sea-lions. The islands are home to over 150 species of marine birds including the Humboldt penguin, cormorants, boobies and pelicans. Even condors have been known to visit. From the shores visitors can view a variety of sea life including sea-lions, dolphins and whales.

    Paracas Bay

    Paracas Bay

    The Paracas Bay is best known for the area known as "The Galapagos of Peru" or the Ballestas Islands Wildlife Reserve. The sea bird colonies and marine mammals that inhabit these barren and desolate islands are some of the most spectacular in the world, including the Guanay, Red-legged and Neotropic Cormorants, the Peruvian and Blue-footed Boobies, the Peruvian Pelican, several species of tern and gulls, including the Inca Tern, and several species of petrel. There are also breeding grounds of South American fur seals and sea lion as well as a small colony of Humboldt penguins. Other interesting wildlife less frequently seen on trips to the Ballestas includes sea turtles and albatross. On the way to Ballestas, you will be able to see the candelabra in the coastal sand dunes - one of the many giant petroglyphs that dot the landscape.
    Cuzco

    Cuzco

    The Cuzco (Cusco) region of Peru combines Inca legacy with Spanish colonial architecture in an atmosphere at once provincial and sublime. The chaotic marketplaces where campesinos barter grain or potatoes for multi-colored fabric belie the mute spirituality of the Lost Cities, where Inca stonework conveys order and balance. Such diversity enhances this inspiring nine-day adventure. The blue sky radiates with an intensity achieved only at high altitudes (the city of Cuzco lies 11,150 feet above sea level), while the landscape offers its unique pattern of exacting agricultural grids and tangled jungle masses.
    Destination Guide
    Machu Picchu

    Machu Picchu

    Machu Picchu is a fortress city of the ancient Incas, in a high saddle between two peaks 50 miles NW of Cuzco, Peru. The extraordinary pre-Columbian ruin consists of five sq. miles of terraced stonework link by 3,000 steps; it was virtually intact when discovered by Hiram Bibghan in 1911.
    Destination Guide
    Sacred Valley

    Sacred Valley

    The Urubamba valley is also named the Sacred Valley. It begins in the Urubamba's village and continues to Macchu Picchu.
    Lima

    Lima

    Lima, "the City of the Kings," became the effective capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru, established 1560. Today, a visit to Lima may serve as a unique Peruvian experience that offers a glimpse into the Andean world, Spanish tradition and the country's modern aspect. Visit handsome old buildings and baroque churches that testify to the city's religious background and the Plaza de Armas, shared by the realms of the Catholic church, municipality and national government. The pre-Inca ruins of Pachacamac lie a short distance south of the city. Once a ceremonial site, Pachacamac has been the most important religious center of the Andean world since before the age of Christ. Stop and admire The Temple of the Sun and the Moon, Lima's outstanding museums, and Machu Picchu - a "Jewel in the Mist."
    Destination Guide

    View Full Itinerary

    Valid Date Ranges

    August 2026
    08/15/2026 08/27/2026 $7,250 per person
    Trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discounts. Trip prices and discounts are subject to change. Airfare is additional. Tour prices, dates and itineraries are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. Other restrictions may apply. 

    All fares are quoted in US Dollars.