Peru Encompassed Small Group Adventure

Activity/Tour

When you travel on Peru Encompassed, you'll be staying at small hotels/guesthouses and using a variety of local transport, from coaches, trains and planes, to hiking and even reed canoes.

Days 1 & 2 You will have a free day to explore Lima’s many museums, markets and colonial plazas. We travel by bus south of Lima to the Ballestas Islands in the Paracas National Reserve. This is an important marine reserve where we will see many sea birds and mammals including sea lions, penguins, pelicans and if you’re lucky, dolphins!

Days 3 & 4An hour’s drive inland in the heart of the Ica Desert is Peru's main wine centre. Here we visit the Tacama winery to try Peru's national drink, Pisco. Nearby is the Oasis of Huacachina, a palm fringed lake surrounded by impressive sand dunes. You can relax on the beach, go for a swim and then if its an adrenaline rush you\'re after head out with your Tour Leader on a custom made dune buggy and roar across the desert sands to the top of enormous dunes and then sand board down them - imagine snowboarding but on sand instead! Tonight we sit around our desert campfire, followed by a night sleeping out under the stars.


Days 3 & 4We journey on to one of the world’s archaeological mysteries, the Nazca Lines. Only discovered 70 years ago from the air, these huge figures carved into the desert floor are best viewed by light aircraft. Also memorable is a visit to Chauchilla Cemetery with its well-preserved mummies.

Days 6 - 8Leaving the Atacama Desert we begin to climb into the Andes mountain range towards Arequipa. You will have a few days to explore this beautiful colonial city and the spectacular surrounding area. There are options to go cycling, trekking, horse riding and white water rafting as well as a visit to the Colca Canyon. This is one of the deepest canyons in the world and here you can view majestic condors, only metres away, circling lazily in the thermals rising from the canyon floor.

Days 9 - 14A short flight over the Andes takes us to Cuzco, the outdoors capital of Peru. Although Cuzco is today a colonial city most of its churches and museums are built on top of original Inca stonewalls which are clearly visible. We take you on a tour to picturesque towns and Inca sites in the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas where you’ll find temples, terraces, local communities and markets. The tour finishes at a camp site at km82, the start of the Inca Trail! We spend the night here and begin our 4 day hike along the Inca Trail the following day. This moderate to strenuous hike is a once in a lifetime experience and anyone with a good level of fitness can master it. A stunning combination of awesome mountain views and Inca ruins make this an unforgettable adventure. After a day exploring the incredible ruins of Machupicchu, we return to Cuzco by train.

Day 15 Those on the 15 day trip will board the plane to Lima where the trip ends on arrival. Those on the 21 day trip have a free day in Cuzco to relax and recover or explore some more of the city.

Days 16 - 18We travel by bus to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Bordering Peru and Bolivia at 3800m the lake is the original place of the Uros Indians who have made their homes on floating reed islands. By boat we visit the floating islands during the day and then spend the night with one of the Indian families on the lesser known islands Isla Amantani or Taquile.

Days 19 - 21We leave Peru and cross the border to Bolivia and the picturesque lakeside village of Copacabana. The following day we travel by bus to the impressive city of La Paz. The capital is a hilly city full of markets and traditionally dressed people. Here you can shop in the witches market, visit one of the many museums or go on a ‘gravity assisted’ mountain bike adventure! The tour finishes in the morning of day 21.

You can extend your stay with a trip to the lush Amazon Jungle! A 4 day add on to the 15 day trip costs from approx US$430 A 6 day add on to the 21 day trip costs from approx US$450 Please ask us for more details!.

Please note: Prices are set in Pounds Sterling therefore US Dollar prices are subject to exchange rates.

Age range, type of group

Most of our travellers are in their 20s and 30s. Some come as couples or with friends, generally at least half come as singles.

Sleeping and meals

Accommodation is in simple, local hotels plus a night camping under the stars in the Ica Desert, 4 nights camping on the Inca Trail and an overnight stay with a family on Lake Titicaca. If visiting the Amazon, accommodation is in basic jungle lodges.