The Land of the Incas. Adventure, Culture & Food. A Peru Photo Tour

On arriving at Jorge Chávez International Airport, you will be met by your two professional photographers. Please note this is a private transfer and will be with your fellow tour photographers only. On arrival, check-in and after you have settled in, we will have a brief group meeting, to run through the tour, detail our goals, the schedule and answer any questions you may have. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the nearby area or have any early night in preparation for your early start the next day.

Delve into the history of Lima during this city sightseeing tour. Explore the historical centre of the Peruvian capital, while listening to informative commentary from your local tour guide. Visit sights such as the Presidential Palace, the catacombs of the San Francisco Monastery, and the ancient Dominicans Tower. See the best the city has to offer during this informative walking tour. Perfect for photographers.

We will meet your guide at your hotel to begin this informative tour of the city. Beginning in the historical centre (a UNESCO listed site) and visit the beautiful Spain Mansion Palace. We will also go inside to enjoy its ornate collection of 18th-century oil paintings, sculptures, and gilded mirrors. We will then visit the spooky catacombs of the San Francisco Monastery, just off the main square. Other attractions throughout the city such as the Municipal Palace, Dominicans Tower, the historical Rimac Bridge and many more, will be visited by us today, as we traverse the city by foot. The tour will conclude the tour back at your Lima hotel with full knowledge of the city’s history.

This half-day food tasting tour of Lima covers the Bohemian Barranco District. An insider guide introduces a variety of Peruvian foods and drinks that could be challenging to discover on your own. The small group walking tour includes two interactive workshops that demonstrate the art of preparing pisco sours, plus ceviche and lomo saltado.

A flight over the Nazca lines is an experience everyone must do (a UNESCO listed site). We will discover the mysterious and enigmatic figures that an old pre-Inca civilization made in the south of Lima 1500 years ago. The flight provides travellers with an insight of the diversity of the Incas and how they spread out over the land. Whilst you will also be able to photograph the beautiful views and landscape.  Include in today’s tour is The Huacachina Oasis, where you’ll get to ride a dune buggy and do sand boarding.

IMPORTANT: The Nazca airport is 400 km from Lima, we take the Pan-American Highway which is very well maintained. Although it is a long drive, it is really worth it! You will be in a comfortable vehicle with A/C and a friendly local guide explaining you about interesting topics. As an extra, we get to see The Palpa Lines (much older than the Nazca ones), made by Paracas culture. Lunch is also included as part of the tour and all entry costs to listed attractions. On returning from the Nazca Lines we will stop at Huacachina Oasis for 2 nights.

Today you can relax and enjoy the unique area of the Huacachina Oasis.

There will also be the option of an editing workshop, in the morning, and then the rest of the day to explore the area.

On returning back to Lima, we will stop off and spend the day exploring the port town of Paracas. It is a town on Peru's coast. It's known for beaches, like El Chaco, set within the sheltered Paracas Bay. The town is a launch point for the uninhabited Ballestas Islands, home to sea lions, pelicans and Humboldt penguins. We will enjoy a boat ride out to the islands in order to photograph these islands and their wildlife. The area is rugged with plenty of wildlife. Whilst the Paracas National Reserve spans desert, ocean, islands and the Paracas Peninsula. The peninsula’s Paracas Candelabra is a huge prehistoric geoglyph, etched into a hillside.

This private half-day tour takes you off the beaten path to a different and authentic side of Lima, where locals live and work. A day full of responsible cultural immersion, local culture, social impact and learning. You will visit a local artisan, a social project, have lunch at a local family’s house and learn about daily life in Lima’s human settlements. You will not only learn interesting historical, political and cultural facts but most importantly, you will meet many amazing locals who work very hard to improve their community. Importantly, this tour focuses on positive initiatives and hope. In addition, your visit supports the local project that you will visit and learn more about.

In the morning, we will be picked up from your hotel and be taken to the Lima Airport in time for your domestic flight to Cusco. Upon arrival in the Incan Empire of Cusco, your private tour guide will welcome you to the city and take you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas by private van. Along the route, you will have the chance to experience the rich culture and nature of the Andes and to have an off the beaten track encounter, away from the crowded tourist spots. Therefore, we will take you to Umasbamba, a local community where people create Andean textiles using the ancestral technics since the Incas times, here you will not only learn about the weaving process but also have a first impression of the daily life of the farmers in the Andean highlands, a great introduction to the local culture. We will have a delicious typical lunch with them. After our visit here, we will continue driving and pass through the beautiful Piuray Lake. Finally, you will arrive in Maras, a very authentic village of farmers, with a spectacular scenery of the Andean mountain range and glaciers, where your Andean Villas are located and where you will start your cultural Immersion experience.

This day will be full of surprises and offers you plenty of possibilities to explore the culture and the nature of the Peruvian Andes. During the morning, you can learn about ancient Incan and pre-Incan agricultural methods, including a visit to the salt mines of Maras and local fields, you can also visit to circulate terraces of Moray used as an agriculture laboratory during the Incas time. As an alternative, you are also able to include sporty activities such as a biking tour through the stunning landscape of the Sacred Valley or a kayaking adventure on Waypo Lake, a calm lake between the snow-capped mountains. So please, let us know if you would like to bike or kayak this day! In the afternoon, you will be able to experience cultural activities, such as a visit to a local school we support our social projects. According to our concept at Cultural Immersion, you will make sure to provide you with an authentic experience, including interaction with the local communities who will be happy to show you around and allow you to partake in their daily life for a short time.

In the morning, your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel for your private tour of Ollantaytambo, one of the last Incan refugees during Spanish colonization. You will step back in time as many of the houses and buildings continue to stand from the Incan empire and display the original architecture. You will be invited to enter one of these houses to observe the building and the way in which the people used to live. Then we will take you to the train station of Ollantaytambo, where you will board the train to Aguas Calientes. On this one-and-a-half-hour spectacular train journey you will be able to observe a change in the landscape, from the typical Andean highlands to the beginning of the jungle. Upon arrival to Aguas Calientes, your private tour guide will take you to the bus station and accompany you to the complex of Machu Picchu ´The Lost City of the Incas. We truly recommend visiting this highlight in the afternoon, as it is less crowded which gives you the opportunity to better feel the spirit of this truly magic site. During your tour of this sacred Incan site, you will learn about the history and visit the truly remarkable temples of the Sun and the Condor. You will also see the aqueducts and houses while learning some interesting facts about the Incan Sacred Terraces. After your guided tour, you will have plenty of time to explore this truly magnificent site on your own. There are many short trek options, such as the one to the Sun Gate for an impressive view of Machu Picchu or a visit to the Incan Bridge, a secret entrance for the Incan Army. In the later afternoon, you will return to Aguas Calientes where you will you have the rest of the evening to spend at your leisure. You should not miss taking a bath in the hot springs or have a great dinner in one of our recommended restaurants.

Optional short Inca Trail: As an option today you could also replace this tour for the short Incan Trail to Machu Picchu, This is a great option we recommend you as it will not only let you enjoy fully, Machu Picchu, without crowds, but also includes a second visit the next morning. If you decide to do this you will take an early train in the morning and get off at the 104 km, from here you will start your trek, always accompanied by your private tour guide and walk for about 6–7 hours to reach Machu Picchu, upon arrival you will enjoy a spectacular view of the citadel from the Sun Gate. The additional cost for this option is 200 USD per person including entrance ticket, tour guide, and a Machu Pichu 2-day visit Pass. If you would like to take this option, you need to let us know in advance as there are limited spaces for the Inca Trail.

Today, you will have the morning to spend at your leisure on your own. Or You can have the opportunity to revisit Machu Picchu (However entrance and bus tickets not included in the tour cost) to enjoy the many short trekking options, or venture the famous mountain climb to the summit of Wayna Picchu, which can be scheduled at either 7 am or 10 am. However, there is a limit on the number of people who can climb each day, so you will need to book it with us in advance. If you do not want to revisit Machu Picchu, you might want to take a walk through the crooked alleys of Aguas Calientes and observe the life of the people in this truly touristy place or take a bath in the hot springs of the place. After lunch, you will board the scenic train back to Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival in the train station, we will pick you up and transfer you to Cusco by private minibus.

In the morning, your tour guide will meet you at your hotel to begin your city tour of Cusco. You will start the tour visiting the Temple of the Sun, Qoricancha, located on the main Avenida El Sol (Avenue of the Sun). This Incan site was one of the most worshipped and respected temples of the Incan Empire. We will then meet different squares and plazas of the city: The Main Plaza (Plaza de Armas), Regocijo and San Francisco. After our visits, we will explore the local neighbourhood of San Blas, which is the most picturesque and where you will find many art galleries and enjoy the local contemporary art. If you want to make your city tour more adventurous you can do it on a bike without any extra cost. Please, let us know if you want this option, and we can provide the bicycles and equipment. In the afternoon, we will start our culinary experience by taking you to the San Pedro Market, where you will see a wide variety of goods including, the vast different kind of potatoes, corn, meat, cheese, fruits, etc. Afterwards, you will be taken to the Cusco Culinary Cooking Studio, located in the centre of Cusco where our Peruvian Professional Chef will show you how to prepare the most popular and tasty dishes of the Andes of Peru, including a refreshing drink, appetizer, main course, dessert and, of course, the famous Pisco Sour, in this fascinating tour you will not only be able to prepare your own meal but also enjoy the great Peruvian food.

Today we will fly back top Lima. Transfer from the hotel to the airport is included. On arrival in Lima, you will have the rest of the day to relax.

On your last full day, you will have the opportunity to have an editing workshop in the morning and then the rest of the day to explore the city, as you please. Or alternatively you can relax at the hotel, before your return flight home tomorrow.

After saying goodbye to Peru and your fellow tour photographers, you’ll transfer to the airport, for your return flight.