2021 & 2022 Globus Guided Tours - Globus® Vacation Packages

Peru Splendors with Arequipa & Colca Canyon (SOE3)

11 days from Lima to Lima

2025 Tour Details View 2026 Tour Details »

Love a good mystery? This 11-day vacation to Peru is the perfect escape to delve into the world’s most intriguing lost and found story. Featuring not one, but two days behind the misty gates of Machu Picchu, this below-the-equator tour takes you high into the Andes and deeper inside the Lost City of the Incas to unearth its centuries-old secrets. Navigating the cryptic maze of trails, temples, and terraces in the world’s most famous forgotten city is one for the memory books. Other great finds on this tantalizing tour of Peru? Up-close encounters with llamas, alpacas, and other Sacred Valley locals; vibrant, handwoven textiles in the former Inca Empire capital of Cusco; bold, multicultural cuisine in the foodie capital of Lima; and a warm welcome inside a traditional family home for an authentic taste of Peruvian hospitality. Craving a deeper Peruvian experience? Add the Colca Canyon and Arequipa to your Peru vacation. Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world. Enjoy the spectacular views below while the giant condor soars above. A visit to the “White City” of Arequipa, built from white volcanic rock, promises more dramatic views.

Small-Group Discovery Dates Available

Each Globus South America tour is limited to an average of just 20 guests per departure. There’s always room to roam with extra space between you and other travelers—while still getting up close and personal to the experiences you’ve been dreaming of. Small-Group Discoveries include all the features of a traditional Globus escorted vacation, complete with expert Tour Director, Driver, and Local Guides who ensure that your health and safety is our top priority. A Small-Group Discovery vacation is the perfectly sized tour—without the crowds.


Multiple Vacation Discount: Save up to an additional $100 per person when you book more than one Globus, Cosmos or Avalon Vacation for the same travel year
Peru Splendors with Arequipa & Colca Canyon map

 Photo Highlights

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

Breakfast daily, 5 lunches, 4 dinners


Notes:

Maximum enjoyment of this vacation requires walking on cobblestone streets, uneven pathways, and climbing stairs. Elevations exceeding 10,000 feet can make even modest exertion a challenge. Maximum elevation on this tour is approx.16,000 ft.

People should be in relatively good shape to visit Arequipa and Colca Canyon due to high altitudes. Arequipa is approx. 7,808 feet and the road to Colca Valley has mountain passes which are approx. 16,000 ft. In Colca, where guests will overnight, the altitude is approx. 11,800 ft.

 Itinerary

Day 1 ARRIVE IN LIMA, PERU

Welcome to the modern city of Lima!
Upon arrival, you will be met by your Globus representative.


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Day 2 LIMA

Legendary Lima
This afternoon, your Local Guide focuses on the city’s colonial heritage during a walking tour. Start at the Plaza de Armas to see the Government Palace and the cathedral. From here, stroll to the venerable San Francisco Monastery with its splendid 17th-century cloister murals. For a special treat, Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite stop at a local food market to get a real taste of life for the local people. This evening, enjoy dinner at one of Lima’s Peruvian restaurants with your fellow travel companions.

LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES Stop for a real taste of Peru at a local market. Sample some of the local fruits and vegetable that aren’t found in other parts of the world. You can also find spices, meats, seafood, and even a souvenir or two. And you’ll definitely want to take some photos of the beautiful, brightly hued displays.


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Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 3 LIMA–CUSCO–SACRED VALLEY

Empire of the Andes
Fly to Cusco, the impressive Andean city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Head into the Sacred Valley of the Incas and visit the semi-circular Kenko Amphitheater with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages and see the ancient site of Puca Pucara. Also, in the Sacred Valley, experience an Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite El Pago a la Tierra, or Mother Earth Ceremony, performed by a local shaman. Meet local families who preserve the ancient technique of Pre-Columbian weaving using South American camelid fleece. This is your chance to get up close to the various camelids, including alpaca, llama, guanaco, and vicuña, indigenous to the region. Continue to Pisaq, an old mountain village, where you will have free time to shop for local wares, such as alpaca sweaters and blankets, jewelry, or hand-painted ornamental dishes and vases at its famous market. Stay in the Sacred Valley tonight, with dinner at the hotel.

LOCAL FAVORITE
CULTURE & TRADITION Feel the earth, smell the coca leaves, and taste the chicha today as you make payment to Mother Earth. Participate in an Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite El Pago a la Tierra, an ancient ceremony led by a shaman thanking Mother Earth and asking for good health, wealth, and safe travels. These mystical ceremonies have been practiced in Peru since before the arrival of the Incas.


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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 4 SACRED VALLEY–MACHU PICCHU

Mystery on the Mountain
This morning, visit the Inca Fortress of Ollantaytambo, followed by Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite a visit to a local home, meet some of the area’s families, and experience their way of life in the Sacred Valley. Then, board the Vistadome train for a scenic journey through the lush Urubamba Valley. Upon arrival, ascend the mountainside to legendary Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas.” Your Local Guide will introduce this intact fortress with its temple remains, holy houses, and mile-long aqueduct, and will bring you closer to the mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures. Tonight, you may wish to try a Pisco Sour (a traditional Peruvian cocktail) or an Inka Kola, before the included dinner.

LOCAL FAVORITE
TIMELESS TRADITIONS Today, you are invited into a local family’s home in the Sacred Valley. Learn about their traditions like weaving that has been passed down for centuries from ancestors. See how they cook, live, sleep, work, and maybe ask about the cuy (Guinea pigs) they keep in their house.


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Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 5 MACHU PICCHU–CUSCO

Here Comes the Sun
A morning at leisure in Machu Picchu allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu with your second included entrance to the ruins. After lunch at a local restaurant, return to the Sacred Valley by train and continue to Cusco.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORY & MYSTERY Staying overnight in Machu Picchu allows you to get up early and experience the ruins at their most pristine before the crowds arrive. Watch as the mist slowly burns off and the sun rays illuminate the ruins. While you are there, you may even want to try and get a selfie with one of the local llamas or alpacas!


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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch

Day 6 CUSCO

Sun Worship & Spanish Conquests
On your guided sightseeing tour of Cusco today, learn more about the Inca and Spanish influence. Begin at the heart of Cusco in the Plaza de Armas (main square), with a visit to the imposing Cathedral, where construction began in 1550 and was finally completed 100 years later. Join a traditional Globus Local FavoriteGlobus Local Favorite Pasacalle through the streets of Cusco before continuing to Koricancha and the Santo Domingo Monastery and see how the two sites have become one. The Temple of the Sun at Koricancha was once the most important Inca site, dedicated to the worship of the Sun. The walls, altars, and decorations were all said to be covered in gold—until the Spaniards looted the temple and then built the contrasting Baroque Santo Domingo Monastery on top of the temple’s foundations. Also visit the Temple of Sacsayhuaman, perched on a hillside overlooking Cusco. It remains unfathomable how and when this fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons—was built. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a festive farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

LOCAL FAVORITE
CULTURE & TRADITION A special treat is in store for you when you are greeted by a group of Andean musicians dressed in vibrant Inca textiles. They will escort you on a Pasacalle (Andean Parade) through Cusco while playing traditional music and performing ancient dances—an experience you won’t soon forget!


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Breakfast Breakfast
DinnerDinner

Day 7 CUSCO–AREQUIPA

Lava Love in Peru
Fly to Arequipa, known as the “White City,” as its buildings are made of sillar, a white volcanic rock found throughout the area. Upon arrival, a guided city tour of Arequipa shows off the Plaza de Armas, the cathedral, and the Jesuit Church, considered the best example of the mestizo baroque style.

Please note: the Tour Director does not accompany guests on extensions. Guided service is as outlined in the day by day itinerary.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CITY SIGHTS Surrounded by three volcanos, Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city behind Lima. The city is built from volcanic material and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage city. Beyond the architecture, Arequipa is known for its authentic cuisine. Visit a local picanteria in the city and taste some of Peru’s best food.


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Breakfast Breakfast

Day 8 AREQUIPA–COLCA CANYON

Terrace Views
Take a guided drive across Pampa Cañahuas within Aguada Blanca National Reserve, the habitat of vicuñas and a variety of birds. Admire beautiful Pre-Columbian terraces still being cultivated by native Collaguas. After lunch, arrive in Colca Canyon, an impressive geological formation carved out by the river. More than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, Colca Canyon is one of the deepest in the world. Observe the spectacular terracing, considered among the most extensive in southern Peru. These terraces, which allow cultivation and meticulously controlled irrigation of the steep slopes of the canyon, were built by natives between the 9th and 14th centuries.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ACCOMMODATION SPOTLIGHT Colca Lodge is nestled on the banks of the Colca River, surrounded by hundreds of pre-Inca platforms. Each room features stunning views of the Colca valley, gardens, and an occasional llama or alpaca. The hotel also is lucky enough to boast its own natural thermal pools - a perfect way to relax at the end of the day.


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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch

Day 9 COLCA CANYON

On Condors’ Wings
This morning, enjoy a guided visit to the observation point of Condors’ Cross, for the chance to see Andean condors soaring in this native habitat. From here, also see the impressive Colca Canyon panorama. Next, visit the town of Yanque before returning to your hotel.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
WONDERS OF NATURE The Colca Canyon is home to the largest flying bird in the world, the condor. With wingspans of up to 11 feet, these massive vultures glide on the thermal updrafts along the canyon walls above the stunning landscapes of Arequipa. Don’t miss the chance to come eye to eye with these magnificent aerialists.


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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch

Day 10 COLCA CANYON–AREQUIPA–LIMA

Homeward Bound Return to Arequipa and transfer to the airport for your return flight to Lima. Free time this evening.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LOCAL TASTES Enjoy a last chance to enjoy the fantastic food of Peru with a last night in Lima. Toast the trip with a Pisco Sour, sip a spoonful of ceviche, or catch the fish of the day with a dish of fresh seafood.


LIMA-PERUVIAN-FOOD.jpg

Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch

Day 11 LIMA

Safe travels until we meet again!
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

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Breakfast Breakfast

 Tour Director

With GLOBUS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

MAURICIO YONFA-ESTUARDO

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

Born in Venezuela and raised in Ecuador, I'm an architect by profession, but a Tour Director by heart. I have worked as a South America lecturer for cruise lines, a guide in Ecuador and the Galápagos, and a Tour Director in South America. My goals are to transform each guest into a Peruvian expert and to encourage them to try and appreciate authentic Incan food. So, let's discover together the mysterious land of the Incas and maybe even sample roasted guinea pig!

Tour Director - MAURICIO YONFA-ESTUARDO

 Accommodations

Lima
Sacred Valley
Machu Picchu
Cusco
Arequipa
Colca Canyon

Lima

Casa Andina Select Miraflores
Casa Andina Select Miraflores

Casa Andina Select Miraflores

Moderate First-Class

Casa Andina Select Miraflores Calle Schell 452, Lima, Peru

Calle Schell 452
Lima, Peru

Free Wifi

Free Wifi

This hotel welcomes you to Lima in comfort and style. It is located in the center of Lima's bustling district of Miraflores, within walking distance of shops, restaurants, bars, and other Lima attractions. The excellent Casa Andina Select Miraflores exudes sophistication and comfort, focusing on personalized service and great amenities.

Hotel Amenities

  • ATM
  • Free WiFi
  • Elevator
  • Currency Exchange
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Concierge desk
  • Restaurant On-Site
  • Business Center
  • Luggage Storage
  • Fitness Room
  • Laundry Available
  • Parking/Valet
  • Beauty Salon

Room Amenities

  • Internet Access
  • Iron/Ironing Board
  • Desk
  • Daily Housekeeping
  • Mini-bar
  • Air Conditioning
  • In-Room Safe
  • Coffee Maker
  • Alarm Clock
  • Climate Control
  • Wake-Up Calls
  • Cable/Satellite
  • Television
  • Complimentary Toiletries
  • Phone
  • Hair Dryer
  • Voicemail

 Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyGlobus site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 CAD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 CAD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 CAD)
$$$$ (Over $150)


Arequipa

Arequipa

Dinner at Zig Zag Restaurant

Dinner at Zig Zag Restaurant

Indulge in a dinner of fusion of European and South American cuisine at the impressive Zig Zag Restaurant in the heart of Arequipa.

Price Range: $$$



The “Starting at” or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per person based on twin occupancy and any applicable port charges, non-commissionable taxes and fees and intra-vacation flight are included in the price shown. Any included overnight stay in Canada, applicable GST/HST is also included in the price shown. International airfare, however, is not included. If price is crossed out, the new price shown includes a limited time promotional offer(s). Please review current promotions or deals for additional information.