Peru guide
No matter whether you’re looking for a 2 min summary or want to delve deeper and discover what we rate & what we don’t, our Peru travel guide is here to help you travel like a local, including a handy section on food, shopping & people.
Machu Picchu tips & advice
Sunrise
Sarah Miginiac, General Manager Latin America for our specialist tour operator G Adventures:
“The ticketing system has been a big positive. This kind of thing is used at tourism attractions around the world. The fixed scheduling means if you want to see the sunrise you no longer see these massive queues for the bus. It’s worth noting, though, that the sunrise is not always as impressive as people think it will be, there’s often mist up there for one thing.”
“The ticketing system has been a big positive. This kind of thing is used at tourism attractions around the world. The fixed scheduling means if you want to see the sunrise you no longer see these massive queues for the bus. It’s worth noting, though, that the sunrise is not always as impressive as people think it will be, there’s often mist up there for one thing.”
Our Machu Picchu Holidays
Peru highlights tour, Inca trail, Titicaca and Nazca
Taste Peru's diverse landscapes and fascinating culture
From
£3049 to £3649
17 days
inc UK flights
Peruvian Andes trekking holiday to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu with an International Guide and Doctor.
From
£2309
14 days
ex flights
Cusco & Inca Trail holiday, tailormade
Peru's highlights of Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
From
£1900
7 days
ex flights
Adventure holiday in Peru
Inca culture to sea lions on Peru adventure
From
£2268 to £2855
15 days
ex flights
Peru holiday, Cusco to Lake Titicaca
Customisable Overland Trip: Machu Picchu & Titicaca Islands
From
£1220
8 days
ex flights
High Inca Trail trek in Peru
Machu Picchu, Inca fortresses and cloud forest
From
£2649 to £3199
16 days
inc UK flights
Inca Trail trekking holiday, alternative route
Discover the beauty of the Inca Trail in a different way
From
£645
5 days
ex flights
Ancascocha 5 day trek in Peru
Off the beaten trek to Machu Picchu
From
£620 to £669
5 days
ex flights
Peru bird watching holiday
Best birding destinations near Cusco and Machu Picchu
From
US $1916
9 days
ex flights
Classic Machu Picchu tour
A cultural venture of Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu
From
US $2495
9 days
ex flights
Cusco to Machu Picchu short tour
Cusco, Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley
From
US $1080 to US $1770
4 days
ex flights
Tailor made holiday in Peru
A luxury tailormade trip exploring the sites of Peru
From
£4245
14 days
inc UK flights
Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu trek
Bucket List Adventure Trekking to Machu Picchu
From
£565 to £605
4 days
ex flights
Peru and Inca trail small group holiday
Travel from the Andes to the Amazon
From
£1778 to £2240
12 days
ex flights
The Best of Peru & Inca Trail holiday
Explore the majesty of the Andes and trek to Machu Picchu.
From
£2399
17 days
ex flights
Peru small group highlights tour
Watch stunning Andean scenery between Puno and Cusco
From
£2997 to £3330
15 days
inc UK flights
Peru on a shoestring, tailor made
Explore the Inca heartland in the Andes
From
£1830
12 days
ex flights
Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru
An adventure of a life time hiking to Machu Picchu, Peru.
From
£3325
9 days
ex flights
Peru tailormade holiday
Lima, Colca, Titicaca & Machu Picchu in a customisable tour.
From
£1765
14 days
ex flights
Machu Picchu small group holiday
Hike, bike, raft and zip-line your way to Machu Picchu.
From
US $1490
7 days
ex flights
Lima to Cusco Peru tour
Customisable Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca & Machu Picchu
From
£1990
14 days
ex flights
Peru highlights tour
Customisable journey through the heart of Peru's Andes.
From
£1880
14 days
ex flights
Classic Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu
Hike the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu for 4 days
From
US $645 to US $690
4 days
ex flights
Inca trail trekking holiday
Andean adventure small group holiday
From
£1938 to £2351
11 days
inc UK flights
Peru holiday, Machu Picchu and the Amazon
Customisable tour of Inca Ruins and the Amazon Rainforest.
From
£1280
8 days
ex flights
Lares Cultural Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru
10-day flexible cultural lodge trek to Machu Picchu.
From
£3400
10 days
ex flights
Peru tour, small group
Peru on an adventure from mountains & Altiplano to jungle,
From
£1516 to £1910
9 days
ex flights
Peru 12 day itinerary, tailor made
Highlights of Peru: Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu
From
£1795
12 days
ex flights
Mountain climbing
Heather MacBrayne, founder of our specialist operator Discover South America:
“There’s a one-way system around the main sites, so you can’t miss anything on a guided tour. But there are some places everyone should see. The Sun Gate just inside the entrance is the iconic vantage point. The Condor Temple is a must-see too, and if you have time I recommend also seeing the Incan Drawbridge. And also climb Machu Picchu Mountain. It’s a longer trek than the more popular Huayna Picchu but not as steep or narrow. The views are just as stunning but you’re sharing them with fewer people. Officially you get four hours on the site, but if you do a trek, which takes about three hours, you are allowed to stay for six.”
“There’s a one-way system around the main sites, so you can’t miss anything on a guided tour. But there are some places everyone should see. The Sun Gate just inside the entrance is the iconic vantage point. The Condor Temple is a must-see too, and if you have time I recommend also seeing the Incan Drawbridge. And also climb Machu Picchu Mountain. It’s a longer trek than the more popular Huayna Picchu but not as steep or narrow. The views are just as stunning but you’re sharing them with fewer people. Officially you get four hours on the site, but if you do a trek, which takes about three hours, you are allowed to stay for six.”
Jennifer Cox, walking holidays product manager for our specialist operator Exodus Travel:
“We’ve been offering the Moonstone Trail as an alternative to the Inca Trail for about a decade now. Many people choose it because it’s so remote - you can often walk for four days and not bump into a single other group. It’s probably the most challenging of the various alternative routes to the Inca Trail and reaches some high altitudes. However most of the porterage is by horse, so if you’re struggling, you can usually get a ride.”
“We’ve been offering the Moonstone Trail as an alternative to the Inca Trail for about a decade now. Many people choose it because it’s so remote - you can often walk for four days and not bump into a single other group. It’s probably the most challenging of the various alternative routes to the Inca Trail and reaches some high altitudes. However most of the porterage is by horse, so if you’re struggling, you can usually get a ride.”
Our top Machu Picchu Holiday
Peruvian Andes trekking holiday to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu with an International Guide and Doctor.
From
£2309
14 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2021: 10 Jul, 7 Aug, 11 Sep, 9 Oct
2021: 10 Jul, 7 Aug, 11 Sep, 9 Oct
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Machu Picchu or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
MACHU PICCHU TIPS FROM OUR TRAVELLER REVIEWS
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Machu Picchu travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Machu Picchu travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.
Of course Machu Picchu is amazing, but I also loved Cusco and Arequipa. Wandering around the streets of Cusco and finding beautiful squares was a great experience.![]()
– Nigel Parsons
“The Inca Trail is physically demanding and if you are 50+ (I am nearly 70) some good training in preparation is essential to enjoy the trek. There are literally many hundreds of roughly constructed rock steps up and down... Trekking poles are a big help. If you go to one museum before or after Machu Picchu make it the Casa Concha Museum in Cusco which features all the artefacts found by Hiram Bingham during his excavations and returned a century later by Yale University.” – Stephen Shirley
“Our group of eight porters, a cook and a guide were all employed from the local area so it was helping local farmers to supplement their income. The porters were also very careful to make sure that everyone on the hike was respecting the local environment and leaving as little trace as possible.” – Elfie Burgess
“Our group of eight porters, a cook and a guide were all employed from the local area so it was helping local farmers to supplement their income. The porters were also very careful to make sure that everyone on the hike was respecting the local environment and leaving as little trace as possible.” – Elfie Burgess
More relevant guides
More about Machu Picchu
Learn when to visit Machu Picchu, taking into account climate and peak tourist season.
This incredible Inca citadel casts a spell over visitors today just as it did a century ago.
Learn the key sites in and around the Machu Picchu site with our Map & Highlights.
All you need to know about how to get to Machu Picchu, and what trekking there involves.
Find out how to avoid the worst of the crowds at Machu Picchu with expert tips.
In 2011, Machu Picchu celebrated 100 years since its (sort-of) rediscovery.
Discover lesser known, less-busy alternative Inca sites to Machu Picchu in Peru.
Learn more about some of the key tourism issues and solutions at Machu Picchu.
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