Peru Travel Packages offer customizable itineraries covering Machu Picchu, the Amazon, and coastal deserts. Options include guided treks, cultural homestays, and logistics like trains or buses. Flexibility balances must-see sites with hidden gems.
Most packages start in Lima, but the real magic begins in Cusco. Classic tours bundle Sacred Valley stops—Pisac’s market, Ollantaytambo’s fortress—with a Machu Picchu train ride. Budget options use buses; luxury ones include Hiram Bingham trains with onboard pisco sours. Amazon add-ons mean lodges near Puerto Maldonado: think mosquito nets, night hikes spotting tarantulas, and canoe trips to oxbow lakes. Coastal packages? Paracas’ desert islands (hello, penguins!) and Nazca Lines flights. But let’s be real: altitude hits hard. Guides warn, “Drink coca tea, no corras!” (don’t run). Still, some tourists ignore it and end up nauseous by Day 2.
Now, the messy parts. Rainy season (Nov-Mar) cancels treks like Salkantay, switching routes last-minute. Train tickets sell out; booking months ahead is key. Homestays in Lake Titicaca’s islands sound authentic, but not everyone’s ready for squat toilets or guinea pig dinners (cuy). Guides joke, “Adventure includes surprises.” Foodies rave about Lima’s food tours—ceviche at Mercado 1, picarones dripping in syrup—but your stomach might protest street anticuchos. Luxury packages handle these hiccups smoothly; budget ones? You’ll problem-solve with locals. Pro tip: If a package includes “Andean ceremonies,” ask details. Some are genuine (despacho offerings with a shaman), others feel staged for photos.
The best packages mix structure and freedom. Example: A morning guided tour of Sacsayhuamán, then free time to haggle for chullos in San Pedro Market. Or Colca Canyon tours that let you choose between a grueling 12km hike or a lazy soak in thermal baths. Transportation varies wildly—old buses with no AC versus private vans with Wi-Fi. Locals recommend smaller agencies (avoid the big names!) for community-based trips, like weaving with Chinchero families or planting quinoa in the Andes. Festivals add chaos: Inti Raymi crowds are insane, but nothing beats the vibe. Guides admit, “July’s pricey, but worth it.” Bottom line? Peru’s not a checklist. A good package leaves room for detours—a random farm selling chicha morada, a forgotten chapel with colonial art—and reminds you to breathe. Literally. Altitude’s no joke.
