Peru · MORNING
This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 6 morning tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Leave from Muelle El Chaco for a two-hour morning ride to El Candelabro and the Ballestas Islands. English and Spanish guides, including guides such as Daphne and Mario, explain the wildlife from a covered speedboat. Expect sea lions, Humboldt penguins, seabirds, rock formations, and a cool, windy ride.
“Lovely! The guides were very organized, friendly and understanding.”
Travel privately from Cusco through Pisac and Ollantaytambo, meet Andean camelids, ride toward Aguas Calientes, and visit Machu Picchu at sunrise. Your guide leads the citadel tour and can arrange Huayna Picchu on request. The $509 price includes meals, buses, transport, and lodging, but not train tickets.
“Amazing two day trek; informative, professional, great by request vegetation food service, 3 star well kept and very comfortable overnight hotel, a must do. Best part was my professional guide Guido!”
You’ll travel from Cusco to 4,200-meter Humantay Lake with a guide, breakfast, lunch, transport, water, oxygen, and first aid. The turquoise glacial lake sits below snow-capped peaks, but the hike is strenuous at high altitude. Guides such as Solidad have paced walks carefully, and horses may be available locally.
“We had almost two hours of riding the ATVs and it was so much fun! Thankfully they were automatic vehicles so we didn’t have to worry about switching gears when driving up the hill. Be prepared for a dusty ride! Wear a face covering and sunglasses while you ride. The hike itself is VERY DIFFICULT! If you are not a frequent hiker or use to walking at high elevations this tour will be very hard to complete. Our tour guide was so nice and encouraging while we were hiking but we needed to make frequent stops to stretch and catch our breath. You may get light headed or have an…”
Travel south from Cusco to Tipón’s Inca waterworks, Pikillaqta’s Wari ruins, and Andahuaylillas Church, known for its painted Baroque-Andean interior. A bilingual guide, hotel pickup, and transport are included. Plan for six hours, extra entrance fees, a one-hour break, and possible stops at shops or a cash-only restaurant.
“Tour was fantastic, saw a mix ofg Spanish, Incan, and pre-Incan sites. Best of all, not a lot of steps to go up and down. A nice way to see history without tiring yourself out.”
Start around 8:45 AM with hotel pickup and visit Coricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay. An English or Spanish speaking guide explains Inca religion, stonework, surveillance, and water engineering. The $13 price is appealing, but budget 70 soles for the tourist ticket and 15 soles for Coricancha.
“é um tour muito legal para conhecer a história da região, vale a pena!”
Leave Puerto Maldonado by vehicle, walk seven minutes to the canoe, then paddle Lake Yacumama with an English or Spanish-speaking guide. The former Madre de Dios River channel is ringed by aguaje palms and forest. Choose a 5:00 a.m. sunrise trip or a 3:30 p.m. sunset outing. Caimans, macaws, fishing, and a striking water reflection may be part of the experience.
“The tour was really great! Our guide gave us a lot of explanations, we saw a lot of caimans and the sunset on the lake was incredible! But this agency is not trustworthy: poor communication and pick-up cancellation less than 4 hours before the meeting time. Better book with a local agency directly in Puerto Maldonado, like the one they subcontract to.”
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Pick a ridge, a ruin or a kitchen.
