"Incredible experience!! Beautiful landscape and beautiful people. We were lucky to be guided by Vladimir, who with his lovely personality and amazing knowledge made this trip a great learning experience."
Photos: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
Peru in 8 Days: Nazca, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain
The trip in one paragraph
This is the 7-day trip plus one big mountain day. Book it if you want the Nazca Lines, Machu Picchu and one high Andean hike, and you are reasonably fit. If you would rather not climb above 16,000 ft, the 7-day Peru tour stops after Machu Picchu.
Why the hike comes last
Rainbow Mountain sits at 16,522 ft (5,036 m). We put it on day 7, after three nights in the Cusco region, because each day at altitude makes the climb easier. People who try it on their second day in Cusco are the ones who turn back.
The rhythm of the eight days
Three days on the coast, with Paracas, Huacachina and the flight over the lines. Then Cusco, the Sacred Valley and a night in Aguas Calientes before Machu Picchu. Day 7 starts at 4 a.m. for the mountain, and day 8 is a slow breakfast before the airport. The weak point is the same as on the 7-day trip: a late bus into Lima on day 3 and an early flight on day 4.
Choose your comfort level
Same tours, guides, train and tickets in every tier. The tier sets the hotels for 7 nights: Essential (3-star) from US$1,190, Comfort (4-star) US$1,300, Signature (5-star) US$2,520. Prices are per person in a double room, flights not included. Solo travelers pay a single supplement, quoted with the trip.
Pick your arrival date
Pick the day you land in Lima. The trip ends on day 8 at Cusco airport.
Send the free quote form with your arrival date and passport details. We confirm the Nazca flight, Machu Picchu tickets, trains and hotels. For June to August, book 30 to 45 days ahead.
Day by day
Open a day to see the hours, the altitude and where you sleep. Times are the ones our guides actually keep.
Day1
Lima airport, Miraflores, Historic Center of Lima
Night in Lima, near sea level
Our driver meets you outside customs with a sign and takes you to the hotel. Traffic from the airport to Miraflores runs 45 minutes to well over an hour, so do not plan anything tight.
The afternoon tour starts on the clifftop parks of Miraflores, Parque del Amor and the Larcomar walkway, with the Pacific below. The sky is gray for most of the year, and that is normal for Lima.
Then into the Historic Center (UNESCO, 1988): Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, the Government Palace from outside, and the bone-lined catacombs under the San Francisco convent. Back at the hotel in the early evening.
Day2
Lima, Paracas, Ballestas Islands, Ica, Huacachina
Night in Nazca, below 2,000 ft
Pickup between 04:40 and 05:00 with a boxed breakfast for the road. Paracas is about three and a half hours south.
The boat passes the Candelabra geoglyph cut into the sand, then circles the islands: sea lions on the rocks, Humboldt penguins, and so many cormorants and boobies that you smell the guano before you see them. Nobody lands on the islands. Sit on the left going out for the Candelabra.
A stop at a family winery near Ica to see how pisco is distilled, with a tasting.
Dune buggy ride and sandboarding in the dunes around the Huacachina lagoon. The buggies drive hard over the crests, so hold on and keep your camera strapped. A proper board for experienced boarders costs extra. We drive on to Nazca on the Panamericana and check in late. The Nazca flight is tomorrow morning.
Day3
Nazca airfield, Nazca Lines flight, bus to Lima
Night in Lima, near sea level
Transfer to the Nazca airfield between 09:00 and 10:00 for the overflight of the lines (UNESCO, 1994): the hummingbird, the monkey, the spider, the astronaut on the hillside. The agency times the flight at about 45 minutes. The small plane banks hard left and right so both sides see each figure. Skip breakfast or eat light, and take motion sickness tablets an hour before.
Regular coach from Nazca at 14:00, arriving in Lima around 23:00, with a transfer to your hotel. It is a long seat, so bring snacks and a sweater for the air conditioning.
Day4
Lima to Cusco flight, Qorikancha, Sacsayhuamán
Night in Cusco, 11,150 ft (3,400 m)
Transfer to Lima airport for a morning flight to Cusco, about 1 hour 20 minutes. You land at 11,150 ft (3,400 m). Walk slowly, drink water and coca tea, and eat a light lunch.
Qorikancha, the Inca sun temple with a Dominican convent built over its walls. Then the van climbs to Sacsayhuamán, whose zigzag walls use stones heavier than a loaded truck, and on to Q'enqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay. Back near the Plaza de Armas around 18:30.
Day5
Cusco, Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes
Night in Aguas Calientes, 6,690 ft (2,040 m)
Pickup between 06:20 and 06:50. Pack a small overnight bag for Aguas Calientes and leave the big suitcase at the Cusco hotel, because the train has a luggage limit.
Chinchero, at 12,340 ft (3,762 m), has a colonial church on Inca walls and a weaving cooperative that shows natural dyes. Moray is a set of circular terraces sunk into the ground. At Maras, thousands of salt ponds step down the hillside, white against red earth.
Lunch at a buffet restaurant in the valley, with trout, quinoa and Andean potatoes.
A guided visit to the Ollantaytambo terraces, then the PeruRail Expedition train to Aguas Calientes along the Urubamba river, about 1 hour 40 minutes. The air gets warm and damp as you drop into cloud forest.
Day6
Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, Cusco
Night in Cusco, 11,150 ft (3,400 m)
Consettur bus up the switchbacks, about 30 minutes. Your entry time is printed on the ticket, under your passport name.
About 2 hours 30 minutes with a licensed guide on Circuit 2, the route with the classic upper view and the main temples. Circuits are one way with no re-entry, so use the restroom at the gate.
Lunch on your own in Aguas Calientes, then the PeruRail Vistadome back to Ollantaytambo, with roof windows and a snack. A van drives you up to Cusco, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
Day7
Cusco, Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca), Cusco
Night in Cusco, high point 16,522 ft (5,036 m)
Pickup between 04:00 and 04:30. About three hours by road to the trailhead, with breakfast on the way.
The trail climbs past alpaca herds to the viewpoint at 16,522 ft (5,036 m), with Ausangate's glaciers to the east. Most people stop every twenty steps on the last slope. Horses for most of the way are paid in cash to the community.
Lunch on the way down, back in Cusco between 16:00 and 17:00.
Day8
Cusco, airport transfer
End of the trip
Free morning. San Pedro market for coffee and dried fruit, or San Blas for the workshops.
Transfer to Cusco airport for your flight to Lima and your connection home.
Where you go
South along the desert coast and back, a flight to Cusco, the train to Machu Picchu, then three hours south of Cusco to Rainbow Mountain.
Route: Lima · Paracas · Huacachina · Nazca · Cusco · Chinchero · Ollantaytambo · Aguas Calientes · Machu Picchu · Rainbow Mountain.
What is included
Included
- Machu Picchu entrance, Circuit 2Bought under your passport name for your date and entry hour. Also the Nazca overflight, the Ballestas boat, the Huacachina buggy, the city tour and Sacred Valley entries, and the Rainbow Mountain trail.
- 7 hotel nights2 in Lima, 1 in Nazca, 3 in Cusco, 1 in Aguas Calientes, double room, category by tier.
- PeruRail train, round tripExpedition from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, Vistadome back, assigned seats.
- Consettur bus up and downAguas Calientes to the Machu Picchu gate and back.
- All ground transfersAirports, stations, bus terminals and every tour on the itinerary.
- Meals listedBreakfast after each hotel night, a boxed breakfast on day 2, buffet lunch on day 5, breakfast and lunch on the Rainbow Mountain day.
- Licensed guidesEnglish-speaking guides on every tour, a pre-departure briefing, a first aid kit with oxygen and support by phone around the clock.
Not included
- Horse at Rainbow MountainPaid in cash to the community if you want one.
- FlightsInternational flights and the Lima to Cusco flight. We tell you which flight to book so it matches your pickups.
- Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu MountainAbout US$75 per person extra, and it sells out first, so ask when you book.
- Meals not listedMost dinners, and lunch in Aguas Calientes on the Machu Picchu day.
- TipsOptional, for guides, drivers and boat crews.
- Travel insuranceWith medical evacuation cover. Strongly recommended at this altitude.
- DisruptionsExtra costs from landslides, strikes, weather or train cancellations outside our control.
Good to know
Travelers on this itinerary
Sacred Lake Titikaka is new; these are public Tripadvisor reviews of Viajes Cusco Perú, the family agency that operates every package on this site.
Reviews shown: Viajes Cusco Perú travelers (sample of public Tripadvisor reviews, read Sep 30, 2026).
"All the tours I did (Machu, Humantay Lake, Rainbow Mountain, Sacred Valley) were spectacular!!! From picking me up at the hotel (always punctual and attentive, notifying about everything!) to the guides I had who were also excellent."
"I came to this agency by recommendation and, after traveling with them on two occasions, I can say that it was an excellent decision. I must highlight the professionalism of the guides, who made every tour very interesting and safe."
Still have questions?
Everything we get asked about this package before people book.
Is Rainbow Mountain too hard for an average traveler?
It is the hardest day of the trip, and most healthy adults do it. The climb is 1.5 to 2 hours uphill to 16,522 ft. You will stop often. By day 7 you have had three nights in the region, which makes a real difference. Horses cover most of the trail for a cash fee if your lungs say no.
Can I skip Rainbow Mountain?
Yes. Tell us when you book and we will replace it with a free day in Cusco or an easier tour, and adjust the price if the replacement costs less. Skipping it on the day, once transport is booked, is not refunded.
What is the difference between the 7, 8 and 9 day trips?
All three share the coast, Nazca, Cusco and Machu Picchu. The 8-day trip adds Rainbow Mountain. The 9-day trip adds Rainbow Mountain and the Humantay Lake hike. Pick by how many high hikes you want, not by the price per day.
Are flights included?
No. You book international flights and the Lima to Cusco flight. We tell you which flight fits the pickups, and we move the transfer if the airline changes the schedule.
How much does the 8-day Peru tour cost?
From US$1,190 per person in a double room with 3-star hotels. The Comfort tier with 4-star hotels is US$1,300 and Signature with 5-star hotels is US$2,520. The tours, guides and tickets are identical across tiers.
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