8-Day Inca Empire Tour from Lima: Machu Picchu & Cusco

The Incas built in stone so precisely that mortar was never needed.

An 8-day guided tour of Peru's Inca sites starting in Lima, moving through Cusco and the Sacred Valley, and ending at Machu Picchu, with seven nights of accommodation, all entrance fees, airport transfers and a live guide in English or Spanish. You fly from Lima to Cusco (morning arrival required) and return to Lima on the final day. A 90% refund applies if you cancel 15 days before departure.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Lima, The City of The Kings

• Arrival in Lima and transfer to hotel
• Afternoon tour: Love Park and Huaca Pucllana
• Visit Main Square, Government Palace, and Town Hall
• Explore Cathedral and Santo Domingo Convent

Day 2: Pachacamac, Larco Museum and Magic Water

• Visit Pachacamac archaeological sanctuary
• Tour Larco Museum
• Evening visit to Magic Water Circuit
• Tasting of Peruvian sandwiches and pisco drink

Day 3: Cusco, Capital of the Inca Empire

• Flight to Cusco and transfer to hotel
• Visit San Cristobal Plaza panoramic view
• Explore San Pedro Market
• Visit Korikancha temple and Santo Domingo Church
• Walk from San Blas to Hatun Rumiyoc street
• Visit Inca Roca Palace and Twelve Angle Stone
• Visit Main Square and Cusco Cathedral

Day 4: Archaeological Park of Sacsayhuaman

• Visit Sacsayhuaman fortress
• Explore Inca Shrine Qenqo
• Visit Puca Pucara viewpoint and Tambomachay
• Free afternoon in Cusco

Day 5: Sacred Valley: Pisac and Inkariy Museum

• Visit Awanacancha camelid complex
• Tour Inca and Colonial Pisac archaeological site
• Walking tour of Colonial Pisac town
• Shopping at Pisac handicraft market
• Visit Inkariy Museum and have lunch

Day 6: Sacred Valley: Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo

• Visit Moray Inca terraces
• Explore Maras salt mines
• Buffet lunch
• Visit Ollantaytambo archaeological site
• Train to Machu Picchu and hotel check-in

Day 7: Machu Picchu The Lost Citadel

• Bus to Machu Picchu
• Guided tour of Machu Picchu
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Return to Cusco and transfer to hotel

Day 8: Farewell day

• Departure transfer to Cusco airport
• Assistance with connection flight in Lima

The experience

You arrive in Lima and meet your guide at the airport for a transfer to your hotel. That afternoon, the tour starts with a walk through the city's plazas: Love Park in Miraflores overlooking the Pacific, then Huaca Pucllana, a ceremonial center built by the Lima culture centuries before the Incas arrived. You'll see the Cathedral and Santo Domingo Convent, where the remains of two 17th-century saints rest in the corridors. The next day takes you south to Pachacamac, an adobe sanctuary 30 kilometers away that served as a pilgrimage center for multiple pre-Inca cultures before the Incas adapted it as an administrative hub. You walk through the Temple of the Sun, the Acllahuasi, and the Pilgrims Plaza, then visit the on-site museum to understand what archaeologists found there. That evening, you head to the Magic Water Circuit, a fountain complex that holds the Guinness World Record for the largest fountains in a public park, and finish with Peruvian sandwiches and pisco, the country's national spirit.

On day three, you fly to Cusco in the morning and spend the afternoon exploring the city itself. The San Cristobal Plaza gives you a panoramic view. The San Pedro Market shows you the regional produce that feeds the city. The Korikancha temple, whose name means "Gold Enclosure," still stands with the thought of its gold-covered walls intact. You walk through San Blas, the artisans' neighborhood, and stop at the Inca Roca Palace and the famous Twelve Angle Stone, where Inca builders fitted stones so tightly that a knife blade cannot slip between them. Day four takes you to Sacsayhuaman, a fortress of colossal stone constructions with views across the valley, then to Qenqo, where a sacrificial altar sits inside a rock cave, and finally to Puca Pucara and Tambomachay, monuments that show the architectural knowledge the Incas applied to water management and sacred space. You have a free afternoon to explore Cusco on your own.

Days five and six move into the Sacred Valley. You start at Awanacancha, where you feed llamas and alpacas and watch locals demonstrate weaving and dyeing techniques that have not changed in centuries. Then comes Pisac, an Inca site perched on a mountain with a colonial town below it. You walk both the ruins and the town, with time to shop at the handicraft market. The Inkariy Museum, where you have lunch, displays cultural representations of pre-Hispanic civilizations across multiple rooms. The next day you explore Moray, where concentric terraces form an amphitheater designed to recreate 20 different microclimates for agricultural testing, and Maras, the millenary salt mines whose white wells contrast sharply against the green valley. In the afternoon, you visit Ollantaytambo, a living Inca town where you learn how the Incas worked stone, then board a train to Machu Picchu and arrive at your hotel in Aguas Calientes.

On day seven, you take a bus up a winding road above the Urubamba River canyon to Machu Picchu itself. A guide walks you through the terraces, ceremonial shrines, steps and urban areas of the Lost City. After lunch at a restaurant in the area, you return to Cusco and transfer to your hotel. The final day is a departure transfer to Cusco airport. The operator's staff assists with your connection flight to Lima, and you can add extra nights or extensions if you choose.

What’s included

• Seven nights of accommodation in Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes according to your chosen room class.
• all entrance fees to Machu Picchu, Pachacamac, the Larco Museum, Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, the Inkariy Museum and all other sites in the itinerary.
• all guided tours and excursions listed day by day.
• airport and hotel transfers in Lima and Cusco.
• the train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu.
• lunch at the Inkariy Museum and lunch at Machu Picchu.
• a live guide in English or Spanish throughout.

Options for this experience

8 options

Double room in Economy ClassUp to 8 people · Guide in English or Spanish · No fixed timeSelected hotels: Tambo II Miraflores, Agusto´s Cusco, Agusto´s Sacred Valley and Inti Punku Machu Picchu. Train: Voyager Train service. Pickup is included.

Double room in Tourist ClassUp to 8 people · Guide in English or Spanish · No fixed timeSelected hotels: Libre Signature Collection by BW, Hacienda Cusco, AVA Spot Sacred Valley and Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu. Train: Voyager Train service. Pickup is included.

Double room in First ClassUp to 8 people · Guide in English or Spanish · No fixed timeSelected hotels: Hilton Garden Inn Miraflores, Casa Andina Premium Cusco, Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay and El Mapi by Inkaterra. Train: Voyager Train service. Pickup is included.

See 5 more options

Single room in Economy ClassUp to 9 people · Guide in English or Spanish · No fixed timeSelected hotels: Tambo II Miraflores, Agusto´s Cusco, Agusto´s Sacred Valley and Inti Punku Machu Picchu. Train: Voyager Train service. Pickup is included.

Single room in Tourist ClassUp to 9 people · Guide in English or Spanish · No fixed timeSelected hotels: Libre Signature Collection by BW, Hacienda Cusco, AVA Spot Sacred Valley and Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu. Train: Voyager Train service. Pickup is included.

Single room in First ClassUp to 9 people · Guide in English or Spanish · No fixed timeJose Antonio Deluxe. Train: Voyager Train service. Pickup is included.

Double room in Deluxe ClassUp to 8 people · Guide in English or Spanish · No fixed timeSelected hotels: Pullman Miraflores, Palacio del Inka Luxury Collection, Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba and Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo. Train: Voyager Train service. Pickup is included.

Single room in Deluxe ClassUp to 9 people · Guide in English or Spanish · No fixed timeSelected hotels: Pullman Miraflores, Palacio del Inka Luxury Collection, Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba and Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo. Train: Voyager Train service. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12 · max 9 per booking

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by VIPAC Travel

Is this one for you?Book the first-class or deluxe option if you want more comfort during eight days of travel and altitude. The economy and tourist classes work for travelers who prioritize seeing the sites over hotel amenities. Morning flights from Lima to Cusco are essential. Book yours early so you arrive by noon, or the itinerary cannot be confirmed.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What time does my flight from Lima to Cusco need to arrive?

Morning arrival is required, with noon or later being too late for the itinerary to work. You book the flight yourself and provide the itinerary at the time of booking so the tour operator can time the rest of the day around it.

What is Machu Picchu actually like when you get there?

Machu Picchu is an Inca citadel set high in the Andes above the Urubamba River canyon. You reach it by bus on a winding road and walk through terraces, ceremonial shrines, steps and urban areas with a guide. The site sits at altitude and the structures show the precision stonework the Incas are known for.

Do I need to bring anything for altitude sickness?

If you suffer from altitude sickness, bring medicine or ask your doctor for advice before you depart. Cusco sits at high elevation, and Machu Picchu is even higher, so preparation matters.

What happens if I need to change my Machu Picchu visit date?

The admission ticket to Machu Picchu is not refundable and date changes or amendments are not accepted. If you need to visit on a different date, you will need to purchase a new entrance ticket.

What documents do I need to provide when I book?

Provide your passport name, number, expiry date and country at the time of booking for all participants. The operator also needs your international flight itinerary and your domestic flight itinerary (Lima to Cusco and Cusco to Lima) so the tour can be confirmed.

What is included in the price and what do I pay for separately?

The tour includes all entrance fees, all tours and excursions in the itinerary, seven nights of accommodation, and all transfers from and to airports, hotels, railway and bus stations. Food and drinks (except where specified in the itinerary), gratuities, and airfare between Lima and Cusco are not included.