Machu Picchu. The Sacred Valley. The Amazon. Lima. A country that carries more history, culture, and natural wonder per square mile than almost anywhere on earth.
Peru is one of the great travel destinations on earth. Few countries carry the weight of history, the depth of culture, and the breadth of natural wonder that Peru does — and fewer still deliver it all within such a varied and extraordinary landscape. From the coastal desert of Lima to the high Andean plateau of Cusco, from the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the edge of the Amazon basin, Peru is a country that rewards every traveler who arrives with curiosity and an openness to being genuinely moved.
The Inca Empire — the largest empire in pre-Columbian America — left behind a legacy of breathtaking architecture, sophisticated engineering, and profound cultural identity that is still present and alive in the Andes today. Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas, is its most iconic expression — a citadel of extraordinary beauty set on a ridge above the Urubamba River, shrouded in cloud and ringed by mountain peaks. No photograph fully prepares you for the experience of standing inside it. The Sacred Valley that stretches below it is equally rewarding — a corridor of Inca ruins, traditional markets, and Andean communities that have maintained their way of life for centuries.
Lima, Peru’s capital, deserves far more attention than most itineraries give it. The only South American capital with direct access to the sea, Lima has emerged as one of the great gastronomic cities of the world. Its historic center — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is a remarkable collection of colonial baroque architecture, grand plazas, and ornate churches. Its restaurant scene, driven by chefs who have elevated Peruvian ingredients into an internationally recognized cuisine, makes it one of the finest cities on the continent to eat in.
Add to all of this the Amazon rainforest at Madre de Dios, Lake Titicaca on the border with Bolivia, and the Inca Trail winding through cloud forest to Machu Picchu, and you begin to understand why Peru consistently ranks among the most extraordinary destinations on earth. Beagle Tours handles every detail, from Lima to the mountains and beyond, with the same standard of care and expertise that defines every experience we offer.
Peru
Lima
Lima / Cusco / Machu Picchu / Sacred Valley
May to October (Dry Season)
Varies by Region — Coastal / Andean / Tropical
Spanish / Quechua
Peruvian Sol (PEN)
PET (UTC -5)
Jorge Chávez International, Lima (LIM) / Alejandro Velasco Astete, Cusco (CUZ)
There are very few places in the world that live up entirely to what you have imagined them to be. Machu Picchu is one of them. Built by the Inca emperor Pachacuti in the 15th century and abandoned less than a century later, the citadel sat unknown to the outside world until 1911. Today it is one of the most visited and most studied archaeological sites on earth — and still one of the most mysterious. Your private guide will take you through the Intihuatana stone, the Temple of the Sun, and the agricultural terraces, and bring the history and purpose of each structure to life in a way that no guidebook can replicate.
The Sacred Valley stretches northwest of Cusco along the Urubamba River, sheltering some of the most important Inca sites in Peru. The market town of Pisac, perched above the valley with its extraordinary terraced citadel, is one of the finest examples of Inca agricultural engineering anywhere in the Andes. The fortress of Ollantaytambo — still inhabited by descendants of the original Inca community — is another. Between the ruins, the valley floor is fertile, green, and alive with traditional Andean communities whose way of life has changed remarkably little over the centuries.
Once the capital of the Inca Empire and today a UNESCO World Heritage city, Cusco is one of the most compelling cities in the Americas. The Spanish colonial buildings that line the Plaza de Armas were built directly over Inca foundations — in some cases over Inca walls so precisely fitted that not even a piece of paper can be inserted between the stones. The Cathedral, the Church of La Compañía, and the Qorikancha — the original Temple of the Sun — sit within walking distance of each other in a historic center that is extraordinary to simply walk through and absorb.
Lima rewards the traveler who gives it more than a transit stop. The historic center, declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity, holds centuries of colonial baroque architecture — grand churches, ornate mansions with carved wooden balconies, and the Plaza Mayor where the Government Palace and the Cathedral face each other across one of the finest squares in South America. Beyond history, Lima has become one of the great food cities of the world. Peruvian cuisine — built on extraordinary native ingredients from three distinct ecosystems — is now recognized internationally as one of the most creative and distinctive on earth. The neighborhood of Miraflores sits above dramatic Pacific cliffs, offering some of the finest restaurants, coastal parks, and sunset views in the city.
Peru contains a significant portion of the Amazon basin, and the region of Madre de Dios in the southeastern jungle offers some of the most pristine and biodiverse Amazon experiences available anywhere in South America. A guided expedition into the Peruvian Amazon puts you inside one of the most complex ecosystems on the planet — macaws, giant river otters, caimans, pink river dolphins, and a canopy teeming with primate and bird life. For the naturalist traveler, it is an experience of extraordinary richness that completes the Peru picture in a way nothing else can.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Ancient sites and living traditions.
Wildlife, nature and adventure.
History, culture and world-class cuisine.
From boutique properties in the colonial heart of Cusco to oceanfront hotels in Miraflores and lodge accommodation at the edge of the Sacred Valley, we place you in the right property for each leg of your Peru journey. Every hotel is personally vetted for location, comfort, and character.
Peru’s history is deep and its complexity rewards an expert guide. Every experience we offer — from Machu Picchu to Lima’s historic center, from the Sacred Valley markets to the Amazon edge — is led by a private, English-speaking specialist who brings the story of each place to life in ways that stay with you long after you leave.
All ground logistics in Peru are fully handled by our team and trusted local partners. Private vehicles for all city transfers, day trips, and excursions. In Cusco and the Sacred Valley, where the combination of altitude and traffic can make logistics genuinely challenging, having everything arranged in advance makes an enormous difference to your experience.
Most Peru itineraries require both an international flight into Lima and a domestic connection to Cusco. Our team coordinates the full routing and can help arrange both legs to make the journey as smooth as possible. We also provide guidance on altitude acclimatization, which is an important practical consideration for travelers arriving directly into Cusco at 3,400 meters.
Cusco sits at 3,400 meters above sea level. Machu Picchu, at 2,430 meters, is somewhat lower — but the journey between them involves significant altitude change. Altitude sickness, or soroche, affects many travelers and should be taken seriously. We recommend arriving in Cusco at least one to two days before any strenuous activity, staying well hydrated, avoiding alcohol during the first 24 hours, and consulting your doctor about altitude medication before travel. Our team provides full practical guidance on acclimatization as part of every Peru itinerary and plans your schedule with this in mind from the beginning.
A Taste of Peru with Beagle Tours
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Tell us when you want to go, how long you have, and what kind of experience matters most to you. We will take care of everything else from there.