14 Day Trips in Peru Worth the Early Start

1.Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cusco

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,644 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $336Our pick

Travel from Cusco to Machu Picchu by train and bus, with hotel transfers, entry fees, and a local English or Spanish-speaking guide included. Choose Expedition, Vistadome, or Executive Class service. Guides such as Hector, Paul, Ronaldo, and Edgar are praised for clear explanations and helpful photos.

“The day before the tour I received all the various tickets for the train, bus and Mathu Picchu. I recommend taking screenshots and saving them in your photos, this way you can access without an internet connection which is spotty along the trip. Do remember your passport. Was picked up at the hotel in Cusco at 6:45 with one other person. We did wait about an hour for the train. I wish they gave us 15 more minutes to be picked up, allowing for a hotel breakfast. The train to Machu Picchu was comfortable. They provided a snack which was meager and sugary. The entertainment was basically the crew singing…”

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2.From Lima: Day trip to Paracas, Ica and Oasis Huacachina

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 409 reviews · 17h 30m · from $61

Leave Lima before dawn for a two-hour boat trip around the Ballestas Islands, then continue to Ica for lunch and wine and pisco tasting. Finish at Huacachina with a dune buggy ride and sandboarding. English and Spanish guides may include Alvaro, Giancarlo, Scott, Joel, or Gabby.

“I had such a great time on this tour! It’s really cool because you get to experience different things in the same day, each with its own vibe. I especially loved the buggy ride, the adrenaline and the views were amazing! I totally recommend the whole experience. Plus, our guide, Giancarlo, was super friendly and kind to everyone.”

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3.Lima: Paracas & Huacachina Oasis Day Trip with Wine & Dunes

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 266 reviews · 16h 30m · from $100

Leave Lima before dawn for a full-day run to Paracas and Huacachina. You’ll cruise past sea lions and penguins, see the Chandelier Lines, taste pisco and wine at CulturPisco, then race across desert dunes by buggy. Guides such as Miguel Angel and Mayer are often praised for keeping the long day on track.

“We had a really good time on this day trip! It’s well worth the drive. A lot of sea animals in Paracas and beautiful sand dunes in Huacachina! Love the buggy ride on the dunes. It was a fun family day out. Highly recommend this trip to all!”

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4.Full-Day Excursion to Sacred Valley, Pisac and Ollantaytambo from Cusco

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 174 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $47

Spend a full day with a bilingual guide visiting the Sacred Valley’s main Inca sites, including Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray, Maras, and Chinchero. Guides such as AJ, Abel, Jhon, and Victor have led recent departures. Expect a fast pace, a large Peruvian buffet, hotel pickup, and a return near Cusco’s Plaza de Armas.

“a long day with so much thing to see historical landscape and salt making that provide for the city.”

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5.Lima: Ballestas & Huacachina Day Trip w/ Nazca Lines Flight

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 117 reviews · 19h 30m · from $600

Leave Lima before dawn for a full-day trip to the Ballestas Islands, a scenic Nazca Lines flight, and Huacachina Oasis. Guides such as Miguel, Aymen, Sergio, and Christian B have helped make the long route run smoothly, but expect an early start, a costly flight, and a very late return.

“To fly over the Nazca lines was a huge tick off my bucket list and loved the little plane. 4/10 passengers found the banking and turbulence too much but I loved it, The Ballestas lake trip was a speed boat ride (24 passengers) and great fun itself . Saw gatherings of Sea lions and a couple of penguins- geology and was fascinating- excellent English translation which Tour Buddies ensured I had. Huacachina much busier and more commercials than I expected- still a lovely walk round and obviously much dune buggy trips for those who wanted . Long day out but enjoy all - my guide - Sergio, and driver Martin,…”

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6.Machu Picchu full day trip from Cusco

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 102 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $490Top rated

Travel from Cusco to Machu Picchu by road, Expedition train, and bus on a demanding but efficient 12-hour day. You’ll get a 2 to 3-hour guided visit to the ruins, free time in Aguas Calientes, and hotel transport. If your guide is Wilbur, expect an especially strong history lesson.

“From Cusco, it took us five hours from our hotel lobby to walking into Machu Picchu.”

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7.From Arequipa: Colca Canyon Day Trip with Transfer to Puno

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 90 reviews · from $65

Leave Arequipa around 3 a.m. with Baby Lama, visit Chivay, Cruz del Cóndor, Maca, hot springs, and highland viewpoints, then continue toward Puno. An English or Spanish guide, breakfast, transport, and one hour of hiking are included. Bring cash for park entry, hot springs, and lunch.

“Très belle excursion pour voir les condors et de superbes paysages!!”

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8.Machu Picchu Day Trip from Cuzco

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $380

Travel from Cusco to Machu Picchu by road and Expedition train, with a two-and-a-half-hour guided visit to the citadel. The $380 trip includes round-trip transport, train tickets, admission, and Consetur buses. Guides may include Cosme Cuba Gutierrez, praised for his history and culture expertise.

“It was well organized trip, everything went smoothly, the guide at machu Picchu was alright he was kind of new in his job so it could been better with more knowledge”

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9.From Lima: Day Trip to Paracas, Ica & Oasis Huacachina

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 74 reviews · 17h 30m · from $60

Leave Lima at 5:00 AM for a full day in southern Peru. You’ll see sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and seabirds at the Ballestas Islands, taste wine and pisco in Ica, then ride dune buggies and sandboard at Huacachina. Guides such as Mishell, Jean, and Álvaro have led recent departures.

“Lo mejor de todo el tour es la ruta en buggy, el trayecto en barco malo y peligroso, no pudimos ir a las islas Ballestas por el temporal, y el piloto era bastante temerario para la seguridad del turismo debido al estado del mar y a la velocidad que iba. NO RECOMENDABLE ESTA EXCURSIÓN”

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10.From Lima: Nazca Lines and Ica Desert Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 65 reviews · 18 hours · from $390

Leave Lima at 3:00 AM for a Nazca Lines overflight, then continue to Huacachina for dune buggies, sandboarding, and sunset views. English and Spanish guides, including Frendy and Sonya, lead the day. Expect 18 hours, long drives, extra airfield fees, and an action-packed finish.

“The tour day was very long, and was well worth the effort. Sonya was an informative and friendly guide. The Nazca Lines flight is not for the faint of heart or for those who are prone to motion sickness. And the Huacachina buggy ride feels like a roller coaster ride. We saw beautiful places and had a great experience.”

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11.From Arequipa: Salinas Lagoon Full-Day Trip with Hot Springs

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 62 reviews · from $49

Spend 12 hours from Arequipa visiting Chiguata, Salinas Lagoon, and Lojen Hot Springs. An English or Spanish-speaking guide leads the route, with time for flamingos, vicuñas, volcano views, local meals, and a swim. Herbert is one guide praised for his passion and helpful photos.

“The trip was very nice except no one mentioned anything regarding the altitude we would be exposed to. Some of us had really bad headaches because we were not prepared. The driver was ok. Had some issues with the pick but everything else was ok”

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12.Andes: Colca Canyon Day-Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 50 reviews · from $36Best value

Leave Arequipa before dawn for Colca Canyon, breakfast in Chivay, Cruz del Condor, Maca Village, hot springs, and high-altitude viewpoints. An English-speaking guide leads the day, with transport and breakfast included. Bring sun protection, swimwear, and patience for a very long road day.

“Food overall was pretty bad. The included breakfast was disappointingly small and the lunch gave me stomach issues.”

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13.Puerto Maldonado: Sandoval Lake Full-Day Trip with Canoeing

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · 1 day · from $85

Join a small-group afternoon trip from Puerto Maldonado to Sandoval Lake. Ride the Madre de Dios River, walk 55 minutes through Tambopata National Reserve, then canoe past jungle shores in search of giant otters, monkeys, parrots, and black caimans. English and Spanish guides are available.

“Llegaron 2 horas tarde de lo que pone, lo que supuso hacer la excursión con un calor asfixiante. A pesar de que claramente pone que la excursión es en español, el guía Sergio solo hablaba en inglés, por más que le insistimos traducía solo una parte y de forma incompleta y malas formas, cuando es su lengua materna. Éramos 6 españoles en el grupo que se lo estuvimos continuamente diciendo. Luego decidió mandarnos con un compañero suyo para separarnos y él no tener que hablar en español. En el camino de vuelta, pasó lo mismo, no volvió a hablar en español. No entiendo, porque se ofrece esta excursión de esta…”

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14.1 day excursion to Waqrapukara

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · 12 hours · from $50

Leave Cusco at 5:00 am for Waqrapukara, an Inca site reached by a roughly two-hour hike from the parking area. You will see llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and Andean scenery, then tour the Sun Gate, terraces, and enclosures with a bilingual guide. Guide Carlos has earned special praise for his warm, personal approach.

“un lugar hermoso vale la pena visitarlo, como aún no es muy conocido no se tienen grandes cantidades de personas durante el trayecto. la caminada es de 2 o tal vez 3 horas, vale la pena el esfuerzo para visitar el lugar”

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