- Discover Machu Picchu by train with guided tour
- Enjoy a homestay on the traditional island of Amantani in Lake Titicaca
- See Colca Canyon and its soaring condors
- Wander through the colonial city of Arequipa and the Santa Catalina Convent
- Drive deep into the Andean highlands and the Apurimac Valley

Essential Peru
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- Essential Peru
Extend Your Trip
Amazon Rainforest extension (Pre-tour, from Lima)
Easily accessible via a short flight to Puerto Maldonado from Lima, the Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world and home to an astonishing array of wildlife and plant species. Spending three nights at a lodge in the incredibly rich Tambopata Reserve, we use motorised canoes to explore lakes and rivers, and follow jungle trails to explore dense forests. The detailed itinerary can be found here.
Please ask your sales representative for more details. Prices listed are starting prices.
Code: XPLA
Price per person: £ 899
Post-trip Extensions
Amazon Rainforest extension (Post-tour, from Lima)
Easily accessible via a short flight to Puerto Maldonado from Lima, the Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world and home to an astonishing array of wildlife and plant species. Spending three nights at a lodge in the incredibly rich Tambopata Reserve, we use motorised canoes to explore lakes and rivers, and follow jungle trails to explore dense forests. The detailed itinerary can be found here.
Please ask your sales representative for more details. Prices listed are starting prices.
Code: XPL
Price per person: £ 899
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Reviews
Add your own reviewFantastico!
Outstanding full-on tour of southern Peru, with its wonderful variety of scenery and historical attractions. Overall organisation and itinerary were excellent. There were some very long drives but not tiring as there was so much to see. Food (huge portions) and drink were very good, reasonably priced and quite varied (nice to see lots of craft beers). Hotels were very good. There were only 3 of us, luckily we got on very well! Others had cancelled, doubtless scared off by the civil disruption early in 2023. People were friendly and we encountered no problems, in fact Peru felt safer than some southern European countries…
Most Inspirational Moment
So many highlights, Machu Pichu, Cusco, condors in Colca Canyon, Reed islands in Lake Titicaca, festivals at Cusco and Raqchi.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our tour leader Leo was excellent. He was highly competent and patiently attended to our needs including arranging great restaurants for dinners.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Just go. When you book, check that the flights selected are the best for you. KLM really messed up my arrangements by changing and cancelling my flights.
Fantastic experience
So much to see and do. Quite tiring, with early starts and some long drives, but I loved it all. We saw so many wonderful sites, met great local people and tried lots of different foods and drinks. Arrangements and support in Peru were brilliant, particularly the lead guide, William.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking around the corner of the top path to see Machu Picchu below me - so emotional after wanting to see it for almost 50 years.
Thoughts on Group Leader
William was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. He really made the trip, because all of his advice and support was great. He even took us to places in his own time and made great suggestions for places to eat and visit. He was also a really lovely man and interesting to talk to.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take or buy snacks for the long journeys. Always top up with water/drinks. Sort and pack luggage into small bags, so it is quick and easy to find what you need.
Suggestions
Enjoy every experience. I was not a great outdoor person and a little nervous of the home stay and food, but embraced it all and had a truly memorable holiday.
Expectations exceeded!
This trip fulfilled my long-held ambitions to see Machu Picchu and condors flying over the Colca Canyon while also giving us the chance to visit the Nazca Lines and Lake Titicaca. I loved all these experiences but there was so much else to enjoy, including time spent relaxing in Cusco, pisco tasting in Ica and the Lima tour on our last morning. The local guides we had at Lake Titicaca and in Arequipa and Lima were all superb. My only disappointment was seeing so few birds and no penguins on the Ballestas Islands boat trip. It was upsetting to see the effect of bird flu and El Niño on the wildlife there.
Most Inspirational Moment
I'll never forget looking down on Machu Picchu and up at condors. Not quite in the same league but particular highlights for me were the Koricancha Sun Temple and the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art in Cusco and the Santa Catalina Monastery in Arequipa.
Thoughts on Group Leader
William was a brilliant leader. He worked hard to ensure that everything ran smoothly and everyone's requirements were met and he was particularly conscientious when it came to checking that no-one was badly affected by the altitude. He was a great guide at Machu Picchu and the other archaeological sites and very helpful in identifying the birds and other wildlife we encountered. Above all he's a really friendly and cheerful person who enjoyed taking and sharing photos and who was happy to chat about anything, even Peru's failure to qualify for the last football World Cup!
Advice for Potential Travellers
If in doubt, please go for it!. Our leader and local guides were very grateful that we'd made the trip and asked us to encourage others to visit. After the double whammy of the pandemic and this year's political unrest the Peruvian tourist industry needs support.
Essential Peru
An unforgettable trip of a lifetime. After so many trips, this was probably one of the most impressive and perfectly organised 2-week round trip I have ever experienced, with a very nice and friendly tour group and our guide Luis, who did an excellent job of informing us about the history, geography as well as current events of Peru, including the continent. Every day was full of sights to discover, every day was interesting and full of news, although we made a long journey and it was sometimes exhausting. But no stretch, no tiredness was in vain, because thanks to the professional drivers and local guides, it was the earth of Peru itself, with its diverse colours, areas, people, climate and dreamlike landscapes, that always surprised, amazed and sometimes moved you between speechlessness and tears of unique beauty. From the legendary Machu Picchu to the fiery red rocks of Cola Canyon, from Lake Titicaca, the warm-hearted people and the lovely host family on the island of Amantani to the magical volcanic area, from the region of Ica and many, many places, this beautiful country of Peru is always worth a trip, no matter if it is a round trip or just regional. No matter which region or city I mention, none of it would have been so perfectly possible without our professional tour guide Luis, whose narrations on the bus I kept wishing would never stop, as he not only shared historical facts and local peculiarities with us, but also answered every conceivable question from fellow travellers clearly, precisely and absolutely understandably. Luis, you remain for us an unforgettable, wise, very intelligent and funny tour guide. I would also like to thank the Exodus team for the excellently planned itinerary, even though the planned time in Aguas Caliente proved too long for such a small place. Whomever Luis is assigned as tour guide, he can be sure that he is in good hands and travelling with a very experienced and friendly soul. The many drivers and local guides may forgive me for not remembering their worthy names, but they all did their best, from day to night, from the mountains to the dry and hot areas all over Peru. Thank you. Muchas Gracias. Sulpayki.
Most Inspirational Moment
Simply Peru as a whole, the landscape, people, food and all the colours.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Luis Gonzales is unbeatable and simply the best in his way, being professional, objective, patient and smart.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't hesitate. Just go for this trip: Essential Peru.
Suggestions
Enjoy every day in Peru.
Fantastic experience
So much to see and do. Quite tiring, with early starts and some long drives, but I loved it all. We saw so many wonderful sites, met great local people and tried lots of different foods and drinks. Arrangements and support in Peru were brilliant, particularly the lead guide, William.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking around the corner of the top path to see Machu Picchu below me - so emotional after wanting to see it for almost 50 years.
Thoughts on Group Leader
William was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. He really made the trip, because all of his advice and support was great. He even took us to places in his own time and made great suggestions for places to eat and visit. He was also a really lovely man and interesting to talk to.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take or buy snacks for the long journeys. Always top up with water/drinks. Sort and pack luggage into small bags, so it is quick and easy to find what you need.
Suggestions
Enjoy every experience. I was not a great outdoor person and a little nervous of the home stay and food, but embraced it all and had a truly memorable holiday.
A trip of a lifetime
The trip was very tiring due to many early starts and very long bus journeys and the high altitude, but oh my goodness it was so worth it. Overall the trip far exceeded my expectations and ranks amongst the best experience of my lifetime.
Most Inspirational Moment
It was, as it was always going to be, the visit to Machu Picchu. This fulfilled a very long held bucket list item for me. I did wonder whether it would turn out to be a disappointment, and I half expected it to be too busy. But the moment when we first stood at the viewpoint above the site was every bit as inspiring and emotional as I had hoped, and the numbers of people there were far less than I had anticipated. Having said all this, the condors at the Colca Canyon came a very close second to this. That exceeded my expectations by so much.
Thoughts on Group Leader
William was a fabulous your leader. I am sure that I would not have enjoyed the tour half as much as I did had it not been for his excellent leadership. His knowledge and enthusiasm for his country and the sites that we visited was inspirational. He helped us tremendously in identifying wild of the wildlife we saw, which is a great interest to us. On the one night that I struggled with altitude sickness he answered how phone immediately when I rung him in the middle of the night and was so sympathetic and helpful. I cannot thank William enough for all his assistance throughout the holiday
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't worry too much about the altitude sickness. I had heard so many horror stories about it beforehand that I got quite anxious about it, but in the end it was no big deal. Don't be fooled by the guidance given in various sites about the cost of meals in Peru. We found that in average they were over twice as expensive as we had expected. Bring plenty of currency. Don't worry too much about the home stay. I can't honestly day that I was looking forward to that, but it turned out to be a rewarding experience.
Suggestions
Thank you William and all at Exodus for helping make it such an unforgettable trip. It ranks amongst the best experiences of my lifetime and will remain long in the memory.
Wonderful and varied trip
This is really varied trip, which allows you to see different regions and terrains of Peru , from coastal islands to deserts, to the Andes mountains and Machu Picchu, to the islands and communities of Lake Titicaca. A fantastic choice if you want to see more of the country than just Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were many. Personally I loved Nazca and the deserts around there. But mostly it was the scenery crossing the Andes. Yes the journey was long, but we got to see amazing scenery, which would have been missed by flying directly into Cuzco. Machu Picchu lives up to the hype and is breathtaking. But visiting the communities living on the reed islands of Lake Titicaca was equally memorable.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Luis was incredible, combining a passion for his country with enthusiasm for making sure everyone had a good time. He worked tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to make sure our trip ran smoothly, and dealt amazing with some hiccups along the way. He was a fantastic leader, and you'll be lucky if he is leading your future trip.
Advice for Potential Travellers
As many have said.....take layers. It gets cold, esp on Lake Titicaca. A good gift for the communities is something from your local country (even something like a tea towel), as the family we visited had used these as wall hangings in their house. Headaches from altitude were helped by taking electrolytes (either in drinks or powder sachets); I used rehydration sachets and didn't experience too many problems at all. The optional tour around Cuzco and the 4 ruins was a really great first day in Cuzco to get a sense of the history of the area. You might need more spending money than you think - Peru is not a cheap country, and some ATMs had a cap on how much you could withdraw each time, so maybe take some dollars with you to exhchange as well as relying on ATMs (this worked well for me).
Suggestions
Nazca is under-rated I think. I'm not a fan of flying, and so didn't do the scenic flight with the rest of the group, and yet the alternative option was such fun and one of the highlights of the trip (we visited the burial grounds surrounding Nazca, ancient monuments and an aqueduct, crossing the desert in a dune buggy, which was completely exhilarating).
Terribly let down by Exodus
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing Machu Picchu for the first time. But there were many amazing moments.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Holgar (Olie) was an excellent tour leader with great knowledge of his country and with very good command of English. He has a kind and friendly personality and went out of his way to help us and to make the trip a memorable one for us. His organisation skills were outstanding and he made sure that everything flowed smoothly. As I suffered from altitude sickness his kindness and help was invaluable to me.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Ask Exodus all the details such as the air line you will be booked on (if you are booking with flights) etc before you book the trip. Do not trust Exodus to make the right decisions for you. From what I gathered from some members of the group, Exodus offers better prices and a better service if tours are booked through third parties such as Trailfinders. It might be better not to book directly with Exodus and better still, book with another tour operator.
Suggestions
Peru is a beautiful country, well worth travelling to.
We would like to thank Jinny for her review, although we are incredibly sorry that her trip was soured by the service she received on her flights with Air Europa. We understand that, as Jinny made her booking later than other clients on this trip, flights with KLM would have incurred a large supplement, and so our Sales team looked to book her onto flights with alternative airlines which offered her a better price. We would mention that Air Europa are an established, full-service airline who we have used for many years on different routes to Spain and South America without issue; they are not considered a ‘budget’ carrier, and are a member of the SkyTeam alliance alongside KLM. Consequently, our team were confident they would provide a similar level of service, but we are shocked to hear of the experience Jinny had on her journey to and from Peru, and are so sorry to hear that she became ill following her flight home. Our Aviation team has been made aware of Jinny’s experience and will closely monitor feedback we get from clients who fly with this airline in the future; should this prove not to be a one-off, we will strongly consider removing Air Europa from our list of preferred carriers.
We are also sorry that Jinny feels that Exodus offer better prices should our trips be booked through third parties, which we can assure her is not the case. In this instance, the members of her group who booked through Trailfinders did so far in advance, and so avoided any supplementary charges, which are reflective of the costs Exodus incurs in making a later booking. However, we are heartened to read that Jinny found Peru to be a beautiful and worthwhile destination, and are particularly pleased that she singled out our tour leader, Holger, for praise.
Troy Glennon, Product Manager
Best guide and best trip
Absolutely fell in love with Peru and its people. The tour was extremely varied, covering so many different aspects for example the food, culture, history and wildlife. Spectacular scenery in addition to the views of Machu Picchu. All of this was enhanced by the enthusiasm, knowledge, professionalism and superb organisational skills of our guide – Holger (Olli). There were some long days on the coach, but it was very comfortable, and we would not have wanted to miss any of the stunning and constantly changing landscapes.
Most Inspirational Moment
The first view from above of Machu Picchu. That said there were many close competitors for this heading e.g., the boat trip to Ballestas Islands, the Pyramid near Nasca and the Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Holger was the best guide we have had, and our other guides have been pretty good. I repeat our comments from the summary -"All of this was enhanced by the enthusiasm, knowledge, professionalism and superb organisational skills of our guide - Holger (Olli)." Nothing was too much for him. His focus was to ensure we enjoyed Peru to the maximum.
Suggestions
Unfortunately 4 of our group caught Covid halfway through the trip. The uncertainty of their return to the group once cleared by Peruvian doctors and the following instruction from Exodus London certainly meant that for us personally the end of the trip was tarnished. This is not to say that Covid should not be taken seriously but the instructions from Exodus London were at odds with the guidelines in place in Peru and generally very confusing.
Essential Peru is an Essential Holiday!
For my first long distance trip I couldn’t have chosen a better company to book with. Right from the start, landing in Lima, I was looked after, guided and supported the whole way through my trip. It is full on, value for money, and never a dull day. Peru is stunning and I urge anyone with a sense of adventure to book onto this trip!
Most Inspirational Moment
The most inspirational moment for me was visiting the two islands. Before this trip I had no idea that there was communities that still lived like this, living off the land with little to no electricity, it's fascinating! I learnt so much across the whole trip.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Holger was fabulous. His passion for and knowledge of Peru was what made these two weeks so special. He took us to the best restaurants for the most authentic food, so we got to try foods like alpaca and guinea pig. He looked after us and helped us every step of the way, he made the trip so stress-free and easy.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I would advise you to pack for all weathers. It can be really warm some days but very cold in the Highlands and on the island at night. Don't forget suncream, a hat and bug spray!
Start
Finish
Availability
Adult Price From
Optional Single Supplement
Friday Friday
03 Nov 2023 03 Nov 2023
Friday Friday
17 Nov 2023 17 Nov 2023
Availability Guaranteed (Available)
Adult Price From £ 2,699 £ 2,699
Optional Single Supplement +£ 495
RCGS Departure with Jill Heinerth
RCGS Departure with Jill Heinerth
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
05 Apr 2024 05 Apr 2024
Friday Saturday
19 Apr 2024 20 Apr 2024
Availability Guaranteed (Available)
Adult Price From £ 2,395 £ 3,795
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
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View Trip NotesFriday Friday
26 Apr 2024 26 Apr 2024
Friday Saturday
10 May 2024 11 May 2024
Availability Available
Adult Price From £ 2,395 £ 3,795
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
03 May 2024 03 May 2024
Friday Saturday
17 May 2024 18 May 2024
Availability Guaranteed (Available)
Adult Price From £ 2,395 £ 3,795
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
21 Jun 2024 21 Jun 2024
Friday Saturday
05 Jul 2024 06 Jul 2024
Availability Available
Adult Price From £ 2,495 £ 3,695
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
12 Jul 2024 12 Jul 2024
Friday Saturday
26 Jul 2024 27 Jul 2024
Availability Available
Adult Price From £ 2,395 £ 3,495
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
09 Aug 2024 09 Aug 2024
Friday Saturday
23 Aug 2024 24 Aug 2024
Availability Available
Adult Price From £ 2,395 £ 3,695
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
13 Sep 2024 13 Sep 2024
Friday Saturday
27 Sep 2024 28 Sep 2024
Availability Available
Adult Price From £ 2,395 £ 3,495
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
27 Sep 2024 27 Sep 2024
Friday Saturday
11 Oct 2024 12 Oct 2024
Availability Available
Adult Price From £ 2,395 £ 3,495
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
18 Oct 2024 18 Oct 2024
Friday Saturday
01 Nov 2024 02 Nov 2024
Availability Available
Adult Price From £ 2,395 £ 3,595
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesFriday Friday
01 Nov 2024 01 Nov 2024
Friday Saturday
15 Nov 2024 16 Nov 2024
Availability Guaranteed (Available) Only 5 spaces left!
Adult Price From £ 2,395 £ 3,895
Optional Single Supplement +£ 545
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
View Trip NotesWould you like to include flights with your booking?
- ATOL protected
- Competitive flight prices
- Full refunds in the event of FCDO cancellations or major disruption at your UK departure airport
- Specialist support to rearrange flights and transfers
- Regional flights available from many UK airports
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