
8 Days in Peru
Of all the wonders in the world, few have the incredible mystery and allure as the sky-high, gravity-defying, mountaintop estate of Machu Picchu, and for good reason! From the bustling capital city of Lima, to the traditional stone streets of Ollantaytambo, and from the ancient fortress of Cusco, to the jaw-dropping ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru is a country of incredible contrasts. The country with the “WOW” factor, and a destination on everyone’s must-visit bucket list.
Our 8-day trip through Peru mixes our laid-back travel concept with Peru’s most unique and memorable sites to form an adventure that you’ll be talking about forever. If you've ever dreamed of soaking up the incredible mountaintop Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, taking a scenic train journey through the Peruvian Andes, or walking in the footsteps of an ancient civilization, join us for an incredible 8 days you'll never forget.
Most travelers will arrive into Peru's largest airport in Lima on day 1 and meet at our starting and ending point in the community of Miraflores at 4pm to start our adventure. Our time here in Lima is spent exploring the highlights of the city including the rich history, the famous culinary scene, and the naturally beautiful coastline. Lima may not be on the list of the world's most wild gay communities, but there is plenty of nightlife and a very welcoming community in Miraflores.
Included: Welcome dinner and drinks
Optional: Walking tour, Larco Museum, Huaca Pucllana ruins, Food tours and experiences, bike tours
On our second day we jet off into the Andes Mountains on a 90-minute flight to Cusco, then down the road into the Sacred Valley to spend two nights in the beautiful town of Yucay. The altitude here is over 2000 feet lower than Cusco so staying in the valley will assist with the feelings of the higher altitude compared to Cusco. Surrounded by history and natural beauty, our two nights here are an opportunity to immerse ourselves in the ancient times of the Incas who ruled over this area hundreds of years ago. The beauty of the area and the surrounding Inca ruins ensure this is an unforgettable stop in Peru. Included during your time here is a full day of exploring the ancient salt flats of Maras, the unique ancient agricultural site of Moray, and the historically significant mountain town of Ollantaytambo, complete with cliff-side ruins!
Included: Maras Salt Flats and Ollntaytambo tour
Optional: Inkatiy Museum
Our fourth day is a day that’s surely been in your mind for many years. We depart Ollantaytambo in the morning on a 2 hour train journey through the Andes, winding along the Urubamba River. Before long we arrive in the mountain town of Aguas Calientes, names after the hot spring flowing nearby. From Aguas Calientes it’s only another 20 minutes by bus to the unforgettable mountaintop ruins of Machu Picchu. Our first two hours here is spent exploring the ruins with our favorite local Peruvian guide, who was born and raised in the area and an expert on everything Machu Picchu. The rest of our day is spent soaking up the incredible site which was lost to the outside world for many centuries. Instead of rushing off the mountain to catch the train back out of town, we stay the night at the base of the mountain in Aguas Calientes, giving us what seems like Machu Picchu all to ourselves.
Included: Tour of Machu Picchu
Optional: Mandor Waterfall Hike, Local Handcraft Market
On day 5 we leave time for catching the sunrise at Machu Picchu or braving the hike up Wayna Picchu (optional) before jumping on the scenic afternoon train and heading back to Cusco. Our three-night stay in Cusco gives us time to visit many of the area’s ancient sites, taste the unique local food, take part in a hike, join a local cooking class, wander the markets, meet animals at the local wildlife sanctuary, and many more options. Cusco has its own unique culture that's visible at every turn and exploring its streets is a highlight of any visit to Peru.
It’s true, the city of Cusco is perched high up in the Andean mountain range at an altitude of approximately 11,000ft (3,000m) above sea level. The air up here is clean and surprisingly warm (during the daytime) and the city is a contrast of ancient stone streets and cathedrals scattered among a modern commercial center. Cusco is a destination in itself as well as a jumping off point to the Sacred Valley to the west, the Amazon to the north, and the higher peaks of the Andes and Lake Titicaca to the east. Although we fly into Cusco from Lima, our three nights here come after our visit to the lower altitudes of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu in order to avoid the effects of Cusco’s altitude, so there’s no need to worry about the altitude here.
Optional: Sacsayhuamán ruins, cooking classes, Via Ferratta & Zipline, Inca Museum, Rainbow Mountain with ATVs, Animal Rescue Center, Pisac Market
The 8th and final day of the trip is our goodbye and "hasta luego" day. Travelers are free to depart from Cusco at any time of this day, or continue on with our 12-day travelers or towards any other incredible sites Peru has to offer!
We don't like staying in smelly shacks on our vacations and we're pretty sure you don't either! You work hard to go on vacation and we believe you deserve an enjoyable, comfortable place to wind down at the end of each day. We put a LOT of time into finding the perfect accommodation for your trip. After rigorous wifi signal testing, fluffing pillows, and taking a shower or two, we've narrowed down our favorite properties. Check out our approved accommodation to see where we've stayed in the past and where we'll likely be staying on your trip.
LIMA: Innside Lima by Melia Miraflores
Located in the heart of Miraflores, Innside Lima's rooms offer city views, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minibars, as well as tea and coffeemaking equipment. There's a vibrant restaurant, a rooftop pool and bar, gym facilities and bike rentals.
YUCAY: La Casona de Yucay
A grand, circa-1810 estate next to the Urubamba River, this charming hotel in the Sacred Valley is 2 minutes' walk from the Yucay Museo de Cultura Viva. La Casona de Yucay's restaurant uses locally-sourced, farm-grown ingredients for its meals. Features include hardwood floors, a relaxing sauna, beatifully maintained gardens and rooms with lots of character.
MACHU PICCHU: El Mapi (Aguas Calientes)
Set on a street lined with cafes and restaurants, this woodsy-chic hotel with views of a cloud forest has bright, modern rooms, a relaxed cafe, a sleek bar, and a serene spa. Perfectly located in the middle of Aguas Calientes town, just minutes from the train station.
CUSCO: Casa Andina Premium
Located just 5 minutes away from the Plaza de Armas and just steps away from other main attractions of Cusco, sits the beautiful 17th century house that is Casa Andina. Each room features complimentary high speed wifi, air conditioning, safe deposit box, flatscreen TV, and en suite bathrooms.
*Please note that due to availability, these exact hotels may not all be available during all DETOURS trips. However, we will always replace these with similar hotels, and will never downgrade.
On this 8-day trip we'll be spending the majority of our time high up in the Andes mountain range. While the daytime is completely warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt, the evenings cool down to sweater-weather. Temperatures don't change much in Peru where instead of a 4-season climate, they only experience a dry season (April to November) and a wet season (December to March). It's a good idea to bring a couple items of warm clothing for those brisk mountain evenings, although the majority of your time will be nice and warm! Rain is not common in the season we operate in, but light rain gear is a good idea as a precaution.
Peruvians are very proud, friendly people and embody the passion for so many things that Latin people are famous for. Although English is very widely spoken, consider learning a few words of Spanish while you're here, we recommend starting off with “Hola” (hello), “Gracias” (thank you), and of course “Donde esta Machu Picchu?” (where’s Machu Picchu?).
The areas of Peru that we'll be visiting are quite open-minded and most people will be welcoming of homosexuality. That said, Peruvian culture is largely influenced by the Catholic church, and public displays of affection are generally frowned upon. In respect for their local culture we usually suggest keeping your excitement and affection for your partner to more private locations.
Enjoy Peruvian food? It's even better in Peru! The cuisine here has recently been receiving worldwide attention for its incredible flavor and diversity. Beef, chicken, beans, chicharron, and flavorful mixed rice dishes can be found on almost every menu. Detours doesn't believe in limiting your choices by including all of your meals at pre-decided restaurants as part of the trip package. Instead, we include all of your breakfasts to start your day off, then encourage you to explore all of the different restaurant options available to you for lunch and dinner. This way you can eat when you want, where you want, with whomever you want, and spend what you want! Your trip leader definitely has their favorite spots so if you'd like some advice on the best in each location, just check with them.
Our advice is simple. Pack your bag, then take half of those things out and leave them back home. It’s common to hear people wishing they’d packed less stuff, but we’ve never heard anyone complain that they didn’t bring enough. Even if you realize you forget to pack some crucial item you can always pick up a replacement once you arrive in Lima.
Peru uses a mix of their own currency (Peruvian Soles) as well as US Dollars, although Soles is more common. In an effort to avoid bank fees, we suggest arriving to Peru with some local currency (around 1,000 PEN) as well as your ATM and credit cards just to be completely prepared. 100 Peruvian Soles is worth around $25 USD, so if your dinner bill costs 35 Soles that's only $9 USD!
While tipping isn't a native custom in this destination, those working in the tourism industry all over the world have come to expect gratuities when providing good service. This extends to local guides, restaurant wait staff, bus drivers, and your Detours trip leader. Of course the actual amount is left up to your discretion, if you've been provided excellent service we suggest leaving around 15% for restaurant/wait staff as well as the local equivalent of a few dollars to bus drivers and luggage porters, as well as around $10-15 USD per day for local guides and your Detours trip leader.
We have pretty high standards when it comes to choosing our accommodations, and trust us, we’ve done plenty of room-sniffing, pillow-patting, and bathroom inspections to make sure we stay at quality spots. To be approved as a Detours accommodations provider, a guesthouse must: be locally owned (to support the local community), be in an amazing location (close to the hot spots), AND be gay-owned or gay-friendly. We won't be staying in 5-star Ritz-Carltons but we also won't subject you to anything we wouldn't want to stay in ourselves. Clean, comfortable, well-located spots that'll put a smile on your face, you can count on that!
All Detours trips are led by one of our own Detours trip leaders. They're there with you every day and their job is to help ensure that this is your trip of a lifetime by taking the hassle out of your trip and enabling you to experience everything you came to Peru for. Consider them like a friendly concierge that's traveling along with you. All of our trip leaders are gay and all are well-traveled and experienced in the destination they're leading in, so they'll be a great part of your experience!
We do absolutely everything possible to avoid needing such a mundane awakening. A world without alarm clocks is one we want to be part of, and your “rise and shine” while in Peru should come from the sound of crashing waves or church bells in the distance. However, sometimes we are required to make early departures, but we do everything we can to minimize this.
Our Detours groups are run with a maximum of 16 travelers. Ages of group members vary but around 90% of our travelers are in their 30's, 40's, and 50's. Whatever the age of the guys on our trips everyone's already got something in common, an exciting new experience in a new country! Each group is led by a Detours trip leader who is there to ensure everything goes off without a hitch, allowing you to focus on having the time of your life!
There is WiFi at every hotel we stay at and most restaurants that we eat in. Alternatively, if your mobile phone is "unlocked" you can pick up a local SIM card which is quite affordable.
No problem! Don’t worry, lots of our travelers come solo and our trip will provide plenty of chances to meet great people both inside and outside of our group, including other solos. As far as your accommodations go, you’ve got two choices. We can either pair you up with another solo group member in a two-bed room for no extra charge, or you can have your own room for a reasonable surcharge.
Peru uses a "type A" and "type B" plug, the same as North America and several other places in the world. The voltage is 220V with 60 Hz frequency. These days, the majority of items that are plugged into an outlet are built to handle varying voltage and frequency levels, but just to be sure, we suggest checking your item for its accetable range
What's included? • All taxes • All group transport between itinarary destinations • Domestic flight from Lima to Cusco • Accommodations for your 8-day Detours experience • All full breakfasts • Entrance fee to Machu Picchu • 2 hour guided Machu Picchu tour • Welcome dinner / drinks in Lima • Full day Sacred Valley tour including Maras and Ollantaytambo • Knowledgeable and fun Detours leader •
What isn't included? • Meals and drinks outside of those listed above • Activities outside of the those listed above • International Airfare • Arrival/Departure airport transfers • Optional gratuities •
Additional spending budget? Your big-ticket items are included through the trip, but you'll want to budget for additional spending such as additional meals, drinks, shopping, activities, etc. These costs can vary dramatically with differing personal habits but we suggest expecting to spend an additional $600 USD at the lower end for the more budget-conscious and $1000 USD at the higher end for the splurgers. We suggest arriving to Peru with approximately 1000 local Peruvian Soles.










Trip Reviews
Vik N. - USA
October 10, 2022
I can't recommend Detours highly enough. After going back on forth on whether I wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and do something like this, I ended up doing an 8-day trip to Peru with Detours a few weeks ago. The trip was well-organized, and the local guides Detours chose were excellent. In addition to the standard stuff every tourist to Peru does, there's copious amounts of optional activities (including some gorgeous hikes) to choose from, and you get to princess at night in great hotels across the country. I was fortunate enough to meet some really nice people on the trip, who made the entire experience that much more memorable. If you're thinking about a trip with Detours, DO IT! Trust me, you'll have no regrets (except maybe not doing the 12-day trip to Peru....!!!).
Jake G. - USA
December 6, 2021
I could not have asked for a better adventure to Peru. Miles and Kyle were great trip leaders. They are organized, knowledgeable and relaxed. It was easy to get to know them and they made everyone feel welcome. I am not an experienced international traveler and they made the whole process really easy.The price for the trip was also very competitive compared to other tour operators who offer similar trips. The accommodations were top-notch - especially in Machu Pichu Pueblo. Going up to the top of Machu Pichu was definitely the highlight of the trip. Peru still has pandemic restrictions in place when we went so the number of people there was limited. We had the place to ourselves at times. Spectacular all around! I would encourage anyone who is looking for a gay tour operator to consider Detours.
Zino M. - USA
May 29, 2018
This was my first Detours Travel tour--8 days in Peru. If you are looking for a "clipboard tour" where the guide is ticking off things to do on a list, then this "event" is not for you. Our guide, the wonderful and patient Miles, made a point of getting to know us individually. He was relaxed and accommodating throughout. He listened to feedback and appeared to never be phased by anything. He has a genuine love for what he does and it translates to all who are lucky to be in his orbit, as well as those he has trained for other tours. By the end of our time together, I felt I was hanging out with friends. That is not a clipboard tour; it is a familial, and jovial and bonding experience--one which I never expected when I signed up. I would not hesitate to try another tour with Miloš (as I started calling Miles by the end of the trip). I was so impressed with him as a person and as a fun coordinator--unflappable, funny, decent, kind, responsive and very open. Book your tour with Detours today--it will become an amazing experience wherever they take you.
Chris J. - USA
November 28, 2017
My partner and I have been on two Detours trips - Thailand (15 days) and Peru (8 days). We highly recommend Detours. The guides, hotels, excursions, restaurants and planning are phenomenal. Plus, it's affordable and a good deal. You cannot go wrong.
Louis L. - USA
September 24, 2016
I joined Detours for their Peru trip in September 2016. As expected, it was a wonderful trip -- excellent accommodations, delicious food, excellent guides and tours, and a great group of guys -- enhanced by our tour leader's knowledge of life in the country from his time living in Peru. But what set this trip apart for me was how well Detours dealt with the unexpected. Local protests in the country forced the cancellation of one day's excursions due to road blockades in the Sacred Valley. (Yes, we all realized the irony that our Detours tour was experiencing a detour!) While our Detours tour leader, James, was arranging alternate plans, one of our tour members fell ill and required medical assistance (and the nearest doctor was in another town). Without missing a beat, James worked with our hotel to arrange activities for the group while accompanying our comrade to the doctor (literally clearing rocks and tree stumps out of the road so that the taxi could get through!) We ended up having a great day exploring Yucay and enjoying a complimentary massage plus special programs such as a bartending class and a cooking demonstration at the hotel, and our tour-mate got the medicine he needed and fully recovered in time for the continuation of our trip. What at first looked like a day of disappointment ended up being one of the best days of the trip! I highly recommend Detours. I'll definitely travel with them again!
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