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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.

Day 1 - LIMA

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 Activities: Welcome dinner and drinks

Optional Activities: Walking tour, Larco Museum, Huaca Pucllana ruins, Food tours and experiences, bike tours

Days 2 and 3 - SACRED VALLEY

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 Activities: Maras Salt Flats and Ollntaytambo tour

Optional Activities: Inkatiy Museum

Day 4 - MACHU PICCHU

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 Activities: Tour of Machu Picchu

Optional Activities: Mandor Waterfall Hike, Local Handcraft Market

Days 5, 6, and 7 - CUSCO

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 Activities: Sacsayhuamán ruins, cooking classes, Via Ferratta & Zipline, Inca Museum, Rainbow Mountain with ATVs, Animal Rescue Center, Pisac Market

Day 8 - TRIP ENDS

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.

The Climate

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.

The People and LGBTQ+ friendliness

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.

The Food

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.

What to Bring

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. We'll include some trip-specific packing advice based on expected weather as part of our update email to you, sent 10 days prior to your trip.

Money

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!

It can sometimes be challenging to use large-denomination bills at shops and restaurants, so we encourage you to request small denomination bills when getting cash prior to your trip.

If possible, it's always a good idea to travel internationally with a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.  The savings will add up over the course of your trip and may end up being worth the work of getting a new card prior to your trip.  Once you're overseas, if presented with the option to pay in the local currency or your home currency, we suggest always choosing the local currency to further avoid fees.

Tipping

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.

Accommodation

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!

Trip Leaders

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!

Alarm Clocks

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.

Your Group

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!

Solo Travelers

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.

Electrical Outlets

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

Staying Connected

To ensure you don't lose connection along the way, your cell phone provider likely has several roaming options available.  We suggest reaching out to them prior to the trip to find out which package is right for you as it will depend on how much you intend to use your phone while traveling.  Keep in mind that all accommodation and most restaurants have free WiFi available as well.

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.



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A woman is preparing food on the ground in front of bowls.
Two men standing on a wooden bridge in the woods.
A group of people posing for a photo in front of machu picchu.
A man is hanging from a zip line over a valley.
A llama is standing in front of machu picchu.
A courtyard with columns and arches in front of a building.
A man playing a flute.
A man in a red shirt standing in front of a mountain.
A rainbow over a city street.


Trip Reviews

Joe P. - USA

October 25, 2023

Just completed the Detours Peru trip last week and cannot say enough good things about it The sites were great as I thought it would be but Detours put it all together with great side trips hotels and a great bunch of guys to share our experiences with I'm glad I found Detours to travel with

Jett W. - USA

July 18, 2022

Thank you Detours for the all the planning and execution that went into a fantastic trip to Peru. Highly recommend and would book again.

Arnie P. - USD

October 26, 2021

My partner and I recently got back from the 12 Days in Peru trip. This was our first Detours trip, but it definitely won't be our last. We had an amazing time. I expected an interesting trip based on the itinerary, but I had no idea that the food would be this good. The restaurants were amazing! I also didn't expect the accommodations to be this fabulous. All of our hotels were really spectacular. The group activities (riding all-terrain vehicles, dune buggy ride and sand boarding, boat ride in Paracas) were a blast, and the trip provides plenty of free time to pursue individual interests. Everyone on the trip was super nice. No drama at all. I made some nice friends, some of whom I'll definitely keep in touch with. I can't wait for the next trip.

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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