Peru is among the world’s great touring destinations — a country with one of the most sophisticated pre-Columbian civilisations, the most biodiverse food scene in South America, and natural landscapes that run from Pacific coast to Andean highlands to Amazon basin. These five tours cover the experiences that define a Peru trip.
All are bookable through GetYourGuide with verified reviews and free cancellation on most bookings.
1. Lima: Ultimate Peruvian Food Tour
Lima: Ultimate Peruvian Food Tour (from $75 per person)
Lima has become one of the world’s most discussed food cities — three restaurants in the global top 50, a street food scene built on layered Andean, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish influences, and a ceviche tradition that is distinctly its own. This food tour covers the best of it: a mercado stop in Miraflores for fresh produce context, ceviche at a local kitchen, lomo saltado (stir-fried beef) at a traditional restaurant, causa (cold mashed-potato terrine), and the obligatory pisco sour. Eight to ten tastings across the Miraflores and Barranco districts.
Duration: 4 hours | Difficulty: Easy — flat neighbourhood walking
Best time: Lunchtime departure (12–1 PM) to catch kitchens at peak service
Includes: Licensed food guide, all food and drink tastings at each stop, transport between venues
If you are spending more than a day in Lima, this tour is the single best investment. Peruvian cuisine requires explanation to fully appreciate — the guide context makes a difference.
2. Lima: Street Food and Market Tour in the Historic Centre
Lima: Street Food and Market Tour in the Historic Centre (from $45 per person)
A complementary approach to Lima’s food scene focused on the Centro Histórico — Lima’s UNESCO-listed colonial downtown — and its covered mercados and street stalls. The tour covers anticuchos (beef heart skewers, a Lima street staple), picarones (deep-fried sweet potato doughnuts), emoliente (a herbal drink made from barley and herbs), and chicha morada (purple corn drink). The market stops introduce Andean ingredients — aji amarillo, huacatay, Peruvian herbs — that appear throughout the country’s cuisine.
Duration: 3 hours | Difficulty: Easy
Includes: Guide, all tastings included
A lower-cost complement to the Miraflores food tour. The Centro Histórico has a very different character from Miraflores — more working-class, less tourist-facing, and more revealing of day-to-day Lima life.
3. From Cusco: 2-Day Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu Guided Tour
From Cusco: 2-Day Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu Guided Tour (from $180 per person)
The definitive Peru tour, covering two days across the Inca heartland. Day one visits the Sacred Valley — the Urubamba river valley that the Incas considered the most sacred landscape in their empire — with stops at Pisac (hilltop fortress and terraced agricultural complex), Chinchero (traditional weaving village), and Ollantaytambo (the best-preserved Inca military and ceremonial site, still a functioning town with original Inca street plan). Overnight in Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu.
Day two is Machu Picchu itself — a 15th-century royal estate built at 2,430 metres on a ridge above cloud forest, abandoned during the Spanish conquest and unknown to the outside world until 1911. The citadel encompasses 150 stone structures across agricultural terraces, temples, plazas, and residential sectors.
Duration: 2 days | Difficulty: Moderate — significant walking across both days
Includes: Guide, transport, train to Aguas Calientes, bus to Machu Picchu, overnight hotel, all entries
The two-day format is the right pace. Rushing Machu Picchu as a day trip from Cusco means early trains and no time to move through the site without crowds.
4. Arequipa: Full-Day Colca Canyon Tour
Arequipa: Full-Day Colca Canyon Tour (from $35 per person)
The Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world — approximately 3,270 metres at its deepest point, roughly twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. The tour departs Arequipa at 3 AM to reach the Cruz del Condor viewpoint by morning — the best vantage in Peru (and among the best in the world) for watching Andean condors soar on thermal currents at eye level. The canyon walls drop away 1,200 metres below the viewpoint. En route, the road crosses a 4,900-metre pass with views of five snow-capped Andean volcanoes.
Duration: 14–15 hours (early morning departure, late return) | Difficulty: Moderate — some trekking into canyon optional
Includes: Guide, transport, condor viewpoint stop, Andean village visits, entrance fees
The early start is non-negotiable — the condors ride the morning thermals and retreat by mid-morning. This is worth the 3 AM alarm.
5. Colca Canyon: 2-Day Tour from Arequipa to Puno
Colca Canyon: 2-Day Tour from Arequipa to Puno (from $90 per person)
A logical transit route between Arequipa and the Lake Titicaca region that converts the overnight journey into a guided two-day circuit. Day one covers the Colca Canyon as above. Day two continues east to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca — the world’s highest navigable lake at 3,812 metres — with stops at the floating Uros Islands (reed islands built and maintained by the Aymara people for centuries) and Taquile Island, known for its textile tradition. The tour ends in Puno.
Duration: 2 days | Difficulty: Moderate — altitude is a significant factor at Puno
Includes: Guide, accommodation in Colca, transport Arequipa → Colca → Puno, island boat trips
The most efficient way to travel between Arequipa and Puno while doing justice to both the canyon and the lake.
How to Choose
| Tour | Duration | Best for | From Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lima Food Tour | 4 hrs | Best of Peruvian cuisine | $75 |
| Lima Street Food Tour | 3 hrs | Centro Histórico market crawl | $45 |
| Sacred Valley + Machu Picchu 2-Day | 2 days | The essential Peru tour | $180 |
| Colca Canyon Full Day | 14–15 hrs | Condor watching, deep canyon | $35 |
| Colca Canyon + Puno 2-Day | 2 days | Arequipa to Lake Titicaca | $90 |
Prices are per person, in USD, as of 2026. Most tours offer free cancellation; check individual listings. Browse all Peru tours on GetYourGuide.