Peru beyond Machu Picchu: coast, Andes and Amazon

Machu Picchu is, without question, one of the great wonders of the world. But for <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/meet-the-designers/stephanie-gulledge">Stephanie Gulledge</a>, B&amp;R's Latin America Experience Designer and a guide who spent the better part of a decade leading travellers through Peru's highlands and valleys, the Inca citadel is just the beginning of a much longer story. Her new <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/2027-limited-edition-peru">Limited Edition Grad Journey</a>—spanning Lima's Pacific coastline, the Sacred Valley, the Colca Canyon, Arequipa and the depths of the Amazon—is the trip she has long wanted to offer the travellers she watched fall in love with the country and leave wanting more. Here, she takes us behind the grand journey design, and the people, places and plates that make it unlike anything else we offer.&nbsp;

Opener

<h3>You've been working in Peru for a long time. Where does this trip come from?&nbsp;</h3>Over the years, I kept noticing the same thing. Travellers would arrive, do the Sacred Valley, visit Machu Picchu, have this profound, life-changing experience and then leave. I understood it, because Peru is extraordinary even on that shorter circuit. But I always felt like we were only showing people one chapter of the book.&nbsp;The country has this incredible diversity—geographically, gastronomically, culturally—and the moments that surprise people most are rarely the iconic ones. Lunch in a local family's home. Standing in a highland field with a man who is essentially breeding superfoods. Waking up on the Amazon and opening your curtains to that view. I wanted to build a trip where those moments weren't the exceptions—they were the entire architecture.&nbsp;<h3>Walk us through the geography. This is a big trip.&nbsp;</h3>It really is, and geography shapes everything, including the order we travel in. <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/trip/small-group/peru-inca-trails-culinary-masters-andean-rituals">We begin in Lima</a>, right on the Pacific. Sea level, coastal food, the energy of one of South America's great cities. From there, we fly to Cusco and transfer immediately down to the Sacred Valley at around 2,740 metres (9,000 ft). Rather than staying at Cusco's 3,350 metres (11,000 ft) on arrival, we descend first, which gives the body time to adjust before the altitude makes itself known. We spend three nights there, then make our way to Machu Picchu, which actually sits lower than the Sacred Valley at around 2,430 metres (7,970 ft), before returning to Cusco for the final nights of the first part of the trip. &nbsp;The <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/trip/small-group/peru-where-the-andes-meet-the-amazon">second chapter of the trip</a> takes us to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon—one of the deepest canyons on earth and one of the best places in the world to watch Andean condors in flight. Elevations climb here, at times reaching 3,600 metres (11,800 ft), but by this stage in the journey, travellers barely notice. We finish with three nights on the Amazon, staying aboard a ship outside Iquitos, and by then, altitude is the last thing on anyone's mind.&nbsp;

<h3>Where do you stay on a Peru luxury trip like this?</h3>Sol y Luna in the Sacred Valley is my favourite hotel in all of South America. I know that's a bold thing to say, but I've said it for years and I keep coming back to it. It's a Relais &amp; Châteaux property, and the food and service reflect that. But what really makes it is the grounds. Walking through them early in the morning, the Andes rising all around you, hummingbirds moving through the flowers—it's genuinely enchanting. I've read evaluations from travellers who stayed three nights and said they wished they'd stayed longer. We've built in three nights for a reason.In the Colca Canyon, every traveller has their own casita with a private heated plunge pool—the region is known for its natural hot springs, and we've leaned into that fully. In Arequipa, we're at CIRQA, a property with real character and a strong sense of place. And on the Amazon, cabins aboard Aqua Nera—widely considered the finest expedition ship on the river—with floor-to-ceiling windows, exceptional service, and small skiffs that take you deep into the tributaries. I took my mother on this ship a few years ago. She still talks about it.<h3>What makes the Machu Picchu hotel so special?</h3>The Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel, is the only property located inside the national park boundaries—no queues, no buses, no crowds. The park has strict environmental limits on size and water consumption, and the hotel operates within them. But the access it provides is extraordinary. First light at the site, before the day visitors arrive.&nbsp;

<h3>Peru's food culture has had a real moment globally. How does that play out on this trip?</h3>It's woven through everything—which feels right, because Peruvian food is inseparable from the landscape and the people. In Lima, a morning at a local market leads to a hands-on cooking experience at our host chef's private oceanfront residence. That evening, dinner is at Kjolle, Pía León's celebrated restaurant. From there, the food experiences become more intimate, not less interesting.Manuel Choqque is someone I'm particularly excited for travellers to meet. He's an agricultural scientist in the Sacred Valley dedicated to preserving Andean biodiversity and repositioning native potatoes and tubers as some of the world's great superfoods. He's also producing artisanal wines from oca, a native Andean plant. It sounds eccentric until you see the science behind it.We also have a pachamanca lunch—food cooked underground using fire-heated stones, out in the open air on a farm. In Arequipa, lunch at a traditional picantería joined by a member of the Sociedad Picantera. And on the Amazon, fruits and ingredients that haven't left that part of the river. That's the kind of food experience you genuinely cannot plan for at home.<h3>Who is this trip for and what does luxury really mean on a journey like this?</h3>This is a trip for someone who wants to go deep, who came back from Peru and said "I loved it, but I only scratched the surface." For that traveller, luxury is the curation. The collective years of on-the-ground knowledge behind every decision about where to go, who to meet and when to slow down. Any well-funded traveller can book a good hotel. What they can't replicate is knowing that every meal, every guide, every community encounter has been chosen because it's genuinely the best version of that experience—not because it appeared on a list.The properties on this trip are exceptional. But that's the frame. The picture inside is the intimacy: the Despacho ceremony in the Sacred Valley, the chef's home in Lima, the community visit on the Amazon. Those are the things people describe when they come back. The hotel is where they slept. The rest is what they remember.Explore and book your post on the <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/2027-limited-edition-peru">Limited Edition Peruvian Grand Journey</a>.

Butterfield & Robinson's new luxury tour in Peru—spanning Lima's Pacific coastline, the Sacred Valley, the Colca Canyon, Arequipa and the depths of the Amazon—is the trip she has long wanted to offer the travellers she watched fall in love with the country and leave wanting more.

Discover the Best of Peru | Luxury Active Travel Tour

Peru

With its unparalleled diversity and stunning landscapes, Peru is an adventure waiting to be embraced. From the Amazon's unique biodiversity to the towering Andes Mountains, the region promises both natural wonders and vibrant cultural experiences. In Lima, indulge in world-class cuisine and its lively nightlife. Explore the legendary Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and walk through Peru's rich history at Batán Grande, where ancient ruins tell tales of past civilizations.&nbsp;

Nature's playground, history's treasure

Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu on a luxury private Peru tour. Lima's cuisine, Sacred Valley, the Amazon and Lake Titicaca await. Expert guides since 1970.

Luxury Hiking & Biking in Peru | Butterfield & Robinson

Explore Lima, the food capital of South America, sampling everything from cutting-edge restaurants to traditional tastes of Peru’s culinary legacy. Bring on the ceviche!  Barranco is a historic areathat is a home to poets, writers, musicians and artists - galleries and folk art shops - Many food connoisseurs believe that Peru is home to the best Japanese food found outside of Japan. Tonight, we will have the opportunity to experience a tasting menu dinner at Maido restaurant,where Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, or Micha, takes Peruvian-Japanese fusion to a whole new level!

fish market -f ish traders and chefs looking for the best catch for their restaurants - experince vibrant daily life in the peruvian capital -fresh fruit and veg market

cusco & sacred valley of the incas

Hike, horseback ride and mountain bike your way through Peru’s Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.

Venture beyond Machu Picchu and deep into Peru's untouched nature, history and cuisine.

Insider Access

Regional Expertise

Unforgettable Experiences

Peru is a place of staggering contrasts and vivid moments. Trace ancient footsteps to Machu Picchu at sunset, wander colonial streets in Cusco and find out why Lima is a global food capital. Cruise through the Amazon’s tangled beauty, watch macaws cut through the jungle sky and meet tradition head-on at Lake Titicaca. This is Peru—layered, living and endlessly compelling.

A land of striking contrasts, discover Peru

Bespoke travel lets you to take our inspirational cues and craft them into your personalized, private adventure. Collaborate one-on-one with an Experience Designer to put together your tailor-made trip.

Hike the Inca Trail, bike the Sacred Valley and eat at Lima's finest restaurants on a tailor-made Peru itinerary. A private Machu Picchu journey worth

Peru Private Tours: Inca Trail, Sacred Valley Cycling & Lima's Best

Experience Peru on a holistic level and leave feeling empowered, renewed and—most importantly—connected.

Want to see Machu Picchu after the tourists have gone? We find the best way is to sleep next door at the stunning Sanctuary Lodge. During waking hours you’ll explore the ruins of the Sacred Valley and hike the cloud forests of the Inca Trail before hopping the Hiram Bingham Train back to Cusco for a final night dinner in an ancient Incan palace.While this is a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket-list activity, the Inca Trail itself is a challenging hike without any options for easy-outs or modifications. There is no road or helicopter support, making rescues challenging and reserved for emergencies.

Authentic Food

Great Walks

Welcome to the Sacred Valley, where llamas have the right of way and ancient Incan echoes still bounce off the ruins. Hike past soaring peaks to Machu Picchu the proper way—on foot—then toast your triumph. Cap it off with a ride on the Hiram Bingham train. Epic? Absolutely. Otherworldly? You’ll see.

Discover the Lost City

The itinerary below is a sample and is subject to slight changes in routes, accommodations and activities. Please download the itinerary for your selected departure for precise details.

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Experience Designer

Spend 4 nights hiking to Machu Picchu in a small group with a guide who knows exactly when to arrive before the crowds. The Inca Trail, done right.

Peru Hiking Tour: Machu Picchu, Inca Trails & the Perfect Sunrise Arrival

Rich History & Culture

Local Connections

Authentic Flavours

This is Peru at its most extraordinary. An intimate passage through ancient Inca citadels, sacred Andean valleys and one of the world's most celebrated culinary scenes. From the bohemian streets of Lima and a private dinner at Kjolle to a trek along the legendary Inca Trail, a sunrise at Machu Picchu and the golden colonial streets of Cusco, every day brings a deeper connection to the living culture, ancient spirituality and breathtaking landscapes that make Peru unlike anywhere else on Earth. A limited edition journey designed to be experienced on its own or combined with Part Two as the ultimate Peruvian grand journey.Extend your adventure with <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/trip/small-group/peru-where-the-andes-meet-the-amazon">Peru: Where the Andes Meet the Amazon.</a>

Explore Peru's most iconic destinations on a private luxury tour. Trek the Inca Trail, discover the Sacred Valley, visit Machu Picchu, and uncover the ancient capital of Cusco — with exclusive local connections, private guides, and extraordinary culinary experiences throughout.

Off the Beaten Path

Wildlife & Nature

Authentic Tastes

From the depths of the Colca Canyon to the elegant colonial streets of Arequipa and deep into the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, this is the side of Peru that few ever get to see. Watch condors soar above one of the world's deepest canyons, dine privately within the candlelit cloisters of a 16th-century monastery, and spend three extraordinary nights aboard Aqua Nera—exploring remote river systems, ancient communities and the staggering biodiversity of the Amazon Basin. A limited edition journey designed to be experienced on its own or combined with the first chapter of this ultimate Peruvian grand journey.Start from the beginning with <a href="https://www.butterfield.com/trip/small-group/peru-inca-trails-culinary-masters-andean-rituals">Peru: Inca Trails, Culinary Masters &amp; Andean Rituals.</a>

Explore the Colca Canyon, colonial Arequipa and the Peruvian Amazon on a luxury small group tour. Watch condors soar above one of the world's deepest canyons, discover Arequipa's 16th-century Monastery of Santa Catalina, and cruise the Amazon River aboard the elegant Aqua Nera.