Landscape, Faces of Peru, Wildlife Photography Trip & Workshop 9 Days / 8 Nights

Join our 9‑day photo Peru tour landscape adventure and be prepared for some of Peru’s breathtaking and recognizable scenery. Discover one of the deepest canyons in the world—the Colca Canyon—to capture the flight of the Andean Condor and the terraced valley, with thousands of years of history, native villages all around, and volcanoes towering over 19,000 ft, including the active Sabancaya.

Capture great moments of natives from the floating Islands of Uros while you enjoy the boat ride and hiking in the Uros and Taquile Islands.

Cusco will provide you with a much greater diversity of landscapes, local natives in traditional costumes, and old and Hispanic architecture such as Machu Picchu. On the famous Rainbow Mountain, we will be hiking at sunrise and have the chance to capture beautiful moments early in the morning; also, the less-explored Red Valley will be on our day hike.

• Day 1: Arrival in Cusco
• Day 2: City walking tour and Sacsayhuamán (local natives – old architecture)
• Day 3: Natives visit at Willoq community (portraits)
• Day 4: Machu Picchu sunrise (landscape – old architecture)
• Day 5: Rainbow Mountain and transport from Cusco to Puno (landscape)
• Day 6: Tour to the floating Islands of Uros and Taquile Islands in Lake Titicaca
• Day 7: Departure from Colca Canyon (landscape – wildlife)
• Day 8: Colca Canyon tour (landscape – wildlife)
• Day 9: City tour and departure from Arequipa (architecture)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sunrise at Machu Picchu
• Landscape of the Andes
• The night sky of the Andes (Milky Way)
• The wildlife of southern Peru
• The architecture of Cusco
• The floating Islands of Uros
• Natives of Willoq
• The colorful Rainbow Mountain

• Type of tour: Lodge‑based, photography, historical, van transport, and train ride
• Trip service: All exclusive
• Type of transport: Private van, train
• Duration: 9 days / 8 nights
• Level of photography: Beginners, amateur, enthusiast, semi‑pro photographers
• Group size: This trip is limited to up to 8 guests, and it is available privately.
• Accommodation: The hotels we use are 3‑star in all locations and include one night of camping
• Our trip leaders: This trip is led by Jose Condor and Edgar Mora, who are professional guides, have a great vision of photography, and have been to those places multiple times.
• Location: This trip starts in Cusco city or the Sacred Valley at your request. You will need to fly to Lima, which is the capital of Peru, then to Velasco Astete (Cusco airport), which is a small domestic airport.
• Departures: We depart between May and September because the views and the sky are just spectacular.

Day 1: Arrival in Cusco

When you arrive at Cusco airport, your designated guide will meet you and drive you to your hotel. On the way, he or she will show you some examples of Incan and colonial constructions and give you some instructions about the activities. Today, you will meet your guide at the hotel at 5:30 p.m. for a pre‑trip talk followed by dinner at our chosen restaurant.

Includes: Pick up from airport to hotel in Cusco, dinner, hotel

Day 2: City Tour in Cusco

Our morning begins with a short walk along some streets of Cusco, where we will see the mixture of Inca and colonial architecture, including beautiful narrow streets and some balconies. You will also visit the local market of San Pedro to experience the vibrant local culture of food, fresh juices, vegetables, medicinal plants, and more.

You will tour the colonial Cathedral of Cusco, where you can view colonial paintings by the Cusco school of painting of that time, including a painting of the Last Supper featuring the local specialty, cuy (guinea pig), as the main dish. The local painters managed to capture the culture and history in a uniquely historical way in the artwork of such paintings.

After a delicious lunch, you will be transported to Sacsayhuamán, where you will have a guided tour of this incredible site, built with stones that weigh up to 120 tons and amazingly fit together without the use of mortar! There is probably no place in the world that can beat the architecture of this site. Afterward, you will tour the Inca archaeological site of Qenqo, considered to be the Temple of Mother Earth and also once probably the tomb of the most important king of the Incan empire, Pachacuti. We will then be transported to a Sacred Valley hotel for about 1 hour and have the chance to capture sunsets along the way.

Includes: Breakfast, lunch, transport during the tour, guide, entrance tickets to tour attractions, hotel

Day 3: Natives Visit at Willoq Community (Portraits)

Early in the morning, we will be picked up from our hotel in the Sacred Valley and transported to Willoq village through picturesque villages and scenic views of the Sacred Valley mountains. Along the way, we will stop at Ollantaytambo town to visit the local market, where we will purchase some bread for our family (natives) since the tradition of visiting a family always involves bringing them the big traditional Peruvian bread called CHUTA as a present.

We will arrive at Willoq and meet our family, who will take us to their home where we will learn about their culture and traditions. Depending on the season, they may be harvesting, cultivating, or engaged in other family activities so we can be part of the experience to better understand daily life.
The local ladies will also demonstrate the entire weaving process their ancestors used—from obtaining the wool of alpacas, dyeing the wool with plants, to making beautiful blankets as shown on their clothes.
The child of the community will say goodbye with a beautiful dance that will last forever in your hearts.

Note: The family speaks Quechua (the language of the Incas). They also speak Spanish, especially the younger generations; therefore, we will provide you with an English‑, Spanish‑, and Quechua‑speaking guide to facilitate communication.

We will also have lunch here at the village: Pachamanca, an old way to cook food on hot stones.

Then we will drive for about 30 minutes to Ollantaytambo train station to catch a Vistadome train at 3:37 p.m., which will take us to Machu Picchu town in a 1‑hour and 40‑minute journey.

Includes: Breakfast, transport, lunch, guide, time with natives, train tickets to Machu Picchu town, hotel

Day 4: Machu Picchu – Sunrise

In the morning, you will take an early bus to Machu Picchu, in time for sunrise so we can get the first shots in less crowded places. Your guide will take you to strategic locations and give you a detailed tour on the culture and history of the Seven Wonders. You will visit the main temple, the Temple of the Condor, Inca palaces, the stone quarry, and the sun observatory. This tour usually lasts for about 3 hours for a complete understanding.

You will then be back in Machu Picchu town around 10 a.m. for a great lunch before the train ride back to Cusco.

Includes: Breakfast, bus ride from Machu Picchu town to Machu Picchu (round trip), entrance ticket to Machu Picchu, tour guide, lunch, transfer from train station to hotel in Cusco, train back to Cusco, hotel

Day 5: Rainbow Mountain Hike and Transport to Puno

We will depart from the Cusco hotel at 04:00 a.m. for a 2‑hour drive to Cusipata town, where we will stop for a delicious breakfast at a restaurant. After that, we will continue for another 50‑minute drive to the trailhead at Phulawasipata (4,700 m / 15,419 ft), especially as this section of the drive is through a beautiful landscape with alpaca and agricultural farms.

Our hike begins along the meandering path with spectacular vistas of snow‑capped mountains and is surrounded by herds of alpacas and llamas.

After hiking for around 1.5 hours, we finally reach our destination, the magnificent Rainbow Mountain (5,020 m / 16,466 ft). No Photoshop or Instagram filters here; this awesome display of color is 100% natural and completely breathtaking.

We will take our time at the summit so that you can take spectacular pictures, breathe the clean air, and explore the area—or just enjoy the spectacular views. After that, we will take a short 20‑minute walk into the Red Valley. This valley does not have many hikers because it is a little bit longer to hike back down to the car park; however, downhill it offers a tranquil and beautiful walk amongst the crimson rocks that leads us to a spectacular view across the valley.

In a sense, though this is almost a different hike as we take in the views that were behind us on our ascent, the hike down will take around 1.5 hours to reach our van, then a drive of about 50 minutes back to Cusipata, where a delicious lunch awaits us. Then we will continue our journey with a 5‑hour ride to Puno City.

We expect you to arrive in PUNO City, located right on the side of Lake Titicaca, around 5 p.m.

Includes: Breakfast, guide, entrance tickets, transport, lunch

Day 6: Uros and Taquile Island Tour in Lake Titicaca

Today we will visit the unique indigenous floating islands of Uros that house families who migrated to Lake Titicaca over 3,000 years ago. Once we arrive at the islands, we will be greeted by the locals and learn about their history. We will have the chance to capture pictures of some birds and portraits of native people. We will then board one of the boats for a 1‑hour journey to the Taquile Islands, where we will enjoy lunch and do a walking tour. We will arrive back in Puno around 5 p.m.

Includes: Breakfast, lunch, floating island visit, boat, guide, hotel, entrance tickets

Day 7: Departure from Puno to Colca Canyon

Early meeting at the hotel after a hearty breakfast, followed by a 5‑hour drive through the beautiful landscape of the Andes, highland lakes, alpaca/llama farms, flamingos, and other birds in the highland lakes, passing along the Peruvian national reservation of Salinas, where we will be able to appreciate the wild South American camel called vicuñas, which are still undomesticated animals known for their very fine wool.
Getting near our destination, the Colca Canyon, we will see a big chain of volcanoes including the famous Misti towering over the white city of Arequipa, as well as the active Sabancaya.

The hotel is located in the heart of Colca Canyon, so we will be enjoying lunch with the spectacular vistas all around and will have the chance to enjoy the hot springs near the hotel.

Includes: Breakfast, transport, guide, hotel, lunch

Day 8: Early Morning at Colca Canyon and Drive to Arequipa

We leave the hotel by 6 a.m. for a 1‑hour drive to Cruz del Cóndor in the Colca Canyon to capture the flight of the condors. The journey offers us beautiful scenery of the Colca Valley, corn fields, and hundreds of Incan agricultural terraces. Once there, we have time to take pictures of the spectacular condors, which are considered the largest flying birds. Along the way back to Chivay, we will make a few stops in local villages, stop in Chivay for lunch, and then drive for 3 hours to Arequipa through beautiful mountain landscapes surrounded by inactive volcanoes and some wildlife.

Includes: Breakfast, entrance tickets, guide, transport, lunch, hotel

Day 9: City Tour in Arequipa and Departure

During the morning tour in Arequipa, we will visit the monastery of Santa Catalina, which is a working convent that seems like a small city within Arequipa and holds an amazing history from colonial times. We will tour the museum of the Juanita mummy to see one of the most well‑preserved mummies in the world, with an amazing history behind it. Both places are located near the main square. The visit lasts for about 2 hours, and we will also have some time to walk around the old downtown for pictures. After a delicious lunch, you will catch your flight home after this amazing adventure in Peru.

Often Asked Questions

Why Peru By Locals

• Peru By Locals offers tailor-made treks and tours and we cater to your interests when we plan your tour.
• We are committed to providing world-class tours based on exceptional customer service.
• We are a locally owned and highly experienced travel company based in Cusco, Peru.
• Our staff consists of members who have decades of first-hand experience in the Peruvian tourism sector.
• All the management and staff in Peru By Locals speak English, Spanish, and Quechua (the language of the Incas).
• Our guides and staff members are professionally trained and educated in the history of the Incas, Peruvian history, culture and traditions, first aid in the wilderness, guiding treks and tours, the fauna and flora of the region, and tourism management.
• We are committed to protecting our environment.
• We are committed to creating jobs and empowering local people. We believe in fair labor practices and honor and treat all our employees with dignity.
• We have programs to help with the development of the porters’ families and communities, such as planting trees and buying school books and school equipment for poor local communities.
• We honor native communities that have stewarded the land you visit.
• We have also started an Education Fund to support the education of the children of porters. A percentage of income from every tour and trek goes to the education of needy ones.
• Our trips are designed carefully to your needs and we create diverse, unique itineraries from 1 to 15 days in length. We offer a wide range of tours and treks. We guarantee you the experience of a lifetime!
• Peru By Locals organizes free, worry-free trips for you to enjoy fully.

Peru Small Group Specialists

Our tours are designed for those who love adventure, want to explore new places, experience the local culture, love food, or like history or photography for all ages, whether you are traveling alone, with friends, as couples, or with family. At Peru By Locals, we don’t tolerate racism, religions, sex, etc.

Small groups are the best, and the average tour or trek group is around 4 to 8 people. Why is this great? Well, have you ever waited in line while 40 other people get a coffee in the morning? Believe it or not, it is not fun. Taking small groups allows us the flexibility to take you on an adventure to places that nobody else goes.