Explore Peru & Galapagos

Combine Peru and Galapagos – two of South America’s top destinations – to create the trip of a lifetime.

Peru and Galapagos Holidays

Galapagos and Machu Picchu, Peru make a wonderful holiday combination, allowing you to experience two of South America’s truly outstanding places in one trip. Machu Picchu has perhaps the most breath-taking archaeological site in the world, but Peru also has an amazing wealth of other magnificent sites: ancient, colonial, natural and scenic.

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Peru TG Strip

Peru and galapagos tour ideas

These trips are purely for inspiration. Each Galapagos and Peru holiday we create is always unique and tailored to match your interests, timescale and budget

Our Favourite Places in Peru

You can choose to visit any of these places as part of your trip to Peru and Galapagos.

Guest Reviews

Truly Amazing!
Claudia Roeder & Family
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A great combination of structured and unstructured activities. All in all, it was a truly amazing and most memorable trip. Thank you!
The Trip Was Superb!
Andrew & Susan Bell
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The trip was superb and everything worked out perfectly. Very appreciative and admiring of how well you organize and run your logistics.
Once in a lifetime trip
Jacqueline Taylor
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For me this was a once in a lifetime trip and thanks to your knowledge and expertise it will be a trip I will remember for a very long time.
Best holiday ever
Alastair & Jenny Platt
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The holiday to the Galapagos is possibly the best holiday we have ever had... a truly memorable experience.
Mind blowing!
Farida Goodman
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The whole experience was mind blowing, and it was so wonderful to see all the wildlife... I will never forget the whole journey.
What an adventure
Carol & John Cope
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We had a fantastic time, what an adventure... thank you so much for your help with the arranging, your company is so good.
An unforgettable holiday!
Annalisa Guazzotti
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It was a wonderful trip! Amazing places and perfect organisation, thanks to you! It has been an unforgettable holiday.
Trip of a lifetime
Jenny & Delton Hedges
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It was truly the trip of a lifetime. A number of people ask what the highlight was but we really can't pick just one!
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Why travel with Think Galapagos?

We listen to you. We take the time to understand what you want your Galapagos trip of a lifetime to be. We then we use our decades of experience and unrivalled network of local contacts and team of top guides to make it happen.

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“We understand travelling is more complicated now than before COVID. That’s why you need to use a company you can trust every step of the way.”

Travel in a time of uncertainty…

Now travel has resumed, planning your Galapagos holiday should be a source of excitement, but making sense of all the travel regulations can be a headache. We follow developments in Ecuador, Peru and Galapagos incredibly closely so we have all the latest information on hand.

Having all the latest information and expert teams on the ground helps us take the uncertainty out of your planning and give you the confidence to book, secure in the knowledge we have you covered! If you want to find out the latest advice on travel to Ecuador, Galapagos and Peru please contact us

When to visit?

The best time to visit Cusco and the Andean region is from April through October. The peak rainy months are January and February, with the months of December and March also having a high level of rainfall. We particularly like the months of May and October, as they are usually much quieter than the peak tourist months, but with good weather. These months also coincide with two of our favourite months for Galapagos.

If we had to summarise the weather in Peru’s Andes, the phrase ‘four seasons in one day’ springs to mind. In June for example daily lows drop to -2°C (28.4oF) degrees rising to daily highs of 18°C (64.4oF). Dressing in layers is the key. In the morning and evening it is cool, but in the middle of the day it can get quite warm, so with layers you can just peel them off and put them back on again as the day requires!

oC
oF

Cusco and the Peruvian Andes Weather

Month Min Max Rain (mm)
January
4
17
153
February
4
17
136
March
4
17
120
April
3
18
46
May
0
18
8
June
-2
18
2
July
-2
17
4
August
-1
18
8
September
1
18
23
October
3
19
40
November
3
19
68
December
4
18
116

Cusco and the Peruvian Andes Weather

Month Min Max Rain (mm)
January
39.2
62.6
153
February
39.2
62.6
136
March
39.2
62.6
120
April
37.4
64.4
46
May
32
64.4
8
June
28.4
64.4
2
July
28.4
62.6
4
August
30.2
64.4
8
September
33.8
64.4
23
October
37.4
66.2
40
November
37.4
66.2
68
December
39.2
64.4
116

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Peru travel guide

Peru Quick Facts

Peru is the third largest country in South America, bigger than France, Germany, Italy, Netherland and Switzerland combined. Nestled on the Pacific Ocean to the west, it is bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia, to the east by Brazil and Bolivia and to the south by Chile. A Peru holiday offers so much more than the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. There are jungles, beaches and deserts.

The best way to start planning your Peru and Galapagos holiday is to give us a call or contact us via email. We are genuinely delighted always to answer any questions and help get you started planning your trip. But in case it is helpful, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about travel in Peru with us and the best way to combine it with your Galapagos holiday.

What is the best region to visit in peru?

If you have to choose just one area, arguably the most spectacular area of Peru to visit is its Andean region, home to the Incan Empire and the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu but also some truly spectacular scenery, with snow-capped peaks rising above 6,000m as well as the world’s highest navigable lake, Titicaca at 3,810 metres and one of the world’s deepest canyons at Colca. As well as a fascinating history, the mountains here are also home to a vibrant culture and a proud people who maintain their traditions with passion.

How long should we spend in peru if combining with Galapagos?

We would recommend at least six days in Peru to allow yourself chance to truly acclimatise to really get a feel for some of the highlights of the Andean region, which are Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas and of course Machu Picchu. 10 days or 2 weeks are even better and certainly there is plenty to see.

What is the best way to avoid the effects of altitude?

Many of the places you will be visiting in Peru are high in the Andes, which means we need to factor in time for you to acclimatise to the altitude within your itinerary.

Usually we recommend flying into the ancient Inca capital Cusco from Lima to start your exploration of Peru’s Andes but instead of staying here in Cusco, we usually have you travel down lower to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, just 15 km north of here at around 2400 metres (7,874 feet). This helps you to minimise the effects of altitude. The best way to do this is to have one of our team of top bilingual guides pick you up at Cusco airport and set off directly from the airport which as well as avoiding any altitude issues it provides you with a wonderful introduction to all of the amazing sights you are going to see during your time in Peru’s Andes.

Most people are absolutely fine at altitude, but most do experience breathlessness during the first few days at altitude. You definitely need to take it easy the first day or so (a bit longer before doing the Inca Trail), to let your body gradually get used to being at high altitudes.

Here is a table of the altitudes of some of the most popular places that we visit:

Peru Altitude Table
Do all your guides in Peru speak English?

Selecting top bilingual local guides is one of the most important elements in creating an excellent holiday experience. Guides definitely make the difference between an OK holiday and an outstanding holiday, which is what we aim to give all of our guests. For example for your visit to Machu Picchu, we usually send one of our guides from Cusco to accompany you to ensure that you get the most out of what is usually the highlight of your visit.

We have found the quality of the local guides there in Machu Picchu itself just isn’t as high as we expect for our guests, so we send our own guides from Cusco.

Should we include time in Cusco during our Peru tour?

The short answer is Yes! We usually then end in Cusco, the highest point physically on your trip at 3400 metres (11,154 feet) once you have acclimatised to the altitude.

The ancient capital and ceremonial heartland of the Incas it is a beautiful and vibrant city with its mix of colonial and Incan buildings, again having learnt so much and seen so much of the Incan Empire, by adding it at the end of your visit to the Peruvian Andes it means you get even more out of your visit here when we add your stay in Cusco at the end.

Is it worth including time in the Sacred Valley of the Incas?

If you 10 days or more you could consider starting your trip to Peru by flying from Lima to Arequipa, the beautiful white city, and from here onto the Colca Canyon, with its craggy peaks and circling condors. From here you can head across the altiplano to Lake Titicaca.

The Inca legend describes how their founding gods emerged from the lake, and even today it carries a magical aura. You can spend the night here, either on a private island or as a guest of one of the Aymara communities on the Island, an experience that is truly remarkable. From here you can take one of the most famous train journeys in the world across the altiplano from Puno to Cusco.

Is it worth spending time in Peru’s coastal region?

If you have more than a week you could also consider spending time in Peru’s coastal region. The coast which accounts for 12% of the area of Peru is home to the modern day Peruvian capital, Lima, which boasts some amazing restaurants, great hotels and some of the continent’s most fascinating museums.

The coastal region of Peru is also home to the Nazca lines, mysterious super-sized etchings in the desert only visible from the sky with over 300 figures including a whale, condor, llama and spider. Constructed by the Nazca culture thousands of years ago, historians still don’t know how or why they were drawn. There is also the awe-inspiring ruins of Chan Chan, constructed by the Chimor culture in around AD850 and for many centuries the largest city in South America. For those with a love of archaeology and history the coastal area of Peru is not to be missed.

Should I add on time in Peru’s Amazon region?

We would usually recommend our Galapagos guests wanting to add an Amazon experience actually add on time in Ecuador’s Amazon which is arguably more easily accessible than the Amazon region of Peru. However we can certainly organise for you to spend time in Peru’s Amazon and it does have some amazing lodges and jungle experiences. Some 60% of Peru is accounted for by the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most bio-diverse areas on the planet with one in ten of the know species in the world living here.

The Amazon offers visitors a once in a lifetime chance to see a mind blowing variety of flora and fauna, much of it unique to this vast and stunning landscape. The Amazon Rainforest is inhabited by almost 2,000 species of birds. Manu National Park is home to more bird species than the USA and Canada combined. Amazon tours out from Puerto Maldonado give you the chance to see howler monkeys, pink river dolphin, peccaries, sloths and macaws to name but a few. The flora is also amazing with some 3,500 species of orchids of which 800 can only be found in Peru. It has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status to protect the sheer scale and density of wildlife and plants in this special area.

Pre-Trip Information

This downloadable pre-trip information document will help you plan for your Galapagos holiday as well as answering some of the key questions you may have. Despite being quite long, it is by no means exhaustive, so please do get in touch with us any time with any questions you may have and we are always delighted to help.

Learn more about peru

Jump into a world of culture, history and beautiful landscapes.