Small group tours are a great way to explore the most beautiful corners of the world while staying safe, having your own space and limiting your environmental impact. They’re also brilliant for travellers who love to socialise and meet new people; when sharing travel experiences with a tight-nit community, you develop close bonds and make lasting friendships. In this article, we pick out the best small group tours in Peru to help you explore the land of the Incas in a safe and fun environment.
This article contains links to tours we recommend, which we may make commission from at no extra cost to you.
Peru small group tours: our top 3 picks
In a hurry? These are our top recommended small group tours in Peru:
🥾 The classic Inca Trail: the best way to see Machu Picchu!
🏞 Amazon Riverboat Adventure in Depth: see the great jungle in Peru
🇵🇪 Absolute Peru: an extravaganza of the cultural and natural highlights
Best tour operators in Peru
We recommend G Adventures for small group tours in Peru, and here’s why.
We have taken small group tours with many companies during our travels, and yes, there are several to choose from in Peru. Our best experiences have been with G Adventures, but that is not the only reason they have become our go-to choice.
The quality of the experience is the key factor for us, and probably is for you too! G Adventures have amassed decades of experience organising small group tours all over the world, and have an established network of the most knowledgable and trusted local guides in the destinations they cover.
They cap group sizes at a maximum of 16. The group sizes are often smaller than this too, typically averaging 10–12 – which we find to be ideal for creating a team dynamic and intimate social vibe – and most tours are now capped at 12 as part of the Travel with Confidence policy (more on this below).
Our experience with G Adventures
In our review of our Inca Trail with G Adventures, we wrote about how the company’s high ethical standards was a pivotal factor in us choosing them. Local staff were treated equitably and paid fairly, and the tour included visits to support community initiatives.
We also appreciated the supportive and understanding approach of the guides. Tackling a trek like the Inca Trail can be daunting for first-timers, but they did everything to make us feel at ease and bolster our confidence.
Travel with confidence policy
Thankfully, the global emergency of the Covid-19 pandemic is behind us now. But the way G Adventures responded to the situation at the time reassured our confidence in their approach, and has resulted in a legacy policy to ensure safe and secure travel.
G Adventures took quick and effective action to put extended health and safety measures in place for all of their tours in response to the crisis. And since, as the world has opened up again, the principles of these measures have been adapted as a framework to ensure their tours are safe and secure.
The G Adventures Travel with Confidence policy includes a whole range of measures including enhanced hygiene, frequent sanitisation, special training for tour guides and staff, and limited use of public transportation.
Small group tours in Peru: Machu Picchu
1. The classic Inca trail
🕒 Length: 7 days
📍 Starts and ends: Cusco
⭐ Highlights: Machu Picchu, ruin exploration at Ollantaytambo, community project visit
🥾 Physical difficulty level: demanding
Prices: view and book
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that tops many a dreamer’s bucket list. G Adventures combines the classic four-day hike with some initial exploration of the Sacred Valley, including trips to ruins at Pisac and Ollantaytambo, and visits to community pottery-making and weaving projects.
See the full itinerary2. Lares Trek with one-day Inca Trail
🕒 Length: 8 days
📍 Starts and ends: Cusco
⭐ Highlights: an alternative trek through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu at sunrise
🥾 Physical difficulty level: demanding
Prices: view and book
The Lares Trek in the Sacred Valley is an offbeat alternative to the Inca Trail. It reaches a higher altitude, topping out at 4,500 metres, taking in lagoons and snowy mountain views on the way. The package includes the same visits to the Sacred Valley as the classic Inca Trail, and ends with the final morning hike to Machu Picchu.
See the full itinerary3. Inca jungle and Rainbow Mountain trek
🕒 Length: 7 days
📍 Starts and ends: Cusco
⭐ Highlights: jungle mountain biking, zip-lining, Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain
🥾 Physical difficulty level: demanding
Prices: view and book
Vinicunca Mountain is one of Peru’s most photographed features, dubbed ‘Rainbow Mountain’ since 2015. The melting of glacial ice revealed layers of brightly coloured sediment and minerals at its peak. This tour package includes a hike to the summit, as well as jungle mountain-biking, zip-lining and Machu Picchu at dawn.
See the full itinerary4. Journeys: explore Machu Picchu
🕒 Length: 8 days
📍 Starts and ends: Lima
⭐ Highlights: Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and historical exploration of Cusco
🥾 Physical difficulty level: average
Prices: view and book
One of G Adventures’ “National Geographic Journeys” series, this adventure is a great way to experience Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley without the hiking, as well as exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the city of Cusco with insights from a local guide.
See the full itinerarySmall group tours in Peru: the Amazon
5. Amazon Riverboat Adventure in Depth
🕒 Length: 9 days
📍 Starts and ends: Lima
⭐ Highlights: Amazon river cruise and Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
🥾 Physical difficulty level: light
Prices: view and book
Pivoting from the isolated city of Iquitos, this absorbing skiff cruise down the Peruvian Amazon ventures into the heart of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Expect to see jungle wildlife in its natural habitat, including sloths and pink dolphins, while enjoying regional cuisine on-board.
See the full itinerary6. G Lodge Amazon Independent Adventure
🕒 Length: 5 days
📍 Starts and ends: Puerto Maldonado
⭐ Highlights: jungle trails, wildlife spotting, wild swimming, river cruise
🥾 Physical difficulty level: average
Prices: view and book
Puerto Maldonado is one of two great cities in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, and from here you can journey deep into the jungle on the Tambopata River. This varied adventure from the base of G Adventures’ exclusive lodge gives you the chance to experience the jungle from many perspectives, from treetop views to wild swimming holes.
See the full itinerarySmall group tours in Peru: multi-stop routes
7. Absolute Peru
🕒 Length: 21 days
📍 Starts and ends: Lima
⭐ Highlights: Lima, Paracas, Nazca, Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, the Inca Trail and Amazon
🥾 Physical difficulty level: demanding
Prices: view and book
The ultimate wide-ranging Peruvian adventure, this active tour combines many of the country’s top attractions into a three-week extravaganza. Incorporating the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and an Amazon exploration, the itinerary also includes time in Lima, Paracas, Nazca, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca.
See the full itinerary8. Iconic Peru
🕒 Length: 14 days
📍 Starts and ends: Lima
⭐ Highlights: Lima, the Amazon, Urubamba Valley, the Inca Trail and Lake Titicaca
🥾 Physical difficulty level: demanding
Prices: view and book
A shorter alternative to Absolute Peru, this package fills a diverse itinerary into two weeks. Beginning with Amazonian discovery from Puerto Maldonado and culminating on the shores of Lake Titicaca, this small group tour also includes a week in the Inca heartlands exploring the Urubamba Valley and the Inca Trail.
See the full itinerary9. Peru Multisport
🕒 Length: 15 days
📍 Starts and ends: Lima
⭐ Highlights: Sacred Valley hiking and cycling, Inca Trail, Lake Titicaca kayaking
🥾 Physical difficulty level: demanding
Prices: view and book
Designed for the most active travellers, this small group tour explores Peru by foot, bicycle and kayak. The classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is sandwiched between a biking adventure in the Sacred Valley and a two-day kayak excursion on the waters of Lake Titicaca from Puno, plus extra options for horse-riding.
See the full itinerary10. Amazon to the Andes
🕒 Length: 12 days
📍 Starts and ends: Lima
⭐ Highlights: Sacred Valley, Inca Trail, Cusco and a lodge excursion in the Amazon
🥾 Physical difficulty level: demanding
Prices: view and book
Our final pick is one of the best combined small group tours in Peru, bringing together the Inca Trail with an Amazon excursion from Puerto Maldonado. After the classic trek to Machu Picchu, we can attest that you will be ready to wind down – and a stay at the exclusive G Lodge in the Amazon is the perfect way to do it.
See the full itineraryIf you intend to travel more widely, our guide to small group tours in South America compiles the best itineraries in the region, including multi-country routes that incorporate Peru.
To plot your independent pathway through Peru, see our recommended itineraries for 1–4 weeks. For hiking ideas, our guide to the best hikes in Peru picks out 35 of the best trails in the country with essential preparation tips.
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