The short answer
Destination Peru is a U.S. and Peruvian-owned travel company founded in 2012, with teams in Cusco, Peru and Woods Cross, Utah. Multigenerational families are one of the groups we plan for most, and the reason a private trip works for them is simple: there is no group to keep up with. You have your own vehicle, so a tired child or a grandparent who wants a slower morning changes the day, not the trip. Your private bilingual guide adjusts the walking, the stops and the pace to the people in front of them. We plan around ages, interests and how much walking each person enjoys, and we check the rooms for your actual party before we confirm anything. It suits school-age children, teens and grandparents travelling together; see our family journeys for how the trips are built.
How many days for a family
Seven days for most families: Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco with one open day, which is Signature Peru from $4,395 per person. Nine days if grandparents want rest days built in; Peru in Depth, from $5,295, has two open days. Ten days if you want the Amazon as well, which is Exploration of Peru from $5,495. Five days (Essential Peru, from $3,295) works for Machu Picchu alone with older children who travel well. The full comparison is in our guide to how many days to spend in Peru.
Machu Picchu with children and grandparents
Machu Picchu entry is on a confirmed date, time and circuit, booked before we charge your deposit, so the day is fixed and nobody queues. The bus takes you up from the town, and inside the site your private guide walks the circuit at your family’s pace, stopping where the children’s attention goes and sitting out the steepest sections with whoever prefers to. Huayna Picchu and Montaña are optional extra climbs with their own permits and a minimum age of 10, better suited to older children, teens and adults. Ticket and circuit details are in our Machu Picchu tickets and circuits guide.
Altitude with kids and older travelers
We route the Sacred Valley (about 9,000 ft) before Cusco (about 11,200 ft), so everyone acclimatizes on the way up rather than landing at the highest point; Machu Picchu itself is lower, at about 7,900 ft. Every journey includes oxygen in the hotels and vehicles, a partner clinic in Cusco and a Cusco team on call 24/7, and a private itinerary can slow down on any day that someone needs it. This is general information, not medical advice; talk to your clinician before you travel. More in our altitude in Cusco guide.
Hotels and rooms for families
Family journeys use Inkaterra-tier hotels, which have the space for a group to spread out between activities. Before we confirm a journey we check the room combinations, beds and connecting or nearby rooms for the actual party, not a generic family of four. In Cusco, La Casona has only 11 suites, so a large party there needs to plan early. How the hotel tiers compare, including the Belmond upgrades, is in our Inkaterra or Belmond guide.
Adding the Amazon or the Inca Trail for teens
For families, the Amazon add-on is three nights at Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica: one short flight from Cusco, a canopy walkway, guided walks and boat trips, and it is the Amazon chapter of the 10-day Exploration of Peru. For fit teens and adults, the private 5-day Inca Trail with Inca Trek by Destination Peru (from $2,995 per person) can be built into a 10–12 day trip: your own guide, cook and porters, and a night at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo before Machu Picchu. Hikers must be 12 or older. Grandparents and younger children can take the train and meet the hikers at Machu Picchu.
What a family trip to Peru costs
| Journey | Days | Route | From, per person, two sharing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Peru | 5 | Sacred Valley · Machu Picchu · Cusco | $3,295 |
| Signature Peru | 7 | Same route, one open day in Cusco | $4,395 |
| Peru in Depth | 9 | Same route, two open days | $5,295 |
| Exploration of Peru | 10 | Lima · Amazon (3 nights) · Sacred Valley · Machu Picchu · Cusco | $5,495 |
Prices are per person, two sharing, with Inkaterra-tier hotels, and include hotel nights, the private guide for listed visits, Machu Picchu entry, all private road transfers, the trains, meals as listed, oxygen, the clinic and the 24/7 team. Flights, insurance, gratuities and optional experiences are not included; we can book flights for US$50 per domestic round trip and US$100 per international, plus the fare. A $500 per-person deposit secures the journey and the balance is due 60 days before arrival. Your written proposal confirms the total; the full breakdown is in our guide to what a private Peru trip costs.