January to April: This photography tour is not currently in the schedule, but can be added by request

  6 nights/7 inclusive days  |  Maximum of 10 participants, and a minimum of 4 participants

  $3,660 USD per person  |  Single Supplement: 14% of the base cost of the trip

  The deposit for this photography tour is $500. Make a deposit, or pay your tour balance here

  Explore our discounts for client loyalty, early enrollment, 2 trips in 12 months, referrals and more

  Do you have a question? Ask us via email: Click here
  Arrival and departure airport: Lima, Peru [LIM]
  Arrival window: For a variety of travel related reasons, arriving one day early is recommended
  Search fares at Kayak, Skyscanner, Orbitz, Google Flights or your favorite airline
  Machu Picchu Photo Gallery
  Map of overnight locations
  Client responses to our photo tours
  For the single supplement, cancellation policy and enrollment guidance see below

  10 places are available at this time
  Updated: Wednesday the 2nd of October, 2024

  Indicates that we have sufficient enrollments and the trip is a 'go'
  Indicates that this trip requires the minimum number of participants as indicated on line two above

Photography Tour Overview: Brought to the attention of the ‘civilized’ world in the early 1900’s, but dating to circa 1460, Machu Picchu is a unique time capsule of the Inca empire. When designated as a World Heritage Site in 1983, it was described as "An absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization". Photographically speaking you’ll just love it. Also included on this photo trip are old Cuzco, the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Ollantaytambo Inca fortress, and Lima et cetera. As with all of our photography tours, early and late shooting is scheduled for each day.
 

Our itinerary . . .
But first things first! We suggest that you set your camera's clock to the local time, as your images will then synchronize with the times in our included photo tour field notes.

Day 1  |  Lima
You will be met at the airport by our bilingual transfer agent who will take you to our hotel, and the remainder of the day can be spent recuperating from your travels and adjusting to the 9,000 foot elevation, or ambling around the vicinity of the hotel in search of pictures.
Lima, 1 night

Day 2  |  Cuzco
After breakfast we will be met at the hotel and taken to the airport for our short flight to Cuzco. Here we will be met by our local guide who will take us to our hotel.
After a break and lunch we will take a guided tour of this magnificent city, once capital of the Inca empire, and you will be able to photograph many of the walls which the Incas built, and which now form the foundations of colonial buildings later built by the Spaniards. We'll explore the center of the Inca Empire, the Plaza de Armas. There one can find the cathedral built on the ruins of the Inca Palace. Next stop will be the old town with its magnificent renovated colonial buildings that are now being used as hotels and so on. Then to Sacsayhuaman which is a ruin located approximately 3 km above Cuzco. Sacsayhuaman also offers a fabulous view of the city. Next to Tampu Machay is the bath of the Inca and Kenko, the giant rock whose niches and gaps were carved in an unusual manner. Plus Puca Pucara, the ruin of a small fort.
Cuzco, 1 night

Day 3  |  Pisac ruins and Ollantaytambo
After breakfast we will depart for the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with its beautiful scenery, colorful Indian people and rich Inca heritage. We shall stop throughout the journey to take advantage of the dramatic vistas of the Andes. On to Ollantaytambo which is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the Americas, complete with canals unchanged since Inca times. Below the fortress is an exquisite traditional community and a living Inca village that retains the stonework, narrow streets and family courtyards of its original Inca Plan.
Ollantaytambo, 1 night

Days 4 + 5  |  Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
Buffet breakfast at the hotel, and off to the Ollantaytambo train station to board the Vistadome train. The northbound train follows the lower lands towards to the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu and ends its service at the Aguas Calientes station. We'll check into our hotel, and then we'll head up the Hiram Brigham road that leads to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Known as the 'Lost city of the Incas', it's one of the most stunning archaeological sites in the world. John and our local guide and will take us through Machu Picchu telling the history of the area and answering any questions you may have about this spectacular wonder. We will stay here all afternoon after the majority of visitors leave, photographing until the site closes.
We will be away well before dawn on day 5 so as to catch the first light at Machu Picchu, followed by a chance to explore the ruins with John's guidance or on your own. In late morning we'll return to Aguas Calientes, take lunch and some relaxation time, then finish the day with a photo-exploration of this rustic mountain town on the banks of the tumbling Urubamba River.
Aguas Calientes, 2 nights

Day 6  |  Cuzco
Morning light in Aguas Calientes which translates as 'warm water' in reference to the local hot springs, but a place often referred to as 'Machu Picchu Pueblo'. We'll then take a buffet breakfast, and take a return ride on the Vistadome train back to Cuzco to relax until late in the day when we'll venture out on foot to explore Cuzco. We'll take advantage of the array of photographic opportunities offered by this great city that once formed the center of the Inca Empire. Subjects will include the Inca stonework that forms the heart of this city, indigenous people selling their traditional weavings, a vegetable market and the Andean scenery et cetera.
Cuzco, 1 night

Day 7  |  Old Lima and late flight departures
Morning flight to Lima, and lunch with a view toward the Pacific Ocean. We'll then explore old and new Lima pointing cameras at photogenic spots such as the Plaza de Armas with the beautiful buildings of the government Palace; the town hall; the Palace of the Archbishop and Cathedral; the San Francisco and Santo Domingo convents, and the popular Plaza San Martín. The included dinner on the last night of our photography tour will feature an 'It's You!' presentation of clients in action on this tour by John.
If you have a late flight you'll also have time for the Olive Grove of San Isidro; Miraflores and Larco Mar. A departing flight after 8 pm is recommended today.

Photo Tour Photographer/Leader: John Baker, Travel Images Photography Tours, and local guides
The preceding itinerary is a copyrighted work by John Baker Photographer LLC, and Travel Images Photography Tours
 

Enhancing Your Photography Skills
Describing the assistance you'll receive on one of our photography tours takes more than a few words, so for greater detail please go here.

Exertion level: This photography tour is classified as 'mildly strenuous' to 'strenuous'

Cuzco sits at 11,200 feet for which we provide assistance, and slow movement is encouraged!

Machu Picchu is at 8,000 feet, and has terraces that should also be tackled at a slow pace

In every other respect this photography tour is considered non-strenuous to mildly strenuous

Do you need a Visa for travel to Peru?
Travelers from all countries can do a quick check of visa requirements here or here
Our international clients may need to contact the embassy of their intended destination in their own country for a visa. Go here or here

Do you need vaccinations for travel to Peru?
 See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website here
 

Photography Tour Cost, Deposit, Cancellation Policy and Enrollment Guidance

Trip Cost: $3,660 USD per person not including airfare. A 5% discount is applied to all double occupancies. A single room supplement is required for single occupancy

Single Supplement: 14% of the base cost of the trip

The deposit for this photography tour is $500. Make a deposit, or pay your tour balance here

Cancellation policy: Go here

Enrollment guidance: Go here
 

Included in the Trip Cost: The following items are included in the trip cost . . .

• Photography instruction throughout the trip by John

• All accommodations with private facilities [en-suite]

• Round-trip flights: Lima-Cuzco-Lima

• All breakfasts

• Lunch on day one of the trip

• Dinner on the last night of the trip

• On-vehicle snacks and bottled water

• All ground transportation including the Vistadome train to and from Machu Picchu

• Airport pick-up on day 1, and drop-off on departure day. Arrival prior to day 1 is not included

• Entrance fees for sites and activities listed below under ‘Admissions Included’

• Following the trip you'll receive detailed field notes describing the time, place and subject of each photo stop, plus image uploads to a private web page of clients 'in action' on the trip

Not Included in the Trip Cost: The costs for these items are the responsibility of each participant . . .

• Airfare

• Travel costs between your home and the gateway airport and return

• Any transportation or travel costs incurred prior to or after the tour’s inclusive dates

• Pre-tour and/or post-tour accommodation

• Lunches and dinners except for lunch on day one of the trip, and dinner on the last night of the trip

• Alcoholic beverages

• Entrance fees or costs related to optional sites or activities not included in the itinerary

• Baggage fees

• Medical expenses

• Personal items such as the hotel mini-bar, laundry et cetera

• Incidental charges incurred at our accommodations such as movie rentals, internet and phone

• Travel insurance

• Passport or visa expenses

• Airport departure taxes, if applicable

Admissions Included in the Trip Cost:

• Two photography sessions at Machu Picchu

• The Sacsayhuaman and Pisac ruins

• Any other admissions are optional and not included