PERU 2025

INTIMATE PORTRAITS &

TRADITIONAL LIFE

DATES: 13th - 25th October 2025

DURATION: 12 days

GROUP SIZE: Max 8 Participants

STARTS/ENDS: Lima, Peru

TOUR LEADER: Nicolas Castermans

PRICE: $4295 (all-inc, including 2 internal flights)

DOWNLOAD THE ITINERARY

PERUPHOTOTOUR 2025

Embark on an exhilarating 13-day photography expedition, delving into the heart of Peru's vibrant culture and awe-inspiring natural wonders. We will kick off our adventure in Lima, capturing the breathtaking Pacific Ocean sunset before soaring to Arequipa, where the UNESCO-listed Santa Catalina Monastery awaits.

We will venture onwards to the majestic Colca Canyon, the world's second-deepest, before immersing ourselves in the mystical beauty of Lake Titicaca. Exploring the fascinating Uros Titino floating islands and the enchanting Taquile Island. The expedition continues to Cusco and the Sacred Valley, where we'll uncover the secrets of Salineras de Maras, Moray, and Ollantaytambo, culminating in the awe-inspiring Machu Picchu.

As our thrilling journey draws to a close, we'll marvel at the vibrant Palccoyo and Vinicunca Rainbow Mountains, and relish a final day in Cusco before making our way back to Lima, carrying memories of a lifetime.

PHOTOGRAPHYSKILLLEVEL

Our photo tours are relaxed, fun and adventurous!

Beginner/Novice

Intermediate

Advanced

THE ITINERARY

Day 1 (Lima - Arequipa)

Welcome to Lima! The day before the tour starts, we will pick you up from the airport
and take you to your hotel, where you can relax and unwind. And on day 1, we’ll all
meet in the morning and go for a walking tour together in the historical center of
Lima. We’ll get a first impression of the country, the people and taste the amazing
Peruvian gastronomy. Then pick up after lunch to the airport to take our flight to
Arequipa, the “White City”. Transfer to the hotel and dinner around a nice meal on
the main square…

Day 2 (Arequipa)

This morning, we’ll go for a nice photography walk in the white streets of this colonial city, surrounded by three 6,000 meters volcanoes. We’ll particularly spend
some time in the interesting San Camilo local market. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the
incredibly colorful Santa Catalina Monastery, a city in the city, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then we’ll end the day on a nice view point for sunset…

Day 3 (Arequipa - Colca Canyon)

This morning, we leave Arequipa for a nice 4-hour drive to the second deepest
canyon in the world. We’ll pass by National Reserves full of local wildlife such as
Vicuñas, llamas, alpacas… surrounded by volcanoes. The highest point of the road
reaches 4,900 meters above sea level, and offers a great panorama on the active
Sabancaya volcano. After reaching Chivay (3,600 m), the Canyon’s biggest town, and
enjoying a nice lunch, we’ll head towards Cabanaconde village (3,200 m), making a
few stops on the way to take photos and do short hikes.

Day 4 (Cola Canyon - Titicaca Lake)

This morning, we’ll go to the “Condor Cross” from where we can normally see the mythical Andean bird flying. Then we’ll slowly come back to Chivay, making a few
stops on the way again and enjoying the hot springs of Yanque. After lunch, we’ll
drive about 5 hours to Puno, the doorway to the highest navigable lake in the world,
the Titicaca.

Day 5 (Puno - Llachon Peninsula)

Early this morning, we’ll take a private boat (1,5 hours) to visit the impressive Uros
Titino floating islands, inhabited by indigenous Aymara people. They’ll explain their way of life to us. Then we’ll reach the Llachon Peninsula and our lunch place. In the afternoon, we’ll take photos of the Quechua people who will host us for this night. We should also have time to review our first images of the trip and start editing them.

Day 6 (Llachon Peninsula - Cusco)

In the morning, we’ll drive to Capachica to photograph the local indigenous market
that takes place every Sunday. We’ll then embark on the longest journey of the trip,
towards the imperial city of Cusco (3,400m), the ancient capital of the Incas. It’s a relatively long day of transfer (about 7 hours in our private van/bus), but with a few interesting stops on the way, like Pukara, La Raya mountain pass, or Raqchi…

Day 7 (Cusco)

This day will be dedicated to exploring and photographing the amazing town of
Cusco. We’ll particularly spend some time around the San Pedro market where
photographic opportunities are everywhere. We’ll also go to some incredible view points over the entire valley and photograph sunset.

Day 8 (Cusco - Sacred Valley - Aguas Calientes)

Today we’ll drive towards the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We’ll first visit the
impressive Salineras de Maras and the circular terraces of Moray. In the afternoon,
we’ll walk around Ollantaytambo, an Inca town with an archeological site. Then we’ll
take a train (1,5 hours) to Aguas Calientes (2,000 m), the doorway to Machu Picchu…

Day 9 (Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco)

Early start today to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu (2,400m). We will spend
time photographing it with the best light, before taking a full guided tour. After our
lunch in Aguas Calientes, we’ll slowly come back to Ollantaytambo by train, and with
our private transport to Cusco. We’ll deserve a good rest and a last good
acclimatization night before going higher in the Andes…

Day 10 (Cusco - Palccoyo Mountains - Palccoyo village)

We’ll start the day with a 4-hour drive to the indigenous community of Palccoyo
(4,300 m). We’ll first have a local lunch at a local family, where we’ll spend the night.
Then the whole afternoon will be dedicated to photographing the insanely colorful
landscapes of Palccoyo mountains. These alternative rainbow mountains stand at
5,000 meters above sea level, but they’re almost reachable by car. To enjoy the best
panoramas on it, one has to hike 30 to 45 minutes only. The lack of oxygen is really
noticeable on such heights, but we won’t put in too much effort…

Day 11 (Palccoyo - Cusco)

This morning, we’ll spend time with the family we stay at to photograph their daily
activities. Then we’ll slowly come back to Cusco. In the afternoon, we’ll have a last
photography walk in this amazing city and enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening…

Day 12 (Cusco - Lima)

Our last day in Peru together. You’ll be transferred to the airport in the morning to fly to Lima international airport for your departure. I hope you’ll come back with incredible photos and memories…

WHATTOEXPECT

We've found that small groups provide the best experience. That's why we've limited this tour to 8 participants. That means there will be plenty of one-to-one time for everyone.

Nicolas has real-world experience of shooting professional travel images and can ensure that tour guests will benefit from the knowledge he has gained in decades of travelling and photography.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

The experience includes

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation will vary from elegant hotels to remote family-run guesthouses.
FOOD & DRINK*

All meals are included. If you have any special dietary requirements just let us know.
TRANSPORTATION

2 internal flights and all ground transport.

EXPERT PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDANCE

With award winning photographer Nicolas Castermans.
ALL ENTRANCE FEES

There's almost nothing to pay for on location other than personal expenses.

I LOVED EVERY MOMENT

Another exciting journey with a wonderful group and inspiring guides. I loved every moment of our adventure!. Especially on those days where we found ourselves off the beaten track, discovering not only a magnificent country but also parts of ourselves.

Fantastic journey, lots of photo opportunities, Tom and Nico are very knowledgeable about the area and helped a lot to make it a success

Testimonial from Louise & Eldert V Participants on the Peru Photo Tour 2023

YOURTOURLEADER

Nicolas is a French travel and documentary photographer. He's been traveling extensively for about a decade, and defines himself as a passionate explorer and adventurer at heart, with a strong attraction to remote cultures, places and lifestyles. He is a multi-award-winning photographer and was a finalist in the "Travel Photographer of The Year" Awards in 2020 and 2021. His work has been commended in 2022 in the "Cultures" category. He's also been awarded in many other International contests - "The Independent Photographer", "Life Framer", "Siena International Photo Awards", 500px - judged by iconic photographers such as Steve Mc Curry and other acclaimed artists from prestigious agencies like National Geographic, Time, The Guardian...

Last but not least, he's been running a Travel agency in Peru since 2016. So his experience as a tour leader and his knowledge of Peru as a photographer will ensure you to live unforgettable moments.