Step onto the cobbled streets of Peru and savor the stories behind every dish - from ancient civilizations to colonial kitchens and centuries of immigrant influence. Unearth the country’s history through fresh ingredients, local recipes, and dishes made with heart. Curated Amazonian tasting menus, intimate Andean feasts, and explosive fusion cuisines bring each story to life.

Along the way, meet the farmers, chefs, and artisans who craft these flavors. Discover hidden kitchens, private workshops, and the stories behind every bite, uncovering why the food here isn’t just something you eat - it’s a gateway into Peru itself. All of this is shared with a small group of fellow food explorers, and guided by a true insider who helped ignite Peru’s influential slow food movement.

Private dinners in homes and hidden bars, conversations with chefs and farmers, workshops that leave you with more than souvenirs, and the kind of stories you can’t create by searching online — with a small group of people who love to 'travel a little deeper' through food, too.

Meal Friendly For: Those without dietary restrictions or food allergies

Physical Rating: 2 - Moderate

Accommodation: 3.5-4 boutique hotels, family-run homestays, and eco-lodges.

Transport: Private vehicle, domestic flights, small boats, trains, and city strolls between bites

🗺️ VIEW AND DOWNLOAD THE FULL ITINERARY

No Ordinary Food Tour

1. We’re not for everyone (and that’s the point).
Salt Caravan is for those who value authenticity over polish, and conversation over convenience. People who like things slightly improvised if the food leads them there — and who believe the best meals are shared around a table of eight.

2. Every bite tells a story.
Salt Caravan trips are built around the people and places behind the plate — the 14th-generation knife maker, the farmer who grows the rice, the chef who cooks for joy, not fame. You’ll taste the culture in all itinerary inclusions, with experts hosts and local guides along the way.

3. Meals you won't find on Google.

A trip where you get to experience what’s real, flavorful, and ready to be discovered… Whether that’s a road-side stop gem, hidden eatery, local foodie secret, or the dining room of a local chef. The kind of places you should eat - if only you knew someone who lived there. They’re not all necessarily hidden spots... just places that put more time and love into unbelievable flavors than social media.

4. Crafted, not choreographed.

Trips collaboratively created with local industry and food 'insiders' - People who actually live the culture and food - and love sharing it; fixers, experts, and flavor nerds. Their favorite meals and places that would be the ultimate immersive local experience. And when a Salt Caravan friend offers a back-door tasting? We follow the flavor.

5. Space to savor — together.
A small group of 8 travelers for intimacy and effortless connection. No checklists or name tags. Just shared tables, genuine conversations, and meals you’ll talk about for years... designed for a balance of experiences, independent time, discovery, meals, and authenticity

This Trip has a Physical Rating of 2

Our physical ratings give you an idea of how much physical exertion is required on a trip so you can determine if it's the right fit.

If you can walk 3 – 4 hours at an easy pace on undulating and uneven ground, you’ll be fine. There will be days where you’ll be spending a lot of time on your feet and times when you’ll need to get on and off different types of transport, including boats. 

Participating in this tour requires you're:

• Able to easily regularly walk 4 hours at a time at a good pace, over uneven and hilly ground.

• Have the mobility and balance to walk up steeper inclines and navigate trickier terrain (eg. sand dunes, over rocks, more challenging walking trails).

• Could participate in the occasional longer walk up to 10km

• Have the energy levels to enjoy busy days on your feet.

• Could sit on the floor for an extended time.

• Could walk up and down steep or long flights of stairs with no hand-rail.

• Could easily use a squat toilet without putting hands on ground.

• Can get on and off varied forms of transport such an a mini bus, train, 4WD, or boat, without assistance.

• Can handle own luggage; up and down stairs, on and off any mode of transport, and lift into/out of luggage racks.

• Can handle own luggage, up and down stairs.

• Does not have mobility issues (e.g. knee/hip problems).

• Does not use any walking aids.

Fitness: Regularly does light to moderate cardio (e.g. 4-10 km walks on varied terrain with hills). May also do yoga, Pilates, swimming, or light strength training.

Mobility: Good balance, flexibility, and endurance. Handles active days and varied terrain, though may need breaks on longer hikes.

Not quite sure - or have some questions first? Chat with one of our Salt Caravan Booking Managers to discuss a trip before booking if you have questions about trip suitability.

In the excitement of booking a much anticipated trip, it can be really easy to miss some of the nitty-gritty which may not jump out amidst it all. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind about this itinerary before you book (and before you fly)...

Environment:

• The Amazon is hot, humid, noisy, and full of creepy crawlies - pack accordingly!

• Seeing wildlife in the Amazon is highly likely but can't be guaranteed. We never can predict what Mother Nature will do next.

• You'll be traveling to 4300 meters / 14108 feet above sea level, and altitude sickness is a real possibility - have a chat with your doctor about how it might affect you.

• Temperatures during your trip will vary from between ~41 °F / 5 °C and ~86 °F / 30 °C, so lots of layers is the way to go.

Connectivity:

• Local SIM card is recommended to stay connected on the road.

Food culture:

• Many meals focus on simplicity and natural taste rather than fancy plating. Expect flavor, texture, and heart over presentation.

• Dining is often communal; even casual meals can involve shared plates, long conversations, and relaxed pacing. It's all part of getting to know the culture behind the food.

• Regional variety is part of what makes Peru's cuisine so special; from Andean stews to tropical Amazonian fruit and river fish.

Accommodation:

• Your eco-lodge is in the heart of the Amazon's action; expect noisy nature and wonderfully rustic settings.

• At Alejandro’s farm homestay, some rooms have shared bathrooms. Simple, authentic, and all part of the charm.

Cash is king:

• Many smaller restaurants, markets, and rural areas won’t accept cards.
  

Tipping:

• Tip kitty - we’ve found it to be the easiest way to combat over-tipping, under-tipping or having the tip fall into the wrong hands. We’ll let you know the tipping amount and how it’s distributed closer to the departure date.
  

Luggage & Train Travel:

• Bring a backpack (maximum 13.2 pounds/6 kilos) for two nights away from your main luggage - we'll keep your suitcase safe in Ollantaytambo while you travel light in the Andes.

• Your trip includes 1 large suitcase and 1 small overnight bag (max 63 inches / 160 cm total: height + width + depth) that fits in overhead racks or at your feet.

Itinerary Accommodation Changes:

• Accommodation in your itinerary may change due to circumstances out of our control - but alternative arrangements of similar or better standard will be provided, and your digital Itinerary updated.

• If the Accommodation changes for a tour Start or End Hotel - and you have notified us that you will be staying there Pre or Post-Tour (within the 'Participant Travel Confirmation' section of your Booking) - we will be in touch with you to let you know and discuss options available to you.

Some of our most Frequently Asked Questions relate to Bookings, Cancellations, Payments, and Fees. Below are some helpful Answer insights to help you, before you commit to Booking Terms & Conditions.

Bookings:

• There are a maximum of 4 Single Occupancy spots available to book for any trip.

• This trip is guaranteed to go ahead.

• We aren't able to arrange Airport Transfers or Pre and Post-Tour accommodation

• Bookings made before a Final Payment Date (120 days pre-trip) can be made with a Deposit as detailed for each trip.

• Bookings made after a Final Payment Date require payment in full.

• Trips are booked with Salt Caravan (Leatherback Travel Pty Ltd is our parent company).

• Acknowledgment and acceptance of Terms & Conditions is a binding contract under Victorian Law - Read our full Terms and Conditions here

Cooling-Off Period

• Bookings made before a Final Payment Date (120 days pre-trip) have a 2-week cooling-off period for change of mind.

• Your deposit is refundable during this period.

• A Cooling Off Period doesn't apply to bookings that are made after a Final Payment Date.

Payments & Surcharges:

• Payment can be made by either bank transfer or card, we don't receive bank checks.

• Payment by card attracts a processing fee (ranging from 1.5% to 3.9% depending on the card), to avoid this simply pay by bank transfer.

• Full Deposit is due at time of booking, the rest of the balance may be made in several instalments allowing payment to be made from different accounts if required.

• Our FX Policy (second page of our T&Cs) is important to understand due to the nature of international travel offered by Salt Caravan, and the effects that currency exchange fluctuations can potentially have for your Booking.

Cancellations & Refunds:

• Lifetime Deposit Guarantee: your deposit is always safe and can be used for future trips or on sister brands.

• Refunds only cover unrecoverable costs; events like weather, pandemics, or third-party issues aren’t refundable.

• Salt Caravan may cancel trips for low participation or force majeure; you’ll get a full credit or partial refund.

After You Book:

• Complete your 'Participant Registration Form' - this includes uploading a clear, color photo or scan of your passport bio page.

127 Days Out:

• You’ll receive a Final Payment Reminder.

120 Days Out:

• Your flight schedule is due by today

• Final Payment balance and all Participant Travel information / documents are due today

90 Days Out:

• Updates to your Participant Registration information won't be possible through your WeTravel Booking page - please contact us so we can arrange updates for you.

30 Days Out:

• A WhatsApp group for your trip will be created

After your trip:

• You'll receive an email to book a convenient time for a Feedback Call - this part is super important to us, and all future trips!

💡Your Booking Manager, is here to help. Whether you want practical advice or just a friendly chat, they're here for it all. Email contact@saltcaravan.com or call +1 971 300 4756.

Stops: Lima

Included Meals: Dinner, Nightcap

Cuisine: Amazonian sourced food

Transport: Local walk

Accommodation:  Manto Hotel Lima – MGallery Collection (or similar)

• Check-in to your hotel

• Dinner: Enjoy a welcome dinner with a chef-guided tasting menu that highlights Amazonian ingredients in a private dining room at the Lady Bee restaurant

• Nightcap: Finish your first evening with a Salt Caravan cocktail (non-alcoholic version available)
  

Stops: Lima: Historic Center - China Town - Local Market

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Street Food including: Tamales, Pan con Chicharrón, Anticuchos, Picarones, Chifa-style bites. Nikkei Food including: Acevichado Maki and Tiradito Matsue

Transport: Private van

Accommodation: : Manto Hotel Lima – MGallery Collection (or similar)

• Breakfast: Served at your hotel.

• Hit the streets for a full-on Limeño street food tour through the historic center, Chinatown, and the city’s biggest local market. Snack your way through stalls serving a variety of bites, and stories as your guide weaves in Lima’s colonial past, modern hustle, and the delicious chaos that makes this city tick.

• Lunch: You’ll be riding the Street Food high.

• Enjoy a free afternoon to relax and recover from all that walking (and eating, of course!)

• Dinner: an exclusive multi-course experience at Matsuei, one of the original Nikkei restaurants in Lima blending Japanese precision with Peruvian passion - served with family history and serious flavor in a private dining room.

Stops: Lima — El Cacaotal - Barranco

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine: Single-origin coffee, Chuncho cacao, & Coastal Criollo food

Transport: Private van

Accommodation: :  Manto Hotel Lima – MGallery Collection (or similar)

Breakfast: at your hotel.

• This morning, dive into the world of Peruvian cacao with a private visit to El Cacaotal, Lima’s artisan chocolate project. Taste single-origin cacao and coffee, learn the process behind the bar, and meet the people giving chocolate its soul.

• Burn off your sweet morning snacks with a wander through Barranco, Lima’s bohemian heart. Think colonial mansions, art galleries, bold murals, and ocean views.

• Lunch: taste the sea at Sonia, a hidden huarique run by a local fishing family. Expect ceviche, tiraditos, conchas a la chalaca, and whole fish prepared al ajo or a la chorrillanas, and more coastal flavors.

• Your time, your pace. Explore more of Lima’s backstreets or grab a drink with a view of the Pacific.

• Dinner: Tonight, dinner’s on you. Follow your cravings…

Stops: Puerto Maldonado — Southern Amazon

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Amazonian: River fish wrapped in bijao leaves , juane, cocona sauces, and heart of palm salads.

Transport: Domestic flight, Private van, Motorboat

Accommodation: Amazon Planet EcoLodge (or similar)

• Breakfast: at your hotel.

• Morning check-out and fly from Lima to Puerto Maldonado, the doorway to Peru’s southern Amazon.

• Meet a member of the Brazil nut harvester community, then board a boat and glide along the Amazon River to Fundo Lazo.

• Lunch: Share a traditional Amazonian meal with a local family, listening to stories of life deep in the rainforest.

• Continue upriver to your jungle home for the night - an EcoLodge tucked right into the heart of the Amazon.

• Leave your bags behind, it’s time to venture into the Taricaya Ecoreserve and experience the thrills of walking high among the treetops on a canopy walkway.

• Feeling bold? Join a guided stroll to experience the sounds and shadows of the jungle after dark, or simply kick-back and relax at your lodge.

• Dinner: preparations from the fruits (and fish) of the Amazon at your lodge.

Stops: Puerto Maldonado — Southern Amazon - Tambopata Reserve

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Amazonian

Transport: Motorboat, Rowing boat, Hike

Accommodation: Amazon Planet EcoLodge (or similar)

• Breakfast: early start this morning, so it’s breakfast to go!

• Begin your breakfast while watching the sunrise over the Madre de Dios River, feel the jungle slowly waking up all around you.

• Next, time for a gentle 1.8-mi/3-km hike into the densely forested Tambopata Reserve to reach Sandoval Lake, a mirror of calm surrounded by dense rainforest. Keep your eyes peeled for giant river otters and flashes of exotic birdlife from your rowboat.

• Lunch: Head back to your lodge for a well-earned lunch made with local Amazonian flavors and ingredients.

• Still looking for wildlife? You’re in luck. Visit the Taricaya Wildlife Rescue Center, one of the region’s leading conservation projects, to meet the Amazon’s more elusive ‘residents’ up close.

• End the day where you started… on the river. Cruise into a golden sunset, watching the rainforest slip into twilight as the first stars appear overhead.

• Dinner: Back at the lodge, enjoy a relaxed dinner surrounded by the sounds of the jungle night.

Stops: Puerto Maldonado — Southern Amazon - Palma Real - Warayo Lodge

Included Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Brazil Nuts, Amazonian

Transport: Motorboat

Accommodation: Amazon Planet EcoLodge (or similar)

• Breakfast: at your lodge.

• Cruise along the river to the Palma Real community, home of the Ese-Eja people.

• Visit the Shi’oi Handcraft House, where local artisans create beautiful royal palm accessories honoring generations of tradition.

• Head into a Brazil nut forest and learn how local harvesters collect, dry, and process the nuts, keeping sustainability at the heart of everything they do.

• Lunch: Munch on some freshly prepared dishes served right on the boat as you drift along the calm waters of the Amazon.

• Still peckish? Pull up a seat at Warayo Lodge’s “Biodiversity Table,” a feast of local and sustainably sourced Amazonian ingredients: exotic fruits, herbs, and stories from the forest itself.

• Dinner: back at your lodge.

Stops: Puerto Maldonado — Southern Amazon - Tambopata National Reserve - Bahuaja Sonene National Park - Cusco - Ollantaytambo

Included Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch

Cuisine: Amazonian

Transport: Motorboat, Domestic Flight, Private van

Accommodation: Las Qolqas Eco-Resort (or similar)

• Your last sunrise in the Amazon. If you’re craving one more taste of the wild, join your guide for an optional early walk through the rainforest before breakfast.

• Breakfast: at your lodge.

• Check out, then onto Niño Herrera’s chocolate farm and the Amazon Nut Processing Plant, two local projects blending sustainability, conservation, and community tradition.

• Lunch: Grab a casual bite.

• Transfer back to Puerto Maldonado airport for your flight to Cusco, trading the Amazon for the Andes!

• Short drive to Ollantaytambo, your entrance to the Sacred Valley, and settle in for the night to acclimatize to the altitude, perhaps after a sip of ‘mate de coca’.

• Dinner: Tonight, dinner’s on you - find a cozy spot in town and enjoy your first meal in the Andes.

Stops: Ollantaytambo - Maras and Moray

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine: Pachamanca, Andean Grains, Andean Botanical Liquor

Transport: Private van

Accommodation: Las Qolqas Eco-Resort (or similar)

• Breakfast: at your hotel.

• Wander through the salt terraces of Maras and circular terraces of Moray; remnants of Incan ingenuity where agriculture meets artistry.

• Stop at a local Andean distillery and learn the age-old craft of transforming roots, herbs, and spices into aromatic herbal liquors.

• Lunch: Gather for a traditional Pachamanca feast, slow-cooked beneath the earth with hot stones and served with Andean grains such as chia, quinoa and kiwicha, all under the open sky.

• Roll up your sleeves for a hands-on liquor workshop - blend your own personalized spirit to take home (or enjoy right there — no judgment).

• In the afternoon, return to Ollantaytambo for a guided walk of the city’s dramatic Inca archaeological complex.

• Dinner: Take your pick, tonight dinner is on you.

Stops: Ollantaytambo - Lamay

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine: Andean dishes (choose between: Pollo Novoandino, Lomo Saltado, Ají de Gallina, Picante de Queso) and Pisco

Transport: Private van

Accommodation: Las Qolqas Eco-Resort (or similar)

• Breakfast: at your hotel.

• Travel to meet the Huayllafara community.

• Visit local farms with traditional crops (such as corn, potatoes, oca, añu, tarwi, quinoa, and beans), get introduced to their agricultural techniques, processing and preparation methods, with a chance to get involved and do some tasting, of course!

• Time for some activity in Lamay… it’s on to a cooking class. Cook alongside locals using fresh ingredients from the valley and sample a few types of Pisco while you’re at it.

• Lunch: Enjoy the best kind of reward - the meal you’ve just created. Eat your own dish or share with your fellow Taste Buds over good food and better company.

• Head back to your hotel for a slow, easy evening. Maybe a stroll, maybe just a nap.

• Dinner: Tonight, dinner’s on you. Follow your cravings…

Stops: Ollantaytambo - Huayopata - Huacayupana

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Chocolate and home cooked farm food

Transport: Private van

Accommodation: Alejandro's Farm (or similar)

• Breakfast: at your hotel.

• Pack your small bag of necessities for 2 nights and travel to a local cacao and coffee farm via Abra Malaga, 14,100 ft/4,300 m above sea level, where the air is thin and the views are epic!

• Descend into warmer air and lush green valleys to reach Julia’s farm (4,900 ft/1,500 m). Wander through her fruit, coffee, and cacao plantations.

• Get your hands dirty and your taste buds watering, with a single origin chocolate making (and tasting!) workshop from the farm-grown cacao.

• Lunch: A simple, convenient stop along the way to refuel before continuing your journey.

• Get your hiking boots on again… it’s time to walk a couple of hours to reach your next stop while soaking up the mountain views and burning off some of that chocolate!

• Arrive at Alejandro’s farm, your rustic home for the night. Settle in, relax, and let the mountain calm take over.

• Dinner: A homemade farm dinner shared with Alejandro and his family - hearty, fresh, and straight from the land around you.

Stops: Huacayupana - Aguas Calientes

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine: Coffee

Transport: Private van, Train

Accommodation: Tierra Viva Machu Picchu (or similar)

• Breakfast: at your hotel.

• Follow the ‘bean to cup’ story at Alejandro’s coffee farm - harvesting, roasting, and tasting right where it all begins.

• Stretch your legs on a 40-minute walk through the valley to meet your driver, then travel to Santa Teresa, a laid-back mountain town that sits between the jungle and the Andes.

• Slip into the Cocalmayo hot springs and let the mineral waters work their magic on those post-hike muscles.

• Lunch: Refuel at a local restaurant in Santa Teresa.

• Board the train to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu.

• Dinner: Follow your own appetite through the town’s multitude of restaurants.

Stops: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu (7,972 ft/2,430m) - Ollantaytambo - Cusco

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine: Andean

Transport: Bus, Train, Private van,

Accommodation: Antigua Casona San Blas (or similar)

• Breakfast: at your hotel.

• Rise before the sun and ride the winding road up to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu (7,972 ft/2,430 m).

• Optional* Want to avoid the crowds AND get an awesome view from high up? Climb the Machu Picchu mountain (1.5hr hike) first thing, to see Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu mountain and the Urubamba river from way up high, enjoying the landscape en route too (we'll let you know when and how to confirm if you’re up for this).

• Explore this ‘Lost City of the Incas’ with a guide revealing it’s history and mystery.

• Lunch: A casual lunch, when the timing’s right.

• Take the train back to the Sacred Valley, and then a private transfer to Cusco - the historic capital of the Inca Empire.

• Dinner: You’ll likely be craving a little rest, more than a feast, after the early start. But if your appetite says otherwise, go ahead and find a bite to eat on your own nearby.

Stops: Cusco

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Transport: Private van

Accommodation: Antigua Casona San Blas (or similar)

• Breakfast: at your hotel.

• This morning, head out to explore a local market with perhaps the smiliest woman in Cusco — Chef Seledonia. Together, you’ll shop for delicious local produce and fragrant herbs.

• Bring your basket back to her family restaurant, Seledonia’s Mesa, for a hands-on cooking class filled with homegrown know-how.

• Lunch: Taste the literal fruits of your labor - your own Peruvian dishes - with a perfectly mixed Pisco Sour on the side.

• Join a guided city walk of Cusco, from the hilltop fortress of Sacsayhuamán to the Q’enqo archaeological complex and the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas.

• Dinner: Dinner's on you. Feeling brave? This might be your moment to try a little cuy - Peru’s most famous (and fearless) dish.

Stops: Cusco

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Transport: Private van

Accommodation: Antigua Casona San Blas (or similar)

• Breakfast: at your hotel.

• Your final day in Cusco is yours to wander. Rest at the hotel, stroll the plazas, pick up souvenirs, or snag a bottle of your favorite pisco to bring a little Peru home with you.

• Lunch: ….maybe one last ceviche?

• Keep exploring - revisit your favorite corners or find new ones.

• Dinner: a 7-course tasting menu celebrating the best of Peruvian cuisine - each dish paired with wine, each bite a reminder of how far you’ve come (and tasted).

Stops: Cusco - Lima

Included Meals: Breakfast

Transport: Private van, Domestic Flight

• Breakfast: at your hotel.

• A chance to grab any last minute souvenirs then we’ll zip you off to the airport to return to Lima and catch your flight back home (or onward, if adventure’s still calling).