Choosing between a private tour and a group tour isn’t always an easy decision. In this blog post, we break down the key differences between private and escorted tours, share practical tips, and explain which option works best depending on your travel preferences, budget, and expectations.
Sometimes a customized tour is the better choice, while in other cases a organized tour makes more sense – it all depends on what kind of journey you’re looking for. Our goal is to give you clear, honest guidance so you can decide what’s truly best for your Peru adventure.
What are Best Peru Private Travel Packages?
It is a tour organized exclusively for you and your travel companions – your significant other, your parents, siblings, or your children. Or perhaps it’s a group of close friends or couples who have traveled together for years. All tours, transportation, and local guides are dedicated solely to your group, ensuring every detail runs seamlessly. This is what many travelers look for when choosing private and luxury tours in Peru – comfort, privacy, and a highly personalized experience.
When deciding between a private or shared tour, it’s also important to distinguish between a single-day excursion and a tailor-made, multi-day travel program. While a day trip offers a short snapshot of a destination, customized travel packages and luxury tours combine multiple experiences over several days. These can include destinations such as Lake Titicaca, a trek to Machu Picchu, the Rainbow Mountain trek, the Peruvian coast with Paracas, and immersive journeys into the Peruvian Amazon rainforest.
What Are Group Tours in Peru?
Group tours are pre-organized trips where you travel alongside other travelers who have booked the same itinerary. These tours follow a fixed schedule with set departure times, routes, accommodations, and activities. Transport, guides, and excursions are shared with the rest of the group, which helps keep costs lower compared to private tours.
Group sizes can vary depending on the operator. Some companies offer small guided tours with 6–10 participants, while others may operate larger groups of 20 or more people. Because the itinerary is planned in advance, there is usually less flexibility when it comes to pacing, meal stops, or spontaneous changes along the way. There is a “one size fits all” approach, which can be make things difficult at times, for example, if you suffer from the altitude.
One of the biggest advantages of small-group tours is the social aspect. They are a great option for solo travelers or anyone who enjoys meeting people from different countries and sharing experiences along the journey to Peru. Organized tours can also be ideal for travelers who prefer a structured program and don’t want to worry about planning logistics themselves.
That said, package travel often requires compromises. You’ll need to adapt to the group’s overall pace, wait for everyone at meeting points, and follow a schedule that may not perfectly match your personal travel style. For some travelers, this structure is reassuring; for others, it can feel limiting.
Some of the Reasons Why You Would Want to Book Peru Private Tours
1. Stress-Free, No Hassle Holiday
When you book private experience, we will have organized all the elements that you want arranged. For most people, this means that from the time you arrive in Lima until the time you go home at the end of the trip, we will have the logistics worked out for you. The transfer picks you up and takes you to the airport, and someone is waiting for you at the other end to take you to the hotel where they ensure you are settled.
You don’t need to spend your holiday online, trying to figure out train tickets, where to buy bus tickets, and how to get from A to B. Our clients say that our holidays are amongst the most relaxing adventures they have taken.
2. Tailor-Made Journeys: You Decide!
Customized tours are organized in advance but under your direction and control – so you essentially plan out the days to go at your own pace. Does your group like to rise early? Then the travel company can get the days going early. By the same token, if you prefer a leisurely breakfast, we can organize to start a little later as well.
As you travel in private transport, you can stop to take photos where you want, enjoy the landscape, or if a private guide sees some interesting local event happening, they can ask you if you would like to stop and see it. There is a good deal of flexibility in a exclusive Peru tour, and this is one of its major benefits.
3. Private Peru Tours Mean Simpler Logistics
Choosing an exclusive trip to Peru means bypassing the logistical challenges of group travel. Instead of waiting for large groups to board buses or coordinate at each stop, you set your own pace.
Check-in and accommodation become seamless processes without the hassle of managing multiple room assignments. With simpler logistics, you maximize your time to immerse yourself in the country’s beauty and culture at your own pace, free from rigid schedules and crowded buses.
4. Maximizing Time Together During Your Travel in Peru
One of the most important things about your vacation is spending time together in an invigorating and non-stressful environment. For many people, it’s a chance to reset, reconnect, and refresh. When you have an exclusive tour, you really are maximizing your time together, as it’s just you and your local guide. It’s, therefore, much easier to focus on what your vacation is really about – love and connection! 😊
You hear a lot about the best time to visit Peru, but we often think the Best time is the time you have available, that fits with your schedule. Got 6 days, then lets make the best Peru and Machu Picchu tour possible!
5. Best for Families with Small Children
Tailor-made tours make the most sense for families with children under 12 years (approximately) as you will be able to go at a much slower pace and program in downtime for them (and yourselves).
Another example of the perfect exclusive excursion is a multigenerational trip where two different generations are traveling together and need to go at different paces than one another but meet up at the same place in the afternoon. Even a Sacred Valley tour can be adapted for different interests and pace.
We actually do this all the time – half the family will hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, while the other half take the train from Cusco. Then, they meet up at the World Wonder of Machu Picchu! If that sounds cool to you – then thats because it is. Our expert guides know many tips to make sure that your tour to Machu Picchu is amazing, and that this will be the best tour you’ve experienced in recent years.
6. Suitable for Both Hikers and Non-Hikers
Imagine planning a Peru travel getaway with your friends or family, where some are drawn to challenging treks while others prefer a more relaxed pace. Enter the versatility of a private tour, allowing you to accommodate everyone’s travel style.
Some people love being out in the mountains, while others enjoy cosmopolitan city experiences. Imagine your significant other having time to explore Cusco, while you get to discover Peru and its mountains.
This personalized experience enables some members to fully immerse themselves in the trekking adventure, conquering challenging trails to the majestic Andes, while others opt for the comfort of a scenic train ride to Aguas Calientes. The beauty lies in the seamless reunion for a combined tour of the iconic Machu Picchu, ensuring that every member of your group enjoys the adventure in their own way.
7. Immersive Cultural Exchange: Experience Peru the Authentic Way
Traveling on an exclusive tour allows for more meaningful interactions with local communities and cultures. With the guidance of knowledgeable expert local guides, you can engage in authentic cultural exchanges, participate in traditional rituals, and gain insights into the daily lives of indigenous peoples and their Incan heritages. These immersive experiences foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Peru’s rich cultural heritage.
8. Sustainable Travel Practices
Many private tour operators in Peru are committed to sustainable development that minimize environmental impact and support local communities. By choosing a private tour to Machu Picchu and Cusco, you can contribute to responsible tourism initiatives, such as eco-friendly accommodations, conservation projects, and fair-trade partnerships.
You can visit Iconic sites, or you get off the beaten track – this is your tour, and you can organise it how you want it. This ensures that your travel experiences leave a positive legacy for future generations and help preserve Peru’s natural and cultural treasures.
When a Group Tour Is the Better Choice
While customized tours offer maximum flexibility and comfort, group tours can be the better option in certain situations. If you’re traveling solo and enjoy meeting new people along the way, a group tour can add a strong social element to your trip. Sharing special moments when you explore Machu Picchu or the Sacred Valley with fellow travelers often creates lasting friendships.
Group tours are also ideal for travelers on a tighter budget, as costs for transportation, guides, and activities are shared among participants. For first-time visitors to explore Peru, group tours provide a reassuring framework with fixed schedules and clearly planned activities, removing much of the uncertainty that can come with travel planning.
Additionally, if you have limited time and want to see the highlights without making many decisions yourself, group tours can be an efficient and practical choice. Everything is organized in advance, allowing you to focus on enjoying the journey rather than managing logistics.
Best of Peru: Private or Group Trips?
Undoubtedly, opting for an exclusive tour is more expensive compared to sharing costs with other travelers. However, the value of a remarkable experience versus a budget-friendly option is a critical consideration. Your choice also depends on whether you want to hang out with other travelers during your travel to Peru.
The definition of ‘shared tours’ varies among companies, making it challenging to discern their specifics. Are they referring to a small group of 8 or 10 individuals, or perhaps a crowded bus with 30 passengers speaking multiple languages?
Our proposition for an exclusive tour is crystal clear – it means the best private service, comprising solely you, a private tour guide, and a driver for all activities.
So, while the private options cost significantly more (and we can explore ways to save if you prefer), it’s essentially “your tour” where you have the freedom to dictate the pace – whether faster, slower, dropping certain activities, or even adding others. This level of customization allows for the development of personal relationships with your guides and a deeper exploration of the country compared to a group tour.
On the flip side, if you’re a social butterfly and one of the highlights of your holidays is meeting people from around the world, then group tours might be more up your alley.
Group Tours vs. Private Tours – The Comparison
| Feature | Private Tours | Group Tours |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | High | Limited |
| Pace | Your choice | Fixed |
| Cost | Higher | Lower |
| Social aspect | Low | High |
| Families & kids | Excellent | Sometimes challenging |
| Logistics | Fully handled | Shared responsibility |
Real-Life Travel Scenarios: Which Local Tour Fits You Best?
Sometimes the easiest way to decide between a private tour and a group tour is to imagine yourself in a real travel situation.
If you’re a couple traveling for a honeymoon or a special anniversary – a private tour is definitely the better choice. You can move at your own pace, enjoy more intimate moments, and tailor the itinerary around what matters most to you – whether that’s luxury stays, scenic stops, or quieter experiences.
If you’re traveling solo and enjoy meeting people from around the world – a group tour can be a fantastic option. Group travel naturally creates social connections, shared meals, and friendships that often become one of the highlights of the trip.
For families traveling with young children or grandparents – private packages tend to work best. They allow for flexible schedules, rest breaks, and activities adapted to different energy levels, while still bringing everyone together for key experiences like visiting Machu Picchu.
If you’re traveling with friends who have different interests – some wanting to hike, others preferring comfort – a private trip offers the most versatility. Part of the group can trek, while others take an easier route, and everyone can reunite later without anyone feeling left behind.
How to Create an Unforgettable Private Peru Itinerary
One of the biggest advantages of a private trip is the opportunity for deeper, more meaningful cultural experiences. Traveling with a dedicated local guide allows you to go beyond the highlights and truly connect with the places you visit.
With more time and flexibility, you can engage with local communities, learn about traditions, and gain a richer understanding of daily life in Peru. Whether it’s visiting a small Andean village, learning about ancestral weaving techniques, or taking part in local customs, these moments often feel more personal and less rushed on a private journey.
Because the experience is tailored to your interests, your guide can adapt explanations, answer questions in depth, and suggest cultural encounters that align with what fascinates you most. This creates a more authentic and immersive journey, helping you experience Peru not just as a visitor, but with a deeper appreciation of its people and heritage.
Do you want to visit Peru? Drop us a message, and our travel experts will guide you through crafting a fabulous trip with private sightseeing. Whether you’re seeking a full-day adventure or multi-day tour package, we’re here to ensure you have the best time in the city of Cusco and Peru, the Sacred Valley, and during your Machu Picchu tour. Travel with us!
