Discover Peru on this 10 Day Itinerary

DAY 1:

ARRIVAL TO LIMA

Upon your arrival to Lima, you will be met by a representative at the airport and transfer to your hotel located in Miraflores

DAY 2:

LIMA CULINARY AND CULTURAL

Peru was recently awarded as the World's leading culinary destination by the Word Travel Awards, and Lima is with out a doubt the food capital of South America. The city is continuously visited by people from all of South America, taking flights just to enjoy food during the weekend. Amazing biodiversity, a ridiculously huge variety of local ingredients, pre-Columbian and Spanish culinary traditions mixed with influences from all over the world and the creativity of local chefs are some of the elements that have and are still building its fantastic local cuisine.

During the morning your host-chef will meet you for a morning tour, in which you will appreciate Peruvian Lifestyle from the perspective of food, culture and art.

You´ll spend time and shop at one of Lima´s markets and then continue towards the Barranco bohemian district where you can go for a short walk through the charming streets, art galleries and shops. Immediately after this you are lead to your host´s private apartment located in the same district overlooking the sea, where you'll get to participate in a hands-on cooking class while enjoying a Pisco Sour. The experience ends up with a wonderful lunch.

At dinner time, expect dinner at a TOP restaurant.

DAY 3:

LIMA TO THE SACRED VALLEY

Take a morning flight to Cusco.

Upon your arrival, your guide will greet you in the Arrivals Hall. You’ll hop in the van & head out to the Sacred Valley. The Valley is located 500 meters below the Cusco City, allowing a better process for acclimatizing to the altitude. On the way, we will pass through the picturesque village of Pisac with a stop to an exhibition Centre of Textiles and South American Camelids. You will be shown the different methods of processing the alpaca fibre, from the animal to the final product.

Continue the Pisac archaeological site, with its magnificent terraces and Inca buildings. You´ll enjoy a deluxe picnic lunch in the open air before you visit the archaeological site. Depending on your specific interests you may want to walk the narrow paths along the Pisac Inca ruins, an impressive archaeological site, where you will find large terraces, ancient cemeteries, an important worship area and a number of buildings formerly used as residences for high-ranked personalities. There's the traditional market, one of Pisac’s attractions; it is here that you'll find the time to walk slowly from one stand to the other, admiring the typical arts and crafts whilst watching and even trying some of the local products before heading back to your hotel.

DAY 4:

THE SACRED VALLEY

This morning, your guide will take you to the Chinchero Andean town. Beyond its Inca origins and its picturesque streets, Chinchero is very much known for the extraordinary textile art developed by its inhabitants. Here you'll have the time to appreciate how its people are devoted to recovering some of the extraordinary techniques used by their ancestors. You'll then be driven to Moray, a site which is neither the vestige of a city or a fortress, but an earthwork that served as an experimental agricultural station for the development of different strains of crops. This was made possible thanks to the discovery of a fascinating phenomenon: the climates of many different ecological zones being present in one single site.

Lunch today is in a charming country house located in the outskirts of Maras village, and is hosted by friends Taty and Jeremy.

During the afternoon you will continue into the Maras village salt mines -(9,840ft). On arrival you will see the snow-capped mountains of Chicon, Veronica and Salcantay. The Maras "salt mines" are 3000 or so small pools, each about 5 m², built on a slope of the "Qaqawiñay" mountain.  The pools are irrigated or filled every 3 days during the dry season with salty water from a natural spring located above the pools. When the water evaporates the salt contained in it slowly solidifies. It is fascinating and the salt mines are still in use for salt today. 

DAY 5:

THE SACRED VALLEY: PUMAMARCA & OLLANTAYTAMBO

Today, you'll head for a charming walk in Ollantaytambo. There are plenty of routes and alternatives to reach Pumamarca's archaeological site, with your guide helping you decide which route is best.

Pumamarca is a small archaeological complex that was built by the Wari people, who populated this area long before the Incas. This hike will take you through native tree forests, crystal-clear creeks, high mountains, ancient water channels and beautiful Inca terraces. During the day you will have the chance to visit Ollantaytambo's archaeological site and walk the narrow streets. famous for being the last Inca Village that survives today.

Today’s lunch, you'll be visiting an organic farm set on an old Inca Terrace and find yourself participating in the preparation of a traditional Pachamanca. The Pachamanca is an ancient Peruvian cooking technique consisting of an earth-oven in which native ingredients such as different types of tubers, vegetables and meats are wrapped in local herbs and cooked underground using wood-fire heated stones. The farm also contains a little coffee roaster and a small distillery, where fascinating products are being developed using different Andean ingredients. You may want to have a look at it and perhaps try one or two sips of the Andean Whisky!

DAY 6:

THE INCA TRAIL TO MACHUPICCHU

Early in the morning you’ll depart from the hotel to the Ollantaytambo train station, where you will board the Vista dome train (Perurail) towards Aguas Calientes. This rail journey is one of the most spectacular in the world as it follows the Urubamba River through the Canyon of Vilcanota to the Lost City of the Incas. Your train will stop in the jungle for you to venture onto the Inca Trail with our expert guide.

After crossing the Vilcanota River you will visit the preserved Inca site, “Chachabamba” and then follow the trail to an impressive archaeological site called "Wiñay Wayna." Observing the masterful Inca engineering used to create these structures is a highlight of the trail and is sure to amaze you. The site features a series of Inca baths that help pressurize water for agricultural irrigation and the city’s food production. Before continuing towards "Inti Punku" you can stop for lunch and let the first views of Machu Picchu astound you. A quick descent along the wide royal Inca road takes you to Machu Picchu´s gate. The afternoon, when most people have left the area, is a nice time to relax and observe the citadel. At this time of day, the sunlight allows you to appreciate one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a special way.

DAY 7:

MACHU PICCHU TO CUSCO

Be taken away by today's visit to the Machu Picchu Citadel. We have included tickets for Machu Picchu Mountain, the highest mountain in the

area. Expect mesmerizing 360° views at the top.

When the time comes, you will board the bus down to Aguas Calientes town (25-min drive) to take the afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo, where you'll be driven back to Cusco.

DAY 8:

CUSCO CITY: SAN PEDRO MARKET – SACSAYHUAMAN – CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP

The day starts at San Pedro Market, where you can appreciate a full spectacle of colour and authenticity. Your guide will show you the different native Andean Peruvian products before driving to the outskirts of Cusco. On the way, you'll find the opportunity to watch Cusco from above, clearly appreciating the original Inca design of the City, over which the Colonial and Modern Cusco have been built. You'll visit Sacsayhuaman, commonly called "fortress", an important place of worship.

DAY 09:

CUSCO TO LIMA

Morning at leisure to enjoy the city on your own. Today you may want to walk the City, perhaps visit the local market, or museum or simply enjoy the local food in a nice restaurant.