Peru and Machu Picchu

Upon arrival in the city of Lima, you will be greeted by our local representative, who will give you a brief introduction to the city and their services on the way to the hotel.

Morning – Half day excursion to the Cathedral of Lima and Santo Domingo convent.

At the scheduled time, we will begin the visit of the city with an exploration of Colonial Lima.

First, we will stop off at the Main Square, to explore it on foot and admire the exteriors of the Government Palace, the Cathedral, and the City Hall, all examples of Lima’s still-present colonial architectural opulence.

We will visit the Cathedral; as walking through its numerous chapels, we’ll discover various architectural styles and learn about the religious history of Peru.

We will continue with the visit to Santo Domingo Convent founded in 1540. It is a very special place for the Latin American Catholic community since three personalities who today are Peruvian saints passed through its church and convent. It is the first saint of the Santa Rosa de Lima continent, in addition to San Martín de Porres and San Juan Macias. Inside the church of Santo Domingo, his relics are kept amid a special fervor. It has a beautiful cloister covered with tiles, a library with a collection of 25,000 books and a bell tower, from where you can see the entire city of Lima and the port of Callao.

You will be transferred to Café del museo restaurant (at Larco museu’s facilities) to enjoy lunch.

Afternoon – Half Day excursion to Larco Museum

At the scheduled time, we will head to the Pueblo Libre District and visit the Larco Museum, an eighteenth-century Viceregal mansion that houses more than 3,000 years of Peru’s pre-Columbian history.

The museum boasts a supremely fine collection of gold and silver jewelry and worship paraphernalia that demonstrates the superb skill of ancient Peruvian gold and silversmiths.

The Larco Museum also contains a famous collection of erotic ceramic tomb art that gives insights into various aspects of pre-Columbian sexuality.

At the scheduled time, the local staff will meet you at your hotel to transfer out of Lima.

Flight Lima/Cusco (Not included)

Private transfer from Cusco airport to hotel in Sacred Valley with wheelchair assistance, if required.

Upon arrival in the city of Cusco, you will be greeted by our guide who will give you a brief introduction to the city and our services on the way to the hotel in Sacred Valley.

Full day excursion to Ollanta, Maras and Moray with lunch at Muña Restaurant

Discover the Sacred Valley, with its spellbinding of verdant plains and towering peaks surrounding the Urubamba River. First, we will move on to Ollantaytambo (view from the bottom); a masterstroke of hillside engineering which served as both a fortress and residential area.

Afterwards, we will go to Muña restaurant, where we will enjoy a delicious lunch.

Then, we will cross the Urubamba River and head towards Salt Pans of Maras. The sight of this still-operating salt mine, in use since Incan times, will amaze us the stark white of the steeply descending salt pans juxtaposed against the green of the surrounding mountain slopes.

The journey will continue on until we reach the archaeological site of Moray. Used as an agricultural testing ground, the site’s system of circular terraces descends 490 feet (150m) from where we will stand, serving as a perfect testament to the level of advancement achieved by the Incas, who excelled at building masterful constructions in harmony with nature.

Full day excursion to Rural Community, Pisac Ruins, Pisac market and lunch.

This morning, we will continue the trip towards the Sacred Valley, a few miles further along, we will reach Pisac, a beautiful place where Incan and Colonial influences have reached a perfect balance and created the unique way of life of the local inhabitants.

First, we will visit the Amaru community, made up of about 200 families in the Pisac district.

Already in Amaru, together with a resident of the community, we will participate in some of their daily activities for the development of their textiles, such as collecting flowers, spinning, dyeing the fiber and finally the process of hand weaving. Then, we will enjoy a typical lunch prepared by a family from the community.

In the afternoon, we will get a chance to explore this quaint town, famous for its artisan markets where we can find extraordinarily fine jewelry and ceramic and textile craftwork.

Few miles away, on the slopes of a mountain, which overlooks the Vilcanota River is the Archaeological Park of Pisac, where we will find different areas and altitudes separate by architectural structures. The most notable of these is the solar calendar (INTIWATANA) which means, “Where the sun is tied”.

Guided visit to the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu with lunch at Sanctuary Lodge

You will be picked up from your hotel at the scheduled time and go to the train station.

The comfortable Vistadome train ride from there to the station at Aguas Calientes is packed full of spectacular vistas.

On arrival, we will take a bus that will drop us at the admission fee to the citadel of Machu Picchu itself. Unearthed for modernity by Hiram Bingham more than a century ago, Machu Picchu is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Its architectural beauty, spectacular natural setting, and the energy that radiates from its enigmatic buildings will take your breath away.

We will follow in the footsteps of the ancient Incas as we take a tour of the magical citadel led by one of our guides.

After the visit we will enjoy a delicious lunch.

Finally, we will return to Aguas Calientes train station and catch the Vistadome train back.

Leisure day for personal activities.

Full day excursion to Sacred Valley and Cusco nearby ruins with box lunch

You will discover the Sacred Valley, spellbinding verdant plains and towering peaks surrounding the Urubamba River are perfectly framed from the stepped agricultural terraces of Pisac that are a great example of the instantly recognizable Inca technique still adopted as a farming method to this day.

First, we will move on to Ollantaytambo; a masterstroke of hillside engineering which served as both a fortress and residential area.

Then we will visit the Pisac market where we can admire and buy works in ceramics, textiles and jewelry.

Next we will head to the city of Cusco, on the route we can enjoy our delicately packed lunch.

Arriving in Cusco, we will visit the surroundings of the city and we will know the history of Sacsayhuaman, which still hosts the popular Inti Raymi festival, showcases the best in ingenious Inca masonry, before visiting the ancient amphitheater of Qenqo, the aqueducts ancient baths of Tambomachay, and the so-called ‘Red Fortress’, and enjoy a panoramic view of Puca Pucara, rounding off an extensive, enthralling and insightful tour of some of the true highlights surrounding Cusco.

At the end of our tour we will leave you at your hotel in Cusco.

Half day Cusco city tour: Cathedral, Qoricancha Inca Temple and the nearby archaeological sites.

Begin the exploration of the nearby ruins: the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, a colossal structure of enormous stones, carved and fitted together with incredible precision; Qenqo, the religious center; we will enjoy a panoramic view of Puca-Pucara, the red fortress and then we will visit Tambomachay with their water fountains.

Afterwards, our tour continues in the Imperial City, through the Main Square, where we will discover the Cathedral and admire its exquisite vestibules and priceless paintings from the Cusco School of the 17th and 18th centuries.

We will continue with a visit to one of the most impressive buildings of Incan Cusco: the Qoricancha (the Golden Temple) – a temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun God, whose interior walls were said to have been covered in gold.

Half day tour to South Valley: Tipon Archaeological Park and Pikillaqta Archeological Park.

In the morning, we will set out on a day trip to see some of the sights of Cusco’s southern region. After fourteen miles (23 km), we will take the turnoff toward Tipon, an amazing archaeological complex of elevated platforms and terraces, where spring waters still flow through the site’s impressive system of fountains and aqueducts.

Continuing the trip, we will make our way across stunning Andean landscapes filled with quaint, remote villages until we reach the pre-Incan citadel of Pikillaqta (City of Fleas). We will stop to visit this impressive site of nearly 120 acres (50 hectares) of small enclosures, terraces, stonewalls, and storage buildings.

At the scheduled time, our guide will pick you up from your hotel Cusco to transfer to the airport.

Flight Cusco/Lima (Not Included)

Assistance at your hotel or airport.