ITINERARY
DAY 1: LIMA
Upon your arrival, reception at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Overnight at Selected hotel.
Meals: None
DAY 2: CITY TOUR
Our City Tour around the City of Kings will begin in a local market, Surquillo Market where you will get to know and taste Peruvian typical products such as custard apple, aguaymanto, camu camu and many more.
You will next head for Lima Historic Center, where you will visit the most representative places such as the Main Square, the Government Palace and Lima’s Cathedral, and then you will enter the famous catacombs of San Francisco Church.
Our next stop will be the bohemian district of Barranco, where you will have a delicious lunch of Creole Food in the Peruvian tavern Isolina, considered by Summum 2015 as the best new restaurant in Lima.
Following our tour, you will walk through this district, knowing the famous Bridge of Sighs, which inspired singer Chabuca Granda, then you will visit a local roastery, Tostaduria Bisetti, where you will learn the secrets of Peruvian coffee and taste a delicious organic coffee.
At night¸ you will have the opportunity to learn about the Pisco, Peru’s National Drink and enjoy a delicious tasting of Pisco and Peruvian Chocolate.
Meals: Buffet Breakfast, tasting fruits in the market of San Isidro, Lunch at the Peruvian Tavern Isolina and Pisco and Chocolate Tasting.
DAY 3: LARCO MUSEUM
After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel and head for one of the most beautiful museums of Peru, Larco Museum, famous for its Erotic Pottery collection, pieces of ceramic and a fine collection of gold and silver from Ancient Peru. Lunch at the Lacro Museum Restaurant. Returning to Miraflores, you will visit the Malecón, the Love Park and Larcomar, where you will have some time to stroll and buy souvenirs.
At the night, dinner at the Restaurant Huaca Pucllana renowned restaurant that offers delicious Peruvian gastronomy and unique view of this archaeological center
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch at the Restaurant Museo Larco and dinner at the Restaurant Huaca Pucllana
DAY 4: AREQUIPA CITY TOUR – PICANTERIAS ROUTE
After your Breakfast, we pick you up from your hotel and take you to the Lima Airport in time for your flight to Arequipa. Assistance and transfer to your arrival in Arequipa.
In the afternoon, we will start our City tour driving towards to the district of Cayma, one of Arequipa’s traditional districts, where we will visit the Main Plaza and its Church. Finishing with this visit we will drive to the area of Añashuayco; place where the famous volcanic stone “Sillar” is extracted. In the area of Añashuayco, your guide will give you information about the origin and geological formations of the quarries and we will have the opportunity to observe the hard work that this job takes. We will drive to Yanahuara; where we will visit the popular market of Antiquilla, that until today keep the colonial building style of the “Old Arequipa” and Yanahuara Main Plaza, having a wonderful view of the city and its volcanoes and exploring some traditional streets. After Yanahuara we keep forward to Arequipa Main Square, where you guide will give information about history and details of its infrastructure, and important points about the Cathedral.
Continuing our visit, we will make a route through the main “Picanterias” of the city, such as La Benita, La Lucila, and La Nueva palomino, where you will know the traditional methods of your cuisine and taste delicious dishes from the Arequipa gastronomy.
Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 5: MONASTERY OF SANTA CATALINA
After Breakfast, we will start escape to the past, walking through de Monastery of Santa Catalina, monument that belongs to the most important attractions of Arequipa City, keeping behind their malls more then three centuries of history.
Lunch inside the Monastery, in the Restaurant La Trattoria del Monasterio.
Free time to walk around the city.
Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 6: COLCA VALLEY
After Breakfast, will pick you up from your hotel in Arequipa to start our trip to Colca Canyon, we will take the road to Yura, bordering the snowy Chachani to Pampa Cañahuas, inhabited by vicuñas, llamas and alpacas. In the bofedales of tocra we will be able to appreciate great variety of migratory birds, like flamingos. Then we will pass by the crater of an extinct volcano (Chucura) and stop at the viewpoint of the volcanoes, the highest part of the road (4,800 m.s.n.m.) from where you can see much of the western mountain range.
We continue our journey along the right bank of the canyon until we reach the traditional town of Coporaque, where we will have our lunch.
After lunch your guide will invite you to a short walk through Coporaque and its surroundings (this walk takes around 1 hour and is optional).
We will come back to our transportation and visit a natural “hot springs”, where we will enjoy a relaxing bath. After this exciting day we will bring you to your hotel or lodge
Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 7: COLCA- PUNO
We will have our breakfast very early in the morning and leave to the famous “Cruz del Condor” point. Arrive to “Cruz del Condor” and time enough to have an enjoyable view of the deep of the Canyon and if the weather permits; majestic pictures of the flight of the Condors.) On the way back to Chivay we’re going to visit the traditional village of Pinchollo and the “Antahuilque viewpoint”, where a 1,500 year old terraces, can be observed. We also will make a stop at the look-out point of “Choquetico” with its hanging tombs “Tumbas colgantes“, and take a look to the litomaqueta, a model of the canyon terraces carved in a rock. We will continue visiting Maca, an Andean community that experienced an earthquake in November of 1991 and the village of Yanque with the most beautiful church in the valley. Lunch in Chivay tow and transfer to the city of Puno, upon arrival transfer to your hotel.
Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 8: UROS AND TAQUILE ISLANDS
Breakfast in the train, at you arrival in Puno, transfer to your hotel.
At 7 am you will go to the pier to take a motorboat on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, to get to the complex of floating islands of the UROS built with a sole material abundant in the area, the cattail and inhabited by Quechua-speaking natives.
After a lovely boat ride, you will arrive to Taquile Island, a place hosting the best weavers of Ancient Peru and the only indigenous community which remains practically intact.
Lunch and transfer to your Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 9: ANDEAN EXPLORER TRAIN TO CUSCO
We will pick you up from your hotel to take the Belmond Andean Explorer train, renowned as the best luxury train in South America, an observatory car, allowing you to take in the majestic landscapes while enjoying the typical music and dances of the Peruvian highlands. You will have the pleasure of sleeping 1 night in this amazing train and enjoy the fabulous Peruvian gastronomy.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch, Dinner
DAY 10: CUSCO – SACRED VALLEY
Breakfast on the train, arrival to Cusco.
Upon arrival into the Incan Empire of Cusco, We will then take you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Along the way, we will make a number of stops at some stunning photographic view points and fascinating places. One of the stops will be at a Llama and Alpaca Farm, where you will get up close and personal with these wonderful creatures and even be able to feed them! The farm also produces high quality pieces from the wool. We will then continue through the valley, until we reach "La Hacienda Huayocari", a private Hacienda, where we will have lunch. After lunch, we will take you to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 11: MARAS, MORAY & PERUVIAN PASO HORSEBACK RIDING
In the morning, your private tour guide and driver will take you off the beaten path to Maras, a typical Andean village. Here you will walk through the streets and get a sense that you are walking during the time of the Incas.
Next, we will drive you to the incredible circular terraces of Moray, which were used as an Incan laboratory to acclimatize crops. After Moray, you will have a nice picnic lunch with a great view of the snowcapped mountains at a nearby location. Following lunch, you will have an opportunity to visit the salt terraces of Maras to see and learn about an ancient pre-Incan method of producing salt.
After this visit, you will have a short 1 hour trek to the Vilcanota River where our Peruvian Paso Horses will be waiting to take us for a 2 hours Riding Adventure in the Sacred Valley. This noble animal, unique in its breed, gives a very smooth and elegant ride where no experience is needed. After the tour we will transfer you back to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and Picnic
DAY 12: OLLANTAYTAMBO –MACHU PICCHU
In the morning, your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel for your private tour of Ollantaytambo, You will be invited to enter one of these houses to observe the building and the way in which the people used to live.
After the tour we will take you to the train station of Ollantaytambo, where you will have one hour and a half train journey through spectacular scenery to Aguas Calientes. Upon your arrival, you will enjoy exquisite Andean or international cuisine at Belmond Santuary lodge Restaurant, with wonderful views of Machu Picchu.
Then, you will visit the breathtaking ruins of Machu Picchu, “The Lost City of the Incas” You will learn about the history and visit the remarkable temples of the Sun and the Condor. You will also see aqueducts and houses, while learning some interesting facts about the Sacred Incan Terraces. After a nice sunset, you will return back to Aguas Calientes.
Meals: Breakfast, and Lunch
DAY 13: SECOND TOUR OF MACHU PICCHU
Today, you have opportunity to revisit Machu Picchu together with your private tour guide and enjoy one of the many short trekking options, such as the one to the Sun Gate for an impressive view of Machu Picchu or a visit to the Incan Bridge, a secret entrance for the Incan Army.
After you have enjoyed Machu Picchu for the second time, we will take you back to Aguas Calientes, where you will have lunch at Qunuq Restaurant, one of the best restaurants in the town.
After lunch, you will board the Vistadome Train to Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival to the train station, we will transfer you to your hotel in the Sacred Valley.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 14: PISAQ RUINS AND AMARU COMMUNITY
Today we will take you to visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas. First of all, we will take you to Pisaq, which has a large daily market full of goods for both tourists and locals. You will then have the opportunity to visit the incredible Pisaq Ruins, which were built in a strategic position overlooking the valley and now providing stunning scenery while you walk by marvels such as, a Sun Temple, a cemetery, water ducts and agricultural terraces.
After you have explored Pisaq, you will have the opportunity to visit the Andean community of Amaru, where you will experience the daily life of a typical mountain community and observe how the people weave textiles, such as belts and blankets, and how they grow and harvest their produce. You will also have an opportunity to taste the different types of delicious Andean potatoes and corn, and experience a truly local and tasty lunch.
To finish the visit, you will participate in the ceremony in honor of the "Pachamama" or Mother Earth. After your tour, we will drive you to your hotel in Cusco where you will have the rest of the evening to relax.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
DAY 15: CUSCO CULINARY EXPERIENCE AND CITY TOUR
In the morning, your tour guide and driver will meet you at your hotel to take you to the San Pedro Market, where you will see a wide variety of goods including, the vast different kind of potatoes, corn, meat, cheese, fruits, etc.
Afterwards, you will be taken to our the Cusco Culinary Cooking Studio, located in the center of Cusco where our Peruvian Professional Chef will show you how to prepare the most popular and tasty dishes of Peru, including refreshing drink, appetizer, main course, dessert and, of course, the famous Pisco Sour. After your Peruvian cooking class, you will visit the well-known and beautiful temple of Sacsayhuaman, which continues to be a very important religious and ceremonial site for the Incan culture. As part of your city tour, you will also visit Cusco Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, located in Plaza de Armas, the main square. Your tour will then take you to the Temple of the Sun, “Qoricancha”, located on the main Avenida El Sol (Avenue of the Sun). This Incan site was one of the most worshipped and respected temples of the city. After that, we will take you back to your hotel where you will have the rest of the afternoon to spend at your leisure.
At night gourmet dinner at the elegant MAP Café Restaurant, located in the middle of the colonial patio of the Museum of pre-Columbian art of Cusco and winner of “Traveler Choice 2016”
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at Map Café Restaurant
DAY 16: Lima
Breakfast, at the agreed time, transfer to the airport, Flight to Lima. International connection
Meals included: Breakfast
