Discover Peru Escorted Trip

City Tour Lima – Today your sightseeing tour explores Miraflores and San Isidro, the modern districts of Lima and its historic center, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The tour includes a visit to San Francisco, the city's most visited church (1674). Its underground tunnels lead to catacombs that served as a cemetery until 1808 and still contains bones and skulls. Our next stop is at the Larco Herrera Museum. The collection allows the understanding of 3,000 years of the Peruvian pre-Columbian history in an intuitive way. Its masterpieces are considered worldwide icons of pre-Inca art and have been displayed in the world's most renowned museums. After the comprehensive introduction to the Peruvian culture, you will be immersed into the Peruvian gastronomy at the Café del Museo. This small and stylish restaurant is set in the quiet garden of the Museum. The Peruvian menu preserves the authenticity of Peruvian dishes but combines them with contemporary techniques. Manto Hotel Lima - MGallery Collection B, L 

Sacred Valley – After breakfast we’ll fly to Cusco and begin to experience the Peru of the Incas. In our private van we’ll drive through small villages and ancient ruins in the Sacred Valley. A highlight will be a stop at Chinchero, Quechua weaving community to learn about Andean life and the weaving tradition. You’ll watch as wool is carded, spun, and dyed and learn about the different techniques used to create belts, ponchos, and shawls. We’ll stay in Ollantaytambo, a town inhabited since the 13th century.
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Sacred Valley- Today you will visit the salt mines of Maras where an intense white shines like snow on a sunny day - an impressive sight for any visitor. Salt was extracted from these mines from Inca times on and the same method has been used ever since. You then head to Moray. The circular terraces hidden among the hills are similar to a Greek amphitheater. Surrounded by an impressive backdrop of snow-covered mountains, Moray was used as an open-air agricultural lab for adapting crops to different environmental conditions. Lunch at local restaurant. Finally, you will visit the fortress of Ollantaytambo where the Temple of the Sun, formed of six gigantic monoliths, whose total weight exceeds 50 tons, and the Terrace of the Ten Niches stand out. You’ll spend the evening at Hotel Pakaritampu in Ollantaytambo. B, L 

Machu Picchu - From Ollantaytambo you'll board a morning train for Machu Picchu. This is about a 2-hour ride offering spectacular views of the Andes. On our arrival our guide will take us through the main areas of Machu Picchu. You’ll have time for photos as you walk among the ruins. Lunch will be at the Café Inkaterra, one the restaurants of Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo. The restaurant blends Andean food with contemporary cuisine. The afternoon is free to explore the town at your pace. You might enjoy walking around the main square or having a massage. You’ll take an early evening train back to Ollantaymbo and then our van to Cusco. Abittare B, L

Cusco – A private tour of the major sights in Cusco with a knowledgeable local guide begins our day. Highlights include the Plaza de Armas (main square) and the Cathedral, Santo Domingo Church (Koricancha). Afternoon is on your own for you to people-watch at the Plaza de Armas, hike to one of the nearby Inca ruins, visit a museum, or enjoy a cool drink at a local cafe. In the evening you’ll visit the planetarium to identify hidden planets, stars and formations in the sky. The ancient cultures always had a close relationship with their environment, nature and the universe. The Incas were no exception, and so we can visit the Planetarium in Cusco to get a much better understanding of the role and significance of the stars to this ancient Andean culture. Through a projection of the sky on the dome of the planetarium you will be able to recognize the star formations of the Incas in detail. Then we use the telescope outside to find these formations in the sky again (weather permitting).Abittare B, L 

Cusco - Exploring on foot is the best way to experience the magical flair and cultural richness of what was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Your walk begins with the San Pedro Market where you will immerse yourself among the locals and witness their everyday life and beautiful colonial houses on Plazoleta Regocijo. At the Café Carbel you will learn of the pioneer who collected the finest coffee beans and was one of the first to install a roaster in Cusco, a tradition full of passion that has lasted for 50 years. Enjoy a cup of aromatic coffee from the region! Time to visit one of the gems at the main square of Cusco, the Jesuit church La Compañia de Jesús, one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in the Americas. The choir balcony on the second floor offers a great view over the Plaza de Armas. Then you walk along Hatunrumiyoc Street named after the 12-angled stone clearly visible in the remaining walls of what used to be Inca Roca’s Palace. You make a last stop in San Blas artisan quarter with its steeped cobblestone alleys and spectacular views of the city. Your Farewell Dinner location is the Map Café._ The restaurant’s owner, Jorge Luis Ossio, is one of Peru’s most renowned chefs. The sophisticated MAP Cafe is housed in a modernist glass box set in the courtyard of the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. B, D