Highlights of Peru

Day notes

Welcome to Peru!

Your journey to experience vibrant Lima, the cultural and historical wonders of the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu await.

You will receive a VIP Meet & Greet upon arrival at Lima International Airport, and transfer to your luxury hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure. 

Day notes

Depart this morning for Lima airport and your hour flight to Cusco, gateway to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, transfer to your luxury hotel in the center of historic Cusco.  Take some time to settle in before beginning your exploration.

After lunch at a local cafe, your discovery of Cusco begins with the best view of the city from atop Cerro Pukamoqo (Red Peak), a natural scenic overlook. Next, visit the stone fortress of Sacsayhuamán. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sacsayhuamán was of great significance to the Inca. It was assembled with incredible precision, and aside from its strategic purposes, it was also believed to possess great spiritual significance.

Descend to the historic center of the city.  Cusco was believed by the Inca to be the center of the universe. Today, most Incan sites are located outside the city and what remains is a picturesque colonial-Spanish town.  The exception is the Korikancha (the Golden Temple)—an impressive Incan temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun God, located in the center of historic Cusco.  After visiting the temple, continue to the Mercado de San Pedro (Market of St. Peter) and become immersed in the sights, aromas, tastes, and colors of the region. From here, complete the day with a stroll through the Plaza de Armas (Main Square), to admire the art and architecture of the cathedral and the Cusco School of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Return to your hotel and enjoy an evening at leisure.

Day notes

Today, we invite you to engage with the local community in a genuinely authentic way on an Evolved Experience. The Evolved Traveler believes travel is “evolving” into something more than we have previously experienced or knew it to be. There is a desire for it to be more meaningful, more impactful, more enriching, and certainly more engaging. We understand our guests wish to travel with a purpose and to engage with the cultures they visit, and that is why we have created the Evolved Experience.

Evolved Experiences are a core and unique component to all our journeys that provide you, our Evolved Traveler, with experiences that far exceed the par-for-the-course of luxury travel. Evolved Experiences allow our guests the opportunity to make a lasting impression on the communities they visit, extend their hand in a gesture of global community, and create memories that can be cherished for years to come, not only for themselves but for those they visit. 

 Depart this morning for Peru's famed Sacred Valley, formerly the heart of the Incan Empire. Your time in the Sacred Valley incorporates one of your Evolved Experiences when you will meet with the management and students of the Sol y Luna Foundation. The Sol y Luna Hotel's purpose is to support the foundation, which provides housing and education for underprivileged or at-risk Peruvian children, grades K-12, that would not otherwise have these basic needs met.   You will learn of the outstanding work the foundation is doing, not only housing and educating the children, but life skills that will offer them opportunities for a better life.

Following your visit, continue to  Pisac to wander through the town's Pisac market lively and colorful market, nothing short of a sensory fusion.  Lunch will be included with your visit to Hacienda Huayoccari, a mansion preserving local history with its eclectic art collection. Your visit culminates with an unforgettable lunch prepared with fresh produce right from the hacienda's garden. You will be the guest of honor as you dine today with the owners, the Lambarri-Orihuela family.

Before returning to Cusco, visit Ollantaytambo, one of the last remaining Incan towns and one of the largest Incan archaeological sites in the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo was an important administrative center that probably also fulfilled military functions, as indicated by its walls and towers. There are also traces of ancient roads and aqueducts. The town of Ollantaytambo is called a "Living Inca Town" because its people maintain ancient customs and traditions.

Time permitting, you will get a chance to mingle with the locals at a typical Peruvian Andes establishment, a "chichería" to end the day.

Day notes

Set off today for one of the world’s most magnificent and mystical sites, Machu Picchu.

Departing the Sacred Valley, you will be transported by the luxury Hiram Bingham train to Aguas Calientes, the base town for the Machu Picchu citadel and its ruins.

The Belmond Hiram Bingham assures a magical journey, never to be forgotten. Named after the explorer who rediscovered the Inca citadel, the train has two dining cars, an observation/bar car, and a kitchen car (meals included). Guests can board the Belmond Hiram Bingham for a journey through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the Lost City of Machu Picchu.

Throughout the outgoing journey, guests are served a delicious brunch as the stunning scenery gently passes before arriving in the town of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, elicits a spiritual air that you can feel as you approach. Revel in its masterpiece of engineering and architecture, spirituality and energy, history and legends while on your private tour. Enjoy tea time at the Sanctuary Lodge as you savor the sights.

At the end of your tour, return to Aquas Caliente and your hotel, the beautiful Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Dinner will be at the hotel this evening. 

Day notes

Enjoy a final morning and afternoon at leisure to enjoy your surroundings or do a little shopping in the local market before returning to Cusco. 

A late check-out will be arranged until it’s time to board the Hiram Bingham train again for the return journey to Cusco. A four-course, South American-inspired dinner will be served onboard the train.

Upon arrival in Cusco, you will be met and transferred to your luxury hotel. 

Day notes

This morning, transfer to the Cusco airport for your return flight to Lima.

One of Lima's most fascinating areas is the Barranco neighborhood, the city's trendy “Bohemian quarter,” where artists, photographers, and authors call home.  After arriving back in Lima, spend some time exploring Barranco. Visit the Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs), which served as a source of inspiration for one of Peru's great composers, Chabuca Granda.

You will also visit the Pedro de Osma Museum, the personal collection of the Osma located in Barranco's most distinguished building, built around the turn of the century.  Today, the museum and its foundation work to promote the cultural diffusion and preservation of the works the museum exhibits and to support social projects for Peruvians in positions of vulnerability or who have been abandoned.

Take some time to enjoy strolling through the colorful streets and eclectic boutiques of Barranco before returning to your hotel.

Day notes

A cultural and inspirational adventure to some of Peru’s most renowned historical and cultural sights are yours to remember and reflect upon as you prepare yourself for your journey home.

You will have a private transfer with assistance to the Lima airport for your flight home.