Blyth Academy - Peru: March 9th - 17th, 2024

Depart Toronto on an overnight flight to Peru. 

Arrive at Lima Airport. Meet your guide at the airport and transfer by private coach to the hotel in Lima. The Peruvian capital is a modern metropolis full of history, currently undergoing an exciting process of cultural and economic change.

The group will start with a walk through downtown, where you will visit the Aliaga House, an ancient viceregal house Francisco Pizarro gave to one of his captains (Jerónimo de Aliaga) after the city was founded in 1535. The construction of this house started that year, and this genuine jewel of colonial architecture is currently inhabited by Aliaga's descendants. You will then visit the Main Square, where Lima was first founded as "the City of the Kings." By the time Peru proclaimed its independence from the Spanish Crown in 1821, the city was known as Lima. You will enjoy the panoramic view at the Presidential Palace, the Archbishop's Palace and the Lima Cathedral.

Next, you will go to Saint Francis Church, which has an enviable collection of old books and an authentic network of catacombs open to the public. You will head to the Pueblo Libre district to visit the Larco Museum founded by Rafael Larco Hoyle in 1926. This museum displays over five thousand years of culture that flourished before the Inca Empire. The museum, located inside a viceregal mansion built on a seventh-century pre-Columbian pyramid, shows the most complete pre-Hispanic collection of gold and silver artifacts as well pieces of erotic art.

Lunch at Café del Museo Larco. 

Dinner at your hotel.

Overnight in Lima. 

Transfer from the hotel to the airport. A representative will assist you along the way. 

**Flight to Cusco included; time to be determined**

A vehicle and a representative will pick you up from the hotel and will transfer you to a restaurant of your choice and bring you back at the established time.

Your tour of Cusco will begin at 1:30 pm with a visit to the Coricancha, also known as the Temple of the Sun, the construction of which was ordered by Inca Pachacútec (1438-1471). This is where the Sun (Inti, in Quechua) was worshipped during the Inca Empire and at one time it was full of golden artifacts. Upon the arrival of the Spaniards, the Coricancha was used as base for the construction of the Santo Domingo Convent.

You will then go to the Cathedral in the Main Square, one of the most splendid Spanish colonial churches in America. It is shaped as a Latin Cross and houses about 400 colonial paintings from the Cusco art school, and impressive goldsmith, silversmith and precious-stones works. The Ecclesiastical Chapter ordered thousands of Indigenous people to extract and transport hundreds of stones from the Sacsayhuamán fortress for the Cathedral's construction, which lasted almost a century (from 1560 to 1654). A short distance from the Main Square is the San Blas quarter, which was originally a dwelling for Inca nobles who built impressive stone constructions. Today the quarter is a conglomerate of small, charming cobblestone streets with the San Blas Church at its centre. Built in 1544 over an Inca sanctuary, the church houses the San Blas Pulpit, a filigree work carved in cedar by a craftsman from Cusco.

Lunch at the Inka Grill Restaurant.

Enjoy a delicious dinner at Pachapapa. 

Overnight in Cusco. 

The group will enjoy the day at the Sacsayhuamán fortress, an emblematic Inca construction built by Inca Pachacútec in the 15th century. It is a huge fortress made of very large stones, and the manner in which they were transported and cut is still a mystery.

After a brief stop at the Sulca Textiles Museum, you will continue to Pisac, where you will visit the Pisac market in the town's main square. The market is full of stands where locals sell handmade products on a daily basis. Beautiful alpaca textiles, musical instruments, paintings, carvings, necklaces and replicas of ancient Inca pieces stand out. Mass is celebrated by the Quechua people every Sunday at the old Pisac Church, which is attended by the seven chiefs (caciques) of the neighbouring communities. The chiefs are called Varayocs because they wear traditional attire and carry the vara (sceptre of command).

You will then visit the archaeological site of Pisac, built in the form of a partridge. The site is known for being one of the largest archaeological sites within the Sacred Valley, and perhaps the biggest platforms-complex in the area with a remarkable system of irrigation. Located high above the river on the slopes of the hills, providing a spectacular view of the Sacred Valley, it is believed that the site of Pisac had a religious purpose connected with astrological observation.

Enjoy lunch at a touristic restaurant in Pisac. 

At the end of your visit you will be transferred back to your hotel in Sacred Valley.

Dinner at your hotel.

Overnight in the Sacred Valley. 

Visit the archaeological vestiges of Maras and Moray. Maras is an impressive salt mine complex, with huge salt deposits that people exchanged for products from other parts of the empire. Moray's archaeological vestiges are composed of mysterious concentric circular terraces which, according to some scholars, were an agricultural research centre. The higher external terraces are at a higher temperature than the inner terraces and could simulate the different ecological strata of the empire.

You will have free time to enjoy lunch and then continue the trip to the Ollantaytambo Park, stopping at various points of interest along the route. Ollantaytambo is a typical example of the urban planning of the Incas, whose residents still live in accordance with their old traditions. Pachacútec (1438-1471) conquered the town, destroying it and building a new one, and absorbed it as part of his empire. It is currently considered one of the most remarkable archaeological complexes of the Inca Empire.

Enjoy a delicious lunch at Chuncho Restaurant. 

Dinner at your hotel. 

Overnight in The Sacred Valley. 

Transfer via private coach from the hotel to Ollantaytambo station.

Your journey to Machu Picchu will begin aboard the train with amazing views of the valley. In approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes, you'll arrive at Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes), where you will take a bus to Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. It is believed that the Inca Pachacútec built this archaeological site around 1450 as his vacation residence. However, a century later, the inhabitants abandoned the city after the Spanish conquest, saving it from the destruction that reached other Inca settlements. At the end of the tour, you will board the train back to Ollantaytambo station, where you can enjoy a delicious lunch, and from there, a private coach will take you to your hotel in Cusco.  

Round trip train tickets Voyager and 360° (61 and 64) to Machu Picchu. From/to Ollanta station. 

Enjoy a delicious lunch at Cafe Inkaterra.

Dinner at your hotel in Cusco.

Overnight in Cusco.

Transfer from the hotel to the Piuray lagoon, located an hour away from the city, for an unforgettable experience on the water. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed with hot drinks, water and snacks. Take advantage of your first minutes here to observe the surroundings and take photos. Before entering the lake, participate in a brief safety and paddling talk after which you will receive the equipment for your chosen activity (paddle or kayak). Enter the lagoon and paddle for an hour and a half through the calm waters. When leaving the lake, you can take a walk around and appreciate the landscape. After this, enjoy an Andean buffet based on native potatoes, sweet potatoes, chicken, vegetables and other local ingredients, which are cooked in a clay oven, giving them a unique touch. After lunch, you will be transferred back to the hotel.

Dinner at Tunupa restaurant with show.

Overnight in Cusco.

Transfer from the hotel to the airport. A representative will assist you along the way. 

**Flight to Lima included; time to be determined**

Arrive at Lima Airport. A transportation service and a guide will pick you up from the airport at the scheduled time to transfer you to your hotel in Lima. 

Enjoy a food tour that will allow you to discover the beautiful neighbourhood of Barranco. Your specialized licensed tour guide will act as your new local best friend, ready to answer all your foodie questions and more. While strolling through the colourful streets of Barranco, you will visit a mix of trendy and more traditional places. These will include an ample variety of tasty bites and drinks that are among Peru's most emblematic, and listed in most "to-taste" lists. Aside from discovering new flavours, this food tour will allow you to discover the story, cultural background, and current context associated with each bite. It's a walking food tour, with 3 to 8 minutes of walking between each stop, but to make this even more interesting and dynamic, we threw some urban art and demos into the mix with great local hosts.

A transportation service will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the chosen restaurant and bring you back at the established time.  

Dinner at Pucllana Restaurant, which is located within the complex of an adobe pyramid built by the original inhabitants of Lima more than 1500 years ago. It is one of the biggest surprises in the city at dinner time. The restaurant is beautifully designed in a rustic colonial style. You can dine inside or outside, but the best point is without a doubt the covered terrace. The menu is creative, with spicy touches of the classic Peruvian Creole cuisine.

The group will transfer to Lima airport for the return flight to Toronto.