Essential Trip to Peru
7 days / 6 nights
Overview
A journey filled in with unforgettable one-in-a-lifetime experiences.
This comprehensive journey of Peru begins in Lima where you will tour the historic center and marvel at its colonial architecture. Tour the Larco Museum which offers one of the largest, best-presented displays of ceramics in Lima as well as pre-Columbian collection of art. You will taste your way through historic Lima on an evening food tour that combines local landmarks with a series of food and drink tastings. The trip continues in Sacred Valley, where you will visit authentic villages and explore the amazing circular and semicircular terraces of Moray and Maras. The tour of the Sacred Valley also offers you the opportunity to get to know the customs and weaving traditions of the local people by observing part of their daily lives.
It is an active trip which includes treks to Inca sites and to little-visited Pumamarca ruins (remains of a hillside fortress that once guarded the entrance to the fertile Sacred Valley). You will visit to a village where indigenous communities cook “Pachamanca”, an ancient Inca cooking technique, where meat, potatoes and vegetables are cooked on hot stones under earth.
The journey continues to Machu Picchu where you will explore the citadel and its major attractions. After touring this archeological masterpiece and marveling at its wonders, you will you start your return trip to Cusco in the exclusive Hiram Bingham Train. Once in Cusco, you will explore Inca ruins, colonial churches, food markets and most important sites. You'll also learn about the history behind Peruvian gastronomy guided by our professional trained chef and head to our cooking studio for a hands-on cooking class, followed by a full lunch that will take place at a relaxing outdoor garden setting. The last day will take you back to Lima to board your flight back home or to your next destination.
Memorable Moments
- Get a feel for colonial Lima in the historic city center and marvel at its monuments and architecture.
- Savor Peruvian cuisine with its exquisite and unique flavors;
- Explore one of the best museums in Peru, the Larco Museum, and uncover 4,000 years of Peruvian culture.
- Be dazzled by the unparalleled beauty of the Sacred Valley and its ancient Incan monuments and villages;
- Immerse yourself in the culture of the region and get insider insight into the weaving traditions of the region;
- Enjoy a tour of key sites of the Sacred Valley, including the agricultural terraces of Moray, the salt mines at Maras,
- Stroll through history and enjoy a trek to Pumamarka ruins where you will discover Patacancha Valley and spectacular views;
- Enjoy a Pachamanbca lunch on a rural farm;
- Discover the mystical secrets of Machu Picchu during a guided private tour of this Incan citadel.
- Travel on the exclusive and luxurious Belmond Hiram Bingham train and enjoy the elegant dining car, the bar car, and the observatory, where you can take in the unmatched scenery in the open air while sipping on a traditional Peruvian cocktail and listening to live local music;
- Discover the architectural majesty of Cusco and sample PISCO, Peru’s tantalizing national drink during a night walking tour of the city;
- Fully hands-on Peruvian cooking class and San Pedro local market guided visit.
Itinerary at a glance
Day 1 – Lima: Arrival Day & Overview Tour
Day 2 – Sacred Valley – Inca’s Laboratory and Salt Mines
Day 3 – Sacred Valley – Traditional Towns & Ancient cooking techniques
Day 4 – Machu Picchu -Trek to Pumamarka & Ollantaytambo
Day 5 – Machu Picchu – Hiram Bingham Train to Cusco
Day 6 – Cusco – San Pedro Market, Cooking Class & Best Peruvian Art
Day 7 – Cusco – Lima – Departure.
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Full Itinerary
Welcome to Lima!! Upon arrival, your bilingual guide and a separate professional driver will take you to your hotel to check in. In the afternoon, embark on a 4 hour-tour and explore Lima’s historic center and most emblematic architectural masterpieces, of Spanish and Moorish heritage. You will also have the chance to taste popular on-the-go delicacies that locals devour when the night comes.
Meals: Dinner.
Accommodations: Belmond Miraflores Park
Early in the morning, you will be transferred to Lima airport to board your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, you will head out on the road that crosses the Sacred Valley of the Incas to reach the important Moray archeological site, where colossal Pre-Incan circular and semi-circular agricultural terraces were constructed. The Incas used them as a botanical laboratory for experimenting on plant domestication and acclimatization. From there, you move onwards to the town of Maras to visit the biggest salt pans in the region that have been mined continuously since the Incan Empire. On the way back, you will visit Chinchero, a quaint little town that houses an important Incan outpost, built at the end of the 1400’s, as well as a lovely colonial church. The townsfolk are famous for having preserved traditional Andean spinning and weaving techniques, and they set up a market in the town square to sell their handmade crafts to visitors. Transfer to your hotel in Urubamba.
Meals: Breakfast; Lunch at the Parador de Moray Restaurant
Accommodations: Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba
Today you will visit Hanac Chuquibamba community where you will learn about quinoa, considered the grain with the highest concentration of protein in the world. You will learn about its many varieties and growing techniques followed by a walk to the nearby mountains where the very useful Achupalla abound, this is a spiny plant used for making kitchen utensils, baskets, forage, fire, medicinal use, while larvae that grows during flowering time is also used for cooking. Then you will move on to the Huama community where a great variety of native potatoes are cultivated. It is worth mentioning that Peru holds more than 3500 varieties of potatoes. Descend towards the Sacred Valley, specifically to Huchuy Qosqo community where you will participate and enjoy a Pachamanca lunch (ancient technique of cooking underneath the soil using pre-heated rocks). Then you will visit corn fields where we will see different sizes and colors of maize accompanied by a demonstration of chicha de jora preparation, a sacred corn beverage of the Incas.
The evening is at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Accommodations: Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba
Today, visit the rural community of Pallata and start the trek through
an amazing ancient native Polilepys forest of Uncas, Queuñas and Chachacomos, that will bring you to the Quechua community of Choquechaca, a typical Andean community where you can experience the real Andean life. The trek continues along an old Incan path, to the off-beaten path of Pumamarka, a stunning Pre-Inca archeological site where lunch will be served. Then, transfer to your hotel in Ollantaytambo to relax and take a shower before taking the train to Aguas Calientes near Machu Pichu. Transfer to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Accommodation: Inka Terra Machu Picchu
From Aguas Calientes you will be transferred to Machu Picchu. Located at 7,972 feet above the Urubamba river, it is one of the most famous and spectacular sets of ruins of the world. After touring this archeological masterpiece and marveling at its wonders, you will have some free time to explore the area on your own, or to relax and meditate. A few hours later, you start the return trip to Cusco in Hiram Bingham Train. Upon arrival in Poroy train station, transfer to your hotel in Cusco.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch at Sanctuary Lodge, Machu Picchu; Dinner on board Hiram Bingham.
Accommodation: Inka Terra Cusco
Today, start your gastronomic adventure at the beautiful San Pedro Market, where you will be in contact with a vast variety of local and Andean products and receive a in depth explanation of them. During this one hour activity, you’ll also learn about the history behind Peruvian gastronomy guided by our professional trained chef. Then, head to our cooking studio where the cooking instruction will begin, followed by a full lunch that will take place at a relaxing outdoor garden setting. With satisfied tummies, you can either visit a contemporary art gallery to meet the most interesting up and coming local artists, or visit the archives of Martin Chambi, one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century and the first indigenous photographer of the Americas. Pisco is something not to be missed while in Peru, so you will finish the day enjoying and learning about this noble spirit and its amazing versatility while you enjoy, tapa style, some great Peruvian food pairings.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Accommodation: Inka Terra Cusco
You will leave the city of Cusco en-route to your final destination.
Transfer to Cusco Airport.
Meals: Breakfast.
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FAQ
Currently, proof of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test is required to enter Peru that is no more than 72 hours old after being issued and before boarding the plane. Given the fluidity of the situation, updated entry requirements will be provided 30 days prior to travel.
A passport valid for six months is required to enter and depart Peru. Tourists must also provide evidence of return or onward travel. Citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Chile may enter the country with their national identity document. Check with your nearest Peru Consulate to determine entry requirements.
A current yellow fever vaccination is a must ( you will be required to show it to the Health Ministry representatives), also anti-malarial medications should be discussed. A visit to your physician prior to coming to Perú is recommended.
The dry season, and the high tourist season*, starts in May and ends in September. During these months you will have the lowest levels of precipitation, with the absolute lowest levels in June and July. (winter in the Southern Hemisphere). The shoulder seasons, April, October, and November, give you the best of both worlds. There is a higher chance of rain than during the dry season but not much more than a few scattered showers
*As of December 2020, however, that daily quota has been reduced to just 1,116 tourists per day due to the coronavirus pandemic; 75 visitors will be allowed entry into the site per hour.
You can never predict altitude sickness; you may not even get it. Physical fitness, age, and gender have no bearing on whether you will get altitude sickness. Symptoms usually develop within the first day at altitude (when reaching heights above 2,500 m/8,000 ft above sea level). For these reasons, our trip includes the first days in Sacred Valley so that our guests can acclimate to the high altitude before arriving in Machu Picchu. (7,972 ft/2,430 meters)
To prevent acute mountain sickness, we start our journey in the Sacred Valley, which, by nature, is lower in elevation than the surrounding mountains. This will help minimize the unpleasant effects of altitude sickness. On your first day in the Sacred Valley, we take things easy, drink plenty of fluids and we don’t plan any strenuous treks until you’ve acclimatized.
If you are planning to travel during high season (mid-December through end of February) we recommend to book your trip 12-15 months in advance. Most people book their December vacations a year in advance, and so should you. If you are planning to travel during mid-season you can start booking 8-6 months in advance. As soon as you know when you want to go, contact us and we will help you with the planning and booking process.
Tour rates do not include international flights. We find that it is usually less expensive for travelers to book these separately, and this also allows you the flexibility to choose the schedule and routing that is most convenient for you. Alternatively, we can help you arrange these flights.
Yes. We publish special offers periodically throughout the year. Check out our Offers page for the latest offers and on-going discounts.
Yes. Travel insurance is required for Peru trips.