The Wonders of Peru

Welcome to Lima, Perú! At the airport, you will be greeted by a member of our team who will assist you with your luggage and transfer you to your hotel, where they will assist you with check-in and provide you with all the necessary information and vouchers for your time in Peru. You will receive a contact information sheet with all the hotel details, our offices’ contact information and a 24-hour emergency number. You will also receive a special welcome kit. Overnight in Lima

Half-day Lima City tour & Larco Museum (private) On this day, enjoy a full-day guided sightseeing tour to the most attractive and essential sites in the “City of Kings.” In the Historical Center, see Plaza San Martin, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the City Hall, the Cathedral, the Religious Art Museum or the Santo Domingo Convent, and San Francisco Monastery, with its famous underground crypts. The tour continues through the San Isidro and Miraflores residential Districts, visiting the Central Park of Miraflores and El Parque del Amor (Love Park). You’ll also stop by the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site, which dates to the II Century AC and was considered by the Incas as a Sacred Town. The tour continues at the Larco Herrera Museum and Hacienda, where you’ll get to admire one of the country’s best collections of pre-Columbian art. You’ll be transferred to your hotel at the end of the tour. Overnight in Lima.

Ica with Pachacamac Ruins en route (private) We take private transport with a private guide to Ica, an esoteric land of profound religious faith, dunes, valleys, and sunlight. It is an agricultural zone where fields of cotton, butter beans, asparagus, citrus tree orchards, and vineyards are interspersed among the extensive desert area. En route, we visit the ancient adobe ruins of Pachacamac, located about 40 km (25 miles) south of Lima. This pre-Inca temple, dating back to AD 600-900, was a place of pilgrimage, once covering 10 km2 (4 sq miles). Built centuries before the Incas, Pachacamac is noted for its great pyramidal temples and the remains of frescoes adorning its adobe walls. Following the expansion of the Inca Empire, Pachacamac became an important Inca administrative center while maintaining its status as a religious shrine. Pachacamac has an on-site museum with an exciting collection of pre-Hispanic relics.

City tour of Ica, Huacachina Oasis, Regional Museum and local winery In the afternoon, we take a sightseeing tour of Ica, including the Main Square, Municipal Palace, and the Cathedral of Ica. We continue with a visit to an old Pisco-producing bodega where visitors can witness the production process and taste different types of Pisco and wines produced by the bodega. Then, we head to the Regional Museum of Ica to appreciate interesting ancient relics of different cultures that developed in the region. The Museum exhibits a comprehensive collection of pre-Columbian textiles, ceramics, and artifacts from the Paracas, Nazca, and Inca cultures. Finally, we head to the Oasis of Huacachina, 5 km southwest of Ica. This beautiful lagoon, said to contain sulfur salts, which many claim to be curative, is surrounded by dunes. After the excursion, we return to the hotel. Overnight in Paracas.

Early this morning, we boarded the motorboat to the Ballestas Islands. The Candelabro (Spanish for candlestick) geoglyph will be visible on our way to the islands. It has appeared in the dunes since the Pre-Inca Paracas Culture era and resembles a trident. Its origin, only explained by various contradicting theories, remains a mystery. Once on the islands, at the Mirador de Lobos, we can see sea lions, black and white guanay cormorants, Peruvian pelicans, and even one of the famous Humboldt penguins. The sailing experience takes approximately 2 hours. Then we return to the dock, where your private transport and guide await to take us back to the hotel. We will venture through the beautiful dunes of Paracas, going up and down them. We can walk in the sand, take photos or videos, and do some sandboarding. We will give you the equipment and instructions for a safe practice. After the excursion, we return to the hotel. Overnight in Paracas.

Experience the Nazca Lines Overflight from Pisco (Shared) - We begin our overflight on the Nazca Lines. Along the way, we see part of the 355,000 protected hectares of the Paracas Natural Reserve, and from the plane, we can see these giant figures, which were created with impressive precision about 1,500 years ago.

We travel on private transport with a private guide to Lima, approximately 4 hours along the desert and Panamerican Highway. Upon arrival in Lima, we will transfer to the airport. Upon arrival at Cusco International Airport, you will be met by our representative and private driver and transferred to your hotel. Our representative will assist you with the corresponding check-in procedures. Overnight in Cusco.

Morning at Leisure! Enjoy a serene morning of relaxation and acclimatization in vibrant Cusco. Take advantage of this time to unwind at the luxurious Palacio del Inka Hotel.

Today, we will visit Cusco City’s surrounding ruins. The Sacsayhuaman Fortress is a ceremonial compound and a magnificent example of Inca military power that boasts a panoramic view of the city. We also visit the Qenqo Amphitheatre, a ritualistic site with subterranean galleries that form an underground maze. Then, we continue to the Red Fortress of Puca Pucara and the Inca Baths of Tambomachay, consisting of aqueducts, canals, and waterfalls running through the terraced rocks that seem frozen in time. Then, head to the city of Cusco, the Imperial City and archaeological capital of South America, where we will be able to admire the finest examples of Inca history and architecture. Visit the city’s most important historical monuments that reveal the influence of different cultures: The Main Square, the Cathedral, and the Santo Domingo church built upon the foundations of the Inca temple Koricancha, dedicated to worshiping the Sun God.

From this point, we head to the district of San Blas, which has winding streets, whitewashed houses, and blue balconies. This bohemian neighborhood is full of artisan workshops where we can find everything from ceramics and sculptures to textiles. After the visit, we will go back to the hotel. Overnight in Cusco

Today, you will visit the Ollantaytambo Fortress and Citadel. This fantastic site was constructed to guard the valley and prevent invasions from other tribes. Here, you’ll get to learn about some of the most important aspects of the Inca Empire’s history and culture. Our next stop is Pablo Seminario’s Ceramic Workshop, where you can observe the ceramics process and perhaps meet artist Pablo Seminario, as this is his year-round studio. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. Transfer to the train station for an incredible journey to the famous Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, the great mountain-top city abandoned by the Inca Empire, reclaimed by the jungle, and lost to humanity until its rediscovery in 1911. Along the way, we will enjoy the changing landscape as we travel from the Andean highlands to the beginnings of the jungle (“eyebrow of the jungle”) before finally arriving at Aguas Calientes. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

Full-day excursion to Machu Picchu (private guide): We begin with a morning transfer to the bus station for an incredible journey to Machu Picchu (3,400masl/11,15ft) or the Lost City of the Incas. Here, we take a guided tour of the Citadel, probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire, with its giant walls, terraces, and ramps appearing as though they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. Lunch Buffet at Tinkuy Restaurant – Belmond Sanctuary Lodge PM: Return to Cusco (private) We walk to the station in the afternoon to board the return train. Upon arrival at the train station, you will be met by our representative and private driver, who will transfer you to the hotel. Overnight in Cusco.

Transfer Hotel / Cusco Airport (private) Our representative will meet you at the hotel lobby and transfer you to Cusco Airport to board your flight back home. They will assist you with check-in procedures and all departure formalities. Farewell!