Itinerary at a glance

• Day 1

  Lima - Welcome to Peru - Lima City of Kings

• Day 2

  Lima - Lima and its authentic local districts

• Day 3

  Cusco - Lima to Cusco, the City of the Incas

• Day 4

  Sacred Valley - The Sacred Valley of the Incas, Pisaq the archaeological jewel

• Day 5

  Sacred Valley - The Sacred Valley of the Incas, Chincheros, Maras/Moray and Ollantaytambo

• Day 6

  Machu Picchu - The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

• Day 7

  Cusco - Return to the imperial city of Cusco and cooking classes

• Day 8

  Puno - Cusco to Lake Titicaca

• Day 9

  Puno - Cuzco to Lake Titicaca

• Day 10

  Puno - Lake Titicaca and Return to Puno

• Day 11

  Puno - Puno to Lima with a visit to the spectacular Sillustani Towers

• Day 1

  Lima - Welcome to Peru, Lima City of Kings

  Lima (Sea Level) 

  
  

  When you arrive to Lima, your private transport will be waiting for you to take you to your previously selected hotel. We will welcome you to Peru and make sure that you have a warm and comfortable welcome.

  

• Day 2

  Lima - Lima and its authentic local districts

  Lima (Sea Level) 

  
  

  Early in the morning, we will take you on a private tour of Lima where you will enjoy the best of colonial and modern Lima. We will travel through the San Martin plaza where you will walk in the pedestrian only zone of the Jirón de la Unión, which will take you to Lima’s principal plaza. This street was built in 1535 and it still preserves its old charm with shops and restaurants in a mix of old and new architectural styles. After that, we will arrive at the principal plaza, a beautiful space surrounded by majestic palaces. The colonial part of Lima is full of history and your guide will give you an introduction to the capital of Peru. After visiting the central part of Lima, we will go to a more local and authentic area of Chorrillos, a district famous for its fishing. Here, you will see local fishermen and explore the local part of Lima. Later, we will continue to Barranco, where we will have a short walk through this old and Bohemian district of Lima. Barranco is located on an impressive cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. After your experience in Lima, you will return to your hotel and spend the rest of the day as you wish

  

• Day 3

  Cusco - Lima to Cusco, the City of the Incas

  Cusco (Altitude: 3350 m. - 10991 ft.) 

  
  

  Beginning the day, we will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the Lima airport to travel to Cusco. You will travel to the navel of the world and the imperial city and your private guide will welcome you once you arrive. Your private driver will take you to one of the best hotels, previously selected. We will begin in the San Blas neighborhood, the oldest in Cuzco. It is the neighborhood of artists and artisans where the history of imperial Cuzco is revealed. Following this, we will visit the famous 12 angled stone, known for its perfect edges and finish and as an example of Inca architecture. We will later enter the principal plaza of Cuzco and visit the Cathedral, the most important religious monument in the city, where we will find the most famous works of art from the Cuzqueña school. After that, we will visit the Qoricancha, or the Temple of the Sun. It was one of the most adored and respected temples in the Inca Empire. To end the morning, we will guide you to the famous San Pedro market where you will see a large variety of Andean products (potatoes, cheese, corn, fruit, etc.). We will then guide you to one of the best restaurants. After lunch, we will move to explore the city limits (the fortress of the Inca, or Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Pucapukara, and Tambomachay).

  

• Day 4

  Sacred Valley - The Sacred Valley of the Incas, Pisaq the archaeological jewel

  Pisaq (Altitude: 2972 m. - 9751 ft.)

  
  

  In the morning, after a pleasant breakfast in your hotel, your guide will pick you up and start the first leg of your private tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Your adventure begins on the same route, surrounded by the impressive landscape of the Andean countryside, the imposing sacred mountaintops rise in the distance, while at the entrance of the Sacred Valley, the Vilcanota river greets you. We will arrive at the colonial town of Pisaq and you will walk through the narrow stone streets, the plaza, and the traditional market. After, you will pass through a beautiful native community where the warmth of the locals will make you feel at home. Our hosts will demonstrate how to make Andean textiles and what the manual manufacturing process is like. To continue, they will teach you about the types of Andean potatoes in the area (in Peru, there are more than 5,000 types of native potatoes) and try your selection. We will start with the local cuisine, trying dishes made with products of the earth that our hosts have cultivated. After a short rest, you will go to the archaeological jewel of Pisaq, known for its great view of the andenes, or sets of stepped terraces built on the slopes of the Andes and fantastic Inca structures while listening to the sound of a quena (an indigenous musical instrument), played by a local. Later, you will go to the Inkariy Museum. Its exhibitions are unique and are divided into 8 pavilions, showing you the Prehispanic cultures that gave rise to the largest ancient empire in the Western hemisphere. The cultures include Chavin, Wari, Paracas, Caral, Mochica, Nazca, Lambayeque, Chimú, and Inca. To finish the day, we will let you enjoy one of the best hotels of the valley.

  

• Day 5

  Sacred Valley - The Sacred Valley of the Incas, Chincheros, Maras/Moray, and Ollantaytambo

  Ollantaytambo (Altitude: 2972 m. - 9751 ft.)

  
  

  The day will start early and promising as we pick you up for the second part of the private tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will take you to the Archaeological Park of Chinchero where we will find the old palace. It was once the residence of the Inca Tupac Yupanqui and is now the church of Nuestra Señora de Monserrate due to the process of syncretism. We will guide you to the atrium finely made of pan de oro, where the Virgin of the Nativity rests. You can also see the local market, Andean stairs, Inca walls, beautiful terraces, and a textile center where they make clothing and other goods out of alpaca and llama wool by hand. Afterwards, we will take a special detour where the locals will teach us about their customs. Afterwards, we will take you to Maras, a plateau with an enormous overlook where one can see the beautiful chain of mountains such as La Verónica, Chicón, and others. After that, we will go to Moray, an impressive agricultural experimental site. The stepped levels generate thermal gradients and affect the climate for each level. Now, they go towards the salt mines in Maras where one can see various salt wells that the locals take to sell to the community and to others in Cuzco (it’s recommended on red meat). To finish the day, we will take you to the Inca city of Ollantaytambo.

  

• Day 6

  Machu Picchu - The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

  Machu picchu (Altitude: 2430 m. - 7972 ft.)

  
  

  Prepare yourself for an incredible adventure! In the morning, your guide will pick you up from your hotel to guide you to the train station in Ollantaytambo where you will board the train to Aguas Calientes. In this 1.5 hour trip, you can observe a beautiful landscape. Upon arriving at Aguas Calientes, your private guide will take you to one of the transports and will accompany you to the citadel of Machu Picchu, “the Lost City of the Incas”. During your visit to this sacred site of the Incas, you will learn about the history of the citadel and visit the Sun and Condor templates. You will also see the aqueducts and houses while learning about the history behind the sacred terraces of the Inca. After your guided visit, you will have enough time to explore this amazing place on your own. There are many options to walk along short trails, like that of the Puerta del Sol for an impressive view of Machu Picchu, or the trail that leads to the Inca bridge, a secret entrance for the Inca army. In the afternoon, you will return to Aguas Calientes, where you will have the rest of the afternoon to spend as you wish. Don’t miss the opportunity to bathe in the hot springs or have a good dinner in one of our recommended restaurants. To finish the day, we will let you enjoy one of the best hotels in the valley.

  

• Day 7

  Cusco - Return to the imperial city of Cusco and cooking classes

  Cusco (Altitude: 3350 m. - 10991 ft.) 

  
  

  Early in the morning, you will be taken to the train station in Aguas Calientes to board the return train to the city of Ollantaytambo. After an hour-and-a-half of travel on the train, you will meet your driver to get to the imperial city of Cusco. Here, you can enjoy cooking classes where you can prepare your own food and enjoy Peruvian food with a professional Peruvian chef. The chef will show you how to prepare the most popular and delicious dishes from the Peruvian Andes. The classes include a refreshing beverage, an appetizer, a main dish, a dessert, and of course, the famous pisco sour.

  

• Day 8

  Puno - Cusco to Lake Titicaca

  Overnight in Puno (Altitude: 3800 m. - 12467 ft)

  
  

  Early in the morning, you will start your trip through the Andes to Lake Titicaca. The first stop in this route will be the Andahuaylillas church, known as the Sistine Chapel of the Andes, where you can observe interesting paintings on the walls from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and altars completely decorated in gold. After, you will go to the archaeological site of Raqchi, a small city in the highlands, where you will see the Inca temple of Wiracocha and learn about its fascinating construction with adobe walls that measure up to 11 meters high. After lunch, you will travel to the highest point of the trip, La Raya (4,300m, 14,100 ft), which is the halfway point between Cuzco and Puno. At approximately 4:00pm, you will arrive in Puno, where you will find the shores of Lake Titicaca. A driver will take you to your hotel where you will have the rest of the night to relax or explore the city.

  

• Day 9

  Puno - Lake Titicaca and Taquile Island

  Overnight in Puno (Altitude: 3800 m. - 12467 ft)

  
  

  Today, your guide and driver will wait for you at your hotel to take you to Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world. In the morning, we will visit the floating islands of Uros, which were constructed using only totora, a water plant that grows in the lake. You will be surprised to see how the locals use the totora to construct their canoes, houses, beds, and many other objects necessary in their daily lives. As a part of your visit to Uros, you will navigate a totora canoe that will permit you to go around the islands. Afterwards, we will go towards Taquile island in a motor boat. The journey will last two hours and you can relax and enjoy the impressive scenery of Lake Titicaca. Upon your arrival on Taquile island, you will enjoy a lunch prepared locally with delicious and very fresh trout from the lake. After lunch, you will have the opportunity to walk on a short hike to explore the island. At night, you will be welcomed in your cabin on the island with a Peruvian dinner. You will spend the night in your cozy little cabin. (Note: if you go with a shared tour, you can stay on a different island).

  

• Day 10

  Puno - Lake Titicaca and Return to Puno

  Overnight in Puno (Altitude: 3800 m. - 12467 ft)

  
  

  Early in the morning, you will enjoy a local breakfast with a spectacular view of the sunrise that illuminates all of Lake Titicaca. After breakfast, you will walk around Taquile island and learn about its pre-Inca constructions and agricultural terraces. This is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture, as this island is one of the last places where they still conserve their culture. Additionally, there are not many tourists that stay on this island. In the afternoon, we will navigate back to Puno, where you will have the rest of the day to spend your free time.

  

• Day 11

  Puno - Puno to Lima with a visit to the spectacular Sillustani Towers

  Early, your guide and private driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the Juliaca airport, located an hour from Puno. During the journey, we will take a detour to the impressive archaeological site of Sillustani. This site is a sacred pre-Inca cemetery that contains above ground tombs constructed in the form of gigantic stone towers. On the road, you will also have an opportunity to visit some local houses where they raise alpacas and llamas. (This is their only economic activity because at this altitude, few plants grow.) Once in Juliaca, you will take a domestic flight to Lima.