The Best of Peru

Welcome to Peru!

Upon arrival at the Lima airport you will be transferred to our hotel in the popular Miraflores district of the city.

Overnight in Lima.

Discovery of the beautiful city of Lima, also known as the 'city of kings', and the well-preserved historical center.

8am-12am : tour in a private coach with a private English-speaking guide for discovering the colonial Lima. A highlight is our visit to treasured Casa Aliana, one of the oldest homes in Lima (1535) with a rich architectural heritage and a collection of Peruvian art and artifacts.

Visit the monumental complex of the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco of Lima, also known as "San Francisco el Grande" or "San Francisco de Jesús", located in the Historic Center of Lima, Peru. This church together with the Sanctuary Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and the Church del Milagro set up one of the welcoming and artistics corners of Lima. The church and convent are part of the Historic Centre of Lima, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991.

Next, we tour in the south of the center of Lima to the beautiful seaside neighborhood of Barranco. This is one of the oldest and smallest parts of the city and its many opulent colonial and Republican style homes were built as summer retreats for Lima's wealthy elite. Since the end of the 19th century, Barranco has also been known as a bohemian enclave, attracting numerous artists. Some of the country's leading painters, sculptors, musicians, and photographers live and work here.

Afternoon at leisure; lunch and dinner are on our own, night at the hotel in Lima.

Altitude : 2800m .

Breakfast.

This morning we tour Larco Herrera Museum whose ceramics collection is unparalleled. Then, we transfer to the airport for a brief flight to Cuzco. Upon arrival, we depart to the Sacred valley and stop at the colorful Indian market at Pisac ; this typical andean village of Pisac is one of the best Inca archaeological sites in the country. Founded by the Spanish in 1570, it has the particularity to present the architectural characteristics of both cultures

Lunch and dinner are on our own; night at the hotel in the Sacred valley.

Breakfast.

This morning we attend a native ceremony, “offering to the Earth”.

Depart to discover the salt fields of Maras and the ruins of Moray to learn more about Peru’s ancient agriculture. Then set out for Ollantaytambo, a living town and site of massive Incan ruins dating to the 15th century that still inspire wonder today. We continue on to the Incan farming town of Chinchero, set on a broad plateau presided over by a snowcapped mountain. Here residents live much as their ancestors did, wearing traditional clothing and conducting business and local government by time-honored means. They also weave as their ancestors did, as we see a demonstration of this traditional craft.

Lunch and dinner are on our own, night at the hotel in the Sacred valley.

Altitude:2000m

Breakfast.

In the morning, we board a train to Aguas Calientes (1h40), and then a bus for Machu Picchu. You will enjoy your private guided visit of the stunning “lost City of the Incas”; you’ll move nimbly through the ruins and have the leisure to absorb the beauty and mystery of this haunting Unesco World Heritage site.

Mid afternoon, we return to Aguas Calientes and your hotel with time at leisure.

Lunch is on our own, night at the hotel in Aguas Calientes.

Altitude:3400m.

Breakfast.

This morning, before the crowds of day trippers arrive, we take our second guided tour of this Unesco World Heritage site, when the early morning sun bathes the stones in a haunting, evocative light.

We return by train then by car (without guide) to Cuzco.

Lunch and dinner are on our own, night at the hotel in Cuzco.

Breakfast.

This morning, we visit the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, the still beautiful “House of the Sun” Qoricancha.

Afternoon at leisure in Cuzco, the amazing and ancient capital of the Inca empire.

Lunch and dinner are on our own, night at the hotel in Cuzco.

Altitude: 3800m

Breakfast.

Departure by private car with driver and guide for long journey to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. As we travel through the rugged snow-capped Andes dotted with small villages and herb of llama and Alpaca, we make several stops along the way, beginning with Andahualillas, an attractive village known for its lovely 17th century church. We continue to the ruins at Raqchi once the holiest site in the Incan empire; la Raya perched on Peru’s Altiplano (high plain). Private transfer to your hotel on the shores of Esteves Island on Lake Titicaca.

Lunch is on our own, overnight at the hotel in Lake Titicaca.

Altitude:3800m

Breakfast.

A special day exploring the fascinating life of Lake Titicaca in a private boat with guide, South America’s largest lake and at 12500 feet above the sea level, among the world’s highest navigable lakes.

Up here the air is clearer, the colors sharper, and the horizon farther; by boat we visit the floating islands of the Uros, where the top-hatted Uros people live on “islands” made of the reeds that grow in the lake’s shallows.In fact, the Uros rely on these reeds for their boats, the small huts in which they live, household items, and the handcrafts the sell to visitors.Visit of the Isla Taquile known for the high-quality textiles crafted by the indigenous people who live here. Sales of their textiles support the self-sustaining Taquilenos; we see the men in their signature woven woolen caps with floppy earpieces and women in tailored waistcoats and multilayered skirts. Not to mention the breathtaking natural beauty that surrounds us, with Bolivia's snow-capped mountain range providing a striking backdrop for the deep blue of Lake Titicaca.

Lunch included with the community of Taquile. Return to Puno during the afternoon.

Overnight at the hotel in Lake Titicaca.

Breakfast.

Transfer to the airport of Juliaca for the flight to Lima.

End of the tour.