Machu Picchu
Peru
Machu Picchu’s Hidden Treasures
A Custom-Crafted Adventure That Blends Ancient Wonder with Contemporary Luxury
Our Peru Experience - featuring the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco and Machu Picchu - brings you face to face with this South American country's richest cultural history, most friendly locals and stunning scenery.
Set in the beautiful Andes Mountains, Peru has strong Inca and Spanish influences, and the country is teeming with jaw-dropping ruins and historical enchantments.
Learn about past civilizations and view awe-inspiring artifacts that are thousands of years old, all while surrounded by nature at its finest. Set your heart pumping with outdoor adventures such as hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, or choose to relax and enjoy the views.
Peru's climate has two main seasons-a wet and a dry season, though the weather varies depending on geographical location. Temperature is mostly influenced by elevation. Like any mountainous region, the higher you go the colder it can become.
Discover the Lost City of the Incas - An 8-day Itinerary
Peak tourist season is June through August, which is the cooler dryer season in the highlands. The wettest months are between November and April, which can make it muddy. In the rainforest it rains. Even from November to April, it rarely rains more than a couple of hours at a time, so there's still plenty of sunshine.
And because you're with us, dine in luxury on Peruvian delicacies and get up close and personal with ingredients and local dishes while shopping at a traditional market - while participating in a cooking demonstration.
Personal hosts and expert guides escort you through every step of your trip, ensuring five-star service and an unforgettable experience.
Machu Picchu is a new Inspirato experience, added in December 2011, and will be available for vacations starting June 1, 2012.
Day 1 Home/Lima
When you arrive at Lima's international airport, your personal host will welcome you and assist you with check-in. Your stay that evening will be in Costa del Sol, a comfortable accommodation conveniently located directly across from the airport. You'll have an opportunity to rest and refresh for the exciting adventures to come.
Day 2-3 The Sacred Valley
In the morning, you will be greeted by your personal host and be assisted with check-in for the flight to Cusco on a LAN Peru flight. After arriving into Cusco, you will be transferred to the Sacred Valley and check in to boutique hotel, Sol y Luna. In the early afternoon, you will have lunch at the Hacienda Huayoccari, where you will enjoy delicious homemade dishes, while overlooking spectacular views of the Sacred Valley. In the afternoon, explore the Sacred Valley on a private horseback tour on Peruvian Paso horses, discovering Incan farming terraces, traditional villages, adobe construction and typical crops such as corn, potatoes and quinoa.
While staying in the Sacred Valley, you'll have a private guided tour of Maras and Moray, a portion of which will be on mountain bikes. Maras is known for its salt flats located on a wide, open hill above the Urubamba Valley. Salt water runs along channels in rectangular form, which extend through the flooded lands and when exposed to the sun, leaves salt residues on the beds of the channels. Moray is an Incan ruin famous for its amphitheatre-style formed by circular terraces. Though there are many hypotheses, one says that Moray was an Inca biological experimental station for growing crops at different altitudes and a center for domestication of wild plant species.
Day 4-5 Machu Picchu
In the morning you will journey to Machu Picchu. You will have two options to travel to Machu Picchu. The first is on the luxurious Hiram Bingham train with your personal guide. The second option is to board the train with your personal guide, and be let off the train at kilometer 104 and hike the last portion of the Inca Trail, led by your personal guide. With the second option, you will reach Machu Picchu through the famous Sun Gate. Spend the day exploring the Machu Picchu ruins with your personal guide.
The next day, rise early for a hike to experience the sunrise over the ruins of Machu Picchu. You will have two hiking options. The first option is a climb with your personal guide to the peak of Huayna Picchu. This trek is approximately 2 hours uphill and considered strenuous. If you choose this climb you will be awarded with stunning aerial views of the ruins. The second option is a hike to the Gate of the Sun for panoramic views of the ruins. This option is less strenuous. Around mid-day, enjoy a lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge Hotel, before venturing out to further explore the ruins or participate in a private meditation ceremony performed by an Andean Shaman.
Day 6-7 Cusco
In the morning you will take a train to Ollantaytambo where you will continue on by private transfer to your luxury hotel in Cusco. Along the way you will stop and enjoy a private guided tour of the Sacsayhuaman ruins. In the afternoon, visit the Plaza de Armas with your personal guides where you can observe daily Cusquenian way of life. Accompany a Peruvian chef to the traditional market of Cusco where you will hand select fresh ingredients for your private cooking class where you will be shown how to create authentic Peruvian dishes.
The following day, Cathedral, Qoricancha and the Museum of Religious Art within the former Archbishop's Palace. For lunch and dinner, take advantage of the traditional Andean cuisine in restaurants, such as Chi Cha and Map Café.
Day 8 Cusco/Lima/Home
In the morning your personal guide will accompany you to San Blas Square where you can visit ateliers of local artisans. We recommend a lunch at Pacha Papa located near San Blas Square, and enjoy a delicious Peruvian meal.
In the afternoon, a private transfer will take you to the Cusco airport where you will board a LAN Peru flight to Lima. Upon arriving in Lima, your personal host will help you with a day-check at your hotel, where you'll have the chance to rest and relax before your international flight home.
