Highlights of Peru

Welcome to the City of Kings. Perched on cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, Lima is a rising star on the international food scene. Accompanied by your A&K representative, transfer to your luxury accommodation in the vibrant Miraflores neighbourhood. Spend time discovering your neighbourhood full of resplendent boutiques, or head down to the Pacific Ocean and watch the mighty Pacific disappearing over the western horizon.

Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel

Unlock the secrets of the city on a private walking tour led by a local expert. Get the key to one of South America’s oldest houses, Casa Aliaga, amongst hidden courtyards and ramshackle rooftops. Stand in Lima’s birthplace, the Plaza Mayor, and appreciate architectural masterpieces including the historic cathedral, grand presidential palace and Santo Domingo Convent. Later, lose yourself amongst more than 45,000 classified pre Colombian archaeological objects in the Larco Museum.

Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel | Meals: B

Transfer to the airport for your short flight to Cusco, the former ancient capital of the Inca Empire.

Upon arrival in Cusco, you are met and transferred directly to the Sacred Valley of the Incas (2,900 metres). Once the epicentre of the Inca Empire, the Sacred Valley is speckled with little-known but spectacular ruins, many of which remain unexplored. It is difficult to imagine anywhere better to soak up the tranquillity of the mountain-ringed valley than your luxury property, Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba Hotel. Take time to acclimatise the local way — with rest and coca tea.

Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba Hotel | Meals: BD

This morning, experience a unique visit to an Andean highland community to meet local Quechua-speaking farmers and weavers. This personal encounter introduces you to the lifestyle and traditions of these Incan descendants. Experience complete cultural immersion as you join in the daily activities and discover how local communities live today. Learn how vibrant food is being cooked in wood-fired, mud-brick stoves and delve into the ancient agricultural methods used for centuries in this challenging Andean mountain environment.

Afterward visit the dramatic salt mines of Maras. These evaporation ponds — numbering 6,000 in total — have been used to produce salt here since pre-Inca times, and the natural colour variation of the pools, staggered in terraces down the side of the canyon, make them a breathtakingly beautiful sight. Continue on to Moray, where a mysterious Inca archaeological site is located. The ruins of the circular agricultural terraces are thought to have been used by the Incas to determine the optimal conditions for growing crops.

Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba Hotel | Meals: BLD

Begin your pilgrimage to Machu Picchu, stopping en route at the imposing fortress of Ollantaytambo, where the Incas celebrated their greatest victory over the invading Spanish. Afterward, board your train and absorb the majestic Andean landscape as the train winds through the mountains and cloud forest to Aguas Calientes where a short bus ride will bring you to the ruins of Machu Picchu.

Overlooking the raging Urubamba River and discovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in a hidden tangle of trees, the true history of Machu Picchu will forever remain an enigma, as the Incas left no written records. Unravel its mysteries as you explore with your expert guide.

Return to your hotel, an intimate styled Andean village with terraced hills, waterfalls, and stone pathways.

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel | Meals: BLD

Spend time exploring the natural beauty of your lodge seeking out the more than 200 species of birds, before heading back to further discover the ruins. Delve deeper into the mysteries of the ancient citadel with the opportunity to climb to the “Inti Punku”, the famous Sun Gate. Or, for superior views across the ruins, pre-book to climb further to the highest mountain, Huayna Picchu, or continue a leisurely tour of the rambling stone terraces. Later board the Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo and continue by road to Cusco, the former ancient capital of the Inca Empire.

Monasterio, A Belmond Hotel | Meals: B

Cusco’s rich tapestry of Spanish and Quechua influences is yours to explore this morning on foot with an expert guide. The cathedral in the central Plaza de Armas is considered one of the most beautiful churches in the Americas, and it will leave you breathless. Seek out the fresco of ‘The Last Supper’ with Jesus eating guinea pig, a sacred motif of Incan paganism. Later, unearth the well-preserved ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a testament to Incan architectural skill and precision. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure. Stroll at your own pace along the cobblestone plazas and winding alleyways, and search for treasures in one of the fascinating markets that dot the city.

Monasterio, A Belmond Hotel | Meals: B

Venture into Cusco’s South Valley, Peru’s hidden treasure. Gaze in wonderment at Tipón, where the Incas created an impressive hydraulic system of baths, canals and aqueducts worthy of an empire that stretched from Colombia to Chile. Journey onwards to the enormous red adobe archaeological complex of Pikillacta, the only pre-Inca site in the Cusco area. Then, step into the surprisingly vivid “Sistine Chapel of Peru” in Andahuaylillas.

Monasterio, A Belmond Hotel | Meals: B

Following a leisurely breakfast, meet your Guardian Angel who will accompany you on your private transfer to the airport for your onward journey.

Meals: B