Introduction to Peru

bwd vacations offer complimentary transfers from the Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima at 09:00, 12:00 & 3:00 pm.

This afternoon you will meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Drink and a short meeting. Afterwards, you will embark on a culinary tour of Lima, where at each stop, internationally acclaimed local chefs create one of the courses for you. Five courses, five different locations, five different chefs culminate with dessert in the Bohemian Barranco district.

This morning your local guide shows you the Peruvian capital beginning with Plaza de Armas, the city’s birthplace and where the Cathedral, Archbishops Palace, Palace of the Union and the Government Palace are located. After some free time, you will then visit the Basilica & Convent of San Francisco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before continuing to the Larco Museum to see the finest collection of precious jewels in all of Peru. Housed in an 18^th century former royal mansion, the museum is famed for its gold & silver collection along with its collection of archaeological artefacts. The tour will finish with a visit to the city’s Miraflores district to admire the incredible views of the Pacific Ocean.

This morning you transfer to the Jorge Chávez International Airport to fly to Cuzco. Upon arrival, your local guide will show you the Sacred Valley of the Incas as you follow the Urubamba River to the towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo. In Pisac, you visit the town market where farmers and local artisans bring their goods such as handmade crèches, alpaca wool sweaters, and carved handicrafts to trade. After a wonderful 3-course lunch in a regional restaurant, you will then continue to Ollantaytambo to visit its imposing cliff side ruins built by the Incas. Tonight, enjoy the tranquil natural beauty of the Sacred with your stay in the village of Yucay.

Today you will make the journey of a lifetime as you visit the famed ruins of Machu Picchu, the city in the sky. After breakfast, you will board the Vistadome train, with its glass ceiling, to enjoy the stunning scenery as you make the 1hr 30-min journey to Machu Picchu. Once there, your local guide will take you on a tour of this fascinating lost city of the Incas. The Temple of the Sun, Intihuatana and the Principle Temple are just a few of the highlights; as you explore this incredible site.  With its extensive stone ruins, steep terraces and surrounded by looming cliffs, you will quickly realise why Machu Picchu is one of the new Wonders of the World. Tonight, you will stay in the village Agua Calientes, giving you the chance to awake to some of the most spectacular scenery in South America.

This morning is set aside to walk to Huayna Picchu, the mountain overlooking Machu Picchu. The Incas built a trail to Huayna Picchu and then added gravity-defying terraces and temples on its summit. In Inca times, it was the residence for the High Priests who each morning, before sunrise, would walk to Machu Picchu to signal the arrival of a new day. The most iconic photos of Machu Picchu are taken from Huayna Picchu, and you, too, will have the chance to take yours. Those who don’t want to do the walk are free to revisit the Machu Picchu site and wander the ruins independently or explore Aguas Calientes’ town with its quaint streets and market stalls. After free time for lunch, you will board the train to return to Cuzco, your home, for the next two nights.

Today a local guide will show you the incredible once capital of the Inca Empire. Your sightseeing will include a visit to Korikancha, which during Inca times was known as the Temple of the Sun and today is the site of the Santa Domingo Convent, and the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, where you can enjoy spectacular views of Cuzco below. You will then return to Cuzco, where you will see the Cuzco Cathedral and Plaza de Armas in the heart of the downtown. This evening you will enjoy a delicious dinner highlighted with several traditional dishes from the Andes mountains. During dinner, you will be entertained by a local dance group dressed in native costumes and perform typical Andean dances to the tune of Peruvian pipes.

Today you drive across the Altiplano, or the high plain of the Andes, en route to Puno on Lake Titicaca banks. On the way, you will stop in the charming colonial village of Andahuaylillas to visit the small baroque church of San Pedro, whose interior is so sumptuous it is known as the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas”. You will then continue to Sucuani, where you will stop for a wonderful lunch in a local restaurant before continuing to your hotel in Puno on Lake Titicaca banks.

Soak in the beauty of the high altitude, 3810 m (12500ft) above sea level, Lake Titicaca is known in Inca history to be the Inca Empire’s birthplace. Lake dwellers of Lake Titicaca are expert reed craftsmen who in days gone by built reed islands, many of which still exist today. On your tour of Lake Titicaca, you will visit the floating Uros islands to hear and see how the local Uros indigenous population lives. After time to explore and for photos, you will then continue, by speedboat, to the island of Taquile, home of some 2200 indigenous Taquileños, who are renowned for their handwoven textiles and clothing, regarded as the finest in Peru. On the island, you will enjoy a wonderful lunch of Taquilean dishes before returning to Puno. This evening you will enjoy a Farewell Dinner on the banks of Lake Titicaca, a chance to say goodbye to new-found friends.

This morning you board your flight to return to Lima; upon arrival at Jorge Chávez International Airport, your trip finishes. Those who plan on flying directly out of Lima, please don’t book any onward flights before 15:00 to avoid any connection difficulties.