Luxury Highlights of Peru: Lima, Cusco & the Sacred Valley - 7 Days

Highlights

• Discover Peru's best dishes (and pisco sours) during a food tour in Barranco
• Let local guides show you the best cultural attractions in Lima to Cusco
• Dine on a three-course lunch while taking the train to Machu Picchu for a hike
• Stay three nights in a luxury lodge nestled at the foot of soaring Andes mountains 

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Lima, Food Tour in Artsy Barranco

Welcome to Peru! With only a week to spare, Lima is the best place to kick off an adventurous journey through the country's highlights. The nation's capital is within easy access to Peru's other popular regions, plus there's much to recommend it in its own right. See for yourself when your driver transfers you 1.5 hours from the airport into the city and your luxury accommodation, Hotel B.

Located in the bohemian Barranco district and built in the Belle Époque style, this mansion was originally a seaside retreat for an aristocratic family in the 1920s. It retains its Art Deco charm, featuring elegant suites outfitted with smart TVs and king beds. You can dine at the hotel's gourmet fusion restaurant, which serves contemporary Peruvian dishes with international influences. Save your appetite, however, because, after check-in, you're off to discover Peru's world-famous cuisine on a hop around Barranco.

Along with a guide, you'll stroll around the neighborhood, stopping at various restaurants and street food vendors to try the best of the best. Over the course of this half-day experience, you'll sample more than 15 classic dishes and snacks, which might include staples like lomo saltado (a beef tenderloin stir fry) and causa limeña (layers of mashed potato filled with chicken or fish). You'll also visit a local kitchen where you'll learn to prepare the famous ceviche and pair it with a pisco sour—Peru's national cocktail.

Day 2: Lima Highlights Tour, Fly to Cusco, Free Time

Rise and shine because you've got a full day ahead! This morning you're off on a deep dive into Lima's rich history. Accompanied by a local guide, you'll visit some of the city's most impressive landmarks, starting in the historic city center and the Plaza de Armas, Lima's main square. Here, you'll visit impressive colonial landmarks, including the 16th-century Convent of Santo Domingo. Next is the renowned Museo Larco, featuring a fine collection of pre-Hispanic gold and silver artifacts. You'll also visit another ancient pyramid, Huaca Pucllana, which dates to 500 CE.

For lunch, you'll grab a bit back at your hotel's gourmet fusion restaurant. After eating, transfer back to the airport for the one-hour flight to Cusco. Located in the southern highlands, this area has been settled for thousands of years. However, it wasn't until 1200 CE that Cusco was officially founded as a center for Inca rule. It was the capital of the Inca Kingdom until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.

You'll stay in the midst of all this history at Palacio Manco Capac by Ananay. Located on a hill overlooking Cusco's historic center, this 5-star boutique hotel is 10 minutes from the Plaza de Armas (main square). It occupies an elegant 19th-century colonial building featuring just 10 rooms and suites, each beautifully appointed with modern furnishings, local artwork, and extra-large double beds. There's a spa offering a range of rejuvenating treatments, plus a gourmet restaurant serving Peruvian-inspired dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients—which is where you'll dine tonight.

Day 3: Train to Aguas Calientes, Visit Machu Picchu, Return to Cusco

All aboard the exclusive Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu! This luxury Belmond train departs from the station in Cusco and offers stylish Art Deco cars with gleaming wood-panel interiors and brass finishes, evoking the 1920s Orient Express. During the relaxing four-hour ride, enjoy first-class service as you marvel at views of the Urubamba River and Andes peaks through the windows. You can spend the journey in the train's observatory bar car, sipping a smart cocktail like a pisco sour before sitting down to a gourmet three-course lunch.

Your destination is the town of Aguas Calientes. This is the main hub for excursions up the mountain to the UNESCO-listed Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Upon arrival, you'll board a bus for the 25-minute ride up the mountain to Machu Picchu (7,970 feet/2,430 m), which dates to around 1450 CE.

During a tour led by an expert guide, you'll hike around the complex and visit its famous landmarks, including astronomical/ritual stone structures like the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. Many landmarks, like the Sacred Plaza and Inca Bridge, showcase the Incas' architectural prowess. The agricultural terraces are also impressive, demonstrating the Incas' skill at cultivating crops on steep hillsides. After the tour, return to the terminal and board a train for the ride back to Cusco, where you'll return to your hotel.

Day 4: Cusco City Tour, BBQ Lunch on an Inca Wall, Transfer to the Sacred Valley

Take to the streets this morning as you explore Cusco's cobbled lanes with a local guide. It starts in the city's bohemian neighborhood of San Blas. Nearby is the historic city center, where you'll visit iconic landmarks like Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun). During the Inca reign in the 15th century, this was Cusco's religious and political center. From here, walk down Hatunrumiyoc Street and admire the ancient Inca walls, particularly the 12-Angle Stone, so named because its dozen angles fit perfectly in the surrounding stones. It's a shining example of the ancient Incas' stonemasonry prowess.

Then transfer 2.5 miles (4 km) outside the city to Sacsayhuamán. This former Inca religious center and military fortress is built from giant limestone blocks. After exploring the vast terraces and high walls, you'll hike down an ancient Inca road back to Cusco, passing through small villages with excellent countryside views. Just outside the city, you'll stop at Q'enco, an archaeological complex of impressive rock formations once a ceremonial center dedicated to religious rituals and astronomical observations. Break for lunch atop an ancient Inca wall, where a barbecue lunch will be served.

Afterward, leave Cusco on a 1.5-hour drive hours north into the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Extending along the Urubamba River, the valley encompasses picturesque villages, archaeological sites, and gorgeous highland scenery. Amid all this splendor is your hotel, Explora Valle Sagrado. The stylish and spacious guest rooms at this hacienda-style property are designed with modern amenities and traditional Andean-inspired decor, complete with king beds and private terraces. Upon arrival, you can unwind with a foot massage at the lodge's spa or relax in a lounger by the outdoor pool.

Day 5: Explora Hotel Activities (Day 2)

You'll have the next couple of days to enjoy various activities organized by Explora Valle Sagrado—and there are many to choose from. Options include visits to natural wonders and ancient ruins at Ollantaytambo, Maras, Lago Quimsacocha, Moray, and other nearby sites. Tours and excursions range from cycling mountain trails to river tours and browsing local markets, like the famous textile market in the town of Pisac.

One of the most popular treks is the hike to Ollantaytambo, a town and archaeological site that's one of the few remaining places in the Sacred Valley that has retained its original Inca urban planning. The adventure begins with a transfer to the town of Pachar. At the trailhead, set off on an easy, hourlong hike to Ollantaytambo, passing local farms and traditional mud-brick houses. Once in Ollantaytambo, you'll visit well-preserved ruins, including ancient canals and Inca-era homes. Then, hike up the hillside agricultural terraces to enjoy sweeping views of the valley and surrounding towns.

Day 6: Explora Hotel Activities (Day 3)

It's dealer's choice once again, as this morning, you'll have your pick of Sacred Valley adventures. One of the best ways to explore the region is the simplest: on foot. There are many great mountain trails here suited to all skill levels. You might consider the Arin Hike, an easy 2.5-hour trek that covers 2.3 miles (3.7 km) through the valley, its ravines, forests, small towns, along rivers, and past farmland.

If you haven't done so already (or want to try it again), embark on a mountain bike ride from near the top of the valley's peaks down to the Urubamba River. There's a popular, full-day route that covers 17 miles (27.4 km), following a scenic path along rivers, orchards, cornfields, and ancient Inca terraces. At the end of the day, feel free to relax and rejuvenate in the hotel sauna before dinner.

Day 7: Fly to Lima, Depart Peru

It's time to say goodbye to Peru! In the morning, you'll transfer back to Cusco and the airport, where you'll board a plane to Lima. There, you'll catch your connecting flight home. Safe travels!

More Great Peru Itineraries