Flavor and Luxury in Peru - 10 Days

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: International Arrival to Lima

Welcome to Peru! A guide will welcome you at the airport and give you your customized welcome pack, including a pre-paid mobile phone, before whisking you off to your hotel. In the evening dine at Maido, #8 (2017) on the World's 50 Best Restaurant List. Spend the night at a historic boutique hotel, either Villa Barranco or Hotel B.

Day 2: Lima

This morning, start by learning about Peru's famed food through “Lima With Zest”, a hands-on experience with a leading chef. Scour local markets before cooking together at her family home in the bohemian neighborhood of Barranco. An alternative option is the Urban Kitchen Cooking Class. Visit a local market before participating in a private cooking class in a dedicated professional kitchen workshop, led by Peruvian professional chef Ignacio Barrios, who has worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

In the evening enjoy a private cooking demonstration and five-course tasting menu at leading restaurant Malabar, hosted by acclaimed Peruvian chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. Known for championing Amazonian ingredients, Pedro will dazzle your senses as he prepares a gourmet meal in front of you. Stay the night at Villa Barranco or Hotel B.

Day 3: Lima

In Lima, not only do the origins of the city pre-date the Spanish history by several millennia, but its museums are full of the artistic treasures of magnificent indigenous civilizations. Begin to unravel this multifaceted history accompanied by your expert guide. Visit an ancient adobe pyramid right in the middle of the city dating back to around 200 BCE, and take in the colonial area of Lima. Roam around the Cathedral, Convent of Santo Domingo, the Main Square and Casa Aliaga, reportedly the oldest colonial home on the continent — and still family-owned after 17 generations.

In the afternoon explore Lima's casual and local food scene on an authentic Urban Eats sampling food tour. They will bring you to popular local eating spots to sample Peruvian classics and criollo (Spanish ancestry) dishes. In the evening dine at Central Restaurant. Rated #4 on the World's Top 50 Restaurants List, Central delivers ambitious and worldly fusion from chef Virgilio Martínez Véliz, who has crafted a series of modern, landscape-inspired dishes using ingredients native to Peru.

Stay the night at Villa Barranco or Hotel B.

Day 4: Lima - Cusco - Sacred Valley

Your guide will transfer you to the Lima airport for your flight to Cusco, where you will be met on arrival and transferred to the Sacred Valley. Pay a visit to the colorful Pisac market and ruins. The skill of the Inca masonry here is unmatched in quality, mirrored by views of the stunning mountain terrace gardens.

Drive to Hacienda Sarapampa, known for producing giant corn, which is endemic to the valley. You will be greeted warmly by the owners, after which they will take you on a private tour of the working farm and cornfields, showcasing the different stages and processes in cultivating corn. You will then enjoy a private seven-course lunch in the gardens and be treated to a traditional Peruvian Paso Horse Demonstratio (demonstration), before checking in to your hotel. Stay overnight at beautiful, rustic Sol y Luna.

Day 5: Sacred Valley

This morning visit the Salinas de Maras, ancient salt pans that have been in use for millennia. Near Maras lie the enigmatic Inca terraces of Moray. Likely used for agricultural experimentation and innovation, Moray consists of several enormous circular terraces.

Afterward, head to an organic farm to try a traditional pachamanca lunch, cooked in a technique where hot stones are piled around the food and covered with a mound of soil for several hours. Located in the midst of Inca terracing, this farm affords impressive views of the snow-capped peaks of Willka Weqe (Mount Veronica) and the Ollantaytambo ruins.

Round off your day at Cerveceria del Valle, a family-owned craft brewery producing Andean-inspired ales and lagers. One of the founders will guide you around the brewery before a tasting session to sample the selection of beers on tap. The beer is made using the highest-quality ingredients and brewed with glacial spring water from over 13,000 feet above sea level. Stay overnight at Sol y Luna.

Day 6: Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu

Today, visit the ancient town of Ollantaytambo and nearby ruins. It was here that one of the greatest battles of the Conquest was fought — and one of the few where the Incas defeated the Spanish invaders. From here board the Vistadome train for a 1.5-hour trip, featuring spectacular panoramic windows with incredible scenic views. You'll arrive in Aguas Calientes, where you will board a bus to reach the entrance of Machu Picchu. Alternatively, you can upgrade to the Hiram Bingham luxury train to Machu Picchu or ask for a private charter train service to be arranged.

This afternoon visit the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu, one of the world's most important archaeological sites. Set among mist-shrouded mountains, this human-made marvel has become a symbol for the ingenuity and prosperity of one of the most expansive empires in ancient American history: the Incas. Your guide will explain the complicated history and purpose of this awe-inspiring site. Stay overnight at the modern El MaPi or the five-star Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel.

Day 7: Machu Picchu - Cusco

Return to Machu Picchu with your guide for an optional hike to Huayna Picchu or to the Sun Gate, both offering spectacular panoramic views of the Andes mountains. Take the bus back to the town of Aguas Calientes to catch the Vistadome train back to Ollantaytambo for a private transfer to Cusco.

Alternatively, upgrade to the luxurious Hiram Bingham train for the ride back. Stay overnight at the elegant El Mercado or Inkaterra La Casona, a meticulously restored 16th-century manor house.

Day 8: Cusco

Since Cusco was originally designed by the Incas as a city for walking, start your exploration of the narrow alleyways on foot. Begin at the Plaza de Armas, the Main Square and visit Koricancha, the “Sun Temple." Then head to the Cathedral — a repository for Cusco’s colonial art — and Sacsayhuaman, an Inca citadel atop a hill, on the outskirts of the city.

In the early evening enjoy a sampling food tour as you learn about the many influences on Peruvian food that have helped position Peru as one of the world’s top culinary destinations. Stay overnight at El Mercado or Inkaterra La Casona.

Day 9: Cusco

Take a cooking class this morning, ideal for foodies looking to learn more about Peruvian gastronomy and influences on Peruvian cooking. You also will learn how to prepare Peruvian classics, complemented by pisco (Peruvian brandy) tasting. Alternatively, go on a food sampling Urban Eats tour, stopping at local markets, shops, eateries and restaurants for an insight into ingredients and ways of life in the Andes and Peru.

Another option is to take the Chef’s Food Tour. Tour Cusco on foot by one of the city’s top professional chefs to visit a market and local eateries before heading to a restaurant to learn to make a pisco sour at the bar, followed by a mini-ceviche cooking class. Stay overnight at El Mercado or Inkaterra La Casona.

Day 10: Cusco - Lima

Today is your last day in Peru! You will be met at your hotel for a transfer to Cusco Airport for your flight to Lima, where you will be assisted with your international departure. Alternatively, stay and extend your time in Peru — there's so much to see and explore. ¡Buen viaje!