13-Nights Best of Peru: Canyons, Summits & Ancient Cities from $4,709

Day 1: Welcome to Peru

Transfer: Jorge Chavez Lima International Airportto Lima - San Isidro

Hotel: Melia Lima Hotel (4 Star Rating)

The Melia Lima Hotel is located in the residential and financial district of San Isidro. It is close to the Jorge Chavez International Airport and very near the historical heart of the city. The tourist district of Miraflores is just a few minutes away and the hotel provides easy access to the most important museums, art galleries and exclusive stores, amongst other attractions.

Today you will learn about the two characters of Lima: the modern one, reflected in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro; and the historic one, encapsulated in its historic center declared a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Along the tour through different districts of the city, you will see how the old and the modern coexist in buildings such as the Museum of Italian Art, Palace of Justice, Museum of Lima, Plaza San Martín, among others. With your tour guide leading the way and like-minded travellers alongside, you'll explore the center of Lima on foot, with the Main Square as the focal point: a beautiful colonial square worthy of photographs, surrounded by emblematic buildings such as the Government Palace, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace. You will also have the opportunity to enter one of the most iconic ecclesiastical spaces in Lima, the Convent of Santo Domingo, also declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and where the relics of three Peruvian saints are found: Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martín de Porres and San Juan Macías. The tour would not be complete without a visit to the Rafael Larco Herrera Museum, one of the most important in the country, exhibiting a valuable collection of almost 45,000 pieces of pre-Hispanic cultures, especially the Mochicas. Marvel at the quality of its pieces of jewelry, textiles and its enigmatic erotic room, dedicated to ceramics alluding to fertility, and after exploring the museum, you will be returned to your hotel.

On today's tour, discover some of the most representative flavours of Peruvian cuisine. Your experience begins as you visit a typical Peruvian market. Here you and your private guide will tour through the market, diverse with fruits such as cherimoya, lucuma, camu camu, aguaymanto, among many others. And soon after, lovers of sea delicacies will delight with a visit to the stalls that offer an unparalleled variety of fresh fish and seafood. Then, you will visit an exclusive restaurant in Lima, where you will learn how to prepare pisco sour and ceviche, two quintessential Peruvian dishes. Finally, settle in for a delicious lunch at the restaurant, and after dining, get set for the return transfer to your hotel.

Transfer: Lima - San Isidro to Jorge Chavez Lima International Airport

Transfer: Arequipa Airportto Arequipa

Hotel: Casa Andina Premium Arequipa (4 Star Rating)

On a quiet street in the heart of Arequipa's historic district, the hotel is just steps from the entrance of the famed Santa Catalina Convent and only 3 blocks from the Plaza de Armas. In the midst of Arequipa's top restaurants, sights, and shopping, the hotel is only 15 minutes by taxi from Arequipa's Rodriguez Ballon airport and 10 minutes from the bus station.

Restored to its original grandeur, this storied sillar (white volcanic stone) colonial mansion is one of the finest hotels in Arequipa's historic center - and is as much a living museum as it is a hotel. The hotel features high vaulted ceilings, two ample colonial courtyards, and an elegant gourmet restaurant.

Explore the heart of Arequipa and enjoy the city's best views with a private guide leading the way. The Yanahuara and Carmen Alto viewpoints are unmissable stops on today's route, from which you can appreciate the fantastic landscape of the countryside and the city at the foot of the imposing Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu volcanoes. You will visit the historic center and the beautiful Main Square, where the city was founded in 1540. The buildings in Arequipa are built in ashlar, and this white volcanic stone is why Arequipa is known as the "White City". Standing out in the city are the many arching portals and the imposing Cathedral, widely recognized for its neo-Renaissance style and Gothic influences. Later, visit other churches such as the Company of Jesus and walk through streets that reflect the colonial history of the past, such as San Francisco and Santo Domingo streets. The walk ends in one of the most iconic places in the city: the fabulous Monastery of Santa Catalina. Here you will enter the cloisters, walk through its narrow corridors of intense colors, and admire its internal plazas, considered colonial architectural treasures, as well as rooms that house beautiful canvases from the Cusco School, rich with indigenous and Spanish motifs. After visiting the Santa Catalina Convent, you will be returned to your hotel.

Driving out of Arequipa, you will enjoy spectacular views of the mountains surrounding the city before climbing high into the Andes and descending into the amazing Colca Canyon.

The Colca Canyon is one of the world's deepest canyons and is home to Condors and a fascinating local culture, totally different from any other place you will visit on this trip.

Hotel: Colca Lodge (4 Star Rating)

Built completely of stone, mud bricks, and thatch roofs, Colca Lodge is located in the heart of the Valley, next to the Colca River in the midst of ancestral farming terraces. With a particular architectural style inspired by ancient Inca buildings, Colca Lodge has been able to combine its attractive rustic style with total comfort without damaging the surrounding environment.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

The private guide and minibus are at your disposal for the day. An early morning drive to Cruz del Condor is recommended in search of one of the world's largest birds, the condor, who nests in the cliffs of one of the world's deepest canyons (approximately 3400 metres deep).

Hotel: Colca Lodge (4 Star Rating)

Built completely of stone, mud bricks, and thatch roofs, Colca Lodge is located in the heart of the Valley, next to the Colca River in the midst of ancestral farming terraces. With a particular architectural style inspired by ancient Inca buildings, Colca Lodge has been able to combine its attractive rustic style with total comfort without damaging the surrounding environment.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

You will enjoy a spectacular drive through the high Andes, passing beautiful lakes and huge vistas, as you travel on a newly asphalted road to Juliaca, and on to your destination of Puno. En route, you will pay a visit to the Silustani Ruins, whose fascinating circular burial chambers predate the Incas. The amazing stone work of this early civilization was obviously a strong influence on the famous Inca stone masons. In Puno, check into your hotel and explore this interesting town.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

Hotel: GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca (5 Star Rating)

Located on Esteves Island on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, the hotel is only five minutes away from downtown Puno, 45 minutes from the Manco Capac International Airport in Juliaca and two hours from the Bolivian border. The hotel has 123 elegantly decorated rooms and provides all the services expected of a luxury hotel. The hotel has a private dock, allowing you to leave comfortably for all the lake's destinations.

Lake Titicaca is home to unique communities, cultures and traditions. The Uros are a people who have lived on the floating islands of the lake for more than 3,000 years, and their ancestral practices were declared the Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2013. They have developed the ability to live among the reeds and have adapted to the environment, using this aquatic plant to build their rafts and houses. Its inhabitants will be your guides, explaining about the formation of the islands, the way of life on the islands and the creation of their traditional fabrics using reeds. In Taquile, you will witness another unique lifestyle of Lake Titicaca. As you hike to the top of the island, you can see different types of crops with the lake and the Illimani Mountain range in the background, a fascinating combination of green and blue. The residents of Taquile are known for their textile technique (named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO), where each color and design captured on the fabric has a special meaning, permitting social coexistence. After touring the island and connecting with its customs, you and fellow travellers will share a moment with the community amidst dances and traditional music, then be returned to back to Puno by speed boat before being transferred to your hotel.

Transfer: Puno - Lake District to Puno Bus Station

Transfer: Puno Bus Station to Cusco Bus Station

Transfer: Cusco Bus Station to Cusco

Hotel: Casa Andina Premium Collection Cusco (4 Star Rating)

Casa Andina Premium Collection Cusco is a beautifully renovated 18th-century manor house, just 3 blocks from Cusco's Plaza de Armas, replete with authentic colonial character. It offers the intimacy of a boutique hotel but the comforts and services of a much larger property. Several rooms in the original structure of the hotel feature surviving colonial frescoes unearthed during renovation.

The Boleto Tourism Card (BTC) allows you to access archeological and cultural sites in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. The BTC is a mandatory requirement for travellers visiting the area, and is included in your itinerary.

This charming half-day tour of Cusco offers history, living culture and art. You will be able to appreciate how the Andean and Spanish cultures, as well as the past and the present, coexist in harmony in the Imperial City. Begin the day exploring the halls of the San Pedro Market, the oldest in the city. Designed in 1925 by Gustave Eiffel, today it brings together hundreds of merchants selling local products. You will also visit Koricancha Temple, which during the Inca empire was a center of worship of the Sun, and upon which the Santo Domingo Convent was later built as part of the evangelization process. Its baroque style facade built on solid Inca walls perfectly summarizes the syncretism of cultures in the city of Cusco. To appreciate the greatness of the Incas, ascend to the monumental fortress of Sacsayhuaman, which - with its enormous carved stone walls - constitutes one of the best examples of Inca military architecture. Later, you will tour the archaeological center of Kenko, a ceremonial place where the sun, the moon and the stars were worshiped. The final stop of the day is one of the most impressive; the Cathedral, widely considered the most important temple in the city. It was built by the Spanish on top of the palace of the Inca Huiracoha. Its interior houses a wonderful collection of colonial art composed of goldsmith pieces and representative canvases of the Cusco School of Art. Following your private tour of the city, you will be returned to your hotel.

In the Sacred Valley you will find ancient history and living culture. Your first stop of the day is Chincheros, a place where many communities are still organized under the Inca system of ayllus and proudly wear their historic garb. Here you will visit the Parwa cultural center and learn about the textile processes, the products from which the vibrant natural dyes are obtained, and the traditional weaving techniques used to manufacture them. In addition, you will be able to see the work of the artisans live and, if you want to take a souvenir home, purchase some of their pieces (additional cost). Following a short walk, you and your private guide will pass in front of the church of Nuestra Señora de Monserrat to reach the archaeological complex, which during the Tahuantinsuyo was an agricultural and livestock center, with terraces and aqueducts. Soon after, you arrive at the archaeological site of Moray, which during the Tahuantinsuyo functioned as an agricultural research center, something like a laboratory. Its enormous concentric terraces and the variety of microclimates they created allowed the growth of a wide variety of crops. In the valley, enjoy a typical lunch and visit Ollantaytambo, an ancient military, religious and agricultural center of the Incas. Strategically located on a mountain, it offers an unbeatable view of the town, the only one that maintains the original Inca urban design. Following your exploration, you will be dropped off at your hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Hotel: Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado Hotel and Villas (4 Star Rating)

Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado Hotel and Villas is a mountain chalet-styled retreat with panoramic Andes views from every room and every angle; it breathes an air of tranquillity and relaxation. Unique among Sacred Valley hotels, it contains a full-service spa, a domed planetarium and observatory, and a gourmet restaurant and bar. The 85 inviting, spacious rooms overlook the property and extensive gardens, and feature either private balconies or sunny sitting areas. Located between Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, the hotel is perfectly positioned for easy access to the valley's abundant attractions and Machu Picchu.

Transfer: Sacred Valley to Sacred Valley - Ollantaytambo

At the scheduled time, board the Expedition Train with service to Aguas Calientes, the penultimate stop on your way to Machu Picchu. The train cars of the Expedition Train are steeped in the designs of Incan culture, and along the winding route to Aguas Calientes, you will take in spectacular scenery; be sure to have your camera ready as there are seemingly endless opportunities for gorgeous panoramic pictures. As you travel to Aguas Calientes, you are able to purchase a range of food and beverages from the on-board service (additional cost).

On this circuit, you'll catch classic postcard perfect photos of Machu Picchu from the Guardian's House, which overlooks the primary citadel. Soon after, you'll go to the lower terrace, where you will have the chance to capture some fantastic panoramic pictures of the citadel. Next, you'll continue through the urban and religious sector where you can explore the main Inca Temples and precincts including the Main Temple, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Sacred Rock, the Temple of the Condor, the Water Fountains, and more. Widely considered to be among the most comprehensive circuits to tour Machu Picchu, you'll explore the complex for 2 hours and 30 minutes alongside your local private guide before completing the route.

Hotel: Casa del Sol Boutique Hotel (4 Star Rating)

Casa del Sol Boutique Hotel is located in the village of Aguas Calientes, very close to the imposing buildings of Machu Picchu, where the fascinating Inca citadel was erected. The hotel is just a 5 minute walk from the train station and across the street from the bus station that takes passengers to the ruins of Machu Picchu. The 30 unique guestrooms each combine materials and art crafted by artisans from different Peruvian communities.

On this circuit, you'll have the opportunity to catch classic postcard perfect photos of Machu Picchu from the viewpoint of the Guardian's House. You will also be provided access to Machu Picchu Mountain, and invited to hike up and down the trail, a journey that typically takes between one and two hours. Along the way, you will ascend some 650 meters (roughly 2,130 feet), with a particularly challenging stretch featuring large steps encountered toward the end of the route. Guests with a fear of heights, vertigo, or mobility issues may wish to forego this activity. Also worth noting is that while the trail is wide for most of the way, there are narrow, steep sections as you progress and climb higher. However, the rewards for your efforts are apparent from the moment you reach the top. The panoramic views of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu (further distant) are among the most impressive possible.

At the scheduled time, board the Vistadome Train with service to Cusco. The Vistadome is the ideal train for those who want to see as much of the natural surroundings as possible. Each of the cars feature impressive panoramic windows, offering incomparable scenic views and innumerous opportunities to capture amazing pictures. The Vistadome has air conditioning and heating, adjustable leather seats, and you will also receive a light snack during the journey. In addition to the exceptional views, ambient music plays, and informative audio-narratives occasionally air, and a fashion show featuring baby alpaca wool will take place (with apparel available for purchase at additional cost), en route to Cusco.

Transfer: Cusco Train Station to Cusco

Hotel: Casa Andina Premium Collection Cusco (4 Star Rating)

Casa Andina Premium Collection Cusco is a beautifully renovated 18th-century manor house, just 3 blocks from Cusco's Plaza de Armas, replete with authentic colonial character. It offers the intimacy of a boutique hotel but the comforts and services of a much larger property. Several rooms in the original structure of the hotel feature surviving colonial frescoes unearthed during renovation.

Transfer: Cusco to Cusco Airport