DAY 1: Depart for Peru
- Depart for Peru. Upon arrival in Lima, transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure
- Overnight: Lima
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DAY 2: Fly to Cuzco & Transfer to Sacred Valley
- This morning, transfer to the Lima Airport for your flight to Cuzco. Upon your arrival in Cuzco, transfer to your hotel in the Sacred Valley taking a scenic drive to Pisac Village. There, explore the town and bargain with vendors on the cobblestone streets of the Pisac handicraft market. Enjoy a cultural blast as the entire town has been converted into a street market. This evening, attend an orientation meeting with your Tour Manager, followed by a Welcome Dinner
- Overnight: Sacred Valley
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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DAY 3: Discover Machu Picchu
- Early this morning, transfer to the Sacred Valleys Ollanta Station and board The Voyager Train for the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu*, a UNESCO World Heritage Site arriving in the early afternoon. Also known as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu was built circa 1450 and abandoned only 100 years later. The purpose of this splendid city is still a mystery to modern historians. Enjoy exploring the ancient citadel and marveling at the imposing Temple of the Sun, the House of the Priest, the Sacred Plaza and the intricately carved rock likely used as a sundial by the ancient Incas. The images of this significant archaeological site will be a long-lasting memory. This evening, savor a Peruvian dinner at your hotel
- Approximate time spent at the ruins of Machu Picchu is 3 hours
- Overnight: Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu)
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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DAY 4: Return to Cuzco
- This morning, enjoy time at leisure before departing Aguas Calientes for your return to Cuzco. Upon arrival in Cuzco, transfer to the hotel. Remainder of the evening is at leisure
- Overnight: Cuzco
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 5: Full Day in Cuzco
- Spend today independently discovering the "Imperial City" of Cuzco, once the capital of the Inca Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This lively city, rich in history, reveals remains of both the Inca and the Spanish presence. Take time to explore some of the citys stunning sights, or shop for some of the finest handicrafts and textiles in all of Peru. This morning starts with Half Day Cuzco Behind the Scenes, Todays tour will give you a glimpse into the other side of Cuzco, the oldest continuously inhabited city of the western hemisphere. Begin with a "Healing Ceremony". Meet with an Andean shaman or healer and witness an offering to mother earth & the sacred mountain protectors to thank them for this trip. Continue with a visit to a local fruit and vegetable market and observe the locals shopping for their daily goods. Try the local chuta bread and enjoy this colorful market where you will experience many new things. Later, head to the local Cuzco cemetery, where you will learn about the Andean understanding of life and see how the locals decorate the graves with gifts and food for their dead. It is traditional belief that the dead eat and drink as they would during life. Conclude the tour with a cooking demonstration by a local chef showing you how to make a traditional dish from Cuzco, followed by lunch. Countinued with Half Day Highlights of Cuzco, Todays tour starts at the impressive Colonial Cathedral in Cuzco which contains over 400 paintings from the Cusqueña School in addition to an impressive collection of colonial art, including Marcos Zapatas depiction of The Last Supper displaying Cuy, or Guinea Pig, as the main course. Continue on to visit the Temple of the Sun, whose walls and floors were allegedly once covered by sheets of solid gold. This temple was once the most important religious site of the Incas. From here you will travel to Sacsayhuaman, located on the northern slope of Cuzco. This impressive fortress, which consists of individual stones weighing well over 100 tons, took over seven decades to complete and is a prime example of Incan military architecture. Conclude the day at the Kenko amphitheater, a mysterious limestone formation decorated by intricately carved depictions of mythical entities. During the tour, you will have the opportunity to visit a local shop featuring alpaca clothing and accessories, and a local jewelry shop, featuring gold and silver necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings.
- Overnight: Cuzco
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 6: Fly to Lima, Farewell Dinner
- This morning transfer to the airport for your flight back to Lima. Upon arrival, tour Lima and its 2000 years of history. Begin at the colonial center of the city, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its historic buildings surrounding the splendid Plaza Mayor. View the impressive Palace of the Archbishop with its fine carved balcony, the opulent Government Palace, the official residence of the President, and the 16th-century Cathedral of Lima whose first stone was laid by Pizarro. Continue to the 17th century Monasterio de San Francisco complex with its magnificent tiles, ornately carved ceilings, exceptional paintings and world-renowned library. Enjoy one last evening with the group and say goodbye to your Tour Manager and fellow travelers at the Farewell Dinner
- Overnight: Lima
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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DAY 7: Depart Peru
- Transfer from the hotel to the airport for your departure flight*
- Some flights depart shortly after midnight in the very early morning of Day 7 and will require a transfer on Day 6. Transfers depart the hotel approximately 4 hours prior to flight time
- Meal: Breakfast
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