Peru by Air

Upon your arrival at the Lima airport, a shuttle service and a representative will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. The Peruvian capital is a modern metropolis steeped in history, currently undergoing an exciting process of cultural and economic change.

Breakfast. Start with a picturesque panoramic tour along the waterfront, passing through the bohemian district of Barranco and the modern district of Miraflores, and stopping at Parque del Amor, where you’ll enjoy a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. After the tour, you’ll arrive at the restaurant and take part in a mixology class to learn how to make the famous pisco sour. You’ll also have a cooking class where you’ll learn to prepare a delicious traditional Peruvian dish. After both classes, you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch with a view of the sea before returning to your hotel. In the morning, you’ll arrive at Cala, a restaurant with a privileged view and location right by the sea. Here, take part in a class on how to prepare the delicious Causa and the famous Pisco Sour. After the class, lunch is served on Cala’s terrace, where you’ll take in the spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean while enjoying a traditional Peruvian dish of your choice. Get ready to explore Lima’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is full of fascinating historic buildings. Start the tour at the Larco Museum, located in the traditional district of Pueblo Libre and housed in a beautifully restored viceregal mansion, which in turn is built atop a 7th-century pre-Columbian pyramid. The museum boasts an extensive pre-Hispanic collection of gold and silver objects, as well as pieces of erotic art. Next, head to Casa Aliaga, a colonial mansion granted in 1535 by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro to one of his captains, Jerónimo de Aliaga. This is the only house from that era that still belongs to the same family. Continue with a scenic tour of the colonial center. Visit the Plaza de Armas, where you can appreciate the magnificent architecture of the Spanish Empire. There you will find its magnificent Cathedral, built in the 16th century. The tour ends with a return to your hotel.

Breakfast. Then, we will transfer from our hotel to the Lima airport. Upon arrival, one of our representatives will welcome you to the Imperial City and accompany you to your selected hotel. Rest of the day free to rest and acclimate to the altitude.

Breakfast. Enjoy a guided tour of this charming city, which was the capital of the Inca Empire. The tour begins with a visit to the Convent of Santo Domingo, built atop the Inca temple of Coricancha, one of the most important sites dedicated to sun worship. Next, visit the Cathedral, the most imposing monument in the Plaza de Armas. Head next to the hills of Cusco where the Sacsayhuamán fortress stands, whose imposing walls offer a breathtaking panoramic view of Cusco. Continue to Qenqo, an archaeological complex used for religious purposes where it is believed the Incas performed rituals related to agriculture. Continue the tour at Puka Pukara, “Red Fortress” in Quechua; an architectural complex believed to have been used for military purposes, featuring multiple rooms, plazas, baths, aqueducts, and towers. It is believed to have been used by the Inca entourage while the leader rested at Tambomachay, which is the tour’s final archaeological stop. It is believed to have been a site of water worship, featuring an extraordinary hydraulic system. Afterward, we head back to the hotel. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to continue exploring the city on your own.

Breakfast. We will begin the tour in the town of Chinchero, which was one of the most important Inca settlements during the Inca Empire. After lunch, we will visit the town of Ollantaytambo, a typical example of Inca urban planning that is still inhabited as it was in the past. There you will find a large archaeological complex that, although called a “fortress,” was actually a “tambo”—a rest stop and lodging for delegations traveling long distances. Finally, you will be dropped off at your hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Breakfast. A shuttle will pick us up at the hotel in Urubamba and take us to the Ollantaytambo station. The visit to Machu Picchu begins with a 90-minute train ride through spectacular Andean landscapes to Aguas Calientes, departing from the Ollantaytambo station. From there, you’ll take a 25-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. It is believed that the archaeological site was built around 1450 by the Inca Pachacútec as his vacation residence. However, a century later, the city was abandoned following the Spanish conquest, sparing it from the destruction that befell other Inca settlements. Instead, the jungle slowly swallowed up its stone structures and hid it, protecting it. During the guided tour, learn about the origins of this impressive citadel, featuring its most notable monuments such as the main square, the royal quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows, the circular towers, the Sacred Clock, and the cemeteries. At the end of the tour, return to Aguas Calientes for lunch. Then we can enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Breakfast. Free morning in Aguas Calientes. In the afternoon, we’ll board the train back to Ollanta station, and from there, a shuttle will take us to the hotel in Cusco.

Breakfast. We’ll begin the journey by boarding the tour bus that will take you from Cusco to Puno, traveling through the fascinating landscape of the Andes. The first stop will be in Andahuaylillas, a charming town located 40 kilometers from Cusco whose main attraction is its impressive church, known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas due to its gilded Baroque interior and delicate frescoes. Admire this beautiful monument built in the 16th century and take a look at the original pipe organ, recently restored. Then, continue on to Racchi and marvel at the imposing Temple of Wiracocha, an intriguing rectangular structure—resembling a wall with windows and doors—measuring 30 meters wide by 20 meters high. After the visit, enjoy lunch in Sicuani, followed by a brief stop at La Raya, the highest point of the journey at 4,313 meters above sea level. Next, you’ll visit the town of Pucará, the first urban settlement near Lake Titicaca, which developed between 100 and 200 AD. Visit its fascinating stone artifact museum before arriving in the city of Puno.

Breakfast. Then, we’ll be picked up from the lakeside port of Puno and head to the floating islands of the Uros. The Uros are an ancestral culture that inhabits a series of artificial islands built using the totora reeds that grow in the lake itself. The islands are constructed by weaving the totora reeds in the areas where they grow most densely, forming a natural layer. They also build their houses on top of this layer. After a one-and-a-half-hour tour, you will continue your journey to Taquile Island. Unlike the other Aymara-speaking islands on the lake, this one is Quechua-speaking, as it was part of the Inca Empire. Once there, you will receive a brief explanation of the island and take a walk around it before lunch. After lunch, you will walk to the main port and begin your return to the port of Puno.

Breakfast. Then, a transfer will take us from the hotel to the airport to begin our return to Argentina.