Director’s Pick: Peruvian Treasures

You will arrive in Lima and transfer to your comfortable hotel.

For lunch we will take you to Cala Restaurant, one of our director’s favorites.* You will go on a city tour of Lima to see a cosmopolitan city considered to be the Peruvian melting pot. People from all over Peru have migrated to Lima to form a unique and diverse culture. In the evening you will be transported to the posh and internationally recognized Astrid y Gaston Restaurant for dinner.* Astrid y Gaston is one of the finest in Peru, and is listed on the New York Times’ list of the 40 best restaurants in the world. After dinner you will be picked up and taken back to your comfortable Lima hotel.

*Note: Cost of meal not included.

You will take a luxury bus from Lima to Paracas, where you can simply enjoy some leisure time in the sun and the sand.

In the morning you will be transferred to Paracas Bay to take a short boat trip to the Ballesta Islands, where your boat will be surrounded by sea lions. See our Paracas Guide for more information on the area and its attractions.

You may wish to have lunch in the Oasis town of Huacachina before taking a bus to Nazca in the afternoon.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will take a flight over the spectacular Nazca Lines and see the enormous figures depicted in the sand - the spider, the monkey, the hummingbird, and many more! See our Nazca Guide for more in-depth information on the Nazca Lines and Nazca restaurants.

In the evening you will take an overnight bus to Arequipa.

You will arrive to Arequipa in the morning and be transferred to your relaxing hotel. In the afternoon you will be taken on a city tour to view what is the considered by many to be the most attractive city in Peru, where many of the colonial buildings are made of white ashler stone. Tonight you will stay at your relaxing Arequipa hotel.

Read our newsletter article about restaurants in Arequipa

You will start out early to spend as much time as possible in the majestic Peruvian highlands, arriving at the Colca Canyon lookout point "the Condor Cross" in Chivay, where you have a panoramic view of the Canyon. During your journey you will not only see amazing panoramas, but also typical Andean villages, and indigenous animals such as llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas which the inhabitants use to harvest wool to make the finest of textiles. To fully experience the beauty of the surrounding area you will have an overnight stay at an attractive hotel in the Colca Canyon where you will have more opportunities to view condors and check out the textile bargains.

In the afternoon you will return to your Arequipa hotel, and will have a free evening to explore this beautiful city.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the airport to continue on to Puno. Upon arrival in Puno, you will be transferred to your pleasant hotel.

You will have a full day tour of Lake Titicaca where you will see the manmade Totora reed islands of the Uros people, who have lived on these islands for thousands of years, living off of lake resources and taking advantage of the water's thermal properties. Later you will visit the natural island of Taquile where you will mingle with the locals, and see their unique handicrafts and style of dress. You will spend the night in your relaxing hotel in Puno.

See our Puno Guide for more information about the city, including recommendations of great Puno restaurants.

Transfer to the train station, bus terminal or to the airport for your transport to continue on to Cuzco, the Imperial Inca city. In the evening you will be taken to your charming hotel in the clouds in Cuzco.

Learn about the differences between the first-class bus to Puno and the luxury train to Puno.

After an early breakfast and an early start you will be taken on a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where the local people maintain lifestyles that incorporate many traditional activities such as raising cuyes (guinea pigs), making chicha (a fermented corn drink), weaving, and agriculture. You will have the opportunity to visit the local market in Pisac where you can examine and buy the beautiful handicrafts that the locals make, while also observing the array of ethnic dress worn as part of the local heritage. You will also visit the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo, one of the few places where the Incas were able to defeat the Spanish in battle. You will then spend a night at a tranquil hotel in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

After breakfast you will take the First Class Train to the hidden Inca citadel Machu Picchu. Today you will have a free day to visit the Machu Picchu ruins or to relax at the local hot springs. You can take advantage of this extra time at Machu Picchu to explore the ruins on your own, to climb the neighboring mountain of Huayna Picchu to obtain spectacular views of the ruins and the surrounding areas, or to simply relax and take in the scenery (you can pre-purchase the entrance ticket and bus ticket). You will stay overnight at a comfortable hotel in the Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes area.

Today you will have a guided tour of Machu Picchu, one of the most awe inspiring places in the world. While at Machu Picchu you will visit the agricultural and industrial sections of the ruins, the temple of the sun, several impressively engineered water fountains, the Intihuatana (the Inca sundial), the temple of the condor, and many other areas of the expansive archaeological complex. In the late afternoon return to Cuzco on the First Class Train, capturing magnificent views of the surrounding area. Overnight at your comfortable hotel in Cuzco.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will have a free morning in Cuzco to explore the city. In the early afternoon you will be taken on a city tour on which you will visit the main Cathedral, the Plaza de Armas (main plaza) of Cuzco, Qoricancha- the Inca Temple of the Sun, the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the Q'enko and Pucapucara ruins, and the Tambomachay Inca springs. Upon your return in the late afternoon, you will have time to relax and eat in one of Cuzco's many restaurants where you can enjoy the local cuisine as well as the hospitality of the local people. You will stay overnight at your comfortable Cuzco hotel.

Today you will have a free day to explore the city of Cuzco at your leisure. See our Cuzco Guide for more in-depth information about the city, including Cuzco shopping and Cuzco restaurants.

In the evening, you will enjoy a Dinner and Folk Show at Tunupa and stay once again at your relaxing Cuzco hotel.

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight to Lima where you can continue your journey or return home.

Occupancy	3 Star	4Star	Luxury*
Double/Triple	$ 2,309 € 1,874 £ 1,544	$ 2,859 € 2,321 £ 1,911	$ 3,619 € 2,938 £ 2,419
Single	$ 3,539 € 2,873 £ 2,366	$ 4,569 € 3,709 £ 3,055	$ 5,969 € 4,846 £ 3,991

*The luxury option of Peruvian Treasures offers all private tours (except for boat tours).

Additional Domestic Transportation Costs	Price Per Passenger
Flight Arequipa-Puno	$ 179
Flight Puno-Cuzco OR Train Puno-Cuzco*	$ 179 $ 299
Flight Cuzco-Lima	$ 179

*Note: You can travel from Puno to Cuzco either by plane or by train.

* Prices given are an approximation based on availability & travel dates. Please contact a travel advisor for a detailed quote.

• 16 nights at comfortable hotels based on US standards.
• Guided visits with English speaking tour guides.
• All transfers and entrance fees
• All breakfasts. 4-star and up hotels offer breakfast buffets.
• First Class Train: Sacred Valley - Aguas Calientes - Cuzco