Gastronomic Peru

Lima city tour: in the morning, a guided tour of Lima through its three historical periods: pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern. It includes a panoramic view of Huaca Pucllana, a ceremonial and archaeological center from the 4th century AD considered a sacred place by the Incas.

Then the Historic Center: more than fifty colonial buildings and monuments such as the Paseo de la República, the Plaza San Martín, the Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the Archbishop's Palace, the Cathedral Basilica and the City Hall. The tour includes admission to the San Francisco Monastery, with the largest collection of colonial religious art in the Americas and its underground crypts, the famous Catacombs. A close through contemporary Lima: El Olivar de San Isidro, Miraflores and Larcomar.

Gastronomic tour in Lima: after breakfast, we'll head to a local market to start the culinary adventure. You'll see a wide variety of ingredients from the Peruvian coast, highlands and jungle, essential elements of the country's most emblematic dishes, and you'll taste native fruits while learning about their flavors and uses.

Ceviche and pisco sour demonstration: at a well-known local restaurant, a chef and a professional Peruvian bartender will guide you in a demonstration class to prepare two national symbols: the famous ceviche and the iconic pisco sour. Lunch: we'll finish savoring a selection of traditional Peruvian dishes and desserts.

Flight from Lima to Cusco: one of our representatives will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the airport for your flight to Cusco (flight not included). Upon arrival at Cusco airport, a driver and a representative will be waiting for you to transfer you to your hotel, assist you with your check-in and give you useful information about the city's attractions and services.

Cusco City Tour and archaeological sites: from approx. 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., a tour of the city that includes the Main Cathedral and the Koricancha (Temple of the Sun), now the Santo Domingo Convent. Then, the outskirts of Cusco to visit Sacsayhuamán, an impressive ceremonial fortress shaped like a puma's head; Q'enqo, a religious center dedicated to Mother Earth with carved stone labyrinths; Puca Pucara, a red fortress of military and administrative purpose; and Tambomachay, the Temple of Water, a place of worship and purification rituals. Transfer back to your hotel.

Sacred Valley tour: around 8:00 a.m., a full-day excursion through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We'll visit Pisac, known for its handicraft market and its archaeological site with irrigation systems, astronomical observatory, solar clock (Intiwatana) and extensive agricultural terraces. Buffet lunch at a local restaurant.

Then, the Ollantaytambo Archaeological Complex: an enormous Inca fortress with temples, terraces and an urban sector, divided into a religious/ceremonial section and a residential/administrative one, with walls and towers that worked as a military bastion. After the tour, you'll take the train to Aguas Calientes, where you'll spend the night.

Machu Picchu tour: early in the morning, you'll board the bus for your guided visit to Machu Picchu, the "Lost City of the Incas", one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world. Overlooking the Urubamba River, it was built in the 15th century, during the height of the Inca Empire. Brought to the world's attention by Hiram Bingham in 1911, its original purpose remains a mystery: the Incas left no written records.

Explore the majestic ruins with your expert local guide and imagine what life would have been like in this citadel located at approximately 2,400 masl. In the afternoon, return by train to Cusco and transfer to your hotel.

Cusco to Puno tour: after breakfast, departure at 6:30 a.m. to the bus station for a scenic journey to Puno. This guided bus tour includes stops at four impressive historical sites: Andahuaylillas, the "Sistine Chapel of South America"; Raqchi (Temple of Wiracocha): a great Inca temple measuring 100 m long, 26 m wide and 14 m high; La Raya: the highest point (4,300 masl) and boundary between the Quechua and Aymara cultures, with llamas, alpacas and vicuñas; and Pukará: the oldest ceremonial center in the Altiplano.

Arrival in Puno around 5:00 p.m., where our team will transfer you to your hotel.

Uros and Taquile islands tour: early in the morning, we'll transfer you to the pier to start the adventure on Lake Titicaca. You'll visit the Uros islands (3,810 masl), a group of floating islands made of totora reeds dating from pre-Inca times, located in Puno Bay.

Later, you'll visit the island of Taquile, whose inhabitants keep ancestral customs and traditional dress; the island is famous for its intricate symmetrical textiles, rich in symbolic decorations and vibrant colors. Return to Puno in the afternoon.

Flight from Puno to Lima: after breakfast, you'll be picked up at the agreed time for your transfer from the hotel to Juliaca airport (approx. 1h 30 min) for your return flight to Lima. This is the end of your 10-day journey through Machu Picchu and Peru, not forgetting the extra surprises along the way!