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Arrive
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Day 1 Arrive in Lima
Arrive in Peru's capital city today where you will be met and transferred privately to your hotel in the artistic neighbourhood of Barranco. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Barranco is where the Peruvian elite constructed their summer houses during the 1920s and today the area offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of central Lima.
Overnight: Villa Barranco
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Day 2 Tour of Lima
After breakfast this morning you will meet your private guide who will accompany you on a half-day tour of some of Lima's most important heritage sites. Historical and cultural attractions abound in Peru's 'City of Kings', and you will discover highlights such as the imposing monastery of San Francisco with its labyrinthine catacombs, the enormous Plaza Mayor and the Basilica Cathedral. At the end of your tour you may wish to return to your hotel to relax, reconnoitre the Barranco neighbourhood by bike or remain in the city centre for further explorations.
Option : we can arrange a culinary tour of Lima today where you will visit a local market and then learn how to make a classic Peruvian meal with a top chef. Alternatively, add a visit to the superb Larco Museum to your city tour, where an astonishing collection of artefacts paint a vivid picture of 5000 years of Peruvian history.
Overnight: Villa Barranco
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Day 3 Lima to the Sacred Valley
Depart Lima this morning, taking a short flight to the city of Cusco. Here you will be met by a private driver and transferred to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, an enchanting region that encapsulates some of the elements Peru is most famous for; dramatic Andean scenery, Inca ruins and colourful local markets. Together with your guide you will explore the intriguing Inca terraces and aqueducts at Chinchero, before continuing on to your hotel set in the lush green surroundings of the Urubamba Valley.
Overnight: Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba
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Day 4 Ollantaytambo and E-biking in the Sacred Valley
The bucolic scenery of the Sacred Valley makes this the perfect setting for a cycling adventure, but one made all the more achievable with an electronic bike at your disposal! Your guide will lead you on an exhilarating route along trails that take in some of the finest viewpoints, stopping en route at a small village where you can sample chicha, a refreshing beverage made from Andean corn. You will also have the opportunity to visit one of the finest craft breweries in the country. After a well-earned stop for lunch in a peaceful hacienda setting you will continue on for further explorations of the Sacred Valley, this time leaving the bikes behind and taking the picturesque drive to the mighty Inca fortress at Ollantaytambo. The steep terraces and ceremonial buildings here are some of the best-preserved in the region, and give the feeling that you are truly following in the footsteps of the Incas towards Machu Picchu.
Overnight: Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba
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Day 5 Machu Picchu
This morning you will be driven to the station to take the scenic train journey to Machu Picchu Pueblo, gateway town to the world-renowned Inca citadel. A stop for lunch is taken to energise you in preparation for your first memorable glimpse of the Machu Picchu ruins, and you will then take a comprehensive tour of the site with your private guide, uncovering the many intriguing elements of this enormous Inca city. You will learn about the highly sophisticated methods of Inca engineering, defence, irrigation, astronomy and worship that all come together in memorable harmony at Machu Picchu. At the end of the tour your guide will escort you back to Machu Picchu town and to your hotel for the night - a luxurious oasis set against a backdrop of cloud forest and orchid gardens.
Overnight: Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
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Day 6 Machu Picchu and on to Cusco
You have the option of a second visit to Machu Picchu this morning, should you wish to return to the site for further independent explorations and photography. Alternatively, you may wish to spend the morning at your hotel, taking advantage of one of the superb nature tours on offer in the surrounding forests, or perhaps slowing the pace a little with a pampering spa treatment. This afternoon you will take the train to Cusco, former capital of the Inca Empire and an atmospheric final stop on your Peruvian adventure. You will be met at the station and driven to your boutique hotel set on a refined square in the historic centre.
Overnight: Inkaterra La Casona
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Day 7 Tour of Cusco
Nowhere in Peru does the influence of the Incas and the Spanish colonial conquerors collide quite like in Cusco, and on your private tour this morning your guide will showcase some of the most impressive vestiges of Cusco's heady history. As well as the austere cathedral and Plaza de Armas, you will take in the remarkable sight of the colonial monastery of Santo Domingo, perched directly on top of the enormous Inca walls of Qorikancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun. You will also be driven out to Sacsayhuaman, where a complex of towering Inca walls lend themselves to exploration, and you can also gain the perfect birds eye view of the city below. The afternoon is free for you to further explore Cusco at your own pace; shop for alpaca wool gifts in the city's countless craft markets, visit the chocolate museum or simply watch the world go by from one of the many cafes and bars that line the main square.
Option: Discover the wealth of produce traded by locals from the surrounding valleys at the San Pedro market, and then prepare a classic Peruvian meal at a rooftop cookery school that boasts wonderful views of the city.
Overnight: Inkaterra La Casona
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Day 8 Depart
You will be driven to the airport today in time for your flight to Lima and connecting flight home, or your onward arrangements.
Option : you might like to extend your time in Peru with visits to Lake Titicaca, Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, or with a wildlife immersion in the Amazon rainforest.
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Depart
