Itinerary Details
Independent Peru Highlights
Day 1 ARRIVE LIMA, PERU
Welcome to Lima, where your hotel is available for mid-afternoon check-in.
Day 2 LIMA
• Your included city tour focuses on Lima’s rich colonial history as well as the modern city. Lima was the bastion of Spanish South America from its founding in 1535 until the independence of the South American republics in the early 19th century. See the cathedral, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro are sealed in a wooden coffin, and the Santo Domingo Convent to see the relics of three famous Peruvian saints—Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martin de Porres, and San Juan Macias.
(B)
Today’s I-Time Tips
This evening, you may choose to head over to a nearby park to witness the largest electronic water fountain complex in the world, certified by the Guinness Book of Records. You will enjoy a wonderful show of water, lights, music, and images.
Day 3 LIMA–CUSCO
• Fly to Cusco, high in the Andes, where you will be met by your Local Guide.
• Your guided tour visits the cathedral in Plaza de Armas and Santo Domingo Monastery, one of the most important temples devoted to worship of the sun. It is said it was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature.
• Take a short drive outside the city to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons. Followed by the amphitheater of Kenko, and the red fortress of Puca Pucara.
(B)
Day 4 CUSCO–SACRED VALLEY
• Today, a short drive into the Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where you will learn about the importance of the alpaca for Inca cultures, as well as the ancient weaving techniques still in use today.
• Continue to the market town of Pisaq, where you can buy handmade rugs, alpaca sweaters, and jewelry at bargain prices.
• At the other end of the valley, visit Ollantaytambo to see some of the finest examples of Inca masonry.
(B,L)
Day 5 SACRED VALLEY–MACHU PICCHU
• Embark on a train trip bound for Machu Picchu and cut a path through the Sacred Valley to this “Lost City of the Incas,” discovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911.
• On a guided tour of Machu Picchu, explore this intact fortress with its temple remains, holy houses, and mile-long aqueduct. For hikers, a brisk one-hour walk leads to the Sun Gate, the ancient entrance used by the Incas.
(B,L,D)
Day 6 MACHU PICCHU–SACRED VALLEY–CUSCO
• A morning at leisure allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu with your second included entrance to the ruins.
• Return to Cusco by train.
(B)
Day 7 CUSCO–LIMA
• Fly to Lima today.
(B)
Day 8 LIMA
Your vacation ends after breakfast this morning.
(B)
