An Introduction to Peru: Lima, Machu Picchu & Cusco

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Cercado de Lima (old Lima) offers splendid examples of Spanish colonial architecture, such as the 18th-century Palacio de Torre Tagle, and the 17th-century San Juan Cathedral, which houses the tomb of conquistador Francisco Pizarro. The Barranco district, meanwhile, was a favourite of Lima’s aristocracy in the 19th century, and today is full of galleries, restaurants, cafes and casonas. While you’re here, don’t miss the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo or the flower gardens. Lima is also home to plenty of other museums, such as the Museo Larco, whose collections cover several millennia of Peruvian history up to the colonial period. Housed in a small 19th-century palace, the Museo Pedro de Osma exhibits an exceptional collection of religious art from the viceroyalty period. You’re free to enjoy all this at your own pace, but if you like, we can also arrange for you to take a private guided tour of Barranco.

Today you’ll be privately transferred back to the airport for your flight to Cusco. When you land, we’ll take you to the village of Yucai in the Sacred Valley. Your home for the next three nights is a charming hacienda with elegant rooms. In the surrounding area, the walking possibilities are endless – this is a real paradise for nature lovers.

In a flurry of bold colours and red ponchos, local markets bring the community together. This morning, you’ll pay them a visit in the company of a private driver, beginning in Pisac. Here, you’ll find fresh cheese, chicken, aromatic herbs, bread, vegetables and potatoes of all kinds, along with centuries-old agricultural terraces and an Inca citadel. At the other end of the valley, you’ll visit the fortified site of Ollantaytambo, a magnificently preserved example of Incan town planning.

In the company of a private guide, you’ll be driven to the countryside this morning to start exploring. You’ll begin with the concentric terraces of the Center of Inca Agricultural Research in Moray. This impressive centre is able to artificially reproduce different climatic conditions, and therefore develop acclimatisation protocols for non-local plants. You’ll then descend towards the salt flats of Maras through a beautiful rural area dominated by the Vilcabamba Cordillera. These thousands of pools make for a strange and fascinating patchwork landscape. In total, today involves around three hours of walking.

Today, we’ll transfer you to Ollantaytambo station where you’ll take a scenic train journey to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). You’ll then board the shuttle to prepare yourself for the majesty of the incredible Machu Picchu. The beauty of the mountains, the scale of the design and the genius demonstrated to construct this Inca citadel are beyond belief. To answer some of your questions and give you the means to understand this feat of engineering and design, you’ll experience it in the company of a private guide.

When you can bear to tear yourself away from this magical site, head to your hotel to relax and refresh in your contemporary room or at the spa. This evening, head to the bar for some tapas and some local pisco.

We’ll transfer you to the station today for another scenic train journey back to Ollantaytambo. When you arrive, you’ll be transferred to Cusco, where you’ll spend the next three nights in a charming hotel in the centre of the Incan capital. This afternoon we’ll arrange for you to enjoy a tasting of pisco, Peru’s national drink (a fine wine brandy). Then head to one of Cusco’s best pisco spots to try it in its classic form of a pisco sour.

This former capital of the Incan Empire was founded by the Killke, a century before the arrival of the Incas. It was then partially destroyed by the Spaniards, who constructed their own buildings on the remains of Incan constructions. This meeting of architectural styles and influences has made for a truly striking city.

The Incan capital is literally the basis of the city: the walls and foundations mainly date from the pre-Hispanic period, and can be seen in many places including the old colonial district of San Blas, where your hotel is located. In the Plaza de Armas, you’ll find the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin, and the Church of the Society of Jesus, both full of gold and Cusco School paintings. Just over a mile north of Cusco is Sacsayhuaman, some of the most impressive Incan remains: a zigzagging triple wall in the shape of a puma's head. You've two final days in Peru to explore this incredible city at your leisure. If you like, we can arrange for you to get to know it a little better with a private tour.