Land of the Incas

Bienvenidos a Lima. You will be met by your Travel Director upon arrival and taken to your hotel in fashionable Miraflores. At 6 p.m. meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception.

Enjoy a leisurely morning before meeting your Local Specialist for a city tour of Lima's highlights. Enjoy Lima's ancient districts and visit the Church of San Francisco. Explore the impressive underground catacombs along with a religious art museum and extensive library. Later, join your Travel Director for a scenic walk through the Miraflores neighbourhood.

Fly to Cusco this morning. On the way to the Sacred Valley, stop to meet a Shaman who will perform a Pago a la Tierra (Payment to Mother Earth) ceremony, an ancient ritual of the Andean culture and Cultural Insight to welcome you to Peru. Enjoy a farm-to-table Be My Guest lunch where you'll learn about the culture surrounding the production of Giant White Corn in the Sacred Valley. Your hosts will demonstrate the difference between the farming techniques of years past and the newer technologies used today. Enjoy a traditional dance of the Marinera on the property and experience the showmanship of the Peruvian Paso horses and their skilled riders. Later, explore the vibrant handicraft market of Pisac and visit a local chicheria to learn about chicha, a Cultural Insight and favourite drink of the Andes.

Visit the Inca stronghold of Ollantaytambo before heading toward Machu Picchu aboard the Vistadome train (light snack included). Panoramic views of the valley and mountains are sure to delight. Once you arrive at this UNESCO World Heritage Site, explore the ruins with a Local Specialist. Visit the great Temple of the Sun, the House of the Priest, the Sacred Plaza and the intricately carved Intihuatana. Later, if you're interested, a cooking class will be offered by the hotel's head chef where you can learn how to prepare Peruvian ceviche and mix the perfect pisco sour. Dinner is at the hotel this evening.

Return to Machu Picchu and continue exploring on your own. Travel back to the Sacred Valley by train. Learn about the natural dyeing techniques used by native weavers as they show their various weaving styles and ways of dress, a Cultural Insight. Your evening is free.

Meet a Local Specialist and begin the day with a visit to Sacsayhuaman, an impressive site of ruins towering over Cusco and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then visit the Cathedral, a stunning example of colonial architecture. Also visit bohemian San Blas, a unique neighbourhood with artisan shops and craft workshops. Learn more about the nearby 13th century Incan settlement of Qoriwayrachina with a Local Specialist like Peter Frost who discovered this hidden site back in 1999. The afternoon is free before a your choice dining experience, giving you the choice of several local restaurants to dine at.

In the morning, fly to Juliaca where you will meet your Local Specialist to learn about daily life on the Peruvian Altiplano. After an included lunch, visit Sillustani, a lakeside pre-Incan burial ground to explore its chullpas (above ground tombs) before arriving in Puno along the shores of magnificent Lake Titicaca. Enjoy breathtaking views of the lake at sunset.

Cruise beautiful Lake Titicaca with a Local Specialist. Discover the floating islands constructed out of reeds by the Uros Indians. Visit Taquile Island for a private tour to meet local Quechua-speaking villagers, renowned for their knitting and weaving techniques. Learn more about the culture of the people living on the island and enjoy a Regional Meal lunch. Tonight, dinner is at a favourite local restaurant in Puno.

Fly back to Lima this morning and travel south along the Pan American Highway to Paracas for a closer look at rural life in Peru (box lunch included). Dinner is at your lovely seaside hotel.

Explore the Regional Museum of Ica with its superb examples of Paracas weavings and textiles, well-preserved mummies and scale model of the Nazca Lines. Take to the skies for an unforgettable experience as you soar high over the coastal desert to see the enigmatic Nazca Lines, gigantic geometric designs viewable only from the air. Marvel at their stylized lines and wonder about the civilisation that created them. Then visit Bodega El Catador to learn about and taste the finest pisco in the country, a Cultural Insight. The rest of the day is free.

Cruise around the uninhabited Ballestas Islands, a "mini-Galapagos" teeming with wildlife. See another mysterious design in the earth-the majestic Candelabra. Back on dry land, travel back to Lima. Upon arrival, freshen up and join your travel companions for a visit to the Larco Museum with a Local Specialist to learn about ancient Peruvian cultures, before enjoying a festive Farewell Dinner in the garden restaurant of the museum.

Say hasta luego to Peru and transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your holiday in Lima at the Hilton Miraflores.