Peru: Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley

Arrive in Lima and transfer to your hotel, located in the city’s exclusive residential district of Miraflores. Founded in 1535 by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, this “City of Kings” is a blend of colonial, pre-Colombian and modern influences.

Start with a visit to Huaca Pucllana, a historical site in the midst of urban Lima. Then, make your way to a food market in the company of a local chef before enjoying lunch at a local restaurant. Afterward, stop for a coffee tasting before strolling the city’s colorful Barranco, an artists’ haven, and visit the Osma Museum. Continue your gastronomic discovery of Peru on a Chef’s Table Experience, savoring the delicious dishes you have cooked for dinner.

Fly to Cusco, located more than 11,000 feet above sea level, where you are met and transferred to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. En route, visit an animal sanctuary to interact with the South American camelids living there — such as llamas and alpacas — and learn about the valuable fibers created from their coats. Then, visit the beautiful Hacienda Sarapampa to savor lunch with the owner for a unique Chef’s Table experience. Listen as he shares his family’s history in farming and shows you around the estate. Continue to your awe-inspiring resort, designed to fit in with the Sacred Valley’s landscapes.

Visit a remote village where the local residents provide a hands-on introduction to the customs and crafts that make up their way of life, including weaving and cooking, for an A&K-exclusive experience. Then, participate in one of Peru’s oldest and most sacred rituals when you join a local shaman in a traditional offering to Mother Earth (Pachamama). After this spiritual ceremony, visit the Kuychi Center to meet the children at Niños del Arco Iris (Children of the Rainbow), a project supported by Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy that provides education, nutrition, medical care and hope to children in the Sacred Valley. Sit down to lunch served on site before returning to your hotel, where you prepare for your visit to Machu Picchu with a private lecture from a renowned scholar and expert on the Incas. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure, gazing upon the soaring Andes and savoring a refreshing Scenic Sundowner.

Today, explore Ollantaytambo, a fortress of massive stone terraces that hug the mountain slopes and the site of the Incas’ greatest victory over the invading Spanish. Then, journey aboard the Inca Rail First-Class Train deep into the Andes toward Machu Picchu and gaze out at the spectacular Peruvian countryside. Upon arrival in the early afternoon, explore the ruins with your expert guide and, as you wander amid the age-old stone walls, picture life as it might have been in this majestic high-altitude citadel. Overlooking the Urubamba River, Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century at the height of the Inca Empire. Although this “Lost City” was revealed to the rest of the world by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911, its location was long known to locals. Alternatively (for an additional cost), travel on an earlier train for the same scenic ride, but with a twist: disembark at KM 104 and set out with a guide on a hike that culminates at the Sun Gate (Inti Punku), looking out over the vast UNESCO World Heritage Site. Either way, arrive for your overnight stay at the only hotel located on-site at marvelous Machu Picchu.

Rise with the sun to walk through Machu Picchu in the early morning mist before the crowds arrive, an experience some consider the spiritual highlight of the journey. After exploring the “Lost City of the Incas,” board the Vistadome train back to Ollantaytambo. Continue to Cusco, where you check in to your hotel, once a 16th-century monastery and now a national monument that offers a retreat from the bustle of Cusco while set just off the city square.

This morning, discover Cusco on a city tour that includes the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas and the Santo Domingo Temple. Listen as a local expert explains how the historic clashes between the Incas and the Spanish played a role in forming today’s Peruvian culture. Later, visit the well-preserved ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a testament to Incan architectural skill. This afternoon, enjoy time at leisure to rest or shop. Tonight, listen to a private Andean music presentation by a regional expert and learn the history of his handmade instruments. Absorb not only the timeless quality of the Peruvian folk tunes he plays, but the unmistakable cultural identity revealed by their haunting, immersive melodies as well. Afterward, sit down to a farewell dinner at an elegant Cusco restaurant, where the chef gathers local ingredients for use in innovative recipes that remain true to Peru’s culinary traditions.

This morning, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities. Visit the San Blas Neighborhood, a unique, bohemian enclave where you find the workshops of artisans. Stroll San Pedro Market and Visit the Inca Museum for a taste of local fruits and cheese, and a glimpse of daily life, followed by a look back into Peru’s rich history. Explore with an Expert Photographer who helps you refine your skills and capture Cusco as a local sees it, including its narrow streets and beautiful houses. Later, board your departing flight.