Peru for Families & Kids (under 8 years old)

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Lima/Transfer to the Sacred Valley/Free afternoon

Upon your arrival to Lima, you will immediately catch your short, one-hour flight to Cusco. Upon you arrival to Cusco, you will be met by one of our representatives and taken directly to the Sacred Valley, where you will check in to your hotel. You will have the rest of the afternoon at your leisure to enjoy and acclimatize to the altitude. Some find enjoying a cup of hot coca tea a real help in adjusting to the high elevation and that’s what the locals traditionally use coca for. *Depending on your international flight, you might need an extra night in Lima before your flight to Cusco. Please let us know if you would like us to include an extra night in Lima.

Day 2: Hike the Salt Mines of Maras & Pottery Class (B, S,L)

After breakfast at your hotel in the Sacred Valley, you will head to Maras for a quick tour of this colonial city. Then, we will take the bus to the top of the salt mines where we will begin our hike down through the salt mines. This is a unique 2 ½ hour hike, full of beautiful scenery and not overly challenging, good for kids as it is so different. Maras is well known for its nearby salt evaporation ponds, in use since Inca times. Salt has been obtained in Maras by evaporating salty water from a local subterranean stream. The highly salty water emerges at a spring, a natural outlet of the underground stream. The flow is directed into an intricate system of tiny channels constructed so that the water runs gradually down onto the several hundred ancient terraced ponds. Almost all the ponds are less than four meters square in area, and none exceeds thirty centimeters in depth. All are necessarily shaped into polygons with the flow of water carefully controlled and monitored by the “farmers”. In order to ensure that your energy levels never drop, you will be provided with a delicious and nutritious snack before your hike.

At the conclusion of your hike, you will be taken back to the Sacred Valley and to the restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we will go to our pottery class, as taught by the very talented Pablo Seminario, whose ceramic studio has been dedicated to the discovery of techniques and designs from ancient Peruvian cultures. Pablo presents a new art expression, providing continuity to these cultural inheritances. This pottery class will provide your family with an interactive class that will be a fun experience for the whole family. At the conclusion of your class, you will be once again, taken back to your hotel in the Sacred Valley for the evening. An extra overnight at the sacred valley can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities and meals.

Day 3: Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo Tour & Afternoon Train to Machu Picchu (B, L)

After breakfast at your hotel in the Sacred Valley, you will checkout, and continue on your way to your Ollantaytambo and Pisac Market tour. You will have a chance to pass through the wonderful Sacred Valley on this tour, until you reach the Pisac market. The Pisac market has a wide variety of artisan arts & crafts and you will have the chance to see the many different products that the sacred valley produces. This is a great opportunity for you to do some unique shopping, and to purchase souvenirs for your family and friends. At the conclusion of your Pisac market tour, we will break for lunch at one of the delicious restaurants in the neighboring area. After lunch, we head deeper into the Sacred Valley and visit the Inca town of Ollantaytambo, still inhabited by the locals in much the same way as it was during the time of the Incas. The lodging area is formed by complex structures known as “canchas” or apartments. The Inca built a temple on a terraced site above the town. The impressive, standing stones they erected, conjure up images of Atlantis. This is the site where Manco Inca and his warriors staged a temporary victory over the Spanish Conquistadors, led by Francisco Pizarro. During this victory, the Inca warriors flooded the fields, while raining down spears and arrows from above, making it difficult for the Spanish horses to maneuver, ultimately forcing a rare retreat on the part of the Conquistadors. At the end of the tour you will be taken to the train terminal in Ollantaytambo, where you will catch your train to Aguas Calientes. We recommend packing a small bag for this trip and we will send you luggage directly to your cusco hotel. Once you arrive in Aguas Calientes, you will be picked up, and taken to your hotel in Aguas Calientes. *The order of the tours will depend on the location of the hotel you choose in the sacred Valley. An extra overnight at the sacred valley can be added upon request and maybe recommended depending on the ages of your children and your preferences. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities and meals.

Day 4: Machu Picchu for Kids Tour + Back to Cusco (B)

After breakfast at your hotel in Aguas Calientes, you will catch a short, 20-minute bus ride up to the citadel of Machu Picchu. We enter the ruins for a breathtaking view of the city in the sky. You will have the option to take the first bus available in Aguas Calientes to see the sunrise from the citadel. Followed, you will enjoy a full tour, especially catered for kids of the lost city and have lunch on your own after the tour. In the afternoon, we say farewell to Machu Picchu as we set out by train heading to the station at Poroy and then on to Cusco Hotel by car arriving at night. * Another overnight in MachuPicchu can be added upon request. Also, we can add bus and entrance tickets for a second day at the citadel. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities.

Day 5: Free Morning & Afternoon City tour (B)

After breakfast at your hotel in Cusco, you will have the entire morning to enjoy free at your leisure. This will allow you time to spend with your family, in order to explore Cusco, with all its shops and tourist attractions, or spend the morning at your lovely hotel. In the afternoon, you will be met at your hotel and accompanied on your City Tour of Cusco. The city’s Spanish Colonial architecture both overlays and is interlaced with the earlier Incan architecture. We walk Cusco’s impressive Plaza de Armas and visit both the Spanish cathedral and Incan temple of the sun, Qoricancha.

Next, we set out to visit the ruins above the city that were considered an essential part of the ancient capital. We start with one of the most impressive of them all, Sacsayhuaman. Some of the stones used to build the site weigh up to 70 tons yet are fitted so precisely–without the use of mortar–that one cannot slide even the thinnest object between them. Tambomachay, the Temple of the Sacred Waters, is another site we will visit and is a marvel of hydraulic engineering. Its waters still flow today. At Q´enqo we’ll see the remains of a ceremonial site used for fertility rites and for celebrations of the solstice and equinox. These are all must-see sites, and this comprehensive guided tour will provide you with great insight into the Incan people, specially catered for children and families. At the conclusion of your tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Cusco. * An extra day in Cusco can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities and meals.

Day 6: Back to Lima with Teatime and Water Fountain Park of Lima (B, D)

After breakfast at your hotel in Cusco, you will be met at your hotel and taken back to the airport in Cusco, where you will catch your short, one-hour flight back to the capital. Upon arriving in Lima, you will be met and taken to your hotel in order to check-in, and get settled. In the afternoon, you will once again be met at your hotel and embark on your tea-time (or “lonche”) excursion at one of Lima’s finest bakeries. On this excursion, you will visit The Bombonniere where you will enjoy a wonderful Peruvian Lonche(Tea Time). A legacy of English influence in Peru during the nineteenth century, whoever is at home at the time, is invited to share a light meal at “lonche” Often, visitors drop in for lonche, and it can last for quite a long time as the conversation flows. Many people also like to go out for lonche, Choices for Lonche usually includes, breads, a sandwich, juice, pastries or dessert. This interactive experience, will allow for the entire family to have fun, while tasting the delicious snacks. At the conclusion of tea-time, you will be picked up and taken on your tour of the Water fountain Park of Lima. The largest fountain in the Park of the Reserve, named “Magic Fountain” (Fuente Mágica) contains a jet which forces water to a height of over 80 m/262ft. Additional attractions are the Tunnel Fountain of Surprises (Fuente Túnel de las Sorpresas), a 35 m /114ft walk-thru tunnel of water ; the Children’s Fountain (Fuente de los Niños), a walk-in automated fountain; and a tunnel connecting the two sections of the park which contains an exhibition highlighting recent public works projects in Lima. The Fantasia Fountain (Fuente de la Fantasia), site of a regularly scheduled laser and picture show, is 120m/393ft in length and contains jets that are synchronized to music. This water park holds the record for the world’s biggest Fountain Park (Guinness Record) and will give you a breath taking show. (a favorite of children). At the conclusion of your water park tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Lima. * An extra day in Lima can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities.

Day 7: Lima City for Kids with Lunch & Back Home (B, L)

After breakfast at your hotel in Lima, you will be once again met at your hotel, and taken on a very carefully-catered, city tour of Lima for children and families alike. This city tour was created in a way that both adults and children could get the most out of, without sacrificing the rich history and culture, all the while, making it fun and exciting for the younger passengers. Your private guided Tour of Lima will include visits to the most important tourist sites in the capital, such as the Cathedral, Main Square of Lima, San Francisco monastery and the must-see Catacombs. You will also have and a great driving tour through beautiful San Isidro and Miraflores. At the conclusion of your tour you will be taken directly to the restaurant, where you will enjoy a farewell, typical Peruvian lunch. After lunch, your wonderful tour of Peru inches to a close, as we take you back to your hotel in Lima, in order to pick up your luggage, before heading out to the airport, in order for you to catch your flight back home. * While in Lima, we highly recommend adding culinary activities such as cooking classes and tasting dinners in the best restaurants of Latin America, for more information check our Culinary site: taste-of-peru.com and ask our agents for more information. Please let us know if you like to add extra activities in Lima or a day hotel if your flight is late at night

Not exactly what you want?

Remember that Magical focuses on providing the best available options and can work with you on customizing your tour to better fit your interests and budget, without compromising the quality of your tour. Just contact us with your questions and preferences and we can modify this tour based on your expectations and requests.

Important Notes:

About MachuPicchu Entrance Tickets

As the popularity of MachuPicchu has increased in the last few years, and in order to preserve the ancient paths of MachuPicchu, the Peruvian Cultural Institute (INC) has restricted the number of people that could enter MachuPicchu to 2,500 people per day. This means that, once the 2,500 tickets are sold out, no further entrance tickets will available. Also, please note that to avoid a secondary market for these tickets, all tickets are issued with the name of the passenger, his/her passport number, nationality and date of birth. Therefore, tickets are non refundable and non transferable.

About Huaynapichu Tickets

Entrance tickets to Huaynapichu are not longer free, entrance tickets are now US$12.00 per person. There are two scheduled visits per day, with a limit of 200 people per visit (Total of 400 per day). If you are interested in hiking the Huaynapichu, we will need you to let us know at the same time you book your trip since the Huaynapichu tickets need to be purchased in conjunction to the MachuPicchu tickets.

Price

This tour (*) is available from:

USD$ 974.90 per person –All Private Tours and Private Transfers

USD $ 869.90 per child of 8 years old and under

USD $ 889.90 per child of 11 years old and under

For single supplement and prices in a group service, please contact us!

* Based on double occupancy, 4 people, Budget Accommodations

IMPORTANT: As price depends on each passenger choices, please contact us to send you an updated price based on your specific request. Please send us the following information and we will respond within 24 hours with your updated price.

• Number of people in your party
• Level of accommodation (3, 4, 5*). Please see options
• Choosing a Private or Group Tour?
• Train choice. Please see options
• Adding options: if you like to add day tours, extra days, meals, etc
• Need domestic or international flights?
• Have a special request (e.g.: special diet, wheelchair, children, senior, etc)

What’s Included?

• Expedition train Roundtrip. Upgrade to other trains: Vistadome train, Hiram Bingham Train upon request.
• Bus to Machu Picchu roundtrip.
• Expert leadership, guides & support personnel for all listed tours
• Accommodations: 2 nights in Sacred Valley, 2 nights in Cuzco, 1 night in Aguas Calientes, 1 night in Lima.
• Meals as noted (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, S = Snack). We can add any meals upon request
• Land excursions as noted including entrance fees (Maras, BTG, Cathedral and Qoricancha, MachuPicchu, Water Fountain Park, Lima Cathedral, San Francisco & Catacombs)
• Private Transportation: Cusco Airport/Sacred Valley Hotel, Train Station/Cusco Hotel, Cusco Hotel/Cusco Airport, Lima Airport/Lima Hotel, Lima Hotel/Lima Airport.

What’s Not Included?

• Airport taxes: Local ($5-6) and International ($31) departure tax of payable in local currency by each passenger at Lima International Airport upon departure (if applicable)
• International and domestic airfares, usually quoted separately
• Excess baggage charges
• Medical immunizations
• Insurance of any kind: mandatory evacuation insurance; suggested cancellation insurance, interruption, baggage loss, damage and delay
• Tipping & Gratuities (Guides $4 per person per day / Drivers $1 per person per day)
• Items of a personal nature (clothing, sodas, liquor, snacks, laundry, etc.)
• Visas. Please be advised that some citizens other than Canadians and US may need visa to travel to Peru. Please advise us of your nationality to help you or check with the Peruvian Consulate

Domestic Tickets

Lima/Cusco/Lima: From US $190 per person. This is an example price. Prices depend on the airline, date and time of booking.