Luxury Vacations

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Lima

Upon your arrival to Lima Airport, our representative will meet you at the airport and to take you 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 2: Trip to Cusco & Transfer to the Sacred Valley (B)

We transfer back to the airport for the short, one-hour flight to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas, located at 11,100 feet above sea level. You will be met upon arrival at the airport in Cusco, and directly transferred to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. At this point, you will have the remainder of the day to rest and allow your body to assimilate to the altitude and climate. We strongly believe it’s best to take it easy this day to let your body adjust to the altitude. Some find enjoying a cup of hot coca tea a real help in adjusting to the high elevation and that is what the locals traditionally use coca for. Both lunch and dinner are on your own today as there are so many choices available either in, or near your hotel. Depending on which domestic flight you choose you will have more or less time to rest.

Day 3: Sacred Valley Tour (B, L)

After breakfast we set out into the Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Inca in a group tour. Our first visit is to the Inca town 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 a complex of “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. The Inca warriors flooding the fields, making it difficult for the Spanish horses while raining down spears and arrows from above forcing a rare retreat of the Conquistadors. We head deeper into the Sacred Valley to the Pisac market. Pisac was the largest fortress-city complex of the Incas and was one of the largest in ancient America.

Our final visit today is to the bustling market town of Chinchero, the Birthplace of the Rainbow, situated at over 11,500 feet. Its extensive agricultural terraces made it, in Incan times, the breadbasket of Cusco city. Sights include a catholic church with fine paintings from the Cusquenian School. Modern Chinchero has a very active community of women weavers who create textiles on backstrap looms using only natural dyes. The weavers make fine, high quality mantas, table runners, pillows, bags, belts, and scarves in soft natural colors. At the end of the day, you will go back to your Sacred Valley Hotel for the remainder of the evening. * 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 4: Free Day in Sacred Valley (B)

Today you will have a free day to relax and enjoy your vacation. However, if you prefer to do something else, you could upgrade and add other activities this day. Below are some ideas. Please let us know and we will add them to your itinerary.

• Adventure Day in Sacred Valley: You can choose any of these amazing activities for this day. Horseback riding is available in many beautiful sites such as the Maras Salt Mines, kayak in Huaypo Laggon, Rafting in Urubamba, etc.
• Specialty Day in Sacred Valley: You can choose any of the amazing activities for this day or combine two of them depending on times. Jewelry class, ceramic class, spa day, yoga workshop, culinary Class, etc.

Day 5: Machu Picchu Tour (B, S, D)

The day you have been waiting for! After breakfast we catch the train to the town of Aquas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. Continue by bus for the short ride up switch backs to the Machu Picchu citadel overhead. We enter the ruins for a breathtaking view of the city in the sky. You will enjoy a full tour 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. * An extra overnight in MachuPicchu can be added upon request.

Day 6: Machu Picchu & Back to Cusco (B, S)

After breakfast at your hotel in Aguas Calientes, you will enjoy a free day in the base town. On this day, you will have the chance to explore the town, rest and relax at your hotel, or go back up to the citadel of Machu Picchu for the second time (this second tour will be on your own). In the late afternoon, you will be picked up from your hotel in Aguas Calientes and taken to the train station, in order to catch your train back to Cusco. Once you arrive in Cusco, you will be taken directly to your hotel.

Day 7: Cusco City Tour with Picnic & Afternoon Luxury Shopping (B, L)

After breakfast at your hotel, you will set out on grand tour of Cusco, the former capital of the once vast Incan Empire. 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. The Spanish conquistadores destroyed significant portions of the Inca civilization while leaving their mark on Cusco. Ornate cathedrals, adobe walls, carved balconies, hidden courtyards and cobblestone streets add to the historic richness of the ancient Incan capital.

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. This is where Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, is held during the Summer Solstice. 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. Some believe that the site forms the head of puma or jaguar and that the huge triangulated walls form its teeth, or symbolize lightening. 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. Directly following your extensive tour of the city of Cusco, you will break for lunch in a very special picnic that will be prepared for you; more than just a Culinary Event, this is a unique experience. Feel the magic of having one of the finest meals in an impressive location. Enjoy an amazing lunch surrounded by the most impressive Inca Fortress, Sacsayhuaman in a beautiful restaurant-like setting. This country picnic-lunch is prepared by the Chef of “La Cicciolina” restaurant, where he uses ingredients from the region, with a Mediterranean touch; your will enjoy the fullest flavors that Peru has to offer in a magical and unique location.

Following lunch, you will set out on an exquisite shopping tour around the traditional areas of Cusco such as the San Blas Neighborhood, which is perhaps the biggest of the typical local artisan markets. You will have the opportunity to view all the ancient customs of trade and commerce. You will see the extensive variety of native, hand-made, artisan products, as well as designer boutiques for alpaca sweaters, bags, jewelry, etc. You will have ample time to look around and purchase what you wish. At the conclusion of your shopping tour, you will be escorted 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 8: Back to Lima & Pisco Tasting with Amazon Fusion Dinner (B, S, D)

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be escorted to the airport in Cusco, in order to take your flight back to the capital city of Lima. After the short hour flight, you will be met and escorted from the airport in Lima to your Hotel in Lima, where you will have the entirety of the afternoon at your leisure, to either rest and relax, or get settled in and go for a stroll around the city. In the evening, you will be picked up and escorted to one of the finest restaurants in Lima, where you will partake in an exquisite meal, especially prepared for you, by one of Peru’s finest chefs. Pisco is Peru’s national drink and a liquor so versatile that can be drunk alone or mixed with fruits from which we make amazing “Pisco Martinis”. You will learn to prepare these new, trendy pisco-based drinks with exotic fruits in addition to the traditional Pisco Sour at one of Lima’s hottest spots: Malabar restaurant. Tasting good Pisco is like tasting wine, you will be able to learn about the different grapes and grape combinations that are used in the preparation of Pisco through a guided tasting by an expert sommelier. Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino will present his new cuisine using jungle ingredients after tasting the most important varieties of Pisco. *Specialty Dinner can be changed to any other of our culinary dinners from our taste-of-peru.com site. An extra day in Lima can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities.

Day 9: Morning Museum & City Tour with Culinary Lunch & Nikkei Dinner at Costanera 700 (B, L, D)

Following breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up and escorted for your much anticipated, guided, morning tour of the City of Lima. On your City Tour, we will see the Spanish city Square, get a snapshot of the most important city sites, and visit a world-class museum to learn about pre-Inca cultures. Sites to be visited: Main Square, Government Palace, City Hall, San Francisco Monastery (including catacombs), old streets with colonial houses, The Cathedral, and a great driving tour through beautiful San Isidro and Miraflores. You will have a delicious typical Peruvian lunch at one of the best restaurants in Lima. After lunch, you will visit the Museum of Anthropology, or Museum Larco, where we will share Peruvian culture from the many thousands of years of pre-Inca societies up to colonial Peru.

At the conclusion of your event-filled tour, you will have a chance to rest and relax prior to dinner. For dinner, you will be once again, be picked up, and escorted from your hotel in Lima to one of Lima’s finest restaurants: Costanera 700, where you will dine in an exquisite setting and enjoy some of the highest caliber of food available anywhere in Peru. You will have an eye opening dinner at the restaurant of the chef who was the first to merge the Japanese and Peru food cultures. Japanese taught Peruvians how to eat fresh fish and the use of seafood. The next generation of Japanese adopted Peruvian ingredients and fusion them with their techniques. This fusion is called “Nikkei”. The result was a wonderful Cuisine that takes the best of both worlds. You will try the Ceviche Costanera: A Japanese version of the traditional Ceviche prepared with Soy Sauce and Japanese spices, and other Nikkei dishes that will blow your mind. You will experience the Japanese and Asian influence in the Peruvian Cuisine. At the conclusion of your dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel in Lima where you will have the rest of the evening to relax. *Specialty Dinner can be changed to any other of our culinary dinners from our taste-of-peru.com site.

On day 9, if you prefer to do something else, you could upgrade and add other activities this day. Below are some ideas. Please let us know and we will add them to your itinerary.

• Culinary Day: Market Visit and Fruit Festival + Mission Ceviche + Class of choice and Lunch at “Central” restaurant + Lima City Tour.
• Follow the Pisco routes: Visit to Pisco Bodega + Morning lecture on Pisco history and Making + Typical Peruvian Lunch + Pisco Tasting + Amazon Fusion Dinner.
• Cultural Shopping: Art Galleries + Lunch + Antique & Specialty Items Shopping.

Day 10: Free Morning with Lunch at Chef Wong & Back Home (B, L)

Once you finish breakfast at your hotel, you will then check out, and have the opportunity to leave your luggage in a secure storage area, so that you will not be hassled by having to carry your luggage for the day’s activities. For this, you will have the entire morning to do as you please, and enjoy your last day in Peru. In the afternoon, you are in for a treat, as for lunch, you will have the unique experience of tasting the very best “Ceviche” in Peru at Chef Wong’s private, closed-doors restaurant. Chef Wong is widely regarded as the single best “Ceviche” chef in all of Peru, and his skills with a knife and knowledge of fish make him one of the most admired and renowned chefs in Peru’s culinary landscape. At the conclusion of your delicious and unique lunch, you will be taken back to your hotel, in order to reunite with your luggage prior to being taken to the Airport in Lima, to catch your flight back home.* Please let us know if you like to add extra activities 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$2679.90 per person – Private Tour

For single supplement please contact us!

* Based on double occupancy, 4 people, 5 star 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 (ie: special diet, wheelchair, children, senior, etc)

What’s Included?

• Vistadome Train Roundtrip. Upgrade to Hiram Bingham Train upon request.
• Bus to MachuPicchu roundtrip.
• Expert leadership, guides & support personnel for all listed tours
• Accommodations: 1 night in Lima and 3 nights in Cuzco
• 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 (Lima Cathedral, San Francisco Catacombs, Lima Museum, BTG, Cathedral, Qoricancha and MachuPicchu)
• Private Transportation: Lima Airport/Lima Hotel, Lima Hotel/Lima Airport, 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 USD$190 per person. This is an example price. Prices depend on the airline, date and time of booking.