Monday, 6 August 2007: Lima, Peru

Welcome to Peru! If you are coming from our Galapagos liveaboard dive cruise, you'll be arriving on LAN flight 5631 from Guayaquil at 7:30 p.m. Non-divers are welcome to meet us in Lima and join this tour as well. You'll be met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to Los Delfines Hotel in Lima's exclusive San Isidro neighborhood.

The evening is at leisure to relax after traveling.

Tuesday, 7 August: Lima, City of Kings

Enjoy Breakfast at the hotel, then tour the "City of the Kings". Visit the historic Plaza Mayor, where you will see the Government Palace, the City Hall, the Cathedral and  Archbishop's Palace. Visit  the Casa Aliaga, possibly the best preserved colonial mansion in the Americas, occupied by the same family since 1535.

Proceed  to  the  San  Francisco  Monastery,  a  wonderful  work of Colonial  architecture.  Drive through the residential districts of Miraflores and San Isidro, where you will enjoy a magnificent view  of the Pacific Ocean and its beaches. Enjoy lunch at   La  Rosa  Nautica, an elegant Victorian style restaurant with a complete selection of  Peruvian  and cuisine located on a pier on the beach in the artsy neighborhood of Miraflores.        

After lunch, visit the Larco Herrera Museum. Housed in an 18th century colonial mansion, it  has one of the the most extensive collections of pre-Columbian art in Peru. It contains fine examples of textile work, as well as the tools ancient Peruvians used to produce textiles, metals, huaco ceramics and gold and silver pieces with semiprecious stones.

Wednesday, 8 August: Sacred Valley of the Incas

This morning you'll fly to Cuzco, where you'll be met at  the airport and driven to  the "Sacred Valley of the Incas"  to visit Ollantaytambo, the Inca fortress,  and  walk  through  the quaint streets of the nearby town. Then take a drive through the valley and bargain with vendors at a traditional market in Pisac.

Lunch at Casa Hacienda Orihuela, where the Orihuelas, a family of great collectors, will be your hosts. The house has a varied collection of popular and colonial art ceramics, paintings, weapons, photography, ceremonial vessels and the ceramic bulls of Pucara. The environs include a forest of eucalyptus trees and other species and here the famous giant white corn is cultivated for export.

Overnight at at Sonesta Posada del Inca Yucay.

Thursday, 9 August: Luxury Train to Machu Picchu

After breakfast at the hotel, you will board the Orient Express luxury train, Hiram Bingham, named after the man who discovered Machu Picchu in 1911. The journey will take approximately three and a half hours,  during  which  you  will brunch while enjoying the spectacular scenery of  the Andes.  You will arrive at The Lost Citadel  of the Incas around 1:00 pm. Learn about the history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site during a guided tour of the citadel and walk through the archaeological site.

Tonight you'll dine and overnight at Machu Picchu Pueblo hotel.

Friday, 10 August: Machu Picchu

After breakfast at the Machu Picchu Pueblo hotel, enjoy free time in the early morning at the archeological site. Watching the clouds break and the skies open up to let the sun stream onto this amazing sacred site is the highlight of many visitors' trips.

Later this afternoon, you'll board the Hiram Bingham train again for the royal treatment. Enjoy a a cocktail accompanied by live entertainment. After that you will be escorted to the dining car for a 4 course gourmet dinner and converse with your fellow travelers about your unforgettable experiences at Machu Picchu.

Upon your return to Cuzco you will be transferred from the train station to the unique Hotel Monasterio, a converted colonial monastery.

Saturday, 11 August: Cuzco

Breakfast at the hotel is followed by a tour of the city, beginning at the Santo Domingo convent monastery.  Before the arrival of the Spaniards, this colonial monastery was the Koricancha temple, one of the most important temples devoted to worship of the sun.  According to the chronicles, it was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. Included in the tour are stops at  the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral. After visiting the most interesting sights of the city, you will be driven to the  countryside outside Cuzco to visit some of the remarkable Inca ruins  in the area.  Included are the cult center of Sacsayhuaman, the temple and amphitheater  of  Kenko, and the Red Fortress of Puca Pucara.

Your farewell dinner tonight includes a folkloric show at a traditional restaurant in Cuzco.

Sunday, 12 August, 2007: Return Home

After breakfast at the hotel, our guide will meet you at your hotel to transfer you to the airport in Cuzco for your return flight to Lima and then home.

Our Package Includes:

• Accommodation
• Transfers and meals described above
• Entrance to sightseeing with English-speaking local guide
• Hiram Bingham train to and from Machu Picchu and two days entrance fees
• Cuzco tourist tax

Not Included:

International or domestic airfare (between US $218 - 315 roundtrip Lima/Cuzco), meals, beverages or optional activities not described in program, tips, and items of a personal nature.

Deposit:

$500 deposit to hold space. Balance due 120 days prior to departure.