Peru Luxury 12 Days, Luxury Trips to Peru

On this fantastic guided tour in Lima you will explore the beautiful and fascinating City of Kings. You will visit iconic places that are rich in history. There will be plenty picturesque churches and exquisite colonial architecture. Explore the city through the eyes of a local guide who will make you feel at home during your stay in Peru.

Begin your journey by travelling thousands of years into the past. Your first stop will be the ancient ceremonial center called “Huaca Pucllana”, which was built centuries before the arrival of the Spanish. Next you drive into the center of the city so you can stroll around the main square, the Plaza de Armas of Lima. Here you will find imposing architecture which was built long ago. Also, on the main square is the grandiose Lima Cathedral. After that you can tour the Santo Domingo convent and its extensive monastery.

Lima´s famous Larco Herrera Museum will be the final destination that you will visit on your tour. Here you´ll be able to get a better idea of Peru´s history and culture. As you walk through 3000 years of pre-Columbian and pre-Incan art and culture, you will note that the museum´s millennial collection of pre-Hispanic ceramics is fantastic.

The museum structured in such a way that you will pass through a series of galleries. At the culmination of your museum tour is the treasure room where you will observe first-hand the jewels and the gold and silver artifacts of the Incas. All the gold and silverwork are studded with turquoise, lapis lazuli, and amethyst. Located in an 18th century mansion, this museum was built upon the foundation of a 7th century pyramid. Luxurious tropical gardens surround the whole of the complex. After your tour of Lima, you will return to your hotel.

After a great breakfast you will ride down to the Pisco airport where you will hop aboard your plane and fly over the enigmatic Nazca Lines. These gigantic drawings of animals and geometric figures can only be seen from the air. Many figures represent animals from the jungle and the ocean. Although the origin of these figures is lost in time, many experts have concluded that the figures are part of a great astronomical calendar.

Pisco to Lima travel time is about 4 hours. Upon arriving at the airport, you will board a comfortable Cessna airplane and have a window seat all to yourself to better appreciate these mysterious drawings on the desert floor. After take-off you will fly over the desert of Ica until you reach the most famous drawings in the world. It hardly ever rains on this plateau where they are located. Here the dry climate and the isolation of the site have helped to conserve these great drawings for centuries.

Nazca’s Lines represent hundreds of figures. Why they were made and how they were made remains a mystery. It is believed that they were created by the people of Nazca between 400 and 650 A.D. One example of the strangeness is the gigantic monkey that has 5 fingers on one hand and 4 fingers on his other hand. The flamingo, the hummingbird, and the condor are said to represent the winter and summer equinoxes because their beaks point to the exact location of the sunrise and the sunset on those days.

Your flight will last more than an hour and you will have plenty of time to see the unique illustrations and to take photos of them from the air. When you land at the Pisco airport, we will drive you to your hotel in Paracas.

On this wonderful day you will explore the Ballestas Islands which are a group of rocky islands located in the Pacific Ocean a short distance off the coast of Peru. They are close to the Bay of Paracas. After breakfast at your hotel you will board our motor launch and ride out to the islands. On the way you will stop and see the giant, mysterious Candelabrum of Paracas. This amazing petroglyph covers the side of a tall cliff right by the sea. It is well over a thousand years old. All of the Ballesatas Islands compose a colorful, vibrant wildlife sanctuary. These rocky outcrops are chock full of sea birds and marine mammals. You will see seals and also the endangered Humbolt penguin. There will be cormorants, pelicans, gulls, and red ducks, and a whole bunch more.

After your boat tour you will return to your hotel and take a break. Your next adventure will be to vineyards of Tacama near Ica. Tacama Winery is one of the oldest in the country and in all of South America. Here you will learn about how Pisco (Peru´s national beverage) and fine Peruvian wines are produced. You can even have some free samples. When you finish your lunch and your wine testing, we will drive you to the desert oasis of Huacachina. Here you can try your hand at some adventure sports including sand boarding. Finally, after watching the sunset over the sand dunes, you will return to your hotel in Paracas by the bay.

After a delicious, healthy breakfast at your hotel in Paracas, you will begin your 4-hour journey up to the Lima airport. From Lima you will fly to the heart of the Andes, the city of Cusco. Cusco is located at an elevation of 11,000 ft. Our team will be waiting at the Cusco airport to give you a warm welcome and drive you to your hotel in the fascinating Sacred Valley of the Incas. Along the way you can stop and visit Awanacancha where you can see the llamas and the alpacas. This center is dedicated to preserving traditional Andean weaving techniques. Observe the weavers work and learn about the natural dyes that they use. Their work is exquisite.

The beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas will be your next stop. On the trip to your comfortable, luxurious hotel you will pass through traditional villages that were here long before the arrival of the Incas. The Sacred Valley is really beautiful and the weather is great for acclimating to the high elevation of the Andes.

*** Note: There are some flights that go directly from Pisco to Cusco. When we have your exact travel dates, we will try to set up your trip so that it coincides with the direct Pisco to Cusco flight. That way you could avoid the 4-plus hour overland trip from Paracas to the Lima airport.

This will be a different kind of day. On this very special day you will have no fixed schedule if you like. Enjoy the Sacred Valley in your own style and at your own pace. Wake up and have breakfast whenever you want. Pass the time in the luxurious environs of your hotel until you feel the urge to explore the Sacred Valley.

Later in the day if you like, you can enjoy visiting the Salt Mines of Salineras and the spectacular circular terraces of Moray. Time seems to have forgotten Salineras. At this remote spot, salt is still mined in the same way that it has been mined for thousands of years. Breathe in deeply up here in the mountains and the air tastes delicious. Snow-capped peaks of the Vilcanota Range dot the horizon to the east. All the mountains seem eternal.

In Moray, which is only 25 minutes from Salineras, the Incas built an agricultural laboratory that consists of concentric circular terraces. According to researchers, each level offered a different climactic condition and allowed for different plants to be cultivated experimentally at different elevations.

Here the terraces were made by building containment walls filled with fertile earth. They were watered through a complex irrigation system. At the base of the terraces, there is a rain water storage system. The entire system allowed for the cultivation of over 250 types of vegetables and medicinal herbs. Other studies suggest that the site was used for astronomical observation and for monitoring climatic changes. This was done by following the sunlight and the shadows as they appear on the high mountains surrounding this spectacular site. After your tour you can go back to your hotel and relax.

After a great breakfast our team will drive you over to the Urubamba train station at Tambo del Inka Hotel. There you will board the Perurail Sacred Valley Train that will take you along the scenic and beautiful banks of the Vilcanota River on your journey to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo).

Perurail Sacred Valley Train accommodates just 33 passengers. Reflecting the elegance of that memorable travel decade, the 1920’s, this train includes a sumptuous dining car and an observation-bar car. On board you will be served a gourmet lunch in the dining car of the train. When you arrive at Machupicchu Pueblo you will be greeted by our team members. They will walk with you on the 5-minute stroll over to your Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel by Inkaterra. In Aguas Calientes there are no motorized vehicles except for those buses that take people up and down from the Citadel of Machu Picchu. The afternoon is free time. If you like you can amble around town or stay at your marvelous hotel.

PeruRail Sacred Valley train travels from Urubamba to Machu Picchu in approximately three hours, stopping briefly at the Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado. This allow passengers who are staying at that hotel to board and to return to this exclusive train station.

You´ll wake up early and have a great breakfast at your hotel. Then a local guide will be happy to show you around the impressive gardens of the hotel. There are 180 species of birds native to this area of Peru, from the cock-of-the-rock to a record of 18 different species of hummingbirds. After lunch at the hotel you will go exploring the 7th Wonder of the Modern World, Machu Picchu. It is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences of your lifetime. Feel free to enjoy this marvelous Incan masterwork that was built centuries ago. Some of the recommended sites to visit are: House of the Guardian, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Sacred Plaza. This is your opportunity to soak up some of the atmosphere of this magical place.

At around 4:00 pm you will enjoy the tea time dessert buffet at the famous Belmond Sanctuary Lodge which is right beside the Citadel.

Soon it will be time to go back down to Aguas Calientes and catch your train back to Cusco. Your train ride to Cusco will be aboard the exclusive and luxurious Belmond Hiram Bingham. Enjoy the sophisticated dining car as well as the bar car. There will be special Peruvian cocktails and live music in the bar car. Upon your arrival at the Poroy station you will be picked up and driven back to your hotel.

In Cusco we have two seasons, rainy season and dry season. During the dry season the Hiram Bingham leaves and returns to the Poroy station. During the rainy season the Hiram Bingham departs and returns to the Belmond Rio Sagrado Hotel in Urubamba. At whatever time of year you travel, our team will be there to drop you off and pick you up again.

Welcome to the Belly Button of the World and the unchallenged Archeological Capital of South America. Cusco is the oldest continually inhabited city in the Americas, and it is also the Gateway to One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Cosmopolitan Cusco is full ornate churches that were built upon Incan temples.

During the Cusco City Tour you will discover the beauty and the magic of Cusco, the Imperial Capital of the Incas. Your tour starts at the Qorikancha and the Santo Domingo church. According to the Chroniclers who wrote during the period directly after the Spanish Conquest, the Qoricancha was the most sacred and the most important site in the Quechua world. The walls of the Corikancha were covered with gold. There were life-size statues of plants and animals made out of pure gold and silver. Next will be the Cusco Cathedral where you can appreciate the works of the Cusco School of painters, and also the gold and silver relief work on the main altar and the pulpit.

During the tour you will also visit the vibrant San Pedro Market. Here you will get a glimpse into the daily life of a typical Cusqueñan. You will observe the great variety of goods available. The next stop on your tour will be the imposing Fortress of Sacsayhuaman. Here you will note the stones that form the walls are the size of a truck. They have been carefully cut and perfectly fitted together. Sacsayhuaman is a very impressive Incan construction. From here you will head up the hill to the Tambomachay Archeological Complex. This was an important ceremonial center during Inca times. It is sometimes called the Bath of the Incas, and the cult of water used to perform their rites here. Finally, you will return to Cusco.

Begin you tour across the high plains of Peru after a great breakfast. You will be making some brief stop. Your first stop will be at the Sistine Chapel of the Americas, which is also called the Church of St. Peter the Apostle. In this church you will find quality examples of some surprisingly beautiful religious art. This unforgettable church was built at the end of the 16th century. One of the murals is actually dated 1626, and the interior is really impressive. All the ceiling is completely covered with painted murals, and the decorations are absolutely fantastic.

After Andahuaylillas you will ride south for a couple hours until you reach Raqchi. (3500 masl.) Raqchi was a large Incan settlement of over 1000 hectares and was completely encircled by a protective wall. Discover here the aqueducts, the subterranean tombs, the storage towers and a large variety of Incan enclosures. Farther on down the road you will stop in the town of Sicuani for lunch. After your lunch break you will continue travelling to the highest point of your journey, La Raya, which is located above 4338 masl., and marks the boundary between the regions of Cusco and Puno. On the high Altiplano the llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas eat the abundant Ichu grass.

Pukara will be your final stop before reaching Lake Titicaca. There is a wonderful museum here that contains monoliths, ceramics, and other articles left by this great pre-Incan culture. From the hill overlooking Puno you will have your first panoramic view of the sapphire blue Lake Titicaca. It is a spectacular sight. When you arrive at your destination of Puno, we will take you to your amazing hotel where you can relax and get comfortable after a fun-filled day.

Lake Titcaca is the highest navigable lake in the whole world. It is the source of traditional culture and historic sites, too. The lake is located at an elevation of 3838 masl. Its bright sunny days contrast with its cold dark nights. Fantastic Lake Titicaca is of a deep blue color that most people find unforgettable. Unique Peruvian towns line the lake shore, and there are people who still live out in the middle of the lake on floating islands made out of reeds.

Travelers who visit here are able to spend an entire day getting to know the people of the Lake learning about their customs and their traditions. A small corner of the Lake is taken up by the Floating Islands of the Uros tribe. By visiting this fantastic site, you will learn about their traditions and bear witness to a lifestyle that has pretty much continued unchanged for thousands of years. These Floating Islands are made out of totora reeds which grow abundantly all along the shore of the lake. Totora reed is utilized in every phase of life by the Uros. Their houses, their boats, and even their Floating Islands are constructed out of totora reeds. As they have for generations, the Uros people usually make their living by fishing, hunting birds, and finding the eggs which birds have laid in the straw of their islands.

When you finish these adventures on Lake Titicaca, you will return to your hotel and dream sweet dreams.

After an excellent breakfast at your hotel you will bid farewell to Puno and travel north. On this, the last of your private Peru Luxury Trips, you will stop for a quick tour at the Chullpas of Sillustani. This pre-Incan property is situated 34 kilometers outside of Puno. We always try to choose the most interesting alternative routes for our travelers. At Sillustani you can go exploring the mysteries of this wonderful place. Many of the chullpas are over 30 feet high. Historians tell us that this ruins site was a cemetery consisting of 90 chullpas. They look like circular towers made out of rocks. It is thought that the important people from the Collao were buried here on the shore of Lake Umayo.

After Sillustani you will continue on to the Juliaca airport. On the flight back to Lima you will have a fantastic view of the Peruvian Andes and the Pacific Ocean. When you arrive in Lima you will be able to make your flight connection to your next destination. Or if you do not have to connect to another flight, we can drive you to your luxurious hotel.