Peru Splendors

Welcome to the modern city of Lima!
Upon arrival, you will be met by your Globus representative.

This afternoon, your Local Guide focuses on the city’s colonial heritage during a walking tour. Start at the Plaza de Armas to see the Government Palace and the cathedral. From here, stroll to the venerable San Francisco Monastery with its splendid 17th-century cloister murals. For a special treat, [LF] stop at a local food market to get a real taste of life for the local people. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at one of Lima’s Peruvian restaurants with your fellow travel companions.

Fly to Cusco, the impressive Andean city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Head into the Sacred Valley of the Incas and visit the semi-circular Kenko Amphitheater with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages and see the ancient site of Puca Pucara. Also, in the Sacred Valley, experience an [LF] El Pago a la Tierra, or Mother Earth Ceremony, performed by a local shaman. Visit Awanakancha to meet local families who preserve the ancient technique of Pre-Columbian weaving using South American camelid fleece. This is your chance to get up close to the various camelids, including alpaca, llama, guanaco, and vicuña, indigenous to the region. Continue to Pisac, an old mountain village, where you will have free time to shop for local wares, such as alpaca sweaters and blankets, jewelry, or hand-painted ornamental dishes and vases at its famous market. Stay in the Sacred Valley tonight, with dinner at the hotel.

This morning, visit the Inca Fortress of Ollantaytambo, followed by [LF] a visit to a local home, meet some of the area’s families, and experience their way of life in the Sacred Valley. Then, board the Vistadome train for a scenic journey through the lush Urubamba Valley. Upon arrival, ascend the mountainside to legendary Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas.” Your Local Guide will introduce this intact fortress with its temple remains, holy houses, and mile-long aqueduct, and will bring you closer to the mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures. Tonight, learn how to make the perfect Pisco Sour at a Peruvian cooking demonstration before your included dinner.

A morning at leisure in Machu Picchu allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu with your second included entrance to the ruins. After lunch, return to the Sacred Valley by train and continue to Cusco.

On your guided sightseeing tour of Cusco today, learn more about the Inca and Spanish influence. Begin at the heart of Cusco in the Plaza de Armas (main square), with a visit to the imposing Cathedral, where construction began in 1550 and was finally completed 100 years later. Join a traditional [LF] Pasacalle through the streets of Cusco before continuing to Koricancha and the Santo Domingo Monastery and see how the two sites have become one. The Temple of the Sun at Koricancha was once the most important Inca site, dedicated to the worship of the Sun. The walls, altars, and decorations were all said to be covered in gold—until the Spaniards looted the temple and then built the contrasting Baroque Santo Domingo Monastery on top of the temple’s foundations. Also visit the Temple of Sacsayhuaman, perched on a hillside overlooking Cusco. It remains unfathomable how and when this fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons—was built. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a festive farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

A short flight returns you to Lima, where the remainder of your day is free to explore.

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.