Grand South America

Welcome to Peru! On arrival at Lima International Airport, you will be greeted and transferred to your luxurious hotel with ocean view rooms in Miraflores. You can relax before meeting your Travelling Concierge at 18.00 for a Welcome Dinner, where you'll have the opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers over wine and dinner at MAYTA with chef Jamie Pesaque.

Explore the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Lima with a Local Expert. Drive to the main square where you will see the Cathedral, the Government Palace, Archbishop's Palace and the City Hall. Your Journey, Your Way. Choose to take a guided tour of the San Francisco Monastery and its catacombs, built in 1673 and home to 25,000 antique texts. Alternatively, you can visit the Historic Torre de Tagle Palace and the Central Reserve Bank Museum which exhibits archaeological and artistic pieces from pre-Hispanic cultures. Continue to the residential districts of San Isidro and Miraflores and make a stop at the “Parque del Amor” for spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. A Highlight Lunch is served at Amoramar, in the San Isidro district. If you are travelling on a Chairman's Collection departure, Dr. Francisco Diez-Canseco Távara invites you to lunch at his beautiful villa to learn about his family's long heritage in Peru. Later, you have a special invitation to visit the house and workshop of renowned Peruvian sculptor and painter Victor Delfin, one of the most recognizable contemporary artists in Latin America.

Board your flight to Cusco and continue on to Peru's Sacred Valley. Visit the colourful market in the town of Chinchero. Afterwards, meet Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez, a Quechua scholar, director of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, and a recipient of a TreadRight Foundation grant. Learn about her mission to preserve traditional weaving techniques and how she has succeeded in bringing weaving once more to the forefront of her community. Later in the afternoon, check in to your luxurious spa resort.

Visit the spectacular terraced salt pans where you will meet with a family member from the town of Maras, who will explain ancient salt mining techniques and have a chance to participate in the ancient tradition. The salt pans, dating back to Inca times, have been passed down through families for generations and today are maintained in much the same way as they were long ago. Dine the local way as you feast on a typical Peruvian meal, a caja china lunch of fresh vegetables and slow-roasted meats, all cooked in a wooden box. After lunch, participate in a Shaman ritual. A local Shaman will perform a welcoming ceremony to the Sacred Valley and the mystical Andes Mountains that surround it.

Today you'll visit the town of Ollantaytambo, a national archeological site set on the Urubamba River. Afterwards, board your first-class seats on the Vistadome train for your scenic journey to Machu Picchu village. Enjoy lunch at your rejuvenating resort followed by a guided exploration of its nature trails and fascinating cloud forest ecosystem. One for tea lovers, the afternoon will be spent discovering a working tea plantation, before viewing the world's largest private collection of indigenous orchids. In the evening, enjoy a dinner with wine at the hotel.

No trip to Peru would be complete without visiting the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Pichu. With Luxury Gold, you’ll arrive at this striking archeological site before the crowds of day-trippers. Meet your Local Expert for a guided exploration through the enigmatic Lost City of the Incas, rediscovered only 100 years ago by archaeologist Hiram Bingham. See the great Temple of the Sun, Sacred Plaza and the Intihuatana, believed to be an ancient sun clock. In the afternoon, enjoy time to explore Machu Picchu at your leisure or return to town continue your afternoon there. After a full day of discovery, enjoy a delicious dinner with wine, where you can share stories of your day with fellow guests in the serenity of your tranquil hotel.

Bid goodbye to Machu Picchu as you travel to the Sacred Valley by train en route to Cusco. Stop for a traditional Highlight Lunch and savour a sumptuous Pachamanca Feast of Peruvian cuisine cooked underground. After lunch, get up-close to llamas, guanacos, alpacas and even the rare vicuñas. Visit San Cristobal viewpoint which features one of the most panoramic views of Cusco from above before arriving at your historic hotel in Cusco.

Join your Local Expert for a visit to the ruins of Sacsayhuman, one of the most important Incan sites. It was designated as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site along with the city of Cusco. Visit Korikancha, also known as the Temple of the Sun.Your Journey, Your Way. In Cusco, choose to explore San Pedro market for some local shopping and insight into Peruvian produce. Alternatively, continue by car to the top of Tambo Macay, to begin a 3.7 miles (6 km) downhill walk passing by Puca Pucara and Quencuo ruins back to Cusco. In the afternoon, visit Korikancha, also known as the Temple of the Sun, and cathedral on a walking tour. Later, In the evening, enjoy a candlelit Highlight Dinner with wine at one of the city’s most prominent culinary scenes, the MAP Restaurant in the central Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.

Board your included flight to Juliaca and head to Sillustani to explore the impressive burial grounds. Afterwards, continue to Puno, nestled along the majestic shores of Lake Titicaca. Enjoy the sunsets on the lake while staying at the perfectly located GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca.

Cruise Lake Titicaca to the Uros Floating Islands, where locals bundle reeds from the lake to build floating platforms, houses and canoes. On Amantaní Island, join the local community for a lunch of regional specialties before having time to admire their textiles and handicrafts. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and walk up some of the hills for superb views and ancient ruins. Afterwards, return to Puno where you can relax this evening.

Depart your lakeside retreat today and return to Lima. Savour a sensational Highlight Dinner with wine at Matria, where chef Arlette Eulert Checa intrigues and delights with creative seasonal dishes that are in harmony with nature's offerings.

Bid farewell to Lima as you fly to Santiago, Chile's capital and largest city. In the evening, enjoy a Highlight Dinner and get a taste of Chile.

Meet a Local Expert for an in-depth city exploration. You'll start out at the heart of the city, with the Chilean University, San Francisco Church and the Santa Lucia Hill, the site of Santiago’s foundation in 1541. From there, you'll visit the Plaza de Armas and the cathedral. Continue your exploration of Santiago by crossing the Mapocho River to reach the bohemian Bellavista district on the way to the San Cristóbal Hill. Your Journey, Your Way. Choose to enjoy a Chilean seafood lunch with wine at Mestizo Restaurant. Alternatively, enjoy a French lunch with wine at El Castillo Forestal. Your evening is at leisure.

Travel to the beautiful coastal towns of Viña del Mar and UNESCO-listed port of Valparaíso. Enjoy lunch at Cafe Turri, a Chilean restaurant that offers panoramic harbor views. Next, you'll visit Kingston Family Vineyard in the Casablanca Valley for a tasting of one of the best-rated Pinot Noirs in Chile. Return to Santiago for the evening.

Fly to Buenos Aires this morning. Your Journey, Your Way.  Choose to dine at Piegari Steakhouse, which offers a traditional feast of Argentinian meats, as well as an impressive and surprising selection of Italian fare. Alternatively, you can enjoy a more adventurous dinner at El Baqueno, featuring rare dishes in a quest to highlight native ingredients such as llama and alligator.

Get to know Buenos Aires with a Local Expert as you explore the neighborhoods of Palermo, San Telmo and Recoleta. View the balcony made famous by Eva Peron, the former First Lady of Argentina, and walk the colourful streets of La Boca. Visit the Belle Époque Teatro Colón and view its grand architecture. Experience an electrifying evening of live music, singers and dancers at Rojo Tango during your Highlight Dinner with wine.

Experience a traditional Argentinian estancia. Your Journey, Your Way. Choose to go on a horseback ride with the gauchos, South America’s original cowboys. Experience local life as you ride through the rugged wilderness and soak up the landscapes. Alternatively, you can take a guided stroll around the estancia while you learn about life on the ranch and cattle-raising. Get a taste of the life of an Argentinian gaucho and try the traditional mate tea as you are served a delicious asado Highlight Lunch.

Fly to Iguassu Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Venture to the Argentinean side of the falls to see the unfathomable Devil's Throat with your Local Expert. Dinner with wine is served at the Ipe Grill within your luxurious resort, the only hotel inside the Brazilian Iguassu National Park, where you'll choose from a selection of traditional Brazilian barbecue or international cuisine.

Wake up inside the park and beat the crowds. Meet a Local Expert for a walk on the Brazilian side of the falls, where you'll witness incredible panoramic views of San Martin Island.  Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and visit the incredible Bird Park, which provides shelter for over a thousand birds, butterflies and reptiles from across South America.

Fly to vibrant Rio de Janeiro and transfer to your hotel on iconic Copacabana Beach, famous for its three-mile stretch of golden sand and bustling energy. Settle into the local way of life, with a Highlight Dinner at a traditional Brazilian steakhouse.

Join a Local Expert on a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Savour a Highlight Lunch at Confeitaria Colombo. Your Journey, Your Way. Choose to visit the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading. Alternatively, visit Rio's Iconic Municipal Theater with a Local Expert.

Join your Local Expert on a train ride up Corcovado Hill to Christ the Redeemer, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and modern wonder of the world. Meet Cecelo and join him on a walking tour of Ipanema, where Bossa Nova originated. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the place that inspired this new genre of music. Toast your journey over a remarkable Celebration Dinner at the exceptional E'toile Restaurant, a French-Brazilian restaurant with breathtaking views of the Ipanema coastline from the 26th floor.

A private transfer will take you to the Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, locally known as Galeao International.