Family Travel in Peru

Day 2 - CUSCO - SACRED VALLEY

Upon your arrival in Lima you will be met by your transfer-man who will assist you with your connecting flight to Cusco. When you arrive to Cusco, the Imperial City, you will be met by our transfer-man and private driver who will assist you with your luggage and will drive you to your hotel located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

On the way, visit the Awanacancha textile center to observe traditional Andean weaving and to see the four types of camel-related Andean animals – llamas, guanacos, alpacas and vicunas. Alpacas have thick wool and is the most commonly used while the vicunas are small and delicate with fur considered the finest. Awanacancha is a weaving center with the goal to keep alive the traditional textile arts.

Here you can meet these four types of camelids, learn about the harvesting of the different wools, the natural dying techniques and have a chance to see native weavers from different areas showing their different weaving styles. Overnight in the Sacred Valley. Two nights, one room (double occupancy), including breakfast, hotel tax and service charge.

Day 3 - SACRED VALLEY

Our first visit is the town of Pisac, where the Incas built an observatory to study astronomy as well as an impressive network of cultivated terrace. After this, you will have the opportunity to bargain with vendors at the local handicraft market in Pisac.

Lunch will take place at a great restaurant accompanied by a Paso Horse Demonstration. Peruvian Paso Horses, with their elegance and noble spirit, symbolize a centuries-old tradition of cultural fusion and folklore that defines and enriches Peru.

In this presentation, Paso horses from our stables demonstrate their flowing gait and graceful motion to the rhythm of 'la marinera,' the national dance of Peru. Lunch is enjoyed in the Wayra Gardens among the native plants, served in a modern environment.

We are enveloped by the aroma of freshly baked bread coming out of the wood-burning ovens, tasty empanadas with different fillings, and an amazing assortment of native potatoes from remote communities that have preserved them along with their stories.

After lunch, we will continue to the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo. The site was built just as the Spaniards arrived and evidence of how it was constructed is still visible. After seeing the magnificent past of the spot stroll through the quaint streets of the present town before returning to your hotel.

Day 4 - MACHU PICCHU

Your private guide will meet you at your hotel early this morning. You will be driven to the train station to board the Vistadome train, for a dramatic train ride to Machu Picchu (6180 feet), the great mountain-top city abandoned by the Inca Empire, reclaimed by the jungle and lost to humanity until its rediscovery in 1911.

It sits on a mountain site of extraordinary beauty, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest. Machu Picchu was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height, with its giant walls, terraces and ramps, which appear as though they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. Upon arrival to the ruins, a guided tour of the lost citadel.

Lunch will be served at the Sanctuary Lodge next to the ruins. Overnight in Machupicchu. One night, one room (double occupancy), including breakfast, hotel tax and service charge.

Day 5 - MACHU PICCHU

After checking out of your hotel, you will have this morning on your own to explore these incredible ruins. You will have an excellent opportunity to wake up early and enjoy with a beautiful sunrise. Then, you will have time to perform some of the following activities on your own:

- Visit the Citadel of Machu Picchu for the second time.
- For the most adventurous people, we suggest to go up the Huayna Picchu (if it is not raining) from where you can appreciate the immensity of Machu Picchu, even more amazing being high and distant. Arriving at the top takes about two and a half hours and it must be before 13:00 hours. It is necessary to register in an office at the beginning of the trail.

In the afternoon, go to Cusco by train, and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Cusco. Two nights, one room (double occupancy), including breakfast, hotel tax and service charge.

Day 6 - CUSCO CITY TOUR

Inca rulers once called Cusco the "Navel of the World". Cusco remains today a city that blends colonial Spanish charm with older, more austere remains of pre-Columbian glory. One can see the foundations of Inca structures on many of its city streets today.

You will go on a private escorted half day sightseeing tour of the city of Cuzco, visiting its most important landmarks from both The Inca & the Colonial times: the Korikancha (the ancient temple of the Sun), the Inca street of Loreto, (12 cornered stone) and Ahuajpinta which keep the remains of outstanding palaces from the ancient City and the Colonial monuments of the Cathedral; the Museum of Colonial Art and continue to the archaeological park of Saqsaywaman (the fortress-temple), the nearby shrines of Kenqo (funeral worship) and Tambomachay (cleansing water rituals), besides the ancient Tambo of Pukapukara.

The afternoon is yours to enjoy this classic city.

Day 7 - FLIGHT BACK After breakfast, transfer to the Cusco airport. Upon arrival in Lima, you will have assistance at the airport for your international flight departure.