Peru and Machu Picchu Family Tour

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Lima.

Depart to Lima. After passing through immigration and customs, proceed to the reception area, where our inbound services representative will be holding a sign with your name on it. You will be greeted and then transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Lima.

Day 2: Lima-Cusco-Sacred Valley-Awanakancha-Pisac Ruins-Pizza Night.

Early morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, you will be taken by private transportation to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You will visit Awanakancha, a living museum of the Peruvian Andes, where you can observe traditional textile dyeing and weaving techniques and the four types of camelids that are native to the region. You will also visit the Pisac archaeological site, and then be taken for lunch at a local restaurant (Tunupa).

Tonight, you will have “Pizza Night” at the hotel. A table is set up with all of the ingredients and utensils to knead the dough and prepare the pizza, including a chef’s hat and apron for everyone. Overnight in the Sacred Valley. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Sacred Valley-Amaru Textile Weaving Demonstration-Moray-Maras.

Today you will visit the indigenous community of Amaru to experience their culture and lifestyle, and to learn about the process of weaving traditional Andean textiles. This process includes shearing the llamas, making the wool, and the dying the wool with organic ingredients. After the weaving demonstration, you will have lunch at the community prepared with local ingredients.

After lunch, you will visit the circular agricultural terraces of Moray and the Maras salt mines. Dinner at the Hotel. Overnight in the Sacred Valley. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Sacred Valley-Choice of Excursions-Ollantaytambo.

For this morning’s excursion, you can choose between Horseback Riding, Whitewater Rafting, Mountain Biking, Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, ATVing, or Hiking. Lunch at your hotel.

After lunch, you will visit the Ollantaytambo Inca ruins. Ollantaytambo served as both a fortress and ceremonial center, and is the site of a short-lived victory by the Incas over the Spanish. Dinner at your hotel. Overnight in the Sacred Valley. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Sacred Valley-Machu Picchu.

Morning transfer to the train station for the ride to Machu Picchu, ‘the Lost City of the Incas’ (7,900 feet). This mountaintop citadel, which served as both a center of worship and an astronomic observatory, is located in the middle of the cloud forest overlooking the Urubamba River. There are both agricultural and urban areas constructed with the precision stonework that the Incas are known for. The agricultural area consists of terraces and food storehouses, and the urban area contains temples, squares, and royal tombs. Guided tour followed by lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to your hotel. Dinner at your hotel. Overnight in Machu Picchu. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Machu Picchu-Cusco.

Today you have the option to hike either Huayna Picchu or Intipunku (both are guided and included in the cost of the tour). Lunch at Café Inkaterra. Mid-afternoon, you will depart from Machu Picchu by train to Poroy Station in the Sacred Valley, and then be taken to your hotel in Cusco. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Cusco. (B,L)

Day 7: Cusco-Peruvian Cooking Class-City Tour.

Peruvian cuisine is world renowned due to its variety of flavors and ingredients. This morning, you will have a Peruvian cooking class conducted by a local chef. To start, you will visit a local food market (San Pedro) and be briefed by the chef about the local ingredients to be used in the meal. Then, you will buy the ingredients, providing an opportunity to interact with the local merchants. Afterwards, you will visit the chef’s house for a private culinary lesson, starting with the preparation of a Pisco Sour, and then you will prepare some entrées and main courses for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will have a city tour of Cusco that includes a walk-through of the Cathedral, the Koricancha (‘site of gold’), typical streets, and the four ruins that surround the city: the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Kenko, Puca Pucara, and Tampumachay. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Cusco. (B,L)

Day 8: Cusco-Lima-Chocolate Museum-Folkloric Dinner Show.

Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Lima. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. Lunch at Mangos Café Restaurant (Larco Mar).

In the afternoon, you will visit the Choco Museum, to learn about all of the steps involved in making chocolate, from harvest of the cacao to the making of a chocolate bar. Later that night, you will enjoy a folkloric dinner show at La Dama Juana Restaurant in Lima’s Barranco neighborhood. Overnight in Lima. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Lima.

Check out at noon. Transfer to the airport for your return flight to your final destination. (B)

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner

A Note About Your Free Day in Machu Picchu

On your free day, you will be on your own. If you choose to revisit Machu Picchu, you will need to purchase a second entrance ticket, which currently costs $74 per person. If you are staying in Aguas Calientes, you will also need to purchase a round-trip bus ticket ($28 per person) for transportation to the site. The first bus departs at 5:30 AM. As an alternative to visiting Machu Picchu again, you can hike Huayna Picchu (a +/- 60 minute hike), or partake in another activity. The cost for hiking Huayna Picchu is $13 (in addition to the second entrance ticket). At the end of the day (mid-late afternoon), you will walk to the train station for the return ride to Poroy train station, where our local representative will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel in Cusco.