Peru

Day 1 | Tuesday 3 February
Arrival

Following individual arrivals into Lima, we meet for introductions and make our way to the Larco Museum. This private museum holds a vast and important collection of pre-Columbian artefacts, the ideal introduction to the ancient indigenous cultures which pre-date the Inca in Peru. This evening we enjoy our welcome dinner at the Huaca Pucllana Restaurant, serving elegant Peruvian cuisine with views over an ancient step pyramid. Overnight Lima (D)

Day 2 | Wednesday 4 February
Pachacamac & Historic Lima

After breakfast we join our coach and head south down the Pan-American Highway to Pachacamac, a pilgrimage site dedicated to the powerful creator god of the pre-Inca societies, which flourished until the arrival of the Spanish. Here we’ll visit the Pachacamac Citadel complex of palaces and pyramids, named in honour of the God Pachacamac, and see him represented in the on-site museum before a break for lunch. We also see part of the Qhapaq Ñan, the ancient Inka road network which once spread over more than 6,000kms, and tour the newly opened National Museum. We make our way back to our hotel via the UNESCO World Heritage listed historic centre of Lima, Ciudad de los Reyes. Dinner tonight is in one of the city’s fine local restaurants. Overnight Lima (B, D)

Day 3 | Thursday 5 February
Trujillo

We transfer to the airport this morning and take the short flight to Trujillo, an elegant colonial city in the Moche Valley of northern Peru. Though its roots date back a millennia with surviving evidence from the prehistoric Moche and Chimú cultures, Trujillo was one of the first Conquistador cities, founded in 1534 and named for the birthplace of Francisco Pizarro in Spain. Our guided walking tour takes us through the historic centre of the city, where we can admire the well-preserved Baroque and Rococo buildings adorned with delicate and distinctive wrought iron window grilles. In the main square we’ll also see the striking Freedom Monument by German sculptor Edmund Moeller commemorating Trujillo’s role in the fight for Peru’s independence from Spain and the proclamation of the city’s independence in 1820. After our tour the rest of the evening is at leisure. Overnight Trujillo (B, L)

Day 4 | Friday 6 February
Pyramids of the Sun and Moon & Chan Chan

Just outside of Trujillo lie some of Peru’s most impressive archaeological ruins and we begin our day at a site which was once the capital of the Moche civilisation. Here we see the massive Huaca del Sol - the Pyramid of the Sun – the political and administrative centre which once dominated the ancient capital, built with millions of Adobe Bricks. The smaller but better preserved Huaca de la Luna, or Temple of the Moon, was the religious centre of the site and is decorated with beautiful polychrome friezes depicting gods and various zoomorphic figures. After lunch together we make our way north to Chan Chan, capital of the ancient Chimú Empire and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Overlooking the sea and covering more than 20 kilometres, it was one of the largest pre-Columbian cities in South America. The immense palace complexes built for the Chimú rulers are covered in exquisite and intricate friezes decorated with fish, birds and the moon in elegant repetitive patterns. Returning to Trujillo the evening is at leisure. Overnight Trujillo (B, L)

Day 5 | Saturday 7 February
El Brujo & Huaca Rajada

Departing Trujillo this morning we travel by coach to the ancient Moche complex at El Brujo in the Chicama Valley. Here major archaeological excavations have revealed a number of truncated pyramids including the Huaca Cao, decorated with a series of painted murals depicting warriors, priests and human sacrifice. The pyramid also contained the intact tomb of La Señora de Cao, a mysterious tattooed female mummy who caught the attention of the world when she was revealed in 2006. Wrapped in exquisite textiles and adorned with dazzling gold jewelry, the obvious importance of her burial challenged existing archaeological theories on gender roles in pre-Hispanic Peru. After a break for our picnic-style lunch we continue on to Huaca Rajada where a series of tombs was discovered in 1987, including the undisturbed resting place of a powerful Moche ruler, El Señor de Sipán, buried with his retinue and a treasury of objects made of gold and semi-precious stones. The discovery shed much light on this hitherto little-known civilisation. After our tour of the site and adjacent museum we continue to Chiclayo to check into our hotel. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Chiclayo (B, L)

Day 6 | Sunday 8 February
The Sicán, Sipán & Tombas Reales Museums

Archaeological investigation in the area around Chiclayo has revealed a rich history of habitation and this morning we visit the Sicán Archaeological complex at Batán Grande. Here excavations have uncovered evidence of monumental temples and palaces built by the Sicán peoples, as well as highly refined irrigation systems that turned the desert into rich agricultural fields. In the Sicán Museum we see some of the stunning artifacts found during the excavations, including jewelry and religious items made from precious metals and multihued feathers, along with models of the deep shaft tombs that were discovered. After lunch together we continue to the superb Tombas Reales Museum, whose fascinating architecture was inspired by the design of ancient Moche tombs. Here we see the dazzling finds unearthed with the discovery and opening of the Sipán burial tombs we visited at Huaca Rajada the day prior. Returning to our hotel the rest of the evening is at leisure. Overnight Chiclayo (B, L)

Day 7 | Monday 9 February
Cusco & Chinchero Village

Departing Chiclayo this morning we fly south to Cusco. On arrival we join our coach and make our way into the Urubamba, or Sacred Valley, and our hotel near Huayllabamba. En route we visit the village of Chinchero and adjacent Archaeological Park. Once home to the 15th-century Inca ruler Tupac Yupanqui, the settlement was largely destroyed by the Spanish, but remains of the palatial residence and immense terraces can still be seen. After our visit to the park and a break for lunch we explore Chinchero itself. This graceful, traditional Andean village is arguably one of the loveliest in the Peruvian highlands and the village markets here are one of the best places in the valley for Andean textiles. There is time to browse and barter here before we enjoy a private weaving demonstration. Rejoining our coach we continue to our hotel. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Sacred Valley (B, L)

Day 8 | Tuesday 10 February
Ollantaytambo, Maras & Moray

Today we begin at Ollantaytambo, once the royal estate of the Emperor Pachacuti. The ruins here are second only to Pachacuti’s more famous complex estate at nearby Machu Picchu. Many of the emperor’s innovations are still in use including street plumbing, a carefully designed system of canals, fountains and terraces irrigated by mountain water. In the old section of town are some of the oldest continually occupied buildings in the Americas with pristine Inca stonework. In the mid-16th century the town was briefly the capital for resistance leader Manco Inca Yupanqui and a stronghold against the invading conquistadors. After a break for lunch we continue to the town of Maras, known for its series of cascading pools carefully controlled by a system in use since pre-Inca times, creating salt pans which are still farmed today. In nearby Moray we see where concentric terraces have been carved into huge earthen bowls and reinforced, each deep layer creating temperature differentials and their own microclimate in what may have been a pre-historic experimental farm. Returning to our hotel the evening is at leisure. Overnight Sacred Valley (B, L)

Day 9 | Wednesday 11 February
Machu Picchu

Departing early this morning we board our train for the journey through the Urubamba River Valley to Machu Picchu, the fabled lost city of the Inca. We spend the day exploring this magnificent site, a beautiful mountaintop city which is thought to have been constructed as a royal palace complex for the emperor Pachacuti and his family in the early 15th century. The structures on site suggest it was an important spiritual and ceremonial centre, but it was abandoned when the Inca Empire was conquered in the 16th century. It remained undiscovered by the Spanish conquerors and unknown to outsiders until 1911 when a local farmer led explorer Hiram Bingham to the site. At the end of the day we make our way to our hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes, set in the lush rainforest filled with blooming orchids and bromeliads, complemented by delightful bungalows scattered along the Urubamba River. Dinner tonight is in our hotel. Overnight Aguas Calientes (B, L, D)

Day 10 | Thursday 12 February
Hiking Huayna Picchu Mountain

For those wishing to return to Machu Picchu, there is the chance to watch the sunrise through the jungle mist this morning. More adventurous participants who have pre-booked the walk may choose to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu, the towering granite peak that overlooks Machu Picchu, offering spectacular views over the site. Near the top of the mountain are ancient terraces, too narrow for agricultural use, which may once have served as ornamental gardens that could be admired from the city below. There is also the option to walk part of the Inca Trail, the Qhapaq Ñan, to the Sun Gate. The afternoon is free to wander the site at leisure or return to the hotel and enjoy time relaxing in the hotel spa, bird watching or admiring over 300 orchid species which have been identified in the extensive gardens. Dinner tonight is in our hotel. Overnight Aguas Calientes (B, D)

Day 11 | Friday 13 February
Pisac

Departing Aguas Calientes this morning we take the train to Ollantaytambo where we rejoin our coach and make our way back towards Cusco. After lunch together at a hacienda in the Sacred Valley we stop at the Pisac Archaeological Park, a spectacular hilltop citadel offering views across the valley. Here in this ancient Inca settlement we see the remains of towers, temples, fountains, terraces, a cemetery and the Intihuatana, an intriguing structure thought to have been a sundial. Continuing to Cusco, we check into our centrally located hotel, where the evening is at leisure. Overnight Cusco
(B, L)

Day 12 | Saturday 14 February
Sacsayhuaman

Today begins at the vibrant Mercado de San Pedro, a bustling market just outside Cusco’s main square, filled with fresh produce, Andean grains and aromatic spices. Led by a local chef, we’ll handpick ingredients for our morning cooking class before trying our hand at classic Peruvian dishes. After enjoying the lunch we’ve prepared, a short drive takes us to Sacsayhuaman, a fortress on an artificially leveled mountaintop overlooking Cusco. Comprising three towers and colossal outer defensive walls constructed in a zigzag, the fortress was built by the Inca in the 15th century using massive stone blocks laid together without mortar. The site of fierce battle between the Inca and the invading Spanish in 1536, Sacsayhuaman was later plundered of much of its rock to build Cusco. Covered over, the remains of the fortress lay undisturbed until rediscovered by Peruvian archaeologists in 1934. According to early Spanish chroniclers it had been known as a Royal House of the Sun and the Inti Raymi, the Inca celebration of the winter solstice, is celebrated here each year. Heading back into Cusco the evening is at leisure. Overnight Cusco (B, L)

Day 13 | Sunday 15 February
Pikillacta & Rumicolca

The pre-Inca Wari civilization emerged in the coastal and highland regions of Peru around 600CE and this morning we visit the archaeological park at Pikillaqta, one of the sites once occupied by the Wari in the region. This provincial city was a significant administrative, ceremonial and military hub and Pikillaqta has become an important archaeological research site. As well as uncovering an impressive array of structures, excavations have revealed a sophisticated hydraulic system of canals, reservoirs and aqueducts that provided water for the settlement and for the cultivation of maize – a major food source. We have time to explore this vast site and the nearby Wari aqueduct at Rumicolca before enjoying lunch at a local restaurant in the countryside. Returning to Cusco the afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight Cusco (B, L)

Day 14 | Monday 16 February
Cusco City

Cusco has been the site of indigenous occupation for thousands of years and was the centre of the Inca Empire until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The City of Cusco, the historic cwentre of the modern city, has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage status in recognition of the preserved urban layout of the Inca city, overlaid with the colonial Baroque architecture of the Spanish as well as local flourishes. This morning we take a guided walking tour through the historic centre, discovering the traces of the Inca city and appreciating the fusion of styles in buildings such as the monumental cathedral and the Dominican Priory, built over the foundations of the Incan Temple of the Sun which once stood there. After our tour the afternoon is at leisure before we meet for our farewell dinner this evening. Overnight Cusco (B, D)

Day 15 | Tuesday 17 February
Departure

Following breakfast this morning we check out of our hotel and join a flight to Lima Airport where our tour concludes. (B)