Discovery of Peru through the local gastronomy and its wine regions. On the program: meetings with local producers, discovery of the manufacturing process of their products, or tastings of natural wines and Pisco, the national drink of Peru!
Suggested duration: 16 days
Theme: Food & wine
Difficulty : For all public
Visited countries: Peru
Lima
Barranco, Peru
Paracas, Peru
Paracas
Lima, Peru
Arequipa, Peru
Arequipa
21115, Peru
Titicaca, Puno, Peru
08245, Peru
Cusco
Huayopata District, Peru
Lucmabamba
08675, Peru
08680, Peru
Meet and Greet at the arrival of your international flight at Jorge Chavez airport in Lima and transfer to the hotel. An English representative will greet you at the airport and hand you over your travel documents.
Night at the hotel Barranco’s Bed & Breakfast
Get ready for a gastronomic walking tour in the colorful district of Barranco.
On the program, visit of this emblematic district of Lima and tasting some of the best traditional drinks and courses of the Peruvian gastronomy.
Learn how to prepare the popular ceviche, causa, lomo saltado and the famous Pisco Sour cocktail. You will also enjoy some coffee and chocolate tastings, so iconic of Peru, in small specialty stores. You will visit a local market to discover some of the most popular fruits and vegetables of the country.
Your guide will tell you the cultural and historical anecdotes behind each of these traditional dishes.
Do not forget your appetite during the tour, you will certainly need it!
*Duration: 4 hours
**English Speaking guide
You then enjoy a free afternoon at leisure in Lima.
Suggestions:
In Miraflores , you can go to the craft market on Calle Petit Thouars or take a walk through the Parque de Amor located along the Malecon facing the Pacific Ocean …
In Barranco , we advise you to wander the streets around main square, the Bridge of Sighs and along the Malecon, to discover the charming architecture and colorful houses of the bohemian district of the capital. Between designer boutiques, street-arts, street musicians and colonial mansions, you’ll find two merged worlds in Barranco!
Night at the hotel Barranco’s Bed & Breakfast
Departure by private vehicle on the Panamericana Road.
Along the way, you will be accompanied with your English speaking guide, and stop at the family farm of Beatrice, where her parents started olive growing 20 years ago, in this very fertile land of Chilca, located 60 km south of Lima.
You will discover the process of artisan production of your wines and olives, before tasting the organic products in the beautiful hacienda.
*Duration: around 01h30.
In mid- afternoon, you can do a fun ride in sand dunes by buggy. You will arrive at the top of the dunes, where you will enjoy a glass of champagne and some snacks while admiring the sunset.
**Note: excursion only available in the afternoon
***Duration : around 3 hours
You the drive and check in at your hotel in Paracas, time to relax.
Night at the hotel San Agustin Paracas.
Departure for Ica. Discover the breeding of scallops with Luis, who discovered in 2005 in the heart of the Paracas Reserve a great place for them to grow.
You will go by boat to an island a few meters from the bay, where scallops are raised, and if you get lucky you will observe sea lions.
For the more adventurous, dive into the ocean to get your own lunch. As you return to the shore, you will enjoy a seafood platter in your beautiful surroundings on the beach, within the nature reserve and you will have the opportunity to go for a swim.
Notes:
*Bring a swimsuit/swimming trunks and a bath towel
**The ocean’s temperature is about 15 to 18 degres.
***Entrance fee to Paracas National Reserve is required.
Night at Viñas Queirolo hotel.
This beautiful establishment will allow you to live a day in the heart of nature, vineyards, and taste the regional wine and pisco. You will start at 4.30pm by visiting the vineyard with a sommelier. You will discover the distillation zone where you will be explained the techniques for making wine and pisco.
Then you can taste a sparkling wine from the top of the viewpoint with a magnificent view of the vineyards at sunset. You will end the excursion with a wine and pisco tasting.
Note: Shared excursion with hotel guests available only in Spanish
Night at Viñas Queirolo hotel.
Private transport back to Lima ant transfer to your hotel. Morning at leisure. Discover the best Pisco from all over the country at Carlos and Leslie’s restaurant called 8 Cepas, all in a friendly family atmosphere.
You will receive explanations on the grape varieties and manufacturing processes of Pisco from an expert and enjoy a cocktail on the terrace at the end of the tasting, the famous Pisco Sour.
*Duration of the excursion: around 01h30
Night at the hotel Barranco’s Bed & Breakfast
Transfer from your hotel to Lima airport. Board your domestic flight to Arequipa. Meet and Greet in Arequipa airport and transfer to the hotel. Free afternoon in Arequipa, the white city.
Suggestions:
Arequipa is the perfect city to wander in the streets and between the colonial buildings: the Plaza of Armas and the cathedral, Santa Catalina Monastery or the district of San Lorenzo, picturesque district known as the oldest district of the city.
Arequipa is also known for its textile crafts. The carefully crafted alpaca wool garments and leather hats are of exceptional quality!
To end the day, you can go to the Yanahuara viewpoint, offering an overview of the white city and its surrounding volcanoes.
Night at the Palla Boutique Hotel. Junior Suite room
A 9am start for a full day tour uncovering the gorgeous White City of Arequipa.
You start with the visit of the colorful San Camilo market composed of more than 1.500 stalls of diverse products.
You continue to the Plaza de Armas with a stop on the way to the convent and sacristy of the Jesuit church, built in the XVII century.
After, you will visit the Fransciscan Recoleta monastery, founded in 1648. Masterpiece of the colonial architecture, typical of Arequipa. It is home to four beautiful and absolutely quiet cloisters. You can go up to the monastery mirador to enjoy the view over the city.
*Note: closing of the monastery on Sundays
You then go on a 15 minutes walk to reach the viewpoint of Yanahuara, where you will be able to observe the Misti volcano.
Then we are heading to a cooking class at the Tío Dario restaurant to discover the gastronomy of the Andes and Arequipa. You will master the best local recipes and the most popular cocktail in Peru: the Pisco Sour!
After lunch, you will visit the impressive Santa Catalina monastery which is a small city in the heart of the city. Its narrow streets, colorful small houses and fountains will remind you a bit of Andalusia.
Return by foot to the hotel. We invite you to enjoy a demonstration of the cuisine of the Andes and Arequipa.
The Tio Dario Restaurant opens its doors (and its kitchens!) And its chef will show you his talents so you can master the best local recipes and Peru’s most popular cocktail, the Pisco Sour!
**Note: Private cooking class subject to other registrations that day
You will enjoy an exceptional atmosphere from the spring garden of the restaurant. Lunch included after the cooking class.
Night at the Palla Boutique Hotel. Junior Suite room
Departure by private vehicle directly to Puno, located on the shores of the Lake Titicaca. This itinerary allows us to discover the rather unusual landscapes of the Altiplano. On the way, visit the Chullpas in Sillustani, circular funerary towers built in stone and up to twelve meters high.
*Note: box lunch included.
Night at the hotel Tierra Viva Puno Plaza.
Departure at 7am to the local market to discover a wide variety of products typical from the region of Puno. Together with your guide, you will buy all the ingredients needed to prepare the meals of the day.
Around 8am, transfer to the harbor to reach the Uros Islands by boat. After a scenic twenty-five minutes boat ride, you will visit the floating islands which are not natural but were built by the Uros tribe, whose main activity is fishing.
In the late morning, we will continue the navigation towards the Capachica Peninsula to reach the small harbor of Llachon. Greeted by a local family and you will prepare the lunch all together.
Traditional lunch with the Peruvian family.
The afternoon you will learn about the daily life of your hosts and especially the activities related to agriculture or fishing. You also have the option to hike on the peninsula or to go by small boat on the lake.
In the middle of the afternoon, you will return to Puno and be transferred to the hotel.
Night at the hotel Tierra Viva Puno Plaza.
Transfer from the hotel to Puno bus station. At 06:45 departure in tourist bus to Cusco, the heart of the Inca Empire (Spanish-English local guide for the whole group in the bus).
You will enjoy beautiful landscapes throughout the journey, passing by Raya Mountain Pass at 4 320 meters above sea level.
Stop at the village of Pukara, here we will visit the archaeological museum of Pukara.
*Lunch included (buffet restaurant in Marangani).
You continue to Raqchi to visit the temple of Wiracocha, built with the lava of the Quinchasata volcano. Discover the remains of the great administrative city which contains notably more than 160 circular constructions that served as warehouses to the Empire.
Visit of the church of Andahuaylillas, nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of the Andes for its inner wealth (wall paintings overlaid on 3 centuries, paintings, altar carved and gilded with gold leaf, organ).
Arrival in Cusco at the end of the day. Meet and greet at Cusco terminal bus and transfer to the hotel. An English speaking guide will escort you to your hotel.
Night at the hotel El Retablo.
This morning you go on a half day tour focusing on Cuzco’s historical downtown.
Walk through the picturesque streets and squares of the San Blas neighborhood. Visit the Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), and the Cathedral which has many paintings and other treasures made of gold, silver and precious stones. In the late afternoon, accompanied by a professional bartender you will learn how to prepare your own cocktails in 3 emblematic restaurants of Cusco and you will enjoy of taste of pisco’s various flavors.
You will begin the journey in the bar Tavern of the Pachapapa restaurant with an introduction to Pisco, its history, and the description of its fermentation process. You will continue with the tasting of 3 types of pisco, and learn how to make the signature cocktail of the house (Cholo Sour, derived from the coca leaf).
Then, you’ll be heading to the Kion restaurant to prepare a Ten’Cantalá, a cocktail starring pisco and ginger.
You’ll end the experience in Calle del Medio with a tasting of a pisco punch, meanwhile sharing a delicious appetizer.
*Duration: between 1h30 et 2 hours.
**You will be accompanied by an English-speaking guide throughout the day.
Night at the hotel El Retablo.
You go for a three-day immersion with the community of local producers from Lucmabamba Valley. You will discover all the secrets of coffee making, honey and passion fruit.
On the way, you will cross beautiful Andean scenery and go through the mountain pass of Abra Malaga, at 4,316 meters above sea level. At this altitude, you will walk through the endemic shrubby trees called Polylepis. You will then descend to the village of Huayopata, observing a real change of ecosystem. Welcome to the Selva, with its banana trees and its coffee plantations!
Arrival in Huayopata, you will be greeted by Julia and walk through the plantations to discover all the local fruits.
*Lunch at Julia’s house.
In the early afternoon, you will head by private vehicle to the Colcamayo’s thermal baths. Enjoy a relaxing moment on the banks of the Urubamba River, in this complex featuring three pools of different sizes and depths, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees.
At the end of the day, you will reach Enrique’s house and his family, located in the village of Lucmabamba (2,040 meters above sea level).
Night at Enrique’s home. Private room and bathroom with hot water during your stay.
Note: For these three days, you will need to bring a small backpack. In the train to Aguas Calientes the luggage limit is 8 kg per person. The rest of your luggage will be kept at your hotel in Sacred Valley or Cusco. An English speaking guide will accompany you. Entrance included to the Colcamayo hot springs.
After a good homemade breakfast, you will take a local taxi to Don Gato and Margot’s property, passion fruit producers in Lucmabamba.
The NGO Care has been working since 2014 in the region to support local agricultural productivity and contribute to the local women’s emancipation and empowerment.
This is how Don Gato and Margot developed their small local business. They will teach you how to harvest the passion fruit and their sales process. You will also taste several related products such as jam, ice cream, and even a pisco sour with passion fruit!
Then heading to Renée’s home, honey producer. She too was accompanied by Care, and is now part of an association that brings together 30 women. She will introduce you to the process of making honey and will make you try several kinds of honey and its derivatives.
Back to Enrique’s house for lunch.
In the early afternoon, you will join Enrique to pick up coffee beans and learn the different stages of coffee making: depulping, roasting, grinding the beans. Coffee will have no secrets for you!
*Note: Walk of about 1.5 hours to get to the coffee parcels
Free time in late afternoon, dinner with local family. You will be accompanied by an English-speaking throughout the day.
Night in homestay with the family.
In the morning, departure for a 12-kilometre hike on the Inca Trail to the village located at the foot of Machu Picchu.
The route crosses a valley with abundant vegetation. You will start with a climb of about 2h30 to the Mirador de Qelloqasa (2,860m), then to the archaeological site of Llactapata, which you will visit with your guide. This place was once used by the Incas as a temple and a resting place.
From Llactapata, you will enjoy a splendid view of Machu Picchu.
After the visit, you will go down to the Aobamba Valley for about 2 hours until you reach the Hydroelectrica train station.
Lunch, then departure by train to Aguas Calientes. You will be accompanied by your English-speaking guide throughout the day.
Check in at your hotel.
*Difference in altitude: + 800 meters / – 1000 meters
**Walking time: Between 4:30 and 6 hours depending on your walking pace and breaks.
Night at the Tierra Viva Machu Picchu hotel.
You will take a direct connection to the shuttle service that will drive you to the iconic site of Machu Picchu.
Departures, for the ascent and as well as the descent, run every 5 minutes.
*Note:
Your guide takes you on the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. Arrival on the sacred city of Machu Picchu, wonder of the world.
Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca city of the fifteenth century in Peru. Abandoned during the collapse of the Inca empire, the sacred city of the Incas, was forgotten for centuries. It is considered as a masterpiece of the architecture of this civilization. It was unveiled by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911.
In 1983, Machu Picchu was declared UNESCO World Heritage List. On July 7, 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World by the New Open World Foundation, an unofficial and commercial organization. Finally the site is part of a entire cultural and natural complex known as the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu.
**Note 1: 1st access to the site 6h, last access: 14h.
Entrance to Machu Picchu is regulated by a 4-hour slot on the site. We will communicate the entry schedule to the site that we recommend according to your program. Once confirmed, your official time for entering the site cannot be changed.
***Note 2: Option to include the ascent of Huayna Picchu or Montaña Machu Picchu (these two climbs are subject to quotas and require early booking).
In mid afternoon you take the train to Ollantaytambo.
***Note 3: The train company allows passengers to carry a cabin bag of up to 8kg maximum per person. It will be necessary to leave your checked luggage at the deposit of the hotel in the Sacred Valley and Cusco.
Meet and greet at Ollantaytambo’s train station and transfer to the hotel in Cusco.
Night at the hotel El Retablo.
Transfer from your hotel to Cusco’s airport. You will have an English speaking assistance from your hotel to the airport. You board your domestic flight to Lima.
