All you ever dreamed about - and more. Go beyond the Andes and Machu Picchu: add Colca Canyon and unique activities to experience authentic Peru.

Arrive at Lima International Airport by scheduled flight.

After proceeding through immigration, please collect your bags and continue through customs. A representative of Orient-Express will be waiting in the arrivals hall to escort you to your driver/vehicle for your transfer to your hotel. The journey time will take approximately 45 minutes, depending on local traffic conditions.

Lima was founded by Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and has been the dynamic capital of the Spanish Viceroyalty and the Republic of Peru ever since. A great cultural city, it is known for its many museums, galleries and archaeological sites, as well as festivals, cutting-edge cuisine and shopping for exquisite local crafts.

Stay at: Miraflores Park Hotel
Executive Suite
Meals : No Meals

Breakfast will be at your hotel.

Morning tour of Lima. Visit the historic centre around the Plaza Mayor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pass by the Cathedral, with its splendid carved stalls and silver altars, the Government Palace, the City Hall and the Archbishop's Palace. Continue to the San Francisco Monastery which houses the largest exhibition of Colonial religious art in America.

Moving on to modern Lima, we visit the fascinating Larco Herrera Museum, located in a unique 18th century mansion, which features Peru’s finest collection of ancient gold and silver and the famous display of erotic archaeological works.

Enjoy lunch in the Café Del Museo at the Larco Herrera Museum. Set in the garden of this beautiful colonial building, it has a terrace surrounded by colourful flowers and a modern, bright interior.

The rest of the afternoon will be at your leisure.

Stay at: Miraflores Park Hotel  
Executive Suite
Meals : Breakfast/Lunch

After breakfast, please meet your Orient-Express representative at the lobby who will escort you to the airport.

Upon arrival in Cusco you will be met after luggage collection by the Orient-Express representative and travel to your hotel in the Sacred Valley. Enjoy a one-and-a-half hour scenic drive through stunning landscapes to the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

On the way we stop at the town of Pisac, renowned for its huge, colourful market. Local Indians have gathered here for centuries to sell their merchandise. The daily handicraft section is famous for ceramic jewellery, textiles and other Peruvian artefacts. 

Continue to your hotel for check in and lunch.

This afternoon we continue to the town of Ollantaytambo, one of the oldest continuously occupied settlements in the Americas. It sits beside one of the Urubamba Valley’s greatest Inca fortresses and sacred sites. Sixteen massive terraces are testimony to the exceptional skills of Inca masons. Climb the 260 steep stone steps up to the imposing fortress at the top of the mountain for breathtaking views down the valley, and admire the huge monoliths that form the Temple of the Sun.

Stay at: Hotel Rio Sagrado
Deluxe Room
Meals : Breakfast/Lunch
 

This morning we visit Chinchero, a small Andean Indian village located high up on the windswept plains of Anta at 3762m above sea level, about 30km from Cusco. There are beautiful views of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with the Cordillera Vilcabamba and the snow-capped peak of Salkantay dominating the horizon.

Continue to the little town of Maras, from where we hike to the ruins of the Inca “agricultural laboratory” at Moray. Its circular terraces were used to test the development of different strains of crops. There is a temperature variation between the highest and lowest terraces of up to 15 degrees. This creates distinct microclimates that allow the propagation of a huge variety of plants, each with slightly different requirements for growth.

We return to the ancient town of Maras with its vast church and impressive Spanish doorways. We then drop down into the Sacred Valley of the Incas to the salt pans of Salineras. Here more than 5000 historic terraces are still in active use. Many local families bring their salt to the Urubamba market on mules.

Stay at: Hotel Rio Sagrado
Deluxe Room
Meals : Breakfast/Picnic lunch

This morning you will be privately transferred to Ollantaytambo station from where you will travel to the great Inca citadel of Machu Picchu on board the Vistadome train. Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes train station, a 25-minute bus ride will bring you to the ruins of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu stands 2,430 metres above sea level, encircled by tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful environment. At its height it must have been the Inca empire’s supreme urban creation; its giant walls, terraces and ramps were hewn and built with consummate skill. Its natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, showcases the rich diversity of flora and fauna of the upper Amazon basin.

Stay at: Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge
Mountain View Room
Meals : Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

This morning you may rise early and enjoy a walk through Machu Picchu at sunrise, an experience that is invariably a highlight of a visit to Machu Picchu.

You will have the opportunity to take one of two hikes. The first is to Inti Punku, or the Sun Gate. This is the entry point to Machu Picchu on the Inca Trail and offers excellent views of the ruins (approx 2 hours). The second is the hike up Huayna Picchu, the highest mountain that is part of the ruins. From the top is an amazing panorama of the surrounding mountain landscapes, as well as a unique view of the ‘lost city’ itself (approx 2.5 hours). Or just relax and continue exploring this magnificent citadel on your own.

Late afternoon bus transfer to Aguas Calientes station. Board the Vistadome train to Cusco and enjoy a gourmet dinner as you travel back to Poroy station. Meet your Orient-Express representative who will escort you to your hotel.

Stay at: Hotel Monasterio
Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch

This morning enjoy a half day tour of Cusco, which includes a visit to the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas and the Koricancha complex, a Dominican church and convent built on the foundations of the Incas’ principal religious building, dedicated to the worship of the sun.
Your tour includes visits to the impressive fortress of Sacsayhuaman; the amphitheatre and religious site of Kenko; and the Inca baths and water temple of Tambomachay and its red fortress, Puca-Pucara.

Afternoon will be at your leisure.

Stay at: Hotel Monasterio
Deluxe Room
Meals: Breakfast/Dinner

Morning will be at your leisure.

Midday transfer to Cusco airport for your flight to Arequipa.

Upon arrival in Arequipa, you will be met by an Orient-Express guide. On the way to your hotel enjoy a short tour of Peru’s White City, named for its buildings made from sillar, a white volcanic rock. See the Plaza de Armas, the cloisters adjacent to the Jesuit Church and the picturesque Yanahuara and Chilina districts, which offer magnificent views of the Misti Volcano.

Stay at: Hotel Libertador Arequipa
Junior Suite
Meals: Breakfast

Morning transfer by hotel vehicle to the Colca Valley (4-5 hours). This spectacular journey past snow-capped volcanoes, herds of vicuna and vast lakelands populated by beautiful birds is an experience in itself.

The Colca Valley boasts some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Peru: towering white peaks, deep ravines, superb terracing, and sleepy villages dating back to the 16th century. Along this spectacular canyon lie 14 beautifully preserved colonial towns in which the Spaniards settled the ancient Collagua and Cabana tribes, whose descendants can be seen today, working in the fields. The Colca valley also offers fabulous opportunities to view the Andean condor, worshipped by the Incas as the messenger of the Gods.

Arrive in Las Casitas del Colca.

This afternoon and tomorrow enjoy the activities of your choice:

Bird Watching
The skies of Colca Canyon hold many delights for bird watchers. This amazing valley is home to numerous species including eagles, woodpeckers and the giant hummingbird - the largest hummingbird in the world. The canyon is the natural habitat of the majestic Andean condor, a huge vulture with a wingspan of up to 3 metres, known for its elegant and spectacular flight.

Cooking Classes
Discover how to prepare typical Andean cuisine using the finest local ingredients (which you can pick from the garden yourself).

Horseback Riding
There are many enjoyable trails all around the hotel. Upon request, you can ride to the delightful village of Yanque.

Bicycle Rides
Ride through the property or to the village of Yanque and the surrounding areas (according to your level of fitness).

Thermal Waters
Enjoy a dip in the natural thermal waters at Yanque, a 40 minute walk from the hotel.

Vegetable Gardens
Our garden has a great selection of local vegetables and herbs and is the perfect place to learn about the crops that have been cultivated in this region for hundreds of years. It offers a real insight into the culture of the Colca valley.

Trout Pond
Armed with a rustic fishing rod - a wooden stick, fishing line and hook - you are invited to catch what you can and hand it over to our chefs who will cook it for dinner.

Feeding the Alpacas
Guests are invited to assist our farm workers with bottle feeding our young alpacas. This is a great opportunity to get close to some of the Colca Canyon's unique fauna.

Stay at: Las Casitas del Colca
Classic Casita
Meals : Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning at leisure to continue enjoying the hotel’s activities.

After an early lunch depart for Arequipa airport for your flight back to Lima.

On arrival in Lima you will be assisted to connect with your international flight home or extend your stay in Lima.

Meals : Breakfast/Lunch

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