$2997
(non-member: $3097)
Single Room–$741

   Activity Level:
     25% Easy;
     70% Moderate
       5% Strenuous
  (Moderate rating primarily
   due to altitude)

• Pisaq Market of traditional crafts

Airport:  Lima, Peru (LIM)

Arrive: Lima (LIM) on Thursday, 15 April.  Most flights arrive in the late evening of 15 April.

Depart: Lima (LIM) no earlier than 11:00PM on  Friday, 23 April. (Some flights depart in the very early hours on 24 April)  Be sure to book the correct return date!

Early Arrival:
   WTT is not making early arrival hotel arrangements for this trip.

Special Notes Regarding this Trip:
   You will need a valid passport for this trip. No VISA is required for US or Canadian citizens.

Check your expiration date. It cannot expire less than 6 months after your travel completes.

· Air from your home or air to your home

· Any departure taxes or other fees imposed by the local government that must be paid at the time of services or border crossings, etc.

Notes:
1) The hotel nights for this trip are primarily 5 star accommodations. These world renown hotels are consistently voted top picks by Trip Advisor at each location.

2) The high elevation in Cuzco is often very taxing initially, making normal activities like walking up stairs seem difficult until you acclimate to the altitude. Anyone with breathing difficulties should not take this trip.

 

Thursday, 15 April: Arrive Lima, Peru

Flights arrive into Lima late in the evening on 15 April. Upon arrival in Lima you will be transferred to the hotel as a group.  Overnight at the Casa Andina Private Collection Lima. www.casa-andina.com

Friday, 16 April: Lima City Tour, Welcome Dinner

We will meet as a group for a late breakfast to get acquainted and then depart for our city tour. We will tour the "City of the Kings".  Our motor coach will take us to the colonial landmarks and monuments that earned the historical center of Lima inclusion in UNESCO's World Heritage list. We start by visiting the Casa Aliaga, America's best preserved colonial mansion, occupied by the same family since 1535. As we drive to the Convento de los Descalzos, built in 1592, we pass through the historic district of Rimac, where you will be able to see the Paseo de Aguas and Alameda de los Descalzos, two of the most beautiful Colonial constructions in Peru. Finally we will see the San Francisco Monastery, an architectural masterpiece. The reminder of the day is free until we depart for dinner.

Dinner at Rosa Nautica. This unique restaurant is set on the water with views of the Pacific Ocean and features both Peruvian and International cuisine. Still, it is its refined seafood cuisine this restaurant is famous for.  Overnight at the Casa Andina Private Collection Lima.  (B,D)

Saturday, 17 April:  Lima/Cusco/ Sacred Valley

In the morning we will fly to Cusco (local departure tax of $12 is not included and must be paid at time of travel in cash). We travel by motor coach towards the ‘Sacred Valley of the Incas‘. On your way to the hotel, we will visit Awanacancha, a center where South American camels - better known as llamas - are bred.  Learn about the renowned fiber of llamas, alpacas and vicunas as well as the ancient weaving techniques, which are still used today. We will have dinner and Overnight at the Aranwa & Spa 5*. (B,D)

Sunday, 18 April: Morning Rafting or Relax at Hotel

This morning, you have an option. For those with an adventuresome spirit we will go on a rafting adventure down the Urubamba River. Don't worry if you have never rafted. It is easy, and a whole lot of fun. We have taken many women over the years rafting with no experience and they just love it!  There will be calm water where you can get the feel of paddling before experiencing the thrill of a little white-water in a series of Class II and III rapids.  A picnic lunch will be served en route. If you wish to remain at the hotel instead, we will pick you up after lunch on your own and connect you with the rest of the group.

Following this exciting adventure, we will travel to Ollantaytambo, the Inca Fortress, and walk through the quaint streets of the nearby town. Overnight at the Aranwa & Spa 5* (B, Boxed Lunch, D)

Monday, 19 April:  Machu Picchu

Today we visit Machu Picchu! We have a morning transfer to the Ollanta train station to board our rail coach for the one-and-a-half hour train ride to Machu Picchu.  Following the train trip we will take a 25-minute motor coach ascent to "The Lost City of the Incas" where you will have a guided tour of the marvelous citadel - an awe-inspiring experience.

Buffet lunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge hotel (adjacent to the citadel’s entrance). After lunch you may enter the citadel for a second time without paying an additional entrance fee.

After a full day  we return to our hotel which is located near Machu Picchu to relax and have dinner together. Overnight at the luxury resort ‘Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel‘.  Machu-Picchu Pueblo Hotel  (B, L, D)

Tuesday, 20 April: Machu Picchu/Cusco

This morning take advantage to visit the citadel one last time (bus transfer and entrance fee not included) or just enjoy the hotel and its many amenities and services. We will have lunch at the hotel before returning to Cusco by rail and transferring to our hotel - the Novotel Cusco 4* for the evening. Dinner is at the hotel. (B, L, D)

Wednesday, 21 April: Cusco

After breakfast this morning we take a tour of the city of Cusco.  Four roads once led from Cusco’s main square to the four corners of the Inca empire that extended from what is today Ecuador and part of Colombia to northern Chile and Argentina, including all of Peru and Bolivia.  Due to its position as the capital of the Inca dynasty, contemporary Cusco, a city of 3,200 meters above sea level (10,500 ft) is a showcase of different cultures: Pre-Inca, Inca Colonial and Republican.  The Inca’s most sacred building in Cusco, the Korikancha (Temple of the Sun), forms part of the Spanish church of Santo Domingo today.

    We will travel past the Loreto alley, a fine sample of the old town and its remarkable Inca walls.  After visiting the Santo Domingo Monastery- the Legendary Koricancha – we continue to San Blas, visiting its beautiful colonial church and taking time to stroll through the many handicraft and native-art galleries in the small little square.  Roam the ancient quarters of angle stone and visit the Cathedral at the Plaza de Armas.   One of San Blas’ artisans will show you how they work.

    The afternoon is at leisure to explore on your own. This evening, dinner will be at restaurant Incanto, located a few meters off the main square. This restaurant features an original Inca as well as a Pre-Inca wall. The dining room across the small bar is decorated with sepia pictures from Martin Chambi. The images of this pioneer Indian photographer, who is regarded as one of the most important photographers of the last century, depict Cusco’s heritage of highland Indian culture. (B,D)

Thursday, 22 April: CUSCO and  Pisaq Market

This morning we drive to Pisaq where hundreds of visitors and people from remote communities dressed in their traditional and colorful attires meet to market and sell their products. Today, the market also has a tourist element, so there is an opportunity to buy souvenirs.

Afternoon on your own. We suggest a visit to the Center for Textiles in Cusco located in the popular ‘Avenida Sol‘. This center aims to recover and strengthen ancient textile traditions. As part of its activities it runs a local museum, which boasts an excellent display covering aspects of the history, archaeology and everyday life of the local communities.

Cusqueñan textiles, considered as precious as gold by the Incas, were in danger of extinction as the traditional Andean culture began changing. Different techniques and patterns dating back thousands of years are displayed in its rooms.                                   

For dinner tonight you are free to explore the many choices in town. A superb choice might be dinner at La Cicciolina. This chic restaurant is a favorite in town.  (B)

Friday, 23 April: Cusco / Lima / Return Home

Today enjoy some free time in Cusco before we return to Lima in the early afternoon by air (departure tax of $12 not included). There will be time for additional shopping before we have one last dinner together at Casa Hacienda Moreyra.

This restaurant has become in short time one of Lima’s most glamorous places to dine. The upscale area of San Isidro used to be one large agricultural hacienda, and this restaurant is located in what used to be the main house of a large manor. The Casa Hacienda’s early owners were all members of Lima’s aristocracy. It was the Count of San Isidro, a former resident of the hacienda, who gave his name to the district. Today the 300-year-old colonial mansion has been authentically restored as an elegant grand home with five cozy saloons decorated with period antiques and original art work from Peru’s National Institute. Do not miss the opportunity to walk through the restaurant’s extensive olive grove. It is said that the original landowner, Don Antonio de Rivera, brought the seeds from Seville in the 16th century.

The tour concludes at the airport in the late evening (9:00pm) on 23 April.  Please make your return flight no earlier than 11:00PM.  Some flights will depart on 24 April - just after midnight - so please in sure that you have booked the correct day of departure. (departure taxes of $47 are generally not included with your return air and must be paid in cash)  (B, D)

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