7-Nights Culinary and Cultural Peru: Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu & Cuzco — CALL

Avanti Destinations: Culinary and Cultural Peru

Day 1 Lima
Upon arrival at Lima Airport, meet your English speaking guide for your transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax or explore your surroundings. Dinner on your own this evening and your hotel can assist with some recommendations.

Centrally Located Hotel In Lima, ( )

Day 2 Lima
After breakfast, your guide will meet you in the lobby for an unforgettable culinary adventure, beginning your tour at a typical Peruvian market. There you will find a broad variety of national ingredients, among which you will find traditional Peruvian fruit like cherimoya, lucuma and aguaymanto. If you love sea food, there's no doubt you will be surprised by the extent of fish and shellfish species that the market has to offer. Then, visit an exclusive restaurant in Lima where you see a demonstration on how to prepare a pisco sour and ceviche; two great representatives of the Peruvian flavor. Finally, you will enjoy a delicious lunch with Peru's most important dishes. The remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure. Tonight you'll enjoy a visit to the remarkable Larco Museum, which boasts an incomparable collection of treasures from ancient Peru. This impressive collection of more than 45,000 exhibits- inspires visitors to discover, understand, and enjoy more than five thousand years of Peruvian history. At the end of the visit, enjoy a delicious dinner in the museum's restaurant before returning to your hotel.

Centrally Located Hotel In Lima, (B, L, D )

Day 3 Lima, Sacred Valley
At a scheduled time, you'll have a transfer to the airport to board the short flight to Cuzco, and then proceed to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. En route to the village of Pisac, you'll stop at the Hacienda Sarapampa, a hidden magical place that time has forgotten. The owners still produce the famous Giant Corn of the Andes and will be pleased to prepare a Farm-to-Table lunch for you. Then it's on to Ollantaytambo; an Inca military, religious and agricultural center built on a mountain summit. There you can see the narrow streets of the eponymous village, together with canals unchanged since the Inca Empire. Upon arrival at your hotel, the evening is at your leisure and dinner will be on your own.

Centrally Located Hotel In Sacred Valley, ( B,L )

Day 4 Sacred Valley
After breakfast, your guide will meet you in the lobby for your departure to the Piuray Lagoon, where your sport and adventure day will begin. First, you'll have the option of selecting a stand up paddleboard or kayak, followed by a safety talk and technical practice of paddling on land. While moving through the lagoon, you can appreciate the great natural landscapes of the area. At the end of your experience on water, enjoy a snack surrounded by the beauty of the lagoon. Then you'll continue to the Misminay community, located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Upon arrival, the townspeople will give you a warm welcome with typical music and dances. Here, you will experience the Andean lifestyle up-close, and explore local botanical plants through a wonderful cooking class. You'll begin with the planting and harvesting of some products, according to the season. Then along side your hosts, you will prepare a delicious traditional dish using only local products, and then enjoy them for lunch. In the afternoon, your hosts will guide you with music and chants towards the Moray Viewpoint, where you will have a privileged view of this important Inca agricultural center and the Sacred Valley. When this amazing cultural exchange experience is over, you will return to your hotel.

Centrally Located Hotel In Sacred Valley, ( B,L )

Day 5 Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu
After breakfast, transfer to the train station for a visit to one of the most important archaeological sites in the world: Machu Picchu. The excursion will be via the Vistadome Train with a private local guide, and starts with a trip to the intriguing town of Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. Your larger luggage will stay at your hotel in the Sacred Valley, as only overnight bags or back packs are allowed on the train. You'll meet back up with your luggage after your return from Machu Picchu. The natural beauty of the surroundings makes the train the best way to start your visit. When you arrive, you will start the ascent to the ruins by bus, which will be without a doubt, one of your most unforgettable experiences. At Machu Picchu enjoy a guided tour where you will view one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World and take some impressive photos. Then it's back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch in Cafe Inkaterra. After this exhilarating trip, you can relax at your hotel, or soak in one of the warm medicinal pools before enjoying Peruvian specialties at your dinner this evening.

Centrally Located Hotel In Aguas Calientes, ( B,L )

Day 6 Machu Picchu, Cuzco
Enjoy the buffet breakfast and relax as the morning is at your leisure. For the adventurous, there is an optional morning visit to the archeological complex on your own. The second entrance to Machu Picchu includes round trip bus ride; however does not include guide nor lunch. You can verify the schedule of your entrance with a maximum 4 hours in the citadel. In the afternoon, you'll board the train back to Ollanta, and transfer to Cuzco - stopping at your original Sacred Valley hotel to collect the rest of your luggage. After checking in to your hotel, you'll be treated to a luxurious cheese & wine tasting at Baco, a restaurant located in the downtown area. You'll have the opportunity to sample some of the best national and international wines, as well as trying some exquisite varieties of cheeses. With its rustic wood and iron decorations, as well as its colorful paintings, Baco creates a relaxed and welcoming environment. Afterwards, there is still time to explore the nearby sites before dinner on your own this evening.

Centrally Located Hotel In Cuzco, ( B )

Day 7 Cuzco
After breakfast, meet your guide for a walking tour of Cuzco, and learn about the coexistence of the Andean and Spanish cultures. We'll begin at the Koricancha; an ancient, sacred space that the Incas dedicated to the worship of the sun and the moon. And over which the order of the Dominican friars built the Santo Domingo Temple. Then, a visit to the Main Square, located across the imposing Cathedral and the magnificent Jesuit Church. We'll view additional historic colonial buildings, which together compose some of the most beautiful and captivating scenery in Peru. After working up an appetite, our next stop takes us to the restaurant at the Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art (MAP). Located in the beautiful courtyard of a colonial mansion, we'll experience a lesson of the best examples of Andean cuisine. Afterwards, enjoy a delicious lunch in a sophisticated, yet relaxed atmosphere. But save room for dessert, as there is an optional chocolate making class. Peru is a producer of many of the fine cacao varieties in the world. Learn all the steps to make chocolate, from harvesting of the cacao in a plantation, to the production of a chocolate bar. You will roast the cacao beans, peel them and grind them to produce a paste. This cacao paste was used to prepare the first known cacao drink, the traditional hot chocolate. In addition, you will be able to take your own chocolate home! Dinner will be on your own this evening.

Centrally Located Hotel In Cuzco, ( B,L )

Day 8 Cuzco
After breakfast, meet your driver for your transfer to Cuzco Airport, and onward to your next Avanti Destination!

Centrally Located Hotel In Cuzco, (B)