Classic Peru 10D/9N
coast, Andes and Machu Picchu in 10 days

Your trip begins in Lima, the capital of Peru and one of the great food capitals of the world. We meet you at Jorge Chávez International Airport and take you to your hotel; it's best to arrive before noon so you can settle in calmly before the afternoon city tour. We start in the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at the Plaza Mayor, surrounded by the Government Palace and the Cathedral, where your bilingual guide tells the story of the viceroyalty among carved wooden colonial balconies.

We continue to the San Francisco Convent, famous for its baroque facade, its ancient library and its catacombs, which for centuries served as the city's cemetery. Then we head to Miraflores, the modern district on the Pacific cliffs: on the way we see Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Inca adobe pyramid, from the outside, and finish at the Parque del Amor, with wide views of the sea. You return to your hotel with the evening free to rest, since the next day we leave very early for the southern coast.

We leave Lima very early along the Pan-American Highway, heading to Paracas. From the pier we cruise around the Ballestas Islands, the Peruvian Galápagos, to see sea lions, Humboldt penguins and thousands of guano birds up close, along with the mysterious Candelabra geoglyph carved into the sand. Then we continue to Ica, the land of pisco, with a break for lunch on your own.

In the afternoon we visit a traditional winery to learn how pisco is made and taste its varieties. Then we reach the Huacachina oasis, surrounded by giant dunes, where you feel the adrenaline of a dune buggy ride and sandboarding while the sunset turns the desert golden. Afterwards we drive on to Nasca, where we spend the night so we can fly over the lines first thing the next morning.

This day is devoted to the Nasca Lines, one of the world's great archaeological enigmas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are huge geoglyphs traced in the desert more than a thousand years ago by the Nasca culture, with figures that can only be fully appreciated from the air. After an early breakfast we go to the airfield and fly in a small plane over figures such as the hummingbird, the monkey, the spider, the condor and the astronaut.

The flight is included; only the airfield tax is paid separately, and the activity is subject to weather and seat availability. Then we drive back to Lima along the Pan-American Highway, with stops along the way, and reach the capital in the afternoon or evening. The next day you fly to Cusco: the flight is not included, but we'll help you choose a morning schedule.

In the morning we take you to Lima airport for your flight to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire, at 3,399 m. We meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel so you can rest and acclimatize calmly. In the afternoon the city tour begins at the Plaza de Armas with the Cathedral of Cusco, a jewel of Andean colonial art, and the Coricancha, the Temple of the Sun on whose Inca walls the Santo Domingo Convent was built.

Then we head up to the outskirts of the city to visit the imposing fortress of Sacsayhuamán, with its huge stone blocks fitted with millimetric precision, the rock-carved shrine of Q'enqo, the checkpoint of Puca Pucara and the ceremonial fountains of Tambomachay. Some sites are above 3,700 m, so we take it easy. It's the best introduction to Inca history before the days ahead.

We leave early for Chinchero, the weavers' town, where the colonial church rises on Inca walls and families demonstrate dyeing and spinning with natural dyes. We continue to the Maras Salt Pans, thousands of terraced salt pools worked by hand since pre-Inca times, and to Moray, the circular terraces the Incas used as an agricultural laboratory. Around midday we head down to Urubamba for a buffet lunch with local produce.

In the afternoon we visit Ollantaytambo, the Inca fortress that keeps its original urban layout and is still inhabited, and finish in Pisac, with its archaeological complex on the mountain and its colorful craft market. Since the valley lies lower than Cusco, this day also helps you keep acclimatizing. We return to Cusco at nightfall.

We pick you up at your hotel in Cusco and drive through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo station. There you board the Vistadome Observatory, a panoramic train with wide windows, a glass ceiling and an observatory car, which descends through the Urubamba valley among mountains, Inca terraces and vegetation that announces the cloud forest, to Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of the citadel.

You arrive with the afternoon free to settle into your hotel, stroll the town's streets or try the local food. And if you want to relax after the trip, the hot springs that give the town its name are a few minutes from the center. Sleeping here is the great advantage of the 2-day, 1-night option: the next day you can go up very early and enjoy Machu Picchu with fewer visitors and better light.

Very early, after breakfast, you ride the bus up the Hiram Bingham road to the entrance of Machu Picchu, at 2,430 m. Arriving first thing pays off: fewer people on the paths and soft light, ideal for the classic photos of the sanctuary. Once inside, your official bilingual guide leads you through the main sectors along one of the established circuits; visits are organized by circuits and entry is subject to availability.

Among plazas, temples, terraces and enclosures, your guide explains the history, architecture and purpose of this Inca sanctuary. When the guided part ends you have time to explore on your own and say a calm goodbye to the landscape. Then you ride the bus down to Aguas Calientes, take the Expedition train back to Ollantaytambo and from there we drive you to your hotel in Cusco.

We pick you up very early at your hotel in Cusco and, after a couple of hours' drive, stop for breakfast in the Cusipata area. From the trailhead, at about 4,600 m, you hike for 1.5 to 2 hours up to the main Vinicunca viewpoint, at 5,036 m. It's demanding because of the altitude, so you go slowly and at your own pace; if it gets hard, horses are available for much of the way up.

The effort is rewarded with a 360-degree view over the mountain's red, turquoise and golden stripes, formed by minerals, with the snowy Ausangate peaks ahead. After photos we descend along the same trail and enjoy a buffet lunch before returning to Cusco in the afternoon. It comes later in the trip, once you're acclimatized, and includes trekking poles and an oxygen tank for support.

We pick you up very early at your hotel in Cusco and, after a few hours' drive to the northwest, stop for breakfast on the way before reaching Soraypampa, at about 3,900 m. From there you hike for 1.5 to 2 hours along a mountain trail to Humantay Lake, at about 4,200 m, a turquoise mirror fed by meltwater from the Humantay glacier, next to the imposing Salkantay.

It's the perfect moment to take in the landscape, take photos and enjoy the calm of the high mountains. Then you descend along the same trail to Soraypampa, where you enjoy a buffet lunch before returning to Cusco in the afternoon. The hike is demanding because of the altitude, but it comes once you're acclimatized, with trekking poles, an oxygen tank and horses available for much of the way up.

Your last day in Cusco has no scheduled tour: it's yours to wrap up the trip at your own pace. With the Tourist Ticket, included in the package, you can visit museums such as the Regional History Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art or the Qosqo Center of Native Art at no extra cost. If you'd rather walk, head up to the artisan neighborhood of San Blas, stroll the narrow Siete Borreguitos Street or sit for a while in one of the plazas of the historic center.

It's also the perfect day for last-minute shopping: alpaca clothing, textiles, ceramics and souvenirs in the city's markets and shops. Since the day is free, you can take your departure flight at whatever time suits you best; depending on your schedule, we pick you up at your hotel and take you to the airport. So ends your Classic Peru 10D/9N: from the Pacific coast to the Andes, from the mystery of Nasca to the majesty of Machu Picchu.