Peru: Mysteries of Machu Picchu

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Itinerary

Day 1: USA or Canada/Lima, Peru

Arrive in Lima, a city with remnants of colonial splendor and teeming vitality, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. Your romantic holiday begins the moment you check in and discover honeymoon amenities in your deluxe ocean-view suite.

Miraflores Park Hotel

Day 2: Lima

This morning, meet a Lima chef and visit a local market to shop for ingredients for your cooking class. Leave the groceries in the chef’s house and take a walk around the Barranco area, known for its mansions, the Bridge of Sighs and the Dedalo Art Gallery. As you stroll, your mouth waters at the thought of the delicious lunch of ceviche and tapas that you and the chef are about to prepare. When you return home, you can recreate the tempting dishes in your own kitchen and relive memories of your romantic journey. After lunch, embark on a city tour that visits the Plaza Mayor, the heart of the city and original site on which Lima was founded. Continue to the historic Cathedral, passing by the Presidential Palace and the Church of San Francisco with its library of fine paintings and frescoes. When you are ready to settle in for the night, have your private bath butler draw a steamy bath for two — an ideal way to soothe tired muscles and share memories of your exciting day.

Miraflores Park Hotel   |   Meals: B L

Day 3: Lima/Cusco/Urubamba

Board a morning flight to Cusco, an Andean community and former capital of the Inca Empire. On arrival, you are transferred to Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure to adjust to the altitude. This evening, sit down to a special romantic dinner in the hotel and anticipate the amazing sights you are about to see over the next few days.

Hotel Rio Sagrado   |   Meals: B D

Day 4: Urubamba/Chincheros/Urubamba

Chincheros is a town of Inca origins, and its colorful weekly fair draws country folk from throughout the valley to exchange goods. Wander the market today and see what treasures you may find as souvenirs. Afterward, meet Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez, a native of Chinchero. She learned to weave as a child while tending the flocks in the fields of her village and now regularly travels to the U.S. to organize weaving exhibits and workshops. View some of her work and take time to shop before you have lunch at Huayoccari Hacienda, home to an interesting collection of Colonial and folk art. After lunch, continue to the massive fortress of Ollantaytambo, a formidable stone structure that climbs massive terraces to the top of a high peak. Below the fortress lies a complete Incan town, also called Ollantaytambo, still inhabited and with its original architecture and layout preserved.

Hotel Rio Sagrado   |   Meals: B L

Day 5: Urubamba/Machu Picchu

Board the deluxe Hiram Bingham train, the most luxurious way to travel the breathtaking landscape to Machu Picchu. Step on board, and you are immersed in an elegant world of polished wood, gleaming cutlery and glittering glass that evokes a romantic ambience. After a light lunch on board, arrive at the breathtaking Incan citadel and begin exploring the ruins in the company of your expert guide. Feel the pulse of this magical place as you visualize the lives of the priests, craftsmen, and servants who inhabited this seemingly uninhabitable citadel and then left, leaving no written records about its destruction. After a busy day of sightseeing, return to your beautiful mountainside retreat, high in the lush Andean clouds forest. It features the look and feel of a rural Andean village set in spectacular grounds with paths that wind past waterfalls and gardens, and trails that wander through wild forest. Snuggle under a thick alpaca blanket in your suite, which offers incredible views of the exotic gardens or the dramatic Vilcanota River.

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel   |   Meals: B L D

Day 6: Machu Picchu/Cusco

Return to Machu Picchu with your guide this morning for a final look at the ruins — and for an even more meaningful event for you. A shaman joins you to perform a vow renewal ceremony for you. Stand before the spirits of the Incas and reaffirm your love in this magical place. Afterward, return to the hotel, renewed and refreshed, for lunch. This afternoon, return to Cusco by Vistadome train and settle in at your hotel, where you receive VIP amenities.

Hotel Monasterio   |   Meals: B L D

Day 7: Cusco

A morning city tour takes you to the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas and the Santo Domingo Temple, a Dominican church and convent built on the foundations of the Koricancha (place of gold), where the Incas worshipped the sun. Continue just outside Cusco to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a testimonial to the Incan architectural skills. Try to slip a piece of paper between the cracks of the massive stone blocks, cut and fitted together with incredible precision without a single drop of mortar to hold them in place. Your afternoon is at leisure. Make sure to visit the hotel spa for a relaxing couple's massage. This evening, enjoy a romantic dinner at Limo restaurant, overlooking the main plaza.

Hotel Monasterio   |   Meals: B D

Day 8: Cusco/Lima

Fly to Lima and transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure to do some last-minute shopping, take a walk along the ocean or enjoy the views from your suite.

Miraflores Park Hotel   |   Meals: B

Day 9: Lima/USA or Canada

Board your international departure flight.

Meals: B