Trip Highlights

  • Cruise the Peruvian Amazon in a suite aboard Delfin III
  • Stay at Sol y Luna in the Sacred Valley and Inkaterra at Machu Picchu
  • Explore Machu Picchu twice with a private guide, travelling by first-class train
  • Cook with a chef in her Lima home and with Mamá Seledonia in Cusco
Our South America expert, Scarlett

Our Expert Tip

”Entrance to Machu Picchu offers three main circuits. For the best overall experience, we recommend either Circuit 2 (Inka City Circuit) or Circuit 3 (Royalty Circuit)”

Scarlett, Peru Expert


Day 1 – 2: Lima

Begin in Lima’s artistic Barranco district, with two nights at Hotel B, a restored early-20th-century mansion filled with contemporary art. On your full day, chef Penélope welcomes you into her home: shop with her for ingredients at a local market, then cook and eat together, hearing about Lima’s food traditions from an insider (not available on Sundays, so we plan around it).

Lima
Stay on board a luxury cruise along The Amazon River on our Luxury Peru Adventure

Day 3-5: The Amazon

Fly to Iquitos and transfer to the river port of Nauta to board the Delfin III, your home for three nights in a corner suite with wide views over the water. Each day, the naturalist guides take you out by skiff and kayak and on forest walks in search of pink river dolphins, monkeys, sloths and hundreds of bird species, before evenings of fine dining on board. All meals are included.

Day 6-8: The Sacred Valley

Fly to Cusco and continue down into the Sacred Valley for three nights in a casita at Sol y Luna, set in gardens beneath the mountains. With a private guide, explore the terraced fortress of Ollantaytambo, then head off the usual route to the little-visited ruins of Pumamarka and the Choquechaka Conservation Area, where you’ll learn how the native Andean forests are protected, before a traditional lunch. Next day, spend time with the Misminay community, choosing the activities that interest you most, from weaving and adobe brick-making to farming and cooking.

Sacred,Valley

Day 9: Machu Picchu

Board the first-class train at Ollantaytambo for the journey down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes, then take the bus up for a private guided visit to Machu Picchu. Spend the night at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo or similar, set in its own cloud forest gardens at the foot of the mountain, with dinner included.

Day 10-13: Cusco

Next morning, head back up for a second private visit at a slower pace, then take the train back towards Cusco for four nights at Inkaterra La Casona, a colonial mansion just off the Plaza de Armas. A full day with a private guide combines the city’s highlights with a cooking class at Mamá Seledonia, a kitchen that trains and employs single mothers from low-income communities: shop for ingredients at a local market, then cook and taste together. One evening, take a private after-dark tour of the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art in Casa Cabrera, where some of the 400 pieces on display are around 3,000 years old. Keep your final day free to explore at your own pace.

Cusco, Peru. A UNESCO World heritage site

Day 14: Depart

Transfer to Cusco airport for your flight to Lima and on home. Want to add Lake Titicaca? Ask our experts about extending your trip to the lake.

When to Go

Best time for a luxury Peru holiday

The best time for this trip is May to September, the dry season in the Andes, with sunny days in the Sacred Valley and clear views at Machu Picchu. April and October are good shoulder months. The Amazon can be visited all year: from December to May the high water lets you explore flooded forest by skiff, and from June to November the lower water opens up more forest trails.

  • Jan
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  • May
  • Jun
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  • Dec