Independent Peru Highlights

Welcome to Lima, where your hotel is available for mid-afternoon check-in.

Your included city tour focuses on Lima’s rich colonial history as well as the modern city. Lima was the bastion of Spanish South America from its founding in 1535 until the independence of the South American republics in the early 19th century. See the cathedral, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro are sealed in a wooden coffin, and the Santo Domingo Convent, to see the relics of three famous Peruvian saints—Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martin de Porres, and San Juan Macias. The remainder of the day is free for independent exploration. (B) INSIDER PICKS This evening, you may choose to head over to a nearby park to witness the largest electronic water fountain complex in the world, certified by the Guinness Book of Records. You will enjoy a wonderful show of water, lights, music, and images.

Transfer to the Lima airport and fly to Cusco, high in the Andes, where you will be met by your Local Guide. Your private guided tour visits the cathedral in Plaza de Armas and Santo Domingo Monastery, one of the most important temples devoted to worship of the sun. It is said it was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. Take a short drive outside the city to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons. This is followed by the amphitheater of Kenko and the red fortress of Puca Pucara. (B)

Today, enjoy a short drive into the Urubamba Valley, the legendary Sacred Valley of the Incas, for the lively market town of Pisaq, where you can browse colorful stalls offering handmade rugs, cozy alpaca sweaters, and locally crafted jewelry. At the far end of the valley, explore Ollantaytambo, renowned for its remarkably preserved Inca ruins and some of the finest stone masonry of the ancient empire. (B,L)