Itinerary

Day 1 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Depart US for Peru

Depart from the U.S. for Peru. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Arrive Peru

Upon arrival at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport, proceed through immigration, claim your luggage, and clear customs. If your luggage is delayed, fill in a PIR form before leaving the customs area -- VBT representatives are not allowed into the customs area. (Please note: Also make certain that your VBT luggage tags are affixed to your bag so your VBT representative can identify you.) After exiting customs, enter the arrival hall and look for your VBT representative, who will be holding a VBT sign and will make arrangements for your transfer via van to your Lima hotel. (Transfer time is approximately 30 minutes depending on traffic). Your VBT representative will also confirm your transfer time for your flight to Cusco at the conclusion of your Lima extension and the pick-up time for your included Lima touring.

VBT provides you with a City Information Packet that includes information and recommendations on what to see and do in Lima during your stay. You have the rest of the day to relax or to begin your exploration of the city.

Day 1 of AIR PACKAGE Depart U.S./Fly overnight to Peru

Depart from the U.S. for Peru. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 3 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Lima/Larco Museum/Pacific Ocean lunch

A VBT representative will meet you at the hotel today for your included exploration of Lima. Tour the largest private collection of pre-Columbian art at the wonderful Larco Museum. You may want to try the ceviche during an included lunch overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Day 1 of WALKING TOUR All guests meet in Cusco/Walk Cusco

VBT No-Air Package guests: Meet your VBT Trip Leader at the first inn at 12 noon. The contact information for the first inn will be confirmed with your final documents. Please contact your first inn to advise them of any travel delays or changes so the staff can pass the message on to your VBT Trip Leaders.

VBT Air Package guests: You will arrive in Peru via Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport early this morning. You will need to clear Peruvian immigrations and customs before you transfer to your connecting flight to Cusco.

Upon arrival at Cusco airport, claim your luggage and look in the arrivals hall for your VBT representative, who will be holding a VBT sign. (Please note: Make certain that your VBT luggage tags are affixed to your bag so your VBT representative can identify you.) Your representative will make arrangements for the transfer to your hotel in Cusco, approximately a 20-minute drive.

VBT Pre-Trip Extension guests: This morning, transfer from your hotel to Lima's Jorge Chaves International Airport for your flight to Cusco. Please be waiting in the hotel reception area 15 minutes prior to your transfer time; you received this time from your VBT representative on your first day in Lima. Once you have arrived at the airport in Lima please check in and proceed to the departure lounge.

Upon arrival at Cusco airport, claim your luggage and look in the arrivals hall for your VBT representative, who will be holding a VBT sign. (Please note: Make certain that your VBT luggage tags are affixed to your bag so your VBT representative can identify you.) Your representative will make arrangements for the transfer to your hotel in Cusco, approximately a 20-minute drive.

Once you arrive in Cusco (10,912-foot elevation), it will prove very helpful to rest and avoid strenuous activity as your body acclimates to the altitude. Also, beware of dehydration and drink plenty of water to help avoid altitude sickness. A couple of hours' rest now will go a long way in making you more comfortable later. See your Handbook for other tips on dealing with high altitude.

In the mid afternoon, join your fellow travelers and VBT Trip Leaders for a brief orientation followed by a walking tour of Cusco. Evidence of both the original Inca city and the Spanish colonial city established in 1533 will be pointed out as we explore Korikancha (“Temple of the Sun”), Cusco Cathedral and the San Blas district. In Incan times, San Blas was a settlement for ancient craftsmen who saw “yachay” – Quechua for “teach and learn” – as their special calling. Today, the area is famous for the unusual Baroque-style pulpit in the San Blas Church and for its artists and artisans.

In the evening, get to know your fellow travelers and Trip Leaders at a welcome reception and dinner.

Day 2 of WALKING TOUR Tambomachay/Puka Pukara/Sacsayhuaman

After breakfast, we transfer six miles (25 minutes) north of Cusco to begin our day, taking our time as we trace our way back in the direction of the city, visiting the most important Incan monuments. This is a spectacular area for our walks, with Andean mountain views, colorful villages and impressive remains of the Inca Empire. Walking on a mostly gentle downhill slope, today provides further opportunity to acclimate to the altitude.

We first visit Tambomachay (the highest elevation of the day at 12,267 feet), which may have fulfilled an important religious function linked to water and the regeneration of the land.

Walking on a mostly gentle downhill slope, we'll stop to explore the complexes of Puka Pukara, Qenqo and Laqo. Our Trip Leaders help paint a picture of priests standing atop Qenqo, pouring llama blood into the carved zig-zag channels.

We find a comfortable meadow overlook to enjoy a picnic lunch. We learn about the survival of some pre-Hispanic rituals and their impact on Andean life, too.

After lunch, saving the most impressive for last, we visit Sacsayhuaman. Though only a fraction of its original size and scope, the stonework of this fortress will astound and baffle. We take a moment to look back over the orange tile rooftops of Cusco before our short transfer into the city.

Cusco and its many dining options are at your doorstep tonight.

Day 3 of WALKING TOUR Moray Teraces/Chinchero Market/Maras

We leave Cusco and shuttle to Chinchero (12,398 feet), 17 miles northwest. Today is Sunday, and the town's weekly market is in full swing. This traditional Andean market features locals in traditional dress who come into town from surrounding hamlets to barter and sell everything from livestock to woven handicrafts. The setting for the market is just beneath a massive Incan wall.

We then take a short transfer to explore the ancient terraces at Moray. Started before the Inca, these enormous concentric circle terraces are thought to be part of an experimental agricultural complex that was improved and enlarged upon by the Inca.

We walk scenic footpaths downhill to Maras village and the Maras salt mines. At lunchtime we will picnic, but also stop at a typical Andean chicheria for an opportunity to sample some of the region's more unusual (but commonly consumed) food and drink, including chicha (corn beer).

The terraced Inca salt pans of Salineras are still mined for salt using methods unchanged over centuries. These mines are fed by underground saltwater springs. From here, we continue to walk downhill to the Urubamba River, where we meet our shuttle for the short trip to our hotel in Yucay (9,373 feet). Settle into comfortable accommodations, built around a former monastery, and have the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner tonight is on your own.

Day 4 of WALKING TOUR Urubamba Valley Village/Pisac

We spend the morning walking through local life in the peaceful Urubamba Valley. Our morning walk is along the ancient farming paths in this primarily agricultural community. We visit a village and its weavers. Textile production has profound historic and cultural significance in the Andes, and this community – organized and operated by women -- is part of a highly successful project to rescue and revive this way of life. We will witness how their gregarious processes of spinning, gathering of natural dyes, setting up of the looms, and the creation of designs are all fundamental to family and social bonds.

Our view of highland life in Peru continues with a visit to a school and a chance to meet a family in their home.

In the afternoon, we visit the mountaintop site of Pisac. Despite the excellent condition of many of the structures, little is conclusively know about the site's actual purpose. It appears to have been part city, part ceremonial center and part military complex. We continue our walk down the valley to the equally well known Pisac market square, passing ancient terraced fields and herds of goat, cow and llama. Tonight, we celebrate our visit to the Sacred Valley over a special dinner.

Day 5 of WALKING TOUR Ollantaytambo

We end our visit in the Sacred Valley of the Incas with a visit to Ollantaytambo. Called just “Ollanta” for short, it is best known for its fortress perched above the village, the site of one of the few Incan victories over the Spanish. The village is one of the few in Peru that still maintains the Inca system of urban planning. You'll feel as though you've stepped back in time as you wander the cobblestoned streets. Homes and streets here have not changed dramatically since Incan times. Free time for lunch in this interesting town.

Tonight, we celebrate our visit to the Sacred Valley over a special dinner.

Day 6 of WALKING TOUR The Inca Tail/Machu Picchu

We shuttle early this morning to Ollantaytambo to catch the narrow-gauge Vistadome train. Our train ride is down the narrowing valley offering breathtaking views of the river and surrounding peaks.

Hikers disembark at the “Km 104” marker (7,183 feet) to start one of the world's iconic walks. This is the final stage of the famed Inca Trail. The walk offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, cloud forests and an unforgettable entry into the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. Expect to be on the legendary trail for five hours with a mostly continuous ascent. An elevation gain and loss of about 2,000 feet and some steep stair climbing will keep you on your toes. (Note that a minibus support van will not be available on the Inca Trail. You will be required to hike the entire 7 miles.)A picnic break is well deserved.

All your effort is rewarded when you arrive at Intipunku, the Sun Gate (8,954 feet), the most spectacular approach to Machu Picchu from above. This was the original entrance to the “Lost City.” Take some time to take it all in! Then, continue down to our hotel located below Machu Picchu. You'll have all of tomorrow to discover the wonder of Machu Picchu, both with your Trip Leaders and independently.

For those looking for a less strenuous option – and for those unable to obtain a permit for the Inca Trail – you'll stay on the train past Km 104, arriving in Aguas Callientes in the late morning. Check into the inn and grab lunch. You may wish to take advantage of the spa services, or walk the incredible orchid gardens at the inn. You may also take the bus up to the main entrance of Machu Picchu and hike in to meet the rest of the group, or just walk the site at your own pace.

Tonight, we enjoy dinner at our acclaimed inn.

BOOK EARLY FOR THE INCA TRAIL: If you want to hike the Inca Trail on Day 7, you should make your reservations as early as possible! The Peruvian government limits the number of hikers on the trail at any given time. Permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Have your passport details in hand when booking your reservation with VBT. Permits are only issued for individuals, and only for a specific passport number. VBT cannot guarantee your permit. If a permit is unavailable, you will travel by train to Aguas Calientes, by bus to the entrance, and then walk into Machu Picchu. This will not impact your visit to Machu Picchu, only the hike into the site. Should you elect at anytime to take the train option instead of the hike, the permit is non-refundable.

Day 7 of WALKING TOUR Machu Picchu

Today is yours to explore at your own pace. Early morning options include birding on the hotel grounds and taking the shuttle up to explore Machu Picchu as the sun rises -- and before the day trippers arrive from Cusco. Shuttle buses operate on a regular schedule from our hotel to the ruins and back. Trip Leaders will be leading a number of guided walks around Machu Picchu, as well as in the surrounding area, including a round trip walk to Inca Bridge (1.5 miles) and to Mandor Waterfalls (4 miles). A scurry up nearby Huayna Picchu (9,000 feet) provides another option for a spectacular viewpoint.

Enjoy lunch at your leisure at the café near the entry gate, in one of the restaurants in Aguas Calientes or at your hotel.

Return to the hotel when you choose. You may wish to continue your exploration until dusk, or return to the hotel by shuttle bus or on foot (2,000-foot decent). Enjoy recounting the day over an included dinner tonight.

Day 8 of WALKING TOUR Cusco

Enjoy a relaxing breakfast. Several walking trails begin right at the hotel or you may wish to visit the tea plantation located within the hotel grounds.

Leaving from our hotel, return through the Sacred Valley to Cusco by Vistadome train.

There is time to soak in some last Andean culture in the colorful plazas of Cusco. Tonight, we're out on the town for a festive dinner.

Day 9 of VBT Land Package VBT Tour ends/Peruvian Amazon Extension begins

VBT No-Air Package guests: Our tour finishes in the hotel after breakfast this morning. The hotel will help you book a taxi at your own expense to the Cusco airport.

VBT Air Package: There will be a mid-morning transfer to the airport in Cusco for the flight to Lima. Upon arrival, transfer to Miraflores and to comfortable rooms for day use. There is an opportunity for last-minute shopping, a visit to the beach, a massage or a nap. Tonight, check-out of the hotel and transfer to a memorable farewell dinner in Lima. Continue on to the airport and check in for flights departing in the late evening.

VBT Post-Trip Extension guests: If you have chosen the optional Post-Trip Extension, you will catch a mid-morning flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado. A VBT representative meets you when you land. Register at the Butterfly House and transfer to the boarding wharf. After 45 minutes by boat, arrive at Reserva Amazonica. Lunch is included today. Enjoy the extensive trail system with an interpretive guide. An included “River by Night” excursion is available, or you might catch a nature presentation in the Eco Center. Dinner is in the lodge dinning room tonight.

Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Day 10 of AIR PACKAGE Air Package Guests Arrive Home

Flights arrive in the United States this morning, allowing for connections.

Day 2 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Peruvian Amazon

Breakfast will start at 5 a.m. and continue until 10 a.m. You can enjoy the excursion to Lake Sandoval. After a 30-minute boat ride to the Tambopata National Reserve, wildlife surrounds you during a 1 ½ - hour walk along two miles of trails to reach Lake Sandoval. Then glide in a wooden canoe across a beautiful, mirror-like, oxbow lake that is home to the endangered giant river otter, as well as red howler monkeys, macaws, prehistoric hoatzins, anacondas, point-tailed palm creepers and side-neck turtles. Spend two hours on the lake, looking at all it has to offer.

After lunch, discover the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway & Anaconda Walk. A five-minute boat ride takes you to the Inkaterra Canopy Interpretation Center. After ascending the first tower, at 95 feet above the forest floor, you will literally walk through the treetops for 1 ½ - half hours along suspension bridges that link eight observation platforms. Enjoy landscapes and vistas that would be unimaginable from below, while on the look-out for giant strangler fig trees, orchids, toucans, woodpeckers, trogons and –with luck- monkeys or sloths. After your descent from the Canopy, experience the Anaconda Walk for about 30 minutes along the 760-foot long wooden bridge over the Aguajales swamps. In this lush ecosystem, you may observe the various species of amphibians, birds and mammals along with abundant flora of this flooded marshland. The walk finishes by returning to the lodge.

Dinner is in the main dining room tonight. Then to sleep among the sounds of the amazon!

Day 3 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Peruvian Amazon Extension departs for home

After breakfast, transfer by boat and van to the Puerto Maldonado airport for your flight home via Lima. You will have a day room in Lima to rest and wash up prior to your overnight flight back to the United States.

Day 4 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Peruvian Amazon Extension arrives home

Flights arrive in the United States this morning, allowing for connections.

Peru: Machu Picchu & The Sacred Valley 2011

Pre and Post Trip Extensions

Pre-Trip Extension

Lima - 2011 Walking - for only $295

Catch your breath after your intercontinental flight with a comfortable stay in Lima’s convenient, seaside Miraflores neighborhood. There is plenty of time for independent exploration of South America’s only ocean facing capital city. We’ve included a morning guided exploration of some of Lima’s most interesting sites. After an included lunch at one of Lima’s best known restaurants, it’s off to the Larco Museum. The museum’s remarkable chronological galleries provide an excellent overview of 3,000 years of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. Located in a unique vice-royal mansion of the 18th century, built over a 7th-century pyramid, the museum is surrounded by beautiful gardens. The Larco Museum is one of the few museums in the world where visitors can also choose to enter the storage area with its 45,000 classified archaeological objects.

Available only with the Air Inclusive Package.

Note: Single supplement for this extension is $195.

Post-Trip Extension

Peruvian Amazon - 2011 Walking - 2 nights for only $595

Walk the banks of the meandering Madre de Dios River and enter another world. Wake to a symphony of tropical birdsong, end your days by lantern light, and fall asleep to the gentle sounds of the Amazon rainforest. Exotic yet accessible, Reserva Amazonica Lodge is situated in a private reserve adjacent to Tambopata National Park in the southern Peruvian Amazon Basin. Guided walks by day and night will help you discover some of the 1,000 flora species, 300 butterfly species and more than 300 bird species here. Thirty-five private thatched roof cabanas offer simple comfort and feature screened porches and hammocks, tropical ceiling fans, warm water showers, lantern light, low-impact electricity, organic bath products, robes and slippers.

Available only with the Air Inclusive Package.

Note: Single supplement for this extension is $195.

Accommodations

Casa Andina PC Cusco

A beautifully renovated 18th-century manor house, just three blocks from Cusco’s Plaza de Armas, replete with authentic colonial character. It offers the intimacy of a boutique hotel but the comforts and services of a much larger property.

The hotel is distinguished by its three interior patios with wooden balconies. The principal patio, featuring a gurgling stone fountain, is one of Cusco’s emblematic colonial courtyards. In the hotel’s cozy lounge and reading room is a massive stone fireplace that’s always crackling, while the romantic restaurant invites guests to dine by candlelight in one of four connected salons richly decorated with 18th-century Cusco School paintings. Several rooms in the original structure of the hotel feature surviving colonial frescoes unearthed during renovation.

Casa Andina PC Valle Sagrado

Located in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and surrounded by beautiful gardens, this is the Sacred Valley's most complete hotel. A mountain chalet-styled retreat with panoramic Andes views from every room and every angle.

This charming 85-room hotel is a one-hour drive from the ancient Inca capital of Cusco and close to Machu Picchu. The property features eight acres of landscaped gardens, a domed planetarium along with an observatory for stargazing at the southern hemisphere sky, and a full-service spa.

Inkaterra Machu Picchu

How does one best prepare for a visit to the enigmatic Lost City of the Incas? At Inkaterra’s luxury boutique hotel, a pueblo of luxurious whitewashed bungalows nestles into terraced hills. Spa services use sublime natural essences, and a first-class restaurant boasts stunning views of the rushing Vilcanota River. The train station is only steps away. But Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel exists in a world apart. It is an intimate 85-cottage luxury hotel designed in the manner of a sprawling Andean-style village on 12 secluded acres of exquisite beauty. Guests follow stone pathways to their rooms, located in comfortable one- or two-story whitewashed casitas.

Casa Andina PC Cusco

A beautifully renovated 18th-century manor house, just three blocks from Cusco’s Plaza de Armas, replete with authentic colonial character. It offers the intimacy of a boutique hotel but the comforts and services of a much larger property.

The hotel is distinguished by its three interior patios with wooden balconies. The principal patio, featuring a gurgling stone fountain, is one of Cusco’s emblematic colonial courtyards. In the hotel’s cozy lounge and reading room is a massive stone fireplace that’s always crackling, while the romantic restaurant invites guests to dine by candlelight in one of four connected salons richly decorated with 18th-century Cusco School paintings. Several rooms in the original structure of the hotel feature surviving colonial frescoes unearthed during renovation.

Casa Andina PC Miraflores - Day Room

With its stylish contemporary design, cutting-edge technology and ideal location, the flagship Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores hotel is the top of its class in every aspect. Once the Miraflores César's, Lima’s fondly remembered, original five-star hotel, this modern icon was dramatically transformed in 2008 into the capital’s newest luxury hotel. Its quintessential Limeño flavor reverberates in the exquisite art collection of contemporary local artists and prized colonial-era antiques, in both public spaces and accommodations.

The 17-story hotel, with views over Miraflores and the Pacific coast, offers 148 sophisticated, contemporary luxury rooms and suites, with soundproofing and LCD flat screen TVs in every room. First-class amenities include a heated, covered pool and breezy terrace, gymnasium with the latest exercise equipment, and prestigious Joop salon and massage room.

Rating Level

Easy/Moderate

This tour features a combination of cobbled streets, uneven footpaths and rocky, irregular terrain over hills and valleys. An elective 7- mile Inca Trail hike includes a 2,000-foot elevation gain. Altitudes of between 7,700 and 12,400 feet may require a slower pace. Our VBT minibus support is available at specified meeting points for those who need assistance except on the Inca Trail, where there is no road access and you will be required to hike the entire 7 miles. Both morning and afternoon walking options are available most days. Appropriate for enthusiastic beginners and ideal for experienced walkers.