Peruvian Discovery

Breakfast. At 9.30hs. meet your Swifts Travel guide to begin your Lima city tour including the Larco Museum. You will start by visiting the Plaza Mayor, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Continue on to the cathedral, with its splendid carved stalls and gold-plated altars, the Government Palace, City Hall and the Archbishop's Palace. Next, you’ll explore the San Francisco Monastery, which houses the largest exhibition of colonial religious art in America. From the historic center, travel through modern Lima to visit the fascinating Larco Museum, located in a unique 18th-century mansion. Among the many treasures, admire the collection of ancient Peruvian gold and silver and the renowned display of erotic ceramics. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure in Lima.

Breakfast. Meet your Swifts Travel representative in the lobby ready for a private transfer to Lima Airport for your scheduled flight. Upon arrival in Cusco, you will be met after luggage collection by the Swifts Travel representative and transferred to the hotel in the Sacred Valley. En route you will enjoy a scenic drive through a stunning landscape to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Visit Textil Local Center, where weavers of more than 12 communities of Southern Peru exhibit the spinning, dyeing and weaving of Andean traditional textiles helping to preserve the traditional costumes. Your visit includes the opportunity to observe an exhibition and explanation of the four types of South American camels. Continue to the town of Pisac, renowned for its colorful market where the local Indians meet to sell their merchandise as they have done for centuries.

Breakfast. Today you visit the town and market of Chinchero, a picturesque Indian village located high up on the windswept plains of Anta, 3762m above sea level. It’s one of 12 Andean communities that has retained the traditional social structure and urban design of Inca times. Local weavers have revived pre-Hispanic techniques featuring natural dyes and motifs inspired by daily life and the surrounding natural environment. Lunch will be served at Local Restaurant. The setting in Maras with stunning views of the Vilcanota mountain range makes this an experience to delight all the senses. Next, we will head for Maras, driving through a patchwork of fields. Today we’ll see locals collecting the salt in much the same way as their ancestors would have done 400 years ago. We’ll also explore Moray, an intriguing Inca site where terraces are arrayed in concentric circles.

Breakfast. Please meet your Swifts travel representative in the hotel lobby for your private transfer to Ollantaytambo train station, from where you will travel to Machu Picchu aboard the train. The Vistadome train boasts beautiful panoramic windows, offering unsurpassed views and photographic opportunities. Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes at 12.11hs., board the bus to Machu Picchu. Enjoy a delicious lunch at Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel. Enjoy a half-day private guided tour of the Inca citadel and its surrounding complexes.

Breakfast. This morning you will have the chance to hike up to Huayna Picchu mountain which soars 260 meters above Machu Picchu (subject to availability). From here you gain breathtaking views of the surrounding area and the magical lost city. Enjoy a delicious lunch in Machu Picchu Pueblo. At 16.50hs. Approx. you will board the bus to Aguas Calientes, where you will take the Train to Ollantaytambo or Poroy. Upon arrival at train station meet your swifts Travel representative for a private transfer to your hotel in Cusco.

Breakfast. At 9.30hs. or 14.30hs. enjoy a half-day tour of Cusco, which includes a visit 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. Your tour also includes a visit to the impressive fortress of Sacsayhuaman, which overlooks the city of Cusco. Continue to Qenqo, one of the finest examples of artfully carved rock showing complex patterns of steps, seats, geometric reliefs and a puma design. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure in Cusco.

Breakfast. On a day’s excursion from Cusco to Palccoyo, experience wild, natural and colorful landscapes hidden deep in the Andes. Be ready for an early-morning pick-up at 6.30am from your hotel. You’ll reach Chacacupe town at around 9am, from where it is a further 40-minute drive to the starting point. Set off with your guide for a walk to the rainbow mountains – learning about the distinctive geology as you go. You’ll also be able to view towering Ausangate Mountain and explore the Stone Forest. A delicious box lunch will be served as you admire the breathtaking panoramic views. Returning back to Cusco, you’ll be dropped off at your hotel at around 5.30pm.