Peruvian cuisine, as yet fairly little-known in the English speaking world, is justly famous throughout Latin America. If you enjoy learning about and eating good food you will love this trip. We start with the hidden, back-street treats and mind-bogglingly huge produce markets of Lima – long known as the gastronomic capital of Latin America. Then we move on to Cusco for more markets, a very local lunch, and a cooking lesson.

Then we move on to Cusco for more markets, a very local lunch, and a cooking lesson. From here the rest of the trip is more focussed on Peru's rich history and culture as we catch up on all the attractions included in a traditional Aspiring trip - of course we'll still be visiting our hand-picked food choices along the way. Highlights include stunning Cusco, the history and scenery of the Sacred Valley, and of course Machu Picchu. And then of course there’s hiking, hot springs, incredible markets, churches and ruins, and homestay in quirky Raqchi and on the timeless islands of Lake Titicaca.

Itinerary

Day 1. Arrival day, Lima

We’ll pick you up from your hotel or the airport in time for lunch. Sunday lunch is traditionally a highlight of the week in Peru, and we’ll get straight into it today, with a slap-up criolla (creole coastal food) lunch at a popular local restaurant. Afterwards, we’ll walk off lunch in Lima’s historic center, checking out the Plaza Mayor, Cathedral, the Archbishop’s residence, the Presidential Palace and the Church of San Francisco and its famous catacombs.

This evening we’ll head to a traditional peña (dinner and show). Here you can sample a massive range of traditional Peruvian dishes from the amazing buffet, while watching a dance performance that will start to give you an idea of the amazing colour and variety of Peru’s living culture.

• Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in seaside Miraflores, Lima
• (L,D)

Day 2. Lima history and gastronomy

We’ll start the day with a tree-fresh fruit juice and pan con chicharron , a pork and onion sandwich that’s a Lima specialty, at the Mercado de Surquillo, before spending the rest of the morning exploring this massive produce market. Friendly vendors will be happy to give us a taste of their wares as we marvel at the range of ingredients on offer in Peru, one of the world's most bio-diverse countries and producer of a bewildering array of jungle, highland and coastal foods.

Save some room for lunch – we’re going to sample ceviche , (raw fish marinated in lime juice with onion, coriander and chilli) Peru’s best-known culinary export, at a restaurant known for preparing the best in the world. You simply can’t get ceviche as good as on the Peruvian coast anywhere else in the world, due to the very specific limes and chillis used, which only grow here.

In the afternoon we’ll head for Pueblo Libre, a historic suburb housing many colonial mansions. Here we’ll visit Museo Larco. Best known for its collection of pre-Colombian porn in the form of erotic ceramics, this is one of the largest and best-presented collections of ceramics and weavings in Peru, and a great introduction to the many pre-Inca cultures that shaped Peru’s early history.

This evening we’re in for a massive treat – el Circuito Magica de Agua (the magic water circuit): a dozen different interactive fountains and a laser light and water show set to an inspiring soundtrack ranging from Abba to Tchaikovsky. After marveling at this truly indescribable and unforgettable spectacle, we’ll dine on finger-licking good pollo a la brasa (chicken cooked on a spit) – a Peruvian specialty which will leave you gasping and loosening your belt!

• Accommodation: Hotel in Miraflores
• (B,L,D)

Day 3. Cusco

This morning we’ll fly to Cusco (flight not included in trip price), and have a fairly cruisy morning as we take our time to acclimatize to the 3300m altitude.

In the afternoon we’ll take a walking tour around the highlights of Cusco’s beautiful historic centre – the peaceful, pretty plaza and towering churches, cobbled alleyways of San Blas, and bustling commercial streets around the market - before another memorable dinner.

• Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in historic Cusco
• (B,L,D)

Day 4. Machu Picchu!

We’ll take an early train this morning so we can all spend the day exploring the words-fail-me glory that is Machu Picchu – one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. We’ll have a guided tour (a good one, with no numbers on sticks, we promise), and we’re here all day so there’s plenty of time to explore on our own or climb for breathtaking views up one or more stunning nearby peaks: Huayna Picchu, Putucusi or Machu Picchu mountain itself.

We’ll have dinner at Indio Feliz – a fancy, French restaurant which is Aguas Calientes’s finest and whose incredibly yummy food is world famous in Peru!

• Accommodation: Family run hostal, Aguas Calientes
• (B,L,D)

Day 5. Explore the Sacred Valley

The sunny, photogenic floodplain between Pisac and Ollantaytambo in the valley of the Rio Vilcanota is known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You’ll soon see why the Incas rated the Valley so highly – its spring-like climate and gorgeous scenery made it a popular weekend getaway for Cusco’s aristocracy. This area once supported a large population whose industry and innovation helped feed an empire, and its history of intensive cultivation is evident everywhere in agricultural terracing and complex, still-working irrigation systems. Massive hilltop forts commanding views of valleys and passes for miles around underline the Valley’s strategic importance as the main granary and orchard of the Inca Empire.

This morning we’ll take the train back to Ollantaytambo where we’ll begin a leisurely exploration of the Sacred Valley. First we’ll take some time to explore Ollantaytambo itself, perhaps the most perfectly preserved of all Inca towns and a must on any trip to Peru, with atmospheric cobbled alleyways and elaborately carved stone irrigation systems, presided over by a spectacular, llama-shaped ruin. Next are the spectacular, surreal, Salineras saltpans. A still-working ancient salt factory that’s as beautiful as it is fascinating, with a patchwork of coloured pools twinkling under the sun, we think it’s the most amazing and underrated sight in the Cusco region.

By now it will be lunchtime, and as luck would have it, the nearby and otherwise undistinguisged town of Urubamba is home to a couple of the best novo-andino (new Andean) restaurants in the world! Next we’ll hike through the area’s largest military ruin - a massive and intricate series of bristling fortifications and protective terracing at Pisac. The hike finishes in Pisac’s bustling town square, home to the region’s largest and most famous craft market –probably the trip’s best opportunity for souvenir and gift shopping.

The surrounding town is full of charm, with cobbled streets, carved stone buildings, and hidden courtyards where irresistible, piping hot empanadas (pastries) emerge from wood-fired ovens. From Pisac it’s a 40 minute drive back to Cusco, our base for the next couple of days.

• Accommodation: Comfortable Cusco hotel, Cusco
• (B,L,D)

Day 6. Free day in Cusco

The oldest continuously inhabited city in the Americas and its undisputed archaeological capital, Cusco (sometimes known as Cuzco, or in the local Quechua language as Q’osq’o) is a town whose attractions run into the thousands. It boasts enough museums, churches, and ruins to make your head spin. Or if you feeling like a little retail therapy, Cusco offers everything from folksy artesanias of every possible kind, through indigenous markets selling potatoes by the sack and frogs by the bucket, to exquisite handcrafted jewellery and avant garde fashion. It’s also perfect for just wandering – through ancient, llama-width cobbled alleyways that open up into charming plazoletas (little plazas), and there are stunning cityscapes and inviting cafés at every turn.

If you feel like doing something more structured, there are plenty of tours and outdoor activities on offer - whatever you’re in the mood for today, we’ll get you sorted!

• Accommodation: Home-base hotel in Cusco
• (B)

Day 7. Cook a Peruvian feast!

It’s time to put theory into practice, and cook our own Peruvian meal!

This morning we’ll head out to Vino Canchon, Cusco’s main produce market near the edge of town. Produce direct from small producers in every altitude level from Amazonia (as low as 200 metres) to the altiplano (3800m+) is unloaded hourly, and the variety on offer is incredible. Here we’ll browse for supplies for the feast we’ll cook for tomorrow night.

It’s all dished up in traditional Cusqueño dishes like rocoto relleno (stuffed hot peppers) and lechon (suckling pig) over the road at Los Andenes de Andrea, a local family favourite where we’ll dine in a sunny garden. Try to save some room for dinner though! We’ll spend the afternoon preparing a Cusqueño dinner with a talented local chef, and the evening feasting!

• Accommodation: Cusco hotel
• (B, L, D)

Day 8. The South Valley - pre-Inca ruins, incredible church, and fabulous food!

Today we start our journey towards Lake Titicaca in the South Valley. Little known to foreign tourists, this area just outside Cusco is a weekend playground for Cusqueños looking for delicious food and a scenic stroll amid snowcapped peaks, rolling pampas, and flourishing potato crops.

The enchanting pre-Inca ruins of Tipon and Pikillacta, guinea pig and artisanal bread production, and having our future read in coca leaves by the famous brujos (witches) of Huasao are just some of the opportunities on offer before we get to the day’s first headline attraction, Andahuaylillas. This small, sleepy village is thrown into the shade by its crumbling and incredibly baroque Jesuit church, known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas!

Three villages south of town are popular destinations for traditional lunches, each specialising in one massive local heart-stopper: Tipon is the place to eat cuy (guinea pig), Saylla is the home of chicharron (deep fried pork chunks with corn and mint), and Lucre is all about migratory ducks harvested from the local wetland. We’ll have to make a group decision as to where we want to have lunch, but whatever it is, it’ll be a huge and delicious plateful of authentic local life.

Another couple of hours brings us to Raqchi. The town is famous for its weird, extra-terrestrial-looking Inca ruin, which we'll explore this afternoon, before settling down to sleep in guestrooms in our hosts homes.

• Accommodation: Homestay in Raqchi
• (B,L,D)

Day 9. High-altitude hot springs and creepy catacombs!

Ceramics is Raqchi’s main industry – many of the pots, cups and ornaments you’ll see on sale throughout Peru are made here, in people’s backyard pottery studios. This morning we’ll try our hand at throwing a pot ourselves. Worst-case scenario is hilarious, messy fun – and with luck, you’ll end up with a super-souvenir you made yourself!

Then we’ll head off into the Altiplano towards Lake Titicaca. Along the way we’ll stop at the Marangani natural hot springs, one of the most surreal stops on our entire trip and a popular local hangout. Steaming sulfurous streams link five pools against a background of sweeping plains and snowcapped peaks: it’s a sight and sensation you won’t soon forget.

The afternoon brings us to Lampa. In colonial days a thriving metropolis, it’s now a forgotten gem where llamas wander through the main square, past pink stone buildings and the most amazing church we’ve ever had the privilege to visit. Among many other marvels, it houses a collection of hundreds of skulls and skeletons, artistically arranged in a marble crypt – it just has to be seen to be believed and was the most awe-inspiring thing we discovered on our research for Lonely Planet Peru 2010.

• Accommodation: Casa Romero, Lampa
• (B,L,D)

Day 10. Postmodern food in Puno

Today we’re headed for Puno, a hectic port town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. We’ll spend the afternoon soaking up some culture – such as the Museo Carlos Dreyer, which hosts one of Peru’s best archaeological collections, and the Steamship SS Yavari, which was brought in pieces by llama from Lima in 1862. Puno is also great for wandering, with several scenic lookouts, bustling markets, cool cafés for people watching, and plenty of shopping. This evening we’ll enjoy the benefits of civilisation with a fabulous dinner – Puno is home to a couple of first-rate novo-andino restaurants, and tonight we’ll enjoy cutting-edge fusion treats like greek-style alpaca and smoked trout in vodka sauce.

• Accommodation: Comfortable hotel, Puno
• (B,L,D)

Day 11. Textiles, totora and trout on Lake Titicaca!

For the next two days we'll explore the islands of Lake Titicaca. First, the well-known oddity of the Uros Islands: better known as the Floating Islands, the islands are entirely manmade, woven of totora reeds (like Thor Heyerdahl used to construct the Kon Tiki). It’s said the Uros people took to the lake in this unusual way to escape waves of conquerors, including the Incas. These days, the islands can feel like a rather commercial experience, so our sojourn here will be brief - long enough to learn a bit about the soggy, reed-based life of the inhabitants, take a ride in a dragon-headed reed boat, and bounce up and down a bit on the intriguingly spongy ‘ground’.

Then we’ll head across the lake to Amantani Island, where we'll spend the night. Our hosts, members of the indigenous Quechua community, will meet us at the lake's edge and take us home for a homecooked lunch. The diet here is almost entirely vegetarian, and extremely carb-heavy (there’s a very good chance you’ll be served macaroni with potatoes for your main course), but the sopa de quinua (quinoa soup) that comes with every meal is to die for.

We’ll work off lunch with a game of soccer against the locals. We’re at close to 4000m here – you’ll feel the sprints, and we’ll inevitably lose the game. Then we'll hike up to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) temple at the island’s summit, in time to take in a gorgeous sunset over the rippling water, mountainous islands, and crinkly shoreline of Lake Titicaca. After dark we'll return to our family homes. There are no cars or roads on Amantani, and even dogs are forbidden, so the silence after nightfall is complete: perfect for a fantastic night’s sleep, and for viewing a sky that’s nearly always clear and packed with stars. This must be one of the most peaceful places on Earth.

• Accommodation: Guestroom in family home, Amantani Island
• (B,L,D)

Day 12. Taquile and back to Puno

After breakfast with our hosts we chug across the lake to Taquile, perhaps the most beautiful of the islands of Lake Titicaca, with an inviting Mediterranean climate, steep green hillsides, and stunning views across the lake to the snowcapped peaks of Bolivia to the east. We’ll explore the pre-Inca ruins and tiny towns along the peaceful pathways of the island. Taquile is famous for its textiles; we’ll see them on the people, learn about their significance, and have the opportunity to buy them in the island’s co-operative shop.

We’ll return to Puno in time for some last-minute shopping before a memorable farewell dinner.

• Accommodation: Puno hotel
• (B,L,D)

Day 13. Departure day

We’ll get you to Juliaca airport in time for your flight out. If you’re staying on in Puno, we’re delighted to help out with suggestions and assistance for the rest of your time here. (B,L)

GOT MORE TIME IN PERU? We can help arrange all manner of activities to keep you entertained – from volunteering at a local school to a crash-course in Spanish or a visit to the lower jungle – the options are almost as endless as they are rewarding. For instance, after the trip you could add on hiking the classic Inca Trail (be sure to chat with us before the trip if you’re considering this, as you need to book as early as possible), another trek, or even a trip to the jungle or Arequipa’s Colca Canyon. Something else tickle your fancy? Let us know, and we’ll look into it for you!

WATER: We provide water with meals. At other times we make sure plenty is available to buy. Under no circumstances will you be required to drink untreated water.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Accommodations on our Peru trips are Katy’s favourite find in each town during Lonely Planet research. The end result is that in Cusco, Aguas Calientes, Lampa, and Puno, we stay in comfortable hotels that are quirky and individual. In Raqchi and on Amantani we stay in humble family homes. Conditions are basic and hygiene may not be what you are used to at home, but any slight discomfort you experience will be well compensated for in this incredible insight into a very different way of life.

Included

• All meals and food supplies
• Drinking water at meals
• All accommodation and activities specified in itinerary
• Full Boleto Turistico de Cusco
• All guiding services and means of transportation during the trip

Not included

• International flights and transfers
• Alcoholic or other beverages

• All Peru Tours
• All Tour Dates