Luxury Machu Picchu Tour | Christmas & New Year Experience

At 8:00 AM, we will pick you up from your hotel, and you will then explore the historical center of Lima, where you will witness the main square, churches, and other highlights of Lima City. 

Firstly, we will head out to the historic center of Lima City, where we will visit San Francisco Church (its catacombs). This place holds centuries-old catacombs decorated with human bones and pepper the crypts at this Franciscan monastery dating to 1774. 

Decked out in impressive Spanish Baroque architecture, the canary-yellow church and monastery also house a remarkable library with some 25,000 antique texts and are flush with romantic courtyards and cloisters; The cathedral of Lima, which was built between 1602 and 1797, the monumental size, the intricate altars, the magnificent ceiling, and the main altar make this Cathedral a beautiful sight. 

The remains of Francisco Pizarro lie in a chapel there; The Santo Domingo Church, an impressive 16th-century church and convent, it is the final resting place of two important Peruvian saints, including the continent’s first black saint, San Martín de Porres, whose skull sits encased in glass alongside the remains of Santa Rosa de Lima to the right of the main altar. 

Walkways of exquisite Spanish tiles lead to a string of cinematic courtyards throughout the convent.  It all sits in salmon-colored glory a block from Plaza de Armas. 

We will then visit Barranco Neighborhood, where we will have a stroll on the lively streets and have a walk along the boardwalk of Miraflores.  Either in Barranco or Miraflores, you will have a break for lunch (your guide will recommend some great restaurants, and based on that, you will choose one). 

In the afternoon, after lunch, we will drive to the Larco Museum, which is the largest museum in Peru with the largest collection of ancient artifacts from the very ancient civilizations. Here, you will get immersed in the ancient knowledge and technology of Peruvian civilizations. After the Larco Museum, we will drive back to your hotel.

Meals: Only breakfast included.

Hotel: InterContinental Real Lima Miraflores or Hotel B

This food tour in Lima will allow you to travel around Peru through its incredible culinary flavours and biodiversity while learning about its numerous ecosystems. You will experience a true gastronomic journey through three ecological regions of Peru: selva (jungle), sierra (highlands), and costa (coast) with a foodie guide.

At 10:45 am, we will pick you up from your hotel, and you will then begin with biodiversity work, where you will get the chance to discover numerous ingredients from different parts of Peru that you have probably never heard of. 

Next, accompanied by your private foodie guide, you will head to the first restaurant, where you will taste the delicacies from the Amazon. You will have the opportunity to taste delicious bites from the jungle. All this from Lima, how cool! To punctuate the journey on a high note, the Pacific Coast will be the vedette. 

You will indulge yourself in a mostly fish and shellfish round of bites before getting some dessert. After this food experience, we will return to our hotel.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included.

Hotel: InterContinental Real Lima Miraflores or Hotel B.

3 hours prior to the flight departure to Cusco, we will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport to take the flight to Cusco. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. 

Upon your arrival at Cusco airport, we will be waiting for you at the airport’s main gate with your name on a sheet of paper, and you will then be transferred to your hotel in the Sacred Valley. 

On the way, we will visit Pisac archaeological site; Pisac is known for its impressive agricultural terraces that cover the hillsides of the mountains, Inca trails linking small neighborhoods, and breathtaking panoramic views. After the Pisac ruins, we will continue to the Pisac Market (the visit is optional), a great place to grab some souvenirs, as the market offers many options for textiles, jewelry, and paintings.

Once at the hotel, we will have a welcome meeting and refresh on the upcoming experiences in the valley and Machu Picchu.

Meals: Only breakfast included.

Hotel: Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort or Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba.

At 8:00 AM, we will pick you up from your hotel and begin our experience in the Sacred Valley; our first place to visit will be the Ollantaytambo archaeological site, a well-preserved Incan fortress and ceremonial center dating back to the 15th century. 

This site is especially famous for the Temple of the Sun, which was constructed from massive pink granite boulders, some weighing up to 100 tons, transported from over 8 kilometers (5 miles) away and assembled perfectly on a mountain ridge. 

After exploring Ollantaytambo Ruins, we will visit the town, which is known as the Living Inca Town. This town features original Inca streets, ancient Inca constructions, and aqueducts that still run water nowadays.

Our next experience will be truly unique; we will take a hidden little trail for 5 minutes to reach a special spot, reserved exclusively for Peru Summit Adventures clients, a spot surrounded by nature, mountains, and Inca structures. Here, you will experience an ancient food, whose name is Pachamanca; a delicious food whose existence comes from many centuries. With a local expert chef, you will learn about the ingredients, preparation, and secrets, and you can even elaborate on your own Pachamanca.

Pachamanca is a type of food that is cooked underground, within an extremely hot ground with special stones. The main ingredients include chicken, alpaca, pork, beef, broad beans, plantain, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and sweet corn; it comes accompanied by vegetables, which are grown just around this place. Note: this food is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans; if so, we will provide just regular food from a special menu.

After enjoying our unique and succulent lunch, we will take our private transportation back to our hotel located in Urubamba Town. 

Meals: Breakfast and lunch included.

Hotel: Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort or Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba.

The tour starts at 8 AM from your hotel. The first place we will visit is the Chinchero Ruins, which is a charming Andean town located in the highland plains of the Sacred Valley. It features a stunning colonial church built atop the Inca foundations and is surrounded by remarkable archaeological remains. The town is also known for its vibrant weaving traditions. 

You can choose to stop at one of the many women’s weaving cooperatives to witness a traditional demonstration (the demo is brief, and you can also purchase some textiles from these ladies if you wish). This visit is optional and can be skipped if preferred. 

Our next place is the remarkable site of Moray, notable for its circular agricultural terraces. These terraces were ingeniously designed to create microclimates, allowing the Incas to experiment with and adapt crops such as potatoes, corn, quinoa, and passion fruit to different temperatures and altitudes. 

After Moray, you can get to one of the local restaurants for lunch and a deserved break. In the afternoon, the last place to visit will be the Maras Salt Ponds, an ancient salt-extraction site that has been operational since pre-Incan times. Remarkably, local families continue to harvest salt by hand using traditional techniques passed down through generations. 

Finishing the tour in Maras, we will drive back to your hotel in Urubamba (reaching it by 3 PM).

Meals: Only breakfast included.

Hotel: Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort, or Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba.

Your journey to Machu Picchu begins at 7:45 AM, when our guide will meet you at your hotel and coordinate every detail to ensure a smooth, seamless experience for your experience towards Machu Picchu. After meeting our guide, you will enjoy a comfortable drive through the Sacred Valley to the Ollantaytambo train station for 45 minutes, where you will board your scenic train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Town).

The train departs at 9:15 AM and offers a lovely 1 hour and 40 minutes journey, with beautiful views of the Andean and cloud forest landscape along the way.

Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes Town, in the company of your guide, you will walk to your hotel to drop off your belongings and take a short break. Afterwards, you will have time to grab some snacks from local shops before heading to the bus station for the ride up to the Machu Picchu citadel that takes 25 minutes.

Once at Machu Picchu Citadel, you will enjoy an in-depth private guided tour (approximately 3 hours), exploring the most important sectors of the iconic Inca site, including the upper, middle, and lower areas, while learning about its history, architecture, and significance. The Machu Picchu experience usually starts at 1 PM and ends by 5:30 PM, which will allow you not only to enjoy the ancient citadel, but also the

afternoon light over the sanctuary and surroundings, which creates excellent tonalities.

After the tour, you will take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes Town, where you will spend the night. In the evening, you will have many excellent dining options available; your guide will be happy to recommend some of the best restaurants in town.

Meals: Only breakfast included.

Hotel: Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel or Sumaq Machu Picchu.

We will start the tour at 5:20 AM from your hotel and take the bus up to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, we will visit Circuit 3, which focuses on the main areas of the citadel, where the most important constructions are located. The guided tour will take approximately 3 hours.

After enjoying more time at this special place, you will take the bus down to Aguas Calientes Town, where you will have time for lunch before boarding the train to Ollantaytambo. The train ride takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes. From Ollantaytambo, we will provide private transportation back to Cusco, arriving at your hotel around 7:30 PM.

Please note: Today, you have a chance to climb up the Wayna Picchu Mountain, the hike takes 2 hours and 30 minutes in total, and is rewarded with stunning views from the top of the mountain. The hike is a bit demanding, and it is not advisable for those who have vertigo, as the trail is very narrow, very steep, and goes through the exposed parts of the mountain. Please let us know at the moment of tour booking to add this option to your experience.

Meals: Only breakfast included.

Hotel: Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel or Inkaterra La Casona Cusco.

Today, you will have a free day, so you can relax, get a massage, spa, or enjoy the hotel’s facilities. You can also go for a walk around the Plaza de Armas and sit down at one of the benches to scan the local life. 

We can also arrange a cooking class or another activity or tour, if you want to make this day busy. If so, please let us know.

Today is yours to enjoy at your own pace. You may choose to relax, indulge in a massage or spa treatment, or simply enjoy the comfort of your hotel’s facilities. You can also take a leisurely walk around the Plaza de Armas, sit on one of the benches, and take in the rhythm of local life, or get to a local cafe and relive your journey by checking your pictures.

If you prefer a more active day, we would be happy to arrange a cooking class or additional tour to enrich your experience. Please let us know in advance, and we will take care of the arrangements.

Meals: Only breakfast included.

Hotel: Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel or Inkaterra La Casona Cusco.

At 8:00 AM, we will start the tour from your hotel. The first place we will visit is Sacsayhuamán, a remarkable 15th-century site known for its massive stonework, with some limestone boulders weighing over 180 tons, carefully transported from nearby areas.

Next, we will visit Pukapukara, located on a hilltop overlooking a small valley. This site is believed to have served as a sentry station along the Inca trail connecting Cusco with the Sacred Valley and the Amazon jungle.

As our final stop outside the city, we will visit a small llama farm, where you will learn more about the South American camelids and their importance in Andean culture.

After exploring these sites, we will return to Cusco’s historic center, where you will have time to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant (not included).

In the afternoon, we continue the tour on foot with a visit to the Cathedral of Cusco, home to an important collection of colonial-era paintings and sculptures from the Cusqueña School. We will then visit the Temple of the Sun (Coricancha), once the most important religious site of the Inca Empire, whose walls were said to be covered in sheets of solid gold.

We will also have the option to visit San Pedro Market, a vibrant local market, where you can sample traditional products such as freshly baked “Chuta” bread and experience everyday local life. This visit is optional, so if you prefer to rest, it can be skipped.

After visiting all the sites, we will return to your hotel. 

In the evening, a farewell dinner can be arranged at one of the great restaurants. If so, please let us know how to proceed.

Meals: Only breakfast included.

Hotel: Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel or Inkaterra La Casona Cusco.

2 hours and 20 minutes prior to your flight departure time, we will pick you up from your hotel and will transfer you to the airport of Cusco to take the flight to Lima and the connecting flight home. End of the adventure.