Peru with Luxury & Style (8 Days): A Sample Itinerary

ID #: DT-P-8-1-24-08-BESI

• Embark on a tour of Lima beginning with a visit to Plaza Mayor, the official center of the city
• Visit the historic Cathedral, built in 1534 and an architectural marvel. From the Cathedral, walk past the Presidential Palace where the soldiers on guard offer an excellent photo opportunity
• Visit the Church of San Francisco and its library collection of fine paintings and frescoes
• Travel through modern Lima to tour the fascinating Larco Herrera Museum, which houses some 50,000 ceramics of the Mochica culture
• Explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with visits to Ollantaytambo, an Incan fortress-complex, and the local village of Pisac
• Board the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu, the "Lost City of the Incas," where a late morning arrival gives you time to thoroughly explore this breathtaking Incan citadel

Overview:

Few destinations have as much to offer visitors as Peru, an astonishingly varied country. Here you'll find panoramic mountain ranges, vast deserts, beautiful beaches and tropical jungle, not to mention fantastically rich history, archaeology, wildlife and enduring indigenous cultures.

Images of the extraordinary remains of ancient civilizations will inevitably jump to mind. The Inca stronghold Machu Picchu is one of the most famous and photogenic archaeological sites in the world and the mysterious Nazca Lines boggle the mind, but there are hundreds of similarly fascinating and even older sites to discover.

All are set in stunning landscapes, whether parched desert costa (coast), soaring sierra (mountains) or remote selva (rainforest) overflowing with wildlife. Such a diverse landscape generates diverse pleasures; the visitor can hike through snowy peaks one day, and relax on the beach the next; paddle a dugout through lowland rainforest or hop on a traditional reed boat on some of the world's highest lakes.