Mention Peru and most travelers immediately conjure a vision of Machu Picchu, "Lost City of the Incas," mysteriously appearing through the clouds. Imagine waking up with that vision just steps away from your hotel door, ready for you to explore from sunrise to sunset. That's what a group of Coda travelers will experience during our Peruvian adventure. We will spend one and half days touring this ancient marvel. In addition to Machu Picchu, we will discover Peru's other great destinations: colonial Lima; ancient Cusco, built by the Spanish on the foundations of an Inca city; and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with its superb ruins, Indian craft markets, and beautiful Andean scenery.

Day 1 –  USA/LIMA
Board your international flight to Lima. Arrive in Lima and transfer to the five-star, J.W. Marriott Hotel, in the fashionable Miraflores district. Executive rooms are reserved.

The city of Lima was founded by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro on January 5, 1535, the eve of the Epiphany of the Magi – from which it derived its evocative original name of La Ciudad de los Reyes or “The City of Kings”.  It is a city of rare fascination and unexpected pleasures.  Lima has decaying colonial splendor and the teeming vitality of an oriental bazaar; melancholy cloudy winters and warm breezy summers; impoverished urban sprawl and quiet elegant corners among ancient buildings where the night air is scented with jasmine.

Day 2 –LIMA
This morning you will embark on a city tour beginning with a visit to the Plaza Mayor, official center of the city and the original site upon which Lima was founded.  You will visit the historic Cathedral, built in 1534 and an architectural masterpiece.  From the Cathedral, you will walk past the Presidential Palace where the soldiers guarding the palace offer an excellent photo opportunity, and on to the Church of San Francisco with its library and collection of fine paintings and frescoes. Continue visiting the Larco Herrera Museum, an extensive private collection of pre-Inca ceramics – probably the largest collection of its kind in the world.

Lunch is at the Rosa Nautica Restaurant, the most famous of the restaurants in Lima. 20 years of uninterrupted service and the restaurant’s unique location make it an experience not to be missed.

In the afternoon visit the Gold Museum, probably Lima’s most famous museum, containing gold Inca, pre-Inca and European artifacts, including Francisco Pizarro’s sword!

Enjoy a private dinner at the Casa ‘Garcia-Alvarado’, hosted by the owner Mrs Ana Maria Garcia. This old but impressive house was constructed in 1912 by the architect Rozaga, and was remodelled in 1932 giving it its present look. Its design was based on Peru’s Government Palace. The house is located on the Larco Avenue in the commercial district of Miraflores. Overnight at J.W. Marriott Hotel.

Day 3 –LIMA/CUSCO/SACRED VALLEY (URUBAMBA)
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival in Cusco, Andean community and former ancient capital of the Inca Empire, you will be met and transferred to Urubamba.

This morning visit the local village of Pisac, known for its famous colorful market. This bustling market attracts tourist from all over the world to try their bartering for local sweaters, ponchos, wall hangings, jewelry and goods. 

After time to shop, continue to lunch at the charming Huayoccari Hacienda, where you will be able to appreciate a valuable collection of colonial and folk art.  The current inhabitants of the house, the Lambarri-Orihuela family, will be your hosts.

After lunch, continue on to the massive fortress of Ollantaytambo.  The fortress of Ollantaytambo, a formidable stone structure that climbs massive terraces to the top of a peak, was the valley’s main defense against the Antis and was the site of the Incas’ greatest victory against the Spanish during the wars of conquest.  Constructed of rose-colored granite, this huge installation was once a thriving complex of baths, temples and military barracks.  Below the fortress lies a complete Incan town, also called Ollantaytambo, still inhabited and with its original architecture and layout preserved. Check in to the charming Sol y Luna Hotel for overnight (Casa Andina Private Collection in February.)

Day 4 –URUBAMBA/MACHU PICCHU
After check out, you board the autorailcar bound for Machu Picchu, in time to begin your explorations of this breathtaking Incan citadel.

Accompanied by your guide, explore the city's ruins, and feel its pulse as you visualize the lives of the priests, craftsmen, and servants who inhabited this seemingly uninhabitable citadel.  Excavations at the site have revealed skeletons, artifacts and woolen clothing, but no gold.  The same precision of assembled stones exists here as in other Incan sites. 

Overlooking the raging Urubamba River and discovered in a hidden tangle of vines and trees atop the mountain, the city of Machu Picchu will forever hold the secret of its destruction - the Incas left no written record. Overnight at the Orient -Express Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, only steps away from the entrance to Machu Picchu.

Day 5 –MACHU PICCHU/HIRAM BINGHAM TRAIN/CUSCO
Awaken this morning with Machu Picchu at our doorstep. Hikers may wish to ascend the ancient trail to the top of Huayna Picchu for an incredible, breathtaking view of the site. After breakfast, dedicate the morning to exploring the extensive ruins a second time on your own. Lunch is a la carte at your hotel. In the late afternoon, you are transferred to the train station for the return trip to Cusco aboard the luxurious Orient-Express Hiram Bingham. En route, enjoy a gourmet dinner before a late arrival in Cusco and a transfer to the Orient-Express Monasterio Hotel.

Day 6 – CUSCO
This Morning your visit will take you to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a true testimonial to Incan architectural skills. Compiled of massive stones (one weighs 125 tons!) you are challenged to try to slip a piece of paper through the cracks in between these blocks, cut and fitted together with incredible precision without a single drop of mortar to hold them in place. This ancient fortress (where the greatest battle between the Spanish and Incas took place) overlooks the red-tiled roofs of Cusco and the breathtaking countryside surrounding the city.  Also visit Qenqo (“The Labyrinth”), an Incan shrine dedicated to Pachamama (‘Mother Earth’); the small fortress of Puka Pukara.

This afternoon enjoy a city tour which includes the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas and Santo Domingo, a Dominican church and convent built upon the foundations of the Koricancha, or the ‘place of gold’, the Incas’ principal religious building, dedicated to the worship of the sun. Proceed with a visit to the district of San Blas, Cusco's artists' district.

Dinner is at the Restaurant in the Pre-Columbian Art Museum. This building was originally an Inca ceremonial court around 1450 A.D before becoming the mansion of the Spanish conqueror Alonso Diaz in 1580 and in 1850 the mansion of the Earl of Cabrera. In June 2003 it was restored and turned into Cusco’s Pre-Columbian Art Museum. This extraordinary historic monument is home to the only museum in Peru dedicated to the art of ancient Peruvian cultures. After dinner you might wish to visit the museum on your own. Overnight at Orient-Express Monasterio Hotel.

Day 7 –CUSCO/LIMA
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima. On arrival in Lima, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. You will have your room available at the J.W. Marriott Hotel until your international departure flight. At indicated time, you will be transferred to the airport for your international departure flight.

Day 8 –USA
Arrive the USA this morning and connect with flights to your home city.