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Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Legacy of the Incas
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Peru:
Machu Picchu - Lake Titicaca
(11 days/10 nights)
Sacred Sites of the Incas
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Peru:
Machu Picchu - Lake Titicaca
(12 days/11 nights)
Empire of the Sun
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Peru:
Machu Picchu - Lake Titicaca
(14 days/13 nights)
Ancient Civilizations of Peru
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Peru:
Colca Canyon - Machu Picchu
Lake Titicaca
(16 days/15 nights)
Archaeological & Ecological
Treasures
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Peru & Ecuador:
Galapagos - Machu Picchu
Lake Titicaca (or Amazon)
(18 days/17 nights)
Grand Tour of the Inca Empire
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Peru:
Colca Canyon - Amazon
Machu Picchu- Lake Titicaca
(22 days/21 nights)
Ancient & Colonial Capitals
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Peru:
Machu Picchu
(10 days/9 nights)
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Peru:
Machu Picchu
(13 days/12 nights)
Machu Picchu & Galapagos
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Peru & Ecuador:
Machu Picchu - Galapagos
(15 days/14 nights)
Galapagos & Machu Picchus
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Ecuador & Peru:
Galapagos - Machu Picchu
(18 days/17 nights)
Luxury Galapagos Cruises
Enchanted Isles of the Galapagos
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Ecuador:
Galapagos
(11 days/10 nights)
Galapagos & the Kingdom of Quito
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Ecuador:
Galapagos - Andes
(16 days/15 nights)
Galapagos & the Amazon
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Ecuador:
Galapagos - Amazon
(16 days/15 nights)
Luxury Ecuador Tours & Travel
Historic Haciendas of the Andes
Machu Picchu Luxury Tours
Ecuador:
Cotopaxi - Antisana - Otavalo
(7 days/6 nights)
© 2012 Inka's Empire Corporation.
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Lima - Sacred Valley
- Machu Picchu - Cuzco - Lake Titicaca
Campesina at Saqsaywaman,
Cuzco. Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Each moment of this journey invites wonderment...
-- Kimberly
Fay, LuxuryLink.com
Land Price (12 days/11 nights)
Explorer Class US$ 4,340 per person
Private service, expert guides, a masterful itinerary and a touch of luxury
at an affordable price...
The land price includes escorted
transfers, private excursions with professional guides and chauffeurs,
entrance fees, selected category of accommodations, all breakfasts, specified lunches and dinners, all land
and water transportation, and travel insurance for
guests through the age of 59 years (over that age, there is a
supplementary fee). All prices are per person based on two people
sharing a guest room. For a detailed description of our services,
see Opulent
Itineraries. In order to provide the most economical price consistent with a quality experience; the hotels, restaurants, meals and excursions used in Explorer Class vary from our luxury tours. See Explorer Class for details.
MapHotels
Intra-Tour Flights
& Fares
Air fares are in addition
to the land price.
Lima - Cuzco & Juliaca
- Lima: US$ 550 per person
Flamingo on the Uros
Islands, Lake Titicaca. Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
From its roots in southern Peru to
its glory in the imperial city of Cuzco, you will experience
the panoramic history of the Inca Empire and of the civilizations
that inspired the Incas to greatness. Archaeology, art, architecture,
folklore and cuisine compose a cultural adventure to forever
cherish.
All international flights arrive
in Lima, a five-century-old Spanish colonial city and home to
the country's major museums. The next morning, enter the historic
district's crown jewels. In the afternoon, discover the treasures
of the Incas at the Museo Larco.
A morning flight into the Andes takes
you to Cuzco, the ancient capital, where you will have one day
to explore its Inca and colonial monuments, two days in the "Lost
City" of Machu Picchu, with a chance to hike a part of the
Inca Trail, and two days for the reknowned archaeological sites
and native markets of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
After a spectacular rail adventure
on the Orient-Express Andean Explorer through magnificent mountains
towering over the deep valleys of the meandering Huatanay River,
and across the gentle, rolling Altiplano, where vicuña
and alpaca are often seen; your tour will continue on and around
Lake Titicaca. Cruise to traditional Taquile Island and the floating
Islands of the Uros, and drive to the millennia-old
pilgrimage site of Inka Anatawi and the enigmatic archaeological
site of Sillustani.
Return to Lima to explore the Pachacamac
archaeological site. After a lunch at the extraordinary Huaca Pucllana restaurant, walk in the artists'
quarter of Barranco, have a farewell drink and transfer to the airport
for your overnight flight home, completing your tour of ancient
and colonial capitals.
What
Luxury Link has to say about
Sacred Sites of the Incas.
Facade, La Iglesia y
Convento de San Francisco, Lima. Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Highlights
Lima
Day 1: Flight to Lima. International arrival in the afternoon or evening,
reception and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in the Casa Andina Classic Miraflores Centro -- Traditional Room.
Day 2: Lima. Morning free to rest. Recommended for dining on your own: Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon walking tour in the colonial quarter,
visiting the Plaza de Armas and entering La Iglesia
y Convento de San Francisco. View the exterior of La Casa de Aliaga, La Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo, Lima's oldest
convent, and enter La Catedral for a short visit. In contrast to the religious structures,
the Torre Tagle Palace is the city's best surviving example of
secular colonial architecture. Continue to the Museo Larco. Afternoon free. Recommended for dining on your own: A dinner of creative Peruvian cuisine by chef Virgilio Martinez at Central Restaurante, among the world's fifty best restaurants. Overnight in the Casa Andina Classic Miraflores Centro -- Traditional Room.
Sacred Valley
Day 3: Lima - Cuzco - Sacred Valley
(Chinchero). Transfer
to the airport. Flight to Cuzco. Reception and drive to
the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Visit to the Chinchero market
and church. Weaving demonstration. Continue to the Moray
archaeological site and the ancient salt pans of Maras. Chef-prepared box lunch. If you
like, walk down rural paths to the Urubamba River. Arrival
at your hotel in the Inca town of Ollantaytambo. Recommended for dining on your own: Dinner at the hotel or in the town. Overnight in the Pakaritampu -- Double Room.
Day 4: Sacred Valley (Pisaq -
Ollantaytambo). After a short visit to the Pisaq market, hike in the Pisaq ruins. Lunch at Posada Yucay. Tour of the Ollantaytambo ruins. Recommended for dining on your own: Dinner at the hotel or in the town of Ollanataytambo. Overnight in the Pakaritampu -- Double Room.
Machu Picchu
Day 5: Sacred Valley - Orient-Express
Vistadome - Machu Picchu. Transfer
to the train station to meet your guide. Vistadome to Machu Picchu.
Transfer to the ruins. Day entrance. Buffet luncheon at the Sanctuary Lodge's Tinkuy Restaurant. Private guided tour in the
afternoon. Dinner and overnight in El Mapi -- Superior Room.
Cuzco
Day 6: Machu Picchu - Orient-Express
Vistadome - Cuzco. Entrance into the
ruins. Sunrise over Machu Picchu. Morning exploration on your own. Recommended for lunch on your own: Buffet luncheon at the Sanctuary Lodge's Tinkuy Restaurant. Afternoon exploration on your own. Transfer
to the train station. Vistadome to the Poroy Station, on the
outskirts of Cuzco. Reception and transfer to your hotel. Recommended for dining on your own: Dinner
at the Restaurante El Tupay. Overnight in the Unaytambo -- Superior Room.
Day 7: Cuzco &Nearby Inca Monuments. Morning walk to Inca monuments in the colonial quarter, including the Stone of Twelve Angles, Huacaypata (now called the Plaza de Armas and dominated by the Spanish colonial Cathedral), the fine Inca walls of Inti Q'ijllo, Ajlla Wasi (House of the Virgins of the Sun) and Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun). Proceed to the nearby Inca monuments of Tambomachay, Puka Pukara, Qenqo and Saqsaywaman.
Afternoon and evening on your own. The following excursions, lunches and dinners are recommended but not included: Lunch at Pacha Papa before a visit to an artisan's workshop and the Church of San Blas. Afternoon stroll around Cuzco. Facing the Plaza de Armas, you
will find notable Spanish religious monuments, such as the Compañia
de Jesus and the Iglesia
y Convento de la Merced. The convent is famous for its jeweled monstrance, encrusted
with diamonds and precious stones, including rubies, topazes
and emeralds. Finish at the Convento y Museo de Santa Catalina and the Palacio Arzobispal. Return to
your hotel. This evening, you will see pre-Inca and Inca art at the Museo de Arte Precolombino, with a dinner of nouvelle Andean cuisine in the courtyard. Overnight in the Unaytambo -- Superior Room.
Lake Titicaca
Day 8: Cuzco - Orient-Express
Andean Explorer - Puno. Transfer
to the train station. First Class service on the Orient-Express
Andean Explorer to Puno. Three-course lunch followed by coffee
in the observation car. Scenic stop at La Raya, the highest point
Overnight in the Casa Andina Private Collection Puno -- Superior Room with Lake View.
Day 9: Puno (Uros Islands - Taquile Island). Transfer to the port of Puno for an all-day cruise to the floating islands of the Uros and Taquile Island. Typical lunch. Return to port and transfer to your hotel. Recommended for dining on your own: A dinner at Alma, located in the hotel. Overnight in the Casa Andina Private Collection Puno -- Superior Room with Lake View.
Day 10: Puno - (Sillustani) - Lima. Morning, overland excursion to Sillustani. This monumental stone necropolis was built by the Collas about 2,000 years ago and seems imbued with a magical quality. Box lunch prepared by Alma. Continue to the airport for the flight to Lima. Reception
and transfer to your hotel. Recommended for dining on your own: A dinner of artistic cuisine at Rafael. Overnight in the Casa Andina San Antonio -- Traditional Room.
Lima
Day 11: Lima. Morning drive
to Pachacamac, the most reknowned pre-Inca and Inca pilgrimage
site of the coast. Upon returning to Lima, lunch at the extraordinary Huaca Pucllana restaurant, which reinterprets the Peruvian Criollo tradition. Afterward, continue to Barranco for visits to one of the country's finest crafts shops, the Museo de Arte Colonial Pedro de Osma, La Puente de los Suspiros and La Iglesia de La Ermita. After arrival back at the hotel, have a farewell drink, order from room service or just rest before the transfer to the airport for your Overnight Flight Home. Relax in the VIP Club while awaiting departure and enjoy a buffet of light fare and beverages, including Peru's famous pisco sour. Day Room in the Casa Andina Classic Miraflores Centro -- Traditional Room.
Home
Day 12: Lima - Home. Flight and arrival home.
Details
Wooden balcony of the
Torre Tagle Palace, Lima.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
At ancient Peru's most exalted pilgrimage
site, eroded temples speak of the pre-Columbian cultures that worshipped the earth god Pachacamac ("he who gives life to the universe").
When the Incas arrived, they respected the temples and religion
of those people, allowing them to worship that god alongside
the Incas' own god, the Sun. For their deity, the Incas erected
a great stone temple on a cliff above the sea. When the Spaniards
arrived, they destroyed the holiest place in their lust for gold
but found that the only treasure it contained was spiritual.
Nearby Lima, founded by the conquistador
Francisco Pizarro in 1535, came to be the capital of the New
World for a period of three years. It reached its grandest
splendor in the 17th and 18th centuries. The city has two principal
attractions: the colonial quarter, where a visit to La Casa de
Aliaga is to go back in time to the earliest years of the Spanish
conquest, and the archaeological museums,
which display gold, ceramic and textile masterpieces of Peru's
pre-Inca and Inca civilizations. The
country's independence movement was led by Jose de San Martin
of Argentina and Simon Bolivar of Venezuela. San Martin proclaimed
Peruvian independence from Spain on July 28, 1821, marking the
end of the colonial period and the beginning of the republican
era.
Huaca de Huallamarca,
Lima.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Day 1: Flight to Lima
International arrival this afternoon
or evening in the five-century-old colonial city of Lima,
"City of the Kings" and the capital of Peru. Reception
and escorted transfer to your hotel in the garden district of
Miraflores, high above the Pacific Ocean and home to the city's
grand 19th century mansions. Overnight in the Casa Andina Classic Miraflores Centro -- Traditional Room.
Entry door of the Casa
Aliaga, Lima.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Day 2: Lima
Breakfast. Morning free to rest. Recommended for dining on your own: Lunch at the hotel. This
afternoon, walk with your guide in the heart of the city, which
preserves its Spanish colonial heritage of the 16th-18th centuries.
It was Francisco Pizarro, the founder of Lima, who determined
the area for the Plaza de Armas as well as the location
of the structures around it. In the center of the plaza is a
splendid bronze fountain of 1650. Around the plaza and originally
dating back to the city's beginnings in 1535 are the Cathedral,
destroyed in the earthquake of 1746 and rebuilt in 1758; the Archbishop's Palace, rebuilt in 1924; and the Presidential
Palace, rebuilt in 1937. Surviving intact is La Casa de
Aliaga. Built in 1535 by Don Jeronimo de Aliaga, a
member of Pizarro's conquering forces and co-founder of the city,
it is still inhabited by the original family.
17th century library,
La Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco, Lima.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
On your walking tour, enter the 1674 La Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco, the most spectacular of Lima's colonial-era
churches. It features cloisters and interiors of Spanish tiles;
Moorish-style, carved-wood ceilings; a fine museum of religious
art; a 17th century library of twenty-thousand books, many dating
from the first years of the city's founding; and catacombs begun
in 1546. View the exterior of the 1599 La Iglesia y Convento de Santo Domingo, Lima's oldest
convent, and enter the 1758 La Catedral for a short visit. In contrast to the religious structures, the 1735 Torre
Tagle Palace, with its gorgeous baroque stone doorway and
carved-wood balconies, is the city's best surviving example of
secular colonial architecture.
Mochica, 500 AC.
Photo: Museo
Larco, Lima, Peru. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Founded in 1926,
the Museo Larco exhibits
the world's largest private collection of pre-Columbian art --
a treasure trove of gold, silver, semi-precious stones and textiles.
The collection's predominant strength is in Mochica ceramics,
of which the erotic ones are the most famous. Their notariety
ought not to obscure the fact that the museum presents a complete
view of the cultural development of ancient Peru through a selection
of its 45,000 pieces, housed in a colonial building of the 18th
century.
"Huaco" depicting
Spondylus shells, Northern Huari culture, c. 800 AD.
Museo Larco, Lima. Photo: Mylene d'Auriol
Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Return to your hotel to relax. Recommended for dining on your own: A dinner of creative Peruvian cuisine by chef Virgilio Martinez at Central Restaurante, among the world's fifty best restaurants. Overnight in the Casa Andina Classic Miraflores Centro -- Traditional Room.
Terraces of Pisaq, Sacred
Valley.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
But the favorite residence of the
Incas was at Yucay, about four leagues distant from the capital.
In this delicious valley, locked up within the friendly arms
of the sierra, which sheltered it from the rude breezes of the
east, and refreshed by gushing fountains and streams of running
water, they built the most beautiful of their palaces. Here,
when wearied with the dust and toil of the city, they loved to
retreat, and solace themselves with the society of their favorite
concubines, wandering amidst groves and airy gardens, that shed
around their soft, intoxicating odors, and lulled the senses
to voluptuous repose. Here, too, they loved to indulge in the
luxury of their baths, replenished by streams of crystal water
which were conducted through subterraneous silver channels into
basins of gold. The spacious gardens were stocked with numerous
varieties of plants and flowers that grew without effort in this
temperate region of the tropics, while parterres of a more extraordinary
kind were planted by their side, glowing with the various forms
of vegetable life skilfully imitated in gold and silver! Among
them the Indian corn, the most beautiful of American grains,
is particularly commemorated, and the curious workmanship is
noticed with which the golden ear was half disclosed amidst the
broad leaves of silver, and the light tassel of the same material
that floated gracefully from its top.
-- William H. Prescott,
The History of the Conquest of Peru, 1847
Weaver of Chinchero,
Sacred Valley.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Day 3: Lima - Cuzco - Sacred Valley (Chinchero)
Breakfast. Early transfer to the airport for the
flight to Cuzco, the capital of the ancient Inca Empire,
called Tawantinsuyo. The name of Cuzco is a Spanish version
of the native word Q'osqo, which means the "Navel of the
Universe". Arrival, reception and drive to the Sacred
Valley of the Incas. On the way, visit Chinchero, the
birthplace of the rainbow, according to Inca legend. The village
is on the altiplano, or highlands, above Cuzco and the Sacred
Valley, at an elevation of 12,340 feet, and rises against a superb
Andean landscape dominated by eternally snow-capped peaks. This
late 15th century agricultural center maintains its Inca traditions,
one being its composition of "ayllus", or groups of
indigenous, related families that work communally in the cultivation
of their fields.
Sunken agricultural
terraces of Moray, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Traditional weaving is preserved, in
part, through the efforts of The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, which has arranged a demonstration
by one of the finest weavers. Another tradition that traces it
roots back to the Incas is the barter, or "trueque", market. In Chinchero, people still meet to trade good
for goods, just as in ancient times, when money did not exist.
The market, noted for its textiles, takes place in the main square,
at the foot of an Inca wall. Such traditions are not unique to
Chinchero; they still exist throughout the altiplano of Peru.
The pueblo exhibits a peculiar Andean-Hispanic architectural
style, and paintings by the famous native artist Chiwantito hang
in a beautiful colonial church. The canvases are in the Cuzqueña
style, dating back to the early Spanish period.
Yucay Church, Sacred
Valley.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Afterward, visit the impressive archaeological
site of Moray. These circular terraces were built by the
Incas in natural sinkholes on a limestone plateau overlooking
the Sacred Valley and, according to experts, were used to grow
crops in different microclimates. Nearby, below the colonial
town of Maras, are age-old, terraced salt mines. At a scenic place along the route, we'll set up a table and chairs for a box lunch prepared by chef Tatiana Mendoza of Cuzco. If you
like, take a three-quarter-hour walk down rural paths to the Urubamba River, where your driver and car will be waiting. Arrival
at your hotel in the Inca town of Ollantaytambo. Recommended for dining on your own: Dinner at the hotel or in the town. Overnight in the Pakaritampu -- Double Room.
\
Ruins of Pisaq surrounding
the solar calendar, Sacred Valley.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Day 4: Sacred Valley (Pisaq - Ollantaytambo)
Breakfast. Drive through along the Urubamba River to the colonial town of
Pisaq, where a popular handicraft fair take place under the main
square's century-old tree, with wares displayed on vividly patterned
and colored textiles. On Sundays, the traditional mass is held
in Quechua, the Inca language, at the local church, which is
attended by the village leaders from the surrounding communities.
They wear their typical costumes and carry their traditional
scepter of authority, or vara, that gives origin to their
name of Varayoc.
Girl of Pisaq adorned
in traditional attire and cantuta flowers, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene
d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
High on a mountain above, tower the imposing
remains of an ancient settlement. The Pisaq ruins take
up the entire mountain and are made up of different neighborhoods,
or squares, the main one being Intihuatana, which is admired
for the architectural skill of its constructions. Its central
feature is a monumental solar calendar on a promontory from which
there are spectacular outlooks. At the same time, the pre-Hispanic
cemetery is of great interest, as it is the largest found in
this part of the continent, containing thousands of tombs, some
of them looted. Pisaq also is famous for the colossal terraces
that circle the mountains and the fabulous watchtowers, which
were used as observation points as well as for control and military
defense. A lunch of Andean cuisine at Posada Yucay.
Fortress of Ollantaytambo,
Sacred Valley.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Continue to the Ollantaytambo archeological site, a gigantic agricultural, administrative,
social, religious and military center in the era of Tawantinsuyo.
According to legend, the fortress belonged to a powerful lord, Ollantay, who fell in love with Princess Cusi Coillor, daughter of Inca Pachakuteq. It later served Manco Inca after his defeat
by the Spaniards at Saqsaywaman.The architectural
style of its streets and squares reflects Inca town planning,
with enormous polyhedral stones forming the walls and trapezoidal
doorways of temples and palaces set along rectilinear and narrow
streets, which have been inhabited continuously since Inca times.
Agricultural terraces,
Fortress of Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Above the town, a mountain rises which
houses innumerable Inca constructions, such as magnificently-crafted
temples and terraces. One striking construction is the partially-destroyed
main temple, believed to be the Temple of the Sun, whose carved-stone
facade is made up of six perfectly-sculpted, red monoliths. The
mountainside on which this enormous fortress is built is strategic:
it dominates three valleys that come together at this point.
Across one valley, tremendous blocks of stone lie abandoned along
the route from the quarry site to Ollantaytambo, their uncompleted
journey marking the arrival of the "Conquistadores". Return to your hotel. Recommended for dining on your own: Dinner at the hotel or in the town. Overnight in the Pakaritampu -- Double Room.
Citadel of Machu Picchu.
Photo: Mylene
d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Arrive like the Inca!
Consider an unforgettable
arrival on the Royal
Inca Trail
(Trek must be
requested in writing at the time of booking your tour.)
Photo album: Marvels
of Machu Picchu
Day 5: Sacred Valley - Orient-Express Vistadome - Machu Picchu
Breakfast. Early
transfer to the station to meet your guide and board the train
for a descent into the Urubamba Valley to reach Machu Picchu (Old Peak), the "Lost City of the Incas". The Orient-Express
Vistadome's recently renovated carriages have panoramic windows,
offering enhanced photographic opportunities. Refreshments will
be served.
Agricultural terraces,
Machu Picchu.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
A sumptuous buffet luncheon of regional cuisine by chef Paulino Huaman at the Sanctuary Lodge's Tinkuy Restaurant. On your private tour this afternoon, you will
ponder the many theories about this mysterious citadel, including
the latest -- that it was Inca Pachacuti's winter palace.
The word "ruins" is misleading, as the site is actually
in a remarkable state of preservation -- only the wood and palm-frond
roofs have decomposed over the centuries. Surprisingly, the Spaniards
never discovered the sanctuary, and it remained unknown to the
outside world until Hiram Bingham's expedition of 1911. Its discovery
captured the world's imagination, and its allure has never diminished. Dinner and overnight in El Mapi -- Superior Room.
Trapezoidal windows,
Machu Picchu.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
The temples and royal chambers, throughout
the Empire, were lined with gold, and, in preparing the stone,
they left niches and empty spaces in which to put all sorts of
human or animal figures: birds, or wild beasts, such as tigers,
bears, lions, wolves, dogs and wildcats, deer, guanacos, vicuñas
and even domestic ewes, all of which were made of gold and silver...
Imitation of nature was so consummate
that they even reproduced the leaves and little plants that grow
on walls; they also scattered here and there, gold or silver
lizards, butterflies, mice and snakes, which were so well made
and so cunningly placed, that one had the impression of seeing
them run about in all directions...
In all the royal mansions there were
gardens and orchards given over to the Inca's moments of relaxation.
Here were planted the finest trees and the most beautiful flowers
and sweet-smelling herbs in the kingdom, while quantities of
others were reproduced in gold and silver, at every stage of
their growth, from the sprout that hardly shows above the earth,
to the full-blown plant, in complete maturity. There were also
fields of corn with silver stalks and gold ears, on which the
leaves, grains, and even the corn silk were shown.
In addition to all this, there were
all kinds of gold and silver animals in these gardens, such as
rabbits, mice, lizards, snakes, butterflies, foxes, and wildcats...
Then there were birds set in the trees, as though they were about
to sing, and others bent over the flowers, breathing in their
nectar. There were roe deer and deer, lions and tigers, all the
animals in creation, in fact, each placed just where it should
be.
-- Garcilaso de la Vega,
The Royal Commentaries of the Inca, 1609
Machu Picchu, the Lost
City of the Incas.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Day 6: Machu Picchu - Orient-Express Vistadome - Cuzco
Breakfast. Entrance into the ruins. Day
of exploration on your own. Start by ascending
Machu Picchu for sunrise, which due to the high, surrounding
mountains does not occur until around 7:00 am. It takes an hour
to walk up to Intipunku (Sun Gate),
the end of the Inca Trail and the ancient entrance into the sanctuary.
Its majestic panorama of the citadel, seen from on high, is the
first view the Incas had upon arriving from Cuzco. Other memorable hikes lead to the top
of Huayna
Picchu (a strenuous,
two-hour round-trip), the Temple of the Moon (a moderate, four-hour round-trip), the Inca
Drawbridge (an
easy, one-hour round-trip) and Machu Picchu's multitude of hidden
nooks and crannies.
Recommended for lunch on your own: A buffet luncheon at the Tinkuy Restaurant. Descend from Machu Picchu at mid-afternoon and walk to the station
for the train departure. Evening arrival at the Poroy Station,
on the outskirts of Cuzco, reception and transfer to your hotel.
Recommended for dining on your own: A dinner of inspired dishes influenced by French cuisine and created with local produce of the highest quality by executive chef Federico Ziegler at the Restaurante El Tupay. Overnight in the Unaytambo -- Superior Room.
The Stone of Twelve
Angles, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
The most renowned of the Peruvian temples,
the pride of the capital, and the wonder
of the empire, was at Cuzco,
where, under the munificence of successive
sovereigns,
it had become so enriched, that it received
the name of Coricancha,
or "the Place of Gold."
-- William
H. Prescott, The History of the Conquest of Peru, 1847
Day 7: Cuzco & Nearby Inca Monuments
Breakfast. Morning walking tour in the imperial
city of the Incas to their ancient monuments, including the Stone of Twelve Angles, Huacaypata (Leisure
Square -- now called the Plaza de Armas and dominated by the Spanish colonial Cathedral). the fine Inca walls of Inti Q'ijllo,
the Ajlla Wasi (the House of the Virgins of the Sun) and Qorikancha (the Temple of the Sun). All of these constructions date from the era of 1440
A.D., when Inca Pachakuteq, desiring a capital befitting his
great empire, pulled down the adobe city and rebuilt Cuzco in
stone.
The Inca palaces were in the form of
"canchas", or enclosures, formed by massive stone walls
with living quarters, temples and courtyards within. Throughout
Cuzco, you will see the Inca walls, built upon by the Spaniards
in colonial style. The Cathedral was built over the Inca
Wiracocha's palace. The Palacio Arzobispal, or Archbishop's Palace,
was erected in the 16th century in an Arabesque style on the
walls of Hatunrumiyoc, the palace of Inca Sinchi Roca, which
contains the Stone of Twelve Angles. The Church of Santo Domingo
(begun in 1534), was built over Qorikancha, the most important
religious structure in the Inca Empire. When the earthquake of
1950 collapsed much of the superimposed colonial architecture,
it revealed the ancient Temples of the Sun, the Moon, the Stars,
Thunder and Lightning, and the Rainbow.
The interior of the temple was the
most worthy of admiration. It was literally a mine of gold. On
the western wall was emblazoned a representation of the deity,
consisting of a human countenance, looking forth from amidst
innumerable rays of light, which emanated from it in every direction,
in the same manner as the sun is often personified with us. The
figure was engraved on a massive plate of gold of enormous dimensions,
thickly powdered with emeralds and precious stones. It was so
situated in front of the great eastern portal, that the rays
of the morning sun fell directly upon it at its rising, lighting
up the whole apartment with an effulgence that seemed more than
natural, and which was reflected back from the golden ornaments
with which the walls and ceiling were everywhere incrusted. Gold,
in the figurative language of the people, was "the tears
wept by the sun," and every part of the interior of the
temple glowed with burnished plates and studs of the precious
metal. The cornices, which surrounded the walls of the sanctuary,
were of the same costly material; and a broad belt or frieze
of gold, let into the stonework, encompassed the whole exterior
of the edifice.
Adjoining the principal structure
were several chapels of smaller dimensions. One of them was consecrated
to the Moon, the deity held next in reverence, as the mother
of the Incas. Her effigy was delineated in the same manner as
that of the Sun, on a vast plate that nearly covered one side
of the apartment. But this plate, as well as all the decorations
of the building, was of silver, as suited to the pale, silvery
light of the beautiful planet. There were three other chapels,
one of which was dedicated to the host of Stars, who formed the
bright court of the Sister of the Sun; another was consecrated
to his dread ministers of vengeance, the Thunder and the Lightning;
and a third, to the Rainbow, whose many-colored arch spanned
the walls of the edifice with hues almost as radiant as its own...
All the plate, the ornaments, the
utensils of every description, appropriated to the uses of religion,
were of gold or silver. Twelve immense vases of the latter metal
stood on the floor of the great saloon, filled with grain of
the Indian corn; the censers for the perfumes, the ewers which
held the water for sacrifice, the pipes which conducted it through
subterraneous channels into the buildings, the reservoirs that
received it, even the agricultural implements used in the gardens
of the temple, were all of the same rich materials. The gardens,
like those described, belonging to the royal palaces, sparkled
with flowers of gold and silver, and various imitations of the
vegetable kingdom. Animals, also, were to be found there --among
which the llama, with its golden fleece, was most conspicuous--
executed in the same style, and with a degree of skill, which,
in this instance, probably, did not surpass the excellence of
the material.
-- William H. Prescott,
The History of the Conquest of Peru, 1847
Qorikancha, the Temple
of the Sun, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
In the time of the Incas, this garden...
was entirely made of gold and silver; and there were similar
gardens about all the royal mansions. Here could be seen all
sorts of plants, flowers, trees, animals, both small and large,
wild and tame, tiny, crawling creatures such as snakes, lizards,
and snails, as well as butterflies and birds of every size; each
one of these marvels being placed at the spot that best suited
the nature of what it represented.
There were a tall corn stalk and
another stalk from the grain they call quinoa, as well as other
vegetables and fruit trees, the fruits of which were all very
faithfully reproduced in gold and silver. There were also, in
the house of the Sun, as well as in that of the king, piles of
wool made of gold and silver, and large statues of men, women,
and children made of the same materials, in addition to storerooms
and recipients for storing the grain they called pirua, all of
which, together, tended to lend greater splendor and majesty
to the house of their god the Sun.
All of these valuable works were
made by the goldsmiths attached to the Temple, from the tribute
of gold and silver that arrived every year from all the provinces
of the Empire, and which was so great that the most modest utensils
used in the temple, such as pots and pans, or pitchers, were
also made of precious metals. For this reason, the temple and
its service quarters were called Coricancha, which means the
place of gold.
-- Garcilaso de la Vega,
The Royal Commentaries of the Inca, 1609
Ritual fountains of
Tambomachay, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Drive to the nearby Inca monuments of Tambomachay, Puka Pukara, Qenqo and Saqsaywaman. Tambomachay is believed to have
been dedicated to the worship of water and its aqueducts are
fed by springs all year long. The site includes a liturgical
fountain and three terraces with structures made from polyhedral
blocks of stone, joined without mortar. The setting is bucolic
and the spring water is cold, pure and delicious. Drink
from the sacred fountain and make your devotions to one of life's essential elements.
Puka Pukara (red
fortress) is located at a strategic point along the road to Antisuyo
(the jungle quarter of the Inca Empire). It served as a checkpoint
and was a military and administrative center. The Inca's retinue
received food and lodging here when he stopped at Tambomachay,
on his way to the Sacred Valley.
Qenqo is a vast, rocky hilltop carved into staircases, holes and channels, probably built to store the chicha (fermented maize beer) used in Inca rituals. The site features a semi-circular patio studded with several large niches surrounding a stone figure embedded within a chamber, rather like an idol inside its own shrine.
Temple and fortress
of Saqsaywaman, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
To truly appreciate fortress of Saqsaywaman, one must realize that
what may now be seen is only the base of a colossal construction
of a series of three successively-higher, defensive structures
made from enormous blocks of stone, joined together with great
precision.
Inside this triple enclosure, three
tall towers were erected on a large narrow ground. The largest
of them was called Mayac Marca, which means the round tower.
It was built over a clear, abundant spring, fed by underground
canalizations, concerning which nobody knew from where or how
they came... This round tower contained rooms with gold and silver
paneled walls, on which animals, birds, and plants figured in
relief, as though in a tapestry. It was here that the king lived
when he came for a rest in the fortress...
The two other towers, which were
round, not square, in shape, were called Paucar Marca and Sacllac
Marca, and were used to house soldiers of the garrison, which
was composed only of Incas by privilege, ordinary men, even combatants,
not being allowed inside this fortress, which was the house of
the Sun, both its arsenal and its temple...
An underground network of passages,
which was as vast as the towers themselves, connected them with
one another. This was composed of a quantity of streets and alleyways
which ran in every direction, and so many doors, all of them
identical, that the most experienced men dared not venture into
this labyrinth without a guide, consisting of a long thread tied
to the first door, which unwound as they advanced....
It would have been in the interest
of the Spaniards to maintain this fortress, and even to repair
it at their own expense, because, quite alone, it gave proof
of the grandeur of their victory and would have served as a witness
to it for all eternity. And yet, not only did they not keep it
up, but they hastened its ruin, demolishing its hewn stones,
in order to construct their own Cuzco homes at less cost.
They made their portals and thresholds
with the big flat stones that formed the ceilings, and to make
their stairways, they did not hesitate to tear down entire walls,
provided they were based on a few stones that could be used for
steps.
And so, that is how the Spaniards
destroyed the Cuzco fortress.
-- Garcilaso de la Vega,
The Royal Commentaries of the Inca, 1609
Campesina at Saqsaywaman,
Cuzco.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Saqsaywaman was considered a fortress
by the Spaniards, since it was a place of defense, weapons and
war. It was considered the House of the Sun by the Incas because,
at the same time, it was a place of worship and sacrifice. Notably,
it was the site of the most important ceremony of the empire,
Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun. Its name means "Satiated
Hawk" and it was built in approximately 77 years (1431-1508),
during the reign of Inca Yupanqui and Wayna Qhapaj. It began
being destroyed from 1537 until 1561, becoming the base for the
building of the Spanish Cathedral, churches and homes. "Neither
the bridge of Segovia, nor the buildings built by Hercules or
the Romans, are so worthy of being admired, as this" says
the Spanish chronicler and soldier Pedro Sancho de la Hoz, who
saw Inca Cuzco intact, along with Pizarro in 1533. Return to your hotel.
San Blas artisans' quarter,
Cuzco.
Photo:
Walter H. Wust. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Afternoon and evening on your own. The following excursions, lunches and dinners are recommended but not included: A lunch of traditional Andean cuisine by chef Rodolfo Rolando in the patio of Pacha Papa. Just
across the street, visit an artisan's workshop and the Church of San Blas (built in 1562). It houses an imposing pulpit from the late 17th
century that, for many, is the finest example of a carved wooden
structure in the world. Chiseled from a single cedar trunk, the
pulpit features angels, demons, saints, virgins and beasts. A
native artist, Juan Thomas Tuirutupa, is believed to have been
the sculptor. The main altarpiece is Baroque and exceptionally
beautiful.
Afternoon stroll around Cuzco. Known in Inca times as Huacaypata (Leisure
Square), the plaza was surrounded by palaces of finely-sculpted
stone. On its southwest side flowed the river Huatanay.
On the far bank was the market square of Cusipata (Joy Square),
now occupied by the arcade of buildings known as the Portal de
Panes. The only remaining portion of that square is the lovely Plaza Regocijo, with its picturesque Queñuales
trees. Although the river was later covered over with stone slabs,
a division remained: Haucaypata was reserved for the nobles,
Cusipata for the commoners. Yet, all could celebrate together
in the great square of ancient Cuzco, from which two intersecting
roads led out to Tawantinsuyo (the Four Quarters of
the Empire).
Cathedral and Plaza
de Armas, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Facing the Plaza de Armas, you
will find notable Spanish religious monuments, such as the Compañia
de Jesus (begun
in 1576) and the Iglesia
y Convento de la Merced (begun
in 1536). The convent is famous for its jeweled monstrance, encrusted
with diamonds and precious stones, including rubies, topazes
and emeralds. A good place to relax and take in the spectacle is the popular
Cafe Ayllu, which offers delicious apple pastries and a memorable
view. It's just to the left of the Cathedral.Finish at the Convento y Museo de Santa Catalina (begun in 1601) and the Palacio Arzobispal (begun about 1540). Return to
your hotel.
This evening, at the Museo de Arte Precolombino,
you will see 450 pre-Inca and Inca masterpieces dating from 1250
B.C. to 1532 A.D. Afterward, dinner of nouvelle Andean
cuisine by Manuel Cordova at the Map Café,
in the museum's courtyard. Overnight in the Unaytambo -- Superior Room.
Boatman, Uros Islands,
Lake Titicaca.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
The worship of the Sun constituted
the peculiar care of the Incas,
and was the object of their lavish expenditure.
The most ancient of the many temples dedicated
ted
to this divinity
was in the Island of Titicaca,
whence the royal founders of the Peruvian
line
were said to have proceeded...
-- William
H. Prescott, The History of the Conquest of Peru, 1847
Orient-Express Andean
Explorer railway, Meseta de Collao, Lake Titicaca.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Day 8: Cuzco - Orient-Express Andean Explorer - Puno
Breakfast. Early transfer to the Orient-Express Andean Explorer.
This spectacular rail adventure begins in Cuzco and runs south
to the historic city of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
The gentle climb is breathtaking. The first half of the journey
is dominated by magnificent Andean mountains, towering over the
deep valleys of the meandering Huatanay River. It then reaches
the gentler, rolling Andean Plains, where vicuña and alpaca
are often seen. Sightseeing while on board the train is enhanced
by a glass-walled observation car. Dining includes
a three-course lunch, directed by executive chef Federico Ziegler, followed by coffee served in the observation
car. The journey is broken by a scenic stop at La Raya,
the highest point on the route.
The banks of Lake Titicaca were
the meeting place of three cultures: the Aymara, Quechua and Spanish, the combination of which becomes evident
in their artistic and cultural expressions. This unequaled legacy
has resulted in Puno being recognized as the Folkloric
Capital of Peru.
Festival of Candelaria,
Puno, Lake Titicaca.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
The city of Puno perches in the southeastern
highlands of Peru, or Altiplano, at a breathtaking 12,550
feet above sea level. It is situated on the shores of Titicaca,
an ancient inland sea thrust high into the Andes. The area, cold
and uninviting by some standards, is rich with spectacular landscapes
and imposing archaeological ruins.
Around Puno's main square, or the Plaza
de Armas, are the 18th century Cathedral; La Casa del Corregidor,
a traditional Puno manor house of the 19th century; and La Casa
del Conde de Lemos, a colonial mansion in which, according to
tradition, Viceroy Conde de Lemos stayed when he founded the
city on November 4, 1668. Early evening arrival, reception and transfer to your hotel. Recommended for dining on your own: A dinner at Alma, located in the hotel. Overnight in the Casa Andina Private Collection Puno -- Superior Room with Lake View.
Flamingo on the Uros
Islands, Lake Titicaca.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Day 9: Puno (Uros Islands & Taquile Island)
Breakfast. Drive to the Port of Puno for a morning
cruise to the Islands of the Uros, forty island-like
packs of floating totora reeds. Legend has it that Manco Capac,
the first Inca, and Mama Ocllo, his sister-consort, rose from
the waters of the lake to found the Inca Empire. The royal pair
are said to be the forebears of the Uros, whose descendents now
inhabit the lake's famous floating islands. These lake dwellers
continue to live like their ancestors did, preserving their customs
and idiosyncracies but, above all, their own system of communal
life.
Boatman sailing a traditional
reed boat, Uros Islands, Lake Titicaca.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Continue to Taquile Island to see the living culture
of the Incas.
"This is an indigenous community
of some 350 families which continues to live within the traditions
of the 14th century, according to the principles of Inca life.
Here, without noting the passing of time, the three golden rules
of the Empire of the Sun have been kept: Ama suwa, Ama quella,
Ama llulla (do not steal, don't be idle, and do not lie).
The contact with other civilizations has not been able to destroy
the profound identity of the Inca way...
On Taquile there are no planes, no trucks,
no cars, no motorcycles. It is on foot, following the little
pathways of ordered stones, that the visitor allows himself to
be infused with this surprising atmosphere that envelops the
island. The principal characteristic of the island resides in
the fact that it has conserved, across the centuries, a great
many of the customs of the old lake population, such as a comunitarian
life where everything is shared, exceptional handcrafts, and
-- unique of their kind -- dances and traditional music, maintained
in all their purity."
-- Hernan Cornejo &
Christian Nonis, Rumbos Magazine, Volume II, No. 10, 1997
After a typical lunch, return to the hotel. Recommended for dining on your own: A dinner at Alma, located in the hotel. Overnight in the Casa Andina Private Collection Puno -- Superior Room with Lake View.
Chullpas of Sillustani,
on the shore of Lake Umayo, Lake Titicaca.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Day 10: Puno (Sillustani) - Lima
Breakfast. Morning, overland excursion
to Sillustani.
Its necropolis, which is one of the largest in America and one
of the most impressive in the world, stands over a peninsula-like
esplanade, surrounded by the beautiful Umayo lagoon. The chullpas
found here are large funerary monuments built by the Collas about
2,000 years ago. These quadrangular and circular buildings are
more than 40 feet high and their architectural design is a real
challenge for balance, as the diameter of the base is less than
the top. The site, surrounded by a landscape that has given rise
to diverse and mysterious legends, seems imbued with a magical
quality. Box lunch prepared by Alma. Continue to the Juliaca airport for the Flight to Lima. Arrival, reception
and transfer to your hotel. Recommended for dining on your own: A dinner of artistic cuisine at Rafael. Overnight in the Casa Andina Classic Miraflores Centro -- Traditional Room.
House of the Virgins
of the Sun, Pachacamac, c. 1500 AD.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Day 11: Lima
Breakfast. Morning drive to Pachacamac, the
most reknowned pre-Inca and Inca pilgrimage site of the coast,
dating back to 200 AD. It was originally devoted to the worship
of the earth god Pachacamac: "he who sustains or gives life
to the universe". Upon returning to Lima, lunch at the extraordinary Huaca
Pucllana restaurant, located on
the grounds of a 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid built by the original inhabitants of Lima. The cuisine is a reinterpretation
of the Peruvian Criollo tradition by chef Marilú Madueño
(Le Cordon Bleu Paris).
Malecon de la Reserva,
above La Costa Verde, Miraflores, Lima.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Machu Picchu Luxury Tours.
Afterward, continue to Barranco for a visit to one of the country's finest
crafts shops: Mari Solari's Las Pallas. Once Lima's beach
resort, this district is now the home of Peru's most prestigious
artists and writers. Among its colorful, colonial mansions is
the Palacio de Osma, now the Museo de Arte Colonial Pedro de Osma, which focuses on colonial Peruvian art from
the country's cultural centers of the day. La Puente de los
Suspiros (The Bridge of Sighs) is a romantic outlook over
the ocean in the loveliest part of the quarter, said to inspire
artists. Next to it is La Iglesia de La Ermita (The Church
of the Hermitage), built on the spot where legend has it that
a glowing image of Christ appeared to guide sailors home from a tempest at sea. After arrival back at the hotel, have a farewell drink at the bar, order from room service or just rest before the transfer to the airport for your Overnight Flight Home. Relax in the VIP Club while awaiting departure and enjoy a buffet of light fare and beverages, including Peru's famous pisco sour. Day Room in the Casa Andina Classic Miraflores Centro -- Traditional Room.
Day 12: Lima - Home
Flight and arrival home.
Inka's
Empire Tours...
Impeccable!
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