Peru: Lima, the Sacred Valley & the Inca Trail

Take in a lungful of ocean air on arrival to Lima and keep your eyes out for surfers riding the waves as you follow the coastal highway to your hotel. The district of Miraflores is bustling with trendy restaurants, bars and shops in all directions and there are great views of the ocean from the cliffside boardwalk, or malecón. We welcome you to Lima, and invite you to bring your appetite for incredible food and adventure that awaits you in Peru.

Arrive to Lima at any time and transfer to your hotel. Meet your fellow group members at the welcome meeting in the evening and get all the important information about the adventure ahead. Afterwards, head to a nearby restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner with new friends.

TRANSPORT: You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.

ACTIVITY: EVENING Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

The neighbourhoods of Lima and Barranco may be right next to each other but they feel quite different. Fashionable Miraflores contrasts with the more bohemian Barranco in the most wonderful of ways as the bustling commercial area gives way to quaint cafés, art galleries and historic buildings. Both lie on the coast which offer amazing views over the Pacific Ocean and of Lima's sprawling coastline.

Set off to explore Miraflores and Barranco by bike and on foot before stopping for a typical lunch at a local restaurant. Enjoy a free afternoon before meeting the group for a sunset drink on the rooftop terrace of the hotel.

ACTIVITY: Head out on a bike tour through Miraflores and Barranco visiting iconic districts in Lima along the way. You will bike a total of 13km or about 8 miles on this particular tour. Take in the colourful atmosphere as you pass by historic house in the Bajada de Baños district and visit the famous Puente de los Suspiros.

ACTIVITY: Take on the Barranco district of Lima by foot! Put on your walking shoes, hit the pavement and get ready to fill up on Peruvian tapas and artisan beers. Continue to wander Barranco's bohemian streets where you can find street paintings, graffiti, art galleries, museums, and rich architecture.

FREE TIME: Spend free time in Lima exploring on your own.

Watch the ocean disappear in the horizon as you head high up in the sky towards the Andes where magic awaits in Cusco. Feel the energy and see the mix of Spanish colonial architecture with ancient Inca stonework all around you. Take it slow as you begin to explore in order to get the most out of the city and to acclimatize to the altitude.

Fly to Cusco and then take a CEO-led orientation walk of the historical centre with a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. Enjoy dinner out in the city with new group members joining the next portion of the tour.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery as you journey to your next destination.

TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

ACTIVITY: Set off on foot from the hotel with your CEO to get your bearings of Cusco. Head to the main plaza for essential things like ATMs and money changers, marvelling at the surrounding colonial architecture and Inca stonework. Pass by the many shops, restaurants and cafes and start to feel the energy of this incredible city.

FREE TIME: Free afternoon to acclimatize, relax, and get to know Cusco on your own.

The Sacred Valley is aptly named for its importance to the people who have lived there and it is also stunningly beautiful with mountain scenery and colourful farmland along the Urubamba River. You'll see the massive ruins of Pisaq perched up above the town as you approach and you'll get to spend time with a local community on the way up to the site. Lunch is an experience unto itself at a community-run restaurant, using locally-grown ingredients for a delicious and traditional meal. Back at the hotel for dinner, feast on a traditional pachamanca meal consisting of various types of meat, potatoes and vegetables cooked for hours in the ground under hot stones.

Travel from Cusco into the Sacred Valley. Visit the Cuyo Chico community for a snack and to learn about their traditional ceramics and adobe before taking a guided tour of Pisaq archaeological site. Continue to the hotel after lunch. In the evening enjoy a pachamanca dinner.

TRANSPORT: Sit back and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle with stops along the way to Cuyo Chico, Pisaq, and Parwa.

ACTIVITY: In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Visit this community learn about the ceramics process and partake in an empanada making demonstration.

ACTIVITY: Tour the fascinating hilltop citadel of Pisac, an Incan ruin with plunging gorges, a ceremonial centre, and winding agriculture terracing that's still in use today. Be captivated by this truly amazing site sitting amid sweeping green valleys and mountain peaks. Explore the back of the site to see a pocketed cliff across Kitamayo Gorge, which once contained hundreds of Inca tombs.

ACTIVITY: Contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families in the Sacred Valley, by eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, to become a successful farm-to-table program that boosts the local economy and several spin-off microenterprises.

ACTIVITY: The thousand year-old tradition of Pachamanca involves baking an assortment of meat and vegetables in an oven of hot stones, earth, and grass. Meat is usually seasoned with local spices and wrapped in a banana leaf before it’s placed on the hot stones and can include lamb, pork, chicken or guinea pig. Savour this traditional meal prepared by an experienced chef.

Sitting at a slightly lower altitude than Cusco, spending time in the Sacred Valley helps to get you used the altitude in these parts. Choose from a scenic acclimatization hike to a waterfall or get the adrenaline flowing by scaling a via ferrata network of rungs and ladders for lunch with a view.

Choice of activity in the morning, both options including lunch.

ACTIVITY: Option 1: Start the day with an acclimatization hike to Perilnilloq waterfall. Follow a meandering trail through the mountains to the gorgeous waterfall, and to the Inca ruins of Raqaypata that lie just beyond.

Option 2: Get the adrenaline flowing and scale a via ferrata for epic views. Test your fear of heights as you climb the rungs and ladders and enjoy lunch with a view.

FREE TIME: HALF DAY Enjoy free time back at the hotel this afternoon and evening before your group dinner.

The Inca Trail has become one of the most well-known treks in the world and with good reason. Hiking past ancient ruins through incredible mountain scenery and to finally arrive to Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a very satisfying accomplishment. Start the first day of the trek at a gentle pace to warm your legs up for the days to come, allowing yourself to take in the views of the valley and river below.

Depart for the km. 82 marker to set off on the Inca Trail. Porters will carry the majority of your gear and you'll be able to focus more squarely on the task at hand with included trekking poles and a more comfortable camping experience at night, sleeping on cots with air mattresses and blankets.

ACTIVITY: Get your blood pumping on this first day of hiking the Inca trail. The trekking is fairly easy and serves as good training for the next few days. Pass rambling rivers and a small village, and enjoy scenic mountain views; it’s just a taste of what’s to come.

Trek Distance: 9km
Trek Duration: 5 hours
Trek Elevation: 2700m – 2800m

ACTIVITY: Enjoy G Adventures-supported handmade biodegradable soap products, for use on our treks. This G Adventures for Good project empowered local Cusqueña women to start their own business in order to reduce the environmental impact of treks in the region. Planeterra provided $10,000 of seed funding for two young entrepreneurs to register their biodegradable products in order to sell them to the tourism industry. "Esencia Andina" is now a successful business that produces biodegradable soaps, detergents, and natural products for travellers, guides, porters, and cooks on our treks.

Awake at the mountain campsite and enjoy a cup of tea and a warm shower without any need to rush up the mountain. The morning mist and the joviality amongst the porters make for a homely atmosphere as you get ready for the day and prepare your things to walk.

Warm up your legs, eat a delicious and hearty breakfast and prepare for the ascent of the first portion of Dead Woman's Pass.

ACTIVITY: Trek over progressively spectacular and steeper terrain on your way up the first portion of Warmiwañusca (aka Dead Woman’s Pass). Be prepared to face strong Andean weather (blazing sun or cold winds) around the pass. Take the hike slow, and drink lots of water along the way – amazing views are waiting as a reward. Enjoy some ample time to rest and relax after reaching the camp; most campers arrive around early afternoon.

Trek Distance: 10km
Trek Duration: 6 hours
Trek Elevation: 2800m – 3800m

Open your tent to the cool air and see some warm washing water and a cup of tea waiting for you. You'll get wafts of something delicious being cooked and the increasing murmur of the cooks and porters going about their morning. Savour the moment and be present to your surroundings. Dead Woman's Pass is nothing you can't handle today.

Ascend up the first challenging pass of Warmiwañusca (aka. Dead Woman's Pass), passing by several Inca sites and another mountain pass before reaching camp for the third night on the trail.

ACTIVITY: Cross two passes and more ruins along the Inca Trail. Conquer Dead Woman's Pass, the highest point of the trek at 4,198m (13,769ft) then traverse Runquraway at 3,950m (13,113 ft). Spot the gorgeous Cordillera Vilcabamba and the Urubamba Valley in the distance on a clear day. In the evening relax at Phuyupatamarca Camp.

Trek Distance: 14km
Trek Duration: 9 hours
Trek Elevation: 3800m – 3700m

Wake up next to beautiful Inca ruins known as the "town above the clouds" and take the time to enjoy them without many others in the morning hours. Pack away some of the extra layers as you prepare to descend into cloud forest and with the anticipation of finally reaching the ultimate goal, Machu Picchu.

Descend through cloud forest to the Sun Gate for the first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Walk down through the site and catch a local bus to the valley floor and the town of Aguas Calientes to spend the night in a hotel.

ACTIVITY: After a leisurely morning at Phuyupatamarca, descend through the cloud forest arriving to the Sun Gate in the afternoon and see Machu Picchu for the first time. Wander down through the ruins with a bit more space as the site is generally less busy in the afternoon. Continue down to Aguas Calientes by bus for the evening.

Trek Distance: 10km
Trek Duration: 6 hours
Trek Elevation: 2700m – 2400m

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

FREE TIME: EVENING Enjoy a free evening in Aguas Calientes before an included group dinner.

Exploring the mountaintop Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is a magical experience, no matter how many pictures you may have seen of it. The history of the ancient Inca that you've heard in the days leading up to this moment seem to all come together as you wander the site's temples and terraces. Relive the memories and take in the views as you return by train on the way back to Cusco.

Take an early bus up to Machu Picchu for a guided tour of the ruins followed by lunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. Return by train and bus to Cusco and enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

ACTIVITY: Rise and shine – the best time to see the Lost City of the Incas is in the early morning light. Follow the local guide to Machu Picchu to learn about its history at a leisurely pace. Gain local insight into the Inti Mach’ay cave, Inti Watana, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Water, the Temple of the Condor, and the Room of the Three Windows. Take time to sit and feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World (in a worldwide Internet poll). Transport to and from Aguas Calientes is provided with the tour.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Your adventure comes to an end, and you can depart at any time.

Depart at any time.

ACTIVITY: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.