Peru for Art Lovers & Foodies

The focus of this itinerary is providing an in-depth view of the sophistication Peru can offer in terms of arts, crafts and cuisine. We have incorporated different levels of accommodation always keeping in mind what makes sense from the experiential end and the connection with the worlds of art, architecture and gastronomy. This itinerary is perfectly suited for the "culture vulture" in you!

Good time to travel: Year round. Absolute best time: March/April

Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14| 15 | 16 | 17

Day 1

Arrival in Lima from your international flight. You will be met by our English-speaking representative and transferred to the Country Club Lima Hotel. Overnight at the Country Club Lima Hotel.

(Alternatively Casa Inka)

Day 2

Enjoy an in-depth full day visit of Lima. Your tour will cover pre Hispanic and colonial sites as well as the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera Museum, including a lecture by Ulla Holmquist. Specializing in pre-Inca cultures, Ulla is an associate archaeologist at the museum and was curator of the Museo de Arte de Lima. Visit the eminent Casa Aliaga Mansion where you'll enjoy cocktails in this home unique to the Americas.
Overnight at the Country Club Lima Hotel.

(Alternatively Casa Inka)

Day 3

Navigate past the tourist traps to discover the best shopping in Lima with the assistance of one of Aracari’s special “insider friends”. Today's visits are unstructured and tailor made to the clients’ requirements. Suggested visits include hand selected contemporary art galleries, folk art collections and selected antique and crafts galleries. Lunch at one of Lima’a acclaimed cevicherias and dinner at Astrid & Gaston. Overnight at the Country Club Lima Hotel.

(Alternatively Casa Inka)

Day 4

Your “insider friend” will guide you on exclusive visits to pottery workshops as well as the 2 private museums. The Coleccion Enrico Polli is a privately owned collection of pre-Columbian and colonial objects which boasts some of the finest pottery, gold and colonial pieces to be found in Peru. Visits are by appointment only and are conducted by Mr. Polli himself or a member of his close circle. The Amano Museum features a collection of artifacts belonging to a single collector, representing some of Peru's most important civilizations. The textiles and ceramics are among the best displayed in Lima. Visits are also restricted and made by appointment only. Lunch at Malabar, where young chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino creates fantastic fusion cuisine. Taking inspiration from every corner of Peru, Pedro will serve you his tasting menu in the modern but comfortable Restaurante Malabar. Dinner at La Huaca. La Huaca is set in a spectacular position, built in the midst of some of the oldest archaeological remains in the Lima area, the Huaca Pucllana.  The atmosphere is cosmopolitan and intimate and the view from the verandah over the pyramids is impressive and takes you back in time.
Overnight at the Country Club Lima Hotel.

(Alternatively Casa Inka)

Day 5

Dedicate the day to obtaining a privileged insight into what makes Peru’s current culinary scene so exciting. Our charismatic host Penelope Alzamora will take you on a fascinating and educational journey through the fragrances and tastes of Peru. You will first visit colorful markets to purchase ingredients before being driven to the house of Penelope's parents, around 20 minutes to the south of Lima in the Lurin valley, where you will be given an introduction to the culinary history of Peru and a demonstration of specific and essential techniques for preparing Peruvian dishes. All the while your lunch will be slowly roasting away in a traditional manner. Savouring these dishes - both made by your own hand and traditionally cooked - is the perfect way to sample the varied cuisine of Peru, and you can enjoy this lunch in the beautiful pottery garden and finish the meal with a delightful Peruvian dessert. If you want to continue the culinary adventure into the evening, we will arrange a tasting menu at Rafael. Transfer to the airport to catch your evening international flight home.

In the summertime (December to April) the demonstration will be made at the family's beach house south of Lima and will focus on popular summertime dishes.
Overnight at the Country Club Lima Hotel.

(Alternatively Casa Inka)

Day 6

You will be collected by our representative and driven to the airport to catch a morning flight to Arequipa. On arrival, you will be met by your guide and driven to your hotel, the atmospheric and cozy Molino Blanco. This unique owner-operated Guest House is located in what was an old mill very near the town centre. In the afternoon, you will enjoy guided visits of the highlights of the city such as the Museo Santuarios Andinos where Inca frozen mummies are kept, the wonderful 16th century Santa Catalina Convent and the new Colonial Art Museum in the Convent of Santa Teresa. 
Overnight La Posada del Puente.

(Alternatively Casa Arequipa)

Day 7

Early morning departure with your guide on your 4x4 vehicle to the Colca Canyon. Journey time is approximately 5 hours on a paved (75% of the journey) and unpaved but in good condition (25% of the journey) road. You will go across the high altitude plateau (over 4,000m/13200ft) with its astounding landscapes and see plenty of local wildlife such as the graceful wild Vicuna. Box lunch en route. Mid-afternoon arrival at your lovely lodge, the Colca Lodge, overlooking the river and with private thermal pools.
Overnight Colca Lodge.

Day 8

The main highlight of the Colca is viewing the majestic condor, the world's largest flying bird and native of the Andes. The Colca is one of the best spots anywhere to view this species in the wild. Early morning drive to La Cruz del Condor, approximately 1 ½ hours away, to try and get a glimpse of the Condor in flight. Return to the lodge for lunch. Spend the afternoon visiting local churches with your expert guide. The fourteen Spanish villages in the valley and canyon each boast a church with an impressive and surprisingly rich Baroque interior. Let your guide explain how a unique Andean undertone has influenced the Catholic faith here and how this is reflected in these churches.
Overnight Colca Lodge.

Day 9

Drive back to Arequipa. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon at your leisure in Peru’s second city. This is a wonderful place to buy quality alpaca knitwear.
Overnight La Posada del Puente.

(Alternatively Casa Arequipa)

Day 10

This morning you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Cusco. At the Cusco airport you will be met by the Aracari representative as well as your guide to begin a half day guided visit of the Inca archaeological sites around Cusco. You will explore, Sacsayhuaman, the only Inca site known boasting megalithic architecture, and lesser but also very interesting sites such as Tambomachay, Quenco and Puca Pucara. Lunch at Map Café. Set in an intriguing glass ‘box’ in the courtyard of the Pre-Columbian Art Museum, this restaurant offers the best in Andean Nouvelle cuisine. Spend the afternoon on a guided walking tour of Cusco. Start your visit by positioning yourself in the Main Square, observing the juxtaposition of Inca and Colonial architecture. You will walk through the City’s main streets with Inca stonework, and observe the finest of Spanish Colonial architecture. Some of the sights you will visit are the main highlights such as the Cathedral and the Sun Temple, but also some lesser-known ones as La Merced or San Francisco. Cap off the evening with dinner at La Cicciolina.
Overnight at La Casona or Casa Cartagena.

(Alternatively Casa San Blas)

Day 11

In depth visit on foot of three of Cusco’s best examples of vice regal art (art during the Viceroyalty of Peru 1535-1821). We recommend the Convento de San Francisco and La Merced. The third one could be San Blas, the Museo del Arzobispado or Santa Catalina. Visit includes guide and entrance fees, and can be enhanced by adding the services of our specialist Lisy Kuon. Dinner at the Illary Restaurant at the stately Monasterio Hotel.
Overnight at La Casona or Casa Cartagena.

(Alternatively Casa San Blas)

Day 12

Today you will drive to the churches of Andahuaylillas, Huaro and Canincunca. These three 16th century rural churches boast some of the finest baroque frescoes in Peru. (We recommend that Lisy Kuon, specialist art historian, accompany you during this visit.) Afterwards you will continue on to Tipon, one of our favourite Inca sites. The site consists of the only known Inca aqueduct. Reaching approx 800m/2,625ft towards the glacier, Tipon boasts a temple complex, baths and irrigation systems. This wonderful and seldom visited Inca site, located on a promontory 40 minutes southeast of Cusco on a good road, is a delight for those visitors wanting to go for a short hike and a visit to a site that is not overrun by tourists. You will have the unusual opportunity of enjoying a picnic lunch right at the ruins, enjoying the lovely views, with the delightful sound of the water fountains.  (Picnicking within the site is normally forbidden in more popular sites). Return to your hotel. Dinner at La Divina Comedia
Overnight at La Casona or Casa Cartagena.

(Alternatively Casa San Blas)

Day 13

Transfer to the Urubamba Valley (1 hour drive). The Urubamba river valley is dotted with villages, markets and archaeological sites. This morning you will visit the fabulous ruins of Ollantaytambo, and its town. The latter is unique in that it still preserves its original Inca architectural layout.  Lunch at Hacienda Huayo Ccari, a lovely traditional hacienda owned and lived-in by one of the oldest land-owning families in Cusco. You will enjoy a delicious served three-course meal in an elegant wood paneled dining room with views of the valley below.  We recommend that you spend some time looking at the superb pieces of the Hacienda’s folk art collection.
Overnight at Ticllabamba Maison d'Hôtes.

(Alternatively Albergue de Ollantaytambo)

Day 14

This is a full day visit that transports you 1 ½ hours outside Cusco (location depends on time of year and activity of the weavers) to a weaving project run by the Center of Traditional Textiles of Cuzco. The CTTC promotes the preservation of traditional Andean weaving techniques in 9 communities around the Cusco Area. The visit will be escorted by an English speaking weaving expert from the CTTC and includes a traditional lunch at the community in question.
Overnight at Ticllabamba Maison d'Hôtes.

(Alternatively Albergue de Ollantaytambo)

Day 15

You will be collected by your guide and driven to Ollantaytambo to take the Vistadome Train to Aguas Calientes, the station that serves Machu Picchu. Train ride is approximately 3 hours through wonderful cloudforest scenery. On arrival, check in at the beautiful Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Guided visit of the site with your private guide. Machu Picchu, also known as "The Lost City of the Incas" is one of the world's most celebrated archaeological sites and rightly so. Its location is spectacular. It is nestled in the Andean cloud forest on a high ridge straddling between two mountains with the Urubamba River curling like a snake below it. The mountain scenery surrounding it is magnificent and the site itself is also spectacular, with some of the finest and more complex Inca architecture known. Your Machu Picchu visit can be greatly enhanced by the accompaniment of Peter Frost, one of our specialists.
Overnight at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel.

(Alternatively El Mapi)

Day 16

Enjoy Machu Picchu almost all to yourself, as you will be able to access the site as soon as it opens, and watch the morning unfold. Machu Picchu at this time is pure magic. All day at leisure in Machu Picchu. Afternoon return by Vistadome Train from Machu Picchu to Cusco, journey time is approximately 3.45 hours. At the train station you will be collected and driven to your hotel.
Overnight at La Casona or Casa Cartagena.

(Alternatively Casa San Blas)

Day 17

Transfer to the airport to catch your morning flight to Lima. Enjoy a full day of unstructured visits accompanied by an “Aracari insider friend”. A typical day could involve browsing around shops, art galleries or folk art collections, stopping by for coffee and lunch at locally frequented spots and perhaps even going to a museum or exhibition. You will have a vehicle, “friend” and driver at your disposal to guide you as you handcraft you last day in Peru. Transfer to the airport to catch your international flight home.