We like good cuisine, that’s for sure… would you like to discover a country through its food? If the answer is YES, then Peru and this gastronomic tour will leave you fully satisfied. In Peru you can eat delicious food, this country is a true gastronomic paradise: vibrant flavors, Asian and European influence that mix with local, top quality ingredients. We discover places only known to locals, places that are true hosts of Peruvian cuisine, and restaurants in each area of the trip to enjoy a little bit of everything: Ceviche and Tiradito (raw fish), Causa, Pachamanca, Chicha, Rocoto relleno, Guinea Pig… a delicious trip. In the program we have two cooking classes with Peruvian chefs. Safe travels and Bon Appetit!
International flight. Meeting with one fo our staff members. Airport pick-up and transfer to hotel. Trip briefing and presentation by a team member of PeruEtico. Night at the hotel.
Gastronomic tour of Lima. We head to the colonial center of the city, and as we walk through this historic area, we taste typical Peruvian dishes, delicious and rich in gastronomic tradition. We visit the Gastronomy Museum and taste some dishes at a historic restaurant of the capital, traditional and bohemian, famous for its appetizers. Dinner on your own, night at the hotel.
Second day to continue to discover Lima’s cuisine. Today, we sightsee modern Lima in the neighbourhoods of Barranco, Chorrilos and Miraflores. With our tour guide, we can enjoy the notable contrasts that characterize the Latin American metropolis. Lunch in a traditional restaurant where we will taste the best dishes of Lima cuisine. Free afternoon, night at the hotel.
Transfer to the Lima airport for flight to Arequipa. Airport pick-up and transfer to hotel. Free day, night at the hotel.
Gastronomic tour of Arequipa. Visit to the San Camilo market where we get to know the key ingredients of Arequipa cuisine. We visit the beautiful historic center: the cloisters and dome of La Compañía de Jesus, the Plaza de Armas and the Santa Catalina convent. We make a series of stops during our walk to taste some typical food products from Arequipa: chocolates, “empanadas”, cold cheese, etc. The final destination is a restaurant where, by following the instructions of our chef, we learn to make one of the region’s typical dishes. Lunch will be the fruit of our labor. Dinner on your own, night at the hotel.
In the morning, we get picked up from the hotel and taken to the bus station for our Arequipa – Puno journey. Pick-up and transfer to hotel. Free afternoon, we recommend resting and eating light, given that Puno is located at an altitude of 3800m above sea level.
After breakfast, we head to the port and embark on a boat to Uros floating islands, located north of Puno’s bay. Then we reach Amantani island where we have lunch and spend the afternoon discovering the island. Dinner and night with a local family.
After breakfast we go towards Taquile, the biggest island of the Lake Titicaca. We disembark on the northern side and walk till the main part of the island. Lunch in Taquile. We get back to Puno in the afternoon (estimated arrival at 18:00). Night in Puno.
We get picked up at 06:15 from the hotel and begin our journey towards the city of Cusco. The comfortable touristic bus (includes heating, air conditioning, chemical bathroom, DVD, on board service, and buffet lunch in Sicuani) will make a series of stops during the journey: Pukara, Rajchi, and Andahuaylillas. Pick-up from the bus station. Night at the hotel.
Gastronomic City Tour of Cusco. We begin our activity at the San Pedro market where we come into contact with the tastes, colors and typical aromas of the Andes. This is a place where the life of the city’s inhabitants unfolds, most likely one of the best starting points for this Cusco visit. Along the walk we try local delicacies: Causa, empanadas, pastel de papa, etc. For dinner we enjoy a tasting menu at a gourmet restaurant in Cusco, unforgettable! Night at the hotel.
Half a day to discover the Peruvian cuisine, now famous all over the world, a day between knives and stoves for gastronomy lovers, learning how to cook some delicious Peruvian dishes. We start from the local market of San Pedro, where we can observe a great variety of ingredients offered by Peru and in particular the Andean region.
Then we will go to our kitchen, in a colonial house located in the city centre. We cook, in a nice and relaxed atmosphere, under the guidance of a Peruvian Chef. We will prepare an appetizer, then the first and second courses and finally dessert. Free afternoon.
In the evening we go on a cultural and alternative walking tour. Strolling under the stars through the historic city center, we discover a less-known side of Cusco: myths, legends, tales, ghosts and saints. A unique experience to see the real Cusco, Peru’s iconic city. Night at the hotel.
After breakfast, we walk through the city center with our guide and reach San Pedro market, where we feel the typical Andean flavors, aromas and colors. We get back to the city center to visit Qoricancha or sun temple, the most important temple of the Inca Empire. Then, using private transportation, we visit Sacsayhuaman fortress and Qenqo, a temple dedicated to the snake God who is the creator of life in Andean cosmology. During our walk, we stop in a textile workshop and meet alpacas, lamas and vicuñas. We continue up to Pisac, famous for its colorful handcraft market and its archeological site with great walls, palaces and towers, all made of huge stone blocs. Night in the Sacred Valley.
Today, with our tour guide and by private transport, we explore the mythical “Sacred Valley of the Incas” to discover one of the most beautiful and magical places in Peru. We visit Moray, ancient and wonderful biological lab of the Incas; Maras, impressive salt ponds embedded in a beautiful landscape, which have been in operation for over 1000 years; and Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town that is still inhabited today and is an extraordinary model of urban planning. In the afternoon we take the train to Aguas Calientes to begin our Machu Picchu adventure. Night at the hotel.
At dawn we embark on a dream. We take the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and enter the “lost city.” For the more adventurous there is also the possibility to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu or visit the Machu Picchu Mountain or the Huchuy Picchu. In the afternoon we take the train back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy, and then the bus to make our way back to Cusco. Night at the hotel.
Departure for the Huatanay Valley, south of Cusco city, is scheduled for 09:30. We visit the Inca archaeological site of Tipon, and the village of Piñipampa which is known for its artisan production of tiles, a sweet Peruvian treat. Following lunch we visit the pre Inca ruins of Pikillaqta, dated back to the Wari culture. To finish the tour we go to the village of Huasao to uncover our future through a coca leaf reading. Throughout the day we try typical and famous dishes from this area of the valley: Chicharron (boiled and fried pork), guinea pig, duck, and a variety of breads. Night at the hotel.
Airport transfer in the morning; Cusco – Lima flight. Airport pick-up and transfer to hotel in Lima.
Airport transfer. International flight. If your flight departs at night, we recommend spending the day on our City Tour, where we take you to discover an authentic Lima.
City to city transfers in comfortable tourist buses: restroom on board, heating, air conditioning, and reclining seats.
If your international flight arrives in Lima in the morning, please note that the room is available from 3 pm. You can then leave your luggage in the hotel luggage storage for free, but you cannot enter the room before the check-in time. In this case we recommend to include a room available from the moment of your arrival, with an extra cost.
PeruEtico does not directly organize the group tours described in the program. We work with selected local and professional agencies.
Qoricancha: it is closed on Sunday.
Machu Picchu: travelers are limited to a 20lt/5kg backpack; the rest of your luggage is to be left in custody at the hotel in Cusco or Urubamba.
Housing in Amantani is very basic. Rooms are cosy and there are enough thick blankets to keep you warm. Bathrooms are located outside the house.
In Arequipa, the hotel checkout time is 11:00. Luggage can be left in the hotel storage. (To keep the room for the rest of the day there is an extra charge of 30 USD per person).
As from the arrival in Peru, the passenger is responsible for any additional costs caused by a variation in the program (net cost plus agency rights).
Through the stay and experience in Amantani, and the visit to the Maras salt ponds, you are directly helping and supporting the local families and their projects.
Any of our employees, from guides to local communities, receive a fair salary and remuneration for the work done, above the average in Peru.
Peruetico is committed to reducing the environmental impact and the use of plastic and paper during your travels.
We liked so many things! Local guides, the salt ponds of Maras, the Cusco city tour and the Sacred Valley, the Inca culture and its symbols, the train journey to Machu Picchu and the waiting and excitement of being there for a whole day until your legs hurt. The welcoming, friendship and support of hotel staff, guides and taxi drivers (especially in dealing with the unexpected!), the dinner offered by PeruEtico at the restaurant in Urubamba, the advice on where to eat, (the Alpaca carpaccio!), Puno and the island of Taquile, the experience with the comuneros on Lake Titicaca and the beautiful beaches visited with Valerio, the stories about their habits, the colors, the ‘chullos’, the breakfasts that Julia prepared for us and the trout of lake. The coca tea, the Andean sandals, we liked to help the comuneros to unload the bags from the boat on the dock. La Cruz del Condor, the Chivay hot springs, the Colca Canyon, Arequipa and the Misti. And then Mancora and the Pacific ocean, the sunsets and the endless beach without umbrellas and people. The journey between Cusco and Puno, actually too touristy and a little too “guided”. Slightly less exciting is the part led from Puno to Arequipa, beautiful but a little too touristy than the days in the Sacred Valley.
