Adventures in Peruvia

Duration: 10 days

Pros: Kid-friendly, sees the highlights

Cons: Overdone, busy and touristy

Route:

Start in Lima

Day 1:

• Visit Huaca Pucllana in the morning
• Tour of downtown, see the Plaza de Armas and the catacombs
• Dinner at La Dama Juana for traditional dancing and a Peruvian dinner buffet

Day 2:

• Trip to the zoo for Peruvian wildlife
• Lunch at Mango’s at Larcomar for a spectacular view
• Visiting Larcomar’s Museo Sala de Oro
• Paragliding over the Miraflores coastline
• Dinner at La Lucha, an out-of-the-way sandwich place

Day 3:

• Flight to Cusco
• Spend the afternoon acclimatizing to the altitude

Day 4:

• Take a morning bus to Pisac
• Hopefully this day is a Sunday (Tuesday or Thursday also works well) so you can see the impressive market of Pisac and even attend mass in Quechua
• Spend the afternoon in the mountainous ruins
• Take an afternoon bus to Urubamba

Day 5:

• Go for a half-day horseback riding tour on the famous Peruvian Paso horses
• Take a bus to Ollantaytambo
• Have lunch at Heart’s Cafe in the main square
• Visit the fortress ruins
• Take a train to Aguas Calientes, or Machu Picchu Pueblo as it is sometimes known

Day 6:

• Spend the day at Machu Picchu!
• Take an evening train back to Cusco

Day 7:

• Spend the day exploring the city.  Be sure to visit:
  • Museo Inca
  • Qoricancha
  • Sacsayhuaman
  • Q’enqo
  • Tambomachay
  • Pukapukara

Day 8:

• Take a morning flight back to Lima
• Visit the Archaeology Museum in the afternoon
• In the evening, go to the Water Park

Day 9:

• Have brunch at 4D and treat yourself to the best ice cream in the city
• Head to Callao and do a boat tour of the Islas Palomino, and go swimming with the sea lions
• Try some Peruvian ceviche at El Huarike in Miraflores