Definitive Ancient Cultures Tour of Peru

Arrival in Lima, reception and transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast, a city tour of Lima; including a guided visit to the Cathedral, the Main Square and the San Francisco Catacombs. Afternoon transfer to Paracas by bus. Arrival and overnight accommodation.

Meals: B

Transfer to the airport in Ica for the flight over the spectacular Nazca lines, gigantic drawings and figures engraved in the desert, some of which are over 2000 years old. Return to Ica for the return bus journey to Lima and overnight stay.

Meals: B

After breakfast, flight to Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Incas. Morning at leisure.
Afternoon guided tour of Cuzco will include visits to the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay and the Qoricancha temple.

Meals: B

Transfer to the railway station for the early train journey to Aguas Calientes for a guided tour of Machu Picchu, the most spectacular ancient city in the world.
Built by the Inca Pachacutec, and comprising stone blocks fitted with masterful precision, Machu Picchu harmoniously blends into the mountain landscape. There are many theories as to the origins behind Machu Picchu but three of the most popular ideas include a temple to the sun, a fortress against the jungle inhabitants or a sanctuary for the Incas. This fabulous city has houses, temples, warehouses, a large central square, all connected by narrow roads and steps, and is surrounded by terraces cut into the mountain side which were used for agriculture. After the tour, free time to enjoy this magical and spiritual wonder.Overnight accommodation in Aguas Calientes.

Meals: B

Opportunity to revisit Machu Picchu at sunrise. Free time to enjoy this unforgettable site before returning to Cuzco aboard the afternoon train. Accommodation in the Inca capital.

Meals: B

In the morning, take the return flight to Lima and connecting flight to Trujillo, the largest city in Peru after Lima. Located in the northern half of Peru, Trujillo lies close to the Pacific Ocean and is the perfect gateway to many of the pre-Inca cultural sites in the area. Reception and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: B

After breakfast, a walking tour of this fascinating colonial city founded in 1534 by Diego de Almagro, a fellow conquistador of Pizarro. Trujillo, named after the birth place of Pizarro is famous for its colonial and republican-era architecture and for its many churches and mansions. We shall visit the Cathedral and several 18th century mansions, including La Casa Mayorazgo and La Casa Urquiaga, which was home to Simon Bolivar during the War of Independence. We shall also visit the Museum of Archaeology which houses artefacts from the Moche's Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. In the afternoon, the tour continues to the metropolis of Chan-Chan, the ancient capital city of the Chimu Empire built in the 10th century. It is the largest pre-Columbian city in South America, built entirely of mud and adobe bricks. At its zenith, more than 60,000 inhabitants offered fierce resistance to the expansion of the Inca Empire centuries later. The nearby ruins of the Huaca La Esmeralda (Emerald Temple) and the restored Huaca Arco Iris (Rainbow Temple) will give you an idea of the city's original appearance, when its high-relief friezes were painted in vivid colours with depictions of sea life and fishing activities reveal the significance of the life of the Chimu. Return to your hotel.

Meals: B

After breakfast, a visit to the incredible highlights of the Mochica culture, the "huacas" (holy places), del Sol y de la Luna or Pyramids of the Sun and Moon.
Located in the fertile Moche Valley, archaeologists are to this day uncovering polychrome friezes with mask-like reliefs of mythological beings. Built of adobe blocks, the pyramids are the largest pre-Columbian structures in South America. We then continue north along the coast to the archaeological complex of El Brujo, dating back 500 years and one of the finest preserved sites in the area. The name comes from the fact that the site was used by local "brujos" (shaman) -- and even to this day, the region's renowned shaman ward off evil spirits in the area. The site is composed of three Mochica and pre-Mochica huacas and many minor mounds. After lunch, a visit to Paijan, an archaeological complex consisting of outdoor camps, quarries and workshops before we continue to the city of Chiclayo further north. Accommodation at the Gran Chiclayo Hotel.

Gran Chiclayo Hotel  |   Meals: B

Located in the Lambayeque Valley, in archaeological terms, we are now in the richest cultural zone in northern Peru, often referred to as the 'Egypt' of South America. A fertile agricultural region that for the last two thousand years have been the centre of ancient pre-Inca cultures, notably the Mochica, with temples, such as Huaca Rajada, the pyramids of Tucume, Batan Grande and others of world-wide importance.
After breakfast, we visit the Mochica archaeological complex of Sipan, located in the site called Huaca Rajada. It comprises two pyramids and one platform dating back to over one thousand years before the Incas, and where two of the most famous ancient tombs were discovered, intact by Peruvian archaeologist Dr. Walter Alva in 1987 and 1988 -- the tombs of "The Lord of Sipan" and his ancestor, "The Old Lord". The lords ruled the valley during the second and third centuries AD. The treasure of pure gold artefacts discovered in the tombs revealed their culture's surprising command of metallurgy and its exquisite artistry in gold and silver, in addition to its known excellence in ceramics.
After visiting the archaeological site and its museum, we view the artefacts unearthed there which are now exhibited at the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum. With architecture inspired by the Moche's pyramids, subdued lighting and traditional music played on pre-Hispanic instruments; the museum creates a meditative mood for contemplating the past as revealed by the richest collection ever discovered in Peru. On the way to the museum, we shall also visit Chiclayo's witch doctors' market.
After a typical lunch we head further north to Tucume, an archaeological complex with 26 adobe pyramids, the oldest dating back to 700 AD. One of them is similar in volume to the great Egyptian pyramids. The archaeology reveals that the valley was occupied by the Moche Culture in a very early stage, developing a complex culture based on maritime trade and agriculture. Return to Chiclayo for accommodation.

Meals: B

After breakfast, we head to Batan Grande, an archaeological and ecological reserve. The Sican culture developed here and, according to archaeologists, was one of Peru's most important metallurgical centres in ancient times. We shall see evidence of this on display at the newly-opened Sican Museum. Among the 20 pre-Inca structures, Las Ventanas is famous for the discovery of a large golden "tumi", or sacrificial knife. The site is fascinating in that the ruins are within a carob tree forest, believed to be the largest in Peru. After a typical lunch, we continue to the Bruning Museum, regarded as the finest museum in South America. Return to Chiclayo and transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima and your connecting flight home.

Meals: B