Peru Authentic Wellness Tour

Arrival to Lima, reception at the airport and overnight stay at the airport hotel.

After breakfast, take your short flight to Cusco, the ancient Inca capital of the Incas. After the one-hour flight, reception and private transfer to the Sacred Valley or Urubamba and your accommodation for two nights at the Belmond Rio Sagrado hotel.
Relax in your comfortable suite before enjoying a massage and selected spa treatment at the Spa Mayu Wilka. Treatments are derived from local native plants such as Muna, Maracuya, Quinua, Kiwicha, and Maca which combined with the tranquil atmosphere of the Urubamba valley is the perfect start to your Authentic Wellness tour.
Amenities at the spa include a spacious indoor/outdoor Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and Spanish showers.

After breakfast, a relaxing excursion of the beautiful Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, situated between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. You will visit the village of Pisac, founded during colonial times, and set at the foot of a hill crowned by the remains of an ancient Inca city. Enjoy the market and watch local artisans barter their products in the main square and sell their woven alpaca wool blankets and ponchos, engraved gourds, antique reproductions, and jewellery. In the afternoon, a visit to Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town that was not defeated by the Spanish with an opportunity to explore the ruins which tower above. Return to your hotel. Enjoy a soothing massage before dinner and early night in preparation for the Wellness trek ahead.

Early breakfast before we begin the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu. A three-hour drive along the beautiful landscape of the Sacred Valley and through the Andes before you arrive at the Lares Hot Springs site. Enjoy the hot springs, which are divided up between various pools ranging from freezing to hot water. The pools are all composed of pure volcanic water, which is medicinal and considered to be good for your bones, stress, and musculature. After soaking in the pools for a while, we will drive a further 20 minutes to the trailhead at Punta Carreteraat 3,300m / 10,827 ft above sea level. This is where you will meet up with your horses and riders and begin your expedition to Machu Picchu with a two-hour gradual uphill hike. We will reach our lunch spot at the first village called Kiswarani. This section of the hike is considered the potato valley area as local people farm many varieties of organic potatoes. Your guide will also point out some indigenous medicinal plants growing along the way. After lunch, our horsemen (llameros) will showcase a ceremony with llamas. Llamas were considered sacred to the Incas and fundamental to their economy. Our llameros will introduce you to these animals and discuss their importance and why owning one was a sign of privilege.
You will also have time to explore the village and visit some local homes. If there is time, a visit to the schoolhouse where the children still speak their native language Quechua. A further two hours of gradual uphill hiking until we arrive at the campsite. Enjoy some hot drinks as the sky darkens and the stars start appearing. Enjoy a special Pachamanca dinner prepared on-site.
Pachamanca is a traditional Peruvian dish baked with the aid of hot stones. It is generally made of lamb, mutton, alpaca, llama, pork, beef, chicken or guinea pig, marinated in herbs and spices. This important part of Peruvian cuisine has existed since the time of the Inca Empire.
Preparation begins with the heating of stones over a fire, and the meat is then placed on top. The fire is covered with grass and earth, and the resulting oven is opened after around two hours.
Andean cultures tend to mix their worship of nature with social events. The pachamanca is a dish reserved especially for religious and community festivities and social celebrations like marriages and birthdays.
The pachamanca's origins hark back to rituals, as it was a way of rendering homage to the earth goddess, whereby the participants would eat directly from the bowels of the earth the products that it produced.
The pachamanca is eaten in a festive atmosphere. A band of musicians usually lighten the proceedings, while chicha and beer boost everyone's spirits. The banquet is accompanied by a great deal of dancing and enjoyment. The women decorate their hats with flowers, the position and colour of which are a sign of their marital status.

Today is an early start at around 5am with our service of hot drinks. You will have spectacular views of the colourful lake and the valley of Kiswarani. Breakfast will be served after which we begin a three or four-hour hike to get to the summit of the mountain. This pass is called Pachacute or Condor Pass. We'll zigzag our way up to compensate for the steep uphill. The views of the area are breathtaking, with lakes, waterfalls, and llamas, and alpacas in their natural setting. There will be an emergency horse to ride in case you get too tired to walk. Once you arrive at the Condor Pass, you'll be above the clouds and above the mountain peaks. In front of you will be the beautiful mountain of Pitusiray, which is at 5700 m/ 18,700 ft high. Then there's the Condor pass at 4,680 m/ 15,354 ft. We will then start our descent for one hour towards El Mirador (Vista Point), where you will enjoy lunch. After lunch, a further hike for the last three hours downhill. There will be fantastic views of many lakes, before arriving at your last campsite at the village of Cancha Cancha, the only village that does not have modern technology. Located at 3,750 m / 12,303 ft, where people still practice original Inca traditions. In this Incan village 85 percent of the houses are still built by ancient construction methods. Including houses made of stone and grass-thatched roofs. Unlike any other village in the Lares Valley this village has no electricity. Dinner.

After breakfast, you'll have time to explore the village and visit the local elementary school. Here they still teach the ancient Inca language, Quechua. Once ready, we will begin the last leg of the Lares trek. It will be four hours of walking downhill along a lovely path passing by farms where they grow potatoes, fava beans, and many other traditional crops in traditional Incan style. You will also have the chance to learn about Peruvian agriculture. We will start to descend to the warmer area of the Sacred Valley feeling the changes of the micro-climate and noticing the cultivation of crops that are different such as corn, quinoa, kiwicha, peaches, avocados, and other types of fruit. The trek will finish in the village of Huaran that sits at 2700 m / 8,858 ft.
Here, we shall meet with a local shaman to join in the Pachamama Offering Ceremony, part of a system of reciprocity between the material world and the spiritual world. According to Andean beliefs, it helps establish balance in our lives. The ceremony itself will be performed by a local Shaman and is an offering of small amounts of native Andean seeds, grains, and fruits, together with coca leaves. From Huaran, we will take the short drive into the valley to visit the Salineras salt pans, in the town of Maras. Here, at 11,000 feet above sea level, a saltwater spring gushes forth and spills down the side of the mountain. Over 3,000 small evaporation chambers have been created which have been in use since pre-Incan times. The salt is said to have healing properties because it's filled with natural minerals, some of it even comes out pink. Local families each own one of these pans and make their living supplying salt to the towns around the area. There is a small shop on-site if you care to take some salt home with you. After visiting Maras, we will continue onto Ollantaytambo for dinner before catching the evening train for Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu. Upon your arrival in Aguas Calientes, you'll check-in to your hotel and relax at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Inkaterra Hotel.
Enjoy the Unu Spa (Unu means water in Quechua) combining the classic nurturing of a Spa with a mystical traditionally Andean approach. All products are 100% natural, obtained from local botanical extracts, providing a pleasing spiritual, sensual and soothing experience. Wellness treatments include exfoliation with sacred coca leaves and foot therapy. Thisfoot therapy starts with a footsoak using a combination ofsalts and aromatic herbs from the region.Then an exfoliation with cat's claw extract is applied, reducing inflammation and hydrating the skin, thisisfollowed by a deep foot and calves massaged with eucalyptus aromatherapy. Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentose) is a local medicinal liana from the Amazon. Its propertiesinclude blood cleanser, detoxifier, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic.

After early breakfast, take one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu for a guided visit of 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. Opportunity to visit the sungate (Intipunku), which is a part of the Inca Trail, for a magical view of the sanctuary. Free exploration before overnight at the Sanctuary Lodge Hotel, located just outside Machu Picchu. Enjoy a selection of wellness treatments at the Sanctuary Lodge Spa. Capture the energy of Machu Picchu and the sacred mountains and mellow out in the beautiful relaxation area, surrounded by orchids. Reconnect body and soul as you soak up unsurpassed views of the Inca city. With a a range of rejuvenating massages and aromatherapy treatments influenced by ancient healing traditions. The relaxation garden, facing Huayna Picchu, is also perfect for practicing yoga or meditation. Enjoy dinner before overnight accommodation.

After breakfast, opportunity to return to the Machu Picchu citadel or enjoy a morning of Inca-inspired wellness treatments.
In the evening, take the luxury Hiram Bingham train back to Cusco (operates on most days) enjoying dinner onboard the train. Arrival and transfer to your hotel, the Belmond Monasterio Hotel.

After breakfast, enjoy a full guided tour of Cusco including the Cathedral, Qoricancha temple, the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman overlooking Cusco, Qenko and Puka Pukara. Cusco's history extends back to before 1000 BC when the Marcavalle Culture was the dominant power; indeed, organized life in the city began practically with them. In the second phase of its history, around 800BC, Cusco was home to the Chanapata culture and later developed several regional states. What is traditionally known as the Inka civilisation began around 1200 AD in its initial phase, with the first Inka, Manko Capaq and Mama Ocllo. It is also suggested that Pachakuteq, the ninth king, elaborated another foundation in 1438 which is also known as the expansive phase. Inca builders hereafter laid out the city in the form of a puma, with the fortress of Sacsayhuaman as the head.
After the arrival of the Spanish to the city on November 15th 1533, Francisco Pizarro refounded it for the Spanish King on March 23rd 1534. In 1536 Manko Inka began a long and bloody war against the Spanish invaders with a siege lasting over 8 months over the city. Finally in 1572, after a war that lasted 36 years, Tupaq Amaru I, the last emperor of the Inka dynasty was defeated, captured and executed in the city's main square. The Spanish subsequently destroyed many of the structures in the city or used them as foundations for many of their own churches and buildings.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Lima in time to connect with your international flight home or extend your stay with a selection of further enriching destinations: You can choose from a 7 day extension to the Amazon Jungle and the Arkana Spiritual Centre. Here, a Female shaman with over 40 years of experience, Maestra Justina, is undoubtedly one of the most gifted healers of a generation. A direct descendant of a long line of Merayas, the Shipibo's highest ranked Shamans, Maestra Justina is the heiress to all their ancestral knowledge and carries their tradition proudly. She was born in the quaint community of Vencedor, on the banks of the Pisqui River in the upper Ucayali. At the retreat, you can experience the Ancestral Medicines which include; San Pedro or "Huachuma" (originally from the Andes Mountains of Peru), Sapo, also known as "Bufo" from the secretions of the Sonoran Desert Toad which contain the potent medicine known as 5-MeO-DMT.
Hapé, which is composed of tobacco (as its primary ingredient) and other medicinal plants from the Amazon jungle including Ayahuasca, or "Yage". Or alternatively, you can extend your wellness trip by a few days to an off the beaten path city of Northern Peru, Cajamarca. Famous for its hot springs, the Banos del Inca, and with temperatures over 70 °C (158 °F), the water's minerals have therapeutic properties for treating bone, skin, and nervous conditions. The pools have been built so hot water mixes with cold. Due to its historical importance, it is one of Peru's most famous medicinal hot springs. The Inca Emperor Atahualpa was found here when the Spanish conquerors first arrived. The stone pool where he used to bathe can still be seen to this day.

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