Premium Peru, Chile & Argentina - 18 Days

Itinerary

• Day 1: Lima Arrival Day

  Bienvenido! Welcome to Peru! Your adventure begins in Lima, where you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for a welcome meeting at 2 pm. After, head out on a downtown walking tour with your leader, admiring Plaza Mayor and visiting the eerie catacombs of Saint Francis Monastery. Continue away from the tourist trail to Alameda de Chabuca Granda – a local favourite – and sample sweet treats like Peruvian doughnuts and mazamorra morada. Tonight, have dinner at one of the city’s best restaurants, where traditional Peruvian dishes are served with modern twists in a one-of-a-kind setting.

  Accommodation: Pullman Lima Miraflores or similar or similarMeals: Dinner

• Day 2: Amazon Jungle

  Today, you’ll catch a flight to Puerto Maldonado. When you arrive, take a bus to the port where you’ll board motorised canoes and head into the Amazon rainforest. Keep an eye out for macaws, herons, alligators and capybaras along the way. Here, you’ll find Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion – your Feature Stay for the next two nights. Built in the heart of a 380-hectare private ecological reserve, this unique resort focuses on the conservation of local habitats and features 25 private cabanas plus an on-site team of expert local guides. Enjoy lunch at the lodge, then explore the Concepcion Trails with one of the guides. As darkness falls, you’ll hop on a boat for a twilight ride along the river, trying to spot caimans lurking on the riverbanks on conserving with local Amazonian ingredients at a local restaurant with your group.

  Accommodation: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion (Feature Stay) or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 3: Amazon Jungle

  After breakfast, board a dug-out wooden canoe and glide across Lake Sandoval, keeping an eye out for potential wildlife sightings, like red howler monkeys, giant river otters and colourful macaws. After lunch, you might like to walk along the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway – a 344 m (1128.6 ft) network of suspension bridges that take you high above the forest floor to some of the best places to spot toucans, woodpeckers, monkeys and three-toed sloths. After, join your group for a short walk to a nearby lake, where you’ll board a boat to watch the sunset as it falls over the Amazon rainforest. Enjoy a cocktail and light bites on board before returning to the lodge for an optional spa experience and a group dinner. Later this evening, go for a night walk to discover the nocturnal activity in the surrounding area and maybe spot some animals you wouldn’t see during the day!

  Accommodation: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion (Feature Stay) or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 4: Cusco

  This morning, travel back to Puerto Maldonado, then take a flight to Cusco – the former centre of the Inca Empire. Arrive in the early afternoon before heading out with your leader to discover what the city has to offer. Stop by the stunning Plaza de Armas – the heart of the city, flanked by ornate churches. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cusco Cathedral, built on top of an Inca palace and one of the city’s greatest repositories of art. Here, you’ll meet with a local historian who will provide expert insight into the building’s art, architecture and history and the surrounding city. Visit the Coricancha Temple – once the most important temple in the Inca Empire. The evening is free for your own discoveries. Cusco offers no shortage of restaurants and as night falls, the city is swept up in a flurry of live music and late-night street food stalls.

  Accommodation: Palacio del Inca or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast

• Day 5: Cusco

  Today is free for you to explore at your own pace. Why not head to the San Pedro market, where you can practice your bargaining skills and take photos, then swing by the Plaza de Armas for another look at the cathedral. Speak to your leader about the optional cooking class at a local restaurant using fair-trade products, or take the half-day Inkilltambo trek, exploring an archaeologic site on the city’s outskirts. Maybe check out the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, where the massive stone blocks that form the walls provide an impressive picture of how greatly developed Inca engineering was.

  Accommodation: Palacio del Inca or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast

• Day 6: Ollantaytambo

  This morning, travel through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, passing maize crops and fertile terraces carved into the valley walls. Visit the AMA Restaurant in Urubamba – this cafe provides employment opportunities and job training for single mothers throughout the Sacred Valley. Enjoy a snack and learn how this inclusive enterprise focuses on economic growth, gender equality and the support of vulnerable communities. Then venture further into the Sacred Valley to meet the Willoq community and gain greater insight into the local lifestyle. Visit a local workshop where you’ll learn about traditional textile techniques that are used by the community – you’ll even have the chance to make your own bracelet with the local women. Sit down for a festive pachamanca lunch. Continue to Ollantaytambo – a magnificent example of Inca urban planning and the perfect warm-up for Machu Picchu. Explore Ollantaytambo’s archaeological site with an expert local guide who will discuss the evidence of the Incas’ engineering skills in the ruins of ancient aqueducts, irrigation canals, dams, terraces and centres of worship dedicated to Pachamama (Mother Earth).

  Accommodation: Tierra Viva Ollantaytambo Hotel or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Day 7: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu

  Today, travel from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes in style, boarding the Rail 360° train. High, domed windows offer unbelievable views of the Andes, allowing you to sit back comfortably and take it all in. The train also features an open-air observation carriage to completely immerse you in the remarkable landscape. Disembark the train in Aguas Calientes, drop your belongings at your hotel, then take a short bus ride up the winding road to Machu Picchu, where you’ll be joined by a guide who will take you through the ruins and tell you stories of its history. The true purpose behind Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, may always be a mystery since no records of the complex exist. Most archaeologists, however, believe it to be the 15th-century headquarters of Emperor Pachacuti. Later, take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes.

  Accommodation: Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel or similarMeals: Breakfast

• Day 8: Cusco

  Rise before the sun and take the winding road back up to the incredible Machu Picchu. On your second visit, explore more of the extraordinary architecture of the temples, palaces and living quarters. Looking at Machu Picchu as it sits against a backdrop of forested mountains is a truly breathtaking experience. Its mortar-free design is particularly earthquake resistant, and the stones are so precisely cut that, to this day, not even a knife fits between them! Take the bus back to Aguas Calientes, then catch a train back to Ollantaytambo. From here, you’ll make the drive back to Cusco for the evening.

  Accommodation: Palacio del Inca or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast

• Day 9: Cusco to Lima

  Today, fly from Cusco to Lima, where you'll spend the night. In the morning, you'll depart Peru and head to Chile for the next stage of your adventure.

  Meals: Breakfast

• Day 10: Santiago

  Today you'll leave Lima and fly on to Santiago, where you'll be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation for another welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe head out and explore the Parque Forestal just steps from your front door. After your meeting, head out for dinner with your leader and group. From baked casserole to razor clams cooked in parmesan cheese, Chilean food is hearty, fresh and delicious.

  Accommodation: Hotel Boutique Le Reve or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 11: Santiago

  Get to know the city on a tour with a local guide who’s an expert on all things Santiago. Start in the artistic Lastarria district to explore the charming neighbourhoods, historical landmarks and vibrant public spaces. From here, you will walk to Santa Lucia Hill, where Santiago was founded, for panoramic views of the city. Next, pass by the La Moneda Palace, an ornate neoclassical building and now Chile’s presidential offices, on the way to Plaza de Armas, the city’s cultural heart. You will also visit Parque Forestal and Bellavista, a blend of natura street art and bohemian flair. Finish with lunch at Peumayen, a local restaurant focused on ancestral gastronomy, including locally and seasonally inspired Mapuche cuisine. The rest of the day is free for your own explorations.

  Accommodation: Hotel Boutique Le Reve or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Day 12: Valparaiso

  Enjoy a free morning in Santiago. Maybe visit the Mercado Central – Santiago’s celebrated fish market. Then, begin the journey to Valparaiso, stopping off for a wine tasting on the way in the Casablanca Valley. Sitting on a coastal plain between the capital and Valparaiso, Casablanca Valley is Chile’s fastest-growing wine region, with rich soil and a perfect climate for chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Visit an organic winery, with a focus on sustainability and biodynamic viticulture, for a tour of the property and gardens – and, of course, a wine tasting paired with cheese and chocolate. Then continue to Valparaiso, known for its brightly hued houses that spread over the hills overlooking the ocean. Your Feature Stay hotel for the next two nights is a boutique hotel with just 20 rooms. Set in the historic area of Cerro Alegre, the 1920s manor house exudes the warm hospitality of a close friend’s elegant home.

  Accommodation: Hotel Casa Higueras (Feature Stay) or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast

• Day 13: Valparaiso

  Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage centre in 2003, Valparaiso used to be South America’s busiest port before the opening of the Panama Canal. It has since transformed itself into Chile’s most creative city, which you’ll learn more about on your locally guided walking tour today. The hills of Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre are dotted with coloured houses, cobbled streets, galleries, restaurants and shops. Later, visit the Museum of Fine Arts, housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau chalet. This evening, head to the rooftop bar of your hotel and enjoy some seasonal local snacks and an introduction to pisco – Chile’s national spirit, which is deeply tied to the country’s cultural identity.

  Accommodation: Hotel Casa Higueras (Feature Stay) or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast

• Day 14: Mendoza

  Depart Valparaiso and head back to Santiago to catch an international flight to Mendoza. As your plane crosses the Andes, you might catch a glimpse of Mount Aconcagua – the highest mountain in the Americas at 6962 m (22,841 ft) above sea level. In Mendoza, get to know the lively city on a gentle stroll along its wide, lively streets with your local leader. Technically a desert city, the extensive irrigation system here means Mendoza is remarkably green. Check out the city’s tree-lined spaces – from the sprawling Parque San Martin to Plaza Espana – and get a taste of local life along the bustling street, Peatonal Sarmiento. Back at your accommodation, roll up your sleeves and get down to empanada-making. A professional chef will lead you through the process, then you’ll all sit down for a dinner with wine pairings. It’s a fun, communal experience in the comfort of your hotel, so you can relax with your group and share stories of your trip so far.

  Accommodation: Diplomatic Hotel or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast, Dinner

• Day 15: Mendoza

  Mendoza is Argentina’s most significant grape-growing region, producing nearly three-quarters of the country’s wine. The climate produces an excellent variety of grapes, with the region’s signature being Malbec. Today, you’ll get to experience this internationally renowned wine at its source during tours and tastings at three world-class and innovative wineries, each with its own distinct style and flavour. Meet with a local wine expert and gain inside knowledge on the varieties of grapes and different production methods used at each winery, and sample award-winning bottles just as spectacular as the surrounding Andes. After the tastings, settle in for a special closed-door gourmet lunch at one of the wineries. Enjoy several courses paired with wines carefully selected to bring out the flavours in the wonderful food. In the evening, maybe test your palate by attempting to pair the perfect wine with an authentic Argentine asado (barbecue-style food).

  Accommodation: Diplomatic Hotel or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Day 16: Buenos Aires

  Today, fly from Mendoza to Buenos Aires and then spend the afternoon soaking up the Argentine capital’s mix of European and Latin culture on an orientation walk with your leader around the fashionable neighbourhood of Palermo. Palermo is a lively area of the city known for fashion, design, green spaces and a thriving dining and nightlife scene. If you look around, you’ll find traditional houses that have been converted into boutiques and bars, creating a bohemian vibe. The evening is free to explore at your own pace. Maybe visit a tango bar, attend a football match or find a great local eatery and set up shop.

  Accommodation: Pleno Palermo Soho Hotel or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast

• Day 17: Buenos Aires

  Today, head out of town for a relaxing and enriching day in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires for insight into life beyond the city limits. Your private guide and transportation will take you to the charming areas of San Isidro and Tigre, where you’ll explore a local artisan market and stroll along the scenic Paseo Victorica, a tree-lined promenade known for its stunning European architecture. Next, board a private boat to navigate the serene waterways of the Parana Delta, the third largest in the world and discover how local islanders – known as “islenos” – have transformed the swampy terrain into a unique and thriving community. We’ll stop on one of the islands for a homemade lunch featuring regional flavours. Here, swim, kayak or just sit back and soak in the beautiful island surroundings before cruising back to the mainland and returning to the city for a free evening.

  Accommodation: Pleno Palermo Soho Hotel or similar or similarMeals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Day 18: Buenos Aires

  Your trip comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you’re planning to stay on in Buenos Aires, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise extra accommodation.

  Meals: Breakfast