Adventure in the Andes

• Come up close and personal with Peru’s famous camelid family of alpacas, llamas, guanacos, and the ever-elusive vicuña.
• Discover Lima’s bohemian cliff side ocean neighborhood of Barranco on bike and ride among beautiful houses that once were occupied by renowned writers, painters and musicians, and pass by cultural centers, parks, shops, art galleries, workshops, cozy local cafes and classic bars.
• Scale 400 meters up the jagged rock face on what is known as the Via Ferrata as you overlook the majestic Sacred Valley
• Catch your thrilling Zip line down back to the Sacred Valley
• Spend a day on the coveted Inca Trail which will take you through the mysterious cloud forest, home to regal orchids, leading you straight to the Incan masterpiece of Machu Picchu whose beauty, elegance, purpose, and engineering has confounded historians for decades.
• Experience the mighty force of the Vilcanota River as class II-IV rapids carry your raft through the breathtaking scenery of Cusco’s southern valley.

Day 1: Arrival in Lima – Welcome to Peru!
Day 2: Lima to Cusco/Sacred Valley – Awanakancha Living Museum/Sacred Valley
Day 3: Sacred Valley – Villa Ferrata & Zip Lining
Day 4: The Lost City of the Incas: Machu Picchu – One-day Inca Trail Trek / Machu Picchu
Day 5: Machu Picchu on Your Own Terms – Private Tour of Machu Picchu / Climb to Huayna Picchu
Day 6: Cusco – Explore the Ancient capital of the Incan Empire
Day 7: Cusco/South Valley/Peru’s White Water – Navigate class III and class IV rapids as you raft through the gorgeous scenery of the Urubamba River
Day 8: Cusco to Lima to Home – Take a one-of-a-kind bike ride through hip Miraflores and bohemian Barranco before your international flight home! Buen viaje for your return home!

DAY 1: Arrival in Lima

Welcome to Peru!

You will find us waiting for you when your International flight arrives in Lima. Look for the Kuoda sign with your name and the smile. We will escort you to your hotel adjacent to the airport, check you in, and help you get set-tled. You´ll then be able to rinse away the feeling of a long flight and enjoy a good night´s rest!

DAY 2: Lima to Cusco/Sacred Valley

Awanakancha Living Museum/Sacred Valley

You will wake up refreshed and enjoy a complimentary breakfast in your hotel before we escort you back to the airport for your morning flight to Cusco. Watch the windows as the desert coast rises into the snow-capped peaks of the Andes! We will be waiting for you when touch down at our Andean airport and will bring you to the historic city center of Cusco for a  delicious lunch. Then, before you can feel the altitude, we´ll whisk you the Sacred Valley.

Just 45 minutes outside of Cusco, true Peruvian countryside will stretch away on either side of you, cows and sheep grazing tranquilly road-side. Impossibly steep peaks rise in the distance. Your journey will take you first to the Awanakancha Living Museum, where you will see traditional weavers at work and come face to face with llamas, alpacas and other Andean camelids. Next, you’ll stop at the vibrant market in the pueblo of Pisac, where locals come from miles around to sell their wares. Upon conclusion of your market visit we’ll bring you to your hotel in the heart of the Sacred Valley.

Remember, your Kuoda guide and driver are at your disposal today – please feel free to stop for photos, stretch your legs and breathe in the clear mountain air!

DAY 3: Sacred Valley

Villa Ferrata & Zip Lining

After breakfast in your hotel, we will pick you up for today’s rock climbing and zip lining adventure. You will meet your expert guide and receive a briefing on safety and equipment, before beginning to scale 400m of sheer cliff face, up metal ladders and bridges! The permanent route and your secure safety harness will allow you to scamper up the mountain face like a real pro, all the while enjoying superb views of the Sacred Valley below.

Upon reaching the top of the mountain and soaking in the beauty of your surroundings, it’s down you go, on 6 zipline cables criss-crossing the mountainside. Take a deep breath of fresh mountain air before whizzing down to solid ground!

Upon completion of your zipline adventure we will bring you back to your hotel, where you can relax and pass an evening at leisure.

DAY 4: The Lost City of the Incas: Machu Picchu

One-day Inca Trail Trek / Machu Picchu

Today, prepare to walk in the footsteps of the Inca and arrive proudly on-foot to Machu Picchu! We’ll collect you from your hotel bright and early this morning and drive through the picturesque Sacred Valley to the train station in Ollantaytambo, where we’ll board the Vistadome train.

You and your guide will disembark the train at the Inca Trail trailhead found at Kilometer 104, and from here you will walk the lovely uphill path to the ruins of Wiñaywayna. As you walk, your guide will point out orchids and other jungle plants, the Urubamba River will rush below you, and you’ll marvel at the Inca’s strength and ingenuity. When you reach the ruins of Wiñaywayna, you’ll rest up, explore, and enjoy a delicious al fresco lunch. Then you’ll hit the trail once again! A walk of approximately two hours brings you to Inti Punku, the famous Sun Gate.

You’ll approach this stone construction up one last flight of stairs, catch your breath, and then lose it again as you see Machu Picchu, nestled and hidden between steep peaks below you.

Descend triumphantly over ancient paving stones to the lost citadel, and relish in the audacity of a construction of this caliber in this stunning location before heading to your luxury hotel near to the entrance. Your guide will then leave you to rest, refresh, and enjoy a delicious and well-earned dinner on-site at your hotel.

DAY 5: Machu Picchu on Your Own Terms

Private Tour of Machu Picchu / Climb to Huayna Picchu

This is your day to enjoy a private tour of Machu Picchu. In the morning after breakfast in your hotel, your guide will meet you to enter once more the ruins. You will then ascend stone steps, through heavy tree cover to finally emerge at the top of the world – Machu Picchu! Your expert guide will give you a private tour of the ancient city, introducing you to the history of this spectacular citadel and showing you the most important temples and ceremonial sites.

Optional: The adventurous can either hike the steep Huayna Picchu peak for the postcard view of the city, or Machu Picchu Mountain to reach the highest point in the park (depending on availability, both hikes are limited-entry and require advance notice).

After completing your Machu Picchu visit you will descend to Aguas Calientes for lunch and your return Vistadome train. We will be waiting to collect you in the Ollantaytambo train station and will bring you to your hotel in Cusco for the evening.

DAY 6: Cusco

Explore the Ancient capital of the Incan Empire

This morning you will experience the lay of the land as only true world travelers know how: traversing hidden alleyways, historic plazas, and local treasures. After breakfast on your own, your private guide will proceed to illuminate Cusco’s rich tapestry woven by its inviting cobblestone streets, charming neighborhoods, and astounding landmarks.

Your first stop of the day will be to the Santo Domingo monastery, perched atop the most sacred of Incan sites, the Qoricancha temple of the sun. Once bathed in 24-karat gold long-since pilfered by Spanish conquistadors, this temple is now an astounding blend of Incan stonemasonry and colonial architecture. From there you’ll stop in at the colonial Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas, then climb up to the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas, known for its whitewashed adobe buildings and quaint blue balconies, home to generations of renowned Cusco artisans. Top off your tour with a visit to a local indigenous market brimming with a rainbow of local fruits and traditional remedies, and make sure to pause to marvel at the incomparable
Incan foundations supporting each building in the area, in particular at the 12-angled stone nestled in a wall that has withstood the test of time (as well as a couple of earth-shattering earthquakes!). From there, you’ll be met by your private vehicle and chauffered to the Sacsayhuaman Incan ruins above the city!

The rest of the afternoon and evening is free for you to relax and enjoy the city. Your guide will leave you with plenty of fun ideas of where you explore on your own during this free time in Cusco!

DAY 7: Cusco/South Valley/Peru’s White Water

Navigate class III and class IV rapids as you raft through the gorgeous scenery of the Urubamba River

Wake up with a gleam in your eye, for a day of adventure lies ahead! After breakfast, your private driver will meet you at your hotel and whisk you over the hills surrounding Cusco into the beautiful purple countryside beyond. You’ll pass fields with grazing cows and sheep, tended by women in full skirts and traditional braids, adobe houses and colonial churches. Enjoy the feeling of freedom in the country air!

After ninety minutes, you’ll arrive in the small town of Chuquiqahuana where you will receive a safety briefing with procedures for the start of your adventure at the Upper Urubamba River. Here, you will work together to prepare the equipment and inflate the rafts before gearing up and climbing in.

And then it’s in to the water! You’ll spend three hours negotiating the river as a team and taking in the stunning scenery – dry mountains, green fields, small farmsteads, and incredibly big blue sky. You’ll even take on class III and class IV rapids, so prepare to get a little wet!

When you disembark, relish an al fresco lunch and then relax as we drive you back to your hotel in Cusco for an evening at leisure.

DAY 8: Cusco to Lima to Home

Take a one-of-a-kind bike ride through hip Miraflores and bohemian Barranco before your international flight home! Buen viaje for your return home!

This morning, you can continue your exploration of the city of Cusco, or have a lie-in and enjoy the comforts of your hotel! At the appropriate time mid-day, we will bring you to the Cusco airport for your return flight to Lima. Your Kuoda Lima host will meet you upon arrival and bring you to the cosmopolitan Mirafores and the artsy Barranco Districts for some bike-riding fun!

We will ride among beautiful houses that once were occupied by renowned writers, painters and musicians, and pass by cultural centers, parks, shops, art galleries, workshops, cozy local cafes and classic bars. Make sure to pay attention to the cultural presentations and details of two of the most important areas of Lima where locals usually express themselves. Your guide will also share anecdotes, love stories and classic urban legends of the local folklore of this trendy part of the city. You will also see at a glance, many old houses & colonial mansions of great Republic-era architecture, as well as some of the best restaurants of the culinary capital of Latin America.

At the appropriate time, we will bring you to the airport for your journey home. Your host will help you to checkin to your international flight and wish you buen viaje!

• Personalized itinerary planning: Work with a Kuoda Travel Designer to create the trip of your dreams.
• Kuoda hosts take the hassle out of traveling. We’ll be there to assist you – whether with luggage, check in, transport, or translating – at every destination during your private tour of Peru.
• Got a question or query? Kuoda operates a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week customer service operation and will provide updates and assistance whenever you need it.
• With Kuoda, you’ll never be bundled in with big groups; each visit, activity, tour and experience will be completely private and conducted by your very own expert, English-speaking guide.
• Our private tours of Peru are fully flexible, which means we can modify them to suit your travel mood. If you want to cut an activity or add a new one, just say the word!
• All necessary adventure and trekking equipment will be provided so all you need bring is yourself.
• Receive a customized Kuoda Travel kit upon arrival.