The Highlights of Peru in Comfort and Style
Tour Introduction
This is a top quality Peru highlights programme with superlative accommodation for those who like to travel in high comfort and style. It is designed to encompass the best attractions Peru has to offer and appeal to those who appreciate all aspects of a destination. Included are the vast Amazonian rainforests, the atmospheric cloud forests, the mystical ruins of Machu Picchu, the high Altiplano plateau, Lake Titicaca (the world’s highest navigable lake), and the condors of the Colca Canyon: a true tally of all that is best in diverse Peru, together with luxury rooms and good food.
Full Itinerary
Enjoy a half day exploring the colonial highlights of Lima accompanied by a private guide, including lunch at one of the city’s excellent restaurants.
Staying at Hotel B. Includes No Meals.
Transfer to airport and fly to Puerto Maldonado. Met on arrival and transfer by road to the Tambopata river port at the Infierno community and board boat to lodge. Travel upriver into the buffer zone of the 1.3 million hectare Tambopata National Reserve.
Staying at Refugio Amazonas (Premium Room). Includes All Meals.
A day of guided activities in the surrounding Amazonian rainforest. Take an early morning trip to a parrot clay lick, and then perhaps climb the 25-metre high canopy tower for a unique perspective of the forest and to see flocks of tanagers and flights of toucans, macaws and raptors. Rest of the day to explore the rainforest.
Staying at Refugio Amazonas (Premium Room). Includes All Meals.
Transfer to the airport and fly to Cusco. Met on arrival and transfer to hotel.
Staying at Palacio Nazarenas. Includes Breakfast.
Transfer to Poroy train station on the outskirts of Cusco and board the comfortable 1920s Pullman-style Hiram Bingham train service to Machu Picchu. Enjoy brunch on board the train. Upon arrival in Machu Picchu town, transfer by bus to the lost city. Guided visit of the magnificent Inca citadel including the residential, religious and agricultural sectors. There is time afterwards to hike to the Inca Bridge, Watchman’s Hut or else just wander through the ruins soaking up the atmosphere. Your guide will tell you the story of the rise and fall of the ancient civilisations of the Andes, the tragic end of the Incas, and the unresolved mystery that the ‘lost city’ still remains today.
Return to Cusco in the evening and dine in style on board the train en route.
Staying at Palacio Nazarenas. Includes All Meals.
Guided tour of historic Cusco, including iconic landmarks of the city and some of the Inca sites above Cusco. The afternoon is at leisure.
Staying at Palacio Nazarenas. Includes All Meals.
Transfer to train station for the Andean Explorer train service to Puno. Met on arrival and transfer to hotel.
Staying at Titilaka. Includes All Meals.
Spend a full day exploring Lake Titicaca with your private guide and visit some of the communities that make the lake their home. Visit the floating islands of Uros and see how the traditional communities live. Visit Taquile Island to marvel at past Inca settlements and interact with the communities that live here.
Staying at Titilaka. Includes All Meals.
Explore the local area by boat, bike or on foot, or just relax around the hotel. Afternoon transfer to Juliaca Airport, visiting the Sillustani tombs en route. Fly to Arequipa. Met on arrival and transfer to hotel.
Staying at Casa Andina Private Collection. Includes Breakfast.
City tour of Arequipa including Santa Catalina and the mummified remains of Juanita in the Andean Sanctuary Museum. The afternoon is at leisure.
Staying at Casa Andina Private Collection. Includes Breakfast.
Transfer to Colca Canyon across the high altitude puna landscape. There are optional activities available at the lodge upon arrival such as a short hike to the pre-Inca settlement of Uyo Uyo, and horses and mountain bikes are available for hire.
Staying at Colca Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Lunch.
Full day of guided activities in Colca Canyon. Watch magnificent Andean condors take to the thermals in the morning, visit 2,000-year-old ancient villages, and admire the amphitheater where the pre-Inca population stored their grain.
Staying at Colca Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Lunch.
Return to Arequipa and fly to Lima. Day use of a room in the Country Club. Return to airport in the evening and catch your international flight home.
Includes Breakfast.
Tour Accommodation
Overview
Hotel B Arts Boutique Hotel, formerly El Hotel de Barranco, was converted from an abandoned historic mansion built in 1914, and the current hotel opened in early 2013. The first boutique hotel in Lima, Hotel B is sited in the bohemian neighborhood of Barranco, close to the sea, many art galleries and the Lima art museum. The hotel has retained much of its original architecture and the rooms have all been individually decorated, adding to its overall character and charm.
There are 17 en suite suites with free Wi-Fi, Cable LED TV, DVD player (on request), iPod dock, telephone, complimentary toiletries and newspaper, minibar, safety deposit box, hair dryer, air- conditioning and climate control. The suites either overlook the street or the inner courtyard.
There is also a restaurant offering high quality and interesting local cuisine, lounge and bar area, covered patio, and rooftop terrace. In-room dining is available 24 hours a day.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, bar and lounge area, enclosed central patio, rooftop terrace, free Wi-Fi.
Optional Activities
The hotel is close to the attractions such as the Bridge of Sighs, and Pedro de Osma Museum. Also in the area is Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) and art galleries to explore.
Overview
Refugio Amazonas is a 32-room lodge plus an Amazon Villa located in a 200-hectare private reserve surrounded by the community of Condenado, in the Tambopata National Reserve buffer zone.
Built using a combination of local natural products and modern technology the lodge has a central area comprising a lobby, dining room, bar, shop and lounge and offers great canopy views of the surrounding forest. The guestrooms are rustic but comfortable and have bedside tables and hammocks. The rooms have one side open and unscreened affording great views of the forest. All have en suite bathroom with hot water and in-room safe. There is no overall electricity but a generator is switched on in the morning, at lunchtime, and in the evening for recharging guests’ batteries.
The Suites provide an added level of comfort with two large luxurious beds, ceiling fans, electricity (until 2200), WiFi, minibar and electrical outlets for charging electrical devices.
The Comfort Rooms have electricity until 2200, an outlet to charge electrical devices and WiFi.
The Superior rooms have electricity until 2200. Internet in these rooms is patchy and more reliable in the common areas of the lodge.
Refugio Amazonas offers a range of programmes including general natural history, kids and teens, soft adventures, birding, and wellness courses.
The Amazon Villa is located a 10 minute walk from the lodge and has a king size bed, hammock, WiFi, indoor living room and dining room, and minibar.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
4 wings, each with 8 en suite rooms (4 Suites, 14 Comfort and 14 Superior) connected by raised boardwalks to a central, 2-storey, 20- foot tall communal area with dining, bar and area for relaxation, and 1 bedroom Amazon Villa.
Local Wildlife
There is a mammal clay lick visited by peccaries, brocket deer, guans and parakeets; a 32-metre canopy tower with views of mixed species canopy flocks, toucans and raptors; parrot and parakeet clay lick visited by up to 7 species including dusky-headed and cobalt-winged parakeet; an oxbow lake with abundant wildlife including hoatzins, caiman and horned screamers.
Optional Activities
A number of activities can be arranged (if booked in advance) including massages and therapies with rainforest products.
Overview
Peru’s newest Belmond (formerly Orient Express) property, Palacio Nazarenas occupies a restored 18th century Carmelite convent and combines colonial history and artefacts with modern facilities and quality service. The hotel is located on Plaza Nazarenas between Cusco’s main square (Plaza de Armas), and the lively San Blas neighbourhood.
The rooms are equipped with Peruvian marble bathrooms with underfloor heating, satellite TV and sound system, Wi Fi, iPad (with pre-loaded useful information), bar with espresso and tea-making facilities, nibbles, pisco station, and 24-hour butler service.
The Palacio Nazarenas building consists of six interlocking courtyards landscaped with indigenous flowers and kitchen herbs, overlooked by wooden balconies.
Facilities include the Senzo Restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Senzo Bar adjacent to the pool serving drinks and light snacks, the Hypnôze Spa, Cusco’s first outdoor heated swimming pool, guest lounge in the restored chapel, second floor library, business centre and boutique selling quality local handicrafts.
Meals can also be taken at the hotel’s adjacent sister property, the Monasterio Hotel with its Mediterranean and French restaurants.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
There is enriched oxygen in the rooms, 24-hour room service, minibar stocked with complimentary items, outdoor heated swimming pool, restaurants, lounge, bar and poolside bar. Spa services are available on request.
Optional Activities
The hotel’s central position in Cusco is ideal for tours of the city or for visiting Inca ruin sites and the beautiful scenery that surrounds the city.
Overview
Titilaka is a beautiful boutique hotel on the shores of Lake Titicaca, close to the Chucuito peninsula. The hotel has outstanding views across the highest navigable natural lake in the world and majestic Andean landscapes.
The facilities include sauna, massage service, gift shop, bar and lounge, free Wi-Fi, laundry service and guided excursions.
There are 18 en suite lake view rooms with four choices of room type: Corner, King, Dusk and Dawn. All are spacious with modern amenities, large picture windows with beautiful views on to the lake and private facilities.
Some of the activities from the hotel include visits to the Uros indigenous communities that live on floating islands made entirely from lake reeds. Canoeing, walking, horse riding and mountain biking are also on offer.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, lounge and bar, sauna, massage services, gift shop, laundry services, free Wi-Fi, minibar, iPod dock, TV and complimentary alcoholic drinks.
Optional Activities
Excursions to the Uros communities, birdwatching, canoeing, walking, horse riding, mountain biking, massage and sauna services.
Overview
The only 5-star hotel in Arequipa’s historic district, the Casa Andina Private Collection inhabits a restored colonial mansion built in 1794 which was formerly the Casa de la Moneda (Mint House). Traditional features include high, vaulted ceilings and two ample courtyards. The Casa Andina Private Collection is located just around the corner from the beautiful 16th century Santa Catalina convent, and three blocks from Arequipa’s Plaza de Armas.
The 43 rooms and suites feature full-size or king beds, bathtub, phone, air-conditioning and heating, free high speed Wi-Fi, cable TV with LCD screen, and safety deposit box.
The gourmet Alma Restaurant offers a creative take on traditional Arequipa cuisine, and there is a lovely sunny terrace on the fourth floor with views of the Cathedral and El Misti volcano.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, colonial-style bar opening on to main courtyard, free high speed Wi-Fi internet throughout the hotel, business centre, room service (0600 - 2300), 4th floor terrace with views of the Cathedral and El Misti volcano, handicrafts and gift shop, ATM, laundry service, medical assistance.
Optional Activities
Exploration of the beautiful, historic town of Arequipa.
Overview
Colca Lodge is located in the midst of ancestral farming terraces at 3,250 metres elevation in the Colca Valley. Its privileged location close to the Colca River provides the perfect base for exploring the pre-Inca history of the valley and for viewing the magnificent Andean condor.
The rustic Colca Lodge is built of traditional materials in keeping with the natural environment. All rooms have heating, hot water (from solar power) and a terrace, but no TVs. Hot water bottles are put in the beds at night, always a very welcome touch. Additional facilities include 3 restaurants, 2 bars, living room with a large fireplace, and spa. A particular attraction are 3 private thermal baths which are fed by volcanic hot springs – a perfect place to relax under a star-filled sky after a day of exploring the Colca Valley!
Colca Lodge offers activities (for an additional charge) including horse riding and mountain biking. There are also a number of interesting walks in the area surrounding the lodge, including trails to the Uyo Uyo ruins and the ‘amphitheatre’ where the pre-Incas used to prepare the finest seeds to be stored at the ‘colcas.’
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
3 restaurants, 2 bars, room and laundry service, internet (reception only), 3 thermal baths and hot spring eco spa.
Local Wildlife
Colca Lodge provides an excellent base for visits to the Cruz del Condor to watch Andean condors soaring on thermals, sometimes at eye level.
Optional Activities
Hikes, horse riding and mountain biking.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Flight Info:
Fly from London to Lima direct on Latam, or on Iberia via Madrid, Air France via Paris, KLM via Amsterdam, or Avianca via Bogota. Flights are also available via the USA.
Best Visited:
January to January
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
John Melton
Area Specialist
Ask us about rooms upgrades at the hotels.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
We would like to thank you again for organising such a magnificent holiday for us in Peru, the Andes and the Amazon basin. The arrangements worked very smoothly, and coped with the inevitable ‘glitches’ (like transport strike in Cusco) as if they were part of the program. The guides and couriers were excellent, without exception, and looked after us very well indeed, without fussing over us. It was a most colourful and exciting trip, and every day was an adventure, bringing us new experiences. Coming back to England was quite an anticlimax (which we are gradually adjusting to, by contemplating our next trip).