Kingdom of the Sun: A Cultural & Culinary Journey Through Peru

On your first full day in Peru, you’ll embark on a culinary exploration of Lima, regarded as South America’s gastronomic capital. In the company of a passionate chef, you’ll head to a market in the San Isidro district, which showcases Peru’s culinary diversity. From the arid, desert-dominated coast to the snow-capped Andes Mountain Range to the verdant expanse of the Amazon Rainforest, Peru’s 84 microclimates have been expertly harnessed through innovative mountain-terracing agricultural techniques since the time of the mighty Inca Empire.

You’ll also visit the Barranco Art Deco district, one of Lima’s trendier neighbourhoods, which flaunts colourful, art-adorned streets, tucked-away bars, vibrant coffee shops and elegant colonial-era mansions. Following this, you’ll enjoy a hands-on demonstration on how to prepare the perfect, authentic ceviche – Peru’s national dish – as well as the country’s national drink, pisco.

Next, you visit acclaimed chefs Gastón Acurio and Astrid Gutsche at their iconic restaurant, Astrid y Gastón*, listed on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants. Considered pioneers in modern Peruvian gastronomy, their cuisine celebrates the richness of local ingredients and Peruvian culinary traditions.

For the remainder of the afternoon, you’ll explore Lima’s fascinating colonial heritage, enjoying the charming Spanish architecture that lines many of the city streets as well as the ornately designed Metropolitan Cathedral with its mix of Renaissance and Neoclassical styles plus the Convent of Santo Domingo**, both of which date to the 16th century.

After returning to your hotel to relax, you’ll head back out to experience dinner at the first South American restaurant to have been reached first place in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants: Central***. Opened by Virgilio Martínez, this high-end eatery showcases an exquisite fine dining experience rooted in Peruvian ingredients and cooking techniques.


Accommodation: Villa Barranco (or alternative hotel of equal standard)

*Closed on Mondays
**Closed on Mondays

After a hearty breakfast, you’ll start your day by sitting down to a unique sound healing circle experience that incorporates ancient Peruvian instruments, designed to align chakras and rejuvenate the body’s energy while creating an enriching feeling of spirituality.

Afterwards, you’ll visit the traditional Quechua village of Chinchero, home to some of Peru’s master weavers. Here you’ll learn all about traditional weaving, discovering how these talented weavers use natural products including plants, minerals and even insects to produce the vibrant colours that Peruvian textiles are famed for.

From Chinchero, you’ll continue to the picturesque scenery of Huaypo Lake, a crystalline body of water framed by snow-capped mountain peaks and undulating farmland. Here, a chef will be waiting to prepare a healthy, elevated, farm-to-fork picnic lunch.

Next, you’ll experience a spiritual ceremony lead by an Andean priest. Beginning with a coca-leaf reading that uses this sacred plant to clean negative energy from the body, the ‘Maestro Priest’ calls on the Spirits of the Apus and Mother Earth to support this organic cleansing ritual. The priest will then introduce you to the wisdom of the Incas through a ceremony in which the Earth is revered as a source of life and prosperity.

You’ll then visit a series of salt mines used long before the age of the Incas. This innovative extraction method employs an ancient drying process whereby flowing water from an underground stream is collected in thousands of exposed wells until it evaporates, leaving behind the pure salt.

To conclude the day, you’ll sit down for a sumptuous dinner at Hacienda Huayoccari, enjoying the hospitality of a local Peruvian family and tasting authentic, homemade Peruvian food in traditional surroundings.


Accommodation: Andenia Boutique (or alternative hotel of equal standard)

You’ll begin the day by exploring the incredible ruins of Machu Picchu, the most important cultural and spiritual centre of the Inca Civilisation.

This ancient citadel lies cradled within the two majestic mountains, Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) and Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain), and above the jungle-bordered Urubamba River. Exploring the iconic history of Machu Picchu with a knowledgeable guide, you’ll learn all about this citadel’s mysteries and pertained purposes.

In the afternoon, you’ll board the Vistadome train and begin the return journey to Cusco. You’ll disembark the train at the station in Poroy, from where your driver will take you the rest of the distance to Cusco.


Accommodation: Quinta San Blas by Ananay Hotels (or alternative hotel of equal standard)

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before transferring to the train station for the onward journey to Puno*, a small city on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable body of water in the world.

The railway route transitions from magnificent views of the Andes Mountains to broad, rolling plains scattered with herds of alpacas and vicuñas. You’ll enjoy a flavoursome lunch onboard the train before disembarking by the shores of Lake Titicaca, a sacred cradle of the Inca culture and located on the border between Peru and Bolivia.

This scenic train journey has an approximate departure time of 07:50 from Cusco and a scheduled arrival time of 18:30 in Puno, giving you a full day to admire the passing landscapes and scenes of traditional Peruvian life.


Accommodation: Sonesta Posada Del Inca (or alternative hotel of equal standard)


*Please note that the train to Puno only operates on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays

You’ll check out of your hotel in the morning and transfer to the nearby airport at Juliaca, where you’ll board your flight back to Lima to begin your onward journey.