Peru, a journey of the Sun and the stars.

Arriving at the Pacific

Arrival in Lima and check-in at the hotel. The first night is for resting from the trip and feeling the ocean breeze.

The City of Kings and fine dining

In the morning, a tour of historic Lima and seaside Lima. At 2 p.m., lunch at one of the city's great restaurants, in one of the culinary capitals of the world. The afternoon is free.

• The Historic Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Plaza Mayor and the Cathedral
• The Monastery of San Francisco and its catacombs
• Miraflores and the malecón, the boardwalk along the Pacific cliffs
• Ceviche, Peru's signature dish, at the lunch table

The ascent and the night of the stars

A morning flight from Lima to Cusco, about 1 hour 20 minutes. From the airport, a two-hour drive takes us to our hotel in the Sacred Valley, among mountains and cornfields.

• The Sacred Valley sits lower than Cusco, so the body adjusts to the altitude without rushing
• At night, the Andean festival of May 3 and stargazing beneath the Chakana

The valley the Inca called sacred

A full day through the Urubamba Valley, with lunch among the mountains. Terraces climbing the slopes, villages that keep Quechua alive, and hands that weave the way the grandmothers wove.

• Pisac: the Inca terraces high on the mountain and the craft market
• Ollantaytambo, the Inca town that's still inhabited, and its fortress
• Andean weaving, from alpaca wool to natural dyes

Salt, earth and the train along the river

A morning between two masterpieces of Andean ingenuity, with lunch along the way. In the afternoon, the train descends through the Urubamba River canyon to the village at the foot of Machu Picchu, where we spend the night.

• The Maras salt pans: thousands of salt pools on the hillside, in use since before the Inca
• Moray: circular terraces where each level has its own climate, like a farming laboratory
• The train ride between mountains and forest

Machu Picchu, the city among the clouds

Early in the morning, we take the bus up the mountain to the citadel for a guided visit. In the afternoon, the train back to Cusco.

• Built in the 15th century, in the time of the Inca Pachacútec, and revealed to the world in 1911
• One of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• The Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana stone and the terraces above the abyss

Cusco, the navel of the world

In Quechua, Qosqo means navel. It was the capital of the Inca Empire, and the colonial churches were built on top of the stone walls the Inca left behind. A day to walk through this city of layers.

• The Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral
• Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun, beneath the Santo Domingo monastery
• San Blas, the artisans' quarter
• Sacsayhuamán, with giant stones fitted together without mortar

Vinicunca, the painted mountain

We leave before dawn and, after about three hours on the road, begin the hike to the lookout, at over 16,000 feet. The bands of color are minerals that time has laid down in the rock.

• A hike of about an hour and a half to two hours, at your own pace
• Horses available along the way for anyone who prefers
• Alpacas, herders and the silence of the mountains

A day all your own

To rest, return to a place that touched you, or explore what was left out. A few suggestions:

• Humantay Lake, with turquoise waters at the foot of the glaciers (optional excursion)
• San Pedro Market and the textile shops of San Blas
• An unhurried afternoon at a café overlooking the rooftops of Cusco

Heading home, with new eyes

A flight from Cusco to Lima and your connection home. The Andes stay behind, and what they taught you comes along in your luggage.