DEPART NEW YORK :

Board LAN Airlines flight late this evening for Peru.

DAY 2- JUN. 26: SAT –

ARRIVE LIMA – CITY TOUR :

Following your early arrival in Lima you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Casa Andina Private Collection, Miraflores. Rest of the morning is at leisure. Miraflores is known for its shopping areas, gardens, parks and beaches, one of the city’s upscale districts. As a result of the Battle of Miraflores fought during the War of the Pacific, Miraflores got the designation of Ciudad Heroica (Heroic City). The only pre-Inca ruin remaining in Miraflores, Huaca Pucllana (formerly Hispanicize as Juliana) can still be seen.

Afternoon embark on a tour of Lima, the social and economic heart of Peru. Your first stop will be at the Government Palace of Peru also known as the House of Pizarro was rebuilt in 1937. Continue to the Municipalidad de Lima (City Hall), the residence of Lima’s Mayor. Its trademarks are the colonial style wooden balconies, elaborate interior and exquisite library. Archbishop's Palace, residence of the Archbishop of Lima’s and the administrative headquarters of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima. The palace is a prime Proceed to the Convento y Museo de San Francisco, the most spectacular of Lima's colonial-era churches, the Convent of Saint Francis is a strikingly restored, yellow-and-white 17th century complex. Cloisters and interiors are lined with beautiful azulejos (glazed ceramic tiles) from Seville, and carved mudéjar (Moorish-style) ceilings are overhead. Next, visit Plaza San Martín, the city’s most representative public spaces, located near the Plaza Mayor of Lima and is connected to by the Jiron de la Union. Its central monument gives homage to Peru's liberator, José de San Martín. One of the last stops is San Isidro is an upscale district, a major financial quarter in recent years. San Isidro prides itself on being home to many Peruvian artists. A few museums, as well as the Huaca Huallamarca, a pre-Inca burying temple which dates back to the 4th century where concerts and exhibitions are held occasionally, show the cultural heritage of the district. Notable residents of San Isidro include painter Fernando de Szyszlo and Miss Peru 1965 Frieda Holler, among others. This evening, attend a Welcome Dinner and a Folklore show. D

LIMA – PACHACAMAC RUINS :

Morning tour Pachacamac ruins. Pachacamac is the nearest archeological site to Lima. An important religious center of the coast more than 1,000 years before the Inca Empire. Under the Inca reign, the site kept its importance and certain buildings - as Mamaconas (House of the selected women) - were built at that time. When the Spanish arrived, Pachacamac was the largest religious center and city on the coast. It was a complex of palaces and pyramid temples where people came to adore the god Pachacamac. In the museum of the site there is a wooden statue of Pachacamac. Hernando Pizarro (the governor's brother) came to Pachacamac in 1533 to claim the gold ransom for the release of Atahualpa. Not having found the gold, the Spanish killed the priests, destroyed the pagan images and plundered the temples. The ruins encircle a hill whose top is formed by the Temple of the Sun. This vast pyramid was built in 1350 using adobe bricks and was partially restored. Mamaconas is one of the principal buildings also restored. Here the "selected women" learned to weave the fabrics where the clothes of the Inca were made. Break for lunch at a popular local restaurant. This afternoon will be spent at leisure or explore the city on your own. Stay overnight at the hotel. BL

LIMA/TRUJILLO :

Transfer and board early morning flight to Trujillo, one of the first cities founded by Spanish conquerors in America. It was founded among four Chimu settlements (Huanchaco, Huamán, Moche & Mampuesto), so they could rally against the Incas. The city played a significant role in the struggle against a complete Spanish rule. It was the first important city of Peru that proclaimed its independence from Spain in 1820, serving as a temporary capital of Peru in 1825 and was the main headquarters for Simon Bolívar. HOTEL LIBERTADOR TRUJILLO.

CHICLAYO/SAN JOSE DE MORO/TUJILIO :

The drive to Trujillo takes us through a diverse cultural landscape whose ancient monuments and cities pre-date the arrival of the Spanish. The archaeological site of San Jose de Moro was in continuous use for some 1,000 years. A ceremonial funeral site, it has yielded a wealth of complex Moche burial rituals and ceremonies. Continue to the museum at the Mochica excavation site at San Jose de Moro. On arrival in Trujillo, an elegant city situated on the coast, check in to The Libertador Hotel. The richness of the city’s colonial past is evident in the number of churches and mansions that remain from this era. This colonial ambience is enhanced by the attractive wrought-iron grills decorating many of the buildings. Afternoon tour of the Moche sites of Huacas Del Sol y Luna, an archeological complex of the Moche, a pre-Inca civilization in Northern Peru. The complex consists of 2 temples, the temples of the Sun and Moon. Significant archeological research has only been done at the complex since the early 1990s, the larger of the 2 pyramids, Huaca Del Sol, has not been excavated so far. The Huacas Del Sol y de la Luna (sun and moon) is adorned with colorful paintings, typical of the Moche culture. Each painting is nearly 6 feet tall and is found on the temples’ interior and exterior walls. BL

Visit the Museo Casinelli, a unique museum in the basement of a gas station. The exhibits showcase pottery and artifacts spanning thousands of years, collected from local huaqueros. The Salinar, Viru, Mochica, Chimu, Nasca, Huari, Recuay and Inca cultures are represented with highlights including Mochica pots reflecting images of daily life, people, animals and anthropomorphic deities. Continue to Huaca Esmeralda, temple in the Chan Chán complex dating from about 1,300 AD. It consists of two temples, one built in front of the other and there are friezes depicting the fisher king. Next visit Huaca Arco Iris (Huaca El Dragón), a religious temple from the early Chimú period around 850-900 AD. It was part of the city of Chan Chán, although separate from any of the governors’ palaces. The temple was originally painted bright yellow and it is believed when the Spanish sailed past the coastline they saw its golden walls from the sea. The temple has some beautiful friezes of Chimú gods, with strong links to the Moche culture, which look like dragons, hence the name of the temple. Your last stop will be the Tschudi Palace, named after a Swiss explorer. It was here where the most important members of Chimu society once lived and the most elaborate friezes can be seen. The palace probably housed between 500 and 1,000 noble people and its courtyard is one of the best places to observe Chimu friezes. The palace’s sanctuary is also of elevated interest, as its walls exhibit a sort of fishnet pattern. Even though, many of the friezes have been reconstructed, there are a few which are in their original state. Enjoy lunch at a nearby fishing village known for fishing rafts made of reed. Rest of the afternoon will be spent at leisure. BL

TRUJILLO/CHICLAYO :

This morning’s tour commences with a visit to the desert Valle de Moche, a complex of Moche ruins showcasing two impressive rounded-off and weather-beaten adobe pyramids. Built by the Moche people around 500 AD, they are about 7 centuries older than the ruined city of Chan Chan. The first pyramid, the Huaca del Sol (Temple of the Sun), is nearly 70 feet high and most probably the largest man-made structure in the Americas. The pyramid was believed to be constructed by 250,000 men and with 140 million adobe bricks. Across the field, burial sites were discovered also living quarters once erected. Continue to Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon), which is better conserved and inside the adobe walls are polychromatic friezes of large rhomboids, featuring a repeated motif of the fearsome anthropomorphic figure Ai-Apaek, known as El Degollador (the decapitator) and several less important figures.

Travel overland to Chiclayo, en route stopping at San José de Moro, a small village on the banks of the Chaman River. It is one of the most vital cemeteries and ceremonial centers of the Mochica and subsequent cultures. Tombs, objects and architectural proof of these cultures are still buried at the site. An incredible discovery of the San José de Moro Archaeological Project (SJMAP) was the burial site of the most important women in the Andean region, tombs of Mochica priestesses. Around this type of tomb, Mochica pottery, adorned with a technique known as fine line painting, has been discovered, remnants of some of the most spectacular artistic works produced by the Mochica society. On arrival, transfer to GRAN HOTEL CHICLAYO. BL

SIPAN & VALLEY OF PYRAMIDS EXCURSION :

Visit Sipan, the burial site of the Moche culture, a civilization that flourished on the north coast of Peru between 100 and 800 AD. The burial grounds, which are extensive, contain several royal tombs, the 1,700 year old funeral offerings, among them pieces worked in precious metals, stone, pottery, textiles and decorated in gold. The original pieces are exhibited in the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum, located 17 kilometers from Chiclayo. This museum is a replica of the Moche Pyramid, under which the tombs were discovered. Finally, visit the vast archaeological complex of Tucume, situated 35 kilometers north of Chiclayo also known as the Valley of the Pyramids. It was originally constructed by the Lambayeque people between 1,000 and 1,400 AD and is home to the largest adobe structure in the world. Your last stop will be the Huaca Rajada, a significantly important archaeological site where the high society of the Moche culture was buried. Climb to the largest of the adobe brick pyramids to drink in the panoramic view of the pyramid valley. The pyramid is 2,300 feet long, 910 feet wide, although it may have originally been three times this height. BL

TRUJILLO/LIMA/CUSCO :

This afternoon’s tour includes Koricancha originally named Inti Qancha (Temple of the Sun) the most important temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated primarily to Inti, the Sun God. Its walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. It is a fine example of Inca stonework incorporated into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church but the Inca stone walls, built out of large, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stands thanks to the sophisticated stone masonry. Nearby is an underground archaeological site museum containing a number of interesting pieces, including mummies, textiles and sacred idols. Continue to Cusco Cathedral, one of the finest colonial Cathedrals in the Americas. The architect is Latin - Cross base, the facade is Renaissance in style, very ornamental and houses the best manifestations of colonial goldsmith also wood carvings, as well as a valuable collection of canvases from the Escuela Cusqueña (Academy of Cusco). Your last stop of the day is at the Museo de Arte Precolombino (Pre-Columbian Art Museum) was an Inca ceremonial court around 1450 AD. In 1580 it was transformed into the mansion of the conqueror Alonso Díaz and in 1850 of the Earl of Cabrera. This extraordinary Cusco historic monument holds the only museum in Peru dedicated to rebound the arts of ancient Peruvian cultures. The collection of 450 master pieces dates from 1250 BC to 1532 AD. Tonight, visit the Planetarium to build the bridge between people and the universe, developing and recreating the relationship once shared between the Incas and the cosmos. Dinner will be at a local restaurant followed by folkloric show featuring Inca ceremony and regional dances. BD

MACHU PICCHU EXCURSION :

OPTION I - by train- By Vistadome Coach :
The Vistadome train offers beautiful panoramic windows, unsurpassed scenic views and photographic opportunities. With glass surrounding on all sides, you feel as if you are part of the remarkable surroundings. Snacks and soft drinks served on board. BL

OPTION II – By luxury train – HIRAM BINGHAM (Supplement applies) :
Board the luxury Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu. Its distinctive blue and gold livery and elegant interior upholstery in warm, inviting tones, consists of 4 cars - 2 dining cars, a bar/observation car and kitchen car. Brunch is served on board the train while you enjoy the spectacular scenery unfolding before you from the large windows or the observation car.  After the tour of Machu Picchu, board the Hiram Bingham for pre-dinner cocktails accompanied by live entertainment Enjoy a 4-course, à la carte dinner, in the dining cars. Arrive in Cusco and overnight at Hotel.

Machu Picchu, the breathtaking Lost City of the Incas, is located on a natural saddle between high mountains. Terraced slopes fall away to the Urubamba River, which rushes around a hairpin bend far below the citadel. Since its fortuitous discovery by Hiram Bingham in 1911, a whole host of theories as to its historical significance have emerged. What is in no doubt is how finely preserved the site is, not been discovered by the Spanish conquistadors nor disturbed by looters since its abandonment. Your guide will lead you on a full exploration of the ruins - staircases, terraces, temples, palaces, towers, fountains and the famous sundial.

SACRED VALLEY EXCURSION :

Today, tour the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The citadel, at the entrance to this gorge, now in ruins, controlled a route which connected the Inca Empire with Paucartambo, on the border of the eastern jungles. Set high above a valley floor patch worked by patterned fields and rimmed by vast terracing, the stonework and panoramas at Pisac's Inca citadel are magnificent. Next, visit the market town of Pisac and the Inca Ruins that lie above. Pisac is a great place to buy local artifacts. Lunch today is specially prepared by the local retirees of the Sacred valley. Meet and interact with locals while enjoying the fresh produce and local cuisine. Finally, proceed to Ollantaytambo, an attractive little town located at the western end of the Sacred Valley and is the best surviving example of Inca town planning. The town is divided in canchas (blocks), which are almost entirely intact. Each cancha has only one entrance (usually a huge stone doorway), leading into a central courtyard. The houses surround the courtyard. Return to Cuzco for overnight at the hotel. BL

SANTIAGO / EASTER ISLAND :

Morning, fly to Easter Island, which was declared by UNESCO in 1996 UNESCO as `Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad’, home to old culture of Rapa Nui. Meeting assistance and transfer to the hotel. Evening, walk though the town and dine at a local restaurant. VAI MOANA HOTEL. BD