Description

Dine and dance your way between Cusco and Machu Picchu aboard this enchanting luxury train

Bonus: Includes USD600 onboard credit per cabin

 Your Fly, Tour, Stay & Cruise package includes: 

• Economy class flights from Sydney to Cuzco, returning from Buenos Aires
• 4 night Machu Picchu experience with Hiram Bingham Train with Peregrine
• -      Includes 4 nights accommodation, Machu Picchu guided tour, Hiram Bingham Train + much more
• Economy class flight from Cusco to Santiago
• 2 nights accommodation in Santiago
• 14 night South American cruise onboard Celebrity Eclipse
• -      Includes all entertainment and meals onboard (specialty restaurants excluded)
• Transfers throughout
• Port charges, fees, gratuities onboard your cruise and airline taxes

 Peregrine Tour Itinerary

 Day 1: Cuzco

Bienvenido! Welcome to Cuzco, the historic heartland and former capital of the Inca Empire. Arrive at Cuzco airport and be greeted with an arrival transfer to your hotel. Your local guide will meet you this evening at approximately 7pm at the hotel to explain what will be happening over the next few days. In the meantime, perhaps step outside and start exploring the city’s ancient streets and Baroque cathedrals. At 3,450 metres (11,150 feet) above sea level, this is also an opportunity to give your body time to acclimatise to the altitude.

Cuzco is a popular destination for many visitors to Peru thanks to its fascinating history and wealth of ruins and museums. The city itself is the continent's oldest continuously inhabited city and was the home of the Inca Empire for two centuries before the Spanish built their first capital here. Today Cuzco is a fascinating combination of both cultures. Its main sites radiate outwards from the central Plaza de Armas, which is dominated by a 17th century Baroque cathedral. It was in this very plaza that the Spanish conquistadors put to death the last Inca king, Tupac Amaru I. Despite the Spanish conquest, Inca-built walls still line the central streets and many of the elegant colonial buildings are built on or around Inca foundations.

Day 2: Cuzco

Leave the hotel between 8am and 9am this morning for a walking tour with your local guide. The walking tour lasts approximately 4 hours and will visit a number of key sites in Cuzco. One such site is Koricancha, which was once the richest temple in the Inca Empire, but all that remains today is the temple’s masterful stonework. In Inca times, Koricancha (Quechua for ‘Golden Courtyard’) was literally covered with gold. The temple walls were lined with some 700 solid-gold sheets, each weighing about 2 kilograms. Afterwards, visit the cathedral in Plaza de Armas, which took almost a century to build. Today it houses an impressive collection of art, and boasts a silver-coloured neoclassical altar. In the same plaza you’ll also see the Stone of Twelve Angles – a masonry marvel that demonstrates the Inca’s impressive engineering skills. Later, explore the San Pedro Market and perhaps try a variety of local cheeses and chocolates. Many locals come to the market to eat ‘mystery soups’. Sometimes the soup is just chicken, however the more unusual varieties, such as frog soup, are the most popular with the locals. The walking tour comes to an end just in time for lunch.

Tonight perhaps head to the main square and enjoy the breathtaking views of the city at dusk. Have dinner at one of the many restaurants in the square or surrounding streets – you certainly won’t be short on choice!

Day 3: Hiram Bingham Train to Aguas Calientes / Ollantaytambo

Today you’ll encounter Peru’s iconic citadel: Machu Picchu. Be picked up at the hotel at approximately 7:15am and transferred to Poroy Train Station, where you will board the Hiram Bingham train. Named after the explorer who rediscovered the Inca citadel in 1911, the train has two dining cars, an observation/bar car and a kitchen car serving brunch and dinner. After departing at 8:10am, you’ll have the opportunity to experience a deluxe brunch on board. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine or freshly squeezed juice with a traditional Peruvian appetiser, followed by a main course and dessert. The menu is seasonal but usually includes delicious dishes such as quinoa tabouleh and smoked trout, or a traditional lomo saltado (similar to a beef stir fry). Arrive in Aguas Calientes around 12:30pm and then board a bus to Machu Picchu for a guided tour. After the tour comes to an end, you will have some additional free time to explore the ruins at your own pace. After working up an appetite, enjoy tea and snacks at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge – the only hotel that operates at Machu Picchu. In the early evening, take the Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo. Arrive around 8pm then transfer to the hotel. For dinner, you can choose to dine at the hotel or visit a local restaurant in town.

Day 4: Sacred Valley / Cuzco

The ancient town of Ollantaytambo holds particular significance in Peruvian history as it is one of the few places where the Inca were able to successfully repel the Spanish invaders. This is partly due to the town’s location at the base of the mountains and its steep terraced fortress, which is the main archaeological site today. Try and spot the faces that appear in the surrounding cliffs and hear how food was precariously stored at height. Ollantaytambo is also an entry point to the Sacred Valley, which lies between here and the nearby town of Pisac. The Sacred Valley was greatly treasured because of its climate, fertile land and the presence of the Urubamba (Sacred) River. Embark on a bus tour of the Sacred Valley, where evidence of the Inca’s advanced engineering skills is present at every turn: ancient aqueducts, irrigation canals, dams, agricultural terraces and centres of worship dedicated to Pachamama (Mother Earth). Visit a local community to gain a greater insight into their lifestyle and enjoy lunch with the locals. If your visit happens to coincide with market day there will be an opportunity to wander the stalls and hunt down beautiful hand painted beads and ponchos. Return to Cuzco in the afternoon, stopping just outside the city to visit the stone fortress of Sacsayhuaman. This ancient site was the scene of a ferocious siege between the Inca and Spanish forces and today only the immense stone walls remain. The fortress was strategically built on a hill overlooking the city, which makes it a great place to take photos of Cuzco.

Day 5: Cuzco

This Independent Experience comes to an end today after breakfast. If you are departing today you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight. To assist us in making this arrangement, please provide us with your flight details at the time of booking.

Cruise Itinerary