In the Footsteps of the Incas

In The Footsteps Of The Incas
From the cloud forests of the Andes to the birthplace of the sun at Lake Titicaca, this journey through Peru’s altiplanos and the famous floating Uros Islands traces the ancient past of the Incas. Visits with local weavers, corn farmers, and expert photographers infuse this Peru tour with captivating culture.

Dining Summary

• 4 Dinner (D)
• 10 Breakfast (B)
• 4 Lunch (L)

Be My Guest

• Sacred Valley: Connect with Locals over a Be My Guest experience lunch, learn about the culture surrounding the production of Giant White Corn. Our hosts will demonstrate the differences between traditional farming techniques and the newer technologies used today.

Dive into Culture

• Lima: Dive into the rich history of Casona San Marcos, an ancient building in Lima now part of the property of a university. Learn to play the “cajón” (meaning “box” or drawer”) box-shaped percussion instrument played by slapping the faces with the hands, fingers, or sometimes implements. Continue your musical discovery trying the basic steps of “musica negra”, a dance that originated in Chincha (near Paracas) that is popular during over the Christmas season. Over your lesson, try a snack from a “pregonero”, a vendor who specializes in selling a typical snack through boisterous advertising in the city streets.
• Sacred Valley: We’ll Dive into Culture and meet a Quechua Shaman who will perform a ceremony welcoming you to Peru.
• Sacred Valley: This evening, meet Local Specialist Peter Frost, a writer, photographer and independent scholar who has explored the Andes and Amazon for 47 years, locating and investigating the previously unknown Inca and pre-Inca site of Qoriwayrachina. He currently resides in Peru and works as an accompanying expert for National Geographic Expeditions.
• Lake Titicaca: Visit the home of Víctor Coila and his wife Mariluz, and their two daughters, Luz Mery and Carla Mercedes. Join the family to try quinoa bread, potatoes with cheese, and chaco – a sauce made with a kind of clay used in cooking and medicine.

Iconic Experience

• Lima: Take in the highlights of Lima, the ‘City of the Kings,’ including a panoramic view of the ancient districts. Join a local specialist for a visit to the UNESCO-listed Historic Center. Learn how before it was destroyed by earthquakes in the mid-18th century, observing how the historic buildings display a collaboration between local craftspeople and others from the Old World. Then drive along the coastline as you learn more about the fascinating history of Peru’s capital city.
• Machu Picchu: Learn how to prepare an authentic Ceviche and pour the perfect Pisco sour.
• Cusco: Visit the mystical Incan stronghold of Ollantaytambo. These famous ruins are a massive Inca fortress made of large stone terraces stretching out across a hillside. Walk among the stone platforms, the sun temple of six monoliths and the Princess Baths fountain the Baño de la Nusta at the base of the ruins flowing from carved stone into a pool. Over your exploration, learn how the old town is an Inca-era grid of cobblestoned streets and adobe buildings.
• Machu Picchu: Soak in every moment of your Machu Picchu tour in style as you descend to the Lost City in the clouds aboard the Vistadome train. Traveling the Inca Trail, you’ll traverse dramatic landscapes with a panoramic view of the soaring peaks, river, and ruins. Sit back and relax as you enjoy this multi-sensory journey complete with background music, an informative audio commentary highlighting interesting sites, and an included light snack.
• Machu Picchu: Take a shuttle to the top of the mountain where you’ll meet your local specialist for a guided hike of Machu Picchu. You’ll learn about Machu Picchu’s history and the use of each section of including ceremonial, storage, agriculture, temples, astronomical, and observatory as well as the possible reasons why the Incas left Machu Picchu.
• Machu Picchu: The ruins of Machu Picchu beckon yet again and we enjoy one final opportunity to reconnect with its story. Journey to take in the ruins at sunrise spending some time on your own to explore the hill-top fortress. Soak in every moment at this iconic site, making stops at points of interest while your guide shares their insights on the archaeological sites.
• Cusco: Join your Local Specialist for a guided walk through Cusco’s colonial center, including the nearby 13th century Incan settlement of Koricancha. Here in Cusco’s Golden Temple of the Sun dedicated to the Sun God Inti, view the trapezoidal and irregular shapes and rounded edges. Note how the stones fit together and were built simply by placing them on top of each other without using any mortar. This staggered placement also enables them to withstand earthquakes.
• Cusco: Begin your day at the ruins of the UNESCO-listed Sacsayhuamán fortress overlooking Cusco. With zig zagging walls and ruins of giant stones, see how the shape and harmony of the landscape is similar to Machu Picchu. Stroll through this Incan architecture of sacred buildings such as residential buildings, towers, shrines, warehouses, roads and aqueducts. And while you may not be able to take in the grand scale, the complex design is based on the shape of the head of a puma, a sacred animal in Inca spirituality.
• Sillustani: Enjoy lunch alfresco next to Lake Umayo on your way to Sillustani, a pre-Incan burial ground on the shores of Lake Umayo. Join a local specialist and explore its towering chullpas (above ground tombs) that cast long shadows across the landscape. Then cruise the deep blue waters of South America’s largest lake – Lake Titicaca, the birthplace of the sun – through floating islands made of entirely reeds by the Uros Indians.
• Lake Titicaca: We cruise the deep blue waters of Lake Titicaca with a Local Specialist, discovering its floating islands constructed from reeds by the Uros Indians
• Lima: Join a local specialist for a tour of the Rafael Larco Herrera Museum which houses the largest private collection of pre-Columbian Peruvian art in the world. You’ll also explore the extensive collection of Peruvian gold and silver from ancient times. Learn the history of the museum founded by Rafael Larco on July 28th, 1926 in Trujillo followed by in 1958 when Larco moved his collection to Lima to a unique colonial residence built on top of a VIII century pyramid.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

• Cusco: During your city tour on the outskirts of Cusco, visit the shop of the social project Mantay, a housing and education project for underage mothers who come to live here and learn a craft or trade. The children are taken care of while the mothers are working, and your visit supports both the family’s livelihood. You’ll also receive a hand-crafted gift that will further support your visit.
• Lake Titicaca: Arrive at Taquile Island, where we’ll embark on a private tour to gain insights into the tradition of Textile Art for which the local villagers-men and women-are renowned. Learn more about the culture of the people living on the island and enjoy a traditional lunch.

Must-see Highlights

• Explore Lima and Cusco with a Local Specialist, learn about giant white corn, and watch a local Marinera dance performance
• Visit the outdoor market at Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuaman ruins, the Uros Islands, and enjoy a Casona San Marcos Experience
• Scenic Cruise on the Lake Titicaca
• Scenic Drive through the Sacred Valley
• Scenic Train Ride to Machu Picchu aboard the Vistadome train
• Cusco: Enjoy the flavors of chicha, a Peruvian corn beer. Hear about how chicha is brewed by the local indigenous women and its history dating back to the time of the Incas as a favorite drink of the Andes. Learn about the two types of chicha, alcoholic sour chicha de jora made from fermented jora corn and the non-alcoholic, sweet chicha morada.

Trafalgar Difference

• Sacred Valley: Admire your idyllic setting within the Sacred Valley and take in the 18th-century colonial-style features of  Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay, a former monastery complete with plazas and cobbled streets.
• Sacred Valley: Admire your idyllic setting within the Sacred Valley and take in the 18th-century colonial-style features of  Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay, a former monastery complete with plazas and cobbled streets.

Whats Included

• An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
• Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
• All porterage and restaurant gratuities
• All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
• Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
• Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
• Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
• Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
• Tickets for a ride aboard the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu
• A Trafalgar bonus all Intra-Air Flights: Lima to Cusco, Cusco to Juliaca and Juliaca to Lima, including porter service at all airports.
• Optional Experiences and free time
• On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
• Amazon Rainforest: Discover the Amazon’s otherworldly realm of aguajales rainforest swampland during your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and learn how vegetation has adapted to the exotic species that are drawn here.