Perusing Peru. Sunrise & Sunset Over Machu Picchu Included.
This is a nine-day sample itinerary. Remember that R. Crusoe can create a Peru journey of any length to meet your exact specifications.
Seen one ruin, you’ve... Not like these, you haven’t.
Touch down in Lima, refresh during a quick overnight, and head straight for Cusco, former capital of the Inca Empire and oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent. Cusco is also our gateway into the Sacred Valley.
The spirit of the Inca still lingers. You sense their presence near the village of Pisac, where well-defined remains tell stories of Inca life as it once was. In Chinchero, see women artisans demonstrate traditional textile-making just for the likes of your small group. Then the odd salt works of Maras and the ancient terraced ruins of Moray.
Take lunch in the private hacienda of a well-known Cusco family.
Examine the mortarless masonry of Ollantaytambo, a "living ruin," before we board a train for an excursion to the Sacred Valley. Your choice: the Vistadome or the luxury-packed Orient-Express Hiram Bingham. In either case, enjoy dramatic scenery out the windows. The Hiram Bingham ices the cake with a gourmet meal, utter comfort, great company, and extraordinary service.
Though what we've seen so far has been something else, it is only a preamble to Machu Picchu, Lost City of the Incas. In 1911, American historian Hiram Bingham was wandering about looking for one lost city when he chanced upon another lost city. (Isn't that always the way?) Hidden for centuries in the clouds, Machu Picchu is wonderfully preserved (the conquistadors never got there). 
Archaeologists and anthropologists think it was a religious center for the ancients.
Precariously perched 2,000 feet above the Urubamba River, it's arguably the ruin with the most spectacular setting of any in the world. Seeing Machu Picchu in the light of the setting sun is wondrous; seeing it at dawn is a defining moment. We urge you to stay at the best hotel in the area, the only lodge situated at the entrance to the site, so you can access Machu Picchu before other visitors arrive.
Before we leave Machu Picchu, there are options: a hike to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, Machu Picchu’s original entryway. Or a challenging hike up Huayna Picchu, a neighboring peak that offers extraordinary views of the ancient site. Looking for something a bit less strenuous? Consider a 45-minute walk along a narrow Inca road that leads to an ancient stone bridge.
Next, the Vistadome or the Hiram Bingham takes us back to Cusco to continue our adventure. Develop a taste for Spanish colonial architecture as we tour the city.
Head beyond the city limits to see what else the Inca left behind: the fort of Sacsayhuaman; the oft-missed complex of Tipon (we suggest a picnic lunch outside the ruins).
On to Lima, founded by conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535. Churches, palaces, and vast catacombs have such tales to tell. The Museo Rafael Larco Herrera exhibits pre-Columbian riches and an unusual collection of centuries-old erotic ceramics. Imagine that.
Prepare for your flight home in a dayroom reserved for you in Lima. Better yet, consider continuing on to the Galápagos on one of our journeys. Or carry on in Peru with a customized journey to the oft-overlooked (but very worthwhile) Colca Canyon.
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