Holiday Itinerary
Day One - Your Peru Holiday Begins!
Your honeymoon in Peru begins as you arrive in Lima on an evening flight. You will be met at the airport and driven to your luxurious hotel in the trendy Miraflores area of the city in time to take a walk around the elegant Parque Kennedy and perhaps to take in an evening meal on your first night in Peru. Of course, if you're you’re still celebrating then Miraflores is a great place for a night out...
Days Two to Five - The Northern Beaches
We understand that a wedding, while fantastic, can be an incredibly stressful experience so we thought you might like some time to just unwind and let it all sink in… With this in mind, we’ll pick you up in the morning and take you to the airport for a flight up to the very north of Peru, where we will take you to the Punta Sal resort on Peru’s north coast. Here you can unwind on the beach, underneath the palm trees while your waiters bring you food and cocktails to your hearts’ desires before we pick you up at the end of Day Five to catch a flight back to Lima for another night in the capital.
Day Six - The White City
After breakfast this morning, we’ll take you back to the airport to catch a flight up into the foothills of the Andes to Arequipa - 'The White City'. This is probably the most beautiful city in Peru - a kind of Seville at the foot of a snow-capped volcano! You will arrive around lunchtime and we will take you to your colonial-style hotel, where you can sip a coca tea on the elegant roof terrace while you adjust to the altitude. You will then have the rest of the day free either to wander around the city, enjoying the laid-back atmosphere and beautiful colonial architecture, or to enjoy some of the amazing cultural attractions such as the convent-city of Santa Catalina or some of the city’s great museums.
Day Seven - Into Colca Canyon
Today, you'll set out from Arequipa on a guided tour of Colca Canyon. The Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon and is home to a stunning array of wildlife and also some great natural hot springs! You will visit some of the unique villages along the sides of the Canyon before dropping down into the Canyon to spend the night at the top-notch Colca Lodge, with its superb traditional cuisine and private hot springs.
Day Eight - Back to Arequipa
A very early start this morning, as we pick you up and take you to the 'Cruz del Condor', a natural viewpoint opposite the nesting-sites of the famous Andean Condors. We'll arrive in time to see these majestic birds launch themselves into the Canyon as they set out on their day's hunt. After spending more time in the Canyon, you will return to Arequipa in the evening to enjoy some of its superb Andean specialities (can we recommend the stuffed peppers!?!) in one of the restaurants overlooking the bustling and beautiful main square.
Day Nine - The Ancient Inca Capital
We will pick you up in the morning to take you to the airport to catch a flight up to Cusco - the ancient Inca capital. On arrival, we'll take you to your hotel, just off the main square at the heart of Cusco. The hotel is a converted 16th-century mansion and in our opinion is one of the best hotels in Peru. It has total luxury, great service and atmosphere in spades. You will have the rest of the afternoon free to wander around the centre, enjoying Cusco’s unique blend of colonial and Inca architecture and soaking up the atmosphere of this fantastic city – there really is nowhere like it on earth.
Day Ten - City tour of Cusco
Today we will take you for a private guided tour of the city and its surrounding area. You’ll visit the former Temple of the Sun – now a church, the city’s cathedral, the colossal Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman and several other nearby Inca sites. Our expert guide will make sure you get the most out of today and you should come away with a new understanding of the country’s history and culture – as well as some great photos!
Day Eleven - Free time in Cusco
You will have a day free to just relax and enjoy the unique atmosphere Cusco has to offer. With something new around every corner, we’re sure you’ll benefit from the additional time here, and it will also help your acclimatisation as all the additional time at altitude allows your body to get more accustomed to the thinner air.
Day Twelve - The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
If marriage is about shared endeavour and facing things together then this could be a perfect introduction! Today you will begin a 4-day/3-night trek to the lost city of the Incas: Machu Picchu! A spectacular early morning drive through the Sacred Valley takes us to our trailhead at Km. 82 of the Machu Picchu railway. After getting acquainted with our porters you will set out, crossing a footbridge to hike a gentle two hours down the Urubamba canyon, and then visit imposing sculpted Inca farming terraces and the settlement of Llaqtapata on the banks of the Cusichaca side river. We then climb a short way up the Cusichaca valley to Huayllabamba, the last inhabited village on the trail, where we camp. Throughout the trek, you will be benefiting from our top-notch imported equipment, friendly porters and experienced guides, who will make sure you take things at your own pace and allow you to take plenty of time enjoying the stunning scenery and wildlife!
Day Thirteen - The Inca Trail
We climb the steep-sided Llullucha valley past a rushing stream and through enchanting subtropical woodland. Crossing the rim of a small plateau, we find ourselves in the puna, the treeless grasslands of the high Andes. The trail traverses an open slope opposite mighty mountain crags as we ascend to the first and highest pass, Warmiwañusca (4,200m). Here we encounter spectacular views of the trail ahead to the second pass, and look back to the sweeping snowpeaks and valleys of the Huayanay massif. We then follow the trail to the floor of the Pacaymayo valley, where we camp for the night.
Day Fourteen - The Inca Trail
This morning, we pick up an Inca stairway and ascend again past the small Inca site of Runkuracay. As we reach the second pass, the landscape opens onto spectacular new views to the snowpeaks of the Pumasillo range. We descend to the ruins of Sayacmarca (Inaccessible Town), an intricate labyrinth of houses, plazas and water channels, perched precariously on a rocky spur overlooking the Aobamba valley. The Inca trail, now a massive buttressed structure of granite paving stones, continues along the steep upper fringes of the cloud forest through a colourful riot of orchids, bromeliads, mosses and ferns. At the third pass pinnacles topped with Inca viewing platforms overlook the archaeological complex of Phuyupatamarca (Cloud-level Town).
Pausing to explore the maze of Inca stone towers, fountains and stairways that spills down the mountainside here, we begin a long descent through ever-changing layers of cloud forest. An Inca stairway partly cut from living granite leads us finally to our camp by the ruins of Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young), the largest and most exquisite of the Inca Trail sites.
Day Fifteen - Arrival at Machu Picchu
An early morning hike takes us across a steep mountainside through lush, humid cloud-forest of giant ferns and broad-leaf vegetation. Suddenly we cross the stone threshold of Intipunku (Sun Gate) and encounter an unforgettable sweep of natural beauty and human artistry –a backdrop of twisting gorge and forested peaks framing the magical city of Machu Picchu.
We complete the final leg down the royal flagstone walkway, past outlying shrines and buildings and into the heart of Machu Picchu, where we spend the rest of the morning with a guided tour of the highlights and some individual exploring among Machu Picchu’s multitude of hidden nooks and corners. What’s even better is that you will stay overnight in the only hotel actually AT Machu Picchu – the five-star Sanctuary Lodge. We can even arrange for a ‘moonlight’ permit that will let you re-enter Machu Picchu at night so you can experience this special place in a very special way.
Day Sixteen - Free time at Machu Picchu
Today you will have the opportunity to revisit Machu Picchu, and to make sure you explored every corner of this unique site. Perhaps today might be a good opportunity to climb up to the sun-gate, or to visit the watch-tower on Wayna Picchu from where you will get an unparalleled view of the site. You will return by train to Cusco in the evening.
Day Seventeen - Free time in Cusco
We’ve given you a free day in Cusco today so you can say goodbye to the place, make sure you’ve got all of your souvenirs and postcards sorted and, most importantly, tasted the roast guinea-pig that is the city’s speciality!
Day Eighteen - Last Day in Peru
Sadly, today is the last day of your honeymoon. We will pick you up in Cusco and take you to the airport for a flight back down to Lima in plenty of time to catch your international flight back to the UK.
Options
Easy changes and upgrades
We can tailormake your honeymoon itinerary to your exact specifications, and you can have a look at our Peru Guide or some of our other Peru Holidays for ideas about how to add to this holiday, but we can also offer you some easy optional extras which fit into this exact itinerary:
Paracas Reserve and the Ballestas Islands - from £120pp
Take a couple of days to relax in the beautiful Paracas peninusla at an exclusive beachfront hotel. You can also take a boat trip out to visit the amazing Ballestas Islands, home to huge dolphin, sea-lion and sea-bird colonies.
Take the train to Machu Picchu - save £190pp
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is amazing, but it's not for everyone and if you would rather let the train take the strain then that's not a problem at all - just let us know and we'll arrange first-class train tickets for you each way, and a private guided tour once you're at Machu Picchu...
An Amazon Jungle Adventure - from £300pp
Take a walk on the wild side and add a few days in Peru's Amazon rainforest. You can stay in a range of excellent jungle lodges which allow you to see a truly incredible range and variety of wildlife, all within a short flight from Cusco...
Spa break - from £450pp
If you think you might need a little extra relaxation after the Inca Trail, then why not check into one of the top-notch new Spa hotels that have opened in the Sacred Valley and let all the strains of the Inca Trail ease away... We include a free treatment and all your transfers.
Tailormade Honeymoon just for you
Of course, what we want you to remember is that we're here to offer you any guidance and advice you need. We're not about trying to sell you more than you want - we want you to have the honeymoon that's right for you, so give us a call or send us an email and we can start to find out what sort of Peru honeymoon is right for you!
Prices
Because all our Peru holidays are tailormade, our prices are flexible and depend on the accommodation and activities you want. If you want to change the length of this holiday, or the activities you do, or the type of accommodation you use - let us know! We can send you a tailormade itinerary, including price, absolutely free!
Our standard price for this trip is £2495 per person. This price is based on two people sharing a double or twin room in 5-star accommodation (details available on request).
And what does it include?
We know that you need to be able to see how much things are going to cost you, so everything that you read about on the previous page is included in this price. The only "biggie" that we don't include is your international flight to and from the UK as these can vary depending on the time of year. However, we will do all the research for you and find you the best deal going, so you don't to have expend any effort here.
Just to be absolutely clear, here is what you're getting for your money on this holiday:
- All accommodation in superior 5-star hotels we have personally checked out
- All transfers
- All internal transport, including flights
- All entrance fees
- Half-day guided tour of Cusco
- Four-day private guided Inca Trail trek, including tour of Machu Picchu
- Two-day guided tour of Colca Canyon
- All meals in Colca Canyon
- All meals on the Inca Trail
- Full team of guides and porters on the Inca Trail
- Top-quality trekking equipment including tents, sleeping bags and mats
- Full buffet breakfast every day