Become immersed in the world of the ancient Inca and their present-day descendants through definitive attractions and immersive experiences. In Cusco, you will behold sites such as Sacsayhuaman fortress, whose massive stones – some weighing 200 tons – fit together so perfectly no mortar was necessary. You will also explore the ruins of iconic Machu Picchu, an Inca royal retreat still shrouded in mystery. While visiting an Andean highland community, you will interact with villagers descended from the Incas that will demonstrate their traditions and way of life.
Special Note: As this is an active program that takes place at high altitudes, we strongly recommend that all guests consult with their physician regarding their ability to participate prior to signing up. Any guests travelling with Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC) or CPAP breathing machines should read further below for airline stipulations with regards to bringing this equipment on tour. This program is not recommended for those guests traveling with wheelchair or with walking difficulties due to the amount of walking, steps and uneven ground to be negotiated.
Note: This program begins in Panama and ends in Lima, therefore, outbound flights need to be booked from Lima International Airport.
DAY 1
Following disembarkation from the ship, you will transfer to the airport for the flight to Lima. Upon arrival, you will be met by a representative and transferred to the AC Hotel by Marriott in the Miraflores district, a five-star hotel in the heart of Lima.
Lunch and dinner will be on your own.
Note: All luggage will accompany guests on the flight to Lima. See further below for luggage restrictions.
DAY 2
After breakfast, you will transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, you will begin a tour of Cusco.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit with the sacred site of Koricancha. There, you will admire the lovely Dominican Convent of Santo Domingo that was built on the foundations of the Temple of the Sun, the most sumptuous temple in the Inca Empire. The curved, mortar-less masonry wall at the west end of the church is one of the greatest existing examples of Inca stonework.
You will then visit the Sacsayhuaman fortress. Strategically located on a hill overlooking Cusco, the fortress was constructed without mortar like many other Inca structures. The enormous stones – some weighing 200 tons – of the walls fit so tightly that not even a thin blade of grass can slide between them. The craftsmanship is a stunning example of the Incas’ sophisticated construction techniques and architectural skills.
After a brief orientation tour of Cusco, you will check into the J.W. Marriott El Convento Hotel or similar for overnight. Dinner will be on your own.
NOTE: All rooms at the J.W. Marriott have an oxygen enriched system to help you acclimate to the altitude. This upgrade service has been included in this package.
Note: We suggest flying with a carry-on only. All other suitcases will be kept in hotel storage until you return to Lima on Day 5.
DAY 3
After breakfast, you will drive further into the Sacred Valley of the Incas, following a wonderfully scenic route to the Ollantaytambo fortress. After visiting the site, you will travel to the Ollantaytambo station to board the first-class train. Brunch will be served during the journey as you take in the spectacular Andean scenery.
Upon arriving in Aguas Calientes, you will drive to the ruins of Machu Picchu to explore this famous Lost City of the Incas. Constructed as a royal retreat for the Inca emperor Pachacuti in the 1400s, Machu Picchu was abandoned less than 100 years later; its population probably devastated by smallpox. Because the Spanish conquistadors never found this hidden city, explorer and Yale University history lecturer Hiram Bingham discovered it largely intact in 1911.
Architectural highlights include the Temple of the Sun, designed much like the one in Cusco, several other temples, hundreds of terraces and a mysterious carved stone situated on a raised platform that towers above the plaza. The stone may have been used for astronomical observations, but no one knows for certain. The Inca had no written language, so there is no record of Machu Picchu’s ultimate purpose. Scholars are still striving to uncover clues as to its mysteries.
After visiting Machu Picchu, you will board the Hiram Bingham Train for the journey to the Rio Sagrado train station. Dinner will be served aboard the train.
Upon arrival at the station, you will transfer to J.W. Marriott El Convento Hotel or similar for the evening.
DAY 4
After breakfast, you will visit an Andean highland community and meet the Quechua-speaking farmers and weavers who live there. During this personal encounter, you will participate in the daily activities and visit the kitchens to see a variety of local foods on display, under preparation and being cooked upon wood-fired mud-brick stoves.
The welcoming and hospitable villagers will offer a demonstration of textile technique and design, an essential feature of Peruvian life for millennia. They will share this knowledge and reveal the symbolic meanings encoded into their cloth and styles of dress.
Then, after a short walk with the villagers to the accompaniment of flutes and drums, you will enter the heart of the Andean agricultural cycle – as vital today as it was in Inca times – as our Quechua hosts show how they hand-turn the soil on the mountainsides. You will be welcome to join them in blessing the earth, their animals and the new-plowed land. This celebration of profound Andean traditions inherited from the Inca past is an experience like no other.
Afterwards, you will drive to a nearby restaurant for lunch.
Continuing on, your next stop will be the splendid Baroque-style Cusco Cathedral, built in the mid-1500s on the foundations of an Inca palace. Many of the stones used in its construction were repurposed from the nearby Sacsayhuaman fortress. After the visit, you will transfer to the J.W. Marriott El Convento Hotel in Cusco for dinner and to spend the evening.
DAY 5
After flying back to Lima, you will transfer to the AC Hotel by Marriott to overnight. The remainder of the day will be at leisure with lunch and dinner on your own.
DAY 6
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and check out before being transferred to the airport based on your flight details. If you have a flight that departs late in the day, you may wish to book an additional night so as to keep your room longer than the scheduled check-out time of 12:00 pm. Otherwise, luggage can be stored at the reception desk and you can continue to use the facilities of the hotel or further explore until your scheduled transfer time.
Land Program Details Step by Step
• The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. This program is subject to flight confirmations which are beyond our control. All program details including timings and any flights indicated below are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change. Direct flights are never guaranteed.
• Itineraries with the most up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. Final itineraries with updated details will be provided by the Destination Services Team once you board the ship. Please review your final itinerary carefully for any amendments.
• The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
• A departure transfer is not included if guests leave before the last day of the program.
DAY 1 - timings subject to change based on actual flight times
7:45am Disembark the ship in Panama
8:00am Transfer to the Panama airport
9:00am Arrive at the airport and check-in for your flight
12:06pm Fly from Panama to Lima (flight details TBA and subject to change)
3:44pm Arrive and transfer to the hotel in Lima
Lunch and dinner on your own
Overnight at the AC Hotel by Marriott or similar hotel
DAY 2 - timings subject to change based on actual flight times
5:30am Wake-up call
Buffet breakfast at the hotel (not private)
7:00am Meet at the hotel
7:17am Transfer to the airport
8:17am Arrival at airport and check-in for your flight
10:17am Fly to Cusco (flight details TBA and subject to change)
11:48am Arrive in Cusco
12:25pm Drive to the restaurant for lunch
2:20pm Drive to Koricancha Temple
2:35pm Visit Koricancha Temple
4:20pm Transfer to Sacsayhuaman fortress
4:35pm Visit Sacsayhuaman fortress
5:20pm Drive to the hotel
Dinner on your own
Overnight at the J.W. Marriott or similar hotel
DAY 3
6:00am Wake-up call
6:30am Buffet breakfast at the hotel (not private)
7:20am Drive to Ollantaytambo Fortress
9:20am Visit Ollantaytambo Fortress
10:20am Drive to the train station
11:00am Board first-class train (subject to change)
11:15am First-class train ride to Aguas Calientes with brunch
12:41pm Walk to bus station
1:30pm Bus drive to Machu Picchu citadel
2:00pm Guided visit of the citadel
4:30pm Bus drive back to Aguas Calientes
5:00pm Walk to the train station
5:20pm Board the Hiram Bingham Train (subject to change)
5:50pm Hiram Bingham Train return trip with dinner
8:36pm Arrive at train station and drive back to your hotel
10:00pm Arrive at the hotel
Overnight at J.W. Marriott or similar hotel
DAY 4
6:00am Wake-up call
Buffet breakfast at the hotel (not private)
8:00am Transfer to the Andean community
9:00am Visit the Andean community
11:00am Transfer to a restaurant
1:00pm Lunch at the restaurant
4:00pm Transfer to Cusco city
5:15pm Visit the cathedral and main square for photos
6:00pm Drive to the hotel
Dinner at the hotel
Overnight at J.W. Marriott or similar hotel
DAY 5 - timings subject to change based on actual flight times
8:00am Wake-up call
8:30am Buffet breakfast at the hotel (not private)
9:30am Drive to Cusco airport
10:00am Arrive at airport and check-in
12:00pm Fly to Lima (flight details TBA and subject to change)
1:25pm Arrive in Lima and transfer to the hotel. Lunch and dinner on your own.
Overnight at the AC Hotel by Marriott or similar hotel
DAY 6
TBA Check out from the hotel. Transfers arranged based on your flight details. Luggage
storage is available at the hotel for guests with flights that depart late in the day.
Extra Nights
• All extra nights booked through the cruise line are confirmed at the same hotel used on the LAST NIGHT of your program.
• When you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be transferred to the airport per the flight details provided. Check-out is 12:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast are on your own after Day 6 of the program.
Transfers: Guests booking their flights independently are required to ensure that the cruise line has their most up-to-date flight details so that transfers to the airport can be arranged. If flight details are not received 14 days before your cruise start date, transfers will not be arranged.
If you book extra nights on your own or your flight is not on the last day of the program, transfers are not included.
If you have a late-departing flight, you may wish to book an extra night so that you have occupation of your room until your departure. You will be asked to vacate your room by 12:00pm. Day rooms can only be purchased directly through the hotel.
Expected Weather
Mid-November until the end of April is considered to be the wet season with the peak rainfall inJanuary and February. Although it may not rain every day or for even for a few days at a time, there is a significant chance that you will encounter wet weather. Be prepared with appropriate clothing and an umbrella. Daily temperatures average 18 °C (64 °F), but unlike the dry season, nighttime temperatures are just a few degrees lower.
What to Bring:
• Bring comfortable, casual clothing in natural breathable fabrics. Temperatures will change as altitudes and times change, so it’s best to bring shorts, as well as long trousers and layered clothing. Religious sites require conservative dress. Both males and females should cover their arms, legs and shoulders.
• Local standards dictate a neat, clean outfit for dining in restaurants and touring urban areas. For men: long trousers and a shirt with a collar. For ladies: trousers or a knee-length or longer skirt with a modest top. Formal clothing is not necessary.
• A sweater or lightweight jacket for the cooler evening temperatures.
• A lightweight preferably non-plastic raincoat or poncho and an umbrella.
• Comfortable walking shoes with low or no heels.
• Sunglasses with a strap, sun block, a sunhat, and insect repellent.
• Using walking sticks is prohibited in Machu Picchu unless they are needed by guests with mobility problems.
Local Currency
Peru’s currency is the Nuevo Sol (S/.).
Electricity
The current is 220 volts AC. In most hotel bathrooms, there is an electrical outlet with 110 volts for electric shavers, but this should not be used for travel irons or hair dryers. Most hotel rooms are equipped with hairdryers. We recommend bringing your own travel adaptor for electronic devices if they do not conform to the above voltage.
Luggage
For domestic flights, you are permitted to check one piece of 23Kg (50 pounds) per person and 1 carry-on of 8Kg (17.5 pounds) per person. For international flights on this program, you are permitted to check two pieces of 23Kg (50 pounds) per person and 1 carry-on of 8Kg (17.5 pounds) per person. Guests having excess or overweight luggage will be charged a fee upon check in at the airport.
Carriage of Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC) or CPAP breathing machines on internal flights per airline regulations (subject to change as each airline has their own regulations)
1. Guests must obtain a doctor’s certificate mentioning their medical condition and the need to carry this equipment with them on their flights.
2. The certificate should have attached a picture of the equipment with its description/specifications especially with regards to the type of batteries used (lithium/dry or any other type).
3. These documents need to be sent to the Land Program Team via Reservations at least one month prior to travel so that our local operator can begin the notification process with the airline(s).
4. Failure to comply with the above regulations may result in a denial of this equipment at the airport for which the Cruise Line nor our local ground operator be responsible for.
Documents and Visa Requirements
Foreign passengers entering Peru must have a passport valid at least 6 months past the day of arrival in Peru. Travelers to Peru will receive a card from Peruvian immigration upon arrival stating the length of approved stay (usually 90 days).
VERY IMPORTANT – The name on your cruise booking, passport and any visas if required, must all be exactly the same for flight ticket purchase for this program otherwise guests may be denied travel by flight. Please ensure that all documents are identical in spelling to the names provided for your cruise reservation including first, middle and last name. Manifests generated by the cruise line must match your travel documents.
Failure to have the required documents ahead of time or incorrect names on flight tickets will result in either denial of travel or ticket re-purchase and guests will be responsible for any fees incurred.
Aircraft type (subject to change)
Airbus 320
Accommodations
AC Hotel by Marriott in Lima
Malecón de la Reserva, Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Phone: +51 1 5969480
J.W. Marriott El Convento Hotel
Esquina de la Calle Ruinas 432 y San Agustín, Cusco, Peru
Phone: +51 84 582200
*We will only source different hotels in unforeseen situations. If similar hotels are required, they will be of equal ratings and standards and guests will be notified in advance. If guests are not notified of changes before departure, then the hotel(s) listed in this program will be used
Program includes:
• English-speaking guides and escort
• 2 nights in City View Rooms at AC Hotel by Marriott in Lima or similar on a bed & breakfast basis
• 3 nights in Deluxe Rooms at the J.W. Marriott El Convento Hotel in Cusco or similar on a bed & breakfast basis
• Oxygen-enriched rooms at the J.W. Marriott El Convento Hotel in Cusco
• Entrance fees to Koricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, Cusco Cathedral, Machu Picchu and Andean Community
• First-class train to Machu Picchu
• Hiram Bingham train from Machu Picchu
• Gratuities for luggage porterage and restaurants
• 2 lunches at local restaurant (2 glass of local wine or beer, 1 water or soft drink, and 1 hot beverage)
• 1 dinner at the hotel in Cusco (2 glass of local wine or beer, 1 water or soft drink, and 1 hot beverage)
• 1 brunch on board the first-class train (including 2 non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages)
• 1 dinner on board the Hiram Bingham train (including 2 non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages)
• Bottled water and snacks on coaches
• Airport transfers
• Economy-class flight per the itinerary
• Luggage storage and shipment in Lima
• 1 piece of luggage of 23kg + 1 carry-on of 8Kg, per person for domestic flight
• 2 pieces of luggage of 23kg each + 1 carry-on of 8Kg, for the international flight
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights independently of the cruise line are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated departure information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, a departure transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program Excludes:
• Drinks and meals not mentioned above
• Personal expenses and hotel incidentals such as laundry, phone calls, room service and minibar
• Gratuities to drivers and guides
• Excess or overweight luggage fees
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, gravel and natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation.
All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land programs must be purchased no later than 90 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 90 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program.
