Compare Peru Culinary Tour by Access Trips

Day 1: Peru Tour Begins

Meals: Dinner

Welcome to our Peru culinary tour! Prepare yourself for one of the most fascinating, colorful and culture-rich countries on the planet. Also prepare for some of the world’s best food! We will pick you up at Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport and drive you to our comfortable hotel. If your flight arrives before dinner, you’ll get your first taste of delicious Peruvian cuisine at one of the world’s top restaurants.

Day 2: Lima Culinary Scene

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Lima is the most cosmopolitan of all Peruvian cities, a vibrant economic hub and home to three of the world’s top 50 restaurants. After breakfast we’ll set off to visit bustling Surquillo market where we’ll mingle with the locals and taste some of the Peru’s delicious native fruits. Next we’ll learn the secrets of making the perfect ceviche in a chef-led demonstration, followed by a delicious lunch. In the afternoon we’ll visit a gourmet coffee producer at his flagship coffee shop in Lima’s bohemian and historic district of Barranco. We’ll sip some fantastic coffee and learn how the coffee industry impacts local farmers. We’ll end the day sampling Pisco, Peru’s national spirit. Or you can just enjoy a Pisco Sour! This evening is yours to enjoy one of Lima’s many incredible restaurants. Please note that many top Lima restaurants require reservations far in advance, so please let us know if you would like our help with that.

Day 3: Explore Downtown Lima & Chinatown

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

This morning we’ll head to the historic center of Lima, with its striking colonial buildings and colorful streets. We’ll stop in at the stunningly well preserved Casa de Aliaga, the oldest house in the Americas to be inhabited by descendants of the same family. Dating back to the 1500s, it has been home to the de Aliaga family for 17 generations.

Next we’ll stroll through Lima’s Barrio Chino, or Chinatown, historic home to Peru’s small but culturally important Chinese community. Our friend Liliana is general manager of Lima’s top Chifa (Peruvian-Chinese food) restaurant, and she will graciously lead us on a tour of her restaurant’s kitchen. Afterward we’ll join her in the dining room for an exclusive tasting menu. Her English is excellent and she shares fascinating insights into Peru’s Chinese history.

We’ll make our way back to Barranco to Lima’s most outstanding gelato shop. Using Italian techniques and local Peruvian ingredients like chocolate, coffee and its myriad native fruits, we’ll meet the young partners who are pioneering this delectable treat in Lima.

Tonight you are free to discover dinner on your own. Please let us know if you would like us to assist you with restaurant reservations.

Day 4: Cusco Cooking Class

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

This morning we’ll get up early and head to the airport for a short hour and twenty minute flight to Cusco. We’ve intentionally kept today’s schedule light to give you time to adjust to the altitude. You may need a rest at your hotel, but if you feel up to it, this is a great time to soak up Cusco’s culture-rich atmosphere. In the late afternoon we’ll head to a charming local restaurant for a hands-on cooking class. Starting in the bar, you’ll learn how to make a delicious Pisco sour before heading into the kitchen to prepare delicious scrumptious Andean delicacies that will soon become your dinner.

Day 5: Explore Cusco

Cusco’s vibrant San Pedro market is one of the most fascinating places to people watch as Quechua villagers come from the surrounding areas to sell their produce. We’ll continue on for a tour of Cusco’s most important historic sites. Cusco was the historic capital of the Inca Empire, from the 13th Century until the Spanish conquest in the 16th Century. Because of its importance to the Incas, the Spanish then made it their center for colonialization of the entire Andean region.  The Spanish invested heavily in building incredible structures on top of the Inca sites. We’ll tour the Plaza de Armas, with its impressive cathedral, Qorikancha, or Temple of the Sun God, and the Iglesia de Compañia de Jesus, where you can climb up the towers for an bird’s eye view of the square. We’ll then head out to explore the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, the Inca fortress perched high above Cusco. This evening is free for you to explore on your own. If you would like to try guinea pig, an Andean delicacy, your guide will be happy to recommend some of his favorite “cuy” restaurants.

Day 6: Village Pachamanca

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Today we’re off to a small village near Pisac, in the Sacred Valley. We’ll spend the morning with three lovely ladies who invite us into their home for a pachamanca celebration. Dating back to Inca times, this ancient tradition is not unlike a barbeque, where sharing a meal demonstrates appreciation and reverence for the edible gifts that come from the earth. Meaning – literally – “earth pot,” a pachamanca is an oven created out of stones or clay bricks lining a hole in the ground. A fire is lit inside until it is hot enough to put in heaps of marinated meat, vegetables and potatoes. Traditionally the meal is hearty and provides sustenance to farmers working out in the fields, as well as a welcome break to collectively savor and share the rewards of their labors.

The entire process takes several hours, so we will take a break and explore the colorful Pisac market. This is a great place to pick up some souvenirs, or just to people watch and photograph. We’ll then return to the village as our hosts pull the meat, veggies and potatoes out of the earth oven and join us to enjoy the steaming hot meal together.

This evening is once again free for you to enjoy Cusco.

Day 7: Discover the Sacred Valley of the Incas

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

We have a big day today as we load up the van and venture deep into the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our first stop is Chinchero, our highest altitude of the tour at just over 12,300 feet. Chinchero is a weaver’s village, and we’ll visit a women’s weaving cooperative to learn how they make natural dies and spin alpaca fiber. Next we’ll tour the village church and Inca agricultural ruins. If it’s the right time of year we’ll visit some local farmers to watch how they dehydrate potatoes to store for the winter months.

We’ll then head to Moray, a site of Inca ruins that were used for agricultural experiments. Taking advantage of the micro-climates, the Incas studied how crops grew at different altitudes and adapted those crops for broader farming use.

After a picnic lunch at Moray, we’ll visit the salt ponds at Mara. Mineral rich and excellent for cooking, these ponds are owned by villagers and have been mined since Inca times. We’ll walk right out to the ponds, which are terraced on the side of a mountain.

We’ll come to the end of the road at Ollantaytambo, and explore the vast Inca ceremonial center built into the hill overlooking the town. Then we’ll hop on a train and ride about two and a half hours to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu. We will arrive just in time to check into our hotel and head out for a quick dinner. You’ll want to go to bed early tonight because tomorrow is a big day and it starts early!

Day 8: Revel in the Splendor of Machu Picchu

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Today is the day many have been waiting for. Built on a ridge and surrounded by sacred peaks, the improbable setting for the architectural masterpiece of Machu Picchu is just as awe-inspiring as the ruins themselves. Starting with a 5am wake-up, we’ll take an early shuttle to Machu Picchu, arriving at dawn. Machu Picchu was built in harmony with the sun and the moon, and watching the sun rise over the sacred site will be a memory you’ll savor for a lifetime. We’ll have several hours to tour the ruins. After the guided tour you can wander at your leisure, soaking up the atmosphere. Those who reserved in advance will head to Wayna Picchu (the iconic mountain situated just behind the ruins) at 10am for the short but very strenuous climb. The ascent takes a little over an hour and the feeling of satisfaction when you reach the peak, along with the bird’s eye view of Machu Picchu, will take your breath away.

We’ll return to Aguas Calientes in time to catch an afternoon train back to Cusco. Tonight we will celebrate the end of our incredible tour with a delicious farewell dinner of Novoandina cuisine.

Day 9: Peru Tour Ends

Meals: Breakfast

Alas, our tour ends today and it is time to fly to Lima and then home. You may choose to spend a few extra days in Cusco or to join us for a tour extension to Lake Titicaca.