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 Lima and Cusco, Peru - 7 nights
(Options: Day Foodie Tours, Market Visits, Custom Tours)
Available year round
Experience and learn how to cook the most important dishes of a culture that has more than 1000 years of legacy from mixing many techniques and ingredients from many parts of the world. Discover one of the New World’s Seven Wonders: Machu Picchu; and get there walking through the same path once used by the Incas. You will also horseback ride around Inca streets of Cusco and walk around the Colonial buildings of Lima; this will be mixed with a touch of adventure biking along the Sacred Valley of the Incas through their ancient paths and rafting their golden rivers. A millenary culture, majestic geography and friendly people are the framework of one of the trendiest cuisines in the world.
 Peruvian cuisine has recently been considered as one of the top 5 best in the world. Discover this hidden treasure with this program designed specially for you! Here you will discover the Inca culture mixed with the Spanish and many others that arrived to Peru in the last 500 years; the result is a unique blend of traditions that you will experience in food, activities and adventure in every corner. You are the best culinary judge in this tasty adventure. One client recently said she could not believe that Peru was home to such incredible flavors and tastes!
 The tour starts in Lima, where you will spend a morning visiting the main market in order to learn more about Peruvian daily culinary ingredients and experience a little bit of the Peruvian culture in its daily life. You will also learn how to make the world wide known Ceviche-the Peruvian fish delicacy. Later your exquisite itinerary includes an author’s fusion dinner at Rafael’s. The next day, you will learn the basics of Peruvian cooking with some of the greatest masters of the Peruvian cuisine in town. You will walk around Downtown Lima and discover all the little restaurants and corners that hide culinary histories. Four nights are spent in Cusco full of adventure stops. You will begin your journey horseback riding around Cusco Archaeological sites and the next day you will start your Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu. We don’t want to talk too much about this because there are not words to explain what you will experience in this trek. Finally, you will mountain bike or Raft the Urubamba River. Back in Lima you will take an untraditional culinary tour to the best Huariques or restaurants at closed doors.
SAMPLE ITINERARY Day One (Lima)  You will get to your hotel as soon as you arrive to Lima. What an adventure you are in for! Our tour leader will give you a short briefing of your magnifient trip. Depending on your arrival time, the rest of your day will be for you to relax and rest. (This is counted as a travel day if you arrive late at night.)
Day Two (Lima)  After a light breakfast, you will personally experience the richness of the Peruvian natural resources at a local market. You will discover a huge variety of conventional and exotic fruits, vegetables, and seafood. Then, you will have your first hands-on class on how to prepare the most popular Peruvian dish: El Ceviche. This class will give you the experience and all the knowledge needed to prepare the best Ceviche and all related dishes such as "tiradito" and all the seafood combinations.
You will end your day with an outstanding dinner at Rafael, one of the trendiest restaurants of the capital where you will have a first taste of Peruvian fusion food. In this dinner, we recommend closing your eyes and "experiencing" each bite and let Rafael’s Author’s cuisine take you into a personal culinary journey. You will ask yourselves questions and comments like: "How did he achieve this texture?" or "I did not know you can mix these ingredients together". A unique experience not to be missed. Day Three (Lima)  Another great breakfast to start your new culinary journey. You will experience your hands-on class: Basics of the Peruvian Cuisine. You will learn from our chef how to prepare the classic Peruvian dishes, which are popular in Peruvian homes and restaurants around the world. From selecting the ingredients to actually preparing the dishes, this class will teach you the best of the popular local fare and some other secrets. You will learn how to prepare a "Causa Limeña", "Lomo Saltado" and "Suspiro a la Limeña".
After lunch, you will take a guided Walking City Tour of Downtown Lima where you will have the opportunity to experience a little bit of the Peruvian life walking through colonial streets and houses. Our guide will show you all the hidden culinary treasures that each corner has for you. This evening you will have a free night at your leisure. Day Four (Lima to Cusco)  Today you will travel to Cusco, the City of the Incas. After making your check in at the hotel, you will have some time to get used to the altitude before your first excursion. You will begin your day enjoying unique horseback riding to the city of Cusco. This will be the perfect way to discover Sacsayhuaman and all the important sites such as Kenko, Pucapucara and Tambomachay. (*Please note: the horseback riding activity may be subsituted for another activity if you'd like - shopping, museum, biking, archaelogical site - please inquire).
This night dinner is on your own and we recommend to have a light dinner since you will be trekking the next day. Day Five (Cusco to Machu Picchu)  Very early in the morning, after your breakfast, you will take the train to 104Km, which is the beginning of your Inca Trail Expedition. You will be walking the same path the Incas once did in order to go through each village. At this point you will start a trek for about 4 hours up to the well preserved remains of Wiñaywayna (2900 mts. altitude). On the way, you will see beautiful waterfalls.
Here you will have lunch and free time for exploring the ruins with its houses, terraces and towers. Then we go on to Inti Punku, the Inca gate of the sun - we get our first sight of Machupicchu. We finally cross the ridge that leads to Machu Picchu, and the full grandeur of the greatest archaeological discovery of modern times will be revealed. Day Six (MACCHU PICHU - Sacred Valley) This sixth day will be unforgettable. You will walk through one of the new seven wonders of the modern world, the Lost City of the Incas, Machupicchu!. There are few words to describe this monumental experience; however our guide will provide special insights about Inca astrology, anthropology and musicology. You will have this evening to relax. In the afternoon you will take the train back to Ollanta and you will have the rest of the night to relax and rest after the trekking at the Sacred Valley. That night, you will taste the wonders of the Novoandina cuisine at the Casa Andina Private Collection Yanahuara. This cuisine mixes Andean ingredients with modern techniques to create new and inventive dishes. You will also receive a relaxing massage at the hotel to recover from the exhausting but unique Inca Trail trekking. Day Seven (SACRED VALLEY)  Since morning, you will be biking through the borders of the Urubamba golden River. You will also enjoy the archaeological sites surrounded by spectacular nature. At a certain point, you will raft through this Sacred River at the Ollantaytambo rapids that are surrounded by Inca Terraces and 800m high stonewalls. (Note: Rafting is not available in January or February)
Finally we will get back to Cusco and you will have the rest of the night free to enjoy the City of Cusco at your leisure. Day Eight (CUSCO - Lima)  The best way to end your culinary & adventure tour is with a “Culinary Adventure”! After arriving from Cusco, we will take you in what we call “the Huariques tour”. Huariques are small restaurants, “fondas” or cafes, simpler than a regular restaurants where food is delicious and less complicated, many of them are behind closed doors and only open to certain people. Here, we eat the best kept secrets of grandma or the father who came from afar to stay. This day is led by Walter Wust, famous Peruvian photojournalist who has written many books including “Huariques” book and will provide great insights in this adventure!
After your farewell experience, you will go to the airport where you will wait for your flight back home. But we are sure you will never forget all the tastes and art of the culinary adventure you have just experienced. GROUP SIZE A minimum of 1 participant is required to run this tour and the tour is limited to a maximum of 15 participants. (Please inquire for larger groups) (The number of participants refers to how many persons are required to run the tour, not to how many persons you must have in your party. Please inquire.) BOOKING INFORMATION
Double Room
Two Persons/US$3850
Four Persons/US$3375
More than Four Persons/US$3200
Single Supplement/US$450
*Pricing may vary depending on market fluctuation After availability is confirmed, a non-refundable deposit of 30% and the completed and submitted registration form will secure your reservation. Final payment is due no later than 75 days before your arrival date. Available year round. Departures every day. *The tour includes 7 nights/ 8 days including the day of travel
*Seven nights' accommodation in three different hotels (hotels are 3* hotels - please inquire about upgrades to 4* or 5* hotels)
*One (1) Hands-On class: Ceviche Festival
*Three (3) Culinary-related activities: Visit Market & Fruit Festival/Huariques Tour & lunch / Mission Ceviche & lunch
*One (1) Culinary Demonstrations: Basic of Peruvian Cuisine Class
*Five (5) Cultural/Adventure Tours: Walking City Tour in Lima/ Horseback riding to Sacsayhuaman & Archaeological sites in Cusco/ Inca Trail Express/ River Rafting or Mountain Biking/ Machupichu tour
*Six (6) dinners and lunches at the most trendy and important restaurants of Lima and Cusco: Author's Fusion Dinner/ Novandina Dinner /Typical Peruvian Lunch/Box lunch & Dinner at Inca trail/Lunch or Snack during bilking or rafting
*Massage therapy
*Vistadome train and domestic flight tickets (Lan Peru) on the Lima-Cusco-Lima flights
*All Tours are Escorted
*Transportation to all tours and events
*English Speaking guides in all tours
*Translator for all cooking classes when needed *Recipe book of all classes that include all menus, restaurant background, Chef Bios and information on ingredients, etc.
*Apron
*All entrance fees and tours
*All pre-departure materials, including documents and destination details
Airfare and personal expenses are not included. For further inquiries or to register, click here. Click here to return to top of page. CANCELLATION POLICY Please contact us for cancellation policy information. Travel insurance is highly recommended. CLIENT REMARKS "We felt like 'insiders' the whole week - from the restaurants and their treatment of us to the special access we received at every tourist location we visited. Every detail had been thought out and we never once were left wondering what was next. Jo-Ann and her team made our Retreat truly epic!". "Hope all is well. I saw the boys last night at one our meetings. We are still talking about what a great trip you and your team put together for us. Thank you for all the emails. I still own you my photos. Please say hi to Anna Maria. Best always." "Thanks again for a wonderful tour of your lovely country. Jeremy and I just returned to work this past Wednesday. On a sad note Jeremy’s Grandmother past away on the same day so he is in South Carolina. When he returns next week we will come up with a few ideas using Peruvian ingredients for you. We both also have some great pictures and will forward you ASAP. Once again thanks for sharing your cuisine and the very friendly and beautiful country of Peru. Warm Regards." "Hi, Peru Gourmands, since Peru, I have been in Detroit, Jackson, Mississippi and Santa Fe. I leave for New York on Tuesday. That is my excuse for not responding earlier. I only had 278 new emails when I returned from Peru, but that number has escalated to 388 unanswered ones at the moment. HELP! Wendy, I promise to do my survey over the Thanksgiving holidays, when you will hopefully be busy with your second wonderful Taste of Peru tour. Oh, what we would give to come back. But the magic of our group could not be repeated. Thank you for this once-in-a-lifetime gourmet journey we will always cherish! Please send mailing addresses so we can put everyone on our christmas card list. We'll send everyone a photo CD of our fabulous EATING experiences. Hugs to all." "... just a note to thank you and your staff for a truly 'magical' culinary education tour of Peru. It could not have been easy to arrange such a tour for a group of professional Chefs. Our group, Club Chefs of Westchester, did not quite know what to expect from Peruvian cuisine on arrival but I can testify that we were all blown away by the depth and quality of this wonderful food. Our guides and assistants were all friendly and efficient and our culinary instructors were generally first rate. Add to this the incomparable vistas of the Andes and you have a spectacular recipe for a magnificent tour. Thanks again." "I would like to thank you for a very special trip. I had an exceptional time and with every day that went by I was taken back by so many unexpected experiences. By far you have opened my eyes to a beautiful country, culture and exceptional cuisine. Coming from a culinary back ground I appreciated learning about the many flavors Peru has to offer. Looking back I have to say that you run a top notch company. Everything was planned out to perfection from the time we arrived to the moment we left. I have traveled to many places and I have never felt safer as I did in Peru, from great dinners in Lima to the market places outside of Cusco, and I will never forget climbing the hills of Machu Picchu. These will be great memories that I will take with me forever. I also wanted to ask you about importing goods. I am interested in trying to get Samples of Alpaca meat and a few other items that we had tried. If you can advise me in any way please do. Thank you." "...thanks so much for all you did to make such a wonderful and valuable Culinary experience for us all. We all truly appreciate it. Each day was a great surprise exceeding all expectations, and of course I loved the thoughtful presents! I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye in person, Jerry and I were both talking about that yesterday. We were all in such a rush to get to the airport on time and probably assumed we would see you there, again my apologies. I look forward to seeing you again soon as we start to put together the charity event. Thanks again for all that you did for us in making a most memorable trip." Click here to return to top of page. MAP* This exciting region is depicted below. You can also access Google MapsTM by clicking HERE. 
*In some cases mapping may give clients a general sense of location due to changes in venue. Please inquire about specific location. Click here to return to top of page. |
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Peruvian Cooking and Trekking Adventure
