Culinary

Taste the flavours of Peru

Discover Peru through its flavours, from local markets and age-old culinary traditions to exceptional restaurants, combined with the country’s cultural highlights.

14 days

Lima – Lake Titicaca – Cusco – Machu Picchu

Indicative price €4995,- p.p.*

Taste Peru from the coast to the high Andes, where ingredients, traditions and encounters reveal just as much about the country as its famous monuments.

A culinary journey through Peru

Discovering Peru also means tasting Peru. On this culinary journey through Peru, food provides a fascinating thread connecting some of the country’s most beautiful places. Browse local markets, cook in a family home, discover Arequipa’s distinctive cuisine and explore Andean ingredients and cooking traditions that are closely connected to the landscape and local communities.

At the same time, the country’s cultural highlights are very much part of the journey. Travel from Lima via Arequipa and Lake Titicaca to the Sacred Valley, visit Machu Picchu and explore Cusco. The journey ends back in Lima, where a reservation at Central provides a memorable culinary finale.

Local markets and cooking in a family home
Pachamanca and traditional ingredients from the Andes
From regional cuisine to dinner at Central

About the journey

Route

Lima – Arequipa – Puno – Sacred Valley – Machu Picchu – Cusco – Lima

Duration

14 days / 13 nights

Best time to travel

Possible year-round

Accommodation

Comfortable hotels in distinctive locations

Discover Peru with all your senses

Peruvian cuisine is about far more than what you taste along the way. It tells a story of landscapes, traditions and people. From fresh produce on the coast and Arequipa’s distinctive cuisine to ancient crops and cooking traditions in the Andes, every region has its own flavours and culinary heritage.

These culinary discoveries are woven naturally into the highlights of the journey. Explore Lima and Arequipa, sail across Lake Titicaca, travel across the Altiplano and discover the Sacred Valley. And, of course, Machu Picchu and Cusco are part of the experience too.

Finally, return to Lima, where a reservation at Central provides a fitting finale to a journey that allows you to discover Peru through all your senses.

Accommodation

Stay in carefully selected mid-range and upper-mid-range hotels offering a good level of comfort and convenient locations. From a room overlooking Lake Titicaca to a stay in the Sacred Valley, each hotel provides a comfortable base for the next stage of your journey.

From local traditions to modern gastronomy

From family kitchens to exceptional restaurants, Peruvian cuisine runs like a thread throughout the journey. Visit local markets, cook in a family home and taste traditional dishes and pachamanca in the Andes. Discover Arequipa’s regional cuisine before ending your journey in Lima with a reservation at Central.

Day 1-3 Day 4-5 Day 6-7 Day 8 Day 9-10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13-14 Further information

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Day 1-3 | Lima – history, markets and cooking together

Accommodation: Souma Hotel Lima by Vignette Collection – Premium City View

3 nights | Bed & breakfast

Day 1

On arrival in Lima, your private guide will take you to your hotel.

Day 2

The following morning, explore Lima’s historic centre. Around Plaza San Martín and Jirón de la Unión, you will see some of the city’s characteristic buildings and admire the Baroque façade of San Pedro Church.

Visit Casa de Aliaga, one of Lima’s most historic residences. The house has remained in the same family’s hands since 1535, and its elegant rooms offer a fascinating glimpse into life in Lima between the 16th and 18th centuries. Afterwards, it is time for a classic: a pisco sour in the historic bar of the Gran Hotel Bolívar. The afternoon is free to spend as you wish.

Day 3

Today, Lima’s cuisine takes centre stage. Early in the morning, visit Terminal Pesquero Villa María del Triunfo, one of the city’s largest fish markets. Continue to Mercado Mayorista Unicachi in Villa El Salvador, where you can discover the fresh produce that plays such an important role in the local cuisine.

Afterwards, chef Mabel Aliaga welcomes you into her home in Surco. Using fresh local ingredients, you will prepare an extensive meal together, including three starters, a main course and dessert.

Day 4–5 | Arequipa – flavours of the White City

Accommodation: Hampton by Hilton Arequipa – Standard

2 nights | Bed & breakfast

Day 4

Fly from Lima to Arequipa, where your private guide will meet you on arrival and take you to your hotel. In the evening, dine at Zig Zag, housed in a volcanic-stone building opposite Plaza San Francisco. Chef Michel Hediger combines Peruvian ingredients with culinary techniques from the Andes and the Alps.

Day 5

The following day, discover Arequipa on foot. The city owes its nickname, the ‘White City’, to the pale volcanic stone known as sillar that was used to construct many of its historic buildings. Visit the 16th-century Santa Catalina Monastery and La Compañía Church before continuing to the lively San Camilo Market. Its colourful stalls are filled with everything from fish and Andean tubers to local cheeses and the distinctive pan de tres puntas.

For lunch, visit El Tío Darío, where you will discover Arequipa’s traditional picantería cuisine. From the garden and dining room, enjoy views of Misti volcano. The remainder of the afternoon is free.

Day 6–7 | Lake Titicaca – life and traditions

Accommodation: Casa Andina Premium Puno – Superior Lake View

2 nights | Bed & breakfast

Vrouw op een drijvend Uros-eiland in het Titicacameer, Peru.

Day 6

Travel overland from Arequipa to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Spend two nights here in a room overlooking the lake.

Day 7

The following day, take to the waters of Lake Titicaca on a route that ventures beyond the usual excursions. First visit Taquile, renowned for its traditions and skilled weavers. Continue to one of the floating islands of Uros Titino, located farther from Puno than the islands visited on the standard routes.

Around lunchtime, arrive at the remote community of Luquina on the Chucuito Peninsula. Enjoy traditional Andean dishes while taking in views across the deep-blue waters of Lake Titicaca towards the snow-capped Cordillera Real. Afterwards, return to Puno by boat.

Day 8 | Across the Altiplano aboard the Titicaca Train

Accommodation: La Casona de Yucay – Standard

1st of 3 nights | Bed & breakfast

Day 8

Today brings one of the most memorable journeys of the trip. Board the Titicaca Train in Puno for the approximately 10.5-hour journey across the Peruvian Altiplano towards Cusco.

Along the way, vast landscapes of Andean mountains and high plains unfold, home to vicuñas and alpacas. Watch the scenery drift by from the observation carriage. A three-course lunch is served in one of the dining carriages, while traditional dancing and live music provide entertainment along the way. Drinks and afternoon tea are also included.

On arrival in Cusco, continue with your private guide to your hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Day 9–10 | Sacred Valley – flavours of the Andes

Accommodation: La Casona de Yucay – Standard

2 nights | Bed & breakfast

Verschillende inheemse aardappelrassen uit Peru.

Day 9

Your first day in the Sacred Valley begins at the salt pans of Maras, where salt has been harvested since Inca times. Continue to Moray, with its remarkable circular terraces, once used to adapt crops to different growing conditions.

For lunch, you are welcomed at Iskay. Tatiana and Jeremy receive you in their home on a hillside near Maras for a traditional pachamanca, in which different types of meat are cooked underground using hot stones. The menu follows the seasons and the harvest from their own garden and surrounding fields.

Day 10

The following day focuses on another important Andean ingredient. Peru is home to more than two thousand varieties of potato, and at Potato Park five communities work together to preserve this extraordinary diversity. Visit a community centre and taste traditional potato varieties.

Continue to the weaving community of Chahuaytire, where you will enjoy a traditional lunch. Finally, discover local medicinal plants and natural products in Sacaca.

Day 11 | Machu Picchu

Accommodation: Costa del Sol Wyndham Cusco – Colonial

1st of 2 nights | Bed & breakfast

Day 11

Travel from the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, where you and your guide board the Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes. Large panoramic windows offer wonderful views of the Sacred Valley landscape along the way.

On arrival, take the shuttle bus up to Machu Picchu. Together with your private guide, follow Route 2-A, the classic route through both the agricultural and urban sectors of the Inca citadel. Along the way, see the Inca quarry, the viewpoint near the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Rock, the qolqas, the Temple of the Condor and the Guardhouse.

After your visit, return by Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo before continuing overland to Cusco. Your larger luggage will be transported separately from the Sacred Valley to Cusco.

Day 12 | Cusco – chocolate from bean to bar

Accommodation: Costa del Sol Wyndham Cusco – Colonial

2nd of 2 nights | Bed & breakfast

Day 12

Today, explore Cusco on foot. Visit the Cathedral and Koricancha, the former Temple of the Sun, where the extraordinary precision of Inca stonework can still be admired. Walk along Hatunrumiyoc, home to the famous Twelve-Angled Stone, before continuing to San Blas, known for its workshops, galleries and artisans.

The culinary theme returns during a two-hour bean-to-bar workshop. Follow the entire process from cacao bean to chocolate and try your hand at roasting, grinding and tempering. Add a selection of toppings to create your own chocolate, which you can take home afterwards.

Day 13–14 | Lima – a culinary finale

Accommodation: Souma Hotel Lima by Vignette Collection – Premium City View

1 night | Bed & breakfast

Day 13

Fly from Cusco back to Lima, where you will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel.

For your final evening, a table has been reserved at Central. Chef Virgilio Martínez translates Peru’s different ecosystems into a gastronomic experience, from the Pacific coast and the Andes to the Amazon. The dishes take you through the country at different elevations, bringing together unusual native ingredients, culture and gastronomy. The meal itself is not included in the price of the journey.

Day 14

The following day, transfer from your hotel to the airport, bringing your journey through Peru’s landscapes, cultures and flavours to an end.

Further information

The price shown is per person and based on two people travelling together and sharing a double room.

The final cost of your journey will depend on factors including the travel period, number of travellers, availability, and your chosen level of accommodation and services. Changes in local rates, taxes and exchange rates may also affect the price.

As every journey with Aves Travels is tailor-made, you will always receive a personalised quotation based on your wishes and travel dates.

The price includes the accommodation, transfers, transport, guided excursions, entrance fees and meals described in the itinerary. Any domestic flights that form part of the journey are also included.

International flights to and from the destination are not included in the price.

As every journey is tailor-made, the exact inclusions may vary. Your personalised quotation will always provide a clear overview of what is included in the price and any costs that are not covered.

The culinary experiences and meals specified as included in the itinerary are covered by the price of the journey.

For your final evening in Lima, a table is reserved at Central. The meal at Central itself is not included. Your personalised quotation will always clearly indicate which meals and culinary experiences form part of your journey.

No. Gastronomy is the thread that runs throughout the journey, but this is also a complete journey through Peru. You visit Lima, Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco.

Peruvian cuisine is internationally renowned and forms an important part of the country’s culture. This makes gastronomy a particularly rewarding way to experience Peru throughout your journey. Visit local markets, cook in a family home, discover traditional Andean dishes and cooking methods, and experience both regional and contemporary Peruvian cuisine. In this way, you discover Peru not only through its landscapes and culture, but through its flavours too.

Yes. If you are vegetarian, have food allergies or have other dietary requirements, we will take these into account as far as possible when designing your journey.

When you enquire about this itinerary, please let us know about any dietary requirements or food allergies so that we can take them into consideration from the outset and discuss them in advance with our local partners, hotels and restaurants.