This morning s flight takes returns us to Lima and a tour of the city s colonial center. We will enter the National Cathedral to view Francisco Pizarro s bones, and explore the catacombs of San Francisco Church . We will visit the private collections of the Rafael Larco Herrera Museum to view its vast ceramics exhibit, and the incredibly rich Gold Museum . Dinner will be in a charming local restaurant. Overnight Hotel Antigua.
Dinner is free to enjoy one of Lima s many fine restaurants.
Upon arrival drive to Chinchero where village houses are built on the foundations of Inka buildings. Spend time bartering for crafts in the outdoor market held within the plaza before enjoying a private weaving demonstration and a special lunch of local cuisine. After exploring the town, continue to the village of Yucay and overnight at the beautiful Posada del Inca, a restored hacienda encircled by lush gardens. At dawn, we board our train for a ride through the Urubamba River Valley to Machu Picchu, fabled lost city of the Inca. This beautiful mountain-top city might have been constructed as a royal palace complex for the emperor Pachacuti and his family in the early 15 th century, and appears to have been an important spiritual and ceremonial location.