Delve into the world of the Incas beginning in Cusco, once the capital of the ancient Inca Empire. You will behold technologically advanced Inca stonework from the 15th century in the Sacsayhuaman fortress and view an extraordinary mortar-less masonry wall from a sumptuous Inca temple. A trip to the Andean highlands will reveal the lifestyle of the indigenous Peruvians that still speak the language of the Incas. A thorough exploration of Machu Picchu, perhaps the most famous and mysterious of all Inca sites, will present even more eye-opening details.
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. 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 guests traveling with a wheelchair or with walking difficulties due to the amount of walking, steps and uneven ground.
DAY 1
Following disembarkation from the ship, you will transfer to the Guayaquil airport for the flight to Cusco with a connecting flight in Lima. A boxed lunch will be provided.
Upon arrival, you will transfer to the JW Marriott Hotel in Cusco or a similar hotel in Cusco for dinner and to overnight. All of the rooms at the JW Marriott have an oxygen-enriched system to help you acclimate to the altitude. This upgrade service has been included in this package.
DAY 2
After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit a rural Andean highland community known as the Village of Beautiful Flowers to meet the Quechua-speaking farmers and weavers and learn about their traditions and lifestyle.
You will visit some of their kitchens and see how they prepare food on wood-fired mud-brick stoves. The villagers will also demonstrate textile techniques and designs that are essential to their culture. While sharing their knowledge, they will reveal the symbolic meanings encoded into their cloth and styles of dress.
You will also learn about the heart of the Andean agricultural cycle – as vital today as it was in time of the ancient Incas – as your hosts show you how they hand-turn the soil on the mountainsides. They will also invite you to join them in blessing their earth, animals and the new-plowed land.
Following this celebration of profound Andean traditions inherited from the Inca past, you will return to Cusco for a tour, starting with Sacsayhuaman fortress. Strategically located on a hill overlooking the city, the fortress was constructed without mortar like many other Inca structures. Yet the enormous stones, weighing as much as 200 tons, 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 lunch, you will see 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 looted from the nearby Sacsayhuaman fortress.
You will next visit the sacred site of Koricancha, a 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 considered to be one of the greatest existing examples of Inca stonework.
After transferring to the hotel, the rest of the afternoon will be at your leisure until dinner at the hotel.
DAY 3
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will transfer to the train station and board the train for Aguas Calientes. The train features large panoramic windows for excellent viewing of the passing landscape. Brunch will be served on board.
Upon arriving in Aguas Calientes, you will drive to the ruins of Machu Picchu to explore this 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 Spanish conquistadors never found this hidden city, it was largely intact when explorer Hiram Bingham discovered it 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 transfer to Aguas Calientes, board the train and travel to Ollantaytambo. Upon arriving there, you will transfer to your hotel in Cusco for dinner and to spend another evening.
DAY 4
After breakfast at the hotel, you will transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima.
Upon arriving at the Lima airport, you will transfer to the port in Callao and board the cruise ship.
Land Program 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. Final itineraries with the most up-to-date details will be provided by the Destination Services Team once you board the ship. Please review your final itinerary carefully for any amendments.
DAY 1 - timings are subject to actual flight times
9:30am Meet at the pier (We suggest flying with a carry-on only)
9:30am Transfer to the Guayaquil airport
10:15am Check in for your flight at the airport. Box lunch provided
12:45pm Fly to Lima (flight details TBA and subject to change)
2:40pm Arrive in Lima and connection time
4:45pm Fly to Cusco (flight details TBA and subject to change)
6:05pm Arrive in Cusco
6:30pm Transfer to the hotel
7:00pm Check in at the hotel
7:30pm Dinner at the hotel
Overnight at the JW Marriott or similar hotel in Cusco
DAY 2
7:00am Wake-up call
7:30am Buffet breakfast at hotel (not private)
8:00am Transfer to the Andean community
9:15am Visit the Andean community
11:15am Transfer to Sacsayhuaman fortress
12:30pm Visit Sacsayhuaman fortress
1:15pm Transfer to a restaurant
1:30pm Lunch at the restaurant
2:45pm Arrive at main square for photos and visit Cusco Cathedral
3:45pm Transfer to Koricancha
4:00pm Visit Koricancha
4:45pm Return to your hotel
Evening at leisure
7:00pm Dinner at the hotel
Overnight at the JW Marriott or similar hotel in Cusco
DAY 3
7:00am Wake-up call
8:00am Buffet breakfast at hotel (not private)
9:00am Drive to the train station to board train to Aquas Calientes
11:30am Board first-class train with brunch onboard (subject to change)
1:05pm Walk to bus station
1:10pm Bus drive to Machu Picchu Citadel
1:40pm Guided visit of the Citadel
4:20pm Bus drive back to Aguas Calientes
4:50pm Walk to train station
5:23pm Board Vistadome Train (subject to change)
7:02pm Drive back to your hotel
9:02pm Arrival at the hotel
9:10pm Dinner at the hotel
Overnight at JW Marriott or similar hotel in Cusco
DAY 4 - timings are subject to actual flight times
7:00am Wake-up call
7:45am Buffet breakfast at the hotel (not private)
8:45am Drive to Cusco airport
9:15am Arrive at the airport and check-in
11:00am Fly to Lima (flight details TBA and subject to change)
12:30pm Arrive in Lima
1:00pm Transfer to the port in Callao
1:45pm Approximate arrival to the port to re-embark the ship
Expected Weather
The average temperature in the highlands is 65ºF (18°C) maximum /43ºF (6°C) minimum, while in Lima it is 80ºF (26°C) maximum/68ºF (20°C) minimum.
What to Bring
• Comfortable, casual clothing in natural breathable fabrics. Temperatures will change as altitudes and the time of day change, so it’s best to bring shorts as well as long trousers and clothing that can be layered. Cathedrals, churches, and other 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 common in highland regions.
• A lightweight preferably non-plastic raincoat or poncho and an umbrella.
• Comfortable walking shoes with low or no heels. Sandals may not be comfortable for some sightseeing.
• Sunglasses with a strap, sunscreen, a sunhat and insect repellent.
• Walking sticks are prohibited in Machu Picchu unless they are needed by guests with mobility problems.
Local Currency
Peru’s currency is the Nuevo Sol (S/.). The exchange rate with the U.S. Dollar varies although the current approximate exchange rate is S/. 3.40 per 1 US dollar. Almost all stores accept U.S. Dollars.
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 and adaptors however we recommend bringing your own universal travel adaptor.
Luggage
For domestic flights in Peru, it is permitted to check one piece of 23Kg (50 pounds) per person and 1 carry-on of 10Kg (22 pounds) per person. Excess luggage will be subject to fees imposed by the airline and will be the responsibility of each guest, payable to the airline when checking in for your flights.
Documents and Visa Requirements
Foreign passengers entering Peru must have a passport valid at least 6 months past the day of arrival and should have sufficient blank pages for visas and immigration stamps. Guests must bring their passports with them.
Passport details will be required to be provided to the cruise line approximately 100 days before departure so that tickets can be purchased for entry to Machu Picchu. Please contact OCI Reservations to ensure we have your most up to date passport details.
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 will result in denial of travel and guests will have to pay for any expenses incurred in order to not proceed with the program.
Hotels
JW Marriott Hotel
Esquina De La, Ruinas 432, 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 guests will be notified in advance. If guests are not notified of changes before departure, then the hotels listed in this program will be used.
Program Includes for guests:
• English-speaking licensed guides
• 3 nights in a deluxe room with an oxygen system at the JW Marriott Hotel in Cusco on a bed and breakfast basis
• Entrance fee to Cusco Cathedral, Koricancha, Andean Community, Sacsayhuaman, and Machu Picchu
• First-class train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu (subject to change)
• Vistadome train from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo (subject to change)
• 1 lunch at a restaurant (2 glasses of local wine or beer and water or soft drink and a hot beverage)
• 1 lunch on board the train with local wine or beer, soft drinks, and hot beverages)
• 1 box lunch at the airport in Guayaquil (water or soft drink)
• 3 dinners at the hotel (2 glasses of local wine or beer and water or soft drink and hot beverages)
• 2 x 500 ml bottle of water per person per day
• Gratuities for luggage porterage and restaurants
• Airport transfers
• Economy-class flights per the itinerary. Direct flights are not guaranteed.
Program Excludes for guests:
• Drinks and meals not mentioned above
• Personal expenses and hotel incidentals such as laundry, phone calls, 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 on occasion. 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. Mid-cruise overland 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.
