lima - sacred valley
OUR CULINARY VACATIONS
Highlights | Brief Itinerary | Full Itinerary | Cost Scheme
2009 Trip Dates:
Ago 26 - Sep 4
Sep 30 - Oct 9
2010 Trip Dates:
Jan 13 - 22
Feb 10 -19
Mar 10 - 19
May 26 - Jun 4
Jun 9 - 18
Sep 1 - 10
Oct 6 - 15
Nov 3 - 12
Nov 24 - Dec 3
Trip Length
10 days / 9 nights
Group Size
max. 8 people
Full Itinerary
DAY 1: Lima (D)
We will meet you at the airport (most international flights arrive in the late evening hours, about 11 p.m.) and transfer you to the Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores Hotel.
DAY 2: Lima (B, L, D)
Today, we explore criollo cooking, a coastal cuisine that draws on Peru's fresh seafood as well as the cultural influences of Spanish and African immigrants. Our first stops are at the nearby Mercado de Surquillo, the city's largest public market, and Supermercado Wong, a modern grocery. A professional chef will take us through both, teaching the fruits, vegetables, grains, and seafoods of Peruvian cooking. At lunchtime, we dine at the sleek La Mar Cebicheria, a restaurant of Peru's iconic chef Gaston Acurio, to try causa, stuffed mashed potatoes; grilled octopus; chupe de camarones, river prawns soup; and tacu tacu. The afternoon is yours to spend at your leisure, but we will regroup in the early evening to visit the Huaca Pucllana, one of the few remaining pre-Incan ruins in Lima, for a tour and elegant dinner. Overnight at the Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores Hotel.
DAY 3: Lima (B, L, D)
In the late 19th century, Chinese and Japanese migrant workers made their way to Peru. Today, we will taste the sashimis, salty sauces and stir-fries they've introduced into Peruvian cuisine. A visit to old and new Lima and the city's bustling Chinatown shows us the depth of Peru's Asian influence. En route back to Miraflores, we stop at Chez Wong to watch master chef Javier Wong, a veteran of the famous Madrid Fusion culinary festival, fillet fish for our lunch of ceviche and steaming stir-fries. After a siesta, we will meet again to walk through the bohemian neighborhood of Barranco, stopping at art galleries and undestanding Lima's creativity, before dinner at Costanera 700, the Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant of Nobu-trained chef Humberto Sato. Overnight at the Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores Hotel.
DAY 4: Lima (B, L, D)
Long before the Inca lived in Peru, multiple cultures populated the country's coasts and mountains. This morning, when we explore the private Larco Herrera Archeological Museum, we'll see the brilliantly crafted weavings and pottery of these cultures. At lunch, we try traditional jungle ingredients in San Isidro's trend-setting Malabar restaurant, and in the afternoon, Carlos Moreno of Kromos Produce, a Peruvian food export company, joins us to talk about Peru's native chiles and potatoes. At night in the intimate dining room of Gaston Acurio's most famous restaurant Astrid y Gaston, the day's medley of native ingredients and savvy cooking come together in an unbeatable meal of new Peruvian cuisine. Overnight at the Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores Hotel.
DAY 5: Lima / Sacred Valley (L)
We rise early to catch our flight to Cusco. A shuttle and guide meet us at the Cusco airport and take us through the lush Sacred Valley. We'll stop at the Exhibition Center of Textiles and South American Camels, Awana Kancha, and at the colorful Pisac market, before checking into the luxurious Aranwa Hotel & Spa. A light lunch at the hotel begins a leisurely afternoon of independent exploring. Overnight at Aranwa Hotel & Spa.
DAY 6: Sacred Valley (B, L, D)
After a varied breakfast at the hotel, we head to El Huacatay, the intimate restaurant of internationally trained chef Pio Vasquez, for our first interactive cooking class. Having studied in Peru and then worked in Spain and Germany, chef Vasquez brings various flavors and cooking techniques to his kitchen. Today, he will teach us how to make Peru's beloved potato dishes like shrimp causa and potatoes with huancaina sauce. In route to class, we will tour a local farm to collect ingredients. At the end of class, we sit together for a shared meal. Maras, ancient salt reserves, and Moray, the ruin of an Inca agricultural laboratory, await us in the afternoon, when we take a tour of the nearby landmarks. As the sun sets, we'll head to Casa Andina's Sacred Valley restaurant for a delicious dinner of Novoandino food. Overnight at Aranwa Hotel & Spa.
DAY 7: Machu Picchu (B, L)
We rise early today, eat a quick breakfast, and catch the first Machu Picchu-bound train. Cutting through steep mountain valleys, we see Peru's lush cloud forest, before arriving at the Lost City of the Incas. A guide will meet us at the ruins, where we will spend the morning exploring one of the world's most majestic archeological sites. For lunch, we have reservations at the nearby Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, where the acclaimed kitchen has prepared a special meal for us. After our break, guests might return to the ruins for some independent exploring. A late afternoon train brings us back to the Sacred Valley. Dinner is on your own. Overnight at Aranwa Hotel & Spa.
DAY 8: Sacred Valley (B, L, D)
Breakfast at the Aranwa Hotel energizes for a busy day. Our first stop is the diverse Urubamba market, where we will see the fruits, vegetables and grains particular to that region. Then we head back to El Huacatay, and begin our second class with chef Vasquez, an avid fisherman. Today, the chef will teach us his favorite recipes for trout, a fish widely available in the region. A siesta and relaxing afternoon prepare us for an evening class with chef Vasquez. For dinner, we will make some of Peru's most beloved dishes like solterito, fava bean, salad and stir-fried beef tenderloin, lomo saltado. Overnight at Aranwa Hotel & Spa.
DAY 9: Sacred Valley/Cusco (B, L, D)
After breakfast, we meet up with chef Vasquez for our last cooking class. Drawing on his international experience, he teaches us Novoandino dishes, which blend classic Peruvian ingredients and international cooking trends. At lunch, we will try the innovative dishes we made during class. A shuttle then picks us up and takes us back to Cusco, where we will check into the impressive Monasterio Hotel. Spend the afternoon exploring Cusco, before regrouping at the stylish Cicciolina restaurant for our farewell dinner.
DAY 10: Cusco/Lima (B)
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the colonial dining room of the Monasterio and spend the morning wandering Cusco. We will take an early afternoon flight back to Lima, which will allow for easy connections to evening international flights.
OPTIONAL:
*To upgrade your hotel option to the waterfront Miraflores Park Hotel in Lima, owned and operated by the famed Orient Express group, please contact Pica Peru staff.
*If you are interested in connecting your Lima-Sacred Valley & Cusco culinary vacation with a trip to another Peru destination, Pica Peru can help arrange your trip details. Please be in touch with one of our staff members to coordinate.
With advance notice, Pica Peru can coordinate customized Peruvian culinary vacations.
