Thomson Family Adventures | All Inclusive Vacations

This family trek through Peru is an active cultural adventure like no other! Bring history to life as you travel the country and observe the remnants of ancient cities and fortifications.

Begin your journey in the cosmopolitan city of Lima. After your flight from home and a good night's sleep, you’ll head to Cuzco and transfer to Ollantaytambo. You’ll have a chance to take a walking tour of this Incan city’s archeological ruins before boarding a train to Aguas Calientes and the mysterious Machu Picchu. The train winds through mountains and the dramatic canyons of the Urubamba River Valley.

Spend a full day exploring the lost city of Machu Picchu, marveling at the ancient stonework and imagining what it must have looked like long ago, before it was abandoned for an unknown reason. Transfer from Aguas Calientes back to Ollantaytambo, where you will trek and camp amongst Inca foundations, terracing and cities, as well as the quarry that supplied the granite used in building it all. Meet some local indigenous women for a demonstration in the traditional art of Andean back-strap weaving. On the way back to Cuzco, stop en route at the Incan military complex of Sacsayhuaman – this complex was fashioned after the head of a puma and served as a representation of the Inca empire’s great power.

Explore Cuzco on foot, touring the temple of Koricancha, which once glittered with golden panels, as well as the lively Plaza de Armas and the artisan shops of the San Blas neighborhood. Eat a home-cooked Peruvian lunch made with ingredients your family helped select at the bustling San Pedro Market. This trip allows you and your family to experience the many sides of Peru’s rich culture.

If you have a few more vacation days to take advantage of while you’re in South America, go on our Ecuador extension. A family adventure that includes Machu Picchu AND the Galapagos Islands can’t be beat.

2013 Dates
Dates	7 or more travelers	2 to 6 travelers	Internal Air
06/29 - 07/07	$3,890	$3,890	$400
08/09 - 08/17	$3,890	$3,890	$400
	Space is Limited!
12/22 - 12/30	$3,890	$4,190	$400
12/26 - 01/03	$3,890	$4,190	$400

2014 Dates
Dates	7 or more travelers	2 to 6 travelers	Internal Air
03/08 - 03/16	$3,690	$3,990	$400
03/15 - 03/23	$3,690	$3,990	$400
04/19 - 04/27	$3,690	$3,990	$400
07/05 - 07/13	$3,690	$3,990	$400
12/23 - 12/31	$3,790	$4,090	$400

Child Discount:$200 per child under 12

Teen Discount: $100 per child 12 - 17

Triple Discount: $400 for children under 12 sharing with 2 adults

Alumni Discount: if you are a returning Thomson guest, please subtract $500 per family from these prices

Please note: you will be charged based on the number of travelers booked at the time of your reservation. We will adjust your price based on the number of travelers booked on the trip at approximately 90 days prior to departure.

Price includes: All entrance and park fees; accommodations based on two to a room, trail duffel, Thermarest sleeping pad, sleeping bag with sheet liner, all community camping gear; land transportation; private bi-lingual guide throughout & area specialists; all meals except 1 lunch, bottled water & snacks in the vehicle, treated water while camping, Comprehensive Travel Insurance.

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Extensions

This trip is great in combination with one of our Galapagos adventures. International air to/from Lima and Quito not included.

Day 1 – Depart U.S. / Arrive Lima

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, where your Peru Family Trek begins.

Day 2 – Sacred Valley

After flying into Cuzco, we will transport you to the Sacred Valley. Cuzco is the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, where temples and buildings once shimmered in gold. The Spanish may have stripped this city of its golden architectural trademark in the 16th century, but the ruins of the Sacred Valley are still in amazing condition, and teenagers can actually be rendered speechless when seeing the stonework for the first time.

Ollantaytambo transfer
Ollantaytambo walking tour
Train ride to Machu Picchu

Day 3 – Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was hidden so well in the Andes that it wasn’t rediscovered until 1911. As you look closely at how this “Lost City” was built, notice that the Incas used no mortar at all when putting together the large, heavy blocks of perfectly cut stone. That they are still standing is proof of the remarkable skill and engineering knowledge of this civilization.

Explore the ruins at Machu Picchu
Huayna Picchu hike option
Gate of the Sun hike option (less strenuous)

Days 4-6 – Trek to Ollantaytambo Camp

Nestled in the northwestern end of the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo boasts some of the most stunning scenery in the region. Here the mountainsides reveal an incredible series of Incan stone terraces—andenes—used for agriculture.

Ollantaytambo train ride
Patakancha and Andean weaving demonstration
Qachikata quarry trek
Quarry camp hiking and exploration
Qachikata return trek (follows different route for descent)
Stop at the Sacsayhuaman Ruins on the way back to Cuzco

Day 7 – Cuzco

A closer exploration of Cuzco reveals how well the Peruvians preserve, with pride, their cultures and traditions. During your walking tour of the city, stop and stand in the middle of the spacious and handsome Plaza de Armas – you’ll be at the historic heart of the entire region.

Koricancha
Lunch with a local family
Plaza de Armas and San Blas walk

Day 8 – Cuzco - Lima

Enjoy your last morning in Cuzco in leisure. This afternoon you'll fly back to Lima.

Lima flight and check-in
Lunch
Lima bike tour
Dinner on own

Day 9 – Depart Lima / Arrive U.S.

Ramada Costa del Sol

The Ramada Costa del Sol is conveniently located at the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima. The hotel features 130 clean, comfortable rooms, each with air-conditioning and internet access. Other highlights of the hotel include a spa, gym, business center and great restaurants.

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo

The Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, surrounded by twelve acres of beautiful cloud forest, is conveniently located just minutes from the train station. It features tile-roofed casitas (bungalows), a tea plantation, more than 100 species of birds and 250 species of butterflies. The hotel has eighty-five large, comfortable, air-conditioned rooms – many with a fireplace and a balcony or terrace. Other highlights include an outdoor pool, hot tub, spa, jogging track, business center and high-speed internet access.

Casa Andina Private Collection-Valle Sagrado

Casa Andina Private Collection-Valle Sagrado: a mountain chalet-styled retreat with panoramic Andes views from every room and every angle. On more than 8 landscaped acres (3 hectares), it breathes an air of tranquility and relaxation. Unique among Sacred Valley hotels – most of which remain isolated in the valley, offering little for guests to do – it contains an extraordinary, full-service “Sacred Spa”, a domed Planetarium & Observatory for stargazing in the massive Southern Hemisphere sky, and gourmet restaurant and bar.

Qachikata camping

Camp at 11,562 feet, next to the ancient Inca granite quarry of Qachikata. This quarry supplied the massive stones for the building of Ollantaytambo Sun Temple. The site overlooks a vast and rugged valley, providing views of all sorts of Inca ruins and remnants of their amazing stone work and engineering ingenuity.

Hotel Libertador

The Hotel Libertador, a historical site dating back several centuries, is surrounded by magnificent Inca and colonial buildings. It is conveniently located just minutes from Cuzco’s major attractions, like the main square and the Spanish Cathedral. The hotel features 240 elegant rooms, as well as a fitness center, sauna and Jacuzzi, business center, wireless internet, restaurants and a gift shop.

Casa Andina Private Collection, Miraflores

Casa Andina Private Collection is located two blocks from the Parque Kennedy, the social hub of the attractive Miraflores neighborhood next to the ocean in Lima. It is a 20 minute drive to the city’s historical center and 40 minutes from the airport. The hotel features 148 spacious rooms, each with internet access. Other highlights include a heated indoor pool, steam room, sauna, and spa, a solarium, a gourmet restaurant, shops, and business center.

Why Peru?

See Machu Picchu, new wonder of the world

The “lost city” of Machu Picchu was so remote and so well hidden that it wasn’t rediscovered until 1911, when Hiram Bingham stumbled onto the astonishing ruins hidden in the mists and perched on a rocky ridge in the sky. No longer “lost,” your family will discover first-hand why Machu Picchu was recently voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Rich history and culture

Five hundred years ago, Peru lay at the heart of a vast empire that stretched over 400,000 square miles from northwest Argentina to southern Colombia. A legendary kingdom, this Land of the Inca came to an end when conquering Spaniards swept across South America. Today, Peruvians preserve, with pride, their rich and diverse culture and traditions.

Explore the charms of colonial Cuzco

Founded in the 11th century and capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th century through the arrival of the Spanish in the mid 16th century, Cuzco is a delightful mix of Inca and Spanish architecture. Around the city you can still see the remains of Inca buildings and foundations – many of which have proven to be stronger than buildings constructed in the present day!

Inca Trails

The roads from the Inca Empire once stretched from present-day Quito, Ecuador in the north all the way down to Santiago, Chile in the south. The extensive network of roads and trails covered roughly 14,000 miles and crossed mountain passes over 16,000 feet. To top it off, the Inca did not use the wheel or horses until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, so these roads were used almost exclusively by people on foot and pack animals such as llamas. These roads – some of which were paved – wind through the stunning scenery and breathtaking landscapes of the Andes.

Sizable indigenous population

Throughout the history of the Americas, there have been thousands of distinct indigenous groups, tribes, and nations. Sadly, European colonizers decimated and, in some cases, eliminated the native populations of many areas and their beautiful cultures have been lost or almost lost in time. Peru, however, still has a substantial population of indigenous peoples with fascinating cultures to share and a lot to teach us. After Bolivia, Peru has the highest percentage of indigenous people of any country in South America. From the Quechua, to the Aymara, to the many different native groups in the Amazon, there is a refreshingly high diversity of languages and cultures within Peru.

Why Peru with Thomson?

Sacred Valley

Impressive ancient ruins, gentle mountain slopes and quaint farming towns make the Sacred Valley a perfect stop. Enjoy this first encounter with remarkable Inca ruins.

Machu Picchu

One of the “New 7 Wonders of the World,” Machu Picchu is revered as one of the most exquisite and enigmatic sites on the planet. The Inca turned this spot into a small (about five square miles) but extraordinary city that is invisible from below and completely self-contained. Your family will learn how these ancient citizens moved such enormous stone blocks to this remote, hard-to-reach location.

Cuzco

On your walking tour of the unforgettable city of Cuzco, you will see the Koricancha temple, built by the Inca to honor the Sun God. In the main square, the Spanish Cathedral with its shining alter made of solid silver and bell made of silver, gold and bronze, will delight the senses.

Local Culture

In Chinchero Village, you’ll try your hand at back strap weaving, an Andean craft that has been passed down through the generations of Quechuan women. Perhaps most enjoyable, you and your family will be the guests of a local couple in Ollantaytambo, who will treat you to an authentic Peruvian meal.