|
Machu Picchu, Peru All-Lesbian Tour 2022
September 15 – 24, 2022
Lima, Urubama, Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, Cusco
Join us for an incredible all-lesbian journey to Machu Picchu. Join the women of Olivia as we discover the magical wonder of one of the seven wonders of the world. We know you will love our top-rated accommodations, the luxury train ride, and the many extras, including a tour of Awanacancha, a visit to Pisac market, a private tour of Ollantaytambo, and a Peruvian horse show. This is a Peruvian adventure like no other!
You’ll experience the “best of the best” of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Join the women of Olivia as we explore some of the world’s most beautiful and sacred spots together. Whether you spend the day learning about archeological treasures, taking photographs of the spectacular scenery, hiking with new friends, or relaxing and meditating, this is a trip you will remember forever.
Tucked away in the Andes Mountain range, above the Sacred Valley and just northwest of Cusco, stands Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, believed to have been a royal estate or sacred religious site for Inca leaders, whose civilization was virtually wiped out by the Spanish invaders in the 16th century.
Day 1 - Thursday, September 15, 2022
 Fly from your hometown to Lima, Peru. After going through customs, you will be met in the Arrivals Hall and transferred to the Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel. You may arrive today or Saturday morning depending on your flight in from your hometown. Please note that check-in is not until 3 pm.
As many flights coming from the U.S. or Canada arrive into Lima either very late in the evening or very early in the morning, we have secured this night so that you may arrive late on September 15 or in the early hours on September 16 and rest.
Hotel: Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel , Lima, 5*
Day 2 - Friday, September 16, 2022
 Today will be a day to rest and enjoy Lima independently. You may enjoy the beautiful spa at the Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel, book a tour through the concierge or explore on your own.
This evening, you will go by coach to the city center for dinner at Casa de Aliaga, the oldest colonial mansion in Lima. The house has been owned and lived in by the Aliaga family and their descendants since Francisco Pizarro granted the land to Jeronimo de Aliaga in 1535. Some say the house is as old as Lima itself! You’ll be met with a welcome cocktail and hors d’oeuvres to enjoy as you get a tour of the house before sitting for a three course dinner.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Hotel: Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel, Lima, 5*
Day 3 - Saturday, September 17, 2022
 After breakfast at the hotel, you will transfer to the Lima airport for your flight to Cusco. When you arrive in Cusco, your tour representatives will assist you with your luggage, tour and transfer to the Tambo del Inka Luxury Collection Hotel in Urubamba.
On the way to Urubamba Valley, you will have a chance to visit Awanakancha, where South American Camelidae are bred. Learn about the superb wool fiber of llamas, alpacas and vicunas as well as ancient weaving techniques that are still used. This is a great shopping opportunity for rugs and weavings that directly benefit the people who make the products (cash is preferred but they do accept Visa and M/C).
Next you will visit the colorful Pisac Market where you can barter (bartering is part of the culture) with the merchants for purchases. Pisac was built in the shape of a partridge and is famous for the market which has many locally made handicrafts, textiles, carvings and replicas of ancient Inca pieces.
After enjoying Pisac and the market, you will go to the Hacienda Sarapapma, for a three-course lunch. Located in the Sacred Valley, Hacienda Sarapampa is a vivid example of the historic culture of corn farming from ancient Peru to present day.
You will then be taken to the Tambo del Inka Resort & Spa for check-in and, later, dinner at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Tambo del Inka Luxury Collection Resort & Spa , Urubamba, 5*
Day 4 - Sunday, September 18, 2022
 After breakfast you will drive to Moray, the Incan Ruins that sit almost 2,000 feet above Urubamba and the Sacred Valley, just outside of the town of Maras. Experts speculate that these ruins were an Incan agricultural experiment station used to cultivate resistant and hearty varieties of plants high in the Andes. The mysterious concentric terraces that remain serve as an agricultural research center for modern scholars.
Your next stop will be Huaypo Lagoon. Considered one of the most beautiful lagoons of the Sacred Valley, its waters feed communities and nearby cultivation fields, and its surrounding areas offer a host of activities such as horseback riding, mountain biking, kayaking and picnicking. Huaypo is also at the beginning of a beautiful route that leads to the pampas (plateaus) of Anta, Izcuchaca and Cusco. Here, you will enjoy a luxurious family-style picnic on the shores of this stunning lake while taking in impressive views of mountain peaks and the natural flora and fauna of the Sacred Valley.
 Your next stop will be Huaypo Lagoon. Considered one of the most beautiful lagoons of the Sacred Valley, its waters feed communities and nearby cultivation fields, and its surrounding areas offer a host of activities such as horseback riding, mountain biking, kayaking and picnicking. Huaypo is also at the beginning of a beautiful route that leads to the pampas (plateaus) of Anta, Izcuchaca and Cusco. Here, you will enjoy a luxurious family-style picnic on the shores of this stunning lake while taking in impressive views of mountain peaks and the natural flora and fauna of the Sacred Valley.
After lunch, you will drive to the town of Maras, where you will visit a local house and learn how to make and taste quinoa soup, a staple meal of the Quechua culture in Peru. In addition, we will visit the Salinas de Maras, the Salt Pans of Maras. Said to have been created by the Incas, these 3,000 pools provide the locals with salt and visitors with stunning views. These evaporation pools are fed by a small local stream and are still harvested by a community of local farmers who bag up the salt and sell it in the local markets. You will then return back to the hotel for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Tambo del Inka Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Urubamba, 5*
Day 5 - Monday, September 19, 2022
 After breakfast, you will start the day with a visit to the fortress and Citadel of Ollantaytambo. The Fortress was built to protect the entrance of this part of the valley from the possible invasions of tribes from the jungle lowlands. Ollantaytambo was later the scene of Incan resistance in 1537, when Manco Inca’s forces raided Hernando Pizarro’s troops.
Next you will walk from the Citadel of Ollantaytambo to the Ollanta station to board the Orient Express luxury train “Hiram Bingham.” The journey will take about two and a half hours. You will be able to enjoy the spectacular scenery of the changing landscape as you travel from the Andean highlands to the beginnings of the jungle (“eyebrow of the jungle”). A delicious brunch will be served on board the train on the way to Aguas Calientes.
You will arrive at the Lost Citadel of the Incas at approximately 1 pm. The local bus will take you to the citadel of Machu Picchu, or lost city of the Incas. You will have a guided tour of the citadel and walk through the different areas of the city; the agriculture and urban zone, featuring temples and dwellings; and the Intihuatana, or sun dial, finely carved out of stone. Many of those who place their hands a few inches above the sun dial stone claim to feel a palpable energy course through their bodies. After exploring, you’ll enjoy an afternoon tea at the Sanctuary Hotel before returning to town.
Check into your hotel room at the Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel, and enjoy a delicious dinner before retiring for the evening.
OPTIONAL TOUR:
After breakfast you will be picked up from the hotel and transferred to the Ollanta station to board the Vistadome train for kilometer 104, where you will begin your one-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu.
After a brief tour of Chachabamba you will continue up a cloud forested trail, rich in vegetation, towards the magnificent archaeological site of Winay Wayna, the point at which the Short Trail joins the Classic Trail. Winay Wayna is a good 3–4 hour hike from Chachabamba, and climbs 300 vertical meters / 984 vertical feet in approximately 5 miles. This is an alternate option to the main program. Please inquire with your Travel Consultant for the price and physical requirements.
Meals: Breakfast, Brunch & Dinner
Hotel: Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel, Machu Picchu, 5*
Day 6 - Tuesday, September 20, 2022
 This morning is an excellent opportunity to wake up early and enjoy the beautiful sunrise at Machu Picchu. Before the crowds arrive, enjoy some quiet, reflective time at Machu Picchu. The guide will be with you at Machu Picchu to impart more information about this ancient Citadel. The more adventurous ones may choose to climb up the Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, or others may want to climb up to the Sun Gate, where the Inca trail first descends into the Citadel.
Please note that while participation is not obligatory, the entrance fees to climb Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain are included in your package and the day and time will be assigned closer to the program start date.
You can choose to remain at the site until the final buses go back to Aguas Calientes so that you may enjoy the sunset. Or you may decide to rest at the hotel or shop in town.
Lunch is served at the Sanctuary Lodge, just outside the Citadel gates, and dinner will be served at Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel. Overnight is in Aguas Calientes at the Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel, Machu Picchu, 5*
Day 7 - Wednesday, September 21, 2022
 Enjoy breakfast and lunch at the hotel and dinner on the train.
In the morning, the day is free to explore Machu Picchu on your own, or stroll around the town of Aguas Calientes and shop, visit its Hot Springs Thermal waters or get a hot stone massage.
Again the early morning will be without tourists, so you will really have a great opportunity to experience the spirituality of this ancient place. Spend the day as you wish. This is also a great opportunity to start the morning off with a meditation on the hillside or a morning hike to Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain or Sun Gate. As the sun goes down, you will return to the train station for our departure to Cusco. You will have a short time for shopping with local vendors before boarding the train.
On board, you will be served a cocktail and entertained by local musicians. You will then join the main dining car, where you will enjoy a fourcourse gourmet dinner.
Greeting you at the Poroy train station in Cusco will be your tour guides, who will assist you to the JW Marriott Cusco Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Hotel: JW Marriott El Convento Cusco Hotel , Cusco, 5*
Day 8 - Thursday, September 22, 2022
 After breakfast at the hotel you will travel to Sacsayhuaman, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the emblematic buildings of the Inca Empire built by the Inca Pachacutec in the 15th Century. It is a vast fortress built from huge stones; how they were transported and assembled is still a mystery. It has been calculated by experts that what can be seen today is only twenty percent of the original structure, because when the Spanish arrived they used its stones for new buildings such as the Cathedral.
Next you will travel back into the heart of Cusco, Plaza de Armas, to the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin, also known as Cusco Cathedral, the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cusco. Construction started in 1560 and completed in 1654.
Your last stop in Cusco, before lunch, will be the Coricancha, also known as the “Temple of the Sun” (QuriKancha “golden temple”), built on the command of Inca Pachacútec (1438 - 1572). When the Spanish arrived, it was used as the base for the convent of Santo Domingo. During the Inca Empire the temple was dedicated to worshipping the sun (“Inti”) and was at times filled with gold.
You will then enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before having the rest of the afternoon and evening free to explore Cusco on your own.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Hotel: JW Marriott El Convento Cusco Hotel, Cusco, 5*
Day 9 - Friday, September 23, 2022
This morning you will be transferred to the Cusco Airport for your flight to Lima. You will be assisted in Lima from the domestic terminal to our hotel for the evening, the Wyndham Costa del Sol, located right at the airport.
You are free to leave either today after 9 pm or anytime on September 24.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Wyndham Costa del Sol Hotel Lima Airport , Lima, 5*
Day 10 - Saturday, September 24, 2022
For those that opt to fly out today, checkout is at 12 pm. The hotel is located directly across the street from the Lima International Airport.
Meals: Breakfast
|
Wellness facilities include several massage treatments. Guests can enjoy the sun at the terrace by the heated pool, or work out in Belmond Miraflores Park's gym. City excursions can be arranged through the tour desk.
Hawa restaurant serves delicious new Andean cuisine made with organic, homegrown ingredients. Kiri bar and terrace serves light snacks and cocktails, and guests can enjoy a daily breakfast buffet.
Peruvian Gastronomy is served at the à la carte Qunuq Restaurant. In addition, guests can have their drinks at the Suquy Cafe & Bar.
Rooms at JW Marriott El Convento Cusco are elegantly styled with parquet floors, upholstered chairs and dark wood fittings. They have cable TV, minibars and private bathrooms with showers.
Guests can keep fit at the gym or relax at the spa. Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport also offers a business centre.
