Great trip - returned today. Everything went off without a hitch.
Arrived in Lima after 9:00 PM and stayed at airport hotel. Flew to Cusco at 9 am next morning. The guide is based in Cusco so they picked us up and we made a 10 minute stop at the offices, stocked up on bottles of water, got all our hotel vouchers and train tix and were on our way. We had a driver and a guide who took us down to Sacred Valley for two nights (we stayed in Urubama - Amaru Valle Hotel) . Both days included lunch at 3 Kenos in Urubama.
Next we took a 7:20 am train to Macchu Pichu and spent the day there. Overnighted at the Inka Terra in Aguas Calientes. Hotel was fabulous but still I think we spent too much time in Aguas Caaliente. Next we spent two nights in Cusco (Munay Wasi). One morning our guide met up with us and took us around.
Lima was better than expected. We enjoyed hanging out in Milasflores - wandered along the cliffs where there are restaurants and shops and you can watch the surfers way down below. Final day in Lima the company had arranged an boat to take us out to Palomino Island where tons of sea lions live and then we passed an island with Humboldt penguins. It was a fun 3.5 hour ride - just us and a guide and father son who owned the boat AND I swam with sea lions! Kind of smelly but I am glad I did it.
The poverty was very eye opening. The people were all super super nice. The company did a fantastic job - all our flights, train tix, and any admissions we needed were taken care of and at each stop we were met with a car. In AC - we were met by a the Inka Terra and told our MP guide was waiting for us up there - and when we got off the bus there he was and he was really great too. I really can't recommend Cultural Immersion enough.
