Taste
THE
Peru
Culinary Adventure
From Lima to the Amazon, a journey for the palate as much as for the eyes.
An 11-day/10-night journey to discover Peru through its markets, chefs, and terroirs: gourmet Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco… followed by a 3-night cruise on the Amazon, departing from Iquitos. Cooking workshops, family haciendas, a passionate potato agronomist, colorful markets, and Amazonian experiences: Qhanati coordinates each step with its local teams for a trip where gastronomy tells the story of the country.
Key information
Approximate duration: 11 days / 10 nights
Stages: Lima · Cusco · Sacred Valley · Machu Picchu · Cusco · Amazon (Iquitos & cruise)
Travel style: Culture & gastronomy, high-end comfort
Ideal for: foodies, culinary enthusiasts, couples or friends wanting to combine good hotels, iconic sites and culinary experiences
Season: possible all year round (different periods in the Amazon, but the program can be adapted)
Who is this trip for?
For those who want to understand Peru through its cuisine: markets, products, know-how, chefs and families.
For travellers who like to alternate between cultural visits and fine dining, without a “100% food” itinerary.
For gourmets who dream of Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco + the Amazon in one coherent trip.
For those who appreciate a high level of comfort (good hotels, Amazon cruise, private transfers) with seamless logistics.
Highlights of the trip
Lima with a chef from Limeña
Visit a local market with a Peruvian cuisine specialist, discovering emblematic products (fruits, chilies, corn, potatoes, fish, etc.). Then a cooking workshop and lunch in her apartment in Barranco, with a Pisco sour to whet the appetite.
Historic & Modern Lima
City tour: Plaza de Armas, Government Palace, Cathedral, San Francisco Convent and its catacombs, then Casa de Aliaga, one of the oldest private residences in the Americas. The tour concludes in the residential neighborhoods of San Isidro and Miraflores, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Sacred Valley: Pisac & colonial hacienda
Discover Pisac and its crafts, then have lunch in a family hacienda where they talk about cooking, passing on traditions and local produce.
Urubamba & Pachamanca Market
Visit to the Urubamba market to see the diversity of Andean products, then immersion in the village of Lamay: daily life, raising of cuys (guinea pigs), traditional “chichería”… and a big lunch in Pachamanca (meats and vegetables cooked in an underground stone oven).
Machu Picchu & local cuisine
Day dedicated to visiting Machu Picchu with a guide, then lunch in a local restaurant before heading to Cusco.
Moray, Maras & exceptional potato field
Visit to Moray (Inca agricultural laboratory), the Maras salt mines, then meeting with Manuel Choqque, passionate agronomist, to discover his potato varieties and his research around the flavors and colors of this key product.
Cusco, between market and artisans' quarter
City tour including Sacsayhuamán, the vibrant San Pedro market, the bohemian San Blas neighborhood, Koricancha, and the Plaza de Armas. Lunch at a good Cusco restaurant to experience another side of local cuisine.
Amazon Cruise (3 nights)
Flight to Iquitos then boarding a high-end expedition boat: navigation on the Amazon and its tributaries, refined Amazonian cuisine on board, outings in small boats to the forest and lakes, observation of the fauna (birds, dolphins, sloths, piranhas, etc.).
Yanallpa, Dorado & Yarapa / Clavero
Canoe trips on blackwater tributaries, forest walks, twilight excursions to observe nocturnal life. Visits to stilt villages, the possibility of swimming in an Amazonian lake and encounters with local communities.
Iquitos & Manatee Rescue Center
Before returning, a visit to an Amazonian manatee rescue center to understand the work of protecting and reintroducing these animals into their habitat.
Route overview
Day 1 – Arrival in Lima
Airport pick-up and private transfer to your hotel. Evening at leisure.
Day 2 – Lima's culinary delights & city tour
Morning at the market with a local chef + cooking workshop & lunch in her apartment in Barranco.
In the afternoon, visit colonial Lima (Plaza de Armas, cathedral, San Francisco convent, Casa de Aliaga) then tour of modern districts and view of the Pacific.
Day 3 – Lima → Cusco → Sacred Valley
Flight to Cusco, welcome and departure for the Sacred Valley: visit to Pisac and its crafts, lunch in a colonial hacienda, arrival and night in the Sacred Valley.
Day 4 – Sacred Valley: Urubamba & Lamay Market
Visit to the Urubamba market, walk through the village of Lamay (village, church, guinea pig farm, chichería) and lunch in Pachamanca. Return and overnight stay in the Sacred Valley.
Day 5 – Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu → Cusco
Train to Machu Picchu, full guided tour of the site, lunch in a local restaurant, then return by train to Ollantaytambo and drive to Cusco.
Day 6 – Cusco: Moray, Maras & potatoes
Day trip: Moray, Maras salt mines, then a visit to Manuel Choqque's potato fields with tasting and discussions about his research. Return to Cusco.
Day 7 – Cusco: market & city tour
Visit to Sacsayhuamán, San Pedro market, San Blas district, Koricancha and Plaza de Armas. Lunch in a good restaurant in Cusco.
Day 8 – Cusco → Iquitos → Amazon River boarding
Flight to Iquitos. Lunch en route (depending on schedule), then boarding a luxury expedition boat on the Amazon. Settle into your cabin and enjoy your first tasting dinner on board.
Day 9 – Amazon: Rivers & Lakes
Canoe trips on a tributary (Yarapa / others), piranha fishing, bird and sloth watching, visit to a lakeside village and opportunity to swim in a lake. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 10 – Amazon: Forest & Nightlife
Excursions on the Yanallpa and Dorado rivers, forest walks, and sunset cruises to observe nocturnal wildlife. Meals and overnight stay on board.
Day 11 – Amazon → Iquitos → Lima → departure
Visit to a local market in Iquitos, followed by a visit to the manatee rescue center. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima and connection with your international flight.
– End of the journey –
Included / Not Included
Included in this standard program
Travel coordination with Qhanati (based in Switzerland).
All private transfers between airports, hotels, train stations and piers.
Accommodation in Lima, in the Sacred Valley, in Cusco and in a cabin on an Amazon expedition boat (3 nights), in the high-end category.
The experiences mentioned: cooking workshop in Lima, market visits, Pisac, colonial hacienda, Lamay & Pachamanca, Machu Picchu, Moray, Maras salt mines, potato field with Manuel, city tour of Cusco, cruise in the Amazon (guided excursions in small boats, walks, visits to villages, manatee rescue center).
Train tickets to Machu Picchu and bus between the village and the site.
Several meals included (breakfasts, lunches/dinners as indicated, picnics and meals on board the cruise).
Not included
International and domestic flights (which Qhanati can arrange on request).
Travel insurance.
Tips, personal expenses, alcoholic beverages, meals not mentioned.
Optional activities, additional nights, hotel upgrades or very specific requests.
Early check-in / late check-out depending on flight schedules.
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