Peru Active Family Adventure

Explore lovely Piuray Lake, where preparations will be underway for a Pachamanca. This is a traditional way of cooking in the Andes, where an oven of hot stones is created in the ground and layers of vegetables, potatoes, meat, fruit, and corn are carefully wrapped and placed in the oven.

While your feast is cooking, head out on the lake in kayaks or on stand-up paddle boards to take in your surroundings: lush green hills, farm terraces and forests, and snowcapped mountains. Return to shore for your delicious lunch while the kids get a hands-on immersion in this most traditional of Andean culinary rituals. After lunch the day is free for relaxing on the lake, doing some more paddling, or exploring the area trails by hiking or biking. At night, see the stars come out over the Sacred Valley as you settle into your camp and enjoy a campfire.

Continue your adventure with one of the best one-day mountain biking trips you could find anywhere. Non-technical and mostly downhill, you start near the town of Chinchero and descend past the unique Incan site of Moray and the village of Maras, and finally past the ancient salt pans below Maras to the valley floor. Not just for serious mountain-bikers, this is an accessible but excellent mountain biking experience, visiting some off-the-beaten-path locations. (If your children are younger or you prefer a less strenuous biking option, you can also opt for an easy ride along the shores of the river.)

Afterward, visit Tikapata, an innovative local primary school that draws students from very diverse backgrounds, from local indigenous children to the children of expatriates who have settled in the Valley. The school puts an emphasis on environmental awareness and is a great way for your kids to mingle with local children while enjoying lunch.

Alternate activity: you also have the option of a morning horseback riding excursion through the Sacred Valley, with lunch at a local restaurant.

Catch the morning train toward Machu Picchu, but disembark at Kilometer 104 to start your 5-6 hour hike to Machu Picchu along the last part of the Inca Trail (6-7 miles in total).

Hike upward at a gentle grade for a few hours, passing the large Incan site of Winay Wayna. After about 2 more hours of hiking along the classic Inca Trail, you will find yourself at Intipunku, the Gate of the Sun, with a magnificent first view of Machu Picchu.

After descending to the ruins along the final stretch of the Inca Trail, catch a shuttle down to the town of Aguas Calientes for the night. Your hotel in Aguas Calientes is among the most highly regarded in South America, and offers some of its own great activities, such as the Inkaterra Spectacled Bear Project, an effort designed to recover bears that have been negatively affected by human impact and reintroduce them into their natural habitat. Several of these extremely rare and endangered bears are on site and can be seen and appreciated by the kids. Family suites are available at the hotel.

Alternative activities: If you are interested in an easier going hiking option or taking out the hiking altogether, that’s no problem. Your family can also visit another site in the Sacred Valley this morning, or do a shorter hike (such as hiking to Purmamarca) and then take the scenic train all the way to Aguas Calientes. Rest assured we will customize the itinerary to match any family’s activity level and it can be adjusted along the way as desired!

Return to Machu Picchu with your private guide in the early morning to experience the site at your family’s own pace. If you take the earliest shuttle up to the site, you can be at Machu Picchu when there are fewer people around. If you prefer to sleep in, you can visit the Spectacled Bear Project in the morning and then head up to the ruins.

Adventurous kids also have the chance to hike with their parents up to the top of Huayna Picchu, the mountain that towers above Machu Picchu (about 2 hours roundtrip), or even down through the cloud forest a short distance to the Cave of the Moon.

After visiting the ruins, catch the afternoon train back to Cusco, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel. Adjoining rooms are available at the hotel.

Get to know Cusco with your knowledgeable private guide, making sure to go at a pace that works for your family. Visit Sacsahuaman, the massive Incan fortress on the hills above the city, where you can enjoy views out over Cusco and the entire surrounding area and where there is space to run around.

In the afternoon visit the ChocoMuseo for a fun (and tasty!) chocolate workshop, where your family can participate in making candy and taste some superb Andean chocolate sourced from the highest quality local cacao beans.

Cusco is one of the highlights of a trip to Peru, a fascinating city built on the foundations of the former Incan capital. Filled with lively markets and almost-daily parades and celebrations, the city has a vibrant atmosphere and many excellent restaurants.

In the morning your family will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival to Lima you will have assistance at the airport in making your connecting flight home.

If you have extra time before your international flight, we can arrange a driver for your family so you can go out to eat and see some more of Lima before your flight. Another option we can arrange is to use the pool and spa at the adjoining (and very pleasant) airport hotel until your flight departs.