For many—myself included—a trip to Peru and a visit to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. This week, I’ve finally had the chance to check this experience off the bucket list, one incredible day at a time.

The trip was organized by Belmond, a luxury hospitality brand that got its start in the 1970s, when the founder began snatching up vintage train carriages around the world. Restoring the cars to their golden age glory, Belmond offered travelers the opportunity to visit iconic spots, such as the Scottish Highlands and a handful of Orient Express destinations, in full luxury, complete with dining cars draped in white tablecloths and pro mixologists shaking cocktails behind the bar.

In the decades since, the brand has amassed a collection of water vessels, safari camps, and hotel properties around the globe, including famous getaways like the Hotel Cipriani in Venice and Rio de Janiero’s Copacabana Palace. In 2019, LVMH acquired Belmond with a promise to continue elevating the brand’s portfolio through service, design, and experiential offerings. The takeover is beginning to show first signs of success.

Peru boasts over half a dozen of the Belmond’s collection, including the Hiram Bingham, a train which transports guests on day trips between Cusco and Machu Picchu, and the Andean Explorer, South America’s first luxury sleeper train. I was fortunate enough to be invited to experience these impressive trains (talk about bucket list!), as well as multiple Belmond hotels along the way, with a handful of international writers and photographers.

For those of you who are still dreaming of your own Peruvian adventure, this newsletter is dedicated to providing all the inspiration you might need to take the leap and book the trip. Read on for a detailed look of my spectacular, weeklong itinerary.

Favorite links this week

WHERE TO GO NEXT

Obviously, I’m high on travel at the moment, so CN Traveler’s list of the 23 Best Places to Travel in 2023 is really speaking to me. I’ve already experienced the magic of Kenya, Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, and Turks & Caicos, so I’ll need to hit up Wales, Taiwan, and Egypt next.

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

When it comes to travel, I’m also excited about domestic destinations—especially for the food. I’ll probably let Eater’s Best New Restaurants of 2022 list guide me through the United States next year, from trying Nigerian food in Brooklyn to eating Indian in Silver Lake.

NATURAL WINE FOR GEN Z

According to Punch, a group of DJs and restaurant veterans is hosting a quasi-monthly “wine party with music” to introduce club-hopping gen Z kids to natural wine. Bêvèrãgęš pairs pét-nat with bumping tunes for the ultimate night out.

A Whirlwind Trip to Peru

Day 1: The Sacred Valley

After a direct flight to Lima, I hopped on a connection to Cusco, the high-elevation (11,000 feet!), one-time capital of the Inca empire. I was picked up by a driver, and we headed to the Rio Sagrado, a Belmond Hotel in the Sacred Valley, the fertile stretch of land that connects Cusco with Machu Picchu. It took an hour and a half to arrive at the lush, tranquil property, which is situated along the Urubamba River, where you can go rafting or horseback riding during the warmest months.

I opted for a short ride into town over rough dirt roads via mountain bike. I visited the town’s central market, where a bounty of produce, herbs, beans, and other necessities were piled into heaps, and gigantic mugs of freshly-squeezed juice were sold for two US dollars. Back at the hotel that evening, I enjoyed a traditional pachamanca meal, prepared by cooking locally-sourced meats, potatoes, yams, corn, and beans over preheated stones underground.

Day 2: Train to Machu Picchu

The next morning, I boarded the Hiram Bingham, a 1920s Pullman carriage-inspired train complete with stylish dining cars, an observation car, and a bar, for a cocktail-fueled journey up to Machu Picchu. I’ve been dreaming of this luxury trip through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu—I even had a trip booked for 2020, which obviously got cancelled—so I was especially excited to finally don my expedition-style suit and make the journey to the historic site.

A trip on the Hiram Bingham includes a private guided tour of Machu Picchu by the train crew—as well as a bus transfer up the mountain to the gate of the historic site—and the breathtaking view high above the ancient ruins was even more epic than all the pictures you’ve seen make it seem. After a stop for a snack at the Sanctuary Lodge, a Belmond property that sits just beyond the border of Machu Picchu, I took the train back to Cusco. I dined on paiche, an oversized white fish from the Amazon, and drank cocktails and danced in the bar car as a live band accompanied us on our hours-long journey.

Day 3 & 4: Cusco

In Cusco, I stayed at Palacio Nazarenas, an all-suite Belmond property that served as an Inca temple, a conquistador’s mansion, and a convent in its past lives. I spent the following two days in the city, shopping at the many small boutiques that fill the historic core. I was on the hunt for the perfect, baby-soft alpaca sweater (there are many to be had) and a set of pachaes, strands of colorful pom poms that hang in doorways.

As a guest of the Palacio Nazarenas, I also had the opportunity to participate in some other off-the-beaten path activities. The first trip was to meet a nearby farming community that participates in the Q’omer Wasicha Project. The endeavor, funded by Belmond, provides greenhouses to promote organic vegetable cultivation in local communities. After helping harvest some vegetables for our lunch, I was roped into a festive dance to celebrate with some of the locals who manage the greenhouse. The following day, I visited the workshop of master ceramicist Tater Vera, where a nearly-lost tradition of intricately designed, colorfully glazed ceramics lives on.

Day 5: The Andean Explorer

Yesterday, I boarded the Andean Explorer, the first luxury sleeper train in South America, for a two-night excursion through the mountains. The cabins are incredibly comfortable, blending Peruvian accents like hand-woven fabrics and soft, Alpaca-style textures with special features like built-in oxygen tanks for high altitudes. In addition to dining cars, a lounge car, and an observation car, there is also a dedicated spa carriage for ultimate relaxation. We’ll be traveling for three days and two nights over arid Peruvian highlands as we slowly make our way to Arequipa.

Day 6 & 7: Lake Titicaca & Sumbay Caves

This morning, I’m headed to experience sunrise over Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America. I’m planning to take a boat ride to the man-made islands of Uros, which were created by indigenous communities from carefully woven reeds. At night, I’ll be stargazing at Saracocha, a small town in Puno located 4,500 meters above sea level that is accessible only via the Andean Explorer. The following day, the train will bring us to the Sumbay Caves, home to 8,000-year-old rock paintings. Our final journey will be on a chartered flight from Arequipa, one of the country’s southernmost cities. Be sure to follow me on Instagram to catch more details of this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

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