Upon arrival, you’ll be met by an Atelier driver/concierge who will help you through Lima Airport and onwards to your boutique hotel for check-in, and the rest of the day at leisure.

The first full day of this Culinary Tour of Peru begins with a visit to some of Lima’s best food fairs, such as Surquillo Market. Here, get your taste buds tingling with the endless array of Peruvian produce, native vegetables and spices that go into Peruvian cuisine. From packed food stalls to a professional kitchen, the next stop is a private cooking class with a top Lima chef. Lima’s food scene is one of the best in the world, as you’ll see for yourself during a demo where traditional and contemporary techniques collide. After lunch, enjoy dramatic coastal views from the upmarket San Isidro and Miraflores Districts, or visit the peaceful ruins of Huaca Mateo Salado before a gourmet dining experience at one of Lima’s top restaurants.

Start day 3 with a leisurely breakfast in Lima’s colonial Old Town, perhaps taking the time to admire the architecture around Plaza de Armas or artifacts, artworks and ancient ornaments at Lima’s Central Reserve Bank Museum. No trip to Peru would be complete without tasting Pisco, the national drink, which you’ll do while learning its history and sipping samples during a Pisco exhibition. After lunch, look forward to more Peruvian delicacies with an indulgent chocolate and coffee pairing – delicious! Later, work up an appetite with a tour of Lima’s bohemian Barranco District, its colorful streets and independent art studios, with the option of an exclusive booking at one of Lima’s most atmospheric restaurants this evening.

Day 4 of this Culinary Tour of Peru sees you swap the glam restaurants of Lima for the more traditional side of Peruvian cuisine, as you head for the Sacred Valley via Cusco. This is the land of the Inca, a place of perfectly-preserved archaeological sites like Pisac, Moray, and Ollantaytambo. Many ancient wonders in the Sacred Valley exhibit agricultural terraces, solid walls and water channels, all designed to cultivate crops and feeds Peru’s ancient peoples throughout the seasons. Lunch comes courtesy of a local hacienda, known for its freshly farmed produce and sweeping views while you dine. The perfect setting before arriving at your boutique Sacred Valley Hotel.

The setting for today’s culinary tour is hard to beat. After a leisurely breakfast in the Sacred Valley, you head to fine dining restaurant, Mil, situated beside the spectacular Inca ruins of Moray. The surrounds alone are an experience to behold. And just as the ancient agricultural terraces of Moray were once used to grow native crops for the Inca, so too Mil’s visionary Head Chef Virgilio Martinez recreates connection with what the immediate land around the restaurant can provide. You’ll not only be treated to the incredible cuisine at Mil, but will also take a tour of Moray, learn the history, and meet locals too. The tasting menu at Mil is as much a step into rural/Inca culture as it fine gastronomy, with Mil regularly voted among the best restaurants in Latin America and Virgilio Martinez one of the world’s best Chefs. This evening can be spent at leisure.

The contrasts in Peruvian cuisine can be seen again on Day 6 of this culinary tour, as the cutting-edge fine dining techniques of Mil make way for a much more traditional experience. You’ll visit a rural Sacred Valley community to learn of their farming way of life and seasonal produce, as well as observing a traditional Pachamanca ceremony where thanks is given to Mother Earth for all she provides. After this, what better than a gourmet picnic of locally-inspired treats with the rugged fields, rolling hills and peaks of the valley all around? The rest of the day can be spent exploring the magnificent ruins of Ollantaytambo or hypnotic salt pools of Maras, where salt has been extracted in the same way since ancient times.

Often voted the World’s Top Travel Destination, your next stop is Machu Picchu, a place that has captured the imagination of countless visitors over the years. Once here, it’s easy to see why. To get to Machu Picchu, travel through the Sacred Valley aboard the 5-star Hiram Bingham Train on one of the most scenic luxury train journeys in South America. Lunch will be served on the Hiram Bingham, and you can then look forward to a private guided tour of The Lost City before free time to explore on your own, taking in those Sacred Valley views all the while. Return to Cusco this evening aboard the Hiram Bingham Train for more 5-star treatment.

Start the final day of you Culinary Tour of Peru with a trip to Downtown Cusco, San Pedro Market, the famous Cathedral and hidden alleyways that surround. With an appetite earned, lunch comes courtesy of a unique gourmet cooking class with views over Cusco for yet another moment to remember. This afternoon is spent at leisure. Either explore more of Old Town or plan a visit to Tipon, a stunning ruin of Inca water channels and pools in the Southern Valley, the sensational archeological sites of Qorikancha Temple (the most important of its kind in the Inca Empire), or imposing Sacsayhuaman Fortress. Finally this evening, you can look forward to a mouthwatering meal in one of Cusco’s top restaurants.

As your trip draws to a close, you may have time for a walk around Cusco before your Atelier concierge takes you to Cusco Airport for an onward flight to Lima and home, full of priceless memories of Peru.