The Territory
Overview
Cusco is not a museum piece but a living imperial capital: Inca ashlar walls carrying colonial cedar balconies, baroque churches built upon the foundations of sun temples, and markets fragrant with Andean herbs. Arriving here demands a slow, oxygen-aware rhythm.
We settle you into an oxygen-supplemented cloister and reveal the city through private doors: art ateliers in San Blas, a culinary historian’s tasting table, and the Coricancha temple cloister after the crowds have gone.
Signature Experiences
What defines this journey
Living Heritage
Private San Blas ateliers
Meet painters, ceramicists and silver workshops in the steep cobbled quarter where Cusco’s artists have worked for generations.
Culinary
Market-to-table with a culinary historian
Walk San Pedro market with our resident food historian, then cook heirloom recipes in a private colonial kitchen.
After Hours
Coricancha cloister at dusk
Step into the temple of the sun once the gates close, with a scholar of Inca astronomy.
Rhythm
Saqsaywaman ridge walk
A gentle acclimatisation walk above the city, reading the zigzag ramparts and the sacred landscape they frame.
Day-by-Day Curation
The Passage
Stage 01 • Arrival
Oxygenated cloister
Elevation: 3,399 M
Private airport reception and transfer to your restored colonial cloister. Customised oxygen support, herbal infusions and an unhurried evening.
Private transfer Oxygen suite Herbal infusion
Stage 02 • San Blas & San Pedro
Ateliers and markets
Elevation: 3,399 M
A morning among artisans in San Blas, then San Pedro market and a private cooking class with a culinary historian.
Art atelier Market tour Cooking class
Stage 03 • Imperial Cusco
Temples and ramparts
Elevation: 3,399 M
After-hours Coricancha with an astronomy scholar, then Saqsaywaman at golden hour and a private pisco tasting.
After-hours access Archaeologist guide Pisco tasting
Stage 04 • Highlands farewell
Departure
Elevation: 3,399 M
A final unhurried morning in the cloister gardens before private transfer to the airport or onward rail.
Private transfer Late checkout
Estate Sanctuaries
Where you stay
Palacio Nazarenas Cloisters
A former 16th-century convent restored with oxygen-enriched ventilation, private herbal butler service and a heated courtyard pool.
Exclusive privileges
spa In-suite clinical oxygen enrichment
Belmond Hotel Monasterio
A 1592 seminary where stone cloisters frame a candlelit chapel and quiet courtyards minutes from the Plaza de Armas.
Exclusive privileges
spa Private chapel evening access
Casa San Blas Boutique
An intimate hillside townhouse in the artisan quarter with terraces overlooking the tiled roofs of Cusco.
Exclusive privileges
spa Terrace breakfast with city views
Technical Advisory
Practical notes
Best season
April to November for clear skies and dry trails; the city is festive in June.
Pacing
3–4 days, with the first day deliberately unhurried for acclimatisation.
Altitude
3,399 m — oxygen-equipped suites and herbal protocols throughout.
Access
Direct flights from Lima and rail connections to the Sacred Valley.
