Peru is a place where alternate histories live on. In the right light, looking over the same valleys as Inca Pachacutec did, you can squint and dream that the Spanish never arrived. And in Lima you can see the inevitably mestizo future, where Quechua and Japanese and Andalusians and countless other seekers arrived to tap into something deeper. To paraphrase Vargas Llosa, it’s impossible to know what’s really happening here, so stories and illusions become a refuge. We’ll follow those deep narratives and the people who tell them through this remarkable week of Peruvian food, drink, and dreams.
The secret to this journey can be summed up in one word: people. We’ll be hosted by the finest people, from Quechua pachamanca masters to Peruvian-Japanese alchemists of culture, alongside artists and expats and cooks of all stripes. We’ve selected a righteous slice of this legendary country, from Lima and its dramatic coastline to the Sacred Valley and on to Cusco, avoiding the touristed, embracing our deep connections throughout the land. Our trip begins in Lima and ends in Cusco (in case some want to stay on to explore Machu Picchu), so plan accordingly. High-to-moderate activity level. Vegetarian-friendly.
Private transfer from Lima Airport to our Limeño homebase: Villa Barranco, a boutique luxury property in Lima’s most dynamic neighborhood, Barranco
Welcome cocktails with the hosts at Villa Barranco. We’ll also be joined by Bibiana Melzi, a Peruvian producer, director, and former Bourdain fixer who recently worked with R&K co-founder Matt Goulding on the “Salt” episode of Omnivore
First-night dinner centered on botanical produce from the Peruvian Amazon at LadyBee in Barranco, one of our favorite young creative restaurants in Lima. We’ll be joined by owner Alejandra León or her sister chef-owner Gabriela León, whom Forbes recently named one of Peru’s “50 most powerful women.”
Private tasting of coffee and cacao with our friends at the award-winning El Cacaotal, an extraordinary science-based “library” sourced from small producers across the country, and its sister café Ciclos
Lunch with the Matsufuji family, icons of Nikkei food in Peru who helped to develop and spread the cuisine, working hand-in-hand with Chef Nobu, among many others. Through a special multi-course lunch, we will learn about Nikkei’s origins, its global influence, and the family that put it on the map
Siesta as the waves crash on the shore below Barranco
Meet José ‘Pepe’ Moquillaza, the mastermind behind Peru’s most innovative wines and pisco
Early evening walkabout in the Plaza de Armas, followed by dinner with Pepe Moquillaza
Lunch with Fernando Vera Horna, eponymous proprietor of Don Fernando and master of seafood-driven northern Peruvian cuisine
Lonche, the Peruvian version of High Tea, at the private Barranco home of the anthropologist and pisco producer Maria Elena Del Solar Dibós, featuring her artisanal pisco and butifarras
Dinner of Cocina Criolla, or Creole cuisine, prepared by local art scene fixture Vanadis Phumpiu at classic haunt Cafe Tostado, which is ours for the night together with friends from in and around Barranco
Flight! Fly into Cusco, then head straight to the Sacred Valley, with snacks at just the right spots on the way
Join legendary “potato whisperer” Manuel Choqque for a lunch that celebrates his vibrant, naturally cultivated tubers—blue, golden, and beetroot-hued—crafted with ingenuity and tradition in their original birthplace
Check into a historical boutique property, our home in the Sacred Valley
Explore the small town of Ollantaytambo on foot.
Dinner at the Casona, featuring fresh organic ingredients from the on-site gardens
A full morning and afternoon with our hosts, the Weeks family, and their partner as we explore their visions of sustainable life and cuisine in the Sacred Valley, from a traditional slow-cook “earth oven” pachamanca to their incredible botanical distillery, where we will have a hands-on workshop making our own herbal liquor.
Siesta, because of course
Visit a traditional adobe-house chicheria, or local tavern, to meet with Doña Eusebia, eat her simple, hearty regional food, and drink homemade chicha, a fermented alcoholic beverage originating in the Andes and Amazonia regions
Quinta Qolqampata, San Cristóbal S/N, Cusco 08002, Peru
+51 917 876 497
Early morning check out, head across the Urubamba River and downvalley
Special access to the Maras Salt Mines, a surreal landscape of more than 4000 ancient salt extraction pools that date back to pre-Incan times
Lunch at a traditional huarique, or Peruvian family-run tavern, in Maras village
Arrive in Cusco, check in at the beautiful boutique hotel on the site where the legendary Manco Capac once lived
Meet Peter Frost, the British archaeologist and National Geographic explorer who unearthed the pre-Inca site of Qoriwayrachina, and hear tales of his adventures and discoveries across Peru
Quinta Qolqampata, San Cristóbal S/N, Cusco 08002, Peru
+51 917 876 497
Long, languorous breakfast.
Market visit at San Pedro market, tasting local specialties like chicharron and adobo.
Lunch of cuy, the huacatay-infused roast guinea pig famous of this land (yes, there will be alternatives for those who dare not).
Siesta, followed by the final great dinner of our trip. Eat, drink, blink back tears of joy, regret, homesickness, newfound friendships, new understandings.
Day
8
Hasta la Próxima
June 13 · Saturday
Our trip has ended, dear travelers
One last beautiful breakfast at Palacio Manco Capac
Private transfer either to Poroy (for those wishing to take the train to Machu Picchu and extend their stay) or to Cusco Airport (for those returning home or to other destinations unknown)
What’s Included
All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, as well as snacks and beverages between meals
All accommodations and transportation during the trip (except when taking a taxi or ride app independently during unscheduled time)
Expertise and services of our experienced trip leaders: at least one guide and one host per trip
Additional guides and experts from the region
Transfers to and from the airport or wherever you are on the day the trip starts and ends
Daily Roads & Kingdoms gifts, notes, and playlists related to the themes, activities and narratives of each trip
All gratuities for accommodations, meals, guiding or transport
What’s Not Included
International airfare to and from the journey (note: some trips begin and end at different airports)
Transfers on days that fall outside of the trip dates
Personal bar tabs (when not with the group)
Personal laundry or spa services
Personal travel insurance
Meet Our Hosts
Local Guide
Gonzalo Gil Lavedra
Scout, Gourmand, Resident of the Sacred Valley
We first met Gonzalo Gil Lavedra in the smoky courtyard behind a family’s butcher shop in the meat-obsessed pueblo of Temozón, Yucatán. Referred to us by Noma chef René Redzepi, Gonzalo had sweet-talked the family into taking us all behind the scenes of some of the best smoked meat in Mexico. His unassuming charm, curiosity, and ability to talk his way into and out of just about anything have made him a perfect addition to the League of Travelers and an ideal guide for this journey through his beloved Peru, the land he currently calls home.
Guest Chef
Lisa Donovan
Author, Columnist, Culinarian
James Beard award-winning essayist, author, and chef Lisa Donovan helped redefine what it means to be a “Southern baker” as the pastry chef to some of the South’s most influential kitchens. Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger, Lisa’s first book, was published in August 2020 and received the 2021 M.F.K. Fisher Prize of Excellence. Lisa has helmed the pastry kitchens of some of the most important restaurants in the country and was named one of The 10 Best Bakers in America in 2015. Her pastry recipes have been developed for and are featured in several acclaimed cookbooks, and she is a long-time contributor to Food & Wine, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, among others.
Where You’ll Stay
Villa Barranco
Lima Luxury
A luxury hotel set within an old republican house dating to 1916, Villa Barranco sits steps from Lima’s Barranco Coast. Preserved architectural details include a frieze of mosaics, stuccoes, elegant balconies, and French terracotta tiles. Elegant contemporary pieces, Lima artisanal objects, and original artworks fill the interiors.
La Casona Yucay
Sacred Valley Hideaway
In the early colonial era, the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro claimed Yucay for himself, setting the stage for a location steeped in power and negotiation—it was here that the Inca Sayri Tupac was granted a royal estate in exchange for his surrender to the Spanish crown.
The Casona itself, built in 1810, is a monument to the birth of modern Peru. Simón Bolívar stayed here during his campaign for independence, delivering a pivotal address from the house balcony to the people of the Andes. The Orihuela family, who hosted the Liberator then, still maintains the property today.
Nearly 20 years ago, the family converted the mansion into a historical hotel that serves as a quiet sanctuary within the Sacred Valley. Surrounded by organic gardens, traditional corn crops, and native Qeuña trees, it is a place where you can live inside Peruvian history while staying deeply connected to the land.
Palacio Manco Capac
Hilltop Palace
On the top of the hill of San Cristóbal stands the Palacio Manco Capac, a boutique hotel set within a 19th-century republican house brimming with Peruvian culture. The museum-like interiors include a large sculpture by the artist Quintanilla and vantage points for enjoying the magnificent views over Cusco.
R&K trips look amazing on the written page, but in person they are next-level lucid dreams of incredible food, drink, and locals-only access.
Mel T.
Peru of the Many Dreams 2024
The journey felt like we were visiting old friends in Peru. It was all brilliant. Every single experience was an experience to remember.
Vanessa H.
Peru of the Many Dreams 2024
Absolutely exceeded expectations by far, and the bar was already really high due to my prior R&K experience.
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