In Peru with Disney… without Mickey

Forget Mickey Mouse, Cinderella’s Castle and rides. Disney is also an adventure travel agency. With more than 30 destinations on every continent, Adventures by Disney offers thrilling, fast-paced excursions. In Peru, this resulted in a well-filled…and surprising itinerary.

Maude Goyer
special collaboration

Turnkey support

Before departure, everything is thought out, planned, managed. Travelers receive labels, ribbons and fasteners for their suitcases in the colors of Adventures by Disney at home. This makes it easier to manage everyone’s luggage: you see your suitcase again at the hotel — and that’s it. No transport worries and not a finger to lift during travel.

Experienced guides

Here comes the most impressive part of the trip: the guides — in our case, Armando, Rudy and Harvey, three exceptional people. They combine the knowledge of scholars, the friendliness of the staff with Disney sauce (never problems, only solutions), the desire to entertain children and the fine skill of revealing anecdotes and secrets of the region and its inhabitants. This is the art of storytelling (and captivating) at its peak.

Machu Picchu simplified

The itinerary includes a visit to the spectacular Machu Picchu, this secret Inca city founded in 1432 by Emperor Pachacútec and discovered in 1902 by a local peasant, Agustín Lizárraga – the books speak rather of a discovery by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. Part of the journey to get there is by bus, then by train, a winding route nestled in the Sacred Valley and bordered by the Urubamba River. This leads us to the foot of the place: there is only a hike of less than two hours to reach the entrance. If you forget sunscreen, mosquito repellent or lack of water, the guides come to the rescue.

Activities off the beaten track

Discovery of public markets on foot. Tasting of guinea pig on the spit. Visit to a ceramics centre. Weaving demonstration in a traditional textile crossroads. Peruvian barbecue dinner cooked on hot stones. Cuddle session with llamas and alpacas on the farm. Nestled activities, very typical and authentic, punctuate the stay. Without stealing the limelight from the essentials of the trip, these experiences allow you to better understand the culture, customs, beliefs and rituals, very numerous, of the country.

Time for children

Children are not left out. It’s Disney, after all! The guides are attentive, teasing and creative. At mealtimes, they join the table of the youngest, a space is always reserved for them. The children become more and more friends as the trip progresses. Some activities are reserved for them: a culinary workshop on the theme of pizza (the parents then enjoy an evening just for them) and a movie night. Some destinations offered by Adventures by Disney are particularly suitable for families with young children (5 years and older), such as Italy, Norway, Greece, Montana-Wyoming and the British Isles.

Our top 5

A dense and busy schedule: the trip to Peru with Adventures by Disney is not relaxing. It is exotic, entertaining, interesting. But relaxing? No. The days start early and end late — except that we have plenty to see.

1. Visit the ruins of Machu Picchu

2. Rafting down the Urubamba River

3. Maras Salt Mine Walk

4. Tasting the pisco sour cocktail

5. Walk through the Miraflores district of Lima

Part of the costs of this trip were paid by Disney, which had no right to look at this report.