From the middle coast to one of the seven wonders of the world: Machupicchu, this trip combines the must-see places to be an expert in Peru.
The trip starts on the coast with the arrival to the capital of Peru: Lima, the visit of the Ballestas Islands, the oasis of Huacachina, and of course we will visit Nazca and its mysterious lines.
The next stage will continue visiting the mythical city of Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, before venturing to Lake Titicaca in Puno. We will give you the unique experience of spending a night with the inhabitants of Amantani and have the opportunity to talk about their culture and traditions.
Finally, the trip will end with the unmissable region of Cusco and the most remarkable sites of the Inca culture. Among these, you will discover the majestic citadel of Machupicchu, still shrouded in wonder and mystery.
Upon arrival at the Lima airport, a private driver will meet you and take you to your hotel.
Afternoon at leisure in the dynamic neighborhoods of the Peruvian capital.
Overnight in Lima.
Early in the morning, transfer to the bus station to take a bus from Lima to Paracas by a road that runs along the Pacific coast.
Arrival in Paracas and transfer to the port "El Chaco" to take a boat to the Ballestas Islands. During this excursion we will discover the richness of the local marine fauna: elephant seals, pelicans, penguins and other seabirds taking advantage of the cold Humboldt current extremely rich in plankton and fish.
After the experience, we will have time for lunch (not included in the package) and then transfer to the city of Ica, south of Paracas.
Upon arrival in Ica, we will visit the famous Huacachina Oasis and enjoy the view in the middle of the desert. In addition, there will be other activities such as sandboarding and buggies (at an additional cost).
Later, we will continue our journey to Nazca, the place that houses the mysterious and beautiful Nazca Lines. Arrival at the hotel and overnight.
After breakfast, we will visit the Cantalloc water system, located in the middle of the desert. These circular constructions are one of the most outstanding hydraulic engineering works in the world. Of the 46 subway aqueducts found, 32 are still in operation today, something that began in pre-Inca times 1,500 years ago.
We will return to the city of Nazca, with a stop at a handmade pottery production workshop.
Return to the hotel and in the afternoon a private car will take us to the bus station to take a bus to the city of Arequipa. Arrival at the bus terminal and private transfer to the Hotel in the heart of the city. Overnight in Arequipa.
Extra activities to do in Nazca: (not included in the package)
Overflight of the "Nazca Lines" (130 USD per person, early morning departure): American scientist Paul Kosok discovered the Nazca Lines in 1939 when he flew over the area in search of irrigation canals. They appear as a dense network of geometric and zoomorphic figures up to 300 m long (984 ft) and straight lines of 10 km, visible only from the sky.
After a good rest after the long trip, we will start our day walking and discovering the White City and its colonial center: the Plaza de Armas, the museum Santuarios Andinos and the Convent of Santa Catalina. A city with alleys full of colorful houses.
Then we will head to the viewpoints of Yanahuara and Cayma, which offer panoramic views of the fabulous surrounding volcanoes.
Afterwards, we will stop at the Sol de Mayo Restaurant for a culinary experience and lunch.
Return to the hotel and free afternoon. Overnight in Arequipa.
Additional activities to do on site: (not included in the package)
Early in the morning, we will leave for the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world.
On the way, we will pass through the Chachani hillside, and cross part of the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve, populated by wild vicuñas. The trail gradually ascends until reaching its highest point: The Volcanoes Viewpoint at 4900 mo 16,076 ft. From there, the view of Ampato (6400 m // 20,997 ft), Sabancaya (5976 m // 19,606 ft) and Huallca-Huallca (6025 m // 19,767 ft) is breathtaking.
There will be a descent to Chivay, where you can have lunch (not included in the package) and will be our place to spend the night.
In the afternoon we will ascend to Canacota and then descend to the hot springs of La Calera.
End of the day and overnight in Chivay.
Additional activities to do on site: (not included in the package)
After breakfast, we leave for the Cruz del Condor, a viewpoint that offers a magnificent view of the Canyon. Here is where we can admire the flight of the condor, the largest bird in the world.
Then we will leave on foot towards the "Salto del Cura". The road offers splendid landscapes over the canyon (1h30 of walking).
On the way back to Chivay, we will discover the villages of Yanque, Coporaque, Achoma and Maca, where the way of life of the inhabitants has changed little since the time of the Incas. Lunch in Chivay (not included in package).
Early in the afternoon, we will take a tourist bus to Puno and arrive in the evening. Upon arrival, private transportation to the hotel.
Overnight in Puno.
In the morning, we will transfer to the port of Puno to take the boat to Amantani Island, located in Lake Titicaca ("Stone Puma" in Aymara language).
On the way, we will visit the floating islands of the Uros, where the Aymara inhabitants build their houses on giant reed boats (totoras).
Our navigation on Lake Titicaca will continue to the island of Amantani. We will walk along the trails and enjoy the exceptional view of the Cordillera Real Boliviana. As we ascend the Pachatata (4200 m // 13,779 ft) we will discover the magnificent sunset over the lake.
We will then descend and meet our hosts for the night, who will welcome us to their home, share their traditional food and tell us stories about their daily life.
Overnight at the local house in Amantani.
For the excursion on Lake Titicaca, bring a backpack of maximum 10 kilograms so as not to overload the boat. The rest of your belongings will be stored at the hotel in Puno.
In the morning, we will have breakfast with our hosts in Amantani and depart to Taquile Island by boat.
Upon arrival, we will start walking for about 45 minutes until we reach the main square of the island.
In this particular place, the inhabitants live in a very traditional way, dating back to the time of the Incas. Here about 300 people work one day for themselves and the next day for the community.
Taquile life is self-sufficient and has maintained for centuries the Inca principles of "no stealing, no lying, no idleness".
We take our boat back to Puno, overnight at the Hotel.
Early departure by tourist bus to Cusco. We will cross the Collao plateau where we will stop by the village of Pukará, one of the last places that give testimony of the pre-Inca culture of the same name.
Then we will pass La Raya (4360m // 14,304ft), which symbolizes the end of the Altiplano and the beginning of the Cusco region.
It is in Sicuani where we will stop for an Andean lunch before resuming the road to Raqchi. We will visit the spectacular sanctuary of the Incas, built by the Inca Pachacutec in honor of the Inca God Wiracocha.
Then, we will continue to the town of Andahuaylillas and the Church of San Pedro, known as the "Sistine Chapel of South America" for its richly decorated ceiling.
Arrival in Cusco and transfer to the hotel.
Free afternoon and overnight in Cusco.
Free morning to adapt to the altitude.
Early in the afternoon, we will begin our experience by walking through the Plaza de Armas, the center of the Inca capital. We will begin by visiting the Cathedral, an impressive building that has many paintings of the Cusco School (Escuela Cusqueña) as well as real treasures of gold and silver work. We will continue our discovery in Santo Domingo and the Koricancha Monastery, ancient temple of the Sun.
Then we will head to the most important archaeological sites surrounding the city of Cusco. We will start with Tambomachay, and then descend on foot to PucaPucara, Kenko and Sacsayhuaman. The latter is a fortress, and was built on a hill, overlooking the city of Cusco. It is characterized by its gigantic blocks of stones nested to the nearest millimeter, some of which exceed 9 meters (29.5 feet) in height and weigh more than 550 tons.
After visiting these 4 ruins, we will return to the hotel. Overnight in Cusco.
This experience will begin on the way to the Sacred Valley and the visit of Chinchero, the "Rainbow City", known for its textile art according to the traditional Inca method.
Then we will continue to the archaeological site of Moray which, according to historians, has constructions that were part of an agricultural research in the Inca Empire.
The next place we will visit is the viewpoint of Las Salineras de Maras, where you can see hundreds of artisanal ponds exploited since pre-Columbian times. The water comes from a salt source and once evaporated, a thin layer of salt is deposited there to be harvested immediately.
We will continue to the town of Ollantaytambo and walk to the train station to take the train to Aguas Calientes, a small town located at the foot of the famous Machupicchu.
Arrival and installation at the hotel.
Free afternoon and overnight in Aguas Calientes.
* In order to guarantee a safe and punctual service, the national train company Perurail asks passengers going to Machupicchu to carry only a small backpack of 5kg and 157cm (height + width + length) maximum or a cabin type bag. Please note that the company has become very strict about these restrictions. Large suitcases and travel bags will not be accepted on the train.
You will leave your luggage and personal effects for the day, dropping them off at the hotel in Cusco prior to the excursion. After the Machupicchu excursion, you will return to the hotel in Cusco.
Very early in the morning, we will ascend in a shared bus to the most famous Inca site of the country: Machupicchu, "Old Summit" in Quechua language.
During the guided tour (about 2h), we will discover, still shrouded in the morning mist, this architectural complex built on a narrow hill bordered by cliffs. A breathtaking view that evolves with the progression of the sun.
Then we will walk through the alleys of the citadel, its neighborhoods, its squares, its royal houses, its agricultural areas, its trails and its observatories.
After the guided tour, we will descend in the afternoon to Aguas Calientes to take the train to Ollantaytambo where we will spend the night (without assistance on arrival).
Additional activities to do on site: (not included in the package and booked in advance)
Possibility to add the ascent to Huaynapicchu Mountain or Machupicchu Mountain according to availability (these mountains are part of the landscape of Machupicchu citadel and have different schedules and entrances, as they take more time to climb and visit).
After breakfast, we will visit the archaeological fortress of Ollantaytambo under the first rays of the sun.
Then, on our way back to Cusco, we will make a stop in Pisac, where we will visit its archaeological complex made up of terraces, fountains, observatories and even a necropolis, the largest in the region. It was from there that the Incas controlled and dominated the Sacred Valley.
In addition, we will stop at the traditional handicraft market of Pisac.
Arrival in Cusco and rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Cusco.
Transfer to Cusco airport to take a domestic flight to Lima. This flight may correspond with your international flight.
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