Lima - Cusco - Machu Picchu - Puerto Maldonado - Cusco - Puno - Titicaca Lake - Colca Canyon - Arequipa - Nazca - Paracas - Lima

 

Peru is a landscape of contrasts. Depending on where you stay, you will encounter different cultures and nature. That's why we've prepared an offer in this program to introduce the magical Cusco and the "Lost City of Incas" - Machu Picchu high up in the mountains, the Amazonian Jungle with its wild nature in the Tambopata National Reserve near the Madre de Dios River, Titicaca's islands with local communities, the stunning Colca Canyon with sailing Andean Condors, the "white city" of Arequipa, the mysterious lines and shapes in the Nazca desert, the city of deads in Chauchilla, the desert dunes in Huacachina, the world famous Pisco - peruvian alcoholic beverage, and pre-columbian and colonial history.

 

​

DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO LIMA

Arrival to Lima and the transfer to your hotel.

 

DAY 2: LIMA

This day will be held in the spirit of discovering Lima, both pre-columbian (Huaca Pucllana) and colonial (the Monastery of Saint Francis, the Plaza de Armas and others). In addition to the historical sites, we will visit a restaurant that offers a selection of the finest Peruvian cuisine.

 

DAY 3: LIMA - CUSCO

In the morning we will take the flight to Cusco, and we will have lunch at the local restaurant. In the afternoon we take part in the Cusco City Tour, we will visit the Incas and colonial monuments in Cusco itself and its surroundings (Sacsayhuaman, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay).

 

DAY 4: THE SACRED VALLEY - AGUAS CALIENTES

At 7am we take the private bus to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will visit archaeological complexes and market in Pisac. We will pass through the valley to the city of Urubamba, where we will have lunch and later we will continue to Ollantaytambo. Here we will visit the Inca fortress that spans the valley. Then we will board the train Vistadome to Aguas Calientes. There we will have the dinner and overnight in the hotel.

 

DAY 5: MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO

Early in the morning, we'll go on a tour of the "Lost City of Incas" - Machu Picchu. We will explore its temples, the Inca Bridge, or climb up to the Huayna Picchu where we will experience an unforgettable view of Machu Picchu. In the afternoon we will return to Aguas Calientes, where we will have lunch and take the Vistadome train back to Cusco.

 

DAY 6: SOUTHERN VALLEY

At 8.30h we will pick you up at the hotel and take you to the Southern Valley. Throughout the journey we will be able to watch the surrounding Andean Highlands. The first stop will be a magnificent church in the village of Andahuaylillas. This little church, a small jewel of colonial architecture, is called the Sistine Chapel of America for its decoration. Inside, there is an impressive collection of canvases, mainly the so-called Cuskean school, wall paintings, baroque altars and the world-famous five-language gate. Next, we head to the Pikillacta archaeological complex, which literally means "flea city". It is an ancient fortified fortress built by the culture of Wari and was one of the most important centers of Wari culture in its expansion towards Cusco. At the last stop of the cultural and archeological centers of the Southern Valley, we stop at the Tipón archaeological center. This Inca architectural work served as terraces for crop cultivation. Its most precious and most interesting part is the irrigation system built by the Incas, which serves until today. The water is fed from the spring of Pachatusan Mountain and then cleverly distributed over all the terraces. On our way back to Cusco we stop in Oropesa, where we will have the opportunity to taste and buy the famous Chuta bread. After the tour, we return by bus to Cusco at about 14:30.

 

Transfer to Puerto Maldonado: can be reached by night bus or early morning flight.

 

DAY 7: PUERTO MALDONADO - MONKEY ISLAND - AMAZON LODGE

Upon arrival at Puerto Maldonado, we will take you to the harbor where we board our boat and head for a memorable trip along the Madre de Dios River. We can observe alligators, turtles, herons and other animals inhabiting the local ecosystem. At the end of our trip, in the Amazon Lodge, we will be welcomed by a local refreshing drink. We stay in comfortable bungalows. After the lunch we will visit the Monkey Island, which is in the middle of the river about 5 minutes by boat. Several primate species, like  Maquisapas, Frailes and Leoncitos, live on the island. In addition to fauna, we will also see the local rich flora and witness the Amazon sunset.

​

DAY 8: AMAZON LODGE - SANDOVAL LAKE - AMAZON LODGE

Our next day will start very soon. After the breakfast we take off to Lake Sandoval. We will be able to observe the caimans in the adjoining canals of the lake before arriving at the lake with its crystal water. The cruise on the lake lasts about 3 hours and we will see a lot of representatives of the local flora and fauna (various kinds of parrots and monkeys, tukans, coypus, water birds). For lunch, we will go back to the Amazon Lodge and after dark we'll take the boat to observe the nightlife such as caymans and tapirs, snakes, and so on. When we return to the camp, we dine and set off for an hour guided tour in the night jungle to see other nocturnal animals such as tarantulas and other interesting insect species.

 

DAY 9: AMAZON LODGE - PUERTO MALDONADO - CUSCO

Again, we will get up early and take the boat to a place where various parrots fly to the banks of the Madre de Dios every day in the morning and feed on clay as part of the mineral intake. Waiting for parrots will be shortened by the breakfast on board. Upon return, we will be taken to Puerto Maldonado Airport for our return flight to Cusco.

 

Transfer to Puno: from Cusco by night bus or early morning flight.

 

DAY 10: PUNO - UROS - AMANTANI

Upon arrival to Puno we take you to the local lake harbor where a cruise ship will be waiting for us and will bring us to one of Uros' floating reed island. A representative of the local population will explain everything about the life of the local community and demonstrate the construction of floating reed islands. After completing the visit to the island of Uros, we will arrive after a three-hour cruise to Amantani Island. Here, we will be divided in to small groups, and local families will take care of us during our stay on the island. Then we head to the top of the mountain at a height of 4,120 masl to visit two temples: Pachamama and Pachatata. After dinner, prepared by "our" family, we will go to the local "community centre" and experience one evening full of local music and dances.

​

DAY 11: AMANTANI - TAQUILE - PUNO

At 8.00am, after the breakfast prepared by our "family", we will go to the harbor and after one hour of cruise we will arrive in Taquile Island. Here we will be able to explore the island and see the people of the local community well-known by the weaving fabrics and their sophisticated patterns. These hand-made cloths are included in the World Heritage by UNESCO. After the lunch on the island we return to Puno after 3 hours of boat cruise and get to our hotel at approximately 4pm.

 

DAY 12: PUNO - CHIVAY

The guide will pick us up at the hotel at 6.15h and head for the small town of Chivay, which is the gateway to the Colca Canyon. Leave behind the picturesque surroundings of Lake Titicaca and stop at 4400m.nm at Las Lagunillas, lakes where we can see trout, flamingos and other bird species of Peruvian Altiplana. They will also see the lama Alpaca and Vikuna. A refreshment in the form of sandwiches and coca or coffee tea will be available at the Viscachani Restaurant's stop. Then continue to 4950 meters above sea level at the El Mirador de los Andes, where we stop and enjoy the view of the nearby and distant volcanoes of Arequipa. Then we go to Chivay and stay at the Paskana Hotel.

 

DAY 13: CHIVAY - COLONA CANYON - AREQUIPA

After breakfast at 6.00pm, we take the bus to La Cruz del Cóndor along a path stretching along the edges of the Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world, measuring at 4100m in the deepest depth. We will stop several times to enjoy the beautiful views of the Canyon. The guide will explain the history and present of the Canyon's inhabitants. We climb to the famous La Cruz del Cóndor - from where there is a magnificent view of the canyon and the sailing Kondora of Andes, the second largest terrestrial bird species. Upon returning to Chivay, we stop for lunch at our local restaurant. After lunch, we take the bus to Arequipa. We will pass through the Pampas Cañahuas Nature Reserve at an altitude of 3000 meters, where we will be able to see the alpak and victories. Our guide will explain the importance of these species. Upon arrival in Arequipa, we stay at the hotel.

 

DAY 14: AREQUIPA

In the morning, we start our visit of Arequipa known as the "White City" (the "sillar" stone blocks of the volcanic origin were used to build the buildings), and in the afternoon we will take part in the City Tour. We will start exploring the Santa Catalina Monastery, founded in 1580. We will also visit the frozen mummy Juanita, a young Inca girl sacrificed to Gods in the Inca times. Later we visit the Jesuit Church, Yanahuara Square, from where we will enjoy the view of the El Misti volcano, which towers over the city. By night bus we will be transported to Nazca.

​

DAY 15: NAZCA - CHAUCHILLA - HUACACHINA - PARACAS

Approximately 7:30 am we arrive at Nazca, known for its geoglyphs (lines and shapes in the desert).  At around 8.00am we move to María Reiche Airport, where we will watch an informative video about the mysterious lines and shapes in the desert before flying over them. We board a Cessna plane, 3-5 passengers, and set out over to the desert.Every passenger has a guaranteed seat at the window to see the terrain. The flight duration is approximately 35mins and during this flight we will observe different desert shapes like: condor, hummingbird, hands, astronaut, tree, pelican, spider, monkey, dog, whale, lizard. In addition, we will see hundreds of lines and geometric formations intersecting the local desert, reminiscent of huge airfields.

 

Chauchilla: Upon the end of the air tour, we take a private transport to the 27km distant city of the dead - the Chauchilla Cemetery. We will be able to see the mummified human remains of ancient local culture along with their sacrificial gifts such as textiles, ceramics, funeral objects. We also visit a small local museum where a child's mummy and photographs of archaeological research can be seen.

 

Huacachina: We will continue north to the Huacachina Oasis, where we will have the opportunity to have lunch on the shore of the lagoon in the desert and then to take a buggy trip through the desert dunes and to try Sandboarding.

 

After completing the activities at the Huacachina oasis, we will head to the wine cellar El Catador, where we will be explained the process of preparing the world-famous Peruvian alcoholic drink Pisco. We will then take part in the tasting of the various Pisco types that are produced locally.

 

By private transfer, we move to Paracas, where we stay overnight.

 

DAY 16: PARACAS - ISLAS BALLESTAS - LIMA

After picking you up at the hotel at 7.45am, we will take you to the port, at 8.00am begins the boat trip along the Ballestas Islands. After 15 minutes we arrive at the enigmatic emblem of El Candelabro, we will be told the different theories of its origin. Next, we will continue along the Paracas Bay among the rocky islands, where we will observe different marine species such as sea lions, thousands of seabirds, and so on. At approximately 10.00am we will return to the port.

​

At 11.00am we pick you up at the hotel and we will take the tour of the Paracas National Reserve. We will visit the Interpretation Center to explain everything about the fauna and flora in the reservation. Then we will continue the tour of the Paracas peninsula, where we will see various desert formations created by wind, like multicolored surfaces, rock formations on the coast created by the seawater. We will also visit beautiful beaches such as: Playa Yumaque, Playa Roja, Playa Lagunillas. Here we have time to have lunch on the beach and walk around.

In the afternoon, we'll take the bus to Lima.

 

DAY 17: LIMA

Return to your home country or continue traveling as a part of an extension program according to your individual preferences.