Highlights of Peru

This morning you will be collected for a 2 hour group tour of the Ballestas Islands. Just off Peru’s Pacific coast, a diverse array of wildlife make their homes on rugged islands. Known to many as the ‘Galapagos of Peru’, the celebrated Ballestas Islands teem with seals, sea lions, boobies, flamingos, pelicans, cormorants and a variety of other seabirds. Although you cannot alight on the islands, you will enjoy fantastic views of the wildlife from the boat. It is recommended to bring a light jacket, a hat for sun protection and sun cream.

Afterwards, you will be transferred to the bus station for your bus to Nazca. On arrival, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel. Once you have checked in, the remainder of the evening is at your leisure.

Included Excursions

Boat excursion to the Ballestas Islands

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

Etched into the desert landscape on the coast of Peru, the strange and mysterious Nazca Lines are one of Peru’s star attractions. This morning, you will board a small aircraft to take in 12 of the designs by air. The afternoon is at your leisure and this evening, you will be transferred to the bus station for your overnight bus to Arequipa.

Included Excursions

Scenic flight over the Nazca lines

Accommodation

1 night(s) on overnight sleeper buses

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

On arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. Please note that early check in is not included but can be arranged. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. Why not pay a visit to the monastery of Santa Catalina, home to the nuns of the Dominican Second Order that was closed to the public for almost 400 years. Open today, it offers narrow alleyways and a peaceful plaza and gardens reminiscent of ancient Seville or Granada; enjoy the serene atmosphere as you stroll through them.

The Museo Santuarios Andinos is home to the Ice Maiden Juanita, a young Inca girl that was sacrificed to the Inca gods at the top of Mt. Ampato in the late 1400s. She was discovered, almost perfectly preserved in ice, in 1995 and now rests in the museum.

Included Excursions

Arequipa City Tour

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

This morning you will be collected for your classic group tour of the Colca Canyon. You will depart from Arequipa, driving 160 km to the town of Chivay, the capital of the Province of Caylloma. En-route, you will enjoy the majestic views of the Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu volcanoes before approaching the National Reserve of “Pampa Cañahuas” where our transportation will make a short stop to observe the wild Vicuñas in its natural habitat. At this point you will be approximately 3,400 metres above sea level.

Continuing on the road, you will pass “Tocra”, a high plain at more than 4,500 metres where we can observe lakes with migrant birds and get pictures of the “Altiplano” with its Llamas and Guanacos. The highest point of your tour will be “Pata Pampa” (Pata=high, Pampa=land) at 4,820 metres. You will then be getting close to the town of Chivay (3,651 metres) where you can start to wonder at the spectacular multicoloured view of the Colca Valley terraces. From here, you will drive to the small town of Coporaque and visit “La Casa de Mama Yacchi” lodge with its stunning views. A buffet lunch is available here for purchase.

Afterwards, there is free time to wander around the small town and pay a visit to the natural hot springs (the entrance fee is included so please bring swimming costumes with you if this interests you). The evening is at your leisure.

Included Excursions

Colca Canyon Excursion

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

This morning is an early start as you depart for the famous “Cruz del Condor” viewpoint. You will arrive with enough time to get majestic pictures of the canyon (weather permitting) and hopefully, the flight of the Condors. At the pre-scheduled time, your guide will take you for a short walk (approximately 1 hour) near the canyon. On the way back to Chivay, you will visit the traditional village of Pinchollo and the “Antahuilque viewpoint”, where wonderful 1,500 year old terraces, constructed by the pre-Inca Collaguas, can be observed. You also will make a stop at the look-out point of “Choquetico” with its hanging tombs, “Tumbas Colgantes”.

You will continue with a visit to Maca, an Andean community that experienced an earthquake in November of 1991 and the village of Yanque with the most beautiful church in the valley. After lunch you will begin your journey to Puno - the gateway to the highest navigable lake in the world, Lake Titicaca. Puno stands at an impressive 3,800 metres above sea level. According to legend, it was on this lake that the Sun God commanded his children, Mama Ocllo and Manco Cápac, to give birth to the Inca civilisation

Included Excursions

Visit to Cruz del Condor Viewpoint

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

Today you will join a group to explore two of the distinctly different islands to be found in Lake Titicaca. The ancient Uros were originally forced to take up residence on the floating islands when the Incas expanded onto their land and the mobility of the islands was a defence mechanism. Totora reed, which is plentiful along the edges of the lake, is used to make homes, furniture, boats and the islands they stand on. As reeds disintegrate from the bottom of the islands, which are four to eight feet thick, residents must add more to the surface. Each island has a collection of simple reed houses but they are not short of modern conveniences such as solar panels and televisions.

Later you will travel on to Taquile, an island untouched by the mainland\'s modernity. The local inhabitants, known as Taquileños, still wear traditional clothing and are known for their high-quality handicrafts. Since 1970, the islands have been governed by the Taquileños and visitors are greeted by these ancient communities and have the opportunity to share their ways of life. While the women make yarn and weave, knitting is done exclusively by men. Pre-Inca vestiges are found in the highest part of the island. You will return to your hotel in Puno in the afternoon and the evening is at your leisure.

Included Excursions

Lake Titicaca Excursion

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es)

Today you will be taken to the station by private vehicle to board the bus for the scenic drive to Cusco. Whilst this is a full day of driving, there are plenty of stops along the way to stretch your legs and to appreciate some of the history that this route, The Route of the Sun, holds. Your first stop is the archaeological site of Pukara which dates back to approximately the first century. The small museum here has items of the lithic Pukara culture. You drive over La Raya Pass where there is a stunning view across to the snow-capped mountains and over a beautiful old chapel, standing alone in the middle of the Andean plateau before a stop for lunch in the picturesque Sicuani.

Jump back on the bus and whilst your journey takes you onwards, your next stop takes you further back in time. Built in the fifteenth century, Raqchi is considered by historians to be one of the most audacious Inca constructions. The remarkable Wiracocha temple, 100 metres long and 20 metres wide is made of adobe walls, built on top of volcanic stone foundations. Your final stop is at Andahuaylillas church, also known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas thanks to its intricately painted ceilings and other murals.

You will arrive in Cusco in the early evening and you will then be taken to your hotel by private vehicle. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and traces of its past can be found around nearly every corner. From old Incan walkways to beautiful well preserved colonial architecture, Cusco has a varied history that is evident at a glance.

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es)

This morning is free at your leisure to explore a little at your own pace or hole up in one of the pretty cafes and just soak up the atmosphere - the choice is yours. This afternoon you will join a group to explore the churches and cathedral around the charming Plaza de Armas. Your next stop will be the complex of Koricancha which contained the Temple of the Sun, the most sacred site in the Inca religion. It was the centrepiece of a vast astronomical observatory. Little remains of it today except for sections of its stone walls which hint at the sites once massive size. The Christian monastery of Santo Domingo was built on top of the complex, no doubt to signify that one religion had been replaced by another. Afterwards, you will drive to the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman which reveal the Incas extraordinary architecture. Like all Inca constructions, the stones fit together perfectly without mortar and it would be hard to fit a single sheet of paper even between the biggest. It took almost one hundred years and thousands of men to complete.

Next it is on to a site shrouded in mystery, the large rock and intricate complex of Qenko. The site is named for the zigzag channels carved into the rock which are believed to have been used by Inca priests to pour sacred chicha or llama blood into as part of an annual ritual. Tambomachay is thought to be have been used to worship water as the source of life. Two aqueducts, artistically carved on the rock, transport and keep a constant flow of clean water. Your final stop is the red fortress of Puka Pukara which took its name from the colour of the stones (especially at dusk).

Included Excursions

Half Day Tour of Cusco

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

You will meet your guide and group this morning for your full day excursion through the Sacred Valley. Here the Incas lived, farmed and enjoyed the natural wealth of this verdant region. Visit the colourful and vibrant arts and crafts market in Pisac. The nearby Inca site has a citadel, turrets, military fortresses and astronomical observatories. The largest Inca cemetery in South America is also located here.

You will continue onto the town of Ollantaytambo, which has many houses built on the bases of the old Inca town with local people maintaining their ancestral customs. The complexity of these Inca constructions incorporated into the contemporary town is considered by many to be one of the most important living museums in the world. Above the town, the military fortress that protected this area of the valley prevails strategically between two mountains. On the summit of the archaeological complex stand six enormous monoliths with mysterious engravings of Inca iconography.

You will overnight in Ollantaytambo and the evening is free here at your leisure.

Included Excursions

Sacred Valley of the Incas Guided Tour,Ollantaytambo ruins

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es)

This morning you will catch the IncaRail train, just a short walk from your hotel, to Aguas Calientes - the gateway to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival your private guide will be there to meet you and take you on the shuttle bus up to the archaeological complex. Soak up the atmosphere as our guide brings the site to life with tales of Machu Picchu in its heyday. Later, there will be enough time to explore it at your own pace.

As you will have return IncaRail train tickets, you can make your own way down to Aguas Calientes in time for your transfer back to Cusco where you will be taken back to your hotel.

The evening is then at your leisure.

Included Excursions

Machu Picchu Entrance and Guided Tour

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

Your adventure of a lifetime comes to an end today. If you have a late flight or have lengthened your stay by adding post tour accommodation you will have more time to explore the sights.

Today, you will be transferred from your hotel to Cusco airport by private vehicle where you will board your flight back to Lima.

Included Excursions

Departure Transfer

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)