Peru Discovery: Machu Picchu, Cusco & Lake Titicaca | 9D

Upon arrival in Lima, you will be helped with your transfer to the chosen hotel. Lima is the capital of Peru. Lies, along the country’s dry Pacific coast. Lima blends a preserved center with the lively feel of a major South American city. Lima’s museums include Museo Larco, which holds a collection of art and Museo de la Nación, which shows the history of Peru’s ancient peoples. Lima is also called the capital of the Americas and Lima’s food ranges from ceviche and traditional coastal dishes to refined international cuisine. Several of Lima’s restaurants are recognized among the world’s best. After your transfer and guided help you can settle into your accommodation for the night.

Accommodation: Casa Republica | Garden Superior

At the schedule time, transfer from the Lima hotel to the airport for the flight to Arequipa. After arriving in Arequipa you will be transferred to the hotel. In the afternoon, begin a guided discovery of the city known locally as “The White City ” a name inspired by its gleaming buildings constructed from volcanic rock. The tour visits the UNESCO World Heritage‑listed Santa Catalina Monastery, the Main Square, the Complex of San Franscico and Arequipa Cathedral, one of the cathedrals in South America. Continue into Yanahuara, a Colonial district characterized by cobblestone streets, before reaching a viewpoint overlooking Arequipa and the three volcanoes of Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu. This private excursion is conducted with a guide and lasts approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Accommodation: Costa del Sol Arequipa | Superior Room

Leave Arequipa behind this morning. Head toward Chivay. The route will take you past the snow‑capped Misti, Chachani and Ampato volcanoes. The journey then leads into the Colca Valley and into the Colca Canyon. Colca Canyon is described as being thought to be twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Colca Canyon also houses a population of Andean Condors. Continue into the Andes. Pass Torja, Chucura and Patapampa. In these places you will see churches and Inca agricultural terraces. Along the way you will also find viewpoints such as Corporaque Viewpoint. In the late afternoon return to the village of Chivay for a stay. This excursion is a group service, with an English‑speaking guide and lasts about five hours.

Accommodation: Colca Lodge | Standard Room

After breakfast, head to Cruz del Condor, which is the best place to watch the huge Andean Condors as they rise from the valley using the warm air that comes up in the morning. After seeing the condors keep going through a series of villages while taking in the views and learning about the areas old pre-Inca, Inca and Colonial past. Go back to Chivay, where you can have lunch on your own. Then take a tourist bus to Puno. On the way, stop at Pampa Cañahuas to see vicuñas and at Lagunillas for birdwatching. The bus ride from Chivay to Puno lasts six hours. Once you arrive in Puno go to the hotel. The town is located along the edge of Lake Titicaca up, above 3,800 meters. It is called a town built on hills where Aymara culture and Quechua culture come together.

Accommodation: Casa Andina Premium | Superior.

At 7:00 a.m., transfer to the port and board a speedboat bound for Taquile Island. When you arrive, walk on a trail that was made before the Inca Empire. The trail is surrounded by views of the island. You will meet people who make textiles and learn about what the designs mean and how they have been passed down through generations. Spend three hours on Taquile. Then take a 25-minute trip to Santa Maria-Llachon, which’s at the end of the Capachica Peninsula. The people who live there speak Quechua. They have a special way of welcoming visitors. You will take part in an experience that focuses on their traditions and a very old ceremony. You will also see how Pachamanca is made. Pachamanca is a way of cooking meat, fish and potatoes in ovens that are dug into the ground. After that, you will have lunch. Then travel for 35 minutes to a quiet place inside the Lake Titicaca National Reserve. There you will visit Uros Ccapi, the real floating islands and these islands are not very busy and not very commercial. Leave for Puno at 3:25 p.m. Arrive around 4:30 p.m. This tour for a group of people from different countries takes about nine hours and includes a guide who speaks English. From December to March, there might be an option if there are not enough people going. From January to March the Pachamama ceremony might change depending on the weather.

Accommodation: Casa Andina Premium | Superior Room

Start your day with a transfer from your hotel in Puno to the airport for your flight to Cusco. Once you arrive in the city of Cusco, you will be taken to your hotel. In the afternoon, begin a walking tour that explores the rich history of Cusco. This tour follows the city’s journey from the time of the Inca Empire all the way through rule and up, to modern times. Among the highlights is the Koricancha Temple of the Sun, an Inca site included in the itinerary. You will also visit the 12-Angled Rock and then move on to the Cathedral, which was built upon the ruins of an Inca palace. The tour offers a view of the different historical layers found throughout the city. It is conducted privately with an English-speaking guide. Lasts about three hours. After the tour, return to the hotel.

Accommodation: Antigua Casona | Traditional Room

This morning, leave your hotel for a full-day trip through the Sacred Valley of the Incas a productive river valley that held important positions for strategy and worship during the time of the Incas. The first stop is Pisac, where the colonial village is located below the impressive hilltop ruins of Pisac, an Inca citadel and place of defense that is known for its farming steps. On days when the market’s open, people from nearby villages come dressed in traditional clothes to sell fruits, vegetables and items made by hand. Take some time walking around the market stalls before eating a buffet lunch at a local place to eat. Travel along the side of the Urubamba River to Ollantaytambo, a town that is controlled by a large Inca fortress and is considered one of the best examples of Inca city design that is still standing. At the end of the day, go to the Ollantaytambo station. Get on the train for a trip that takes about one hour and 30 minutes to reach Aguas Calientes. When you arrive, meet the hotel workers. Walk to the hotel. The train luggage is limited to one bag or backpack that weighs no more than 5 kg or 11 pounds and is no more than 62 inches, in total length.

Accommodation: El Mapi | Superior Deluxe.

Meet your guide in the hotel lobby. Then walk together to the station for the bus ride from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu. As soon as you arrive, you will see the first view of Machu Picchu. This ancient Inca site sits at 2,430 meters above sea level. It is perched on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley. You will explore the ruins and monuments with your English-speaking guide. The private tour lasts two hours and thirty minutes. The archaeological city is in a location. It is surrounded by cliffs on all sides. The Urubamba River flows on three sides of the site. Machu Picchu became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It was also named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. After the guided tour ends, you will go down by bus to Aguas Calientes. Then take a train to Ollantaytambo. From the train station, you will transfer back to your hotel in Cusco.

Accommodation: Antigua Casona | Traditional Room

After breakfast, stay in Cusco for the rest of the program until the transfer time. Then you will be picked up. Taken to the airport for the flight, to Lima, which ends the services in the 9-day 8-night Highlights of Peru itinerary. The flight is not included in the package price because domestic flights are excluded. This final transfer ends the journey.

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