Arequipa – Cusco

DAY 1

LIMA – INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS

Upon your arrival at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, a representative from our agency will greet you and hand you your voucher with the full itinerary, and will give you a brief overview of the experience you are about to begin. We will then transfer you to your selected hotel.

• Overnight stay in Lima at the Hotel Las Palmas or similar.

DAY 2

LIMA: CITY TOUR + FLIGHT TO AREQUIPA

After breakfast at your lodging, we’ll begin a guided tour of the most attractive and important sites in Lima, “The City of Kings.”

We’ll start by picking you up at your hotel at 9:00 a.m. Our tour will take you to Lima’s impressive historic center, where you’ll see Plaza Grau, the Palace of Justice, Plaza San Martín, and the Baroque-style Church of San Francisco de Asís, where you’ll also see the catacombs that were once used as an ancient cemetery.

We will then take you to Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, where you will board your flight to Arequipa. Upon arrival, someone will be waiting to take you to your selected accommodations.

• Overnight stay in Arequipa at the Hotel Soleil or similar.

DAY 3

AREQUIPA: CITY TOUR AND THE MONASTERY OF SANTA CATALINA

In the afternoon, at 2:00 p.m., we will pick you up at your hotel for a walking tour of the city of Arequipa, which includes the Plaza de Armas—one of the most beautiful squares in Peru—the Church of La Compañía, the San Camilo Market, the Church of San Francisco, the San Lázaro neighborhood, and we’ll conclude with a visit to the Monastery of Santa Catalina. Afterward, we’ll return to the hotel.

• Overnight stay in Arequipa at the Hotel Soleil or similar.

DAY 4

AREQUIPA – COLCA CANYON – CHIVAY

We begin our tour from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. by picking up passengers from their respective accommodations and then heading to the town of Chivay (approximately 4 hours), passing through Pampa Cañahuas and observing the vicuñas, llamas, alpacas, and migratory birds.

Our first stop will be in Patahuasi, where we'll enjoy a hot drink to help our bodies adjust to the altitude.

We will then continue the tour, taking in the small lakes and wetlands of Toqcrapampa, before arriving at the highest point of the route, Patapampa (4,910 meters above sea level), also known as the Volcanoes Viewpoint, since the volcanic range can be seen from there.

Then we'll head down to the town of Chivay, where we'll have plenty of time to enjoy a delicious buffet lunch and check into our respective accommodations.

In the afternoon, we will visit the hot springs (15 minutes from Chivay), whose medicinal waters range in temperature from 38°C to 40°C, where we will spend about an hour.

In the evening, we’ll enjoy dinner accompanied by a folk dance troupe, where we’ll have the chance to join in these beautiful traditional dances from the Colca Valley.

• Spend the night in Colca at the Hotel Samana or a similar hotel.
• Includes lunch and dinner.

DAY 5

COLCA CANYON CRUZ CONDOR

Very early in the morning, we’ll have breakfast at our hotels and then head to Cruz del Cóndor, where we’ll be able to admire the Colca Canyon and watch the condor (the largest bird in the Andes) in flight.

We will then return, stopping at various lookout points such as Wayra Punko, Choquetico, and Antahuilque. Along the way, we will enjoy a panoramic view of the Colca Valley and observe the daily activities of the local residents.

Upon arriving in Chivay, we'll head to the restaurant where we'll enjoy a delicious buffet lunch.

After lunch, we will begin our return trip to the city of Arequipa, arriving at approximately 7:00 p.m. Overnight stay at the selected hotel.

• Overnight stay in Arequipa at the Hotel Soleil or similar.
• Lunch is included.

DAY 06

AREQUIPA – CUSCO

After breakfast, we will take you to the airport for your flight to Cusco. You will be met upon arrival in Cusco and transferred to your accommodations.

• Overnight stay in Cusco at the Hotel Monasterio de San Pedro or similar.

DAY 07

CUSCO CITY TOUR AND NEARBY RUINS (KENKO-PUCA-PUCARA, TAMBOMACHAY, SACSAYHUAMAN

At 2:00 p.m., we will tour the city of Cusco, visiting the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and the Temple of the Sun, or Korikancha.

Next, we’ll leave the city to visit the Inca sites of Kenko, Tambomachay, Puca Pucara, and the impressive fortress of Sacsayhuaman. Strategically built on a hill overlooking Cusco, it is famous for its enormous carved stones, fitted together with astonishing precision to form the outer walls. Some of these stones are over 9 m / 30 feet tall and weigh more than 350 metric tons.

• Overnight stay in Cusco at the Hotel Monasterio de San Pedro or similar.

DAY 08

CUSCO, SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS – AGUAS CALIENTES

We will begin our tour of the “Sacred Valley of the Incas” at 7:30 a.m., a series of picturesque villages, agricultural terraces, and archaeological sites. The traditional Indian market in Pisac.

In the afternoon, we'll pass through the towns of Calca and Urubamba on our way to the Inca Fortress and the Citadel of Ollantaytambo.

Along the way, we’ll visit the picturesque Andean village of Chinchero, home to the ruins of what was once the royal estate of Túpac Inca Yupanqui. We’ll admire its well-preserved Inca Wall in the Plaza de Armas.

We will visit the beautiful colonial temple built on Inca foundations, with interesting frescoes in the portico. We will continue on to Aguas Calientes to spend the night.

• Lunch included in Urumbamba.
• Overnight stay in Aguas Calientes at Hotel Pucara or similar.

DAY 09

MACHU PICCHU: THE LOST CITY OF THE INCAS

The day begins with an early morning hike to the famous Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, also known as “The Lost City of the Incas.”

A 30-minute bus ride up a 6-km winding road to the incredible Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, we’ll take a guided tour of the citadel.

After the tour, you'll have time to explore the archaeological site on your own. Lunch in the town of Aguas Calientes.

Return to Cuzco.

• Overnight stay in Cusco at the Hotel Monasterio de San Pedro or similar.

DAY 10

FLIGHT FROM CUSCO TO LIMA

After breakfast, we will take you to the airport to board your flight to Lima.

Arrival in Lima and international connecting flight. We recommend booking an afternoon or evening flight for your INTERNATIONAL CONNECTING FLIGHT. END OF SERVICE.