Southern Peru

DAY 01

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 02

LIMA: CITY TOUR + FLIGHT FROM LIMA 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 03

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 04

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 05

COLCA CANYON – CRUZ CONDOR / BUS TO PUNO

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.

We depart at 1:15 p.m. from Chivay to Puno. Along the way, we’ll make a few stops at places like the “Patapampa” volcano viewpoint; we’ll also pass through Tocrapampa, a wetland area where you can see South American camelids. We’ll reach Patahuasi and stop at “Lagunillas,” a viewpoint where we can admire lakes that look like mirrors and serve as a habitat for flamingos and other birds. Our final stop will be in Puno at approximately 7:00 pm.

• Overnight stay in Puno at the Hotel Intica or similar.

DAY 06

LAKE PUNO TITICACA, THE UROS FLOATING ISLANDS, AND TAQUILE ISLAND

Early in the morning at 7:15 a.m., we’ll enjoy an unforgettable boat tour on Lake Titicaca to the unique “floating islands” of the Uros.

We continue our boat trip to Taquile Island, where the textiles are considered among the finest in Peru. After lunch at a local inn on Taquile, we’ll enjoy traditional local dishes and a presentation of the islanders’ dances, crafts, and customs.

In the afternoon, I'll return to Puno at approximately 3:00 p.m.

• Overnight stay in Puno at the Hotel Intica or similar.

DAY 07

THE ROUTE OF THE SUN / BUS FROM PUNO TO CUSCO

Breakfast. Early departure by bus to Cusco at approximately 7:00 a.m.

We traveled across the Collao Plateau, stopping in the city of Ayaviri—an important center for livestock and textiles—to visit the impressive Kalasasaya Temple, the remains of the ancient Pucara culture.

A few kilometers further on, we’ll pass by La Raya Ranch, where we can see herds of vicuñas and llamas. During the trip, we’ll come across the famous snow-capped Chimboya Mountain, the source of the Amazon River, and there will be time for photos.

Buffet lunch at a quiet country restaurant, where we can enjoy the region's delicious cuisine.

Along the way, we'll stop at Raqchi, where we'll see a spectacular Inca sanctuary built by the Inca Pachacutec and dedicated to the great Inca god Wiracocha.

It has a large central wall with a stone base featuring intricate Inca architecture. The other walls are made of giant adobe bricks. The structure also has two circular side columns. Surrounding the temple are several buildings that were once used for housing and storage.

Then we headed to the beautiful town of Andahuaylillas and visited the Church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, better known as the "Sistine Chapel of the Americas" because of its polychrome ceiling.

Upon your arrival in Cusco at approximately 5:00 p.m., you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

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

Dinner is on you.

DAY 08

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 at a selected hotel in Cusco (Hotel Monasterio de San Pedro or similar)

DAY 09

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.

• Overnight stay in Aguas Calientes at the Hotel Pucara or similar.

DAY 10

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 11

FLIGHT FROM CUZCO TO LIMA OR INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION

After breakfast, you will be taken to the airport at the appropriate time for your flight to Lima or your home country.