LIMA, AREQUIPA, PUNO, CUSCO & INCA TRAIL

Day 1 : ARRIVAL LIMA (- / - / -)

A transportation service will pick you up from the airport at the scheduled time to transfer you to your hotel in Lima. The Peruvian capital is a modern metropolis full of history, currently undergoing an exciting process of cultural and economic changes.

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Lima.

Day 2 : LIMA – LARCO MUSEUM & CITY TOUR (B / - / -)

Wake up to breakfast at the hotel before hitting the streets of Lima’s old town; a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site packed with fascinating historical buildings. Start with the Larco Museum, located in the traditional Pueblo Libre district, which is housed in a beautifully restored viceregal mansion built on a pre-Columbian pyramid. The museum boasts the world’s most complete pre-Hispanic collection of gold and silver objects, as well as pieces of erotic art. Then visit Casa Aliaga, a colonial mansion granted in 1535 by chief conquistador Francisco Pizarro to Jeronimo de Aliaga, one of his captains. This is the only house from that time that to this day has always been owned by the same family.

Continue to a scenic tour in the colonial downtown, which originates and spreads out from the Main Square. Here you can appreciate the grandiose architecture of the Spanish Empire and be amazed by Lima´s Cathedral. Erected in the 16th century, this building took more than 80 years to complete. After the tour, you’ll be transferred back to the hotel.

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Lima.

Day 3 : LIMA – AREQUIPA / CITY TOUR AND MONASTERY OF SANTA CATALINA (B / - / -)

Go on a comfortable ride from your hotel to the airport of Lima to take a flight to Arequipa. At arrival in the city you will be transferred to the selected hotel. In the afternoon, it’s time to get to know the city. Start your journey in the main square, called 'Plaza de Armas'. Admire its elegant neo-Renaissance basilica cathedral and the sensational Monastery of Santa Catalina, which for centuries was a 'forbidden city' in the heart of Arequipa, closed to prying eyes and the influence of the outside world. The convent was founded in the 16th century, and it was an almost self-sufficient town, made up of houses for nuns and their servants, cloisters, squares and narrow streets, kitchens and refectories, among others. The families of the nuns paid large sums of money for their daughters to be admitted, which increased the wealth and prestige of the place. Today, strolling through its colorful streets is like going back in time and allows you to understand colonial Peru.

Continue until you reach the Church of the Company, perhaps the greatest masterpiece of Peruvian baroque, where you can analyze its fascinating facade. The sacristy is exceptionally beautiful, thanks to its dome and walls covered with murals that show tropical flora and fauna. The Jesuit seminary is well known for its beautiful main cloister.

Finally, head to the neighborhoods of Yanahuara and Carmen Alto, where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the Misti volcano, which rises above the city. In the end, you will be transferred to your hotel.

*Church dress code: During the visit sleeveless and / or low-cut garments, shorts above the knee, and miniskirts are not permitted, otherwise their entrance will be denied.

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Arequipa.

Day 4 : AREQUIPA – COLCA VALLEY (B / L / -)

After finishing your breakfast at the hotel, it is time to say goodbye to Arequipa and head to the Colca Valley. The route will take you through the Yura district, an area characterized by impressive geographical features, ranging from deep ravines to high mountains, waterfalls and lush vegetation.

The route continues to the Pampa Cañahuas. This extensive Andean plateau is home to the vicuña, an indigenous Andean camelid that is closely related to the alpaca, guanaco, and llama. Cross the pampas of Viscachani and Toccra and skirt the crater of the now-extinct Chucura Volcano to reach the Mirador de los Andes at Patapampa, 4,910 meters above sea level. This viewpoint offers impressive views of the numerous volcanoes surrounding Arequipa. Enjoy lunch in the picturesque town of Chivay before being transferred to your selected hotel in the Colca Valley for a free afternoon

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Colca.

Day 5 : COLCA VALLEY (B / L / -)

After breakfast at the hotel, prepare for a day of high drama with a trip to the breathtaking Condor Cross lookout. Take a deep breath and appreciate the sheer vastness of the Colca Valley, which is one of the world's deepest canyons with a maximum depth of more than 4,160 metres – twice that of the Grand Canyon. The thrill of the experience is enhanced by the natural spectacle of huge condors flying over the canyon. Watch in awe as these graceful birds of prey glide over the canyon, patrolling it with military discipline. Descend to the valley floor to discover some of the rustic towns on the banks of the River Colca such as Chivay, Pinchollo, Maca, Achoma and Yanque, where quaint colonial churches are as much as part of the scenery as the peaks of the Andes. There are also stops at the lookouts of Antahuilque and Choquetico to admire majestic views of the valley.

Continue to the Ocolle lookout to admire ‘the Amphitheatre’, a collection of pre-Inca terraces that demonstrate the impressive agricultural technology of the past, and then visit the Uyo Uyo archaeological site before returning to your hotel for the night.

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Colca. 

Day 6 : COLCA VALLEY – PUNO (B / L / -)

Start the day with a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and then take advantage of your free morning to enjoy the hotel facilities. In the afternoon, we will begin our journey to Puno. The route cuts through the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve and takes in the stunning stone forests of Patahuasi. The landscapes and scenery are both dramatic and enchanting; you will pass high plains, volcanoes, unusual rock formations and even lagoons, where you can spot cranes drying their wings above the water. There are several viewpoints, remote cafés that offer visitors coca tea and artisans selling traditional textiles and handicrafts along the route.

On arrival in Puno, you will be transferred to your hotel

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Puno.

Day 7 | PUNO: UROS & TAQUILE (B / L / -)

After breakfast at the hotel, travel to the port of Puno where a boat will be waiting to take you to the beautiful Uros Islands. The Uros are an indigenous people of Peru that live on a series of human-made islands, created entirely from the buoyant totora reeds that grow abundantly in the shallows of the lake. The islands are composed of layers of woven totora, which are regularly replenished from the top as they rot from the bottom. The Uros people also use reeds to construct their homes, so cooking is done outdoors to avoid possible fires!

After visiting this fascinating island, sail to Taquile, a small slice of heaven that once belonged to the Inca Empire. Look around and notice traces of its Incan past in the ruins that still exist around the island. After a brief introduction, the local community will give you an insight into their customs and traditions with a cultural demonstration. Lunch is enjoyed on the island before the return trip to Puno.

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Puno.

Day 8 : PUNO – CUSCO (B / L / -)

After breakfast at the hotel, a transportation service will transfer you to the bus station, where a representative will help you catch your bus to Cusco. On the way, you’ll make some interesting stops. The first is the town of Pucara and the Pucara Lithic Museum. This was the first urban settlement on Lake Titicaca, established between 100 and 300 A.D.

After a brief break at La Raya, the highest point of the trip between Puno and Cusco at the dizzying altitude of 4,313 metres above sea level, the bus stops at Sicuani for lunch. We then head on to Racchi, home to the Wiracocha Temple, an Inca site built in honour of a powerful Andean god. The rectangular construction boasts thatched rooftops 20 metres above the ground; these are thought to be the highest in the Inca Empire. Later, visit Andahuaylillas, a town located around 40 kilometers away from Cusco. The main attraction here is the local church, known as the “Sistine Chapel of America” owing to the high quality of art found inside. The church was built during the 16th century on top of Wari remains.

Afterwards, a last 40-kilometer drive gets you to Cusco, today’s final destination.

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Cusco.

Day 9 : CUSCO: CITY TOUR AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES (B / - / -)

After breakfast at the hotel, take advantage of your free morning in Cusco to rest at the hotel or to explore its cobblestoned streets and shop for local handicrafts. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of the former capital of the Inca Empire.

The tour starts with a visit to Santo Domingo Convent, a large Renaissance-baroque complex, which was built over the Inca Coricancha temple. It was one of the most important temples dedicated to worshiping the sun, and its foundations are still prominent at the base of the convent. Ancient chronicles say the temple was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. Then, visit the Cathedral, the most imposing monument of the Main Square. Head to the hills above Cusco to visit the remains of the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, whose impressive ramparts offer a stunning panoramic view of Cusco, and the ruins of the temple and amphitheater of Qenqo, where it is believed the Incas practiced agricultural rituals. Admire Qenqo and then finally visit Puka Pukara (‘Red fortress’ in Quechua) an Inca military complex located on a prominent hill. Its dwelling squares, bathrooms, aqueducts, walls, and towers can still be appreciated.

Afterwards, return to your hotel.

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Cusco.

Day 10 | CUSCO – SACRED VALLEY: CHINCHERO, LIVING MUSEUM OF YUCAY AND OLLANTAYTAMBO (B/ L / -)

During the morning, you are picked up from your hotel to visit the town of Chinchero, a traditional Cusco urban center located at an elevated point with a beautiful view of the valley. The inhabitants of this area preserve the artisan traditions and the inherited knowledge of the Incas and display them in their clothes and customs. In Chinchero there are also archaeological remains and a beautiful seventeenth-century church, one of the first Catholic buildings in Peru.

Then, you are transferred to the Living Museum of Yucay, an Andean traditions interpretation center with demonstrations of the production of textile work, adobe, pottery and silverware, following the techniques used by the ancestors. Also, residents of the museum include llamas, sheep and alpacas, and they can be fed! Visit the town of Ollantaytambo upon your arrival - inhabited uninterruptedly since Inca times - and have a superior Andean gastronomy experience in a restaurant. Fell the true spirit of the Sacred Valley, transmitted in a cozy atmosphere!

Later, climb the iconic fortress, built next to a mountain and then you are transferred back to your hotel. 

*On Sundays, also visit the local market.

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Day 11 : CUSCO – INCA TRAIL – MACHU PICCHU (B / LB / -)

During the morning, you will be transferred to km. 104 (the starting point of the hike). After crossing the suspension bridge over the Urubamba River, visit the archaeological site of Chachabamba (2,150m / 7,052ft). From here, hike upwards for about 8km (approximately 4 hours) and arrive in the magnificent archaeological site of Wiñayhuayna (2,700m), an impressive complex made up of an agricultural center with numerous terraces, a religious area as well as an urban sector.

On the way, appreciate the vegetation of the forest. After having a box lunch, continue for about one hour further onto Inti Punku (The Sun gate) at 2,730m (8,792ft), from where you will have your first impressive view of Machu Picchu (2,430m / 7,972ft). Later, start your descent to Aguas Calientes where you will check into your accommodation.

*Due to the citadel’s limited capacity, we recommend that you confirm your booking as soon as possible to proceed with the tickets purchase. Tickets are subject to availability.

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town).

Day 12 : AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU -  CUSCO (B / L / -)

After an early breakfast we will take the bus back up to Machu Picchu. A guided tour explains the origins behind this awe-inspiring citadel, presenting its most prominent landmarks. After lunch, when you are ready, board the train back. The trip by train will take an hour and a half and it will take you back to Ollantaytambo, where our transportation will accompany you back to your hotel in Cusco. 

*Level: Moderate
*Maximum altitude: Inti Punku 9005 feet | 2745 600 m a.s.l.
*Walking distance: 12 km - 8 miles

▪    Overnight at the selected hotel in Cusco.

Day 13 : DEPARTURE CUSCO (B / - / -)

You will be transferred to the Cusco airport to take your departure flight.