A visit to Machu Picchu offers much more than a chance to see one of the 7 New Wonders of the World.
This program offers 9 days of delightful experiences on a journey to Peru’s most iconic attractions: 4 cities with enormous historical, cultural, gastronomic and artisanal riche.
This is a delight that no lover of biological diversity should miss. Paracas is located just three and a half hours from Lima via the Panamericana Sur highway.
Take advantage of your time in Cuzco by making a trip to one of Peru’s most extensive and unspoiled areas of jungle.
A visit to Machu Picchu offers much more than a chance to see one of the 7 New Wonders of the World. It is also a great opportunity to experience the impressive magnetic attraction of the city of Cuzco, with its folkloric traditions, fine cuisine and expertly made handcrafts. This program also includes an introduction to the colonial center of Lima, with its balconies and churches, as well as modern districts like San Isidro and Miraflores, with its parks and views of the Pacific Ocean. From Lima it is a short flight to Cuzco, from where Machu Picchu can be accessed on a trip that offers more than tourist sights, with its focus on incomparable living culture that no travel should miss.
Upon arrival in Lima you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel. With its mild climate, the Peruvian capital is a hospitable, interesting and gourmet city.
Breakfast.
Transport to the airport, flight to Cuzco, arrival and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon visit of the city of Cuzco, with its colonial buildings constructed over Inca palaces. We will visit the Plaza de Armas, the Korikancha or the temple of the Sun, which was the principal Inca religious building. You will then visit the important Inca archaeological sites of Sacsayhuaman (a great fortress), Qenko (oracle, sacred shrine), Puka Pukara (administrative center) and Tambomachay (ceremonial baths).
Breakfast.
During this full-day excursion you will visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a place of incomparable beauty. The trip begins in Pisac, an exquisite little town of narrow, cobbled streets and wood-burning ovens. Above the town can be seen the agricultural terraces and stone structures of the Inca settlement of the same name. This community is famous for its craft market, where elaborate blankets, alpaca clothing and other handcrafts can be seen and purchased. You will enjoy a rustic lunch dominated by the aroma of corn that characterizes the valley. The charming village of Ollantaytambo marks the end of the Sacred Valley. Located at an altitude of 9 022 feet / 2 750 meters, Ollantaytambo has a mild climate. Visitors who walk its streets can imagine themselves transported back for a moment to the past, so strong is the Inca presence here. The upper part of the village is dominated by a fabulous temple which also served as a fortress. Return to Cuzco.
Breakfast.
Today you will leave Cuzco by train to visit «the lost city of the Incas», discovered in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Recently declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu is certainly one of those places everyone should visit at some point in their life. You will have lunch in a local restaurant in the small town of Aguas Calientes before making the return journey by train to Cuzco, where you will be transferred to your hotel.
Breakfast.
Transfert to the airport to take the flight to Lima. Arrival and transfer to the city to continue with the visit of the historical center: a panoramic tour to see the most important and attractive places of Lima: Plaza San Martin, Plaza Mayor (Main Square), Government Palace, the Cathedral, Archbishop’s Palace, City Hall, Santo Domingo Church and old streets with colonial mansions and Moorish balconies. You will visit the Convent and Church of San Francisco with its famous catacombs. The tour extends to residential areas of San Isidro with Olivar Park and Miraflores with the Central Park. At proper time, transfer to the airport for your international departure.
This program offers 9 days of delightful experiences on a journey to Peru’s most iconic attractions: 4 cities with enormous historical, cultural, gastronomic and artisanal riches: Lima is known as the gastronomic capital of the Americas, and offers visitors its colonial center as well as modern districts with pleasant green areas and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean; situated on the banks of the Chili River and dominated by the volcanic cone of El Misti, Arequipa has conserved its historic center and colonial feel, which can be best appreciated by visiting the famous Santa Catalina convent; Puno is situated on the shores of the highest navigable lake in the world, Titicaca lake, where travelers can visit the islands of the Uros and Taquile; the journey overland from Puno to Cuzco offers the chance to visit three interesting villages along the way. The city of Cuzco has retained the splendor of the ancient Inca empire, and beyond the city lies the beautiful Sacred Valley, with its picturesque market in the village, and major archaeological remains at Ollantaytambo, from where a short rail journey takes visitors to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas.
Upon arrival in Lima you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel. With its mild climate, the Peruvian capital is a hospitable, interesting and gourmet city. In the afternoon we will visit colonial Lima; the tour includes the main attractions of Lima, including Plaza San Martín, the Main Square, Government Palace, Cathedral, Archbishop’s Palace, Municipal Palace, Santo Domingo Church and the old streets with their colonial mansions and Moorish style balconies. You will also visit the church and convent of San Francisco, with its famous catacombs. The tour also includes the residential areas of San Isidro, with the El Olivar Park, and Miraflores, with its Central Park.
Breakfast.
You will be transferred to the airport in the morning for the flight to Arequipa, a city surrounded by imposing volcanoes. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon you will visit the city, one of the best conserved in all Peru. The tour includes Santa Catalina convent, which dates from the 16th century and is a true jewel of the colonial period.
Breakfast.
In the morning you will be transferred to the station for the bus from Arequipa to Juliaca. This is a 5 hour trip through the imposing scenery of the high Andes. Upon your arrival at Juliaca bus station, you will be met by the guide who will escort you on a visit to the famous funerary towers of Sillustani. The beautiful setting of lake Umayo, below the archaeological site, contributes to the overall splendor of the site. From here we will continue to the city of Puno, home to a predominantly indigenous population.
Upon arrival you will transferred to your hotel.
Breakfast.
Today will be devoted to a full-day excursion on Titicaca lake, the sacred lake of the Incas. You will visit the unique floating islands of the Uros Indians, whose existence is based on their use of the local totora reed. From here you will continue to Taquile, an island of marvelous forms and colors at the heart of Titicaca lake. The steel blue of the lake contrasts with the green fields and red flowers of the island, while the horizon is dominated by the majestic peaks of the Cordillera Real, in Bolivia. The inhabitants of Taquile are expert weavers. Lunch is included.
Breakfast.
In the morning you will be transferred to the bus station for the journey to the city of Cuzco.
This is a very interesting route. We cross vast grasslands before reaching the valley of the Vilcanota river, the sacred waterway of the Incas. Our route takes us past the picturesque villages of Pucara, Tinta (home of the celebrated revolutionary figure Tupac Amaru) and Urcos. We will arrive in Cuzco in the afternoon. This is the archaeological capital of the Americas, and the starting point for our visit to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel.
Lunch is included.
Breakfast.
You will have the morning free to enjoy this magical city. In the afternoon, you will visit the Main Square, certainly one of the most beautiful city squares in the world. The architecture of the Incas and the Spaniards is exquisitely combined, particularly in the case of the Dominican church of Santo Domingo, built over the walls of Koricancha or the Inca temple of the sun. You will then visit the important Inca archaeological sites of Sacsayhuaman (a great fortress), Qenko (oracle, sacred shrine), Puka Pukara (administrative center) and Tambomachay (ceremonial baths).
Breakfast.
Today you will leave Cuzco by train to visit «the lost city of the Incas», discovered in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Recently declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu is certainly one of those places everyone should visit at some point in their life. You will have lunch in a local restaurant in the small town of Aguas Calientes before making the return journey by train to Cuzco, where you will be transferred to your hotel.
Breakfast.
During this full-day excursion you will visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a place of incomparable beauty. The trip begins in Pisac, an exquisite little town of narrow, cobbled streets and wood-burning ovens. Above the town can be seen the agricultural terraces and stone structures of the Inca settlement of the same name. This community is famous for its craft market, where elaborate blankets, alpaca clothing and other handcrafts can be seen and purchased. You will enjoy a rustic lunch dominated by the aroma of corn that characterizes the valley. The charming village of Ollantaytambo marks the end of the Sacred Valley. Located at an altitude of 9 022 feet / 2 750 meters, Ollantaytambo has a mild climate. Visitors who walk its streets can imagine themselves transported back for a moment to the past, so strong is the Inca presence here. The upper part of the village is dominated by a fabulous temple which also served as a fortress. Return to Cuzco.
Breakfast.
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima and connecting international flight.
This is a delight that no lover of biological diversity should miss. Paracas is located just three and a half hours from Lima via the Panamericana Sur highway. This was once the home of a powerful pre-Inca culture that produced magnificent textiles. Paracas is situated in the province of Pisco, where Peru’s national drink was first produced: the white grape brandy known as Pisco. At the local port, we will board a motorboat for a two-hour excursion to the Ballestas Islands, home to hundreds of seals and thousands of birds, including cormorants and Inca terns, as well as dolphins and Humboldt penguins. From Pisco two optional excursions are available: a flight over the Nazca Lines; or an exciting dune buggy ride in the desert.
You will be transferred to the station for the scheduled bus service to Paracas, which leaves at 07:00 hrs. (this journey takes 3 hours and 30 minutes). Easily accessible from Lima, Paracas is a delight which should not be missed by those who love biodiversity. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. Afternoon at leisure.
Dinner and overnight.
Approximately 13.67 miles / 22 km from Nazca, along the edges of the Panamericana Highway, are the famous Nazca Lines, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. What is most incredible about these outlines of a hummingbird, monkey, whale, spider, dog and humanoid, as well as other enigmatic designs, is the fact that they can only be fully appreciated from the air.
Breakfast.
You will leave in the morning by motorboat for the Ballestas Islands. This is a two-hour excursion. During the trip you will be able to observe the «Candelabro», a figure etched into the Paracas peninsula that resembles an enormous trident, the origin of which remains a mystery. The Ballestas Islands are home to hundreds of seals and thousands of birds, including cormorants and Inca terns. With luck, you may even spot dolphins and Humboldt penguins.
Dinner and overnight.
A drive through the deserts of Ica by dune buggy will enable us to access the remote areas composed of small rocky hills between 5 and 25 meters in height that surround the valley, and enjoy all the emotion of an exciting adventure. This excursion includes sandboarding, which can be practiced on any one of a number of dunes.
Breakfast.
In the morning you will be escorted to the station for the return scheduled bus ride to the city of Lima.
Take advantage of your time in Cuzco by making a trip to one of Peru’s most extensive and unspoiled areas of jungle. The Madre de Dios region, known as the biodiversity capital of the world, is home to some of the most remarkable natural areas in Peru: Manu National Park and the Tambopata National Reserve. In these protected natural areas, visitors can enjoy the wonders of nature in comfort, particularly in the Tambopata Reserve, which offers a choice of comfortable lodges located on the riverbank, including Hacienda Concepcion, where guests can enjoy delicious meals and fascinating walks in the forest, or visit Sandoval lake, home to many endangered species. This lodge also offers nocturnal canoe trips and the 7 rope bridges which form a canopy walk, 100 feet / 30 meters above the ground in the treetops, where many species of monkeys and birds can be observed.
The trip begins with your arrival at Puerto Maldonado. Allow yourself to be surrounded by the jungle as you travel by motorized canoe along the Madre de Dios River as far as Hacienda Concepcion (approximately 25 minutes downriver). Enjoy a buffet lunch made from organic ingredients with all the flavors of the forest. After lunch you will walk the Concepcion Trails. A series of nature trails surrounds the lodge, and as you discover them for yourself you will learn more about the primary and secondary forest, its component parts, uses, the transformations made by mankind, and the relevance of the forest for the world. After sundown, take a canoe excursion on the river by night. Navigating the Madre de Dios river, you will learn about its ecosystems, Amazonian valleys, the behavior of nocturnal fauna, and the constellations of the southern hemisphere. That evening dinner will be served in the lodge’s dining room.
New emotions await you, and after a nutritious buffet breakfast it will be time to prepare for a long walk through the Tambopata National Reserve as far as Sandoval lake. Here you will begin to understand why the Madre de Dios region is known throughout the world as the biodiversity capital of Peru. You will learn about the conservation work being undertaken within the reserve and discover how the lake was formed as we explore the entire length of this body of water, home to the endangered giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), the blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), the howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus), the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) and one of the world’s largest fresh water fish, the paiche (Arapaima gigas). You will return to the lodge at lunchtime. Later, it will be time to prepare again, this time for the canopy walkway and the Anaconda Trail. A 20 minute trip by motorized canoe will take you to the Canopy Visitors’ Center, where you will learn about the construction of the canopy walk. It will then be time to climb one of the 98 feet towers (30 meters) and cross the 7 suspension bridges that connect the 91 feet (28 meters) treetops. Enjoy the majestic views and take the opportunity to observe red-billed toucans (Ramphastos tucanus), hummingbirds, trogons, squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) and three-toed sloths (Choleopus hoffmani). After returning to ground level, you will continue to enjoy the incredible atmosphere of the primary forest as we take 30 minutes to cross the 656 feet / 200 meters long wooden bridge that crosses the wetlands. You will return to the lodge to enjoy our evening meal.
Enjoy a nutritious buffet breakfast before setting off. This morning you will travel by motorized canoe back to Puerto Maldonado, where you will visit the Inkaterra Lounge (Butterfly Garden). Here you will be able to relax as you wait for your flight to Lima.
