Day 1 : Arrival in Peru

Arrival of the international flight to Lima.

Pick up from the airport and transfer to the Hotel.

Overnight in Lima.

Possible connexion to : Paracas, Ballestas and Nazca, the splendours of the South Coast, Pre-Colombian Civilizations of the North, Northern Jungle days program, Huaraz and the snow-capped Huascaran, Ayacucho, religious capital of Peru

Day 2 : Lima city (introduction day)

City tour & guided visit to the Archaeological and Anthropological National Museum.

Lima City Tour: Lima, City of Kings

This guided tour of Lima will help you to discover the most beautiful colonial and modern sites of this city. You will visit particularly the most imposing colonial churches and houses, like the Governmental Palace, the "Plaza Mayor", the Cathedral, the Monastery of San Francisco (17th Century), its library and its catacombs. The visit will be finished in the modern district of San Isidro, where you will visit the pre-Inca pyramid named Huaca Huallamarca and its museum, then you will continue towards Miraflores to appreciate the Pacific Ocean.

The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History

The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History (Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú) presents in a didactic and chronological way the vestiges of the ancient cultures in the Peruvian civilization. The most interesting collections are those of Chavín, Paracas, Nazca, Mochica, Huari, Chimú and finally the Inca cultures. The principal parts include the Raimondi Stele and the Tello Obelisk. By walking around this museum, you will admire different paintings, objects, documents and relics illustrating the colonial period, the emancipation, the process of independence and the republican period. This construction was the residence of the Pezuela and La Serna Viceroys and of José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar, liberators of Peru.

Overnight in Lima.

Possible connexion to : Paracas, Ballestas and Nazca, the splendours of the South Coast, Pre-Colombian Civilizations of the North, Northern Jungle days program, Huaraz and the snow-capped Huascaran, Ayacucho, religious capital of Peru

Day 3 : Arequipa city tour & surroundings

Transfer Hotel - Airport.

Flight Lima - Arequipa.

Transfer Airport - Hotel.

Visit of the city + visit of the Santa Catalina convent and the fields of Arequipa.

Free morning for the visit of the city

We propose you to visit the center of the city by your own during the morning. We will give you a plan proposing a pleasant circuit that enables you to discover the interesting monuments of the "white City". This suggested route lasts approximately two hours and includes the visit of the "Plaza de Armas", the Compañía church and its splendid chapels.

Visit of the Santa Catalina convent and of the Fields of Arequipa

This one half-day circuit (afternoon) begins with the visit of the famous and splendid Santa Catalina convent. It continues in the countryside that surround the "White City" which will let you to benefit from the sun and the greenery in the visits of the Sabandia Mill and of the «Mansión del Fundador». The visit of the typical town of Cayma and Yanahuara are also included because they offer a beautiful view of the Misti volcano.

Overnight in Arequipa.

Possible connexion to : Arequipa and the Flight of the Condor

Transport : Plane.

Day 4 : Puno and Sillustani

Transfer Hotel - Airport.

Flight Arequipa - Juliaca.

Transfer Airport - Hotel.

Visit of the Sillustani Ruins.

Sillustani Chullpas

In the afternoon we make an excursion in the pre-Inca Sillustani ruins, located in the margin of the Umayo Lake. This Inca cemetery is famous for its Chullpas, cylindrical funerary towers that were reserved for important members of the Tiahuanaco culture. This village of Sillustani was considered for all the Tiahuanacos as the religious capital.

Overnight in Puno.

Possible connexion to : Spending a night with local people in their own homes on the Amantani Island

Transport : Plane.

Day 5 : Puno, Titicaca lake & Islands

Titicaca lake + Uros Islands + Taquile Island.

The Titicaca Lake - the Lake where the legend borns!

Despite its impressive altitude (3.800 meters over the sea level) everyone can testify the great beauty of this navigable lake, the highest in the whole world! It is from those cold waters that the fist Incas: Manco Cápac and his wife Mama Ocllo, appeared called by their father the sun (Inti).

Excursion to Uros and Taquile Islands

After the breakfast we’ll leave the hotel and go towards the port. Before getting into the boat, you’ll have the chance to buy something to eat during this little trip.

The first part of this tour is going to be done over the Uros islands. We will arrive there after 40 minutes of being in the motored boat over the Titicaca Lake. We’ll appreciate the wonderful view of the lake and the city. The visit of these floating islands lasts approximately 40 minutes. These islands are made of reed ("totora") that the inhabitants collect in bundles. There you will see the traditional lifestyle of the inhabitants and admire their production of the craft industry.

Then, we’ll continue towards Taquile Island, located at 35 kilometers in the west of Puno. There we’ll appreciate the typical costumes of the inhabitants who still have a close relation with nature. They are known for their craft industry and their tradition of knitting or weaving (which you will be able to learn).

Overnight in Puno.

Possible connexion to : Cruise on the Titicaca Lake

Transport : Boat.

Day 6 : Cultural trip Puno - Cusco

Transfer Hotel - Bus Station.

Bus «First Class Cultural Express» Puno - Cuzco.

First Class Cultural Express

This trip in a first class bus from Puno to Cuzco lasts approximately 9 hours. During this way, we’ll have various stops in order to visit the important places such as Pucará, La Raya, Raqchi and Andahuaylillas. At Sicuani we’ll have a one-hour stop for the lunch.

Pucará has an archaeological center where you will visit a set of platforms in whose top we’ll find a partly underground temple. Many stone steles were discovered here. You will also visit the Santa Isabel church, built with pink sandstone and with one unfinished tower in order to avoid the tax of the real Spanish Crown.

La Raya is the climax of this trip (4.312 m.) and the border between Cuzco and Puno. In this area we’ll be able to find a great number of thermal springs and it is also from this place that the sacred sources of the Amazon will be found.

Raqchi is an archeological Inca place strongly influenced by the Tiahuanaco culture. Everyone can admire the temple dedicated to Wiracocha whose walls are made of stone base but covered with bricks of adobe.

Finally, we’ll arrive to Andahuaylillas, a small village with a very pleasant microclimate. It is known for its pretty colonial houses and especially for its church called the "Sixstine of Latin America".

Overnight in Cusco.

Transport : Bus.

Day 7 : Cusco city tour & surrounding ruins

City Tour of Cusco and Visit of the Surrounding Ruins

This walk around many churches and colonial houses of the center of the city will let you discover the exquisite art forms that were the result from the shock between the traditional and the western cultures. The paints in oil of the Cuzco school of the 17th century are particularly interesting.

Cuzco city offers many other interesting and marvelous centers which always attract the visitors: the cathedral; the "Plaza de Armas"; San Blas, city of the craftsmen; the Santo Domingo convent, built over the Temple of the Sun ("Koricancha"); the Inca’s Palaces and its court. And those constructions are just one part of the archaeological wonders of this city...

Then we’ll take the bus in order to visit all the surrounding Inca ruins in Cuzco: the Sacsayhuaman fortress, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay.

Overnight in Cusco.

Day 8 : Sacred Valley I

Visit to Pisac (Andean market every Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays), Urubamba (lunch) Ollantaytambo and Chinchero (Andean market).

Pisac

In the entrance of the Urubamba Valley we will find Pisac, a fantastic village where we can appreciate and distinguish the ancient part (archeological site) from the modern part with all its colonial characters. One of the principal attractions here is the traditional market where we can find a great variety of typical objects, ceramics and textiles from this area. We will admire their traditional clothing, full of color that belong not only the inhabitants of Pisac but also to many other people that come from different places of the Andes.

We can visit the ancient colonial church where every Sunday we’ll here a Mass in Quechua. The “Varayocs” (Local authorities from the different towns) participate in the celebration of this Mass dressed up in their traditional clothes carrying a scepter, heritage of their ancestors.

Furthermore, this visit will let us admire an original irrigation system and a beautiful Inca astronomical observatory.

Urubamba

Urubamba is placed in the middle of the Sacred Valley. This fertile and comfortable zone constitutes a very important pre-Hispanic agricultural center. We’ll have the opportunity to stay here for the lunch.

Ollantaytambo

The Ollantaytambo region, also known as “Tambo Valley”, is extended along the borders of the Vilcanota River and goes until Machu Picchu. We are going to visit the Ollantaytambo Fortress that domain this wonderful valley.

Chinchero

This town is also known by its famous Andean market, the only difference is that Chinchero is smaller but more rich in typical customs than Pisac and it offers a greater variety of textiles.

Return to Cusco.

Overnight in Cusco.

Day 9 : Sacred Valley II

Excursion to Maras and Moray.

Maras

Maras was an active town during the colony. The churches and houses present Andean decorations in their walls. In Maras, you’ll be able to participate in the extraction of salt. The spectacular and wonderful salt works are composed of more than 300 evaporation tubs where you’ll appreciate marvelous light effects. The inhabitants will explain you all the ancient procedures, but that still being used, you will be also able to be part of this activity helped by the inhabitants.

Moray

It is located 9 kilometers far away from Maras; here we can admire the creative irrigation system that consists in many circular “andenes” where the Incas used to try new agricultural methods. We will also have a magnificent view over the mountain range.

Return to Cusco.

Overnight in Cusco.

Day 10 : Machu Picchu, guided visit

Train Cuzco - Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes).

Private Visit of Machu Picchu

The Machu Picchu’s founders were really worried about the creation of an architectonic balance between the nature and all their constructions in a very difficult zone. They have used local materials in order to adapt their constructions to the different levels of this city. We can distinguish two different zones: The agricultural zone placed in the south and the urban zone placed in the north. Both have been constructed in the top of a hill.

The circuit begins very early in the morning by picking you up from your hotel to go towards the train station. This train trip of about 3 hours and a half across the Sacred Valley of the Incas will let us arrive until Aguas Calientes. There, your baggage are going to be send to your hotel while you take the bus towards the top of the mountain, to the famous Machu Picchu city.

This private guided visit will help you to discover all the magic that can be found here. You will visit particularly the «Plaza Principal», «El Mirador», «El Templo de las Tres Ventanas», and «the Intiwatana».

The visit of Machu Picchu includes lunch buffet.

Overnight in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu).

Transport : Train.

Day 11 : Machu Picchu day II

Free Morning.

Train Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes) - Cusco.

Overnight in Cusco.

Transport : Train.

Day 12 : Cusco, free day

Free day in Cusco.

Overnight in Cusco.

Possible connexion to : Discover the rainforest

Day 13 : Lima, Pachacamac Sanctuary and Larco Herrera Museum

Transfer Hotel - Airport.

Flight Cuzco - Lima.

Transfer Airport - Hotel.

Guided visit to the Larco Herrera Museum and Pachacamac.

Pachacamac

This archaeological complex is part of the Cultural World Heritage. It is one of the most important ceremonial centers of the national coast. A great quantity of pilgrims has deposited there many offerings or asked for advice to the ancient oracle. This place was dedicated exclusively to the adoration of the Pachacamac God, God of Fire and son of the Sun. This place has been occupied for more than 2000 years by many cultures like for example Wari, Lima, Ishmay and Inca, and everyone of them have leave us their story and their tracks. There we will appreciate many different pyramidal temples. This visit is going to last 3 hours and a half but during this time you will discover the Urpiwachak temple, attributed to the Lima culture (4th and 5th century), the «Templo Pintado» form the Ishmay culture, the Temple of the Sun, the Acllahuasi, and the «Plaza de los Peregrinos» that belong to the Incas.

Overnight in Lima.

Possible connexion to : Paracas, Ballestas and Nazca, the splendours of the South Coast, Pre-Colombian Civilizations of the North, Northern Jungle days program, Huaraz and the snow-capped Huascaran, Ayacucho, religious capital of Peru

Transport : Plane.

Day 14 : Last minute shopping and departure

Free day in Lima.

Transfer Hotel - Airport.

Return flight.