Day 1: Lima
Arrival in Lima, reception and transfer to your hotel.
Day 2: Lima – Cusco
Flight to Cusco, the ancient Capital of the Incas. Your guided tour of Cusco includes a visit to the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay, Qenqo, the Qoricancha Sun Temple (Santo Domingo Temple), dinner and a traditional dance show in the evening, overnight accommodation.
Day 3: Cusco – Sacred Valley – Aguas Calientes
We’ll start the morning off with an excursion to Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with a visit to the market of Pisac followed by a trip to the ancient Inca ruins above the town. We’ll have lunch before continuing the tour to Ollantaytambo, the only Inca site to have been successfully defended against the Spanish invaders. We’ll end the day with a train journey to Aguas Calientes and overnight accommodation.
Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
After your early breakfast, we’ll enjoy a full day’s guided tour of Machu Picchu, the jewel of South American archeology. You’ll have free time to enjoy this unforgettable site, then return to Cusco on the afternoon train. This is the last night in Cusco.
Day 5: Cusco – Puno
We’ll depart by private vehicle to Puno, the city on the western shores of Lake Titicaca. We will visit several Inca ruins on the way there, including the remains of the great Temple of Wiracocha at Raqchi. We’ll also stop at La Raya, the highest pass along the way, before arriving in Puno and your hotel for overnight accommodation.
Day 6: Puno – Lake Titicaca
After breakfast, we’ll head to the port for a boat trip on Lake Titicaca to the Uros Islands. These are floating man-made islands created from reeds stacked several meters thick and are still home to many local families. We’ll follow this up with a visit to Taquile Island, home to an indigenous Aymara community, before returning in the afternoon to your hotel in Puno.
Day 7: Puno – Arequipa
A morning transfer to the Juliaca airport to catch a flight to Arequipa, known as the “White City” and as one of the most beautiful cities in Peru. Here our tour will include the 16th century convent, built entirely of volcanic rock, and views of Misti, the volcano standing as a sentinel behind this colonial city. Overnight accommodation in a local hotel.
Day 8: Arequipa – Colca Canyon
After breakfast we will drive through sweeping Andean landscapes towards the Colca Canyon, all the while catching glimpses of wild alpacas, vicuñas and guanacos (all llama relatives) in their natural habitat. We’ll arrive in Chivay, the main town near the canyon, in time for lunch. Transfer to your hotel, located in the canyon itself, with the afternoon free for leisure time.
Day 9: Colca Canyon – Arequipa
An early start today to visit the Colca Canyon, the second deepest in the world (the deepest canyon, Cotahuasi, lies only a few kilometers from here). We’ll also have an opportunity to see the huge Condor (vultur griffus), the world’s largest flying bird, before returning to Arequipa and our hotel.
Day 10: Arequipa – Lima
We’ll catch our return flight to Lima and enjoy the rest of our free leisure day and a scrumptious farewell dinner.
Day 11: Lima
Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
