Description

This incredibly full tour is the complete package. On this super-extravaganza of an adventure you will visit every major tourist destination in southern Peru. You won’t have to worry about missing anything! Start in Lima, the City of Kings. Lima was actually founded by the Spanish Conquistador, Francisco Pizzaro, during the early part of the 16th century. You will travel back in time to see what Lima was like two thousand years ago, and you will get to know what makes modern Lima tick today. Visit the best neighborhoods, enjoy the best food, and feel the pulsing energy of this great South American capital city.

Then you will travel south along the Pacific coastline and visit the Ballestas Islands Nature Reserve. On these rocky islands, out in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of thousands of seabirds make their nests. The Humbolt Penguin is just one the species that you will see, along with seals and walruses, and maybe even some whales and dolphins.
Everybody has heard of the famous the Nazca Lines, but nobody has quite figured out why the folks here spent years constructing intricate drawings on the sand, drawings that could really only be seen from high up in the sky. You will the opportunity to fly over them, see them as they were meant to be seen, and come to your own conclusions.
The fabled White City, Arequipa, will be next on your next stop. This beautiful metropolis is called the White City because the principle buildings are all built out of the white stone called sillar that is produced and mined out of the snow-covered volcanoes which tower over the city like guardians spirits. Outside of Arequipa is the deepest canyon in the world, the Colca Canyon. When you reach the edge of this incredible gorge, you will stop at the Cross of the Condor Overlook where you will be able to view, up close, wild condors in flight.

From Arequipa you will head up to the Altiplano, to Puno, and to the legendary Lake Titicaca. There you will explore the real high country of Peru. Discover this magical, sapphire blue lake. Lake Titicaca is over a hundred miles long, and it is the highest navigable lake on the planet. The Lake’s history is shrouded in myths. You will be amazed by the islands and by the friendly people who live on these islands far out in middle of this watery wonderland.

After your adventure on that lake in the sky, follow the Route of the Sun until you arrive at the Belly Button of the World. Cusco was the capital city of the great Inca Empire. Finally, like a delicious dessert, like a cherry on top of a great big ice cream sundae, go to the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is One of the Seven Wonders of the World. The European invaders never found this Incan Citadel. It was covered over and hidden by dense jungle vegetation until it was re-discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. This fabulous site was constructed in an awe-inspiring location, and you can see it just the way the Incas left it, centuries ago.

FULL ITINERARY:

YOUR ARRIVAL IN PERU

When your plane lands in Lima, our team will be waiting at the Lima airport to welcome you. They will drive you straight to your hotel, help you check-in, and let you relax and get some rest after your long flight.
You will have the afternoon free to take advantage of the amenities of your hotel, or to do a little sight-seeing on your own.
You will spend the night at your Lima hotel.

CLASSIC TOUR OF LIMA (3.5 HRS) either in the morning or in the afternoon

Pick up from hotel, short ride and we´ll walk along the esplanade of Miraflores district, from the Love Park to the Lighthouse overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Next, we´ll have a panoramic view of the Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Inca ceremonial center that because of urban growth, it´s been reduced to less than the third part of its original extension. Then, we drive through El Olivar Park, one of Limeño´s favorite parks in the city. Later, we´ll go to the colonial part of Lima to walk for about 8 blocks (on a pedestrian street) from San Martin square to Main square. Free time to wander around important buildings and sculptural pieces like The Government Palace, The Cathedral, The City Hall and the bronze water fountain. Finally, we´ll visit the San Francisco Monastery and its famous subterranean crypts known as The Catacombs.

FLIGHT TO CUSCO- . In the afternoon we will visit the most important sites of interest within the city of Cusco Tour duration: 4 hours

After you have breakfast at your hotel we will pick you up and take you to the Lima airport for your early flight up to Cusco.

1:30 pm – Pick-up from your hotel. This tour begins with the impressive Cusco Cathedral, situated in the heart of the city: the Plaza de Armas. Next, we will visit Qoricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun. After this we will travel up to four archaeological sites situated on the hill above Cusco: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Pucapucara, and Tambomachay. Following the tour, we will travel back to the centre of Cusco, where you will be brought back to your hotel to relax.

Tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, ending the night in Aguascalientes (Machu Picchu town)

8:00 am – Pick-up from your hotel. From there we will begin our trip to the majestic Sacred Valley of the Incas, a natural valley dotted with indigenous communities and Inca ruins. Our first stop will be in the colourful town of Ccorao, where we will visit the Cochahuasi animal sanctuary, a place filled with condors, pumas, spectacled bears, llamas, alpacas, vicunas, and so on. From there we will continue on to the archaeological site of Pisac, where we will have an hour-long guided tour of the ruins situated high on a hill above the valley. Next, we will visit the traditional artisanal market in the town of Pisac, which is a great place to pick up souvenirs and gifts. Following our visit of the market, we will travel to the town of Urubamba, where we’ll stop to have our lunch. In the afternoon we will visit the famous living Inca village of Ollantaytambo, where we will have an hour-long guided tour of the ruins located on the edge of town. Finally, we will board the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguascalientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu, enjoying the spectacular views throughout this two-hour journey on the panoramic Vistadome train. Arriving in Machu Picchu, you will be brought to the hotel of your choice to rest before an unforgettable tour the following day.

Tour of Machu Picchu

Our guide will pick you up at your hotel very early to begin your once-in-a-lifetime visit to Macchu Picchu. We will take the bus from Aguascalientes to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, where you will learn all about this wonder of the world during a two-hour guided tour. After the tour you will have free time to further visit the ruins, or to enjoy an optional hike to the Sun Gate or Inca Bridge, or for an additional fee you can enjoy the impressive hike up either Wayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain (must be booked in advance). After you have finished exploring Machu Picchu, we will take the bus back down to Aguascalientes, where you will have time to eat lunch, and then we will enjoy another train voyage back to Ollantaytambo, spending the night in the hotel of your choice.

Tour of Maras salt mines, Moray agricultural terraces, and Chinchero weaving centre and ruins

9:00 am – Pick-up at your hotel in Ollantaytambo. We will begin our day by traveling to the archaeological site of Moray, which is an ‘Incan agricultural laboratory’ and a beautiful site to explore. Here we will have a guided tour of about 40 minutes. Our second stop is in the historical colonial town of Maras. From here we will travel to the salt mines of Maras, where over 3000 salt pools dating to pre-Incan times are still utilized by the residents of this zone to collect salt for cooking. We will again have a 40-minute guided tour of this site. Finally, we will continue to the living Inca village of Chinchero, where we will visit the archaeological site and then a traditional textile centre, where you will learn how ancient weaving traditions are still maintained today using natural animal fibres, plant dyes, and traditional backstrap looms. At the end of the day, you will be transported to your hotel in the city of Cusco.

CUSCO to PUNO on the ROUTE OF THE SUN

After a wonderful buffet breakfast at your hotel, we will pick you up and take you to board the special ‘ Route of the Sun’ Executive Bus
The bus leaves Cusco at 7:00 am., and stops at the important destinations on the road to Puno, such as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas at Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Sicuani (where you will have lunch), La Raya, and Pucará.
Before dark you will arrive in Puno where we will greet you and take you over to your hotel for a good night’s rest.

PUNO – TOUR OF THE ISLANDS OUT IN LAKE TITICACA (FULL DAY )

After your nourishing buffet breakfast at your hotel, it will be time to go to the Puno harbor and board your boat that will take you out to the islands in the middle of Lake Titicaca.
First of all, you will visit the fascinating Floating Islands of the Uros. The Uros tribe moved into the Titicaca region a thousand years ago. They live on islands constructed from the local reed (the Totora Reed) which grows in the shallows of the lake. Their houses and their boats are also made out of reeds.
Our next stop will be the beautiful Island of Taquile. If you climb one of the island’s hills, you will have an absolutely fantastic view of the lake and the majestic snow-capped mountains which surround the lake.

Late in the afternoon your boat will return to Puno where you can relax and spend the night at your hotel.

Puno to Arequipa

You will have free time in the morning to explore the interesting and picturesque town of Puno. In the afternoon you will be driven over to the bus terminal to catch the Executive class bus to Arequipa. Arrival in Arequipa is scheduled for 9:00 pm. Of course our team will meet you when you arrive, and take you to your hotel

AREQUIPA – CHIVAY

After a delicious breakfast at your hotel, we will come by and pick you up at 8:15 am. We will drive out of Arequipa in the direction of the scenic Colca Valley. There will be wild vicuñas and giant herds of llamas and alpacas to see along the way. We will pass through little Andean villages that appear as if they have been forgotten by time. When we arrive at Chivay, we will check into our hotel. You might enjoy going to the close-by La Calera Hot Springs. There you can let the healing volcanic water soak away any aches and pains that you might have. We will stay the night in Chivay.

COLCA CANYON – AREQUIPA

After breakfast we will hit the road early, because the earlier we arrive at the Colca Canyon, the better are our chances of seeing lots of condors riding the thermal updrafts out of the canyon. The best place to spot them is from the Cross of the Condor Viewpoint. The canyon itself is amazing, as it is one of the deepest, if not the deepest canyon in the world.
In the early evening we will arrive back in Arequipa where we will be sure to get a good night’s sleep.

TRANSPORT TO AIRPORT

On the final day, our driver will pick you up from your hotel 3 hours before your flight time to bring you to the Arequipa airport for your return trip to Lima .

NAZCA LINES FROM LIMA: FULL DAY TOUR PROGRAM BY PRIVATE VEHICLE

04:45 am. Our customers will be picked up from their hotel in Lima and then transferred to the Nazca city in a tourist journey for a six and a half-hour drive through our main Panamericana road, making several stops along the way for the restroom for example and the metallic tower, etc

10:30 hrs. Once you arrive at the Nazca airport Maria Reiche you will be met by our representative in order to assist you with your classic flight over the Nazca Lines, Please sometimes we have short delays at the airport of 30 minutes or 1 hour but in the meantime waiting the order for the flight from control tower we can project a proper video about the Nazca Lines to acquire a knowledge of those mystery lines later on you will be ready to fly over the enigmatic Nazca lines area.

13:00 hrs. In the afternoon, coming back to the city of Nasca you will have time to have a good lunch in a local and decent restaurant in Nazca and then after of this break, you will be able to continue with the trip returning to Lima.

20:30 hrs. Arrival in Lima and drop off at your hotel selected. End of the tour.

TRANSPORT TO AIRPORT DEPART LIMA – HOME

On the final day, our driver will pick you up from your hotel 3 hours before your flight time to bring you to home

END OF SERVICES

INCLUDED:

• Transportation to and from the Lima Airport
• Transportation from the Cusco Airport
• Transportation to and from the bus terminal in Puno
• Transportation from the bus terminal in Arequipa
• Transportation to the Arequipa airport.
• Tourist Transportation for each tour.
• Professional guides for each tour.
• Tours in Cusco: City Tour, Sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu.
• Tours in Arequipa: Colca Canyon Tour (2 days / 1 night.)
• Tour in Puno: Floating Islands of the Uros and Taquile
• Route of the Sun Tour Cusco-Puno
• City Tour in the City of Lima.
• Entrance Ticket for Machu Picchu (for 1 day)
• Round trip train ticket to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo (Expedition Class)
• bus ticket to and from the Citadel Of Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes
• Transportation to and from the Ollantaytambo train station
• Transport Lima-Paracas – Nazca
• Flight over the Nazca Lines
• Tour of the Ballestas Islands
• Tour of Paracas
• 4 Nights of Hotels in Lima
• 2 Night of Hotels in Arequipa
• 1 Night of Hotel in Chivay
• 2 Nights of Hotels in Cusco
• 1 Night of hotel in Ollantaytambo
• 2 Nights of Hotel in Puno
• 1 Night of Hotel in Aguas Calientes

NOT INCLUDED:

• Lunches and dinners
• International and national airfare
• Travel Insurance
• Anything which is not mentioned above

YOU SHOULD BRING WITH YOU:

• Your personal identification documents (your passport or national identity card).
• Students must bring their valid International Student Card (ISIC CARD).
• Sunscreen.
• Insect repellent.
• Clothing suitable for both cool and warm weather.
• Your camera. Plus an additional battery for your camera.

Extra options:

Train Ticket upgrade to the Vistadome class train. ($70US)
You could climb up Huayna Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain while you are visiting Machu Picchu. To do so you would need to let us know so that we can buy the ticket for this activity well in advance. These tickets sell out quickly.
Private service
Other options available upon request.