Overview
Overview
Summary of the program:
- First day: Arrive to Lima – Hotel
- Second day: Lima – Paracas – Marine birds
- Third day: Ballestas Islands – Ica Huacachina – Oasis – Sunbording
- Fourth day: Nazca lines full day – Arequipa
- Fifth and Sixth day: Arequipa – City tour – Walking tour – Campiña
- Seventh day: Arequipa – Cusco by Bus – City tour
- Eighth day: Sacred Valley
- Ninth day: Ollantaytambo – Inca Trail – km 104 – Aguas Calientes
- Tenth day: Explore Machu Picchu full day – return to Cusco
- Eleventh day: Walking tour – Cathedral, Koricancha, San Pedro market and museums
- Twelfth and Thirteenth day: Titicaca lake – Uros, Taquile & Amantani islands
- Fourteenth day: Juliaca to Lima by Bus or ( flight) – Hotel
- Fifteenth day: Lima to home
Itinerary
Southern Peru Travel & Inca Trail – Itinerary
Day 1: Lima
On arrival you will be picked up and taken to your hotel. The day is free to spend at leisure.
Day 2: Lima – Cruz del sur station – Paracas
Early morning transfer from your hotel to bus station and Cruz del Sur VIP-cruise to Paracas. The bus departs at 11:30am taking you along the coastal road to Paracas arriving at 1.30 am. Once in Paracas we will take you to your hotel, afternoon free at leisure, have lunch and relax by the hotel. There is little to do in town but for those who love seafood and are looking to try Peru’s national drink, the Pisco Sour, you will be in heaven.
- Approximate Distance: 285km
- Estimated Travel Time: 4 hours
- Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
- Accommodation: Hotel in Paracas
Day 3: Ballestas Islands – Huacachina – Nazca
We will pick you up at your hotel visit the Balestas Island. In Peru people call the Balestas islands “small Galapagos” because of abundant wildlife. we will take 45 minutes to get to the Islands by boat; here we can observe the hundreds of sea lions and seals; they swim around our boats and lie on the small beaches of the islands. A large variety of seabirds are also found here, flamingos, pelicans, boobies, cormorants and many others. After exploring the Ballestas islands we continue south by land to Nazca with a stop to see the Huacachina sand dunes along the way. The pleasant colonial town of Ica enjoys a dry and sunny climate and it is known for its huge sand dunes around the Huacachina oasis. Apart from the dunes, the town is well known for its wine, so,there are several wineries and distilleries in the area.
- Approximate Distance: 175km
- Estimated Travel Time: 6 hours
Day 4: Nazca lines – Arequipa
The next visit is to one of the world’s greatest archaeological mysteries, the Nazca Lines. The lines consist of patterns and pictures etched in the ground, crisscrossing a wide area of flat desert. Some of the lines measure up to 10 km (32 miles) in length, and yet remain perfectly straight. The depictions of birds, insects and animals are only recognizable from the air. Who drew the lines, and why, is something modern archaeologists can only theorize about, but current beliefs suggest that they may be part of complex agricultural calendar. From the ground we can make out very little, and the best view is from a light aircraft, which can easily be arranged as an optional activity.
The entire desert area was also once the home for the ancient Paracas and the Nazca cultures, who preceded the Incas by more than half a millennium. Remains of the Nazca culture are still visible, there can be seen during our included tour of an ancient Pre-Inca desert cemetery site, with 1500 year-old mummies, bones and pottery on the desert floor. The tour also includes a visit to an artisan’s workshop, where modern masters create Nazca style pottery. Evening comfortable bus-ride on sleeper seats at 10pm for the journey to Arequipa.
Estimated Travel Time: 9 hours
Day 5: Explore Arequipa or “the White City”
On arrival to Arequipa at 6:00am we will take you to your hotel where you can relax. Afternoon walking tour. We will visit the Main Square and a watch towe.Besides Arequipa´s most important churches, like San Francisco, the Compania de Jesus’ famous cloisters, colonial houses, and a special visit to the Santa Catalina Convent and Cloisters.
Day 6: Arequipa Campiña tours – Cusco
In the morning at 9:30am pick up at your hotel. We will visit the „Chilina Valley“, where we‘ll appreciate Arequipa‘s terraces and enjoy the view of the Chili River and Misti volcano.
We will continue the tours visiting Paucarpata traditional town and then keep toward the “Molino de Sabandia“ (Sabandia‘s mill), built on 1785 and where still keeping the old traditional architecture style of Arequipa city. After visiting the Mill, the transportation will take us to the most significant residence of this city, La “Mansion del Fundador“, (Founder House) built pure on sillar (the volcanic stone) and located next to a cliff. We will leave the Founder House and drive toward the “Sachaca viewpoint “to enjoy and take pictures of the city and its three volcanoes.
Return to the Hotel.
Evening comfortable bus-ride on sleeper seats at 8:00pm for the journey to Cusco.
Estimated Travel Time: 3 hours
Day 7: Arequipa – Cusco by flight – City tour
Transfer to Arequipa airport. Flight Arequipa/Cusco, where we will be waiting for you. From the airport you will be taken to the Hotel. In the afternoon your guide will come to collect you from your hotel in a private guided alternative city tour, including 3 archeological sites. We visit the Cathedral in the Main Square and then take a short stroll through the atmospheric streets of Cusco visiting the impressive Koricancha temple. From here our car will takes you to the megalithic site of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo and then Tambomachay. Finishing back at your hotel.
Estimated Travel Time: 2 hours by flight
Day 8: Sacred Valley – Ollantaytambo
At 8:30am of this day we start from your hotel for the day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We visit the colorful indigenous market of Pisac and in the afternoon the archeological site of Ollantaytambo. At Pisac we can enjoy a small typical Andean market that offers good opportunities to buy local handicraft. We continue to Urubamba, where a buffet lunch is served. After lunch we continue on to Ollantaytambo where we will visit the Archeological site. Ollantaytambo is an attractive little town located at the western end of the Sacred Valley.
The town has been built on top of original Inca foundations and is the best surviving example of Inca town planning, The town is located at the foot of some spectacular Inca remains, which protected the strategic entrance to the lower Urubamba Valley. The temple area is at the top of steep terracing which helped to provide excellent defense. At the end of the tour you check at a hotel in Ollantaytambo / Sacred Valley.
- Approximate Distance: 95km
- Estimated Travel Time: 6 hours
Day 9: Ollantaytambo – Km 104 – Inca Trail – Aguas Calientes
At 7:20am we board a train from Ollantaytambo station to km 104. The trail rises steeply up into the mountains and will take hikers past the archaeological sites of WiñayWayna 2,700m / 8,820 feet and Inti Punku, where the local guide will provide insights into the fascinating culture of the Incas along the route,and end up at Machu Picchu. Enjoy a packed lunch along the way and reach the Sun Gate in the late afternoon with a chance for a preliminary exploration of Machu Picchu before the guided tour on Day 10.
We will take the bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes and spend the night in a hotel. If time allows, take an optional visit to the nearby hot springs to soak the sore muscles.
- Approximate Distance: 15km
- Inca Trail – Wiñaywayna
- Estimated hiking Time: 5-6 hours
Day 10: Sunrise over Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo station – Cusco
At 5:00 get up early to take advantage of viewing Machu Picchu in the early morning light. This is the best time to view the ‘Lost City of the Incas’. Join our local guide for a detailed interpretation of the site and Inca history without the pressure of other tour groups that arrive at midday. Later in the afternoon of Day 10 we return by train to Poroy station and then you will be taken by van to Cusco, arriving in the evening. Machu Picchu is both the best and the least known of the Inca remains. It was not mentioned in any of the chronicles of the Spanish conquistadors and archaeologists today we can do no more than speculate on its duties.
The local Quechua farmers in the area knew of Machu Picchu for centuries, but it was not until an 11-year-old boy led the American historian Hiram Bingham (who was in search of Vilcabamba) to the site on July 24, 1911, that the rest of the world became aware of its existence. At that time the site was covered in thick vegetation, and Bingham and his team returned in 1912 and 1915 to clear the growth. Over the years, much work has been done on excavating and studying the site. Despite these efforts, many unanswered questions remain.
- Estimated Travel Time: 4 hours
Day 11: Tourist Bus from Cusco to Puno
Transfer to the bus station for the Turismo Mer bus ride to Puno / 3,800 m.a.s.l. You will visit 4 archeological sites along the way. Upon arrival to Puno we take you to your hotel.
Places you will visit are:
Raqchi, the temple of the God Wiracocha.Andahuaylillas: The church of Andahuaylillas is known as the “Sistine Chapel of America”. It is known as one of the best- preserved examples of Andean religious art. Pukara: The litho-sculptures of Pukara, belonged to pukara civilization. La Raya: the highest point between Puno and Cusco, at 4,338 m / 14,234 feet, where you can admire the snow-peaked mountains. Lunch is served at a local restaurant halfway in Sicuani.
- Meals: Breakfast and lunch included
- Accommodation: in Puno / Estimated Travel Time: 8 hours
Day 12: Uros floating Islands – Amantani Island / Titicaca lake
At 8:00am Transfer from the hotel to the port and by motor boat we will take you to one of the legendary Uros Islands where you can observe the lives of the Uros people who live on floating reed islands, some only 20 metres in length. After a beautiful 3hr boat ride we reach Amantani island where we will break into smaller groups to stay with the local families. You will have the opportunity to trek to the top of the mountain (4120 mtrs) to see the Temple of the Pachatata and enjoy the traditional customs of the island people. Food and authentic music prepared and performed by your designated family.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Accommodation: rustic accomdation with family
- Maximum Altitude: 4150 m / 13 615 feet
- Estimated Travel Time: 4 hours by boat
Day 13: Titicaca Lake / Amantani Island – Taquile Island – Puno
After breakfast we take a short boat ride to the neighboring Taquile island, where we will tour around its remains and visit these beautiful people, world famous for their intricate and fascinating weavings, After lunch we take the return trip to Puno. Arrival in the afternoon and transfer back to your hotel.
- Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
- Accommodation: hotel in Puno
- Estimated Travel Time: 4.5 hours by boat
Day 14: Puno – Chullpas de Sillustani – Juliaca – Lima
In the morning you will visit the Chullpas of Sillustani then transfer to Juliaca airport. Flight Juliaca/Lima. On your arrival in Lima, we will be waiting for you. From the airport you will be taken to the Hotel.
Day 15: Lima -International Flight in the evening
Free day at leisure or optional excursion.Evening transfer to the airport to connect with your international flight.
Optional extra: If you have time we have a guided morning city tour which includes a lunch at a selected restaurant.
Inclusions
Included in the Southern Peru Travel & Inca Trail
- Entrance tickets: All entrance tickets for the places to visit mentioned in the program
- Excursions: All excursions mentioned in the Peru Travel program
- Guide: Official bilingual guides during Peru Travel excursions
- Machu Picchu: Round trip bus tickets and entrance tickets to the Sanctuary
- Meals: Meals as mentioned in Peru Travel program
- Train to Machupicchu (round trip)
Not included in the Southern Peru Travel & Inca Trail
- International flights
- Flights: 02 Domestic flights Lima/ Cusco/Lima (From (USD $ 150)
- National and international departure airport taxes
- Tips for the crew.
- Travel insurance
- Transport Cusco – Puno
- Orient Express Cusco – Puno
