After being transferred from the hotel to the airport you will fly to Arequipa, over 1000 km south of Lima, where you will have the morning free to become accustomed to the altitude (2,380 metres). After lunch the city tour of Arequipa includes the historic centre, with the Jesuit church and San Francisco, as well as the unique “city-within-a-city” which is the 16th century Santa Catalina convent, once home to a closed order of nuns who remained isolated from the outside world until 1970..
Day 3
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Today you will have an early start for the journey to the Colca Canyon, about five hours from Arequipa. During the journey we leave the valley and climb to the road’s highest point at 4,450 metres, where volcanoes can be seen on the horizon. In the afternoon you will be free to explore the village of Chivay on foot and visit the thermal baths at Calera, just outside the town.
Day 4
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At around 6am we will leave Chivay to travel to Cruz del Condor to observe these giant Andean birds as they rise from the valley floor on the morning thermals. Later in the day, on our way back to Chivay, we will have a chance to visit the typical villages of Tapay, Pinchillo, Maca and Yanque, arriving at our hotel in Arequipa in the late afternoon.
Day 5
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After time to relax after breakfast, you will take a late morning scheduled flight to Cusco, where you have the afternoon free to relax and get used to the altitude (almost 3, 400 metres above sea level) or explore the historic centre on foot. The evening can be spent enjoying the fine local Novo Andino cuisine and an evening folkloric show.
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Day 6
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After a morning free to wander the city, shop for souvenirs or simply relax in a balcony café overlooking the main square, you will be picked-up after lunch for a tour of the city. We begin with a visit to the cathedral, which was built between 1560 and 1654 on the site of the palace of the Inca Wiracocha. Its main altar is completely covered in silver, and the basilica contains many fine paintings from the Cusco School of religious art. From the cathedral we move on to Qoricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, where we see some of the finest remaining examples of Inca stonemasonry. From the city we will go on to explore the Inca remains in the hills around Cusco. The Sacsaywaman Archaeological Park is home to the great fortress temple of Sacsaywaman itself, as well as the ritual baths of Tambomachay, the temple site of Qenqo and the fortified construction known as Puka Pukara. In the evening you will have the opportunity to enjoy Cusco’s fine Novo Andino cuisine – based on traditional local ingredients and international gourmet techniques – and a show featuring Andean music or dance.
Day 7
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Today will be spent in the Urubamba Valley - also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Apart from the valley’s breathtaking scenery – with fertile slopes surrounded by towering peaks – the main attractions include ancient ruins, colonial villages and traditional markets. The quiet village of Pisac is home to a colourful market and high above the village stand the ruins of the Inca ceremonial and fortress site of the same name. At the far end of the valley, Ollantaytambo is the only remaining example of Inca urban architecture, where descendants of the Incas live beneath the imposing ruins of the temple built by their ancestors. We will spend the night in a valley hotel where typical colonial architecture and the quiet village atmosphere provide the perfect backdrop for all the comforts of the modern world.
Day 8
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From the village of Ollantaytambo we take the train to Machu Picchu on what is widely considered one of the world’s most spectacular train rides, following the Urubamba River through the gorge it cuts down into the tropical forest. Machu Picchu is set amid forested hills, on a saddle between two peaks, where it remained undisturbed by the outside world until its discovery in 1911. We will have the rest of the day to explore Machu Picchu’s streets, temples, palaces and residential areas in the company of an expert guide, before returning to Cusco on the afternoon train, arriving early evening to be transferred to the hotel in time for a free evening in the city.
Day 9
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Today we travel southeast across the high Andean plains to Lake Titicaca. Emerging from the Cusco valley we will have an opportunity to visit several places of interest en route: Andahuaylillas is an idyllic village with a tree-lined main square and a fine colonial church decorated throughout with murals; Raqchi is the site of the Inca temple dedicated to the Inca creator god Viracocha; the small village of Pukara is famous today for its ceramics and was once the centre of the pre-Inca culture of the same name. Arriving in Puno at around 5:30 pm, we will be transferred to our hotel. The evening is free for a relaxing meal and an early night in preparation for the excursion to the islands of Lake Titicaca the next day.
Day 10
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Today we will spend the entire day on Lake Titicaca, the site of the Inca creation myth and a place of extraordinary beauty, where 8000 square kilometres of blue waters merge with the Andean sky. During our boat trip we will visit the floating islands of the Uros people, who built their artificial reed islands some five centuries ago to escape the influence of the dominant Colla ethnic group. Beyond the Chucuito peninsula we will visit the islands of Taquile and Amantani, learning about their respective customs and observing their remarkable textile tradition. That evening we will arrive in Puno around sunset, for a free evening in the city.
Day 11
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After breakfast in the hotel, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight to Lima, for your home flight or transfer to the hotel of your choice and an optional city tour of Lima.
