Explore Lima, Cusco, Puno, Arequipa 10D/9N

DAY 1: RECEPTION AT LIMA AIRPORT – 1/2 DAY CITY TOUR OF LIMA

he tour will start with a personal reception at Lima airport by your guide and driver, who will accompany you in your private transport to your hotel in Lima.

At 2:00 p. m you will be collected from your hotel and taken on a 4-hour tour of the city of Lima.

The tour will be a visit to the historic center of the Peruvian capital and other important places at Miraflores district, Sites include:

• The Plaza de Armas (the main square)
• The Government Palace
• The Cathedral of Lima
• The Archbishop’s Palace
• The Cordano Bar (Lima’s oldest bar)
• San Franscisco Museum
• Miraflores district.

At the end of the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Lima.

Night of hotel in Lima.

DAY 2: FLY FROM LIMA TO CUSCO – 1/2 DAY CITY TOUR OF CUSCO

AM breakfast in your hotel in Lima.

Your private transport will then pick you up and drive you to Lima airport to board your mid-morning flight to Cusco.

After a 90 minute flight, you will land in Cusco to be greeted by your guide and driver, who will accompany you in your private transport to your hotel in Cusco.

Once at the hotel you can relax and enjoy an aromatic cup of coca-leaf tea and take lunch (not included) in one of the local restaurants, before beginning the afternoons’ tour of Cusco.

At 1.30 p.m you will regroup with your tour guide and private transportation to commence the tour of the Inca capital. The 4-hour tour will take you on a journey through Cusco’s most prominent historical sites such as the Temple of the Sun or Qoricancha, which was the religious, geographical, and political center of Cusco during the period of the Incas. The astounding Inca fortress of Sacsayhuamán, whose stonework is so impeccable that it is said ‘will endure as long as the world itself’. And finally, Q’enqo, a sacred Incan pilgrimage site, that once served as an astronomical observatory and mummification house.

On the City Tour Cusco, your personal tour guide will also accompany you round the famous San Pedro market and Plaza de Armas before returning you back to your hotel for 6 p. m.

Night of hotel in Cusco.

DAY 3: CUSCO – SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS – AGUAS CALIENTES

AM breakfast at your hotel in Cusco.

The tour to the Sacred Valley starts at 7:30am with the pick up from your hotel in Cusco.

After a 1-hour drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, you will participate in a short cultural tour with the local community and their resident alpacas in the town of Chinchero. Your guide will then accompany you around the local market and take you on a tour of the Colonial Temple.

The next destination of the day will be the circular, agricultural platforms of Moray. An experimental and research centre of the Incas, due to its ever changing micro-climate and surrounding mountain range. After visiting Moray, you’ll be driven the short distance to the salt mines of Maras. A unique collection of salt wells that have been formed into stepped terraces, fed by a nearby irrigation channel. Here your tour guide will educate you on the traditional ‘mining’ practices of the local people and the historical significance of the salt mines to the region.

The afternoons’ tour will begin surrounded by the natural beauty of Urubamba. The largest town in the sacred valley where we will have a very delicious and varied buffet lunch included in the tour.

After lunch, your transport will take you alongside the Urubamba River, to the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo. Here your guide will accompany you through the bustling local markets and the famous Inca fortress that towers above the town. The strategic position and architectural sophistication of the site, offers visitors some of the most spectacular views of the sacred valley from above. The exquisite stonework and rich history of Ollantaytambo will take you and your guide on an impressive journey through Inca antiquity, before you complete the days’ tour of the sacred valley at Ollantaytambo train station.

The final journey of the day will be aboard the tourist train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town). The 1 hour 45 minute train ride will treat you to breathtaking scenes of snow-capped mountains, Inka farming terraces and of course more remarkable Inka ruins. After which you will once again be greeted by your tour guide, and escorted to your hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes, the home of Machu Picchu.

Night of hotel in Aguas Calientes town.

DAY 4: MACHU PICCHU TOUR – CUSCO

AM breakfast in your hotel in Aguas Calientes.

At 6:30am your guide will escort you the bus station where you will board the tourist bus to Machu Picchu. The scenic route from Aguas Calientes takes you on a 30 minute bus ride up the mountainside to the entrance of the Inca citadel. Once inside, you will be taken on a 3-hour tour of Machu Picchu where you will make your way through the Inca city with your personal guide. Aswell as visiting the famous sites of the temple of the sun, the central plaza and the stepped terraces, you will have plenty opportunity to take the bucket list photos you came for atop the panoramic viewpoint of Machu Picchu. Before boarding the bus back down the mountain, your guide will also allow you time to explore the mysteries of the sanctuary alone.

Once you have regrouped with your guide and taken the bus back to Aguas Calientes, there will be time to take lunch in one of Machu Picchu towns’ many restaurants (optional extra), before boarding the train back to Ollantaytambo. There you’ll be greeted by your guide and private transportation who will take you on the 2-hour drive back to your hotel in Cusco. Arrival time in Cusco is approximatley 6.30 p. m.

There will also be time to climb Huayna Picchu mountain or Machu Picchu mountain in this tour after your guided tour of the Inca citadel. However please be aware, this will be an extra cost of $75 USD per person and will involve an extra 2-hours hiking. Return to Cusco will therefore be aboard a later train and arrival time in Cusco will be approx 8.30 p. m.

Night of hotel in Cusco.

DAY 5: CUSCO – TOURIST BUS TO PUNO

AM breakfast in your hotel in Cusco.

At 6:15am you will be collected in private transport from your hotel in Cusco and driven to the bus terminal ready for the 7am departure.

The Bus tour takes you on the scenic route from the Inca city of Cusco to Puno, a Peruvian city on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The 10-hour journey will take you through picturesque Andean towns and mountainous valleys, showcasing the beauty of the Cusco/Puno region.

The bus makes 5 stops along the way, treating you to 3 guided tours. These include the Sistine Chapel of America, the Temple of the god Wiracocha, and the Lithic Museum of the Pukará Culture. Aswell as a buffet lunch in the Andean town of Sicuani and an opportunity to take breathtaking photos atop the highest point of the route, the Abra La Raya Pass.

The tourist bus will be equipped with everything you’ll need for a comfortable journey to Puno. This includes; heating and air conditioning, toilets and sanitary facilities and refreshing drinks served on board such as tea, coffee, Coca Cola and water.

At 5 p. m, the bus will arrive in the city of Puno, where you will be met by your private transport and transferred to your hotel in Puno.

Night of hotel in Puno.

DAY 6: PUNO – LAKE TITICACA TOUR (FLOATING ISLANDS AND TAQUILE)

AM breakfast in your hotel in Puno.

Your private transport will then pick up from your hotel in Puno at 6:45am. You’ll then be driven to the nearby port of Puno where you will take the 7:15am boat to the floating islands of Uros, located 10 km (30 mins by boat) from the port.

The indigenous Uru people, construct their islands out of huge blocks of Totora Reed, an aquatic plant native to Lake Titicaca. The islands are covered with a fresh layer of reeds every 20 days, and are able to float due to porosity of the blocks that release gases produced by decomposition. These blocks are then joined together and anchored to the lake bed using eucalyptus sticks.

The Uru culture is one of the oldest ethnic groups on Lake Titicaca, who have inhabited its waters since the Incas began expanding their territories over the plateau hundreds of years ago. They dedicate themselves to fishing and bird hunting and are entirely dependent on the Totora reed with which they build their islands, houses, rafts and also serves as food and fuel for the people.

After saying goodbye to the Uru people, you’ll take the boat a further 1-hour to the island of Taquile. When you arrive, you’ll walk along a wide trail to the Plaza de Armas, all the while admiring the breathtaking deep blue shores of Lake Titicaca. Throughout your tour of the island, you’ll visit places where local artwork is made and take lunch at a local family home.

After lunch, you will return by boat to the port of Puno and be transported by car back to your hotel in the city for 5 p. m. The evening is then yours to rest and explore at your leisure.

Night of hotel in Puno.

DAY 7: TOURIST TRANSPORTATION PUNO – CHIVAY

AM breakfast in your hotel in Puno.

At 6:15am, you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the Bus Terminal in Puno. Here you will board the 7am tourist bus and begin the 6-hour drive towards Chivay, the capital city of the Colca Valley. Chivay is renowned for its religious festivals and cultural heritage and is considered to be the gateway to the Colca Canyon.

On route to Chivay you will be treated to spectacular views of the snow-capped volcanoes of the region, including Misti, Ampato and Hualcahualca. As well as herds of grazing Vicuñas, Llamas and Alpacas that occupy the wildlands.

Upon arrival in Chivay, you will check into your hotel and have lunch in one of the local restaurants. in the afternoon you have the oportunity to visit the hot springs in the nearby town of Calera. Here you will relax in thermal baths of up to 38°C before returning to Chivay for the evening.

Night of hotel in Chivay.

DAY 8: CHIVAY – COLCA CANYON – AREQUIPA

AM breakfast in your hotel in Chivay.

At 7 a. m you will be picked up in your group transport and begin the 1-hour drive towards Mirador Cruz del Condor. At 3,800 m / 12,467 ft, the viewpoint is the second most visited tourist site in Peru, after Machu Picchu, and is one of the best places in the country for those hoping to see the flight of the Condors. The sacred birds of the Incas thrive in this part of the canyon, and regularly visit the skies over the viewpoint in the mornings, before the sun gets too hot.

After experiencing the spectacle of the Andean Condors in flight, you will continue on through the breathtaking Colca Canyon, alongside stunning views of stepped terraces and the settlements of Pinchollo, Madrigal, Lari, Maca, Achoma and Yanque.

Around midday you will return to Chivay for lunch, and then continue on for 3-hours to the city of Arequipa. At around 4 p.m, you will be escorted to your hotel and then left to explore the city alone for the evening.

Night of hotel in Arequipa.

DAY 9: AREQUIPA CITY TOUR

AM breakfast in your hotel in Arequipa, in the morning you have free day to relax and visit the town by your own.

After having lunch on your own, at 2:00 p. m we will pick you up from your respective hotels, and then head to the viewpoints and districts of Carmen Alto and Yanahuara, where we will observe wonderful landscapes of the city surrounded by the Chachani, Misti, and Picchu Picchu volcanoes; its beautiful countryside formed by its still-preserved pre-Inca terraces; and of course, the Chili River. The district of Yanahuara is the next stop on our tour. In the main square, we have the church from 1750, with a Baroque façade, but the most notable feature are the arches that frame beautiful images of the city and where texts have been engraved with the entire philosophy of life and inspiration of the Arequipeño population. Yanahuara is also a showcase of Colonial Arequipa, with picturesque, narrow, old streets and its mansions made of ashlar. We will return to the historic center to visit the Monastery of Santa Catalina, a showcase of four centuries of Arequipa architecture. The intrusive cells, the small streets and cloisters filled with colorful flowers, and the walls painted in frescoes. The narrow alleys lead to the various parts of the convent, passing through picturesque sites and living and sleeping areas with original furnishings. Visitors will relive and lose themselves in the paths of time. Finally, we will visit the Plaza de Armas, one of the most beautiful in Peru. The Jesuit Church of La Compañía, whose beautiful façade heralds so-called mestizo architecture, its cloisters and dome, and, as an example of a colonial mansion, we will visit the Tristán del Pozo mansion. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel, or if you prefer, you can stay in the city center and have dinner at your own expense.

Night of hotel in Arequipa.

DAY 10: AREQUIPA – FLY TO LIMA – HOME

AM breakfast in your hotel.

At the appropriate time, you’ll collected by private transport and driven to the airport in Arequipa in time to board your onward flight to Lima. Here your driver will bid you farewell and direct you to the departures desk, where you will check in and collect your airline tickets.

In-flight time from Arequipa to Lima : 90 minutes.

Once you have arrived at Lima airport, you can rest and wait for your international flight back to your home country, or if you have sufficient time, you can take a walk through downtown Lima on your own, before returning to the airport for your international flight.

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