Southern Peru Highlights – 10 Days

Hotel breakfast; enjoy a free morning to explore the city alone.
At 14:00, pick up and transfer to Lima historical center. We will take a fascinating walking tour. We will show our clients the palaces, castles, magnificent Saint Francisco Monastery, and the spectacular subterranean Catacombs throughout our city.
We visit the main square, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Municipal Palace, the train station Palace, the unique old-fashioned “Cordano Bar,” colorful mansion palaces, the Jiron del Union Pathway, the Post Office Palace, the Dominicans Tower, and the Historical Rimac Bridge, as well as the lovely surrounded wooden Balconies.
The historical center is considered a World Heritage protected by UNESCO.
The tour will end around 18:00.

• Overnight at the Hotel in Lima.
• Meals included: Breakfast.

Hotel breakfast; at 06:30 am, picked up from the hotel and escorted to the airport to Arequipa.
Upon arrival in Arequipa, assistance at the airport and transfer to the lodging.
Hotel pickup at 14:30. The excursion will begin at Carmen Alto, where the Chili River is visible. The Yanahuara Viewpoint is our next destination, and this magnificent location is well-known for its charming, winding lanes. Following that, we will go to Arequipa’s Central Square.
During our journey to the main square, we will see the Basilica Cathedral, which still houses the ArchBishop and the Jesuits’ Church of the Company of Jesus.
Finally, we will visit the Monastery of Santa Catalina. The monument’s foundations date back to 1579, and it is one of Peru’s most magnificent, significant, and spiritually famous landmarks. The Monastery has conserved its traditional characteristics for centuries. Its narrow streets and gardens with typical Spanish names bring back memories of the old quarters of Sevilla and Granada. The tour will end around 18:00.

• Overnight at the Hotel in Arequipa.
• Meals included: Breakfast.

Suggested flight schedule — Lima (09:45am) – Arequipa (11:20am)

Hotel breakfast; pick up from the hotel at 07:30 am and land departure toward an exciting excursion towards the Colca Valley. In the route, we will drive across Pampa Cañahuas at the Aguada Blanca National Reserve. Our clients will be blown away by the magnificent views of the volcanoes named Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu.
Upon arrival at the reserve, they will experience the wild vicuñas in their natural habitats, which is considered a national symbol. Then we continue to Vizcachani, the Pampas de Toccra. Finally, to the Mirador de Los Andes at Patapampa (4800m), we can view Arequipa’s volcanoes.
Before entering the Colca Valley, we stopped in Mirador. We can admire the magnificent pre-Columbian terraces that indigenous Collaguas are still farming.
Once we get to the town of Chivay, transfer to the hotel.
There are no planned activities, so check into the hotel and rest up.

• Overnight at the Hotel in Colca Valley.
• Meals included: Breakfast.

Hotel breakfast; 06:00 am pickup and travel to the awe-inspiring Cruz del Cóndor for panoramic views of the Colca Canyon Valley (the world’s second-deepest canyon, measuring 4 kilometers at its deepest point!). Be taken aback by the enormous and beautiful condors flying just a few meters away.
Afterward, we will make our way to the town of Pinchollo as well as the Antahuilque Viewpoint to see a fantastic terrace built 1500 years ago. On our way back to Chivay, we will stop at Choquetico and Tumbas Colgantes.
Then we continue to Maca and Yanque, where we will set eyes on the valley’s most beautiful church and have lunch in the town’s quaint small town square. Afterward, have lunch at a nearby restaurant.
At 13:30, take the bus to Puno.
We will see the stone forest and stop at the lagoon called Lagunillas, which is home to a tremendous wild variety of birds and flora. This journey will take around 6 hours.
Upon arrival in Puno, assistance at the Bus station and transfer to the lodging.

• Overnight at the Hotel in Puno.
• Meals included: Breakfast.

Bus schedule — Chivay (13:30pm) – Puno (19:30pm)

Hotel breakfast; pick up from the hotel at 07:00 am. and transferred to Puno’s port. Our journey will begin with the Uros Floating Islands. The Uros are the native people who live on these artificial islands made with cattail grown on Lake Titicaca. The houses are built atop, while outside cooking to avoid fires.
After spending an hour on the Island of Uros, we will proceed to the Island of Taquile. Here they become aware that these locals speak Quechua instead of the predominant Aymara. The Island of Taquile was once a part of the Inca Empire, which still influences the style of the buildings today.
Upon arrival on the island, we will receive some brief information and a tour until lunchtime. In the afternoon, the boat will take us back to Puno.
The clients will be transferred back to the hotel from Puno’s port.

• Overnight at the Hotel in Puno.
• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

Hotel breakfast; pick up from the hotel at 06:00 am. Transfer to the bus station, and take the bus to Cusco. The trip from Puno to Cusco takes the better part of the day, with stark, beautiful scenery through the high Altiplano region.
Have numerous brief pauses for panoramic views and a visit to a historical ruin at Pucara, La Raya, Raqchi, and Andahuaylillas.
Stop in Sicuani town to have lunch. Then we continued our trip to the city of Cusco.
Upon arrival in Cusco, assistance at the Bus station and transfer to the lodging.

• Overnight at the Hotel in Cusco.
• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

Bus schedule — Puno (07:00am) – Cusco (17:00pm)

Do not want to travel by bus; there are other ways to travel from Puno to Cusco

1. By train, the journey takes place in the luxurious Andean Explorer train, a ten-hour train journey. Gourmet Lunch on board, Teatime in the afternoon.
2. By plane (time is about 50 minutes), the flight departs at the airport in Juliaca, located one hour from the city of Puno.

Hotel breakfast; pick up from the hotel at 08:00 am. The tour will begin in Chinchero, a hamlet famous for preserving traditional Andean spinning and weaving skills.
Today we have the opportunity to visit the community of Taucca, populated by 20 families and located at an elevation of 3,850 meters. The villagers will share their traditional Andean way of life with us. In addition, we will see them spin and dye wool thread using natural dyes and weave fabric following their ancient techniques.
Enjoy a traditional lunch made by the community women from ingredients organically grown in their fields.
After lunch, we will move on to Moray. In circular and semicircular terraces, this fantastic structure was used as a botanical laboratory by the Incas.
Our last stop will be in Ollantaytambo, an impressive military, religious, and agricultural center of the Incas located at the top of the mountain.
Following the tour, we went to the Ollantaytambo railway station to board the train to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, guests will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel.

• Overnight at the Hotel in Aguas Calientes.
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch.

Expedition train — Ollantaytambo (19:04) – Aguas Calientes (20:45)

Hotel breakfast; at 06:00 am. Take a bus to the Machu Picchu archaeological site (2,430m/7,972ft). Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, the mountaintop fortress earned every bit of its notoriety.
Around 07:30 am, the guided tour begins; the guide expertly directs through the astounding ruins and its main streets. Then wander around the town squares and climb the intricately carved stairways made of stone. Machu Picchu is considered the world’s spiritual center by esoteric wisdom.
The guided tour takes around two hours and 30 minutes.
From 12:30 pm to 13:30, take the bus to Aguas Calientes.
From 13:30 to 15:00, take lunch at a local restaurant in Aguas Calientes.
Return to Cusco: Later in the day, board the train to return to Cusco. Arrive at Poroy station and then be picked up and transported to the Cusco hotel.

• Overnight at the Hotel in Cusco.
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch.

Expedition train — Aguas Calientes (15:20pm) – Cusco (19:05pm)

Note about train tickets: We attempt to book tickets on this train, but we may need to book an alternative service if the timetable changes or the trains are unavailable.

Hotel breakfast; hotel pickup at 09:00 am. The walking tour starts in the colorful San Pedro market; there is probably no better place to witness Cusquean life. Enjoy a first-hand look at how residents live day-to-day outside the postcard perfection of Cusco’s central square. The guide explains this market’s history as it wanders through the narrow aisles laden with colorful fabrics, meals, fruit juice, bread, and shaman stalls.
Afterwards, we visited Cusco’s main square. This busy and vibrant space marks the city’s colonial center, featuring wide stone pathways and well-kept colorful gardens.
Afterward, we will go to Qorikancha, where Santo Domingo’s convent sits atop the ancient temple. For some unknown reason, numerous invaders were awed by the splendor of this temple when they first arrived because, according to tradition, it was fully gold-plated.
The tour ends around 13:00.
At 15:00, transfer from the hotel to the Cusco airport.

• Meals Included: Breakfast.

Suggested flight schedule — Cusco (17:00pm) – Lima (18:20pm)