17 days from $
AT A GLANCE:
Travel across Peru on this diverse journey, from the splendidness of the coastal desert to the grandeur of the Sacred Andean mountains. Observe giant enigmatic geoglyphs from a bird’s eye view, visit one of the new Seven Wonders of the World – the lost citadel of Machu Picchu, and experience the untouched, evergreen splendor of the Amazon jungle.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Nazca Lines overflight
- Flight of the condors in the Colca Canyon
- Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world
- Sacred Valley of the Incas
- Machu Picchu
- Wildlife of the Amazon rainforest
QUICK FACTS:
- Duration: 17 days
- Price per person, based on double occupancy
- Season: year round
- Single supplement: 00.00USD
Day 1 – Lima | Welcome to the City of the Kings
Meet our representative at Jorge Chavez Airport, who takes you to your hotel and conducts a short briefing about the upcoming journey.
Day 2 – Lima | Colonial and Modern Splendor
In the afternoon, enjoy your tour of the capital of Peru, known also as the City of the Kings. Walk through the colonial Lima to appreciate its beautiful monuments: houses adorned with Moorish-style balconies, the main city squares like Plaza San Martin and Plaza de Armas, the baroque Cathedral, the Governors Palace, and the Archbishop’s Palace. After that, visit the convent of San Francisco and explore its extensive underground catacombs which served as a cemetery during the colonial period. Next, visit the Larco Museum. This unique, privately owned museum showcases remarkable chronological galleries providing an excellent overview on 5000 years of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. Continue to the modern part of the city, reaching Miraflores to enjoy its breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. In the evening, savor Peruvian cuisine at the complimentary dinner with a folkloric show.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast and buffet dinner
Day 3 – Paracas | National Reserve
Early in the morning, head to the bus station for a comfortable 4-hour trip to Paracas. After the arrival at your hotel, head to the Paracas National Reserve – the largest desert protected area in South America. Travel alongside its stunning coastline, spot sea lions sunbathing on tiny islets and visit the Red Beach, where the picture-perfect shore is painted a deep scarlet color. Return to the hotel later in the afternoon.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast
Day 4 – Paracas & Ica | The Sand and The Ocean
After breakfast, head to the Paracas pier and set off on a guided two-hour speedboat adventure, which takes you from to the beautiful Ballestas Islands – home to many sea birds, impressive colonies of sea lions and Humboldt penguins. Make a quick stop to look at the mysterious Candelabra, a prehistoric 200m long hillside geoglyph. After the boat trip, embark on a short bus ride to Ica, followed by a several minutes ride to Huacachina. In the afternoon, after arriving at your hotel, join the fun on the Dune Buggy and Sandboard Adventure. This experience takes you deep into the desert where you enjoy an adrenalin-pumping dune buggy ride though the huge coastal sand mountains. Try sandboarding down the dunes if you are adventurous enough. After the tour, return to your hotel.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast
*Meals included: buffet breakfast and lunch
Day 5 – Ica | Heading South
In the afternoon, take a two-and-a-half-hour bus ride to the town of Nazca. Check-in to the hotel and enjoy a leisurely evening.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast
Day 6 – Nazca | The Mystery of Lines
Early in the morning, head to Nazca airport to embark on a 45-minute flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines (a collection of giant pre-Columbian geoglyphs etched into the ground). Created by the ancient Nazca culture, the 2,000-year-old Nazca Lines depict various plants, animals and shapes, and can only be fully appreciated when viewed from the air given their massive size. After the flight, have a visit to Chauchilla – a pre-Inca cemetery. Return to the hotel for some relaxation before the overnight bus ride to the city of Arequipa.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast
Day 7 – Arequipa | The White City
Early in the morning, arrival in Arequipa and transfer to the hotel. Spend the afternoon exploring Arequipa. Nicknamed the ‘white city’ due to its many buildings built of sillar (a white stone), Arequipa blends religious, colonial, and republican architectural characteristics into a unique local style. On this tour, visit the Santa Catalina convent – a masterpiece of colonial architecture that had been closed to the public for almost 400 years. Then, head to the Plaza de Armas, one of the most beautiful main city squares in Peru, and its Cathedral. Afterward, explore the colonial suburbs of Carmen Alto and Yanahuara where you will enjoy magnificent views of the city and its volcanoes. Return to the hotel.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast
Day 8 – Arequipa | The Road to the Canyon
In the early morning, venture out to Chivay. While driving through the picturesque Pampa Cañahuas national reserve, stop to watch and take pictures of many llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. After a brief break at Patapampa (the highest place of the trip at 4,800 m above sea level), descend to the town of Chivay for lunch and drop off at your hotel. Later in the afternoon, visit the thermal baths of La Calera to relax in the warm waters (optional). In the evening, enjoy complimentary dinner with a folkloric show.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast, buffet lunch and dinner
Day 9 – Colca | The Flight of the Condor
After an early breakfast, leave to the “Condor’s Cross” to watch the world-famous Andean condor birds soar majestically in the air as they rise up from the canyon. Visit a few different viewpoints of the canyon to appreciate its sheer size. On the way back, make a stop at the town of Yanque to visit its beautiful church and stone streets, among other attractions. Then visit the viewpoints of Choquetipo and Artahuilque for some spectacular views of the Colca Valley and its pre-Inca tombs and terraces. After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy a picturesque ride to your hotel in the city of Puno.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast and buffet lunch
Day 10 – Puno | Floating Islands
In the early morning, start your adventure with a short trip to the lakeside marina, from where you sail on a speedboat through the highest navigable lake in the world. Head first to the floating Uros Islands (a group of more than forty islands inhabited by pre-Incan families) and learn about their fascinating history and lifestyle. Your adventure continues across the lake to Taquile Island, known for the intricate, hand-knitted textiles produced by its inhabitants. In the late afternoon, return to Puno.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast and lunch
Day 11 – Puno | The Sun Route
After enjoying your breakfast, take a scenic bus ride to Cusco. This journey, also known as the “Sun Route”, lasts about 10 hours, in the course of which you have 4 stops with guided visits to each tourist attraction: the temple of Andahuaylillas or Sistine Chapel of America, the Inka temple of Raqchi, the pass of the Raya at 4335 meters above sea level, and the lithic museum of Pukara. After reaching Sicuani, enjoy your lunch at a picturesque restaurant. Upon arrival at Cusco’s bus station, transfer to your hotel.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast and buffet lunch
Day 12 – Cusco | The Imperial City
After a leisurely morning, join your guide to explore this majestic city – the ancient capital of the Inca Empire. First, visit the main Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas where you see a range of paintings from Cusco’s School of Art, old writings, and works in gold leaf and embossed silver. Once finished, continue to Koricancha or the ‘’Temple of the Sun’’ to appreciate its architecture and perfect stone constructions only seen in Inca temples of high importance. After this, head outside the city to visit the archaeological circuit of 4 sites: Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay. Return to the hotel to enjoy the rest of your day.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast
Day 13 – Urubamba | The Sacred Valley
Today is the day of your adventure in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Your tour starts with a smooth drive through the Sacred Valley. On the way, enjoy the stunning views of the snow-capped mountains, green hills and beautiful fields. During your first stop, visit Awanacancha textile center and camelid farm, where you will meet llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. Feed them and take some funny pictures! Then, head to the ruins of Pisac followed by a stop at the famous Pisac Artisan Market. After having lunch at a picturesque restaurant valley site, enjoy visiting Ollantaytambo and its mountainside terraces and fortifications where the Incas made one of their last stands against the Spanish conquerors. Spend the evening relaxing at your Sacred Valley hotel.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast and buffet lunch
Day 14 – Machu Picchu Pueblo | Machu Picchu, A Wonder of the World
After breakfast, take a panoramic train to the base town of Machu Picchu: Machu Picchu pueblo. From there, enjoy a 25-minute bus ride to Machu Picchu, an Incan citadel built in the 15th century. Explore this icon of Incan civilization by walking through its narrow streets, learning its history, and celebrating the lifestyle of the Incas. You will surely see why this place is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. In the afternoon, return to Machu Picchu Pueblo to take a train back to Cusco, followed by a transfer to your hotel.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast
Day 15 – Puerto Maldonado | The Gate to the Amazonas
After breakfast, transfer to airport to board a flight to the frontier town of Puerto Maldonado, the starting point of your adventure in the Amazon Rainforest. Upon your arrival at Puerto Maldonado, take a complimentary one-hour road trip, followed by a tranquil boating transfer on the Tambopata River, arriving at the secluded rainforest lodge. In the afternoon, enjoy a 20-minute walk from the lodge to the 30-meter scaffolding canopy tower. From the top, get some spectacular views of the vast expanses of standing forest cut by the Tambopata River and watch toucans, parrots or macaws and other bird species fly and land in the treetops. Return to the lodge to enjoy the rest of your afternoon.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast, box lunch and buffet dinner
Day 16 – Puerto Maldonado | Exploring the Rainforest
In the early morning, take a trip to Tres Chimbadas: thirty minutes by boat followed by a 45-minute walk. Once there, paddle around the lake in a catamaran, searching for the resident family of giant river otters and other lakeside wildlife such as caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers. After that, take a 20-minute walk to the clay lick site to spot dozens of parrots and parakeets descending to ingest the clay on the river bank. In the afternoon, a 20-minute boat trip leads you to the Centro Ñape trail, where you learn about medicinal and other uses of many local plants. After dinner, hike out to search for some night jungle dwellers – difficult to spot nocturnal mammals or more abundant tarantulas, snakes or frogs with their bizarre shapes and sounds. Return to the lodge to enjoy the rest of your day.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast, buffet lunch and buffet dinner
Day 17 – Puerto Maldonado | Heading Back
In the morning, transfer to Puerto Maldonado airport for a 90-minute flight back to Lima. Then catch your home-bound flight and say good-bye to beautiful Peru.
*Meals included: buffet breakfast
INCLUSIONS:
- Complimentary 24/7 assistance line
- Informative pre-departure briefing
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Sites entrance fees
- Private city tours of Lima, Arequipa and Cusco
- Private tours of El Brujo & Cao Museum; Maras Moray & Chincheros; Sacred Valley; Machu Picchu
- Shared half day tours of Sican Museum & Batan Grande; Sand Buggy Adventure; Ballestas Islands
- Shared Nazca Lines overflight
- Shared full day tours of Tucume, Royal Tombs & Sipan; Trujillo City Tour with Archaeological Museum, Sol & Luna Temples, Chan Chan and Huanchaco
- Shared full-day guided tour of Lake Titicaca, by speed boat
- Shared full day guided bus tour from Puno to Cuzco
- Shared two-day guided tour of Colca Canyon
- Shared 3-day program in the Amazon
- Comfortable land transportation, Vistadome (or similar) train ticket and internal economy class flights as per the itinerary
- Private Hotel/Airport/Bus/Railway Station pick-up and drop-off service
- All meals and accommodation as per the itinerary
EXCLUSIONS:
- International airfare
- Excess baggage charges
- Meals and beverages not listed in the itinerary
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities (optional)
- Other personal expenses
Lima
Britania Miraflores
Placed in the heart of Miraflores, the most popular area for tourists.
Paracas
El Emancipador
Relaxed style hotel situated in the quiet area of Paracas.
Ica
DM Mossone Ica
Stylish hotel located within the regional preservation area of Huacachina oasis.
Nazca
DM Mossone Nazca
Centrally located in the former house of Maria Reiche, passionate researcher of the Nazca Lines.
Arequipa
Katari Plaza de Armas
Optimal location at the main square, right accross from the Cathedral.
Colca
Pozo del Cielo
Cozy hotel located only 1 km from the Main Square and 300 m from the archeological ruins.
Puno
Casona Plaza Puno
Comfortable and modern hotel in the center of the city.
Cusco
Casa Andina Standard Cusco Koricancha
Quiet and atmospheric, just 4 blocks away from the main square.
Sacred Valley
Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay
Comfortable hotel built on an old monastery, surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Puerto Maldonado
Posada Amazonas Lodge
Rustic lodge that offers excellent wildlife observation opportunities.
PASSPORT
Your full passport details are required to complete your booking. As a general rule, most countries expect that your passport has a minimum of 6 months’ validity remaining and at least two blank pages on the day of entry to Peru. Bring a copy of the main passport pages and other important documents with you and leave another copy at home with family or friends. If your passport was changed after completion of the booking process, you must take both passports (old and new) with you.
VISAS
For U.S., Canadian, Australian and European Union citizens, no visa is required for stays fewer than 90 days. For all other nationalities, please send an e-mail inquiry for further information.
MEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION
Before coming to Peru, discuss your health conditions with your doctor. Some pre-existing medical conditions are known to severely worsen at high altitudes and can be difficult to adequately treat on the ground; ultimately leading to more serious consequences. If you suffer from heart or lung disease, it is recommended to avoid traveling to high altitudes. Even if you do not have a pre-existing medical condition, we recommend that you carry a first aid kit as well as any personal medical requirements that may be difficult to find in Peru.
ALTITUDE SICKNESS
As parts of the journey may go above 2800 meters (9200 feet), it is common for travelers to experience shortness of breath, headaches, general lethargy or reduced appetite due to the altitude. It is important not to over exert yourself. Be sure to rest. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and heavy food. If symptoms become more severe and prolonged, it is best to quickly seek medical attention and make arrangements to descend to a lower altitude. We understand that certain medications are reported to aid in acclimatizing to high altitude. Please discuss these options with your doctor.
VACCINATIONS
There are no mandatory vaccination requirements.
If visiting the jungle region (Manu, Iquitos and Tambopata), it is recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever and to bring your certificate. Consider that you must be vaccinated at least 10 days before arriving at the jungle region.
FOOD AND DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Peruvian Food is one of the best cuisines in the world; however, you have to eat at the right establishments. Avoid eating from street vendors. Only use bottled water – even for things such as brushing your teeth. Avoid fruits or vegetables that have not been washed.
It is important that you let us know in advance any special dietary requirements. Some diet preferences (e.g. vegetarian) may expect a reasonable menu selection while more restrictive ones (vegans, celiac, gluten-free) may have less options than you are accustomed to having available at home.
MONEY MATTERS
Peru’s official currency is the Sol, but US dollars are also widely accepted. There are many money changing options in every Peruvian city; however, for safety reasons, we suggest you to exchange in a bank.
It may be not easy to find an ATM at some locations, so it is a good idea to carry some cash in smaller bills. Most restaurants and shops accept credit cards. Check with your bank before departure that your card is accepted in Peru and inquire about international fees and charges. Additionally, ensure your bank is aware of your travel plans as, suspecting fraud, they may cancel your cards after the first few international transactions.
TIPPING
Gratuities aren’t compulsory on your trip, but they can make a big difference to locals employed in the tourism industry.
SAFETY
Your safety is our number one priority. Your guide accompanies you on all included activities; however, during your trip, you have some free time to pursue your own interests. Please use your own judgement when selecting an activity in your free time:
- Leave your expensive jewelry and other valuables at home – you won’t need them while travelling.
- Use your hotel safety boxes to store cash, passport, credit cards and other valuables.
- Use a neck wallet or money belt to keep your money and documents safe when on the go.
- Do not carry or expose expensive electronics or an excessive amount of cash.
- Do not wander alone, especially after dark and away from tourist areas.
- Do not use unauthorized taxis or private vehicles.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance is mandatory for all our trips. We require that you are covered for medical expenses, including emergency repatriation. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects.
We request that you submit your insurance details during your booking process (see our Booking Terms and Conditions for more details).
PACKING
Before packing, be mindful that Peru has many different climates. From the hot and humid deserts and jungle, to the cold Andean mountains, be sure to bring clothes for each of our unique climates.
AMAZON SPECIFIC PACKING LIST
We recommend bringing the following items if visiting the Amazon Jungle:
- Tight-weave, light colored, long cotton pants
- Long sleeved, tight-weave, light colored cotton shirts
- Comfortable shoes or sandals for wearing on boardwalks or around the lodge
- Knee high rubber boots are provided for the duration of your stay. We recommend wearing these for the jungle walks. Please bring thick/long socks to wear with the rubber boots
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Insect repellent
- Good binoculars (optional)
- Head torch or flash light
TREKKING/GLAMPING PACKING LIST
We recommend bringing the following items for your mountain trail:
- Reusable bottle for water
- Waterproof, worn-in hiking boots
- Day clothes:
- Long walking trousers or exercise tights/leggings
- T-shirts
- Long-sleeved t-shirts
- Lightweight rain-jacket or waterproof poncho
- Thick socks
- Underwear
- Night clothes:
- Fleece jumper/sweater
- Long pants
- Woolen hat, scarf and gloves
- Thermal underwear
- Flip flops/sandals
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and sunhat
- A standard torch/flashlight
- Some cash (in small denominations) to tip your guides and porters
LOCAL CULTURE AND LGBT SCENE
Peruvian culture is a mix of both native traditions and customs imported from the Spanish settlers. Roman Catholic traditions have seeped into many aspects of Peruvian life. When travelling in Peru, many people often mistake the Inca national flag for a rainbow Pride flag. Peruvian society is quite conservative and with little progress in terms of LGBT rights. That said, Lima and some other main cities do have large LGBT communities as well as some popular bars and friendly LGBT scenes. Feel free to ask for more information.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
We do not tolerate any form of violence (verbal or physical), discrimination or harassment. Sexual relationships between our personnel and travelers are strictly forbidden. Use or possession of illegal substances will not be tolerated and will be reported to local authorities. If you choose to consume alcohol, we encourage responsible drinking. The sex tourism industry is known to exploit vulnerable people and have negative consequences on communities, including undermining the development of sustainable tourism. For this reason, patronizing sex workers will not be tolerated on our trips.
If you feel someone is behaving inappropriately while travelling with us, please inform your guide immediately. Alternatively, contact us on the emergency telephone number mentioned in your travel voucher.