´Off The Beaten Track` Unique Adventure (Fully Private)
18 Days 17 Nights
Lima, Arequipa, Yanque, Colca Canyon, Larry, Lake Titicaca, Uros Floating Islands, Taquile Island, Amantani Island, Cusco, Salkantay Inca Trek, Pisaq, Ollantaytambo
Overview:
Combine the most famous Peruvian attractions with some of its unique undiscovered areas.
Day By Day Itinerary:
Day 1: Welcome to Peru (Fully Private)
Upon arrival into Lima Airport, you can be assured that we will have a private transfer waiting to take you to your hotel in Lima. Your driver and English speaking representative will welcome you into Peru ensuring you with a comfortable and safe ride.
Overnight in Lima. (Altitude: Sea Level)
Day 2: Lima to Arequipa - `The White Volcanic City` (Fully Private) (B)
Today, 2 ½ hours before your domestic flight, your driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Lima Airport. Here you will have an hour and a half domestic flight to Arequipa, the City of Volcanoes. Upon arrival into this active and distinct city, a driver will be waiting for you for your private transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure for altitude acclimatization and for you to explore ´The White City`, which got this name because most of its buildings are made out of a material called sillar, a white volcanic stone. From Arequipa, you will see the impressive active volcano in its area, ´El Misti`.
Overnight in Arequipa. (Altitude: 2300m, 7500ft)
Day 3: Explore Arequipa (Fully Private) (B)
Today you have a free day in Arequipa to explore the wonders of the second largest city in Peru. You may wish to wander around the Plaza de Armas or visit the beautiful Monastery of Santa Catalina, which is a very popular complex that encloses a complete world within its walls. Arequipa is a very easy city to get around and most entrance fees to the attractions include tour guides. You may also want to visit some museums, tourist stores or taste the local dishes. Arequipa is popular for its great cuisine, which we are sure will accommodate for all tastes. Here you should check out a ´picanteria´, which are traditional Peruvian eating houses that are particularly well established in Arequipa.
Overnight in Arequipa. (Altitude: 2300m, 7500ft)
Day 4: Arequipa to Colca Canyon (Yanque) (Fully Private) (B,L)
In the morning, your tour guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and travel 4 hours with you to Yanque. Along the way, you will stop at some beautiful viewpoints to include the Pampa Cañahuas Reserve, which houses vicuñas, alpacas, llamas, flamingos, ibis, Andean eagle and much more. Also along the way, you will witness stunning landscapes to include lakes, glaciers and some magnificent volcanoes, such as Ampato, Sabancaya, Huallca and not forgetting Misti. Our journey´s highest point of 4800m (15,000ft) will be reached, before heading down to Yanque. Upon arrival at your hotel, you can have a nice lunch, while taking in the pleasant view. In the afternoon, you have a number of options of activities, such as enjoying the hot thermal springs of Yanque, taking a short trek or just relaxing in your hotel whilst taking in the spectacular view of the beginning of canyon and its terraces.
Overnight in Yanque. (Altitude: 3400m, 11150ft)
Day 5: Colca Canyon Tour (Fully Private) (B,L)
Very early in the morning, your tour guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and take you to the Colca Canyon, along the way we will stop in some small Andean typical villages where time seems to have been stopped and Colonial architecture is still preserved. We will then continue until we reach Mirador Cruz del Condor, which is the most popular viewing point for looking into the depths of Colca Canyon. At this particular point, it is 1200m deep and you will almost always see a few condors in flight with the breath taking scenery in the background. You then have an opportunity for a short hike along the canyon and enjoy a nicely prepared picnic lunch afterwards. After the tour we will take you the town of Larry, where you will enjoy a horseback riding session back to your hotel in Yanque.
Overnight in Yanque. (Altitude: 3400m, 11150ft)
Day 6: Colca Canyon (Yanque) to Lake Titicaca (Fully Private) (B,L)
Today in the morning, your tour guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and take you to Lake Titicaca. Along the way you will be able to see lakes, lagoons, trout farms, Andean flamingos and reach the soaring altitude of 4850m (12,000ft), which will give you a unbelievable view of the highlands. Upon arrival into Puno, we will transfer you to your hotel.
Overnight in Puno. (Altitude: 3800m, 12500ft)
Day 7: Uros Floating Islands and Taquile Island (Fully Private) (B,L,D)
Today a private typical tricycle taxi will be waiting for you at the hotel to take you to the highest navigable lake in the world. During the morning we will visit the highly unique Uros Floating Islands, which have been built out of only totora reeds, a water plant that grows in the lake. You will be amazed at how locals use totora reeds to build canoes, houses, beds and many other things. As part of your visit to Uros, you will ride on a totora reed canoe, which will let you experience a smooth and pleasant trip around the Islands. After this we will relax and enjoy the scenery for 2 hours whilst travelling to Taquile Island via a private motor boat. On arrival at the private Cultural Immersion Bay at Taquile Beach, you will enjoy a local cooked lunch with one of the delicacies being the very fresh Lake Titicacan trout. After lunch you have an opportunity to take a short hike around the island. During the evening we will take you to your island hut for a locally cooked Peruvian dinner, and you will pass the night in your cozy little hut.
Overnight in Taquile Island. (Altitude: 3900m, 13000ft)
Day 8: Amantani Island (Fully Private) (B,L)
Today, early in the morning you will enjoy a locally cooked breakfast with a spectacular view of the sunrise in the island of the Incas. After breakfast you will walk around Taquile Island and learn about its pre-Incan constructions and its agricultural terraces. Later on in the morning, we depart Taquile Island and take you to Amantani Island on a 30 minute motor boat ride. At this island, you may notice that their specialty is in textiles, weaving and ceramics. The life on this small island is rather simple but fascinating as there are no hotels, cars and limited electricity. You will enjoy a short walk around this island before enjoying a tasty lunch in a traditional Amantanian restaurant. After lunch it will be time to head back to Puno via boat and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight in Puno. (Altitude: 3800m, 12500ft)
Day 9: Lake Titicaca to Cusco (Fully Private) (B,L)
Today at 7am your driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the bus station in time for your 9 hour coach journey to Cusco. On the way, we will stop at some fascinating attractions. The first stop will be at Pukara, which is famous for its ceramic production and its most famous figurines (The two bulls) are those that can be found on roofs of the Andean houses to bring luck. You will travel through the highest point of the journey at La Raya (4300m, 14100ft) which is also the halfway point between Cusco and Puno before making a stop at Sicuani to enjoy a great buffet lunch. After lunch you will stop at Racchi, a small highland town where you will see the Incan temple of Wiracocha and learn about its fascinating construction with adobe brick walls that measure up to 11 meters high. Then the journey will continue to the Andahuaylillas Church, (known as the Andean Sistine Chapel) where you see some intriguing 16th, 17th and 18th Century Mural paintings and fully decorated gold altars. You will then arrive at Cusco at approximately 5pm, and have a private driver waiting to take you to your hotel.
Overnight in Cusco. (Altitude: 3400m, 11150ft)
Day 10: Cusco City Exploration (Fully Private) (B)
Today you have the day at leisure in Cusco to explore the capital of the Inca Empire. There are many options such as visiting some souvenir shops, tasting the local cuisine or simply relaxing at Plaza de Armas on one of the benches. Today you may also wish to take a walk around the interesting San Blas area, where you can see the fascinating architecture, some tourist shops and small art galleries.
Overnight in Cusco (Altitude: 3400m, 11150ft)
Day 11: Cusco City & the Incan Empire (Fully Private) (B,D)
In the morning your tour guide and driver will meet you at your hotel to begin your private city tour of this wonderful city. You will visit the well-known and beautiful Incan temple of Sacsayhuaman, where you will be amazed with the great construction work of the Incan empire and there is still mystery of how they managed to move and fit each large and heavy stone so perfectly into each other. As part of your city tour, you will also visit Cusco Cathedral, which has an UNESCO World Heritage status and is located in Plaza de Armas. Here you will see many holy Christian artifacts and artwork derived from the `Escuela Cuzquena´ (Cuzco Art School). Your tour will then take you to the Temple of the Sun, ´Koricancha`, located in the Avenida Sol. This Incan site was one of the most worshipped and most respected temples of the city. Finally we will let you experience the local life by taking you to the San Pedro market, where you will see a whole range of goods, such as gifts, crafts, clothes, meats, juices, fruits, vegetables and more. You will then return to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure. During the evening you will be invited to a farewell dinner in a local restaurant to enjoy some exquisite cuisine.
Overnight in Cusco. (Altitude: 3400m, 11150ft)
Day 12: 1st Day Salkantay Inca Trek - Mollepata to Soraypampa (Fully Private) (B,L,D)
Early in the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel in our private van and take you to Mollepata where you will start the Salkantay Trek and meet your chef and porters. Today you will be slowly introduced to this trek by doing 4-5 hours of walking, which will also help you to get acclimatized and to feel comfortable with the trek. Along the way you will enjoy lunch, prepared by the chef in a beautiful scenic area. After lunch you will continue until you reach the Soraypampa Campsite, where you will have the rest of the day to relax. During the evening the chef will prepare a delicious dinner for you.
Overnight at Soraypampa Campsite. (Altitude: 4000m, 12750ft)
Day 13: 2nd Day Salkantay Inca Trek - Soraypampa to Challway (Fully Private) (B,L,D)
Today after an early breakfast and some coca tea. We will head from Soraypampa, and begin the gentle climb for about three hours to Salkantaycocha. You will then have lunch very close to the Salkantay Mountain and glaciers, giving you an amazing view. After lunch and a little rest we continue to climb steeply towards the highest point of the trek, the Salkantay pass (4,800m, 15744 ft) From here we descend for 3 to 4 hours with outstanding views and a breathtaking landscape until we reach our destination in time for dinner.
Overnight at Challway campsite. (Altitude: 2850m, 9350ft)
Day 14: 3rd Day Salkantay Inca Trek - Challway to Playa (Fully Private) (B,L,D)
After breakfast we will continue the Salkantay Trek downhill to Colcapampa Village, while enjoying increasingly abundant vegetation. We continue walking past some waterfalls until we arrive at Wiñaypocco to enjoy lunch. After lunch we walk through the high jungle (known in Spanish as the eyebrow of the jungle) enjoying the landscapes and natural beauty that surrounds us. The afternoon follows a gentle descent to the small high jungle village of La Playa where our campsite is located and dinner will be waiting for us.
Overnight at La Playa campsite. (Altitude: 2500m, 8200ft)
Day 15: 4th Day Salkantay Inca Trek - Playa to Aguas Calientes (Fully Private) (B,L,D)
Today, after another early breakfast you will climb for about three hours through the jungle before descending to the interesting, but largely covered ruins of Llactapata, which was originally discovered by Hiram Bingham at the same time that he discovered Machu Picchu. From here we have our first view of Machu Picchu, in the saddle of the mountain opposite. We descend for two hours to the impressive Machu Picchu Hydroelectric System where we will have lunch. After this, we will walk for 2 ½ hours along the train tracks to arrive at the town of Aguas Calientes and to your hotel. Here you can have a massage and relax your very tiring muscles.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes. (Altitude: 2000m, 6500ft)
Day 16: 5th Day Salkantay Inca Trek - Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu (Fully Private) (B)
Today in the morning, you will transfer from your hotel to the ruins to meet your private tour guide for your tour of Machu Picchu, ´The Lost City of the Incas`. You will learn about the history of this Incan sacred site and the tour will include visits to some temples such as the Sun and the Condor. You will also visit, whilst learn some interesting facts about the Incan sacred terraces, aqueducts and houses. After the tour, you will have plenty of time to explore this truly magnificent site on your own. There are many short trek options, such as a the one to the Sun Gate for an impressive view of Machu Picchu or a visit to the Incan Bridge, a secret entrance for the Inca Army. The most adventurous should not miss the Wayna Picchu ´young mountain climbing, which requires a very early start (5.30am) as only 400 people are permitted on this climb each day. In the afternoon you will transfer back to Aguas Calientes and return to the Sacred Valley via the train and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight in Sacred Valley. (Altitude: 2900m, 9500ft)
Day 17: Sacred Valley of the Incas (Fully Private) (B,L)
In the morning, your tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel for your private Sacred Valley tour. We will first drive to the Pisaq town, where on Sundays is the big market day when local villagers come from the mountains and sell their home-grown vegetables. In this market it is still possible to see how people practice the trade system used in the Incan times. Here, you will be able to get great prices for goods and souvenirs. We will also have the opportunity to visit the Incredible Pisaq Ruins and then drive to Urubamba to enjoy lunch in one of the best local restaurants in the Sacred Valley. After lunch, we will head to Ollantaytambo, one of the last Inca refuges, where you will notice that the houses and building still preserve a big part of the Inca Architecture. You will enter into an Inca house and see how they used to live. We will then take you to visit the Ollantaytambo ruins, temples and terraces. You will get to witness the abandoned stones and unfinished walls, due to the invasion of the Spaniards. This tour also includes a visit to a ´Chicheria`, where you will learn the old Incan technique of producing the most popular drink in the Andes. Here you will also get to see how locals farm guinea pigs in their homes which after a few months becomes a delicious dish. Finally we will return you back to your hotel.
Overnight in Sacred Valley. (Altitude: 2900m, 9500ft)
Day 18: Sacred Valley to Cusco & Lima (Fully Private) (B)
Today your private driver will pick you up at your hotel 3 hours before your domestic flight to take you to Cusco Airport. You will take an hour flight from Cusco to Lima in time for your international flight.
Your Cultural Immersion Peru Package Includes:
- A professional English speaking tour leader with you at all times
- Domestic flights LIM – AQP, CUZ - LIM
- Small and intimate group of 2-8 people
- All transportation with a professional driver
- All entrance tickets to the attraction sites including the Salkantay Inca Trek and Machu Picchu
- Meals as indicated (B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner)
- Local taxes
- Salkantay Inca Trek
- Snacks and drinks
- Great food throughout the tour
- Bottled water daily
- 3 nights in comfortable double tents and 1 night at a quality b&b type hotel
- Equipment: new professional camping tents, comfortable air mattresses, dining tent, tables, chairs, cooking equipment, first aid kit and oxygen bottle.
- Great sleeping bags for – 20 Fº included
- Porters to carry camping and cooking equipment
- Return bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
- Train from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo
Your Cultural Immersion Peru Package Does Not Include:
- International flights
- Airport taxes (US$6 domestic departures, US$30 international departure)
- Extra porter to carry personal belongings (please request – additional payable)
- Tips and extras
- Additional add on activities
- 2 bus trips from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes and 1 bus trip up to Machu Picchu
- Train from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo
- Local Taxes
