Start your trip by exploring the Pacific coast. This is the perfect opportunity for nature lovers to discover the flora and fauna of this desert region, visiting the Paracas Reserve and the Ballestas Islands. Then, discover the Huacachina Oasis.
Continue your journey by visiting the white city of Arequipa and the Colca Canyon before venturing to Lake Titicaca. You will have the opportunity to spend the night with the inhabitants of the Llachón community on the Capachica peninsula, allowing you to learn about their culture and traditions.
Your stay will end in the inescapable region of Cuzco, with its Inca sites, including the majestic citadel of Machu Picchu.
As a local agency, this allows us to work directly with the local population, avoiding the additional costs associated with middlemen. We choose our suppliers and accommodations so that the benefits are distributed equitably in the local economy.
Upon arrival at the Lima airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Afternoon at leisure in the vibrant neighborhoods of the Peruvian capital.
Lima (Sea Level).
Departure in the morning to Paracas (4 hours by car) by the famous Panamerican Highway along the Pacific coast. Arrival in Paracas and lunch.
Then departure to visit the Paracas National Reserve, visit the Interpretation Center of the Reserve, stop at the Mirador de los Flamencos, the red beach and the Lagunillas creek.
After the visit, check in at your hotel and the rest of the day will be free.
Lima (Sea Level) - Paracas/Ballestas Islands (Sea Level).
In the morning you will head to the port from where your boat will depart to the Ballestas Islands and discover the richness of the local marine fauna: elephant seals, pelicans, penguins and other seabirds.
After this excursion, departure to visit the orchards and vineyards of El Catador, where pisco (Peru's national alcohol) and wines are produced.
Then, you will go to the Huacachina oasis where you will have lunch and where you will have the possibility to sandboard and buggy in the sand dunes (foresee a supplement).
Then, departure to Nazca (4h by car). Check-in at your hotel and free afternoon.
Paracas/Ballestas Islands (sea level) - Ica/Oasis Huacachina (406 m)
In the morning, you can visit the Antonini Museum, the Reiche Museum or fly over the famous "Nazca lines" (additional charge). They were discovered in 1939 by the American scientist Paul Kosok when he flew over the area in search of irrigation canals. They appear as a dense network of zoomorphic and geometric figures that reach 15 to 300 m in length for the figures, and 10 km for certain lines, visible only from the sky.
After lunch, departure by vehicle to Arequipa (10 hours drive).
During this trip, you will have the opportunity to contemplate some of the most beautiful and surprising landscapes of Peru's wild Pacific coast, including immense and unspoiled beaches, rocky coastline and vertiginous cliffs, before reaching an immense fertile valley.
Arrival in the afternoon, welcome and check-in at the hotel.
Nazca (588 m) - Arequipa (2,400 m).
OPTION
In the morning, you will discover the white city and its colonial center: the Plaza de Armas, the convent of Santa Catalina, a real city within the city with its narrow streets lined with colorful houses.
Return to the hotel and free afternoon to continue discovering the city on your own.
Arequipa (2,400m).
Early departure to the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world (5-6 hours by car).
You pass at the foot of the Chachani, and cross the national reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca, populated by wild vicuñas. The road climbs gradually until it reaches its highest point: the viewpoint of the Volcanoes, at 4,900 meters. From there, the view of Ampato (6400m), Sabancaya (5976m), and Huallca-Huallca (6025m) is impressive. You will then descend to Chivay, where you will have lunch.
In the afternoon, you will climb to Canacota and then descend to the hot springs of La Calera. End of the day at leisure.
Possibility to bathe in the hot springs (a small supplement will be provided).
Arequipa (2,400 m) - Chivay (3,200 m).
After breakfast, early morning departure to the Cruz del Condor, a viewpoint that offers a magnificent view of the Colca Canyon with the first rays of the sun. Here you can admire the flight of the largest bird in the world: the condor.
You will then walk to the "Salto del Cura", a walk (1h30) that offers splendid views of the canyon.
On the way back to Chivay, you will discover the villages of Yanque, Coporaque, Achoma and Maca, where the way of life of its inhabitants has changed little since Inca times.
Lunch in Chivay and departure to Puno where you will arrive in the afternoon (7h trip).
Chivay (3,200 m)- Mirador de los Volcanes (4,950 m) - Puno (3,825 m).
After breakfast, departure by vehicle to the Capachica peninsula, to the village of Llachón (about 2 hours by car), a fishing community nestled on the edge of the lake, at an altitude of 3820 meters.
Meeting with the host family. You go for a walk on the heights of the village. You pass by the crops and pastures of this village that seems out of time.
Return to the village for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will discover the craftsmanship of the village families.
Overnight at a local's house.
Puno (3,820 m) - Llachón (3,850 m).
Early in the morning, you will leave your hosts in Llachón to sail to Taquile, an island widely exploited thanks to the terraced farming system, where the way of life of the inhabitants has preserved its communal organization inherited from Inca times. If the property is private, the work is collective: the 300 inhabitants of the island work one day for themselves and another for the community.
From the heights of the village, their efforts are rewarded with a superb view of the lake, the bay of Puno and Bolivia (Cordillera Real) between the mists of the Altiplano.
At the end of the day, you take the boat back to Puno.
Llachón (3,850 m) - Taquile (3,900 m) - Puno (3,825 m).
Early departure to Cusco.
We cross the Colla plateau, where we stop at the village of Pukara. It is one of the last places that give testimony of the pre-Inca culture of the same name.
Next, you cross La Raya pass (4360 m), which symbolizes the finish of the Altiplano and the beginning of the Cusco region.
In Sicuani you will enjoy a typical lunch before arriving in Raqchi. Here you will visit the spectacular Inca sanctuary, built by Pachacutec in honor of the Inca god Wiracocha.
You will then continue to the village of Andahuaylillas and its church of San Pedro, known as the "Sistine Chapel" of South America, thanks to its richly painted ceiling.
Arrival in Cusco, welcome and installation at your hotel. Afternoon at leisure.
Puno (3,825 m) - Cusco ( 3350 m).
Departure for a walking tour of Cusco.
You will start by going to the San Pedro market, where you will discover many local products (fruits, vegetables, handicrafts...).
You will continue with the cathedral, an impressive building with numerous paintings of the Cusco school, as well as real treasures of goldsmith art (visit not included). You will continue your discovery by the monastery of Santo Domingo, ancient temple of the Sun or Koricancha.
Free afternoon.
Cusco ( 3350 m).
Departure to the Sacred Valley and start in Chinchero, the city of the rainbow known for its ancestral art of making textiles according to the traditional Inca method. Visit its ruins.
Then visit the archaeological site of Moray, an authentic Inca agricultural laboratory that was already used five hundred years ago to test the resistance of certain plant species to altitude. You will then descend to the salt mines of Maras, which date back to pre-Inca times and are still exploited as they were in the past by the inhabitants of the village.
After this visit, you will return to the village of Maras to enjoy lunch with a local family.
You will then head to Ollantaytambo, where you will take the train to Aguas Calientes, a small village located at the foot of the famous Machu Picchu.
Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Afternoon at leisure.
The national train companies ask passengers traveling to Machu Picchu to carry only a small backpack of 10 kg and 157 cm (height + width + length) maximum or a cabin-type suitcase. Your luggage and personal belongings will be left at the hotel in Cusco for the duration of your tour in the Sacred Valley. Please note: large suitcases and travel bags will not be accepted on the train.
Chinchero (3,780m) - Moray (3,500m) - Maras (3,300m) - Ollantaytambo (2,800m) .
Early in the morning, you will take the ferry to the most famous Inca site in the country: Machu Picchu, "old summit" in Quechua. You will discover this architectural complex built on a narrow ridge lined with cliffs: an impressive spectacle that changes with the progression of the sun. You will then stroll through the narrow streets of the citadel, its neighborhoods, its squares, its royal houses, its agricultural areas, its roads and its observatories.
After the visit, return to Aguas Calientes to take the train to Ollantaytambo. Free afternoon.
Aguas Calientes (2,040 m) - Machu Picchu (2,450 m) - Ollantaytambo
OPTION.
HUAYNA PICCHU - 65 USD.
Huayna Picchu is the mountain you see in almost every photo. From its 2700 m it offers a plunging view of the citadel. The climb is quite demanding, it is done by a steep path, it is necessary to be in good physical condition and above all not to be prone to vertigo.
MONTAÑITA - 65 uSD.
Less known and less frequented than the Huayna Picchu, it is perched at almost 3082 m and offers a spectacular view of the Inca city, but also of the surrounding mountains. To get there takes about 2 hours of climbing, mostly steps, the last stretch is quite steep but not as steep as Huayna Picchu
After breakfast, visit the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo under the first rays of the sun.
Then we take the road to go up the Sacred Valley to Pisaq, where we visit the archaeological complex composed of terraces, fountains, observatories and even a necropolis, the largest in the region (about 10,000 people buried). From here, the Incas controlled and dominated the Sacred Valley.
On the way back, we will stop at the traditional handicraft market in the village of Pisaq.
Return to Cusco in the afternoon and rest of the day at leisure.
Ollantaytambo (2750m) - Pisaq (3400m) - Cusco (3350m).
Transfer to Cuzco airport to take a flight to Lima, the Peruvian capital. Connect with your international flight.
The schedule of visits may be modified directly on site according to technical requirements and transportation schedules.
Discover Peru on one of our scheduled departures. Unique and cultural experiences await you in this incredible destination.
| No flight | Con vuelo (Lima - Arequipa & Cusco - Lima) |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel 2 stars |
Hotel 3 stars |
Hotel 2 stars |
Hotel 3 stars |
Reservation policies.
Reservations are made in advance, especially during holidays and high season. Reservations are only accepted through the established means.
Means of payment
Transaction Fees.
Packages and travel programs include transaction fees for the first two payments by credit or debit card, PayPal. See other payment methods without surcharge.
Change and cancellation policies.
The rescheduling of tours are admitted with due anticipation, except for the tours to Machu Picchu. No-show will result in the total loss of the service. The cancellation or withdrawal of the service will not be entitled to a refund.
Includes
It does not include
In general, this trip is not suitable for people with reduced mobility. We invite you to contact us for detailed information about the possibility of participating in this trip, taking into account your specific needs.
You can make a pre-reservation using our online registration form. We do not require any deposit for this pre-booking.
To confirm your reservation, you must send us an e-mail (ventascusco8@terandes.com) with a copy of your passport valid for more than 6 months after your trip and fill in the registration form that we will send you after your confirmation.
You will then receive an invoice by e-mail within 48 hours. We ask for an advance payment of 30% of the trip price upon receipt of the invoice. The balance is payable up to 30 days prior to departure.
European Union citizens entering Peru do not require a visa for tourist stays of less than 90 days, but must have a passport valid for at least 6 months* from the date of entry into the country and a round-trip airline ticket.
It is the traveler's responsibility to check with the relevant authorities (embassies, consulates) that he/she is in possession of the appropriate documents to travel to the country visited. Tierras de los Andes is not responsible for problems related to inadequate travel documents.
Important: if you are not a citizen of the European Union, please let us know at the time of your request or reservation so that we can inform you of the entry conditions. Thank you very much!
The means of transportation vary according to the itinerary and the size of the group. The means of transportation are varied: motorized canoes, vans, boats and, most of the time, your own bus. The brand of vehicle used by our operator is Mercedes.
Meals not included: allow around $10/pers and per meal.
Tipping: are obviously not mandatory but are customary in South America.
Our Tips:
Currency: It is not necessary to exchange currency before the trip. You will have the opportunity to exchange euros into local currency from the first day, and then several times during the tour. Your tour guide will tell you where to do this and for how long you should carry money.
Cash withdrawal: If your card allows it, you will also be able to withdraw money from ATMs in major cities. Ask your bank about the amount of the fee for withdrawing money abroad. Some banks have special agreements that allow you to withdraw money commission-free at partner banks.
Warning: Don't rely exclusively on cash withdrawals, as ATMs are only regularly replenished in major cities and there is a limit to the amount you can withdraw.
Paying by bank card: is not as common in South America as in Europe. Prefer cash in local currency.
