PERU LONG PROGRAM – 10 Days – 9 Nights

Detailed Itinerary

DAY 1 | Lima

Welcome to Lima!

Arrive at Lima Airport. A transportation service and a guide will pick you up from the airport at the scheduled time to transfer you to your hotel in Lima. The Peruvian capital is a modern metropolis full of history, currently undergoing an exciting process of cultural and economic changes.

Overnight at selected hotel.

DAY 2 | Lima

Half-day lima city tour

Explore Lima’s old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, packed with fascinating historic buildings. The route begins at the traditional Pueblo Libre district, where you visit the Larco Museum, located in a beautifully restored viceregal mansion built on a pre-Columbian pyramid from the seventh century. The museum boasts a complete pre-Hispanic collection of gold and silver objects, as well as pieces of erotic art. Then visit the Casa Aliaga, a colonial mansion granted by chief conquistador Francisco Pizarro to one of his captains, Jeronimo de Aliaga. This is the only house from that time, still belonging to the same family. Continue with a scenic tour through the colonial downtown. See the Main Square, where you can appreciate the grandiose architecture of the Spanish Empire. Admire Lima’s Cathedral, built during the 16th century. Finish the trip returning to your hotel.

Overnight at selected hotel.

DAY 3 | Lima - Arequipa

Enjoy a pleasant transfer from the selected hotel to the airport. A representative will assist you along the way.

Flight to Arequipa – (not included in the final rate)

Once you land in Arequipa, a transportation service will take you to your hotel. Then, a representative informs you about the attractions and services the city has to offer.

Half day city tour of Arequipa

The route begins in Arequipa´s Main Square, one of the most beautiful squares in Peru. Facing this square is the imposing Cathedral, built in the 17th century. From there, continue to the Monastery of Santa Catalina, a cloister and small religious citadel built in 1579, still in use to this date. Then, visit the Church of the Compañia de Jesus (1590). Considered a classic example of local baroque architecture, it houses an exceptional collection of paintings and murals. Lastly, visit the districts of Yanahuara and Carmen Alto for a panoramic view of the Arequipa countryside. At the end, take a transfer back to the hotel. *Church dress code: During the visit sleeveless and / or low-cut garments, shorts above the knee, and miniskirts are not permitted, otherwise their entrance will be denied.

Overnight at selected hotel.

DAY 4 | Arequipa – Colca

Charge your batteries with breakfast at the hotel before leaving the city via Yura, a district characterised by its rugged scenery, hills and cliffs. Then enter the Pampa Cañahuas Reserve, an extensive grass plain where vicuñas (an Andean camelid and a national symbol) can be spotted. Head through Vizcachani and Pampas de Toccra up to the crater of the Chucura volcano. From there, continue one last leg of the way to reach the Mirador de los Andes at Patapampa, a stunning viewpoint 4,800 metres above sea level with impressive views of the volcanoes surrounding Arequipa. Lunch is served in the town of Chivay and in the afternoon you can rest in the hotel.

Overnight at selected hotel.

DAY 5 | Colca – Puno

Once breakfast is over, head to Condor’s Cross, from where you can contemplate the view of the Colca Valley (one of the world´s deepest canyons) and see the large, majestic condor soaring over the valley, only a few metres away from where you stand. Back in Chivay, visit the towns of Pinchollo, Maca, Achoma and Yanque, and in between snap some more memorable photos at the Antahuilque and Choquetico viewpoints. Then later on continue to Puno with a detour that takes you through Patahuasi. Along the way, observe the amazing stone forests and sky-blue lagoons populated by cranes that fill this area 4,000 metres above sea level. Arrive at Puno after this amazing journey and enjoy a well-deserved rest at the hotel.

Overnight at selected hotel.

DAY 6 | Puno

Full day tour to uros and taquile islands in semi-private service.

Transfer to the lacustrine port of Puno, where a boat takes you to the floating island of the Uros. The Uros are an ancestral society that populates a series of artificial islands built with totora plant, a type of reed which grows in the Titikaka lake. There they build their houses, also from totora. After a journey of an hour and a half, continue your trip to the island of Taquile. This island was part of the Inca Empire and its inhabitants speak quechua. Once there, receive a briefing about the island.

Have a tasty lunch and start your return to Puno.

Overnight at selected hotel.

DAY 7 | Puno - Cusco

Full day shared tour from Puno to Cusco.

From 2 to 6 Passengers

Get ready for a trip to the heart of the Inca Empire. Recharge yourself before boarding the touristic bus that will take you to Cusco. Travel through amazing landscapes of the Andes, with villages and native animals all around. Take a break at the archaeological site of Pucará, which dates back to 200 BC. to 300 AD; followed by a brief stop in La Raya, the highest point between Puno and Cusco, over 4,313 metres above sea level. After the visit, enjoy a lunch in Marangani .  You will also visit Racchi, where the Wiracocha temple is located: a surprising 30-meter wide and 20-meter high building. Then, visit the town of Andahuaylillas to see its main attraction: its church nicknamed as the Sistine Chapel of America; for the impressive works of art found inside. Finally, you will arrive at your hotel in the city of Cusco.

Full day private tour from puno to cusco route with private guide.

From 20 to 30 Passengers.

You will be picked up from your hotel at the established time and transferred to the Pucará Lithic Museum. It is located in the Pucará town (3910 masl), at 61 kilometers from Juliaca City. The museum has a collection of zoomorphic sculptures in addition to steles and monoliths with sophisticated details. Pucará was the first urban settlement proper of the lacustrine altiplano and it developed between 100 and 300 BC. Then you will make a short stop at Raya, the highest point of the road between Puno and Cusco above 4338 masl. After enjoying lunch in the Sicuani town, you willcontinue your tour until the Racchi ruins, to visit the Temple of Wiracocha, the Sun God of the Incas. The next stop will be Andahuaylillas, a town located 40 kilometers from Cusco and its top attraction is the Andahuaylillas Church, also known as “The Sistine Chapel of the Americas”, due to the high quality of the art works its houses. The structure was built in the 16th century over the vestiges of buildings that could have belonged to the Wari culture. It now has an original pipe organ that has been recently restored. You will arrive in Cusco after approximately 7 and a half hours.

Overnight at selected hotel.

DAY 8 | Cusco

Half day private tour to the city of cusco with visit to coricancha, cathedral, sacsayhuaman, quenqo, puca pucara and tambomachay.

Enjoy a guided tour of this charming city, which was the capital of the Inca Empire. The tour begins with a visit to the Convent of Santo Domingo, which was built over the Inca temple of Coricancha, one of the most important precincts dedicated to the cult of the sun. Ancient chronicles say that its walls were covered with gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. Next, visit the Cathedral, the most imposing monument in the Plaza de Armas. Then head to the hills of Cusco where the fortress of Sacsayhuaman is located, whose imposing walls offer an impressive panoramic view of Cusco. Continue to Qenqo, an archaeological complex of religious use where it is believed that the Incas practiced rituals related to agriculture. Continue the tour to Puka Pukara, the “red fort” in Quechua; an architectural complex of supposed military use, with multiple environments, plazas, baths, aqueducts and towers. It is believed to have been used by the Inca entourage while the leader rested in Tambomachay, which is the last archaeological stop on the tour. It is believed that it was an enclosure of water worship, which had an extraordinary hydraulic system. At the end of the tour, return to your hotel.

The BTC or Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico de Cusco) is a pass which gets you into the main archaeological sites and museums in and around Cusco. This partial BTC includes the sites of interest closest to the city: Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay.

Overnight at selected hotel.

DAY 9 | Cusco – Machu Picchu – Cusco

Full day tour to machu picchu in Inca Rail Train.

A transportation service transfers you from your hotel in Urubamba to the Ollantaytambo station.

Round trip train tickets Voyager and 360° (61 and 64) to Machu Picchu. From/to Ollanta station.

Your journey to Machu Picchu begins with a train ride to the town of Aguas Calientes, where you will find a handicraft market, restaurants and accommodation of different categories. After a short bus ride, arrive in Machu Picchu, a masterpiece of engineering and architecture that served as a sanctuary and resting residence for the Inca Pachacútec. According to UNESCO, Machu Picchu, which means ‘Old Mountain’, is considered a World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the modern world. At the end of the tour, return by bus to Aguas Calientes and then to Cusco. * Remember to confirm your reservation as soon as possible to proceed with the purchase of tickets in advance due to the limited capacity of the Citadel. Tickets are subject to availability.

Enjoy a delicious lunch at local restaurant.

Transfer from Ollantaytambo to your hotel in Cusco.

Overnight Stay at Hotel.

DAY 10 | Cusco

Enjoy a pleasant transfer from the selected hotel to the airport. A representative will assist you along the way.