DAY 1 Arrive into LimaUpon arrival our staff will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Lima for the start of your trip.
OVERNIGHTLima Hotel
DAY 2 Lima. Drive to Paracas National Reserve. Ballestas Island boat trip.Departing Lima, our tour begins with a trip south to the Ballestas Islands nestled in the Paracas National Reserve. We enjoy a boat ride here to view the incredible concentration of rare and exotic birds and sea mammals which make this one of the most important marine reserves in the world.
OVERNIGHTIca hotel
MEALSBreakfast
DAY 3 Drive through the Ica Desert to the Oasis of HuacachinaThis morning we make the short drive through the Ica Desert to the heart of Peru’s wine region. Visiting the Tacama winery we have the chance to sample the local wine as well as the country’s national drink, Pisco. We then head to the nearby Oasis of Huacachina – a palm fringed lake surrounded by sand dunes where we can relax on the beach and enjoy a swim before we take things up a notch with a thrill inducing dune buggy ride over the massive sand dunes. This evening enjoy the desert sunset as we make camp and sleep under the stars.
OVERNIGHTCamping
MEALSBreakfast
DAY 4 Visit the Nazca Lines & Chauchilla Cemetery. Drive to ArequipaToday we travel to one of South America’s most mysterious sites as we visit the intriguing Nazca Lines. Believed to have been present for over 2,000 years these huge figures carved into the desert floor were only discovered 80 years ago from the air and as such there are many contrasting theories as to what they actually signify – feel free to ask the locals! We then head to the Chauchilla Cemetery famous for its well-preserved mummies before saying goodbye to the Atacama Desert to begin our climb into the Andes towards Arequipa.
OVERNIGHTArequipa
MEALSBreakfast
DAYS 5-8 Arequipa and the Colca CanyonThe next four days are spent in and around Colca Canyon and the surrounding areas. We include an overnight visit to the Colca Canyon, which at 900m is not only one of the deepest in the world but also the home of the majestic Condors. Here you can view the condors circling lazily in the thermals rising from the canyon floor. Some of the other activities available to arrange in this beautiful part of Peru include white water rafting, cycling, horse riding and trekking.
OVERNIGHTArequipa
MEALSBreakfast
DAY 9 Arrive in Cuzco. Sacred Valley of the Incas tourAn overnight coach journey carries us through the Andes to Cuzco – the adventure capital of Peru and starting point of the Inca trail. We will be based here for the next 7 days as we seek to explore the dramatic landscape and learn about the unique cultures that have existed here for thousands of years. Arriving early morning we have chance to tour the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas, home to temples, terrace fields and bustling local markets before returning to Cuzco for a good night’s sleep in preparation of our trek the next day.
OVERNIGHTCuzco Hotel
MEALSBreakfast
DAYS 10-13 Begin Inca Trail. Trek to Machu PichuWe head out early from Cuzco to the Urubamba Valley from where we begin our 4 day trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. A stunning combination of panoramic views, Inca ruins and magnificent mountains make this one of the most exotic adventures in the world. Reaching over 4200m in places the trail winds up through lush valleys and tiny, hospitable villages where we spend the nights. All guides and porters are included on the trek. Once we have completed the trek we return to Cuzco by train.
OVERNIGHTBasic Accommodation
MEALSBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAYS 14-15 Cuzco. Free timeTo help recover from our trek we have 2 free days in Cuzco. Feel free to explore more of the city and its museums and churches or look for local crafts from Alpaca woollen jumpers to Andean musical instruments and local jewellery. If you still have the energy you can arrange an adventurous white water rafting trip on either the Urubamba or Apurimac River.
OVERNIGHTCuzco Hotel
MEALSBreakfast
DAYS 16-18 Cuzco. Drive to Lake TiticacaLying at 3800m on the border between Peru and Bolivia, this morning we get our first glimpse of the deep blue waters that make up the extraordinary Lake Titicaca. Home to the Uros Indians who reside on unique floating reed islands we are fortunate enough to be able to visit these islands and spend the night with one of the Indian families on the lesser known islands of Isla Amantani or Taquile. The following day is free to relax in Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
OVERNIGHTHomestay
MEALSBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAYS 19-20 Lake Titicaca. Travel to BoliviaBidding farewell to Peru, we cross the border into Bolivia and arrive at the picturesque lakeside village of Copacabana where we stop for the night. From here we continue onto the impressive capital city of La Paz, where the rest of the day and the whole of the following day are yours to explore the markets, museums and bustling streets at leisure.
OVERNIGHTBasic Accommodation
MEALSBreakfast
DAY 21 La Paz. Transfer to airport for departureTransfer to airport for departure
OVERNIGHTNone
MEALSBreakfast