Peru Explorers 21 Days

When you arrive at Cusco Airport you will be met by our representative who will take you by a transport to the hotel in Cusco. The transfer will take around 20 minutes. Overnight in the hotel to relax.

Early morning pick-up, after breakfast, by your guide and driver for the City Tour of Cusco – taking in the impressive Colonial Cathedral in the main plaza, The Inca Sun Temple – Q’oricancha, and the four Incan Ruins above the city of Saqsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay. Tour lasts around four and a half hours. Return to Cusco Centre. Free time for lunch. Optional walking tour in the afternoon around the Colonial Centre, visiting plazas and traditional streets.

Early morning pick -up, after breakfast, by driver and guide for the Sacred Valley tour. Visiting first the beautiful Pisaq Incan site above the Sacred Valley with views of Urubamba River. Lunch in Urubamba, followed by a visit to Ollantaytambo – Inca Ruins set in a very picturesque traditional Inca village, with original streets. Return to Urubamba hotel for around 4PM.

After early breakfast the driver will take you to Ollantaytambo to catch the train to Machu Picchu town, the journey takes around 90 minutes. When you arrive, your guide will be waiting for you at the Train station to take you by bus to Machu Picchu Archaeological site. After lunch in the Sanctuary lodge, spend the afternoon with a guided tour of the famous Incan Ruin. Take the bus down to the village and you have a free evening to relax.

Second visit to Machu Picchu – gates open at 6AM. You and your guide will leave the hotel to take an early bus for the 25-minute trip up to the site. Two-hour tour of the ruins with your guide before climbing Wayna Picchu mountain at 9AM with your guide. Leave the site for lunch – remember to bring some snacks and water with you. Take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch and return to the hotel. Free afternoon and evening.

After breakfast take the Mooning train to Ollantaytambo – the journey lasts around 90 minutes. Your driver will be waiting in Ollantaytambo to transport you back to Cusco. The trip includes a guided visit of the archaeological site of Moray and the salt mines Maras, back in Cusco around 2pm. Free afternoon

Free day to explore Cusco, the markets, the Museums, San Blas area or just relax in the bars and cafés around the main plaza.

Pick up 7.30am, after breakfast at the hotel, and transfer to the airport to take the 9.45 am flight to Puerto Maldonado. The Transport takes you on a two-hour journey by road to Chuncho lodge, where you will be staying for three nights. The journey gives opportunities to spot animals, birds and typical communities.

After lunch, we take a guided tour with a specialised jungle guide, to explore the jungle around the lodge. In the evening, there is an optional introductory night walk to hear some of the amazing jungle sounds, with an opportunity to see some of the nocturnal animals including frogs, snakes, night monkeys and maybe even some of the big cats. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Early wake up at 4:30 a.m. for a light breakfast before taking a 90-minute boat trip up the Tambopata river to the Macaw Clay Lick. Take in the beautiful natural scenery and wildlife of the riverbanks. At the clay lick observe hundreds of colourful parrots and macaws gather at the location – an unforgettable experience. Mid-morning, return to the lodge for breakfast and a short rest before a 20-minute river- journey to El Gato Creek, where we will swim in a natural Jacuzzi. If you wish, you can try to fish in the river. Return to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, we take a walk into the private trail system at the lodge to learn about the medicinal plants and the ecosystem, including many of the animals and birds. As this walk takes you into the twilight, you will learn to recognise the sounds and animal calls of the Amazon.

After breakfast, travel by boat and car back to Puerto Maldonado port to begin another boat journey within the jungle reserve to our destination, the beautiful Sandoval Lake. We will hike approximately 3km to the lake shore. This trip gives many opportunities to see monkeys, birds and the Giant Otter family. After a rest at the new lodge Sandoval, we return to the lake for the beautiful sunset, staying late at the lake to see the black Caiman.

Another early start at 5:30 for the sunrise at Sandoval lake, and glimpses of the jungle’s early risers. We will paddle across the western section, taking in the peaceful surroundings.

We return to the lodge for breakfast and take the boat back to Puerto Maldonado in time for your flight.
Pick up from the airport and transfer to your hotel and free afternoon. Last day in Cusco.

Early morning pickup and transfer to the airport to catch the Mooning flight to Arequipa. Your transfer will take you to your city centre hotel and you have a free afternoon to explore this magnificent city.

After breakfast the local guide will collect you for the City tour. We start at the beautiful, colourful labyrinth of the city-within-a-city, the Santa Catalina Monastery. We then walk to the Main Plaza with the colonial arches built in dazzling white stone, and a visit to the impressive Cathedral. Then we visit the Museum of Santuarios Andinos which houses Juanita – the perfectly preserved frozen mummy of a girl found high in the snow-capped slopes of Ampato mountain.

In the afternoon, we explore the older suburbs and surrounding countryside – visiting the Mirador of Carmen Alto, a natural viewpoint from where it is possible to make out the Valley of Arequipa with great pre-Inca terraces and its iconic volcanoes. Then on to the traditional neighborhood of Yanahuara, with its colonial church and historic arches, before visiting the Founder’s Mansion and the Sabandia Water Mill, where it is possible to see over 50 types of cactus plants amid a peaceful atmosphere.

Early pick up from your hotel to begin our trip to the one of the deepest Canyons of the world. The route passes snow-capped mountains, lakes, and volcanoes, making stops at the most picturesque places. Around 13:30 we arrive in Chivay for lunch.

After lunch, our private transport takes us to the colourful town of Coporaque. We take a walk to enjoy the landscape and visit a pre-Inca cemetery. After the walk you have the opportunity to bath in the Thermal baths, before travelling back to the hotel in Chivay.

With another early start and breakfast, at 6:30a.m. we take the private transport to the view-point ‘Cruz del Cóndor ‘for a beautiful view of Colca Canyon and the location of flying Condors, the huge South America Vulture, sacred to the Inca. We will see Pre-Inca tombs hanging in the mountains and lots of cactus! During the journey back to Chivay we visit the towns of Pinchollo, Maca and Yanque, with their beautiful colonial churches, as well as in the viewpoints of Choquetico and Antahuilque from where we will observe impressive terraces farming platforms of the valley, and tombs in pre-Incas scale models. Lunch at 13:00 then bus to Puno. Transfer to hotel.

Pick up around 6:00a.m. for transfer to the port of Lake Titicaca, the World’s highest navigable lake. First, you will sail to the floating Uros Islands. Built by the inhabitants, the islands are made of the tortora reeds, which are also used for the houses. The Uros people have come up with some ingenious solutions to their peculiar location. Our boat then travels further on the Lake to the Island of Amantani where you will stay in local house with a local family. This is rustic, traditional accommodation and food – pack plenty of layers as it gets cold on the lake at night. In the afternoon, we visit the sacred ceremonial centre; to appreciate the beautiful landscapes and sunset over Lake Titicaca before having dinner with your host.

After breakfast with your host, we take the boat to Taquile Island, rich in native plants including muña, a variety of potatoes, barley, beans, and the red and white national flower (La Cantuta). The customs and unique traditions of the islanders are still preserved in their clothing, with high-quality intricate spinning and weaving made mostly by the men. After lunch we walk down to the port to take our boat back to the city of Puno and transfer to your hotel.

Free morning in Puno before collection around 2pm from the hotel. The private transport takes us to the Archaeological Site of Sillustani located on the shores of the Umayo Lagoon. The site is famous for its Chullpas, which are large, tall, circular stone funeral tombs for the most important leaders of the ancient pre –Inca times. Our journey across the high pampa also takes in some villages still observing the traditional way of life, before travelling on to Juliaca for the evening flight to Lima

Early Pick up for a transfer to the Cruz del Sur bus station take the 7:30.a.m bus from Lima to Ica for around 4.30 hrs, once you arrived in Ica we start the tour for 3hrs. Visiting Ica’s countryside and we will have an explanation in detail about the process of making the Piscos (famous Peruvian Alcohol) and wines and taste each of its varieties.

Last stop of the day. We will go to Huacachina lagoon where we will ride in buggies and sliding on sandboard, after we might see the beautiful sunset and walk around the lagoon, take pictures and know the story of the mermaid of Huacachina. After we take you to your hotel to rest.

Pick up around 7:00 a.m. We begin the tour around 8:00 a.m. Visiting the Ballestas Islands on a motorized boat, first place to see is “The Candelabro”, which is a geoglyph (drawing on the ground) that despite the passage of the years have not changed or modified. We will also observe Tendrils, Pikemen, Seagulls, Pelicans, and with luck a family of Penguins of Humboldt and the most beautiful and impressive animals such as sea lions in their two kind of species, our guide will help us to know better this kind of Marine Mammal. The entire sea trip lasts 2 hours. After the tour back to El Chaco dock.

Next, we will board a Cessna plane, model Caravan which has capacity of 12 passengers, each with a seat next to the window. Overflight of the Nazca Lines (Duration: 1h 40min.) Nazca Lines are mysterious strokes made on the sand covering an area of 350 KM., these represent figures of various animals and plants such as: The Spider, the Monkey, the Tree, the Lizard, the Hummingbird, the Hands, among others. Its dimensions reach a size from 15 to 300 meters each and with a depth of 30 centimetres approximately. Also, the route also includes the Ocucaje Valley, (panoramic view of the mountains that hold remains Marine fossils of 150 million years old) and the Valleys of Santa Cruz, Palpa, Viscas, Ingenio, where the Paracas and Nazca cultures developed (800 b.c. – 700 a.c.).
Later in the afternoon catch the 15:30 p.m. Bus to Lima and transfer to your hotel.

Pick up 9:00 a.m. We visit the Main Square where the Government Palace and the Town Hall are located. We will visit the Cathedral and explore the Santo Domingo Convent, San Martin Plaza.

We will have a tour through Lima’s streets and plazas. Starting at “Parque del Amor” in Miraflores, with a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean, and then we are heading to the Huaca Pucllana, ceremonial centre of the Lima culture, for a panoramic view.
Later that afternoon transfer to the Airport to catch the flight back home.