SOUTHERN PERU CLASSICAL TOUR

DAY 1. DEPARTURE OF THE FLIGHT AND ARRIVAL IN LIMA.
International flight departure. Arrival at Lima airport in the afternoon / evening. Reception at the airport and transfer to our accommodation in the city center.

Hotel accommodation, Lima.

DAY 2. PARACAS NATURE RESERVE – BALLESTAS ISLANDS – HUACACHINA
Breakfast.

Departure around 3:45 AM in the direction of the Nature Reserve from Paracas. Upon arrival there will be a navigation of about 2 hours through the Ballestas islands where you can see various species of seabirds, sea lions and also Humboldt penguins. Due to the high concentration of seabirds, these islands are rich in guano, a fertilizer exploited by the government. Then a visit of about 4 hours to the Paracas Nature Reserve which is located on the Peruvian coastal desert. The reserve has a rich diversity of animal life which includes condors and flamingos. Then, we visit the Chandelier, the Mirador de la Catedral, and the beaches of Mina, Yumaque, Playa Roja and Lagunillas. In the afternoon transfer to the Huacachina Oasis. Free time to go up to the dunes to watch the sunset.

Hotel accommodation, Huacachina Oasis.

DAY 3. NAZCA LINES – AREQUIPA
In the morning we transfer from Huacachina to the Nazca aerodrome. From the sky, for around 35 minutes, we will observ the mysterious lines and figures of Nazca, located in the Pampas of San José and that extend over 500 hectares. We will observe well-known figures such as the whale, the trapezoid, the monkey, the condor, the spider, the hands, the hummingbird and the most mysterious of all, the astronaut. In the afternoon, after free time for lunch, around 14:30 we will take the tourist bus that will take us to the city of Arequipa. Arrival around 23:00, reception and direct transfer to our hotel.

Hotel accommodation, Arequipa.

DAY 4. AREQUIPA
Breakfast.

Free day for the free visit of the so-called “White City” of Arequipa, a colonial jewel of southern Peru located at 2,350 meters above sea level and surrounded by the imposing Misti (5,835 m) and Chachani (6,075 m) volcanoes. We recommend walking around the Plaza de Armas, visiting the Cathedral, the colorful Citadel / Monastery of Santa Catalina and the Museum of the Andean Sanctuaries of Height, where the mummy Juanita, the Inca girl sacrificed on the summit of Ampato, is located more than 6,300 meters. Note: for this day you will have a map, directions and suggestions on walking routes to visit the city for free. The hotel is very central and everything can be explored on foot.

Hotel accommodation, Arequipa.

DAY 5. AREQUIPA – CHIVAY – COLCA CANYON
Breakfast.

Pick up from the hotel at 8 AM. We will leave Arequipa by the North Highway and bordering the Chachani volcano until we reach Pampa Cañahuas, sector of the Aguada Blanca and Salinas National Reserve where wildlife such as vicunas and guanacos are protected. We will appreciate the snowy Chucura and the Toqra lagoons and then we will reach the highest point of the road, the Mirador de los Andes de Patapampa (4,850 meters) from where we will appreciate the main volcanoes in this sector: the Ampato, the Hualca-Hualca and the Sabancaya. At noon arrival in Chivay (3,633 m), free time for lunch and check-in at our hotel. In the afternoon we will enjoy a refreshing bath in the Termas de la Calera, and then visit the Museum of Collaguas and Cabanas Cultures (the two indigenous groups that inhabit the Colca canyon). Return to Chivay.

Hotel accommodation, Chivay.

DAY 6: COLCA CANYON. TOURIST BUS TO PUNO
Breakfast.

Breakfast at the hotel, then we head towards the Mirador de la Cruz del Cóndor to see the spectacular flight of the condors. Here we can also appreciate the enormous panoramic view of one of the deepest canyons on the planet. Later visit the traditional towns of Pinchollo, the viewpoint of Choquetico, where we will appreciate the hanging tombs and the Inca lithomaquettes, Maca and finally the town of Yanque. Time to eat in Chivay. In the early afternoon (around 13:15) we will take the tourist bus to Puno, with stops in Patapampa and Lagunillas to observe Andean birds. Arrival around 7:30 p.m. in Puno. Reception and transfer to the hotel.

Hotel accommodation, Puno.

DAY 7: UROS AND TAQUILE ISLANDS (LAKE TITICACA)
Breakfast.

Transfer from the hotel to the port. 2-hour motorized boat tour of the floating islands of the Uros, to observe traditional life in Titicaca. Then the trip continues navigating the Titicaca for about 2 hours until we reach the Taquile Island, where we will take a 40-minute walk up the path and the stands to the main town of the island. Free time to walk, buy handicrafts and observe the scenery of Lake Titicaca. After lunch we will leave for Puno where we will arrive around 5:00 p.m. Transfer from the port to the hotel. Rest of the afternoon free to walk around Puno and visit the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral.

Hotel accommodation, Puno.

DAY 8: PUNO – CUZCO
Breakfast food.

Pick up from the hotel and start the trip (7 AM) by tourist bus to Cuzco. During the journey we will visit: 1) Pukara, which was the first regional population center in the northern Titicaca lake basin during the Late Formative Period (500 BC-200 AD), and provides valuable information on the origins of the Andean civilization in the plateau. During its heyday it covered more than a square kilometer and housed thousands of bureaucrats, soldiers, priests, artisans, farmers, and herders. The Pukara style is identified by impressive monolithic sculptures with a variety of geometric, zoomorphic, imagery, and multi-colored pottery. 2) Abra La Raya is the highest point of the highway at 4,338 m, with views towards the snow-capped mountains of the sector of more than 5500 meters. 3) Sicuani where we will stop to eat (buffet lunch included). 4) Raqchi “Temple of Wiracocha”. This temple, according to ancient chroniclers, was built by the Inca Wiracocha in honor of the Sun God. Architecturally, it is 92 meters long and 25 meters high. 5) Andahuaylillas “Sistine Chapel of America”. There the San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas church, built by the Jesuits in the 16th century, will be known. Like other Spanish and religious buildings of the time, it was built on top of a huaca or sacred place for the Incas. Made of adobe and brick, the church is a small structure consisting of a single nave, apse, and bell tower. Its interior is decorated with paintings and sculptures in the purest Baroque style. Arrival in Cuzco around 17:30. Transfer to the hotel.

Hotel accommodation, Cuzco.

DAY 9: CUZCO
Breakfast.

Free day to tour the city of Cuzco. It is recommended to visit the Plaza de Armas, where the Cathedral and the Compañía Church stand out. Another interesting stop is the Inca temple of Koricancha and its beautiful museum. Then you can go to the market district and get to know the picturesque neighborhood of San Blas with its colonial-style houses and the Inca walls of Hatunrumiyoc Street and the famous 12-angle stone.

Hotel accommodation, Cuzco.

DAY 10: CUZCO. WALK ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTERS OF THE CUZCO VALLEY
Breakfast.

Private transportation will take us to the outskirts of Cuzco (15 km) to start the walk-tour on our own through different archaeological centers. The first stop will be Tambomachay, an interesting Inca structure that preserves the best-preserved Inca source system in the country. Very close to Tambomachay is our second stop, Tambomachay. Fortress located on the top of a hill, which served as a surveillance post at the entrance to the city of Cuzco. Beyond we can visit Q’enqo, a ceremonial site with its large carved stone and its underground corridors. We will finish the morning with a visit to the impressive Staggered Fortress of Sacsayhuamán, to walk under its walls of cyclopean stones, slide down natural slides and observe beautiful panoramic views of the city of Cuzco. From Sacsayhuamán you descend on foot to the center of Cuzco.

Hotel accommodation, Cuzco.

DAy 11: CUZCO – SACRED VALLEY – OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES
Breakfast.

This day we will make the tour to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our journey will take us to Chinchero, a beautiful town where we can appreciate the mix of colonial and Inca architecture. Then we will travel about 50 km until we reach Maras and its artisanal salt farms on terraces, which date back to before the Incas. Very close to Maras we will find Moray, with its spectacular circular Inca terraces. These terraces were used by the Incas to experiment with different types of crops, since the temperature on the lower terraces was very different from that of the upper terraces, a fact that facilitated the cultivation of different types of products according to weather conditions. In the early afternoon we will visit Ollantaytambo, where we will visit its famous Staggered Fortress. From the top of the ruins we will have a magnificent view of the valley and the mountains of the sector. In the afternoon we will go to the train station to take the train to Aguas Calientes. The 1h30 tour will take us down the Urubamba river valley until we reach the town of Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu town, located about 1,900 meters above sea level and surrounded by a dense mass of subtropical forest.

Hotel accommodation, Aguas Calientes.

DAY 12: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUZCO
Breakfast.

In the morning we will wake up very early to take the first buses that go up to Machu Picchu. Entrance to the trekking up to the summit of Huayna Picchu (it is traveled without a guide, in about 2 hours). After returning from Huayna Picchu, we will take a guided tour to see such emblematic places as the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Plaza, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Royal Residence, the Intihuatana or the Solar Clock, among other wonders. Guided tour of about 2 hours. In the middle of the afternoon we will descend with the bus again to Aguas Calientes, to take the train back to Ollantaytambo. Departure around 7:00 p.m. In Ollanta, the bus will be waiting for us, which will take us back to Cuzco in about 2 hours. Arrival at night and to Cuzco.

Hotel accommodation, Cuzco.

DAY 13: HIKE TO THE COLOR MOUNTAIN (VININCUNCA). AUSANGATE SOLID.
Breakfast.

Pick up at the hotel at 4:00 am and to head south from Cusco through Saylla, Tipón, to Quesoyuni (4,300 meters above sea level and about 3 hours by car from Cuzco). We will start the walk until we reach the rural community of Chillca, where we will have our breakfast and then the guide will give us recommendations to start the walk of approximately 4 or 5 hours. Arriving at the rural community of Vinacunca we will have the opportunity to see the different varieties of South American camelids, together with a view of the imposing Ausangate mountain (6,354 m). Then we will go up to the Cerro de Colores viewpoint (5030 m). Time to take photos and return by the same way to take our transport to return to Cuzco. Arrival at approximately 7:30 pm at the hotel in Cuzco.

Hotel accommodation, Cuzco.

DAY 14: FLIGHT CUZCO – LIMA AND CONNECTION WITH THE FLIGHT TO MADRID
Breakfast.

At the agreed time, transfer to the Cuzco airport to take the flight to the capital. Arrival in Lima, waiting time and connection with the flight back home. Arrival in Madrid the next day.

DAY 15. ARRIVING HOME