Peru
Day Zero: Arrive and Acclimatise
You’ll arrive in Cusco, ready for your private hotel transfer. Then it’s time to acclimatise to this seductive city, 3,399m above sea level. Packed with ancient temples, colonial mansions and grand cathedrals, the former Inca capital is the perfect place to start an adventure.
Overnight in Cusco
Classic - Suenos Del Inka Hotel
Premium - Novotel Cusco
Deluxe - Palacio del Inka
Meals included: None
Day One: Into the Inca Empire
Time for a morning foray into Cusco’s fascinating history, on a guided walk that takes in its most famous monuments. You’ll start in the grand main square of the Plaza des Armas, visiting its cathedral before wandering down tiny alleys and past high Incan walls on your way to the most important temple of Incan times: Coricancha, the Temple of the Sun.
The afternoon is free for further exploration. You might like to take an optional excursion through the Incan ruins dotted around Cusco. The adventure starts at the old citadel of Sacsayhuaman, which has spectacular views down towards the city. Then you’ll visit the mysterious temple of Qenqo, carved from a single monolith and thought to be the site of grizzly death rituals. Finally, it’s time to see the calm, fortress ruins at Puka Pukara and the aqueducts and waterfalls at Tambomachay, believed by some to be a spa resort for the ancient Incan elite (see Extras tab).
Overnight in Cusco
Classic - Suenos Del Inka Hotel
Premium - Novotel Cusco
Deluxe - Palacio del Inka
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Two: Village Life
Journey into the lush green landscape of the Sacred Valley, to find out about life outside the city, both ancient and modern. The first stop on your day-long adventure will be Moray, where a mysterious pattern of circular terraces (thought to be an Incan agricultural laboratory) blends beautifully into the surrounding foothills.
After that, visit the spectacular terraced salt flats at Maras, which have been harvested since pre-Incan times. Situated at the mouth of a ravine, they’re a holiday must-snap. In Maras village, you’ll spend time with a local family who will teach you the art of decorating Peruvian ceramics during a private workshop: you’ll leave with your own ornament as a souvenir. Your final stop on the excursion will be the village of Ollantaytambo, occupied since the 13th century and nicknamed the ‘Last Inca Village in Peru’. Life continues largely unchanged in its cobbled streets and squares. You’ll visit the fortress ruins that climb into the mountains above the village (where the Incans defeated the conquistadors in battle). Then you’ll get an insight into daily life here, spending time in a typical Ollantaytambo home that’s been occupied by the same family for generations.
Overnight in Cusco
Classic - Suenos Del Inka Hotel
Premium - Novotel Cusco
Deluxe - Palacio del Inka
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Three: All Aboard for Machu Picchu
You’ll take a car to Ollantaytambo, ready to board the Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes, the village at the foot of Machu Picchu. The train has panoramic windows, affording you incredible views of the landscape as it wends its way past fast-flowing rivers, ancient ruins and remote villages towards snow-capped peaks. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll take the shuttle bus straight to the incomparable Incan site of Machu Picchu, for your first glimpse at this New Wonder of the World. Your private guide will show you the layout of this magnificent site, taking you to its main attractions while explaining more about its history and culture. Your guide will then accompany you on the bus ride back to your hotel, where you will check in before dinner.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes
Classic - Hotel Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu
Premium - Hotel El Mapi by Inkaterra
Deluxe - Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast; dinner
Day Four: Exploring a Lost City
Having got your bearings yesterday, you’ll have the morning to make a second, unaccompanied visit to Machu Picchu. (Your entrance and shuttle bus fee is included in the experience price.) You might like to set your alarm for an early start: the ruins are even more evocative when they open at 6am, before the crowds arrive.
After your free morning, it’s time to board the Vistadome train again – heading for Poroy station in Cusco, from where you will transfer to a car which will take you back to hotel. During the train ride, expect a meal of local delicacies, as well as entertainment offering an insight into Peruvian life.
Overnight in Cusco
Classic - Suenos Del Inka Hotel
Premium - Novotel Cusco
Deluxe - Palacio del Inka
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Five: Towards Lake Titicaca
Leave Cusco for the final time, on the long bus journey to the city of Puno, on the shore of Lake Titicaca. You’ll break up the journey with plenty of stops, accompanied by the tour-bus guide. First, at the sleepy town of Andahuaylillas, you’ll see the ‘Sistine Chapel of the Americas’, an intricately-decorated 16th-century church that’s packed with murals and gold leaf. Then you’ll visit Raqchi, home to the country’s only surviving adobe Incan ruins. Finally, in the enchanting little town of Pukara, you’ll have lunch at a local restaurant, shop for the town’s famous ‘Toritos de Pucara’ pottery and see the pre-Incan treasures of the Museo Litico de Pucara. Upon arrival in Puno, you’ll be transferred to your hotel, ready to explore Lake Titicaca in the morning.
Overnight in Puno
Classic - Hotel Hacienda Puno Hotel
Premium - Sonesta Posadas del Inca Puno
Deluxe - Hotel Libertador Lago Titicaca
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch
Day Six: Life on the Lake
You’ll be picked up at your hotel and taken to Puno’s dock, ready for a day-long boat trip on Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake. First stop is the Uros Islands: these manmade reed islands, floating within the Titicaca National Reserve, are named after the builders who have lived here for centuries, maintaining their traditional way of life and living in small houses that they also weave from the reeds. Next, you’ll head for the island of Taquile, whose inhabitants still speak the Inca language of Quechua. You’ll notice their colourful clothing, made using weaving techniques that are central to their culture and practiced by everyone. You can buy some garments for yourself, or simply savour the uniqueness of the unspoiled landscape: there are no roads, only agricultural terraces and paved walking paths that criss-cross the countryside. On clear days, you can see as far as Bolivia from the highest point in the island, at almost 4,050m. After your boat trip, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Puno.
Overnight in Puno
Classic - Hotel Hacienda Puno
Premium - Sonesta Posadas Del Inca Lago Titicaca Puno
Deluxe - Hotel Libertador Lago Titicaca
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch
Day Seven: Altiplano Adventures
There’s the chance to see the pre-Incan cemetery of Sillustani on your way back to the airport. In a dream-like setting on the shore of Lake Umayo, backed by the wild emptiness of the Altiplano, these funerary towers stand sentinel high above the water. There will be time to explore, before driving onwards towards Juliaca and the airport.
Meals included: Breakfast
Overall meals included: 9 Breakfasts; 3 lunches; 3 dinners
Accommodation
You will get a choice of hotel options for the duration of your experience:
Classic ★★★
Classic hotels provide mid-range accommodation (minimum three-star rated), with comfortable rooms and private facilities. We’ve selected these hotels based on positive client feedback.
Premium ★★★★
Premium hotels are typically upper mid range (usually four star), with more amenities than our classic choices. They all have comfortable rooms with private facilities and have received good client feedback.
Deluxe ★★★★★
Deluxe hotels are luxury hotels with excellent facilities and service, usually categorised as 4.5 or 5 star. Clients rate them extremely highly.
When booking an experience, please remember that the hotel category you select is for the whole tour. Please note that the actual hotel selection will be driven by availability at time of booking.
What's included:
- Private English-speaking guides unless stated otherwise
- Private transfers and train tickets, unless stated otherwise
- Meals as listed
- Mandatory taxes and service fees
- Entrance tickets and permits unless stated otherwise
- Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
- Boat excursion on Lake Titicaca
What's not included:
- International flights to/from the start/end point of our experiences
- Optional extras listed
- Tips for guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant staff
- Any visa, customs, airport taxes or similar charges before or after the tour
- We cannot guarantee the included hotel breakfast for early departures
- Drinks during meals unless stated otherwise
- Personal expenses, such as laundry
For Home Office travel advice to this country, read more here
Children: This experience is not recommended for children under 12. Children aged 8 and older can go under parent's responsibility.
GETTING THERE
Typical return Economy flights from London cost around £800 per person and take 20 hours.
For this particular experience, we have found that the best option is normally to book a multi-stop flight from London - Cusco - Juliaca - London.
Experience start point: Cusco (CUZ). Arrive any time.
End point: Juliaca (JUL). Leave any time.
All tour departures up to 30th June 2019 are part of our Pioneers Club promotion. Click here for more information about the Pioneers Club.