Peruvian Highlights - 13 days / 12 nights from 1195.00 USD

Free to choose Luxury or Voyager Class

Overview

This journey is designed for travelers who wish to see the principle highlights of Southern Peru in one compact, fully-organized trip. It covers the majority of the most visited places in Peru in a order that allows passengers to acclimatize well to changes in altitude and therefore fully enjoy their vacation time.

Our Peru Highlights is a comprehensive visit to the Southern highlights starting and ending in Lima, the City of Kings, passing through the beautiful city of Arequipa with its amazing convent and onto the Colca Canyon for condor and vicuna spotting. After visiting Colca, the second deepest canyon in the world, the tour continues onto Lake Titicaca with a night spent on one of the islands and then to the ancient Inca capital of Cusco, the Sacred Valley and also the jewel in Perus crown, Machu Picchu. This is great trip visiting some fantastic places in a relatively short time.

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
After your arrival in Lima (100m), you have a pick-up and transfer to your hotel. No activities are planned for this day. If you arrive early you could take a Lima city tour. It is advisable for passengers to arrive by late afternoon to avoid possible problems. If you are going to be very late for some reason please advise us so we can make the suitable arrangements. Overnight Lima.

Day 2
This morning you go back to the airport and take a short flight to the city of Arequipa (2350). This a really lovely city with several good things to see and do, the most spectacular of which is the Santa Catalina Convent and the mummie museum is very interesting too. You can spend your day sightseeing and enjoying the sun before going out to eat.

Day 3
Today you travel through a national reserve in our private transport with your expert guide looking for the vicuna. This animal belonging to the camel family has the most expensive wool in the world and is highly protected and shy. We then carry on into the Colca Valley enjoying fantastic views of snow capped volcanoes. You pass through the highest point of the trip, 5000m. Your home for the next 2 nights is a lovely lodge in the valley in one of the small villages there (3600m). You may also have a short walk to an ancient graveyard. Overnight Colca Valley.

Day 4
Today is an early start as you travel with your local guide to see the biggest land-living bird, the condor. Normally (no guarantee) there are several of these majestic birds circling on the thermals near to the Condor Cross at the mouth of the canyon. From there you may do a short hike or visit some villages depending upon your preferences and your guides advice. After returning to the lodge for a late lunch you go to the thermal springs which are very relaxing indeed. Overnight Colca Valley.

Day 5
Today you travel to Puno in a private bus or small van. The journey is very scenic as you climb gradually to reach the high Peruvian plain, the Altiplano. The journey will take most of the day and arrival on the shores of Lake Titicaca will be at around 3.30pm. You will have time to rest, use the internet, have a look around the town etc. before going out for the evening and discuss the plans for the island visit. Overnight Puno.

Days 6 and 7
After breakfast the day starts with a transfer to the port to meet your local guide and board the boat taking you out onto the lake. During today and tomorrow you will visit the Uros floating islands, Taquile Island and spend the night on Amantani Island. The order of the visits will depend upon your local guide and conditions on the sixth biggest and highest navigable lake in the world. Your lake tour will have three meals included and a home-stay with a local family on the island. This is basic, rustic accommodation and very rewarding as a look at how other people live. If we have time when we get back to Puno you could visit the Yavari steam boat or the funeral towers of Sillustani. Overnights Amantani and Puno.

Day 8
Travel to Cusco by first class public bus across the Altiplano. Very scenic journey and witness to an interesting change in climate, people and vegetation as we drop several hundred meters during the day to arrive in Cusco. Upon arrival you can take it easy and wander around this magnificent city before experiencing Cuscos famous nightlife and dinning in the evening. Overnight Cusco.

Day 9
Full day private Sacred Valley tour ending in Ollantaytambo. This is not the standard tour offered by the majority of companies but is something unique to us. Your first point of call are the spectacular Pisaq ruins, then the town below to have a little wander around and look at the market. After Pisaq you visit a volunteer clinic where US doctors donate their time to help local poor people. We then drive a short distance to the very picturesque Urco ruins, off the standard tourist route, before a short visit to a working farm to see the largest corn in the world. You then have a buffet lunch in a lovely spot before continuing on to Ollantaytambo for a look at the ruins there. It’s a full and very rewarding day out. Overnight Ollantaytambo.

Day 10
After breakfast you take a motorbike taxi down to the station where we board the train winding through the increasingly steep Sacred Valley. Arriving in the village of Aguas Calientes you check in to our hotel and meet your guide for a guided tour of one of the most spectacular places on earth. After a 2-hour guided tour you have time to wander around this magical place before getting a bus back down to the town and rounding off the day with a well earned drink and a hearty meal. Overnight in Aguas Calientes. This program gives you the chance to go to Machu Picchu once or twice, you may elect to go early on the second day, the choice is yours!

Day 11
As explained above you could go up to Machu Picchu for a second time (or for the first time very early) to spend more time up there without crowds or you could go walking to a lovely waterfall and/or visit the thermal springs. You are free to choose. You then take the afternoon train back to Cusco. Overnight Cusco.

Day 12
Day on which you can decide what you would like to do. Shopping, sightseeing or another activity. You can choose with our help and advice. Overnight Cusco

Day 13
After a transfer to the airport you will fly to Lima. If you have an evening flight home you could fill your day with a visit in or around Lima, storing your luggage at the airport or at your joining hotel. If you are staying overnight then please look at our extras section below.

Accommodation and included meals
9 nights accommodation with breakfast included.
Hotel standard is your choice
2 nights in a very comfortable lodge in the Colca Valley with breakfast.
1 night basic home-stay on Amantani Island, 3 meals included

Packing
You should pack clothing in layers so you can regulate your temperature according to conditions. Sometimes it will be hot and dusty, it may rain suddenly and at night it can be quite cold (very cold on the lake). If you need specific medication please remember to pack it. Sturdy walking footwear for visits to ancient sites and more fashionable shoes for the cities if you wish.

Money
US dollars cash are almost standard currency here. Travelers checks are not so useful but are accepted. ATMs are everywhere and are an excellent option. Local currency is the Sol (Sun) and you can change money everywhere you go, speak to your Tour Leader for advice.

Tour staff and support
Tour coordinator in Cusco, Local Guides, representatives, drivers and boatmen as required.

Transport
Taxi, Internal flights, Boats, Motorbike taxis, Buses or Vans and Trains.

Included
Personalized service around the whole route, local guides, boatmen and drivers as required
Accommodation as described above
Lima arrival pick-up and transfer to hotel
All transfers until arrival in Lima again
Colca Canyon package
Lake Titicaca package
Visit to steam boat and/or Sillustani
Cusco city tour
Cusco Visitors ticket and entrance fees
Private Sacred Valley tour and entrance fees plus lunch
Train journey to and from Machu Picchu
Buses to and from the ancient site
Entrance fees to Machu Picchu
Private guided tour of site

Domestic flights are optional, let us know if you wish us to book them.

Not Included
International flights or travel to trip start point
Hotel and transfer in Lima at the end of the tour (see below)
Meals unless stated
Tips and personal spending money

Arrival in Lima at end of tour
Some people will fly out from Cusco and catch their homeward flights in Lima the same day without staying the night. For this reason we do not include a hotel or a transfer at the end of the tour (keeping prices down). If either of these things are required please let us know and we can arrange them, see the section on optional extras below.

Optional extras
These can be added upon request:

Hotel in Lima pre or post tour
Lima transfer at end of tour

3 day/2 night Jungle extension
4 day/3 night Jungle extension
Paracas, Ica and Nazca extension

Requirements
Valid passport and/or visa
Travel arrangements to trip start point (Lima, Peru)
Adequate travel insurance (copy to be shown to your Tour Leader)
Yellow fever certificate and any vaccinations your doctor recommends
Your local payment in USD cash (new bills please)

Booking
Send us an email with your possible travel dates and we will advise you of departures we have planned at that time. When a date has been fixed we will ask you for a 50% deposit to secure your places plus your full names, passport numbers, nationalities, dates of birth and details of any medical conditions that could effect you or other people during the tour.

Booking enquires should be made as far in advance as possible as sometimes train tickets are difficult to get hold of in high season.