itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN LIMA
Upon arrival in Lima you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel where you will have a chance to freshen up and rest. Villa Barranco is a characterful boutique hotel with fabulous roof-top views.
Accommodation: Villa Barranco
DAY 2: DISCOVER LIMA
Explore Lima at your own pace. We recommend making your way to the Historic Centre to see World Heritage Site Santo Domingo Convent, the Main Square and the Larco Museum, an incomparable private collection of treasures from ancient Peru which offers up a superb overview of more than five thousand years of Peruvian history. Alternatively, enjoy an easy day exploring the thriving neighbourhoods of Miraflores and Barranco, making time to sample Lima's world class food scene and don’t miss the chance to try a traditional ‘Pisco Sour’ tipple.
Accommodation: Villa Barranco
DAY 3: FLIGHT FROM LIMA TO AREQUIPA
You’ll be transferred from your hotel in Lima to the airport to make the 90-odd minute flight to Arequipa. After checking in and freshening up at your hotel, head out on a guided tour of Arequipa. This walking tour will take you through the charming, historical centre; a world heritage site with churches, beautiful buildings fashioned from ‘sillar’ (volcanic rock) and the pretty Santa Catalina Convent. Arequipa is famous for its cloisters, attractive streets and small squares and is a real pleasure to explore.
Accommodation: Katari Hotel
DAY 4: EXPLORE AREQUIPA
Enjoy a day at leisure to wander around Arequipa at your own pace, and perhaps take some time to enjoy the wonderful views from the lovely rooftop terrace at your hotel.
Accommodation: Katari Hotel
DAY 5: BEAUTIFUL DRIVE FROM AREQUIPA TO COLCA CANYON
Today, depart Arequipa on a spectacular four-hour drive to the Colca Canyon via the Aguada Blanca and Pampa Cañahuas National Reserve. After lunch in Chivay, you’re free to spend the rest of the afternoon making the most of the hotel facilities, or you could pay an optional visit to the hot springs at La Calera. The journey from Arequipa to Colca, and then onto Puno tomorrow, is with a private guide and vehicle. For those on more of a budget, a shared service (by coach) is available, with one less night in Colca, please get in touch if you’d like more information.
Accommodation: Colca Lodge
DAY 6: DAY AT LEISURE - COLCA CANYON
A free day to enjoy the dramatic landscapes and picturesque villages of the Colca Canyon. Colca Lodge is an eco-friendly property in a fabulous mountain setting with hot springs and a lovely spa on site so it’s worth allowing some time to relax back at base.
Accommodation: Colca Lodge
DAY 7: DRIVE COLCA CANYON TO LAKE TITICACA VIA CRUZ DEL CONDOR
This morning visit the Cruz del Cóndor, the best location from which to admire the Colca Canyon and, weather permitting, you should be able to see the majestic condors, with their magnificent wingspan, in flight over the vast canyon below. The journey then continues on to Puno, one of Lake Titicaca’s main destinations, passing through the picturesque villages of Pinchollo, Maca and Chivay along the way. It’s a five-hour drive overall today, with a lunch stop on the way and arrival at Lake Titicaca in the late afternoon. Casa Andina Premium Puno is a modern, conveniently located hotel with 45 air-conditioned rooms.
Accommodation: Casa Andina Premium Puno
DAY 8: VISIT UROS AND TAQUILE ISLANDS ON LAKE TITICACA
Today’s first adventure is a trip to Taquile Island, where the welcoming community will meet you in their colourful, traditional clothing and share the ancient customs that they maintain to this day. The islanders are skilled artisans and still use many surprising craft techniques developed over centuries by their ancestors. Next, it’s on to visit the floating islands of the Uros, also known as the ‘Town of the Lake’. These intriguing islands are manmade from totora reed and serve as homes and trading centres for the Uros inhabitants who travel about on hand-built rafts.
Accommodation: Casa Andina Premium Puno
DAY 9: FULL DAY’S STUNNING TRAIN JOURNEY FROM PUNO TO CUSCO
Cross the Peruvian Andes today from Puno Station to Cusco on one of the world's most breath-taking train rides. During this epic 10 and a ½ hour journey, dine in one of the two 1920s-style Pullman dining carriages and enjoy some gourmet food along with great service. There’s even a top-notch afternoon tea. You can take a carry-on bag aboard, and the rest of your baggage will be safely stored in the luggage car.
Accommodation: El Mercado
DAY 10: PRIVATE GUIDED TOUR OF CUSCO
Explore the once Inca capital, Cusco, with a private guide. The tour begins at Koricancha Temple, an ancient Inca palace and centre of worship of the sun god, on the site of which the Dominicans built a church which survives to this day. Then on to the Main Square, where you will visit the cathedral, the most important religious building in the city. The climb then continues to Sacsayhuamán fortress, an impressive example of Inca military architecture followed by a visit to Kenko, where the sun, moon and stars were once worshipped. Next, there’s the chance to explore Puca-Pucara, which is thought to have once been a "tambo", or rest and lodging place, for the ancient Inca people. Finally, a visit to the Inkas Expression art workshop, where you will be able to see Andean art being created by artists working in silver, paint and wood.
Accommodation: El Mercado
DAY 11: EXPLORE CUSCO AT LEISURE
Spend today independently exploring bustling Cusco, the breathtakingly beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site, at your own pace. Spend some time in one of the many cafes at the Plaza de Armas and visit the chocolate museum and a whole host of ancient Inca palaces, temples and Spanish Colonial buildings.
Accommodation: El Mercado
DAY 12: CUSCO TO SACRED VALLEY
This morning you’ll be transferred to your hotel for the next three nights, Pakaritampu, and can spend the rest of this relaxed day at leisure in the charming Sacred Valley where ancient traditions continue to this day.
Accommodation: Pakaritampu
DAY 13: SACRED VALLEY - PISAC MARKET, OLLANTAYTAMBO FORTRESS & CHINCHERO
The town of Chinchero, surrounded by a stunningly beautiful landscape and standing over the foundations of an important Inca hub dating back to the late 1400s, is an absolute delight to visit. Colourfully dressed, the local inhabitants gather in the main square to exchange food and offer up regional handicrafts to visitors. Afterwards, continue on to Ollantaytambo, once the military, religious and agricultural centre of the Inca Empire. The impressive and well-preserved ruins of the fortress at Ollantaytambo are located on top of the mountain, a superb viewing point from where Incas of old would look out for potential invaders in order to protect the whole valley. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant followed by a visit to colourful Pisac market and a wander around the town's ancient Incan architecture and characterful colonial buildings.
Accommodation: Pakaritampu
DAY 14: SACRED VALLEY - CYCLING, MISMINAY & MORAY
Explore more of the Sacred Valley today with a private guide. First, visit the Misminay community where you’ll receive a warm welcome from the locals and witness typical traditional dance and music. This is also a wonderful opportunity to see Andean families at home and share in their daily tasks. There are various activities you can choose to get involved in, from working on the land and learning about local agriculture, to spinning and dying wool to produce beautiful textiles using ancestral techniques. In the afternoon, enjoy a superb mountain bike adventure which begins with a descent to the Moray archaeological complex comprising several concentric terraces that were once farmed by the Incas. Then on to Maras, enjoying the open road and impressive views of the surrounding mountains along the way, followed by a climb to the Maras salt mines, where salt has been extracted for thousands of years. At the end of the cycling route, you’ll be met and transported back to the hotel for a well-earned rest.
Accommodation: Pakaritampu
DAY 15: ONE-DAY HIKE ON THE INCA TRAIL TO MAJESTIC MACHU PICCHU
Depart the hotel early this morning and catch the vistadome train to ‘Kilometre 104’ to join the Inca Trail for the hike to the Sun Gate. En route, visit the archaeological complex at Chachabamba and, depending on the weather, make the ascent up to the magnificent waterfall. In the afternoon, hike up to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku), a wonderful vantage point from where views of the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu open out. Once you’ve had a chance to soak up the spectacular scenery, return to the village of Aguas Calientes where you will stay overnight in a hotel.
Accommodation: El Mapi
DAY 16: EXPLORE MACHU PICCHU
Wake at about 5.30am today to catch a train and bus back to Machu Picchu. You will be accompanied by a guide who will then give you a private tour of this mind-blowing ancient archaeological site. The private tour takes about 2 hours and then the rest of the time is free to spend at your leisure. In the afternoon, travel back to Cusco for an overnight stay and rest before the final leg of the adventure begins.
Accommodation: El Mercado
DAY 17: FLY TO PUERTO MALDONADO AND TRANSFER TO REFUGIO AMAZONAS
Make the short flight to Puerto Maldonado and then travel by boat to Refugio Amazonas for your holiday’s ‘grand finale’, a 3-day immersive Amazon experience.
DAY 18: SPECTACULAR RAINFOREST EXPERIENCE AT REFUGIO AMAZONAS
Highlights of the many activities on offer at the Refugio include visits to the Canopy Tower, Clay lick and Oxbow Lake. The Canopy Tower takes you high above the dense vegetation, and from the top you will see miles of pristine forest stretching out in every direction. Because animals are at their most active up in the tree canopy, this experience provides some incredible opportunities to witness the local wildlife.
The Oxbow Lake visit reveals the most important and distinct habitats in the Amazon. These lakes form when a river bend gets cut off from its main channel, creating calm, fish-filled waters. After a quick boat trip from the lodge, you hike a short distance inland to the lake where you’ll enjoy pleasant catamaran ride with your guide to spot wildlife. Due to the lake’s biodiversity and rich abundance of fish, there’s a good chance of spotting the Hoatzin - a bizarre, dinosaur-like bird - along with troops of Squirrel Monkeys, rare Giant Otters, huge Caiman, and majestic Macaws flying overhead. Moreover, if you visit the Oxbow Lake at the Posada Amazonas lodge, you might even get to see the fascinating and much-feared Piranha.
Accommodation: Refugio Amazonas
DAY 19: REFUGIO AMAZONAS
For one of the best tropical bird experiences in the whole of the Amazon, a visit the Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick is a must. Due to particularly rich nutrients, most likely salt, found in the cliff soil, the Clay Lick attracts dozens of species of colourful birds; from huge Red and Green Macaws to Mealy Parrots, the birds flock here to munch on the nutritious clay. The macaws are the largest — and certainly the loudest — of the bunch and the humid jungle air fills with their screeches as they settle into trees above the bluffs, swooping down to feed on the clay. The Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick is one of the most stunning wildlife spectacles in the world, making it a must-see for any nature lover. In addition to the above-mentioned activities, there are several different guided hikes on offer, plus local farm visits, opportunities to take part in scientific research and beautiful sunset cruises on the Tambopata River.
Accommodation: Refugio Amazonas
DAY 20: TRANSFER FROM REFUGIO AMAZONAS TO AIRPORT FOR ONWARD FLIGHT
This morning, you'll be transferred by boat back to Puerto Maldonado airport to catch your onward flight.
