2024 Peru Cultural and Hiking Tour

Arrival to Lima, reception at the airport and transfer by private vehicle to the Jose Antonio hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cuzco, the ancient Inca capital of the Incas. After the 1 ½ HOUR flight, reception and transfer to the Novotel Hotel. In the afternoon, at 13.30, start of a private guided tour of Cuzco including the Cathedral, Qoricancha temple, the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman overlooking Cuzco, Qenko and Puka Pukara. Return to the hotel at 18.00.

After breakfast at your hotel, at 08.00, your guide will again meet with you for the start of a full-day's excursion to the beautiful Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, situated between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. It is an exceptionally fertile valley that was and remains the larder of Cuzco. You will visit the village of Pisac, founded during colonial times, and set at the foot of a hill crowned by the remains of an ancient Inca city. Lunch before continuing your trip to Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town that was not defeated by the Spanish with an opportunity to explore the ruins which tower above. You will then return to Cuzco at about 16.30 after this full day with wonderful memories of the heart of the Inca land.

After early breakfast, early private transfer to Poroy, a short distance from Cuzco. Boarding of the 08.25 Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes. Arrival to Aguas Calientes at 12.00, assistance with your luggage and take the 25 minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu and to your hotel for the night, the Sanctuary Lodge Hotel. Check-in to your hotel, before a guided tour of Machu Picchu, the most spectacular ancient city in the world. The tour will last for 3 hours. Built by the Inca Pachacutec, and comprising stone blocks fitted with masterful precision, Machu Picchu harmoniously blends into the mountain landscape. There are many theories as to the origins behind Machu Picchu but three of the most popular ideas include a temple to the sun, a fortress against the jungle inhabitants or a sanctuary for the Incas. This fabulous city has houses, temples, warehouses, a large central square, all connected by narrow roads and steps, and is surrounded by terraces cut into the mountain side which were used for agriculture. Accommodation in Aguas Calientes.

Early opportunity to return to the site for a wonderful sunrise over Machu Picchu. Time for some private reflection. Today no guide is provided as we feel that Machu Picchu requires a certain amount of self discovery to be fully understood. Take any of the several paths around various parts of the site (we will provide a map to help you). Return back down to Aguas Calientes by bus. Some free time to visit the colourful town before boarding the train back to Cuzco. Overnight in Cuzco at the Novotel.

Today is a full day and quite challenging. We will pick you up early from your hotel and set out on a drive through the South Valley. The drive to the trailhead at Quesiuno (4,326 m / 14,189 ft) is 3 hours long. Once we reach the Inkintuyoc bridge, we will have breakfast. We then start off on our hike, following a lovely stream with horses as backup transport. You will be immediately surprised by literally herds of alpacas and llamas. We will have consistent views of the Ausangate Mountain. We will hike through villages and interact with the local residents. We will stop for a box lunch along the trail. Back on the trail, we encounter more of the traditional elements of this trek. This includes potato fields and unique fauna. We have the prospect of seeing chinchillas and vicunas. Vicunas are the only non-domesticated animal of the llama family in Peru. Many red mountains are also a highlight of this portion of the hike. After a total hike of approximately 5 hours, we finally reach our destination, what we came to see the Rainbow Mountains (5,020 m / 16,466 ft). After getting over its beauty, you will have time to explore the area. You will have time to take pictures and enjoy the setting. We will spend approximately 30 minutes at the top. We then hike downhill the way we came. The hike will take 4 to 5 hours. A private van will be waiting for you when we return. We will embark on the 3 hour drive back to Cusco and drop you off at your hotel. Approximate arrival time is between 8 and 9 PM.

After early breakfast, transfer to the bus terminal for the 08.00 tourist bus to Puno. This trip will be with other passengers and will begin by ascending gradually out of the Cuzco Valley until arriving at the town of Andahuaylillas where you will visit the “Sistine Chapel of the Andes”. This colonial era Chapel features mainly interesting canvasses which illustrate the use of Andean Symbology being incorporated into traditional Catholic images. From here you will travel further to Raqchi which is the tallest set of Incan Ruins. The road from here climbs slightly to La Raya which is the highest point at 4200 m. There will be a brief stop here and there are views across to the snow-capped mountain peak. From here the road gradually descends to Pukara where you will visit the museum and ruins of this pre-incan civilisation. This civilisation was said to be at its peak around the same time as Mesopotamia and Egypt and the leader was known as the “Great Beheader”. From this visit you will continue to Puno situated on the edge of Lake Titicaca. Lunch will be buffet at a restaurant during the trip. Arrival to Puno at about 17.30, lying on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake. Transfer to your hotel, the Jose Antonio.

After breakfast, pick-up at 07.30 to start your full day’s excursion to the islands of Uros and Taquile. You will share a boat with fellow passengers but have your own private guide. Your first stop will be to the communal islands of Uros, otherwise known as the reed islands, whose islands are made entirely of tortora reeds and home to a small community dating back to a pre-Inca culture. You will appreciate how these people toil out an existence on such a remote setting complete with its own school. After the visit, boarding of the yacht as you continue your trip to the Island of Taquile whose inhabitants are more closely related to the Aymara people of Bolivia than the Quechua Incas of Peru. You will enjoy a walk on the islands before returning to Puno on-board your yacht at 16.00 and return to your hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the 11.00 return flight to Lima and your connecting flight to Trujillo at 17.30, the largest city in Peru after Lima. Located in the northern half of Peru, Trujillo lies close to the Pacific Ocean and is the perfect gateway to many of the pre-Inca cultural sites in the area. Reception and transfer to your hotel, the Gran Marquez.

After breakfast, a walking tour of this fascinating colonial city founded in 1534 by Diego de Almagro, a fellow conquistador of Pizarro. Trujillo, named after the birth place of Pizarro is famous for its colonial and republican-era architecture and for its many churches and mansions. We shall visit the Cathedral and several 18th century mansions, including La Casa Mayorazgo and La Casa Urquiaga, which was home to Simon Bolivar during the War of Independence. We shall also visit the Museum of Archaeology which houses artefacts from the Moche's Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. The tour continues to the metropolis of Chan-Chan, the ancient capital city of the Chimu Empire built in the 10th century. It is the largest pre-Columbian city in South America, built entirely of mud and adobe bricks. At its zenith, more than 60,000 inhabitants offered fierce resistance to the expansion of the Inca Empire centuries later. The nearby ruins of the Huaca La Esmeralda (Emerald Temple) and the restored Huaca Arco Iris (Rainbow Temple) will give you an idea of the city's original appearance, when its high-relief friezes were painted in vivid colors with depictions of sea life and fishing activities reveal the significance of the life of the Chimu. Return to Trujillo.

After breakfast, free day to wander around the city on your own. Afternoon transfer to the airport and return flight at 16.00 to Lima and your connecting flight home.

End of our services.