Peru to Bolivia Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu, Puno, La Paz
Peru to Bolivia Lima, the capital of Peru, sits on the country s arid Pacific coast and is known as the gastronomical capital of the Americas, encompassing specialties from ceviche and traditional coastal cooking to refined global fare. It even boasts several of the top restaurants in the world. Machu Picchu is a 15th century Inca site, located 2,430 meters above sea level on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley. It is the most famous of all Inca sites. Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and in 2007 it was voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Price From: $8,400 Puno lies on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. It is the largest city in the Southern Altiplano and an important agricultural and livestock (llamas and alpaca) region. La Paz has a spectacular setting in a deep bowl surrounded by snow-capped mountains of the Altiplano and is a photographers dream! Some of the highlights of La Paz include the central Plaza Murillo and the San Francisco Church. Inclusions 9 nights in a Double room for Single Use in 4 star quality hotels 3 x Dinners, 6 x Lunches, breakfast daily English speaking Guide throughout Transfers as shown Private Lima cooking class including lunch Cusco City tour Sacred Valley Corn Experience tour including lunch Machu Picchu tour Touristic Train from Cusco to Puno Lake Titicaca tour Catamaran from Puno to La Paz with lunch on board La Paz City tour and Moon Valley Trains to/from Ollantaytambo Aguas Calientes Entrance tickets to all the visited sites Hotel bar is open almost daily between 5.30pm and 6.30pm with house wines, beer, soft drinks included for Individual Travellers Porterage Water on vehicles 24 hour assistance during your trip
Day 1 On arrival into Lima you will be met and transferred to your hotel Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure Tonight you will meet your new friends and our Local Representative for a Welcome dinner with beer, wine & soft drinks included Casa Republica Hotel, Lima (or similar) D Day 2 Meet your Local Guide and start the day at Surquillo s local market and select the essential ingredients used to prepare our most traditional dishes. Later, transfer to Señorío de Sulco restaurant in Miraflores District to enjoy a demonstration of how Peruvian food and Pisco Sour is really made. Finally enjoy lunch and taste the most traditional dishes & desserts that Peru offers. Later you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your outward flight from Lima. On arrival into Cusco, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Costa del Sol Ramada Cusco (or similar) B, L Day 3 Today with your Guide you will take a sightseeing tour through Cusco, the heart of the Inca Empire. Visit the fascinating Koricancha Temple of the Sun, the 12-Angled Rock and the Cathedral, built on the ruins of an Inca Palace. From here head to the archaeological remains located around the city, including the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo (giant rock), the ancient site of Puca Pucara and finally the Water Temple of Tambomachay. Costa del Sol Ramada Cusco (or similar) B
Day 4 Today with your Local Guide we will explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This fertile river valley was home to many important sites for the Incas, both strategic and religious. The first stop is the village of Pisac, with its famous artisanal market and Inca Ruins. There is free time to wander the colourful market stalls before heading uphill to the Pisac, Intihuatana, Q allaqasa and Kinchiracay ruins. After visiting Pisac, we head towards a very nice Hacienda where we will be welcomed by our host and enjoy a guided tour of the corn experience, the farming process and the origin of the corn. Here you will enjoy a delicious gourmet lunch. Continue your journey along the River Urubamba, to Ollantaytambo. The town, which is dominated by a giant Inca fortress, is perhaps the best surviving example of Inca town planning and was the scene of a rare Inca victory over the invading Spanish. Today we spend the night in the Sacred Valley. Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado Hotel, Sacred Valley (or similar) B, L Day 5 Meet your Local Guide and start with a transfer from your hotel in Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo train station, board the train with destination to Aguas Calientes. On arrival, you will be met at the station by your guide and together ride the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. You will be astonished at your first view of Machu Picchu, a stunning display of ancient architecture with incredible surroundings. Enjoy a guided tour of the ruins and monuments such as the Main Square, the Circular Tower, the Sacred Solar Clock, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows and the Cemeteries. Tour includes guided group tour and return bus from Aguas Calientes village. This afternoon travel by train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. Transfer from Ollantaytambo train station in the Sacred Valley to Cusco. *Due to limited space for luggage storage on trains, luggage restrictions apply: one bag or backpack (carry-on luggage) with a maximum weight of 5.0 kg/11 lb., measuring no more than 62 linear inches/157 linear cm (height + length + width) This evening enjoy a traditional 3 course dinner with beer, wine & soft drinks included Costa del Sol Ramada Cusco (or similar) B, D
Day 6 This morning you will Transfer from your hotel in Cusco to the train station for the best way to travel the incredible route between Cusco and Puno and visit Lake Titicaca with unrivalled service at your beck and call aboard Peru Rail s Titicaca Train. Enjoy the open-air observatory car and the two dining cars decorated in the style of the Pullman cars of the 1920s. Dine on gourmet food and experience personalized service. On arrival in Puno, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Liberator Lago Titicaca, Puno (or similar) B, L Day 7 Enjoy an early breakfast in your Hotel At 7:00 am you will be met and transferred to the port where you will board a fully equipped speedboat with on board service to head to Taquile Island. Disembarking at a secluded part of the island, we explore a scenic and less touristy area of Taquile Island (exclusive). Enjoy a pristine sandy beach where you will have plenty of time to relax and feel the serenity of Lake Titicaca. We then hike along a pre-inca trail with spectacular landscapes of the island, visiting families of weavers to learn about their textile art and symbolism. In 2005, Taquile and its Textile Art were proclaimed Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. After 3 hours on Taquile, we leave the island for the short 25-minute journey to the community of Santa Maria-Llachon, on the tip of the CAPA Chica Peninsula. This is a picturesque off the beaten track destination. We are welcomed by the small Quechua speaking community and introduced to an intensive cultural experience, observing the traditions of the community and participating in an ancient ceremony to learn about their magical world. Then experience the preparation of Pachamanca, a traditional way of cooking meat, fish and potatoes using underground ovens, and one of the main dishes of Peruvian cuisine. Enjoy these delicacies in a small, but scenic restaurant. For the more adventurous there is an optional kayak along the coast of Llachon. After lunch, we leave Santa Maria and 35 minutes later we arrive at a remote area of the National Reserve of Lake Titicaca to explore Uros Ccapi. These are the last authentic floating islands, less commercial and little visited. The Uros are descendants of one of the oldest cultures in South America. There are optional tours in reed boats before we depart back to Puno at 3:25 pm. On arrival, back into Puno at 4:30pm, you are transferred to your hotel. Liberator Lago Titicaca, Puno (or similar) B, L
Day 8 Enjoy an early breakfast in your Hotel This morning you will have an early land transfer to Copacabana Sanctuary, board the Catamaran Cruise Ship, snack on board while sailing to Sun Island, the legendary birthplace of the Inca Empire. Visit the Inca Garden, steps and fountain followed by the Inti Wata Cultural Complex including the Ekako Underground Museum, the traditional medicine and the Titikaka Reed Shipbuilders display centers, the Pachamama agricultural Inca terraces, a handicraft center, the Intica lounge and at the Man co Kapac look out the largest variety of Andean camelids. Also, the Inti Wata Complex at Sun Island includes a unique sailing experience aboard a huge Titikaka traditional vessel for a panoramic visit to the Pilkokaina Inca Palace. On the Catamaran Cruise Ship you will enjoy a buffet lunch on board followed by a land transfer to La Paz. On arrival, you will be transferred from to your hotel. Hotel Europa, La Paz (or similar) B, L Day 9 Today with your Local Guide you will discover the fascinating city of La Paz, on a full day city tour with lunch included in a local restaurant. The tour takes you through the Gold, Murillo and Costumbrista Museums and to the Mirador de Killi Killi viewpoint, offering magnificent views over La Paz. You will also visit various street markets including a traditional market where agricultural products from the highlands, such as quinoa, tunta, chuño (dehydrated potato) and oca (sweet tuber) are sold and the Witches Market, where locals buy supplies for ritual ceremony like the Ch alla and offerings to Pachamama (Mother Earth). We take the Teleférico cable car that gives an excellent and beautiful view of La Paz. The tour then passes through the modern, affluent residential area of the city on the way to the Valley of the Moon, where a clay mountain has been impressively shaped by erosion resulting in a formation that resembles the face of the moon. At the end of the tour you will be returned to your hotel where you will enjoy a wonderful farewell dinner. Hotel Europa, La Paz (or similar) B, L, D Day 10 Breakfast in your Hotel You will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your onward flight. Ascending to El Alto, there will be beautiful evening views of La Paz and the city lights, for those with evening departures. Adios!