-Day 1 Hola Lima
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Day 2 Lima landmarks
Details: Lima guided sightseeing tour
Experience the vibrant culture and breathtaking architecture of this capital city overlooking the Pacific Ocean. See the vast neo-colonial Governmental Palace, the towering Cathedral of Lima with its 14 side doors and main “door of forgiveness”, go past the upscale San Isidro district and visit the San Francisco Convent.
Details: Huaca Huallamarca archaeological site visit
Visit this restored pre-Columbian pyramid in Lima.
Day 3 Lima--Cuzco
Details: Fly to Cuzco
Cuzco is the storied capital of the Inca dynasty and gateway to the imperial city of Machu Pichu.
Details: Cuzco guided sightseeing tour
Colorful Cuzco was an important Inca center, and sites surrounding the town testify to the power of the empire. Begin your tour at Tambo Machay, the ritual baths probably used by nobility. Underground water bubbles up over the intricately carved stone platforms, creating a shower as it tumbles over the edge. The impressive stone at Qenko had a slightly less cleansing purpose -- each year, priests would pour llama blood over the top and watch its progress through the complicated zigzag pattern to determine the luck for the coming planting season. Puca Pucara was likely a hunting lodge or vacation home for the emperor; from its high position, you can gaze out at the glaciers in the south.
Day 4 Cuzco--Sacred Valley
Details: Sacred Valley excursion
Built to resemble an ear of maize, Ollantaytambo is one of the few remaining examples of Inca urban grid architecture. Get an overhead view from the fortress, still impressive all these centuries later. Continue on through the lush Urubamba Valley before reaching Pisac, which hosts a renowned crafts market three days a week.
Details: Ollantaytambo Fortress visit
Travel to this old town surrounded by the stunning snowcapped Andes Mountains to see the best surviving example of Incan town planning. The fortress itself is encased in impressive terrace walls that served the Incas well against the Spanish Conquistadors.
Day 5 Sacred Valley--Machu Picchu
Train ride to Aguas Calientes (Machupicchu Pueblo)
Details: Explore Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a stunning complex of buildings clinging to the surrounding mountains and above the Urubamba River. Much of the extensive city is still intact, showcasing the agility and skill of Inca stone work. (Legend claims that the Inca knew of leaves that would dissolve rock, allowing them to meld stones together when building; birds in the surrounding jungle have been known to melt nesting holes in the mountains themselves, supporting the theory, but the leaves have not been identified.) Archaeologists disagree about the purpose of Machu Picchu -- many believe it was a country retreat, others think it may have been a university.
Day 6 Machu Picchu--Cuzco
Machu Picchu free time
Transfer back to Cuzco
Day 7 Cuzco--Lake Titicaca
Travel to Puno
Raqchi Temple guided visit
Shop at local ceramics market
Details: Andahuaylillas Chapel guided visit
While the exterior of this church is unassuming, the interior is an explosion of breathtaking Baroque artwork and gold-leafed carvings. Murals depicting various religious scenes line the walls and ceiling, making Andahauayillas Chapel a truly amazing sight and lending it the name the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas”.
Day 8 Uros Islands & Taquile Island
Visit with indigenous Uros families
Hike Taquile Island
Details: Cruise to Uros Islands & Taquile Island
Imagine living on a floating island made entirely of matted-down reeds, now imagine making it yourself! Well, if you’re an Uros Indian that’s exactly what you do. Found on Lake Titicaca, this indigenous group creates their island homes by matting down the Totora reeds that naturally grow in the lake. These incredible islands float on the surface of the water and last about 30 years before rotting away completely. Taquile Island is a natural island also on Lake Titicaca and is home to Taquileños, who are known for their intricate weaving which is considered among the highest-quality crafts from Peru.
Day 9 End tour
Sillustani Temple guided visit
Fly to Lima
Details: Fly home
Your flight home is overnight. You will return home on Day 10.
Day 10 Return home
Tour Includes:
- Round-trip airfare
- Breakfast daily
- 8 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms
- Lunch daily
- Dinner daily
- Full-time services of a professional tour director
- Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
- Tour Diary™
- Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
- Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
- Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.
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