Discover this mystical land called Peru. From the coastal capital of Lima with its treasures in the Gold Museum to etherial Machu Picchu high in the Andes to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake. Our independent, fully guided tour provides a marvelous insight into this most fascinating destination. We can arrange any itinerary you would like but offer this tour as a basis from which to plan your trip.
Day 1: Lima
Upon arrival in Lima, transfer to hotel in the Miraflores district of Peru. Afternoon free to shop or take a city tour of Lima.
Overnight in Lima.
Day 2: Cuzco
Following breakfast, an early transfer to the airport for a short flight to Cuzco, "The Archaeological Capital of the Americas." Your guide will meet you and take you to your hotel. After a brief rest to help you adjust to the 11,000 ft altitude, you will tour the city and surrounding valley, visiting the Sacsayhuaman Fortress with its enormous zig-zag work, mysteriously carved rock of Kinko Shrine and the Tambomachay Inca baths.
Overnight in Cuzco.
Day 3: Sacred Valley
Morning departure to the Sacred Valley of the Incas—Urubamba. Stopping at the Pisac Ruins, you can observe Inca construction from the beginning of the Empire to its maximum splendor. Buildings are perfectly shaped with fitted stones weighing thousands of pounds. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue on to visit the legendary Inca Fortress of Ollantaytambo, clinging to a rocky ledge high above the valley.
Overnight in Cuzco.
Day 4: Machu Picchu
After an early breakfast your guide will take you to to train station from where you will depart for a 3-hour trip with spectacular
views of the Urubamba River and the Andean mountain range leading to Machu Picchu. This legendary "Lost City," of the Incas
was hidden for centuries by the jungle and rediscovered in 1911 by an American professor. That afternoon your guide will take
you from site to site explaining this advanced world of the Incas. The "city" contains many beautiful temples terraces and
intricate stone work as well as the astronomical observatory (Intihuatana).
Overnight in Machu Picchu.
Day 5: Machu Picchu/Cuzco
Morning free to return to the park to explore ruins on your own or hike nearby trails for spectacular views of the archaeological site. After lunch you will be taken back to the train for your return to Cuzco. Your guide will meet your train and take you to your hotel.
Overnight in Cuzco.
Day 6: Puno
Leaving Cuzco your guide will take you to the airport for your flight to Juliaco. Again you will be met by your guide and driven to Puno, 1 hour away. After checking into your hotel and lunch, you will tour the Sillustani Burial Grounds.
Overnight in Puno.
Day 7: Puno
Following breakfast your guide will take you to Lake Titicaca for a morning boat tour of the lake where the Uros Indians live on artificial floating reed islands as they have for hundreds of years. With lofty snow-capped peaks rising above distant shores, the vast blue lake at the dizzying altitude of 12,600 feet presents breath-taking panoramas of the Andes. Return to your hotel. Afternoon free to shop and explore Puno.
Day 8: Puno/Lima
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Juliaca airport for mid-day flight to Lima. You will be met by your guide and taken on an escorted tour of the famous Gold Museum with its collection of more than 9000 pieces of gold from Pre-Inca and Inca civilizations. Return to the airport for an evening flight to the U.S.
Optional tours...
- See the mysterious Nazca Lines seen only from the air
- Trekking packages along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Call or email us for more details.
8 Day Explorer
