PERU & BOLIVIA
EXPB: LIMA / CUSCO / PUNO / LAGO TITICACA / LA PAZ13 Days / 12 Nights
DAY 1 – Sunday: QUITO/LIMA Upon arrival in Lima, meeting and transfer to the Miraflores Park Plaza. Rest of day at leisure.
DAY 2 – Monday: LIMA Morning visit to the main points of interest in Lima, often called "The City of Kings" and once the seat of the Viceroy of Spain, including the Plaza de Armas with government palace and cathedral, the San Francisco or Santo Domingo Convent and the new suburbs of the city. Then visit either the well-known Gold Museum or the excellent Archaeology Museum. Afternoon at leisure to explore at your own pace.
DAY 3 – Tuesday: LIMA/CUZCO Morning transfer to the airport for flight over the Andes to Cuzco, ancient capital of the Inca empire.
Meeting and transfer to your hotel, the lovely Monasterio, just a block off the main Plaza. The rest of the morning to adjust to the altitude. In the afternoon you will visit the main points of interest in Cuzco, considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Western Hemisphere, and the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Puca Pucara, Kenko and Tambo Machay.
DAY 4 – Wednesday: CUZCO In the morning you will drive to nearby Andahuaylillas, a small town with a charming church with excellent frescoes. Also visit the adobe ruins of Piquillacta. Afternoon at leisure to explore Cuzco at your own pace.
DAY 5 – Thursday: CUZCO/URUBAMBA Morning drive to the Sacred Valley of the Incas (Urubamba Valley) to visit the colorful Indian market at the town of Pisac. Plenty of time to shop for handicrafts and textiles before visiting the ruins of Pisac, high above the town and cascading down the mountainside. Lunch.
After lunch visit to Ollantaytambo fortress.
Then transfer to the Posada del Inca Yucay in the valley for overnight stay.
DAY 6 – Friday: URUBAMBA/MACHU PICCHU Morning transfer to the train station in Ollantaytambo to catch the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu, fabled "Lost City of the Incas", for guided tour, lunch and time to re-enter the ruins to explore at your own pace. Your guide returns to Cuzco on the afternoon train, but you'll overnight at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge at the ruins, affording you plenty of time to explore at your own pace.
DAY 7 – Saturday: MACHU PICCHU/CUZCO Day at leisure to re-enter the ruins to explore at your own pace. Plenty of time to climb Huayna Picchu or trek to the Sun Gate, the entrance of the Inca trails. Lunch is included today at the hotel. Afternoon return train to Cuzco, arriving in the evening. Meeting and transfer from the station to your hotel, the Monasterio.
DAY 8 – Sunday: CUZCO In the morning you will drive to nearby Chinchero to visit the colorful Indian Market and the historic church, then continue to visit Ollantaytambo, a fortress built during the Inca Empire, excellent example of military architecture. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight
DAY 9 – Monday: CUZCO/PUNO Morning transfer to the train station to board the Andean Express for a full day of riding the rails! Cross the scenic Altiplano and pass through many villages, with a scenic stop at La Raya, the highest point of the train journey. Lunch is served on board. Arrive Puno in the late afternoon and transfer to your hotel on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the Posada del Inca Puno.
DAY 10 – Tuesday: PUNO/LAKE TITICACA/INCA UTAMA Early morning, pick up from your hotel in Puno and land transfer to Juli; visit the local church and small handicraft market. Start your Hydrofoil cruise parallel to the Royal Range of the Andes. Arrive Moon Island and visit the “Iñak Uyu” Sun Virgins temple. This is the place where the most beautiful virgins of the Incas were conserving a sacred fire dedicated to their gods.
Leave Moon Island to Sun Island and visit the Inca stairways and the Sacred Fountain believed to give eternal youth and happiness. Lunch at the archaeological and panoramic “Uma Kollo” restaurant the interior wall of which is a “Sukakollo”, an authentic Inca terrace. From the Inca balcony, be delighted by the background scenery and breathtaking view of Sacred Lake Titicaca and the Royal Range of the Andes.
Leave Sun Island and continue your cruise to Tiquina Straits. Watch the native ferries crossing cars and trucks from San Pablo to San Pedro or vice versa.
You will arrive at our most important and until now well kept secret:
The Uru-Iruitos floating Island and the sustainable tourism project of local natives at Quewaya Island.
Visit their authentic island and understand the 5,000 years of history of this culture.
After the visit you proceed by Hydrofoil to the Reed Boat Fishing grounds, which can be seen only in this area.
Leave the Urus- Iruitos Island for Huatajata Harbor
Evening introductory audiovisual and visit the “Mystic World of The Kallawayas”.
Meet “Tata Benjo” and have your future told while casting his sacred coca leafs.
ABOUT THE INCA UTAMA: A five star hotel right on the shores of Lake Titicaca, there are 60 rooms and suites, each with private facilities, space heater, electric blanket and lots of water. There is a new Choza Nautica over-the-water restaurant, a cozy bar with over-stuffed couches and roaring fireplace, "Suma Utavi" restaurant, a complete spa, and elevators in both the original hotel building and the new Colonial Towers. The Inca Utama has a complete cultural complex consisting of the Altiplano Museum; Andean Eco Village complete with handicraft center, Eco Museum, Limachi brothers and their full size replica of the RA II, stone fisherman village, mud igloos and floating islands of the Urus Chipayas, Tikanas agricultural terraces and the famous Sukakollos; Kallawayas Museum and the Alajpacha native observatory.
DAY 11 – Wednesday: LAKE TITICACA You will visit the "Andean Roots" cultural complex with Altiplano and Eco museums, "chullpas" (mortuary towers) and reed island. This evening you will visit the "alajpacha" (native observatory) for a look at the southern skies.
DAY 12 – Thursday: LAKE TITICACA/LA PAZ This morning you will drive towards La Paz and then off the main road to the ruins of Tiahuanaco where the remains of five civilizations, one on top of the other, have been found - the last one disappearing 100 years before the first Inca arrived. After your visit, continue driving to La Paz for overnight stay at the Hotel Europa. In the afternoon visit the main points of interest in La Paz, including the Witch Doctor's market and Moon Valley.
DAY 13 – Friday: LA PAZ/COME BACK HOME Early morning transfer for return flight.
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