Tour Overview
An exciting 11 day exploration of Peruvian and Bolivian highlights. Come experience the magic of the Inca Empire's fascinating culture and archeology.Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Lima, PeruUpon arrival in Lima, you are met for private transfer to your hotel and check-in. The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded the city of Lima on January 5, 1535, the eve of the Epiphany of the Magi – from which it derived its evocative original name of La Ciudad de los Reyes or “The City of Kings”. It is a city of rare fascination and unexpected pleasures. Lima has decaying colonial splendor and the teeming vitality of an oriental bazaar; melancholy cloudy winters and warm breezy summers; impoverished urban sprawl and quiet elegant corners among ancient buildings where the night air is scented with jasmine.
Meals today are under your own arrangements.
Casa Andina Private Collection/Miraflores
Day 2: Lima-Cusco-Sacred Valley
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival in Cusco, you are met by a local representative and transferred by private vehicle to your hotel in the “Sacred Valley of the Incas”. At an elevation of 8,500 feet, the Sacred Valley of the Incas was a historic heart of the Inca Empire. Small villages lined the valley floor, while the stone fortresses of Ollantaytambo and Pisac served the dual purpose of providing protection and serving as religious centers. This afternoon, visit the small village of Pisac known for its colorful market. Enjoy lunch at your hotel. Breakfast, Lunch
Sol y Luna
Day 3: Sacred Valley-Machu Picchu
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, you will be transferred to the Ollanta station where you will board the Vistadome train bound for Machu Picchu.
The 1.5-hour journey follows the ever-narrowing gorge of the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). Outside the window, watch the picturesque Andean scenery as you pass the traditional villages. As you approach Machu Picchu Sanctuary, the valley turns into a canyon and the vegetation changes to a cloud forest. A late morning arrival gives you time to begin your exploration of this breathtaking Incan citadel. Accompanied by your guide, explore the city's ruins, and feel its pulse as you visualize the lives of the priests, craftsmen, and servants who inhabited this seemingly uninhabitable citadel. Excavations at the site have revealed skeletons, artifacts and woolen clothing, but no gold. The same precision of assembled stones exists here as in other Incan sites. Overlooking the raging Urubamba River and discovered in a hidden tangle of vines and trees atop the mountain, the city of Machu Picchu will forever hold the secret of its destruction - the Incas left no written record. Enjoy lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge before returning to your hotel. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel
Day 4: Machu Picchu-Cusco
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you have the option to return to the ruins for another visit. It is said that Machu Picchu is a place of great spirituality, and the ultimate spiritual moment of the day happens at sunrise. This morning therefore there is an option to rise early and view the world’s most spectacularly situated ruins at sunrise. Board the shuttle bus to the Machu Picchu Village, where you’ll have a short walk to the train station. Here, board the train to Cusco. Upon arrival you will be met by an iExplore representative and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the evening at leisure. Breakfast
Casa Andina Private Collection
Day 5: Cusco
After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a half-day walking tour of Cusco. Sights include the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas; and the Santo Domingo Temple, a Dominican Church and convent built on the foundations of the Koricancha, the Incas principal religious building, dedicated to the worship of the sun. After seeing the ancient sights of the city, enjoy a guided tour of the nearby Inca ruins including Kenko “The Labyrinth”, the ceremonial bath of Tambomachay, and the amazing Sacsayhuaman, a huge fortress of stones (one stone weighs 125 tons!) and a true testimonial to Incan architectural skills. At Sacsayhuaman, you are challenged to try to slip a piece of paper through the cracks in between these blocks, cut and fitted together with incredible precision without a single drop of mortar to hold them in place. This ancient fortress (where the greatest battle between the Spanish and Incas took place) overlooks the red-tiled roofs of Cusco and the breathtaking countryside surrounding the city. Return to your hotel where you will have the balance of the day at leisure.
Breakfast
Casa Andina Private Collection
Day 6: Cusco-Puno
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your outbound flight to the Lake Titicaca area. Upon arrival, transfer by private vehicle to Puno. Check in to your hotel and enjoy the balance of the day at leisure. Breakfast
Casa Andina Private Collection Puno
Day 7: Puno-Lake Titicaca-Puno
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning you will board a hydrofoil and start your Lake Titicaca experience. Lake Titicaca. This sacred lake of the Incas, the highest navigable major lake in the world, is a must-see. Its pristine waters change colors from dawn to dusk, depending on the clouds and the angle of the sun. Surrounded by water, sky, and the snow-capped Andes Mountains, visit the Uros Indians, who build their homes on “floating islands” of torora reeds and are know for their typical boats made of the same material. Continue on to Taquile Island, and visit the native community of approximately 350 families, where the customs and traditions of the 14th Century are still being practiced today. The hilly landscape of Taquile is dominated by tiered platforms of potatoes, corns, and quinoa. There are no roads or electricity on the island, but there are plenty of pre-Inca archaeological ruins. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Puno. Transfer to your hotel. Enjoy the evening at leisure. Breakfast, Lunch
Casa Andina Private Collection Puno
Day 8: Lake Titicaca
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by private vehicle from Puno to Copacabana (3 hours). Board a boat to the “Isla del Sol” (Sun Island). Enjoy a typical aptapi, a traditional communal lunch among the Aymara people. Continue on foot to the Inca palace and hike (1 hour) up the hillside and through the Indian community of Yumani until you reach Ecolodge “La Estancia”. The first part of the hike is steep, but soon smoothes out to follow the ridge of the hillside. The Island of the Sun was known to early inhabitants as Titicaca of "Rock of the Puma", the name which was eventually given to the entire lake. The island has been credited as the birthplace of the Sun. But the most important and enduring legend is that it was here that Father Sun summoned Manco Kapac and Mama Ocllo and sent them forth to gather the natives into communities and to teach them the arts of civilization and this was born the Inca Empire. The island remains today one of the most sacred and spiritual of sites in the Andes. The charming Ecolodge “La Estancia,” is located in the southern part of the island, near the Aymara native community of “La Estancia”. Built preserving the Andean architecture, the modern cabins are set between pre-Inca terraces and constructed with adobe brick and thatch roofs. Enjoy amazing views of the Royal Andes Range, surrounded with mystic energy, natural beauty, and a local Aymara community. Enjoy dinner at the lodge and the evening at leisure. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
La Estancia
Day 9: Lake Titicaca
Breakfast at lodge. Be sure not to miss the early sunrise over the lake!
Head north to visit Challapampa. Here, you will find the ruins of Chinkana (labyrinth). It's a huge stone complex full of mazes, believed to be a seminary for Inca priests. A natural spring here runs under the island and appears again in a sacred stone fountain in Yumani. On the path back to the town of Challapampa, about 100 meters (270 ft.) from Chinkana, you will pass by the sacred rock, carved in the shape of a puma. As you continue along this path toward Challapampa, look down: You will soon see two very large footprints, said to have been created when the sun dropped down to earth to give birth to Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo. Continue by boat to Challa. Visit the cultural museum before returning to the lodge. Hike uphill to the Ecolodge. This afternoon is free to enjoy the peace, beauty, and cultural of the area.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
La Estancia
Day 10: Lake Titicaca-La Paz
Breakfast at the lodge. Make your way through the Yumani “Garden of the Incas.” Return by boat and continue on to visit the Shrine of Copacabana, which gave the name to Copacabana Beach in Rio and the Indian Virgin. Visit the cathedral and the local handicraft market and hear the story of this Virgin that brought peace among the tribes of Lake Titicaca. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before returning to La Paz (3 hours) by private vehicle. Upon arrival in La Paz, take a half-day city tour of La Paz and Moon Valley. La Paz is known as "the City of contrasts" with its unique blend of cultures and races, and located within breathtaking panoramas. Enjoy visits to the native, colonial and modern areas, Indian Market, Open Air Museum of Tiwanacu, Witch Doctor's Market and Moon Valley. Check-in to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure Breakfast
Hotel Europa
Day 11: La Paz-Depart
Transfer to the Santa Cruz airport for your departure.
Breakfast
