Peru Ideal

DAY 1. LIMA: Arrive in Lima with a private transfer, featuring only a driver, to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 2. LIMA / PARACAS: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Our tour will start at the splendid Larco Museum in the Pueblo Libre district, showcasing a comprehensive collection of over 5000 ceramic pieces, alongside gold, silver, and pre-Columbian erotic art.

Next, we’ll head to the historic center to explore Casa Aliaga, a colonial mansion with rooms rich in invaluable art and history. We’ll proceed to the Plaza de Armas, home to the Government Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Municipal Palace, and other significant colonial-era buildings, including the Cathedral built in the sixteenth century.

Following the visit, you’ll be transferred to the bus station to board the tourist bus to Paracas. Upon arrival in Paracas, transfer to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 3. PARACAS / NASCA: After breakfast, a transportation service will pick you up from your hotel for a transfer to the Paracas pier, specifically the Chaco station, the boarding point for the boat trip to the Ballestas Islands. This natural reserve boasts stunning geological formations, impressive wildlife, and remnants of a pre-Incan culture that thrived in the desert.

The Ballestas Islands are home to boobies, pelicans, sea lions, and Humboldt penguins, among other species. En route, you’ll witness the enigmatic lines etched in the sand forming a candelabra.

Upon tour completion, you'll be transferred to the bus station to take the tourist bus to Nazca. On arrival in Nazca, transfer to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 4. NASCA / AREQUIPA: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the airport for the Nazca Lines overflight. Upon arrival, undergo a 45-minute procedure preparing for the flight over these spectacular figures.

You will observe 13 figures, including the whale, trapezoid, dog, astronaut, monkey, condor, compass, spider, hummingbird, parrot, tree, hands, and alcatraz.

Afterward, transfer to the bus station to board the bus to Arequipa (10 hours). Arrive in Arequipa at night and transfer to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 5. AREQUIPA: Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a free morning for rest or personal activities. In the afternoon, transfer from the hotel to the heart of Arequipa, starting at the colonial district of San Lazaro, where the city was founded.

We will then visit the Main Square, renowned for its beauty, and the Arequipa Cathedral, rebuilt after several earthquakes. We’ll explore the Cathedral and the Church of the Society of Jesus (1590), a classic example of local baroque architecture with exceptional paintings and murals.

Next, we’ll visit the Santa Catalina Monastery, a medieval cloister built in 1579 that remains active today. We’ll then visit the Yanahuara and Carmen Alto districts for a panoramic view of the countryside, an undoubtedly breathtaking sight.

You’ll explore the district of Cayma, visiting the Plaza Mayor and the Church of San Miguel Arcángel de Cayma, which houses an anonymous collection of paintings depicting the Virgin's miracles. Return to the hotel and overnight stay.

DAY 6. AREQUIPA / PUNO: Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the bus station for the tourist bus to Puno (6:30 hours). On arrival in Puno, transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a free afternoon, and overnight stay.

DAY 7. PUNO: After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to the Puno lake port to board a regular boat to the floating islands of the Uros, an ancestral society living on artificial islands made from the totora plant, which grows in the lake.

The islands are constructed by weaving totora, forming a natural layer on which they build their houses and cook outdoors to prevent fires.

Following the Uros visit and a 1.5-hour boat ride, continue to Taquile Island, a Quechua-speaking island unlike the other Aymara-speaking islands on the lake. Previously part of the Inca empire, you can still see remains of this culture in its constructions. You’ll receive a brief explanation of the island and participate in a cultural activity.

After lunch, return to Puno port, where transport will take you back to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 8. PUNO / CUSCO: Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the bus station for the tourist bus to Cusco (8 hours).

Our tour begins at the Museum of Pucará, featuring a superb collection of monoliths, stone sculptures, and ceramics from the Pucara culture, which flourished in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia.

Next, we'll stop at the Raya pass, the highest point of the journey at 4,335 meters above sea level, marking the border between Cusco and Puno. Here, we'll pause to admire the snow-capped Chimboya and capture the stunning landscapes in photos.

Continuing our journey, we’ll arrive in Sicuani for a buffet lunch at a local restaurant offering regional dishes, vegetables, desserts, and hot drinks like mate de coca.

The journey resumes to the Raqchi archaeological site, situated at 3,450 meters above sea level, home to the Wiracocha Temple built in the fifteenth century beside the Vilcanota River.

The final stop is Andahuaylillas, located at 3,093 meters above sea level. This charming Andean town boasts an architectural jewel from the seventeenth century known as the Sistine Chapel, featuring a magnificent work adorned with gold leaf and paintings of the Cusco art school.

Upon arriving at the Cusco bus station, you’ll be transferred to your hotel. Overnight stay.

DAY 9. CUSCO / SACRED VALLEY: Breakfast at the hotel. We’ll pick you up from the Cusco hotel to embark on a 30 km journey to Pisac. This remarkable site features a vibrant market and archaeological stone temple structures offering breathtaking views of the valley and the impressive Inca terraces.

The journey continues to Urubamba for a delightful buffet lunch, followed by a visit to Ollantaytambo. Its temple served as both the Inca army's headquarters and a religious and agricultural site, boasting more than a hundred Inca terraces with an advanced irrigation system for that time.

We’ll explore Chinchero and its lively Inca market, filled with traditional crafts such as ceramics and Andean textiles.

After the visit, transfer to the Ollantaytambo train station to board the Train Expedition to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and attend a brief meeting with the guide about the Machu Picchu tour scheduled for the next day. Overnight stay in the hotel.

DAY 10. MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO: After breakfast, transfer to Ollantaytambo train station to board the Train Expedition to Machu Picchu. Arrive at Aguas Calientes, then take a bus to the magnificent Machu Picchu Citadel, famously known as The Lost City of the Inca. The 2-hour guided tour allows you to explore this remarkable archaeological site with its stunning landscapes.

Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was an essential farming and urban center of the Incan Empire. Enjoy free time at Machu Picchu to take photos or, if adventurous, climb Huayna Picchu (optional) for a panoramic view of the entire citadel. You may also return to Aguas Calientes for lunch (optional).

At the scheduled time, take the train back to Ollantaytambo, then board the tourist bus to Cusco and transfer to your hotel in the historic center. Overnight stay at the hotel.

DAY 11. CUSCO: After breakfast at the hotel, the tour begins in the afternoon with a visit to the Temple of the Sun, known as Koricancha. This iconic location exemplifies the blend of Incan and Hispanic cultures, with Santo Domingo’s Church and its famous convent built upon its foundation.

Next, we’ll visit the Cathedral in the Main Square to admire the exquisite religious paintings of the Cusco School. The Cusco City Tour continues at Sacsayhuaman, an incredible archaeological site with colossal stones perfectly fitted together, said to have been constructed by over 20,000 men and taking more than 70 years to complete.

We’ll then visit Qenqo, a religious temple where the Incas worshipped deities like the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Exploring its underground galleries and viewing the semicircular amphitheater offers a fascinating experience.

The excursion proceeds to the military site of Puca Pucara, meaning “Red Fortress” due to its reddish appearance. Finally, we’ll visit the water worship center of Tambomachay, featuring aqueducts and waterfalls fed by nearby springs. The tour concludes with a drop-off at El Regocijo Square, one block from Plaza de Armas. Overnight stay.

DAY 12. CUSCO / LIMA / OUT: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then transfer with only a driver to Cusco airport for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival in Lima, connect to your international flight.

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