Today, you will be picked up at the airport in 4:00PM and transferred to your hotel. (This service is on a private basis.)

Lima

Lima was once considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Latin America. Over the past decade, Lima has been transformed to recapture its colonial history and charm. The three most popular areas are Downtown Lima, Miraflores and Barranco. Downtown Lima is where the Main Square is located, which includes the historical Presidential Palace, the monastery Santo Domingo and the 16th Century Cathedral. This square is the cornerstone of Lima’s foundation, from where avenues expanded and enhanced the growth of the city. The suburbs of Miraflores and Barranco are the focus of Lima’s action, nightlife and fine shopping. This gastronomic destination also features exceptional restaurants and fascinating museums, dedicated to archaeology, history and chocolate production.

Half Day Lima Discovery

Today, you will be taken on a half day private tour of Lima. In addition to the classic attractions, your guide will introduce you to the city's best kept secrets. Your first stop will be the charming Main Square, designed by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, the founder of Lima. In the northern side of the square, you will continue to the impressive Presidential Palace, followed by a visit to the Cathedral. This historic attraction was built in 1625 and features a unique Baroque Renaissance Style. It houses a fascinating collection of oil paintings and sculptures from the 17th and 18th centuries. Additional stops on your tour include the Archbishop’s Palace and the Church of San Francisco, built above a network of underground tunnels and catacombs.

After exploring the colonial side of the city, your guide will take your to the more modern and exclusive residential district of San Isidro. Also known as the Garden District, this neighborhood is home to many picturesque nature parks. Make your way over to Olivar de San Isidro, set in a beautiful olive grove. This luxurious suburb is characterized by lush green settings and lively commerce. Before returning to your hotel, you will visit the Central Park of Miraflores, which houses a small amphitheater and a bustling open area for the exhibition of Peruvian handicrafts. Between the inspiring architecture, rich history and picturesque attractions, this tour features the best of Lima. (This service is on a private basis.)

Today, you will be picked up at your hotel in 4:00PM and transferred to the airport in good time to board your domestic flight to 4:00PM. Upon arrival in 4:00PM, you will be greeted at the airport by your driver and transferred to your hotel. (This service is on a private basis.)

Cusco

Cusco is a beautiful city with well preserved colonial architecture, evidence of a rich and complex history. The city itself represents the center of indigenous Quechua culture in the Andes, and by merely walking the streets one sees the layers of history. Spanish colonial buildings erected directly atop Inca walls line the square, while the modern tourist nightlife flourishes in their midst. The city is surrounded by a number of ruins, the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman, the site of the 1536 battle in which dozens of Pizarro's men charged uphill to battle the forces of the Inca. Nowadays, Cusco is known for its indigenous population--often seen on the streets in traditional clothing--and its substantial tourist-fueled night life.

Pisac Market & Ollantaytambo Ruins

This morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken on a full day private discovery of the famous Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo Fortress. This tour includes lunch at a desirable local restaurant, that serves some of the most delicious traditional dishes.

The Sacred Valley of Peru is comprised of the land that extends between the towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo. What was once the heart of the Inca Empire, this region of rolling Andes can be found just 10 miles outside of Cusco. An exploration of this area showcases fascinating Inca ruins, breathtaking mountain scenery, charming rural towns and a pleasant climate. At the end of your tour, you will be transferred to your hotel, to spend the rest of the day as you desire. (This service is on a private basis.)

Sacred Valley

Tucked in between the impressive Andes of Peru, you will find the Sacred Valley. This developing area, once strictly colonial towns and secluded villages, is now recognized as a destination in it's own right. Explore the bustling local markets, discover the history behind archaeological attractions and get to know the lovely local people. The Sacred Valley offers an escape from cosmopolitan city life, with an idyllic nature retreat and cultural experience.

Chinchero, Moray & Maras

Today, you will be taken on a full day private guided tour of Chinchero, Moray and Maras. The charming town of Chinchero features colonial style construction and was once a major agricultural center during the Tawantinsuyo. Here, you can admire the stone walls with trapezoidal niches, that provide the perfect setting for the town's traditional local market. The Chinchero women can be recognized for their distinguished clothing and braided hair.

From Chinchero, your tour continues with a scenic drive past snow capped mountains en route to Moray. Upon arrival, you will visit the fascinating Inca agricultural greenhouse or laboratory, which consists of four platforms within an amphitheater. The ruins have a depth of 150 meters and the overlapping concentric circular stone rings widen as they rise. This was an experimental place to study the adaptation of plants for new ecosystems. Just a few miles from Moray, at an altitude of 3,380 meters, you will find the small village of Maras. Famous for its salt mines, the area features about 3,000 small wells with an area average size of about 5 square meters. These were already exploited since Inca times as a means of economic exchange and securities. Your guide will teach you about how the salt was recovered from these mines, before you are returned to your hotel at the end of the tour. (This service is on a private basis.)

Guided Tour of Machu Picchu

Early in the morning you take a train Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly known as Aguas Calientes) . The journey follows along the impressive Urubamba river to the base of Machu Picchu itself. On arrival you take a short bus ride direct to the ruins.

Once there, you can enjoy an extensive walking tour of the ruins and full explanation of the fascinating history behind the Incas. If time permits you can explore further to the Inca bridge, Watchman’s hut or try the strenuous climb to the sun gate – Inti Puncu. Some may prefer to just relax and take in the stunning location. After a full day to explore the site, you retire to your hotel.

Machu Picchu

Believed to be built as a "royal estate" for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, Machu Picchu is an astounding and perennially mysterious climax to one of the world's most famous journeys: the Inca Trail. Perched high above a sinuous bend in the Urubamba River, Machu Picchu has lured explorers, poets and pilgrims to its mist-wreathed ridgetop ever since its discovery by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in July, 1911.

Scholars still argue about the meaning of Machu Picchu: why it was built and what purpose it served, who lived there and when they departed. Most agree that its main intent was spiritual and ceremonial. But clearly its creator, Pachacuti, intended the journey to his sacred city to be a powerful experience in its own right, a pilgrimage whose effort is stunningly rewarded time and again as one follows its winding way among peaks, forests, deep gorges and fairytale ruins. Perhaps if one is to experience the spirit that inspired the builders of Machu Picchu, one truly must walk the length of Pachacuti's white granite highway -- today's Inca Trail.

Second Visit to Machu Picchu

Return to Machu Picchu today and spend the day in individual exploration, visiting features of the ruins you may have missed. We are providing shuttle transfers to and from the ruins as well entrance fees. Please note if you wish to climb Huayna Picchu you will need to purchase a permit in advance.

After your exploration, make your way back to the Machu Picchu train station for your train onward.

Today, you will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight. (This service is on a private basis.)

Titilaka Arrival

You are welcomed on arrival at Juliaca Airport by our Guest Services Representative and transported to Titilaka lodge. You will pass through Juliaca and the port city of Puno. Upon arrival at the Lodge, check-in, rest, and enjoy the scenery as you acclimate.

Upon arrival at the Lodge, check-in, rest and enjoy the scenery. Lunch is based on the region’s local cuisine served from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm. We recommend a siesta and plenty of liquids to acclimate to the altitude. Enjoy Teatime at 3:30 pm followed by an afternoon excursion, Rowing through the Reeds near the lodge, where you can observe interesting endemic birds, striking landscapes of a unique geography.

Evening cocktails are served from 6.30 pm followed by dinner from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. Then join other guests and interpreters to share highlands experiences and tales.

Lake Titicaca & Puno

Puno is a sprawling city of humble buildings, known best as the primary transit point en route to Lake Titicaca. Rich in history, tradition, craft and skill, there is no where else in the world like Lake Titicaca. The infinite skies are mirrored in the deep blue shades of the lake, and the horizon seems to bend, as if it’s the edge of the Earth. The lovely local people descend from ancient Andean ethnic groups, the Aymara and Quechua. The floating islands of the Uros Indians feature one of the area's most fascinating treasures, built by layers of tortora reeds, a prolific plant that grows in the shallows of the lake. Mysterious Inca burial tombs that circle the lake also entice travelers, as well as the impressive variety of high altitude bird species that can be identified in the National Reserve.

Taquile Island

The second day is very active. Begin with a healthy breakfast on the terrace with a variety of fresh fruit, local cereals and prepare for the excursion to Taquile Island on a 45-minute boat ride across the lake. Taquile is considered the most interesting island on the area because of its pristine way of life, unique history and amazing crafts. The Taquile people are of Quechua origin, as opposed to the majority of region’s locals who are of Aymara origin. As part of the Inca Empire, the island has archaeological remains located on the peak of its mountain. From the island, you can view the impressive snow caped Cordillera Real in Bolivia. The island enjoys a favorable microclimate for agriculture, producing crops that don’t normally grow at these altitudes. As you walk around the island, you will see meet men knitting outdoors, creating some of the finest handicrafts in Peru.

Return to the hotel for lunch and siesta.

After tea, choose from one of the excursions near the hotel. A brisk walk past the hotel’s peninsula and along the lake’s shores is one of the more scenic and pleasant activities available. The lake’s impressive size, diverse nature and pristine sights have long kept visitors to Titicaca in awe. Pass sandy beaches, thick reeds and lush marshes to reach a local community or countryside. Here you will be able to see their agrarian and fishing lifestyle as it is inherent in their customs and traditions.

Cocktail at 6:30 pm followed by Dinner.

Uros & Plateria

The third day is a more leisurely day. After rising at the hour that suits you, enjoy breakfast in bed if you wish wake at dawn to a magnificent sunrise. In the morning your guides will take you by car and boat to visit the legendary islands of Uros and meet one of traditional families that live there. The Uros Floating Islands are located near the protected National Reserve of Titicaca. The people of Uros are a proud culture who due to persecution by other groups found refuge by living on manmade islands many years ago. They call themselves kot-suña or people of the lake who claim to have "black blood," as they are immune to the cold and consider themselves to be owners of the lake and its waters. Learn about their history, uses for totora reeds and customs after exploring one of these impressive islands. The site is a must for travelers to the area; thus expect to see many other visitors. Return to the hotel for lunch and a siesta.

After teatime you could you can bike the fields of Plateria. This biking excursion will become one of your memorable bike rides. The fields of Plateria, the district where Titilaka is located, provide the perfect setting for active exploration. Follow country roads along the grand lake and diverse terrains, where you will observe the local villager’s rural way of life. You will see them washing clothes, herding their animals and tending to their children. These are conditions for a great time outdoors; you set the pace and direction.

Return to the hotel for dinner at 7:30 pm.

Titilaka Departure

After breakfast, prepare for checkout and transfer to the airport. On your airport transfer enjoy a guided excursion to Sillustani, a spectacular peninsula facing the Umayo lagoon and home to the area’s best preserved remains. In addition to its unique geography, this site was a burial ground for the Pucara, Tiahuanaco and Ccolla pre-Inca cultures long before the Inca expansion. The tower-like structures known as Chullpas, which symbolized life and birth, are ancient and impressive tombs for chiefs and other dignitaries. Later the site was inhabited by the Incas, who made their own version of these towers.

The difference in periods and cultures is seen in the two types of chullpas- the rough, smaller pre-Inca towers, and the smooth, larger ones made by the Incas. The biggest tower took about 50 years to construct and holds rocks weighing anywhere from 2 to 6 tons. This is an impressive site that combines archaeology, history and an amazing landscape.

Farewell takes place at the Juliaca airport, where you will board your flight back to Lima.

In the afternoon, you will be picked up at the airport in 4:00PM and transferred to your hotel. (This service is on a private basis.)

Today, you will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight. (This service is on a private basis.)