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Trekking in Colca
Canyon - Kayaking on Lake Titicaca - River rafting -
Mountain biking - Hot air balloon ride in the Sacred
Valley - Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Day 1: Lima You are welcomed by our staff at the airport and transferred to your hotel. During the ride we will tell you about Lima and Peru and go through your itinerary day by day. We will also answer any questions you may have.
Day 2: Lima (B) After breakfast, a guided tour of colonial and modern Lima which includes the cathedral built in 1654 where the remains of Francisco Pizarro rest, the Main Square with a bronze fountain from 1650 and some unique tree balconies, the San Francisco monastery with the famous catacombs, and the modern areas of Miraflores and San Isidro. We end the day with a visit to the famous Gold Museum, a unique private collection of amazing gold artifacts from the Inca Empire and other ancient Peruvian cultures such as Chavin, Mochica, Nazca, Paracas, etc.
Day 3: Lima-Arequipa (B) Transfer to the airport for the flight to Arequipa, the most beautiful city in Peru. Pick up and transfer to your hotel. Rest and relax in the morning to get used to the altitude. In the afternoon a city tour of Arequipa where you will visit the Chilina valley and the old San Lorenzo district. You will get a nice view of the city and you will visit the Main Square and the Cathedral as well as the extraordinary Santa Catalina Monastery that are built of volcanic lava and dated back to the 16th century. You will end the day with a visit to Juanita, the best preserved mummy in the whole America, which was found in 1995 during an expedition high up in the mountains.
Day 4: Colca Canyon trek (B, L, D) You are picked up at 06.00 to travel to the small town of Cabanaconde in Colca Canyon. You arrive to Cabanaconde (altitude: 3287m) after a 6 hour trip and have lunch in the town at a nice local restaurant. Then you start the trek down to the Colca River (around 4 hours). You will spend the night in a typical village called San Juan de Chuccho (altitude: 2200m) in typical huts with dinner prepared and served by a local family.
Day 5: Colca Canyon trek (B, L) An early breakfast at 06.00. You will start with a 1 hour and 30 min hike to Tapay (altitude: 2900m). This colonial village is known for its Quechua-speaking population and it has a beautiful view over the Canyon. Continuing the hike, we make a 2 hour descent to the villages of Coshñirhua (2350 m) and Malata (2350 m), and then another hour of hiking to arrive at the oasis of Sangalle (2000 m) where you will have lunch. The oasis of Sangalle is a great place to relax and appreciate nature. The owners of the oasis have built small houses of bamboo where you will be spending the night. Our guide will explain the various native fruits growing in the oasis, such as the lucuma, the pacay, and the chirimoya. You will also have the opportunity to taste them.
Day 6: Colca Canyon trek (B, L) An early wake, up at 04:30 for the 1200m ascend up to Cabanaconde in order to catch the sunrise over Colca Canyon. You have breakfast in Cabanaconde and then you go to Condor´s cross to admire the great condors flying right over your head. Then you go to the town of Chivay to relax in the thermal hot springs (38 ºC). You will have a box lunch to enjoy during your time in the hot springs. Then you go back to Arequipa and you arrive at your hotel around 17:00.
Day 7. Kayaking on Lake Titicaca with homestay (B, L, D) Transfer to Llachon, where you will put on your kayaking jackets, spray skirts, and life vests, and receive a brief kayaking lesson for your paddle along the peninsula and across the channel to the Island of Taquile. You will pass plenty of village life on the shores of the peninsula. The total distance is around 8,5 km and in your stable sea kayaks you will be able to take your time and take several breaks. When arriving at Taquile you will walk for about 20 minutes and then have lunch. In the afternoon you will do a hike on the island before returning to the lodge for dinner and overnight accommodation in a local family´s house.
Day 8: Kayaking on Lake Titicaca with homestay (B, L) After breakfast you board the kayaks again for a trip around the island of Taquile, enjoying the amazing views of the hills and the mountains. Then you go by boat back to Puno, stopping along the way for a visit to the floating islands of Uros. These islands are constructed from the reeds growing around the lake and date centuries back when people started living on them as a way to avoid conflicts with other communities living around the lake. Transfer to your hotel. Day 9: Puno – Cuzco (B, L) Transfer to the bus station for the tour that will take you to Cuzco. The bus trip over the altiplano is very beautiful and you will do several stops on the way to visit museums, Inca ruins, and small villages. You will also make a stop for lunch. You arrive in the afternoon to Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire. We pick you up and transfer you to the hotel.
Day 10: Cuzco (B) Free morning. In the afternoon a guided tour of Cuzco and the four famous Inca ruins that are located in the outskirts of Cuzco; the water temple Tambo Machay, the fortress Puca Pucara, the Oracle place Qenqo, and the impressive fortress and temple of Sacsayhuamán. Three enormous stones, each one weigh 120 tons, form three perfect zig-zag walls and the view over Cuzco is wonderful. Then you do a walking tour of central Cuzco with visits to the Cathedral, Main Square, and the Sun Temple of Korikancha.
Day 11: Sacred Valley (B, L) Today you will do a full day excursion to Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You visit the village of Pisac that was founded during colonial times and is located at the foot of some impressive Inca ruins. Visit the Pisac market on the Main Square where the Indians sell their products and handicrafts. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays are the busiest days, but the market is always open. After lunch, visit Ollantaytambo, the only Inca village that the Spaniards never conquered, and explore the ruins located above the village. Visit the traditional town of Chinchero on the way back to Cuzco.
Day 12. River Rafting (B, L) This tour combines two different sessions on the Urubamba River with different levels of difficulty. We pick you up around 9am and transfer you to the Adventure Center. There you start the ride for approximate 2 hours as a preparation. After that you eat lunch at Hachicata and later you start the rafting to Calca (about 1 hour). After that you prepare to enter the part of the river called Huaràn, the most difficult part (II, III, and IV class). After that we transfer you back to Cuzco, you arrive around 5.30pm.
Day 13. Cuzco – Moray – Moras – Ollantaytambo (B, L) We pick you up at your hotel and depart by a private vehicle to just outside Chinchero where the mountain bike ride starts. The total distance is 22 miles on back roads and trails. The trail starts with back roads for around an hour, climbing several hills and witnessing scenes of rural Andean life, before arriving at the Inca site of Moray. This is a fabulous amphitheater of terracing that was used as an agricultural experimental site by the Incas, taking advantage of the microclimates produced by the varying altitude to breed new type of crops. After this you leave the back roads and join a two track road that later becomes a walking trail. This route is mostly flat and downhill, but with one steep and fairly technical downhill and a short but steep uphill. There are support vehicles for those who prefer that. After around 45 minutes you reach the village of Maras where it´s time for a picnic lunch. Then it is mostly downhill to the salt pans of Maras. This is an unforgettable site; the people from Maras have diverted a salt-laden spring coming out of the hillside, evaporating the water to collect salt like their ancestors have done for centuries. From this point you have a final technical bike ride downhill into the Sacred Valley town of Urubamba. As before, you have the option to take the support van along a different route if you prefer that. Arrival to Urubamba and transfer to your hotel in Cuzco.
Day 14: Hot Air Baloon ride in the Sacred Valley (B) Pick up at 5.45 at your hotel. Drive to the launch site of Maras or Huayllabamba. When you arrive to the launch site the balloon pilot and ground crew will have everything ready. The licensed pilot will give you a short flight safety briefing. The flight is around one hour long and you will be served breakfast onboard. You will fly low over the beautiful farmlands and then up high to see all the surrounding snow capped mountain peaks. Passing over the Quechua farmers working their fields and enjoying the amazing scenery of the Sacred Valley is an experience you will never forget. Return to Cuzco and have a free afternoon to rest before the Inca Trail.
Day 15: Inca Trail (B, L, D) You are picked up at your hotel in Cuzco and driven on a scenic two-hour route through the Sacred Valley until you reach Ollantaytambo. In Ollantaytambo you will be prepared with equipment, food, and porters for the trek. A good idea is to bring coca leaves for altitude sickness relieving tea and wooden walking sticks to help you on the trek (trekking poles with metal tips are not permitted). Once set you will continue on to Piskacucho by bus (altitude: 2700m). After crossing the Piskacucho bridge over the Urubamba River the trek starts. You now have a 12 km hike ahead of you before the day is over. You start with walking on flat terrain along the river until you take a break at the community of Miskay (altitude: 2800m). The path then continues a bit steeper towards a high plateau. From here you will have a spectacular view of the Inca Ruins of Patallacta (altitude: 2750). The trek then goes on for two more hours before you reach the site where you will have lunch. After lunch it is only 2 hours left before you reach the campsite of Wayllabamba (altitude: 3000m). The highlights of this path are the view of the Vilcanota ridge on the other side of the Urubamba River and the snow-capped Mount Veronica.
Day 16: Inca Trail (B, L, D) The second day of the Inca Trail is the toughest one. After an early wake up and breakfast you will ascend for 9 km, surrounded by plush vegetation and crisp streams. It is important that you take your time by taking many shorter breaks to not exhaust yourself. You will take a longer break at the Llulluchapampa village and after this it is time to hike the highest and most famous mountain pass, the Abra Warmihuaña or “Dead Woman´s Pass” (altitude: 4200m). This hike takes around 2 hours and the last part before reaching the top is quite tough because of the altitude so it is even more important to take breaks. At the top of the Dead Woman´s Pass you can relax for a while and take some photos before you continue. Then you will descend on a winding 2,5 km path of steps that crosses a natural valley, the habitat of much wildlife. You will have lunch along the way and continue to the campsite at the Pacamayo Valley (altitude 3600m). There you will rest and relax and have a nice dinner.
Day 17: Inca Trail (B, L, D) Today you will trek 15 km along an impressive and archeologically rich path. First you will ascend to the Runkurakay Pass (altitude 3970m). Halfway through the pass you will encounter the ruins of Runkurakay, an Inca watch-house. On the following pass you will have great views of the mountain ranges of Vilcabamba and Pumasillo. You then continue on to the spectacular ruins of Sayacmarca (altitude: 3624). After this you will trek through the cloud-forest to the last climb that will lead you to the third pass, the Abra de Phuyupatamarca (altitude: 3700m). Then the trail goes mostly downhill to the archeological site of Phuyuoatamarca. This ruin is called the “Town above the Clouds” and is surrounded by Inca terraces consisting of sophisticated irrigation and fountain systems. By sunset you will reach the ruins of Wiñaywayna, or “Forever Young”. This is believed to have been a center where water was woreshipped, flower enthusiasts will be pleased to see the pink orchids in addition to learning about the ruin. Very close by is the camp site where you can find hot showers and a restaurant. Tonight you will say goodbye to the cook and the porters who will leave early the next morning on the train back to Cuzco.
Day 18: Inca Trail (B) You will wake up at 4:00am and have breakfast at 4:30am in order to start the trek at 5:00am and reach the Inti Punko, or the “Sun Gate”, by 6:00am. The trek will take you through a narrow trail of cloud forest. As you reach the Sun Gate, just before sunrise, the fog will lift and Machu Picchu will be lit with sunlight. The view is truly magical and awe-inspiring. You will then descend to the citadel to start the two hour tour during which you will learn everything about Machu Picchu. After the tour you will have plenty of free time. Some people choose to climb the lush peak of Hyana Picchu. From here you will have a great view over the ruins and the surroundings. It is a tough climb though, especially after 4 days of trekking, so extreme caution must be taken. In the afternoon take the bus down to Aguas Calientes to your hotel.
Day 19: Aguas Calientes – Cuzco (B) Today you have the opportunity to return to Machu Picchu, or just relax in the Hot Springs of Aguas Calientes. In the afternoon you will take the train back to Cuzco. We pick you up at the train station and transfer you to the hotel. Day 20: Cuzco – Lima (B) Transfer to the airport for the flight to Lima. End of our services
PRICES Group excursions:
Private excursions:
Price includes:
Price does not include:
Note 1: Because of the nature of hotels and the travel industry, it is not always possible to secure the hotels and lodges listed in the itinerary. Tailor Made Peru will endeavour to secure the hotels listed in your itinerary. However, Tailor Made Peru reserves the right to secure the next best available option or an upgrade in the event that the original hotels are not available or overbooked. Note 2: Please ensure that your passport expiration date is good for at least 90 days past the end of your tour. Note 3: Please make sure to inform Tailor Made Peru of any health or dietary restrictions. Note 4: Tailor Made Peru strongly recommends that all clients purchase travel insurance after booking your tour to cover your investment.
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Tailor Made Peru (registered
as TM Destinations SAC)
Address: Malecon Cisneros 980:401 - Miraflores
- Lima - Peru
info@tailormadeperu.com