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Inca Highlands

Itinerary

Day 01 LIMA

Arrival and transfer to your hotel. If you arrive early, we can arrange optional tours to explore the city, including museum visits, and other sites of interests.

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Day 02 LIMA - AREQUIPA

BEAUTIFUL AND WELCOMING

When we arrive in this beautiful white-walled city at 2,350 meters above sea level, at the foot of the perfect volcanic cone of El Misti, our transport will be waiting to transfer us from the airport to the hotel. After time to rest we will visit the colonial center of the city, with its beautiful architecture; the main plaza, museums, mansions, churches and the famous Santa Catalina convent, where the city’s religious past is conserved by a closed order of nuns who live in a complex built during colonial times. The agreeable climate of this region and the particularly fine local food complement the charming atmosphere of the city. Overnight in a local hotel.

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Day 03 AREQUIPA - COLCA CANYON

INTO THE HEART OF THE EARTH

In the morning we will be transferred by bus to Colca Canyon along a road that climbs up into the Andes. We will pass El Misti volcano and the snow-capped peak of Chachani as we ascend to the high Andean plains, crossing the Pampa Cañahuas National Reserve, which is a refuge for herds of endangered vicuñas. After crossing the high pass at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, we will descend towards the canyon and the village of Chivay. Here we will be able to observe the daily lives of local people, who dress in clothing unique to the region. This farming community works the land on the hundreds of agricultural terraces that surround the town, which have been producing typical Andean crops since the time of the Incas. Transfer to hotel.

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Day 04 COLCA CANYON

THE DAY OF THE CONDOR

Early in the morning we will head by road to the deepest part of the canyon, which is known as Cruz del Cóndor. Along the way we will be introduced to the many customs which define local life as we pass through small, picturesque villages. At Cruz del Cóndor warm air currents produced by the heat of the sun provide perfect conditions for the Andean condors which rise on these thermals from the depths of the canyon to our vantage point on the rim of the canyon. After enjoying a short walk in the area to better appreciate the majestic scenery, we will return to the city of Arequipa in the afternoon on our bus.

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Day 05 COLCA CANYON – LAKE TITICACA

ABOVE US ONLY SKY

We will leave today for the city of Puno – a journey by mountain roads of approximately 5 hours. Along the way we will have ample opportunities to enjoy the high Andean fauna which inhabits this region of intensely blue highland lakes. After we arrive in the busy commercial city of Juliaca it is just a further 40 kilometers to our hotel in Puno, the main city on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Overnight in local hotel.

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Day 06 LAKE TITICACA

KINGDOM OF REEDS

You will be transferred in the early morning to the port on the shores of Lake Titicaca for the 25-minute boat ride to the remarkable floating Uros reed islands, made from a local reed known as “totora”. These ancient islands with their remarkably stable surfaces were first created centuries ago from the same reeds which their inhabitants still use to build their houses and boats. The totora reed is also important in the islanders’ diet.

After visiting the islands we will journey by boat for a further two and a half hours to the island of Taquile, where we will hike up from the local port through the native community of the island, with plenty of time along the way to observe local customs and admire the superb textiles produced by these expert weavers who are descended from the Incas.

Return to the port at Puno and transfer to the hotel.

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Day 07 LAKE TITICACA - CUSCO

We will leave Puno today and visit the ruins of Sillustani. This archaeological site is composed of a series of 90 conical burial towers, or “chullpas”, made from large carved blocks of volcanic stone. Some of these chullpas are 12 meters high. They were built to house the remains of the deceased nobility, including priests and rulers, whose bodies were then venerated in a “cult of the dead”. After visiting this imposing sight on the shores of beautiful Lake Umayo we will continue to Juliaca, from where there are flights to Lima or Arequipa, or overland to Cusco or Arequipa, in accordance with your individual itinerary.

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Day 08 CUSCO AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

INCA HERITAGE

Today we will visit the most interesting attractions in the city and the surrounding countryside. This is a chance to experience and learn more about the fusion of indigenous and colonial heritages as we visit local churches, museums and archaeological sites, as well as observing the lives of local Cusco people today. Our guide will give you more information on all the aspects of Cusco which most interest you. In the afternoon we will visit the great Inca fortress of Saqsayhuaman, as well as the other Inca sites of Kenko, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay, which were all of great importance within the context of the religious beliefs of the Incas, and which lie in the hills surrounding the imperial city.

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Day 09 CUSCO-SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS

THE MYTHICAL SACRED VALLEY

Today we will leave for the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This fertile valley is filled with the thousands of small details which together make up Andean nature and life. We will visit the local handcraft production center and market of Pisaq, after which we will continue our trip through the valley by following the course of the Urubamba River to the villages of Calca and Urubamba. In this imposing valley the agricultural terraces and fields of crops are dominated by the great snow-capped peaks of the Vilcanota range. After driving the length of the valley we come to the unique indigenous village of Ollantaytambo, where the urban design has remained largely unchanged since the time of the Incas, and we will have plenty of time to visit the village’s main sites and wander its narrow streets. Accommodation in a local hotel.

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Day 10 OLLANTAYTAMBO - MACHU PICCHU

ROAD TO EL DORADO

This morning you will be transferred from the hotel to the local train station for a ride which follows the course of the Urubamba River for about one and half hours and takes visitors into a region of tropical forests. This cloud forest habitat of thick vegetation and soaring peaks harbors the village of Aguas Calientes, where we will disembark from the train to take a short bus ride up the forested mountain where the Inca civilization built what is now recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World: the lost city of Machu Picchu. Our guide will provide you with a wealth of detail regarding the history of this remarkable site and help us journey back in time as we learn more about this great civilization.

We will also have time to appreciate the surrounding cloud forest environment before returning to our hotel by bus.

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Day 11 MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO

INCA RETURN

Once again we will take the bus up to the archaeological complex, where we will be able to take advantage of the early morning light for photography as well as enjoy the fact that fewer people visit the ruins at this time of day. We will have time to enjoy a short walk along the world famous Inca Trail to the charming Inca site of Wiñaywayna, passing the Sun Gate, or Inti Punko, walk to the so-called Temple of the Moon or climb up the steep trail to the top of the mountain known as Huayna Picchu. These archaeological sites are fascinating in their own right, but they also provide excellent panoramic views of the great Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. In the afternoon we will return to the village of Aguas Calientes, from where the train will take us back to the city of Cusco, where you will be transferred to your hotel.

Note: For those who would like to continue to explore the local sights, we can leave the train at the village of Ollantaytambo and return by bus via the village of CHINCHERO (“Village of the Rainbow”), where local people are expert weavers. These local weavers will demonstrate their skills for us and offer us their work. Return to hotel in Cusco.

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Day 12 CUSCO - LIMA

END OF THE DREAM

Transfer from the hotel to the airport for the return flight to Lima and connecting flight to your home country. Our services end today but if time allows we can arrange a special tour of the city for you (this service should be requested and booked in advance at an additional cost).

Important: Each one of our tour programs can be varied in terms of details in order to accommodate any special requirements or special interests which you may have - as long as they can be accommodated within the logistics of the published itinerary (such services should be requested and booked in advance).

Extension of program: The client will assume any additional costs.

Shortening of program: A respective discount will apply (in accordance with the company’s booking conditions).

If you wish to customize your Peru tour see one of our extensions.

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Copyright 2006 Land of the Inkas