Reception at the airport of Lima and transfer to your hotel in Miraflores.

After breakfast we pick you up from the hotel and take you to the airport. Here you catch a flight to Cusco and we bring you to your hotel in the Inca capital. You should take a short rest in order to adjust to altitude. In the afternoon you'll have a city tour from approx. 2 pm until 6:30 pm. This tour includes the visits to Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), the Cathedral of the Cusco, the famous fortress of Sacsayhuaman, archaeological sites of Q'enqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay.

Today's excursion is a highlight for hikers. We head to Huchuy Qosqo. We'll follow an Inca path for approx. 5 hours along the valley sides, passing through tiny rural communities, fields cultivated with corn, potatoes, quinoa and with snowy peaks ever-present on the horizon. Huchuy Qosqo is one of the most important Inca sites in the Sacred Valley. Unlike most of the Inca buildings adobe was used here as material to top stone walls. Located on a plateau and surrounded by Inca agricultural terraces, Huchuy Qosqo has a spectacular setting and offers superb views of the Vilcabamba range. Reaching this site takes some effort, but you will experience it without tourist crowds.

Our tour today will take us to the age-old terraced salt mines in Maras. The dominant color is an intense white that burns like snow on a sunny day and are an impressive sight for any visitor. Salt was extracted from these mines from Inca times and the same method has been used ever since. Now and then all work is done by hand. Then we continue to Moray one of the many little jewels to be found in the Cusco region. It is a complex of four circular terraces which, hidden among the hills, it emerges suddenly into view when the visitor is almost on top of it. The impression created by these terraces like Greek amphitheatres against a backdrop of snow covered mountains is unforgettable. Even more surprising is the fact that Moray was a sort of open-air agricultural lab, used for adapting plants to new environmental conditions.

In the morning we take you to the train station to board the train to Machu Picchu. On arrival a small coach takes you up the steep roads to the entrance of the citadel. In the "lost city of the Incas" we will have our guided tour (2-3 hours) in which you will visit the most important and interesting places of Machu Picchu. After that you will have free time to explore the complex on your own. Machu Picchu remained for centuries undiscovered by the Spaniards, only to be found in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. The uniqueness of its location and the genius that went into its construction make this Inca archaeological site truly one of the great wonders of the world. In the afternoon you will return through the mountainous switchback passes to Cusco, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

In the morning we transfer you to the bus station. A pleasant eight-hour bus trip takes us through picturesque Andean landscapes dotted by small villages and herds of llamas and vicunas. Our destination is Puno, however we´ll visit various places of interest. One is Andahuaylillas known by its baroque church dating from the 17th century. Our bus will climb to La Raya Pass (4,335 m/ 14,172 ft) to enjoy a panoramic view of the snow-capped Andes. Then our tour continues to Raqchi to visit the Viracocha Temple. This was the only Inca temple featuring cylindrical columns covered by fine clay layers. Upon arrival in Puno you will be transferred to your hotel.

Early in the morning we depart to Bolivia. We drive along the south side of Lake Titicaca to the town of Copacabana, on the boundary between Peru and Bolivia. Once in Copacabana we boat to the mythic Island of the Sun. We visit the garden, steps and fountains of the Incas, the Pilkokaina Inca Palace and the small community of Yumani. After the visit we have the chance to enjoy the overwhelming panoramic view of the lake and surrounding mountains as you hike to your ecolodge on the island.

After breakfast you take a boat back to Copacabana. Here we visit the famous Dark Virgin and its church, have lunch and can take a short stroll around the town before you start your overland trip to La Paz. On arrival you will be transferred to your hotel.

In the afternoon we start on an approx. 3 hour sightseeing tour of La Paz, including the area of the street markets, rich in handicrafts, weavings and witchcraft artifacts which represent their traditions. The tour goes through the colonial part of the city, San Francisco Church, Murillo Square and the outdoor replica of the Tiwanaku temple. To change scenery, our tour continues to the modern parts of the town and ends with the visit to the bizarre Valley of the Moon offering a unique landscape.

After breakfast we head towards Puno. We pass through the Bolivian Highlands and take a stop in Tiwanaku. Tiwanaku is one of South America’s most important archaeological sites and considered the cradle of the American man. The origin of these ruins is until today topic of discussion. Our guided tour includes the visit to the ‘Gate of the Sun’, the ‘Akapana’ pyramid, and the ‘Kerikala’ Palace as well as aqueducts and the monoliths ‘Ponce’ and ‘Fraile’. Then we continue to the frontier between Peru and Bolivia where you pass the immigration control. Afterwards we drive the rest of the way to Puno.

Transfer to the airport in Juliaca for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel. In the afternoon you'll have a city tour of Lima. This excursion offers the best combination of the different attractions in Lima and its three historical periods: pre-hispanic, colonial and contemporary. In the historical centre we can take pictures of the Government Palace, the City Hall, the Palace of the Archbishop and the Cathedral. Then we continue to the San Francisco Monastery and its subterranean crypts. After an introduction to Lima’s colonial past you will be driven to the most traditional residential areas in the capital: The Olive Grove of San Isidro, Miraflores and Larco Mar, distinctive tourist centre of contemporary Lima.

At proper time you will be transferred to the airport in Lima for your international flight.

- Accommodation based on double room in the selected hotel category
(for single room consider single supplement)
- Private Services with local English, German, French or Italian speaking guide
- Shared Services with local English/Spanish speaking guide (Non private services)
- Domestic flights: Lima - Cusco and Juliaca - Lima
- Train ticket Ollantaytambo-Aguas Calientes-Cusco in Vistadome Class
- Bus Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu-Aguas Calientes
- Tourist bus Cusco-Puno with English/Spanish speaking escort for Shared and Private Services
- Public bus Puno-Copacabana y Copacabana-La Paz (not escorted)
- Private transport La Paz-Puno (not escorted)
- All transfers from/to hotels
- Excursions according to itinerary
- Entrance fees to the mentioned sites in the itinerary
- Meals as specified in the itinerary