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

Transfer to the airport to board your flight to Arequipa, the colonial city at the foot of snow-capped Misti Volcano topping 5800 m (19000 ft). In the afternoon we will explore the city. Some of the old buildings were made from white volcanic material (sillar) which has given it the name of the ‘white city’. We will visit the Main Square, the Cathedral, La Compañia and San Francisco churches. We continue to the extraordinary Santa Catalina Convent. This cloister, built in the 16th century, is a huge structure that once served as a town within itself housing 450 nuns.

After the breakfast we leave Arequipa towards Chivay in the Colca Canyon. On the way we pass through the national reserve Pampa Cañahuas where we hopefully can see wild vicuñas, llamas and alpacas. From the viewpoint of Patapampa we can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the snow covered mountains and nearby volcanoes Mismi (5597m/18360ft), Misti (5825m/19110ft) and Chachani (6075m/19930ft). After the 4 hour drive we arrive to Chivay, Colca’s most important town where we have lunch. In the afternoon you can visit the hot springs and pools (entrance fee not included) or you can visit the local market of Chivay. We spend the night in a lodge in the valley.

Early in the morning we leave to an observation point in the Colca Canyon. On the viewpoint (Mirador Cruz del Condor) we look out for condors and if we are lucky we will see the flight of this majestic bird with the largest wingspan in the world. On the way back we visit picturesque towns like Yanque or Maca. We can see colonial churches, gently people with typical needlework dresses and hundreds of pre Inca terraces with Andean growings. Back in Chivay we have lunch and return to Arequipa where we will arrive in the late afternoon.

We say goodbye to Arequipa to continue our trip across the Altiplano to Puno. Our bus climbs up the Andean mountains to reach average altitude en of 4500 m (14700 ft) on the route. After a 6-hour ride we reach the city of Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca.

You will be picked up from your hotel after your breakfast and brought to the port of Puno. From here we take a motorboat and after approx. 2 hours we will arrive at the Uros Islands. Fishermen and hunters inhabit the floating islands of the Uros. The residents of the Uros use the cattail, a type of rush, which grows in the lake, to create the conditions that ensure the islands stay afloat. Then we will visit the Taquile Island, including lunch in the cooperative restaurant. Taquile Island is famous for its craft production, particularly for its beautiful textiles. On the island there are countless pre-Inca and Inca ruins as well as Inca terracing. In the afternoon we will return to Puno where you spend the night in 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 Cusco, 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 Cusco you will be transferred to your hotel.

Our afternoon tour includes Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), the Cathedral of Cusco, the famous fortress of Sacsayhuaman on the hillside above Cusco. We also visit the archaeological sites of Q'enqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. Q'enqo is believed to have been an important sanctuary during the Inca period and Tambomachay includes two distinctive aqueducts.

This morning we drive to the Sacred Valley to visit Pisaq and Ollantaytambo. Hundreds of visitors and people from remote communities dressed in their traditional and colorful attires to attend the Pisaq market and barter their products. Today, the market also has a tourist element, so there is an opportunity to buy souvenirs. Then we will drive through the Sacred Valley and have lunch in a restaurant. In the afternoon we visit the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo, where the Temple of the Sun and the Terrace of the Ten Niches stand out. Ollantaytambo was the site of the only successful Inca battle against the Spanish conquerors and the only town in the area to still retain its original Inca layout.

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.

After breakfast you have the rest of the morning free to roam around the majestic site of Machu Picchu, climb the Wayna Picchu and get panoramic pictures from Machu Picchu.
In the afternoon you will return through the mountainous switchback passes to Cusco, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Transfer to the airport 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.

Transfer to the airport 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 - Arequipa and Cusco - Lima
- Train ticket Ollantaytambo-Aguas Calientes-Cusco in Vistadome Class
- Bus Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu-Aguas Calientes
- Entrance fee to Machu Picchu and bus Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu-Aguas Calientes for second day visit are included!
- Public bus Arequipa-Puno (not escorted)
- Tourist bus Cusco-Puno with English/Spanish speaking escort for Shared and Private Services
- All transfers from/to hotels
- Excursions according to itinerary
- Entrance fees to the mentioned sites in the itinerary
- Meals as specified in the itinerary