Peru Highlights

Day 1 Depart to Lima

Depart aboard your flight to Lima, Peru. Meet & Greet services and transfer to your hotel for overnight.

Day 2 Lima / Ica (Nazca Markings) / Paracas

This morning we drive along the coast viewing sand dunes, deserts, and fertile valleys towards Ica. Here you'll board a small plane to view the mysterious and much debated Nazca drawings, only visible from the air. The Nazca culture dates back 2,500 years and was highly advanced in astronomy and ceramics. The Nazca lines are a series of huge geometric designs and drawings including animals, people, and birds (some over 1,000 feet in size) etched in the crest of the arid desert by ancient civilizations. After lunch, continue to the coastal town of Paracas for dinner and overnight. (L,D)

Day 3 Paracas ( Ballestas Islands ) / Lima

Morning departure to the Paracas Reserve, Peru’s largest coastal wildlife sanctuary, including the Ballestas Islands, reached by boat. These islands are home to thousands of resident and migratory sea birds, many endemic to the Humboldt Current. They include pelicans, boobies, cormorants, terns and gulls who share their habitat with herds of sea lions and fur seals. In the summer, condors are also frequent visitors and flamingoes occasionally pause at the bay. Return back to Lima with a stop at the Regional Museum of Ica, and the Inca shrine of Pachacamac. (B,L)

Day 4 Lima / Arequipa

Transfer to airport for flight to Arequipa. Meeting services and transfer to the hotel. Afternoon city tour of this World Heritage Site visiting the Convent of Santa Catalina, founded in 1579 and recently converted into a museum. Continue walking along the main square -- Plaza del Armas where the huge cathedral fills one whole side of the square with beautiful colonial buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Return to the hotel for overnight. (B)

Day 5 Arequipa (Colca Canyon)

Early morning departure for a special adventure to Colca Canyon, one of the most awe-inspiring places of Peru. As we cross the highlands we observe groups of wild vicuñas and experience totally different Andean scenery. We visit the "Cross of the Condor" at an altitude of some 15,000 feet with opportunity to view the majestic Colca Valley and the world's deepest canyon. Afternoon return to the hotel for overnight. (B,L)

Day 6 Arequipa / Cuzco

Transfer to airport for the flight to Cuzco. Meeting services and transfer to the hotel. This afternoon we tour Cuzco, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the western hemisphere. Nowadays Cuzco is a delightful combination of Inca and colonial architecture dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. During the tour we will visit Cuzco’s most important landmarks such as the Cathedral, Santo Domingo Church and the Plaza de Armas. Also included is the famous San Blas artisan’s quarter. Next we drive out of Cuzco to visit the nearby ruins of Kenko, Puca-pucara, and the royal baths of Tampumachay, continuing to the impressive fortress of Sacsayhuaman, whose gigantic 3-tiered walls are built from 18-foot boulders and weigh over 300 tons. This visit will end with a candlelight presentation by our guide about the mystery and history of these ruins and the Inca civilization. Overnight at the hotel. (B)

Day 7 Cuzco (Sacred Valley of Urubamba)

This morning we begin our drive through the fertile countryside making our way through the "Sacred Valley" of Urubamba and the colonial village of Pisac. Visit the famous bustling marketplace, where you will have the opportunity to bargain with the local artisans for many different types of Peruvian handicrafts and jewelry. Following lunch continue to the village of Ollantaytambo, an ancient fortress of temples and terraces that tower over the valley. Return to Cuzco for overnight. (B,L)

Day 8 Cuzco (Machu Picchu)

Early morning transfer to the train station to board the Vistadome Train traveling through the Urubama Valley to Machu Picchu considered the "Lost City" of the Incas. Perched 8,200 feet above the valley, this significant archaeological find is situated along remote mountains, amid a semi-tropical jungle and therefore was hidden for 400 years until discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham of Yale University. From the train station, our tour bus will make the ascent to this ancient citadel to explore the temples, altars and more than 200 buildings. After lunch more exploration on your own before returning to Cuzco for overnight. (B,L)

Day 9 Cuzco / Juliaca - Puno (Lake Titicaca)

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Juliaca. Meeting services upon arrival in Juliaca and transfer to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest and largest navigable lake in the world. En-route to Puno we stop at the pre-Inca complex of Sillustani situated on a hilltop overlooking Lake Umayo. Sillustani is a unique pre-Inca complex where we view cylindrical and square shaped hand carved granite (believed to be) funeral towers also referred to as “chulpas”. We continue to the Esteves Libertador Hotel. Lake Titicaca is located at 12,529 ft above sea level so it is a good idea to relax and get acclimated to the high altitude so for the remainder of evening. Overnight at hotel in Puno. (B)

Day 10 Puno (Lake Titicaca)

This morning we visit the floating islands of the Uros, an ancient lake Indian tribe, still maintaining traditions and way of life as they have for centuries. The Uros Indians live on these floating islands made by hand from totora reeds that grow in abundance in the shallow waters of the lake. This unique practice dates back to the time of the Incas, and today there are some 45 floating islands in the Bay of Puno. Box lunch and continue by boat to the island of Taquile, the Quechua speaking Indians boasting the world's finest hand weaving techniques which they perfected over the generations. Return to our hotel in Puno for overnight. (B,L)

Day 11 Puno / Lima / Depart Peru

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Lima. Meeting services and transfer to your hotel. Founded in 1535 by the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro, this colonial city became the political and military capital of the New World until it was declared the capital of Peru in 1821. We begin our tour of Colonial and Modern Lima, “City of Kings." Colonial sites include the lovely Plaza Mayor with its cathedral and palace, and the exquisite Torre Tagle Palace modern day seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Continue with a visit to the Gold Museum followed by the Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum which exhibits the world's largest private collection of pre-Columbian art boasting an astonishing array of gold, silver, semi-precious stones and textiles. Evening free to take in a dinner and show (could be included if you like). Late evening transfer to the airport for the post-midnight flight back home. (B)

Remarks

Not included:
Gratuities of any kind; airport departure taxes; meals unless included in the itinerary.

Inquire about our special airfares on American Airlines or LAN for this package from other US cities.