Vacations in Peru: Lima, Nazca, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Manu and Puno

Explore Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Lake Titicaca, and the most popular and beautiful places that Cusco offers. In the Sacred Valley, you will visit the surrounding towns and experience the unforgettable beauty of the Inca citadel, Machu Picchu. Feel the energy of the Andes as you ascend the Rainbow Mountain and sail on the highest lake in the world. All of this is part of a perfectly designed tour for you. Don't wait any longer and live the experience with us!

INCLUDES:

• 03 nights of hotel in Lima.
• 05 nights of hotel in Cusco.
• 01 night of hotel in Aguas Calientes.
• 03 nights in EcoManu Lodge, Puerto Maldonado.
• 02 nights of hotel in Puno.
• Ticket to Museums and Attractions. (day 1)
• Tour to Ballestas Islands - Ica City Tour and Huacachina. (day 2)
• Sandboarding and Buggies in Huacachina. (day 2)
• Flight tour to the NAZCA LINES. (day 3)
• Entrances to Catedral, Qoricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka - Pukara, and Tambomachay. (day 4)
• FLIGHT LIMA - CUSCO. (day 4)
• Entrances to Pisac, Ollantaytambo. (day 5)
• Buffet lunch. (day 5)
• Tourist train tickets. Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes, round trip.
• Bus ticket. Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu, round trip.
• Entrance to Machu Picchu. (day 6)
• Professional guide in Astronomy in a group. (day 8)
• Advanced equipment for stargazing at the Planetarium. (day 8)
• Entrance tickets to mentioned places. (day 13)
• Bus ticket. (day 13)
• Entrances to Uros Islands. (day 14)
• Speedboat ticket, round trip. (day 14)
• FLIGHT JULIACA – LIMA. (day 15)
• Transfers in tourist bus.
• Professional guided, English - Spanish
• Pre-tour assistance.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Meals.
• Other services not mentioned.

DAY 1: LIMA – CITY AND SURROUNDINGS

Assistance upon your arrival at Lima's "Jorge Chavez" International Airport and subsequent transfer to the selected hotel. In the afternoon (02:00 p.m.), we pick you up from your hotel to start the approximately 2.5-hour City Tour. We begin our tour with a panoramic view of the “Huaca Pucllana”, a magnificent ceremonial and archaeological center built in the 4th century AD and considered a "Sacred Town" by the Incas.

We visit the Historic Center of Lima, where you will appreciate more than fifty monuments and colonial buildings, highlighting the Paseo de la República, Plaza San Martín, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the Archbishop's Palace, the Cathedral Basilica, the Municipal Palace, among others. The Viceroyalty of Peru was the most important of the Spanish Empire, and Lima was its capital. Next, we visit the San Francisco Monumental Complex, which constitutes the largest collection of colonial religious art in America. The visit includes the crypts known as "Catacombs."

Finally, we will visit contemporary Lima, taking a stroll through the most traditional residential areas of Lima: El Olivar de San Isidro, Miraflores, and Larcomar.

Overnight at a hotel in Lima

INCLUDES:

• Hotel in Lima. (Check-in time in Lima: 2:00 pm).
• Group guided tour.
• Transfers in a tourist bus.
• Museum and Attractions Entrance Ticket.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Meals.
• Other services not mentioned.

DAY 2: PARACAS / ICA – BALLESTAS ISLANDS AND ICA CITY TOUR

Approximately 05:15 hrs. Departure to the city of Paracas in private service.  08:30 hrs. Approx. Arrival in the city of Paracas, where we will go to the pier.  09:00 hrs. Approx. Ballestas Islands.

Excursion to the Paracas Peninsula, the most important wildlife sanctuary on the Peruvian coast. Motorboat ride to the Ballestas Islands. In addition to sea lions, boobies, pelicans, penguins, and other seabirds. Free time before returning to take photos of sea lions, seals, and seabirds. Return to the pier. Approximate duration: 02 hours.  At a coordinated time, departure to the city of Ica.

13:00 hrs. Huacachina Lagoon

Pick-up of passengers to start our tour. During the tour, we will see and visit the wine and restaurant "El Catador": The most touristy winery in Ica. We will walk through its facilities to taste its wines, piscos, cachinas, and learn about the elements used for artisanal production. In this place, there is time for lunch (not included), where you will find typical food from Ica. Then, we will go to the Oasis of Huacachina, where we will enjoy an impressive landscape of the Huacachina Lagoon surrounded by immense dunes. We will also see the mermaid monument Huacachina and the craft center of the place.

Tubulars and Sandboarding on the shores of Huacachina Lagoon, we will drive our sand buggies westward towards the desert, where there is a great variety of dunes. Here we will ride our sand buggy, crossing much of the desert, going up and down the dunes. Then, we will drive our vehicle to the top of a large dune where our guide-instructor will show you how to practice the sport of sandboarding. Once at the top, our clients can enjoy this sport in a safe way and take many photos. Then, we return to the city of Lima.

INCLUDES:

• Transfers Lima / Paracas / Ica / Lima
• Ballestas Islands Tour - Ica and Huacachina City Tour
• Sandboarding and Buggies in Huacachina.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Meals
• Other services not mentioned in the program.

DAY 3: NAZCA LINES OVERFLIGHT - LIMA

Breakfast at the hotel. At approximately 09:05 hrs, pick up from the hotel to go to Nazca. 11:15 hrs. approx. Arrival at the aerodrome in Nazca. 

Waiting time. NAZCA LINES OVERFLIGHT 

We will board a small plane that will fly over the mysterious Nazca Lines: huge linear drawings of animals, birds, and geometric figures, drawn in the desert, which can only be appreciated from the air. 

After the tour, return to the hotel in Lima.

INCLUDES:

• Private transfer ICA – NAZCA and NAZCA - LIMA.
• Nazca Lines Overflight Tour 
• Hotel night in LIMA.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Meals
• Other services not mentioned in the program.

DAY 4: LIMA TO CUSCO – CUSCO CITY TOUR:

Transfer from Lima Hotel to Lima Airport for your flight to Cusco. Welcome at Cusco Airport and transfer to your hotel.

In the afternoon, around 1:00 p.m., we pick you up from the hotel and start our tour of Cusco. With our guide, you will visit the city's most important monuments, starting with the Cusco Cathedral. Then, we will visit the Qorikancha Temple or Temple of the Sun.

We continue our guided tour of the archaeological centers located around the city of Cusco; starting with Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay. Our tour ends near the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, around 6:00 p.m.

INCLUDES:

• Entrance fees to Cusco Cathedral, Qoricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka - Pukara, and Tambomachay.
• Transfers in a tourist bus.
• Guided tour, Professional English – Spanish-speaking guide.
• Pre-tour assistance.
• Hotel night in Cusco.
• FLIGHT LIMA - CUSCO.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Meals.
• Other services not mentioned.

DAY 5: SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS CUSCO – PISAC – OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES.

Full-day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Breakfast at the hotel. At 8:00 a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel and start by visiting the Andean textile center of Awanacancha, followed by the Archaeological Complex of Pisac located 45 minutes from Cusco by private transport. Pisac will give you an idea of the advanced knowledge that the Incas achieved in architecture. Another good reason to visit Pisac is its craft market, where you can find some unique and authentic souvenirs.

At noon, we will head to the town of Urubamba, where we will enjoy a buffet lunch allowing you to taste delicious Peruvian cuisine. Urubamba was one of the main agricultural centers of the Inca Empire. Currently, the world's best corn is harvested here.

In the afternoon, we will visit the Ollantaytambo Fortress, which was a strategic military, agricultural, and religious center to manage and control the Sacred Valley. This is deduced from the constructions that are presumed to be for agricultural deposits and for military use, such as walls and watchtowers (probably to protect themselves from jungle ethnic groups). This archaeological site comprises a series of superimposed terraces, showing impressive and large finely carved stone blocks located on the upper terrace. It is in Ollantaytambo that we will board the train to Aguas Calientes to visit Machu Picchu early the next day.

Night in Aguas Calientes.

INCLUDES:

• Hotel night in Aguas Calientes.
• Entrance to Pisac, Ollantaytambo.
• Transfers in a tourist bus.
• Group guided tour. Professional English – Spanish-speaking guide.
• Buffet lunch.
• Breakfast.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Meals.
• Other services not mentioned.

DAY 6: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO.

Early in the morning, we will have breakfast at the hotel and take the bus that will take us to The Archaeological Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The journey takes 30 minutes, and we will finally arrive at Machu Picchu. Our guide will start the guided tour so that you can better understand the history and architecture of the Inca City of Machu Picchu. In the afternoon, we will board the return train, where we will pick you up from the station to transfer you to your hotel in Cusco.

Night in Cusco.

INCLUDES:

• Personalized transfers from Cusco to the train station in Ollantaytambo, round trip.
• Tourist train tickets, round trip.
• 01 Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu bus ticket, round trip.
• Entrance to Machu Picchu
• Guided service. Professional English - Spanish-speaking guide.
• Hotel night in Cusco.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Meals.
• Huayna Picchu entrance.
• Other services not mentioned.

DAY 7: HIKE TO THE SEVEN COLORS MOUNTAIN.

The tour starts early in the morning; we will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco between 04:00 and 04:30 am. We will travel by car for approximately two hours to the south, reaching the district of Cusipata - Paucarpata (3310 masl), where we can enjoy a buffet breakfast. Then, we will drive for another hour to reach the control point and start the hike (Llaqto). The hike will last approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, during which we will observe the typical flora and fauna of the Andes, including the presence of llamas and alpacas. We will pass through beautiful ravines and see snow-capped peaks.

Upon reaching the viewpoint of Vinicunca or Rainbow Mountain (5080 masl), our guide will provide an explanation of the orography, ecosystem, and color of the mountain. We can take advantage of the moment to observe the mountain range of Vinicunca (5020 m/16,466 ft.), take souvenir photos, and admire the beautiful landscape. Afterward, we will return along the same path to the starting point of the hike (Llaqto), where our transportation will be waiting to take us back to Cusipata, where we will enjoy a buffet lunch. After lunch, we will begin the return journey to the city of Cusco, arriving between 4 and 5 pm. The last stop will be near the Plaza de Armas in Cusco.

Night in Cusco.

INCLUDES:

• Hotel night in Cusco.
• Assistance throughout the tour.
• Transfers from Cusco to the starting point of the hike round trip.
• Group guided service. Professional English – Spanish-speaking guide.
• Hotel night in Cusco.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Dinner.
• Other services not mentioned.

DAY 8: FREE MORNING IN CUSCO – PLANETARIUM IN THE AFTERNOON.

Our tour starts in the late afternoon; we pick you up from the hotel in Cusco at around 5:00 pm to head to the north of the city, specifically to the Llaullipata estate where the interpretation center is located. We will begin with a talk about the Andean cosmovision and the main vestiges of the knowledge that the Incas had in Astronomy. Then, we will enjoy an interactive session in a 360° dome where we will visually appreciate the constellations and main celestial bodies of our universe. Finally, we can observe planets and our moon through specialized telescopes. It will be an experience of a lifetime, and we will conclude our excursion by returning to the city center of Cusco at around 9:00 pm.

Night in Cusco.

INCLUDES:

• Hotel night in Cusco.
• Pick-up from your hotel and transfer to the interpretation center
• Professional guide in Astronomy in a group
• Advanced equipment for stargazing:
  • High-quality photographic projector by Digitalis for 360° projection.
  • iPad with astronomy apps.
  • Green astronomy laser pointer.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Other services not mentioned.
• Meals.

DAY 9: CUSCO – MANU LODGE

Early in the morning we pick you up from your Hotel in Cusco, to start our trip through Andean mountains, beautiful landscapes, rural folkloric communities like Paucartambo and Ninamarca (chullpas or funerary tombs) that belong to the pre-Inca LUPACAS culture. Then we climb the last mountain to reach Acjanaco, entrance to the MANU NATIONAL PARK, from where we descend to the lush cloud forest that houses a variety of flora and fauna. Being an ideal place for epiphytes, orchids, bromeliads, etc.. It is there where we will explore the cloud forest and can appreciate the National bird of Peru, the colorful Cock of the Rock in its ritual mating dance, as well as toucans, trogons, quetzals, monkeys and hopefully the South American spectacled bear (Tremantus ornatos).

Continuing our excursion of the day, we head to the Patria valley, Pilcopata small towns in the Amazon and then to the awaited tourist port of Atalaya, where our motorized boat will be waiting to drive us down the Madre de Dios River towards the lodge. We will have dinner and free time to enjoy some cold drinks. Then we will spend the night in our comfortable rooms.

Swimming and fishing in the rivers and using the hammocks in the lodges is free and safe for all guests.

DAY 10: MANU MAMMAL COLLPA

In the morning, wake up to the song of birds and the lush Amazon rainforest. It's time to enjoy a healthy breakfast before exploring the dense Amazon forest through different trails. Marvel at the giant rubber, tonillo, and ficus trees, which house groups of capuchin monkeys, woolly monkeys, howler monkeys, and dozens of bird species such as colorful parrots, parakeets, woodpeckers, and more.

In the late afternoon, we head to the mammal collpa, a very special place in the Amazon jungle. After a 35-minute walk in the heart of the forest, we will reach the hideout. As the day turns into darkness, a truly fascinating and unforgettable experience begins. You will be completely immersed in the Amazonian world.

The hideout is a wooden platform more than 4 meters high, perfectly camouflaged among the trees, located in front of the mammal collpa. Here, we will observe the mythical Amazonian tapir, peccaries, deer, and, with luck, the largest feline in South America, the Jaguar (Panthera onca). The observation platform includes mosquito nets and mattresses for waiting until the mammals arrive.

Night walks or activities are possible every night, at the discretion and organization of our guides.

Night at our comfortable EcoManu lodge.

DAY 11: INSIDE MANU - MACHUWASI

Very early in the morning, we board our boat to head to the small collpa (clay wall with mineral salt content), a very important location. Many noisy parrots, parakeets, and small green macaws ingest the clay as their final diet for detoxification. After this fantastic show, we will enjoy a healthy breakfast on-site. Continuing our expedition in the Amazon, we head to the important cocha or Machuwasi lagoon. With the help of the telescope, we will observe a great variety of lake birds such as herons, hawks, ducks, oropendolas, capybara families (the world's largest rodent), and, with luck, an impressive anaconda or boa.

In the afternoon, we will enjoy the tropical waters (swimming and fishing). At night, we can take a short walk along the river, entering a bit into the forest to find small abandoned lakes full of vegetation. Here, we can find one of the largest reptiles in the Amazon. The adventure begins with the preparation of our lamps and headlights to search for the red eyes of caimans. With the help of our guide, we will observe these impressive reptiles up close.

Our last night in the jungle.

DAY 12: MANU - CUSCO

Very early, we return by boat to the Atalaya port and then by bus back to San Pedro to once again appreciate the famous Cock-of-the-Rock birds. Continuing our return to the ancient Inca capital Cusco, we arrive at around 4:00 p.m.

INCLUDES:

• Professional guide (English and Spanish) with Telescope and Binoculars.
• Prepared transportation by bus and boat with safety equipment.
• Observation of the Cock-of-the-Rock.
• Entrance ticket to Machuwasi Lagoon.
• Entrance ticket to the Thermal Waters.
• Accommodation in EcoLodge Manu with all services included for 03 NIGHTS.
• First aid kit.
• Mineral water.
• Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and vegetarian option) & snacks.
• Rubber boots.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Hotel in Cusco.
• Drinks and extra expenses.
• Travel insurance.

WHAT TO BRING:

• Lightweight long-sleeved clothing and long pants, sandals, towel, swimwear, personal medication, shampoo, and personal soap.
• Daypack and luggage backpack.
• Binoculars, cameras with zoom, flashlight or lamps, and rain jacket.
• Insect repellent with at least 10% DEET, sunglasses, sunscreen, and cap or hat.

DAY 13: SOUTH VALLEY - PUNO.

The journey starts very early at 7:00 a.m. to leave Cusco and begin a fantastic trip to Puno. Hotel night in Puno.

• Cusco (3400 m.a.s.l.) - Departure time: 7:30 a.m.
• Andahuaylillas (3122 m.a.s.l.) - Visit time: 8:30 a.m.
• Raqchi (3450 m.a.s.l.) - Visit time: 11:00 a.m.
• Sicuani (3552 m.a.s.l.) - Buffet lunch: Time: 12:10 p.m.
• Abra la Raya (4335 m.a.s.l.) - Visit time: 02:15 p.m.
• Pukara Museum (3900 m.a.s.l.) - Time: 03:30 p.m.
• Puno (3800 m.a.s.l.) - Arrival time: 05:00 p.m.

INCLUDES:

• Hotel night in Puno.
• Transfers and lunch.
• Entrance tickets.
• Professional guide. Bus ticket.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Other services not mentioned.

DAY 14: LAKE TITICACA FLOATING ISLANDS

We will pick you up from your hotel at 6:40 a.m. and transfer to the Lake Titicaca port. After a 30-minute journey, we will reach the beautiful floating islands of the Uros, unique in the world.

We will continue the journey to Taquile, arriving at 11:30 a.m. Then, a 40-minute walk from the port to the town will take place, visiting Taquile for a time of 2 hours. We will appreciate its landscape, the exhibition of craftsmanship, and above all, the experiences of the islanders, who maintain and preserve their ancestral customs.

Here we can have lunch. At 2:30 p.m., the return trip to Puno will begin, arriving at 5:30 p.m.

INCLUDES:

• Entrance to the Uros Islands.
• Round-trip speedboat ticket.
• Guided tour, Professional guide in English - Spanish.
• Lunch. Assistance prior to the tour.
• Hotel in Puno.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Hotel night in Puno.
• Meals.
• Other services not mentioned.

DAY 15: TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT.

We will pick you up from your hotel and transfer to Juliaca Airport in private service.

INCLUDES:

• Private transfer.
• FLIGHT JULIACA - LIMA.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Meals.
• Other services not mentioned.

IMPORTANT:

• TRAINS: Our service includes the EXPEDITION or VOYAGER Train and can be upgraded to VISTADOME Train category with an additional charge of 50 USD per person return only..
• We can also offer the VISTADOME OBSERVATORY Train, with an additional charge of 90 USD per person for a round trip.
• HOTELS: You can choose packages based on the type of Hotel, you can also opt for Hotels that are not listed in our offer, before confirming you must inform us of the hotel you prefer and we will add it to the package.
• PRIVATE: Consult with one of our advisors if you want any of the services in private.

To start your reservation process please send us the following information:

• Name and surname:
• Passport No.:
• Nationality:
• Date of birth:
• Sex:
• Phone:
• It is very important your information about your hotel in the city of Cusco, so we can pick you up there at the beginning of the tour..

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