Classic Peru 12 days 11 Nights / 12 Days

At the moment you arrive in Lima, a team member of Valencia travel will be waiting for you at the airport and take you, on private transport, to your hotel. Then you will have all day to relax and enjoy the beauty of Lima and its surroundings.

The first stop on our Lima city tour is Huaca Pucllana, a huge archaeological site in Miraflores, one of Lima’s most popular districts. Huaca Pucllana was an important ceremonial and administrative center of the Lima culture, which developed along this part of the Peruvian coast between 200 AD and 700 AD. This sacred place was built from seven staggered platforms surrounded by a plaza and large walls. It’s a very impressive site, and certainly not what you expect to find in lively Miraflores! After exploring Huaca Pucllana with your bilingual guide, we’ll drive to the historic center of Lima, all of which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. We’ll go to the beautiful Plaza de Armas (Lima’s main square) which is surrounded by impressive colonial and Republican-era buildings, many of which have ornate wooden balconies. Some of Peru’s most important buildings surround the square, including the Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima, Archbishop's Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace and the Palace of the Union. We’ll visit the Cathedral of Lima, which was completed in 1649. It’s a huge structure, with a large central nave and 14 side chapels. Inside, we’ll see the sculptures and paintings that decorate the interior. The cathedral is also home to the tomb of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Next we’ll walk one block to the Convent of Santo Domingo. Founded in the 1530s and completed in 1766, it is one of the most important religious buildings in Peru, and its large bell tower is a landmark in the historic center of Lima. As we walk around the interior of the convent, we’ll see the beautiful Sevillian azulejos (ceramic tiles) that decorate the walls, dating from 1604 and 1606. There is also a series of paintings that present passages of the life of Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican order, which date to around 1608. This is the last stop on our Lima city tour, but if you want to know more about this fascinating and historic city, you can join us on one of our Lima city tour extensions.

After Breakfast, a representative of Valencia Travel Cusco will pick you up from the hotel (time to be confirmed) and take you to the airport where you will take your flight to Arequipa. When you arrive at the Arequipa airport our team will be waiting there to warmly welcome you and to help you get settled in your hotel. At your hotel you will find complementary coca tea and muña tea freely available. These natural beverages will help your body to adjust to the high altitude of the White City.

Our Arequipa city tour will take you through the streets of the White City, passing cathedrals, churches, monasteries and more. Your guide will tell you all about life in Arequipa, from colonial times through to the present day. You’ll learn how the city has changed, and how the first Spanish colonists built upon an area once home to ancient peoples of the Peruvian Andes.

We will stop to admire some of the city’s most famous buildings, such as the Basílica Catedral de Arequipa. Located on the city’s elegant Plaza de Armas, this huge cathedral has been damaged by earthquakes on numerous occasions over the centuries, but each time it has been rebuilt, becoming ever more impressive.

After exploring the Plaza de Armas and surrounding streets, we’ll head to the famous viewpoint of Yanahuara. With its carved sillar stone arches, this beautiful viewpoint offers sublime views across Arequipa and beyond to the volcanic peaks of Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu. Yanahuara was built the 19th century and stands next to the pretty San Juan de Yanahuara, a Baroque church built in 1750. Engraved into the sillar stone of Yanahuara are the names of notable people who have lived in Arequipa during the last two hundred years.

After our tour of Arequipa, we will take you back to your hotel, secure in the knowledge that you now have a far greater appreciation for this beautiful colonial city.

Begins early in the morning as we leave the White City of Arequipa and set off along the route to the Colca Valley. It’s a beautiful drive, passing snow-capped volcanoes, rugged pampas, traditional terraced farms and picturesque villages where the old traditional ways of life are still very much alive.

We’ll make a few stops along the way, the first at the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, where we can watch innumerable guanacos, alpacas and vicuñas as they graze on the plains. The reserve, which covers almost 366, 936 hectares, was created to preserve the local flora and fauna and their natural environment, which was previously deteriorating at an alarming rate. The reserve also protects the local vicuña population through its repopulation program.

Apart from the vast herds of camelids, the reserve is also home to the southern viscacha (a large and loveable rodent), foxes, condors and Andean flamingos (also known as parihuanas). In total, 169 animal species have been identified in the reserve, including 23 mammals and 138 species of birds, such as blue billed ducks, eagles and kestrels. During their migration period, flamingos also arrive to spend time wading through Salinas Lake.

Leaving the reserve, we’ll drive around the edge of Chucura Volcano until we reach the Patapampa Andes viewpoint. We’ll now be at 4, 900 meters above sea level, and from here we can look out across the beautiful landscape to the peaks of snow-capped mountains and volcanoes in the Arequipa Region, including Hualca Calca, Sabancaya and Ampato.

Our next stop will be the town of Chivay, where one end of the Colca Valley begins. The traditional terrace systems found here, built by indigenous inhabitants of the area, are remarkable for their scale and precise construction. Chivay itself was founded by the Spanish, a fact reflected in its church and other colonial buildings. You can have a traditional lunch in the town (not included) before we check in to our hotel.

You’ll then have the afternoon to explore the town on your own, and, if you like, visit the hot springs at La Calera, about 3 km from Chivay. Colca Canyon and the Colca Valley are dotted with natural hot springs and thermal baths, thanks to the seismic activity in the region. La Calera has public thermal baths which are said to have healing properties, with temperatures around 38 C (98 F).

It’s another early start on Day 2, because there’s so much great stuff to see! First we’ll go to the lookout point known as Cruz del Cóndor (Cross of the Condor), near the small villages of Maca and Cabanaconde. Here, strong winds rise up from the canyon, providing a favorite spot for Andean condors. They soar on the thermals, often in pairs, normally in the early morning and late afternoon. There’s a good chance you’ll see these huge condors, with their three-meter wingspans, flying very close to the lookout point, providing a truly majestic sight. From the lookout point you’ll also have incredible views down into the depths of Colca Canyon.

We’ll then head back to Chivay, first stopping off at the traditional village of Pinchollo and the Antahuilque viewpoint. This viewpoint (or mirador, as they are known in Spanish) offers wonderful views of the 1, 500-year-old agricultural terraces that curve along the hillsides like an amphitheater. You can also spot some of the enchanting lagoons of the Colca Valley.

Next is the lookout point of Choquetico, where we can see two very interesting features. First are the hanging tombs, or tumbas colgantes, built by the Aymara-speaking Collaguas around 1200 AD. These funerary niches were cut into the cliffs of Cerro Cabanaconde and then sealed off with rock walls. In order to reach these otherwise inaccessible cliff faces, the builders likely worked their way down using ropes suspended from trees up above. The second interesting feature we can see here is the litomaqueta, a model of the canyon terraces carved into a rock.

Moving on, we’ll visit the small Andean village of Maca, which sits on the lower slopes of Sabancaya Volcano and Nevado Hualca Hualca. Then we’ll pay a visit to the village of Yanque, which is home to a pretty white church, a small archaeology museum and thermal baths down by the river. If you’re feeling adventurous, there are horse-riding facilities and mountain-bike rental available in Yanque. Once we get back to Chivay you’ll have time to unwind or continue exploring the town. Activities such as hiking, horse riding and biking can be arranged here; they are not included in our tour, but we’ll happily help you arrange them.

After an early breakfast at your hotel, a villager from nearby Coporaque will take you to his home for a day of cultural immersion, so you can get a feel for the traditional way of life in this part of Peru. Coporaque is a small village a short distance from Chivay, down an unpaved road. The village sits near the Colca River and is surrounded by a pretty of hills covered with agricultural terraces, some of which date back to the Incas. The green terraces are filled with crops and grazing cattle. The village has remained largely isolated from the modern world and most of the locals still dress in the traditional, colorful fashion of their ancestors. The village has only recently received electricity and proper piping to carry water down from the mountains above. Visiting Coporaque is a form of sustainable tourism with great benefits to the local community, and provides a fascinating insight for visiting tourists.

Once you arrive at the villager’s home you’ll sit with him as he lays out the plan for the morning – and then he’ll put you to work! But don’t worry, it will be interesting and fun, we promise! We can’t say precisely what the work will be, as it depends on the season and the day. But normal activities include working in the fields, herding animals, preparing the land for sowing or harvesting, all in the traditional Andean way. And, of course, it’s a great chance to interact with the locals. They won’t speak English, so be prepared to use some Spanish or communicate with gestures and smiles.

Around 13h00, you will start travelling in the direction of Puno, the Capital of Peruvian Folklore. Along the highway you will stop briefly at Patapampa (4900 m.a.s.l.) which is the highest point of all your journeys in Peru so far. From this mountain, nature will be spread out before you and the views of the volcanoes to the west, Sabancaya, Ampato, Misti, and Chachani, will be excellent. At the same time, you will also be able to appreciate the great pile of stones left here by travelers and pilgrims throughout the centuries. Usually, leaving a stone on the pile is the way of asking deities for a safe and pleasant trip.

Finally, you will arrive in Puno around 18h00. Our team will help you to get settled in your hotel where you can enjoy a well-deserved on Lake Titicaca’s shore.

Our full-day trip begins at around 07h00 when we pick you up from your hotel in Puno. We’ll then head down to the port and board our comfortable motor launch to ride out to the island of Taquile.

Taquile is one of the most beautiful islands in Peru, where the traditional way of life is still very much alive. We’ll meet some of the master weavers of this ancient Andean community, whose textiles are considered among the best in the country. According to legend, the Incas themselves learned how to weave from the artisans of this island. On Taquile, the men are the weavers, and the women spin the yarn.

After seeing the weavers and exploring the beautiful island, we’ll head down to the small port on Taquile at around midday and head by boat towards the Chucuito Peninsula. This is in the Aymara region of Lake Titicaca and it represents the communal identity of the Peruvian-Bolivian altiplano. We’ll visit the small and rarely visited rural community of Luquina, where we’ll enjoy a wonderful buffet lunch at the local fisherman’s house.

Later in the afternoon, as we begin heading back towards Puno, we’ll visit the amazing Floating Islands of the Uros people. When we arrive at the floating islands, you’ll probably be amazed by the scale of these floating reed constructions. The Uros originally built these islands for defensive reasons: if a threat appeared, they could move their island homes to a safer location. The islands are made from the totora reeds that grow around the lake, and each island is in a constant state of reconstruction, as old reeds are preplaced by new. Stepping onto the islands is quite an experience, as the springy reed floor feels strange beneath your feet. We’ll explore the main island, and see the houses, watchtowers and other structures, all built of reeds. One of the locals will then give a brief presentation about how the islands are made, and then you can meet one of the local families to see how they live.

After visiting the Uros islands, we’ll head back to Puno, where we’ll take you to your hotel.

We will pick you up at 07h00 and take you to the bus station to catch the bus to Cusco. The bus trip is more like a tour - it stops at four interesting sites along the way where you have guided tours:

•Pukara:This is the most important and oldest ceremonial center of the altiplano. There are interesting sculptures and tombs.

• La Raya:This is the halfway point between Cusco and Puno and the highest point (4335 meters above sea level). The landscapes here are stunning and it is common to see typical Andean animals like the llama, alpaca and vicuña. It is also the geographical border between the two cultures - Quechua and Aymara.

• Raqchi (Wiracocha God Temple):This was an Inca church of monumental dimensions; 100 meters long, 26 meters wide and 14 meters high. The temple is divided into two naves, and each nave has eleven giant columns – huge!

• Andahuaylillas:This is the Sistine chapel of South America: this church is one of the most beautiful examples of Andean popular religious art.

Arrival time to Cusco will be around 5pm.

Optional Service: Folklore Show and Dinner – Cost per person $ 27. Head to the Tunupa restaurant, located just the central Plaza de Armas of Cusco (3 minutes walking from Hotel), and get ready for a fabulous buffet dinner. There is a large selection of typical dishes, meat, fish, vegetables, and desserts they are amazing and delicious dishes. The night is more enjoyable when the traditional dance show begins and you can get involved with folk, traditional, classical music, and sweeten your ears with the Andean instruments: Quena, charango, flute, zampoña. If you wish, you can also share the dance floor with the dancers and get a great experience.

Our Cusco city tour begins in the morning, when we’ll first head to the wonderful Koricancha, next door to Santo Domingo Church. According to the chroniclers who wrote during the period directly after the Spanish Conquest, the Koricancha was the most sacred and most important temple in the Inca Empire. Its walls were covered with gold, and life-size statues of plants and animals – all made of pure gold and silver – decorated its rooms and hallways. Sadly, this wealth was stripped out by the Spanish conquistadors. It remains a magnificent temple, however, and your guide will take you around the Koricancha, showing you details that you almost certainly miss if you visited without a guide.

After visiting the Koricancha, we’ll head to Cusco Cathedral, located on the Plaza de Armas. Built between 1560 and 1654 on top of the foundations of an existing Inca temple, this spectacular cathedral houses many works of art by the Cusco School of painters, and its main altar and pulpit are covered in gold and silver relief work. Look carefully and you’ll also see elements of indigenous religious symbolism incorporated into the church by the native people who worked on its construction, such as the carved head of a jaguar on the doors.

Our next stop is the imposing Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, which sits on a hill above Cusco. Here you will see some of the finest examples of Inca stonework and construction, including massive rocks that were carefully cut and perfectly fitted together to form the walls. From here you’ll also have beautiful panoramic views of Cusco.

After exploring Sacsayhuaman we’ll head up the hill to the Tambomachay Archeological Complex. The exact purpose of this site is unknown, but it may have functioned, at least in part, as an Inca spa. Inca hydro-engineering is apparent here, with a series of aqueducts, canals and waterfalls running through the terraced rocks.

Tambomachay is the last attraction on our city tour, after which we’ll head back down into Cusco and drop you off at your hotel.

We’ll pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 07h30 and then set off towards the Sacred Valley. Leaving Cusco, we’ll pass by Saqsaywaman and head over the mountains before descending some 450 meters (1, 500 ft) to the valley floor. Here we’ll find ourselves beside the sacred Urubamba River and the pretty village of Pisac. In Pisac, we will visit the colorful traditional market, where you can browse the array of local artisan work and other souvenirs – which of course you can buy to take home with you. We’ll spend about 30 minutes here, and then head up to the ruins of Pisac which sit atop a hill at the entrance to the valley.

At the Pisac archaeological site, we’ll explore the extensive ruins and enjoy the beautiful views across the valley. You’ll be given a guided tour of the ruins, passing through various structures that once served as homes, storage rooms and temples, and you’ll see Inca altars, carvings, tunnels, caves and the famous Intihuatana, the “hitching post of the sun.” We’ll explore Pisac for about 90 minutes. Alternatively, if you’d like to spend more time in the market in Pisac instead of seeing the ruins, you can talk to your guide and arrange a time and a place to meet when the tour group returns through the market after the ruins.

We’ll now head on towards Urubamba, where we’ll stop for about 45 minutes for lunch (not included). After another 30-minute drive, we’ll reach the wonderful Inca town and archaeological site of Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region and built the town and a ceremonial center.

We’ll spend about an hour exploring these magnificent ruins, visiting the amazing Temple of the Sun and seeing massive blocks of rock that were perfectly carved and polished by master Inca stonemasons. Ollantaytambo is also a fine example of Inca agricultural construction and hydro-engineering, with a complex series of stone water fountains, channels and agricultural terraces, the latter organized by elevation to create different microclimates for crop experimentation.

We’ll see the extent of the water system when we return to the town, where fast-flowing water channels built by the Incas are still in use today. Walking to the town square, we’ll have great views of the ruins above us, as well as Inca granaries and storehouses built on the sides of the surrounding mountains. Here we can also watch the daily life of Ollantaytambo, where many of the locals still wear traditional dress.

After the visit to Ollantaytambo ruins head to the train station to board the train to Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo). The train leaves in the afternoon. The two-hour train journey is a memorable experience in itself, as we pass through river canyons and rolling hills.

Aguas Calientes is the gateway to Machu Picchu, sitting in a deep gorge at the foot of the mountain upon which Machu Picchu is located. It’s a pretty town that mixes traditional life with a huge tourism infrastructure, with plenty of markets, souvenir shops, hotels, and restaurants. It’s also largely pedestrianized, making it a fun place to explore on foot.

Aguas Calientes is surrounded by jungle-covered mountains and cliffs, and the Urubamba River flows right next to the town, sometimes roaring through the canyon. Aguas Calientes is also surrounded by thermal hot springs, and when we arrive you’ll have plenty of time to relax and enjoy a dip in one of the steaming natural springs. You’ll also have time to walk around the town, exploring the colorful markets and general buzz of this unique Peruvian settlement.

It’s an early start the next day, so we’ll make sure you’re settled in to your hotel and all set for the following day and your first glimpse of Machu Picchu.

To best appreciated Machu Picchu, we’ll wake up early in the morning so we can get to the citadel in good time. You’ll have time for breakfast first, and then your guide will pick you up from the hotel at around 05h40. We’ll then walk to the bus departure point for the short but zigzagging ascent up the road to Machu Picchu.

We’ll then pass through the gates into the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Here you’ll begin your guided walking tour with an experienced and highly knowledgeable guide. Our tour of Machu Picchu will last about two hours, and will take you to all the most famous and most spectacular parts of the extensive archaeological complex. These include the House of the Guardian, Intihuatana, Temple of the Sun, Sacred Plaza and other key locations. And as we walk around, we’ll have spectacular views across the agriculture terraces of Machu Picchu and across to the surrounding mountains and plunging gorges.

Once we’ve finished our tour of Machu Picchu, we’ll take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes where you can relax and have lunch (not included) before we board the train back to Poroy and Cusco. Upon arrival at the station, we’ll be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco, where you can think back to your incredible tour of one of the world’s most famous and most impressive attractions.

After breakfast enjoy your last day at leisure before transferring to the airport for your return flight home via Lima. Services Included: Transport: Hotel – Cusco Airport (20 minutes approx.). Meals: Breakfast