Between the Coast & the Andes (14D-13N)

At around 2 p.m., we will begin our guided tour of Lima. You will enjoy Lima in its three historical periods: pre-Hispanic, colonial, and modern. Panoramic view of “Huaca Pucllana,” a magnificent ceremonial and archaeological center built in the 4th century AD and considered a “sacred place” by the Incas. Visit to the Historic Center of Lima, where you can enjoy more than fifty monuments and colonial buildings, including the Paseo de la República, Plaza San Martín, Plaza Mayor, Government Palace, Archbishop’s Palace, Cathedral Basilica, Municipal Palace, and others.
Entrance to the MONUMENTAL COMPLEX OF SAN FRANCISCO, which is the largest exhibition of colonial religious art in America. A highlight is the visit to its underground crypts known as the “Catacombs.”
In contemporary Lima, you will visit the most traditional residential areas, El Olivar de San Isidro, Miraflores, and Larcomar.

• Night in Lima

3:45 a.m. Departure by bus to Paracas. Arrival at the bus station and transfer to the hotel by our representatives.
8:00 a.m. Start of the excursion to the Ballestas Islands, from the private pier, boarding the boat for the tour to the Ballestas Islands (2 hours).
During the tour, you can enjoy the panoramic view of Paracas Bay and the enigmatic figure “EL CANDELABRO”.
Continuing the tour, we will head to the Ballestas Islands, which are 3 groups of rock formations, the natural habitat of a wide variety of resident and migratory birds, as well as sea lions.
Transfer to Ica for lunch and then to the starting point of the tubing adventure. We will begin the tour through the beautiful dunes of Ica, going up and down them until we reach a high point, where we will have an impressive panoramic view of the Huacachina oasis.
There, we can walk on the sand, play, take photos, and record videos. After a few minutes, we will continue the tour through the 80-, 90-, and 150-meter dunes to practice sandboarding. We will provide the equipment and instructions for safe practice.

• Night in Lima

Transfer to the airport to board the flight to Cusco, arrival in the city of Cusco. Reception at the airport and transfer to the hotel.

• Night in Cusco

In the afternoon, we will begin the city tour, which includes a visit to the Cathedral, Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), now the Convent of Santo Domingo. Then, we will go to the outskirts of the city to visit the sumptuous Sacsayhuaman (puma head), Q’enqo (labyrinth), a religious center dedicated to the worship of the Earth. Puka Pukara (red place), which was used as a military and control center. Our last destination will be Tambomachay (Temple of Water), which was used as a center for worship and adoration of water.

• Night in Cusco

Breakfast and departure to the beautiful Sacred Valley. Brief visit to the local market and continuation to the ruins of Pisac, where we will see the Intihuatana or sundial.
After lunch, we will visit the imposing fortress of Ollantaytambo. After visiting Ollantaytambo, we will take our train to the town of Aguas Calientes, where we will be met and taken to our chosen hotel.

• Night in Águas Calientes

Very early in the morning, you will be met by your local guide at your hotel and walk to the station to catch the bus that will take us to the citadel of Machu Picchu, where we will arrive after 30 minutes. We will take our guided tour at around 2:30 p.m., where we will be able to see the agricultural zone, the sacred square, the main temple, the temple of the three windows, and all the magnificence of this enigmatic city.
Bus to Aguas Calientes. Buffet lunch at a local restaurant.
On the return trip, please arrive at the train station 30 minutes before the train’s departure. Return to Cusco. Arrival, reception, and transfer to your hotel.

• Night in Cusco

Free day to rest or do extra activities.

• Night in Cusco

Early in the morning (4 a.m.), we will pick you up at your hotel in the city of Cusco to begin the excursion to the southeast of Cusco, passing through Cusipata (3,339 m. above sea level) until we reach the village of Llactoc, where we will see herds of alpacas and llamas, as well as the typical flora of the region. Here we will begin our hike of approximately 2.5 hours, continuing on to enjoy snowy and wonderful landscapes in the distance, finally arriving at the colorful mountain (Vinicunca). After hiking and taking photos at the top, we will begin the 1.5-hour descent to Llactoc, where we will board our transport and return to Cusipata for lunch (included). We will then board our transport and return to Cusco, arriving in the city around 5:00 p.m. Transfer to the hotel.

• Night in Cusco

We will meet at the appointed time at our meeting point, and then take the vehicle that will take us, passing through an artisan community in Chinchero, where we will see how llama wool is processed, to our first destination: the Maras mines (entrance not included). The guide will explain the salt extraction process and we will have time to take photos. Next, we will continue on to Moray, an agricultural laboratory that the Quechua people used to experiment with crops from the different regions where they lived. We will be able to walk along the trails to take photos and feel the variation in climate according to the depth of the terraces, which have a difference of up to 150 m between the lowest and highest points.

• Night in Cusco

Transfer to the airport to board the flight to Arequipa, arrival in the city of Arequipa. Reception at the airport and transfer to the hotel.

• Night in Arequipa

8:30 a.m. Pick up at the hotel, we will start the route leaving the city towards the Añashuayco quarry. On the way, we will learn details about the buildings made of volcanic rock (Sillar), stopping at the Zamacola viewpoint, where we will be able to appreciate the three volcanoes that surround the city, Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu, from another angle.
Upon arriving at the quarries, we will observe the immense cliffs worked by human hands using an ancestral technique for extracting sillar, which has been preserved from colonial times to the present day. We will see the sculpture of the Church of the Society of Jesus, made by the masons themselves. Then we will continue to the Quebrada de Culebrillas, where we will take a 20-minute walk inside the small canyon formed by the passage of water, which has walls 15 to 20 meters high.
At the end of the walk, we will be able to observe petroglyphs made by the Wari culture more than a thousand years ago. We will also see the Apachetas, which are formations of stones placed on top of each other, symbolizing gratitude to nature and attracting good luck, creating a mystical feeling.

• Night in Arequipa

3:00 a.m. Departure from the hotel and departure for Colca. We travel for 3.5 hours
until we reach the traditional village of Chivay.
Local breakfast in the village of Chivay. We continue our journey towards Cruz del Cóndor, enjoying the landscape
of the Colca Valley, until we reach the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint. From this point, it is possible to observe the beauty of the Colca Canyon and the enigmatic flight of the condors.
On the way back to the village of Chivay, we will make stops to visit the village of Pinchollo, where the Mirador de Wayrapunko is located, which has a magnificent panoramic view of the Colca Valley. We will visit the Antahuilque viewpoint, where you can see the pre-Inca terraces in the shape of an amphitheater and the mysterious lagoons of the Colca Valley. Next, we will visit the village of Maca and see its colonial church, with the option of tasting local drinks such as Colca Sour. We continue to the village of Yanque, where we visit its church, which is the most beautiful in the Colca Valley. Visit to the hot springs (optional entrance) for a relaxing bath at a temperature of 35°C to 38°C.
On the way back, we will stop at the highest point, the Mirador de los Volcanes, at 4,910 m above sea level, from where you can see much of the western mountain range. We will continue to the Bofedales de Toccra, where we will see a wide variety of migratory birds, such as flamingos.
We will skirt around the snow-capped Chachani mountain to Pampa Cañahuas, passing through the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve, which is the habitat of the beautiful South American camelids and vicuñas. Return to Arequipa.

• Night in Arequipa

Transfer to the airport to board the flight to Lima and catch our connecting flight back home.