Lima
Day 1 Flight from U.S. – Arrival Lima
Day 2 Lima
Our roundtrip begins in the impressive capital of Peru, where you will have a day to explore the city. The old colonial part of Lima is especially interesting because of the many beautiful churches, plazas and buildings. Over the last few years no trouble was spared to restore the old city’s glorious past. On top of that Lima has a number of museums that are worth a visit, such as the “Museum de Oro”, where you can see an impressive weapon collection with suits of armors of the conquistadores and even the sword of Pizarro. It’s also fun to look around through Parque Kennedy in the Miraflores neighborhood, where the rich of Peru reside.
Pisco and Huacachina
Day 3 Lima – Pisco
Day 4 Pisco – Huacachina
From the capital we will leave for Pisco on the Pacific coast. This cozy small village is the point of departure for two optional excursions to the national park of Paracas and to the Ballestas Islands. In the national park you may see colonies of flamingoes and beautiful rock formations at the beach. During the excursion to the Ballestas Islands you will first sail by an enormous shape pictured in the sand known as the “Candelabra”. Nobody knows its origin and there are many speculations about its meaning. Many varieties of sea animals live near these islands: many kinds of birds, sea lions and even penguins. Ever since the time of the Incas the birds have made an important product: their droppings make an excellent kind of manure.
After this we will leave the coast and go inland to Huacachina. This is a beautiful oasis in a desert of sand dunes. Here you can rent sand boards, but in order to glide down the dunes you will have to climb up in the heat. They are made of a very primitive material, but it’s an unforgettable experience in this beautiful environment. Don’t forget that you are in the middle of the desert and to bring water and a hat! You may also visit Ica, which is nearby and has an interesting museum.
Nazca
Day 5 Huacachina – Nazca
Day 6 Nazca
We will visit one of the most mysterious places of Peru: the Nazca Lines. It has remained a mystery how the enormous drawings were ever pictured on the desert bottom. Nobody knows what the meaning is of these lines and who ever made them. The person who had the most influence in the research of the lines is the German Maria Reiche, a mathematician who studied the lines her whole life. She assumed that the lines formed an astronomical calendar for agricultural purposes. From the observation tower you may observe three of the lines. However, the best way to see the lines is from a small airplane on an optional excursion. From the sky you will get a good impression of the immensity of these lines. At first it takes some detective work to discover the figures! You will leave the plane with many questions and some will be a little nauseous due to all the shaking back and forth on the small plane in order to see all the lines. Just outside of Nazca we will visit another special place: The Chauchilla burial ground. There you will see mummies and all kinds of remains of the Nazca period, which have been very well preserved by the extreme aridity. Impressive, but also somewhat spooky at times! Be sure to bring a hat, sunscreen and water on this excursion, because you will be walking around in the middle of the desert!
Arequipa and the Colca Canyon
Day 7 Nazca – Arequipa
Day 8 Arequipa
Day 9 Arequipa – Colca Canyon
Day 10 Colca Canyon
A long trip through the desert, slowly taking us up in altitude, will bring us to Arequipa. In this city, 7,700 feet above sea level, you will have a day to look around and get adjusted to the altitude, for example at the pretty Plaza de Armas with the beautiful cathedral. Arequipa is also called “the white city” due to the white shade of the buildings that happen to be made of white volcanic rock. You can see “El Misti”, the impressive volcano, towering above the city from everywhere. When you are in Arequipa you should also visit the Santa Catalina monastery. This cloister is a town in itself with buildings in all kinds of colors, with narrow streets, squares and patios, where you may stroll around for hours.
The next day we will go to Colca Canyon, which is extremely high up in the Andes, because on the way we will go over a passage of a 15,750-feet high pass. On this day you should really take it easy in order to adjust to the high altitude! Hopefully you will also see the “vicuna” along the way, the more rare lama’s “little brother” that is smaller and slimmer. These animals give the best wool, which makes them very popular and has caused them to become an endangered species, but in the meantime luckily also a protected species. We will spend the night at the village of Chivay, which is situated at 12,140 feet. The next morning we will drive to the lookout “Cruz del Condor”, where you will be able to see the impressive condor fly. The Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world with staggering differences in altitude.
Puno and Lake Titicaca
Day 11 Colca Canyon – Puno
Day 12 Puno – Amantani
Day 13 Amantani – Puno
From Chivay we will take a long trip to Puno. We will spend the night in Puno on the bank of famous Lake Titicaca. Close to Puno are the floating reed islands that are still inhabited by about 300 Uros Indians. They offer all kinds of nice souvenirs and you may go on a tour on small hand-made reed boats. The islands themselves move a little bit when you walk on them and, if you stand still too long in one spot, water will slowly run over your shoes. After our visit to these islands, we will sail to the island of Amantani. On this island we will spend the night with a family at their home. You will have to communicate with your hands and feet, because the people on the island usually only speak the native language of “Quechua”. Your stay is primitive; your bed will consist of simple reed mats. You might want to bring along your own sheets; there are plenty of blankets. When you wake up in the morning and look out the window from the house at the blue lake or the deserted fields you will really find yourself in a very special world. The family will prepare a simple but often very filling meal for you in the small kitchen. The island is still very traditional. There are no cars and only recently electricity is available for a few hours per day. You make take a beautiful hike on the island to, for example, the ruins of the temple of Pachamama, Mother Earth. After our visit to this beautiful island we will sail back to Puno.
Cuzco and Machu Picchu
Day 14 Puno – Cuzco
Day 15 Cuzco
Day 16 Cuzco
Day 17 Train to Machu Picchu
Day 18 Machu Picchu – Cuzco
Day 19 Cuzco
Day 20 Cuzco – Lima - Depart
Day 21 Arrival U.S.A.
From Puno we will take the bus to Cuzco, a beautiful trip of about 6 hours through the Andes landscape. On the way we may stop in small villages and to take pictures of the nice scenery. Cuzco is one of the most beautiful cities of Latin America. It used to be the Inca capital and several remainders from the Inca period are still left to see. The central square is beautiful and there are nice bars everywhere and restaurants with balconies and a view of the square. In the center are beautiful colonial buildings and churches. The museums will teach you a lot about the history and the culture of the Incas. The holy valley of the Incas lies lower than Cuzco and often has a slightly better climate. During a daylong excursion you would usually visit the market and the ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Of course you may also choose to take a local bus and to walk through Pisac and the ruins above it on your own.
Naturally we will also visit the famous Inca city Machu Picchu. The city has been preserved very well due to the fact that the Spaniards never found it. Hiram Bingham did not discover the city until 1911. The ruins are situated in beautiful surroundings in between high mountaintops. To reach Machu Picchu we will take the train to the village of Aguas Calientes. We will spend the night there in order to be able to visit the ruins early in the morning. The real sports enthusiasts may choose to walk the famous Inca trail from Cuzco. This is a beautiful four-day camping tour that takes you over the old path of the Incas. This is a medium to medium-high difficulty tour. A cook and carriers for the heavy luggage such as tents and cooking gear will come along. It is amazing to see how fast these guys walk up the mountain, while you may have to rest after every step. For this trip you need to be in excellent shape, because it is a tough trip especially due to the high altitude. Specifically the second day is tough, when you go over the pass of Warmiwanusca, known as the “Dead Woman” in Quechua due to the shape of this mountain, at 13,773 feet above sea level. During the trip you will walk through the beautiful nature of the Andes and along the way you will pass several Inca ruins. If you rise really early you may be able to take the last morning to walk to the “gate of the sun” to see the sun rise. Then, after a trip of several days, you will be rewarded with a beautiful spectacle: Machu Picchu at your feet! You will have the rest of the day to hang around this deserted city or to go to Aguas Calientes for a nice meal. At the end of the afternoon you will get on the train to Cuzco.
You will have to sign up in advance for this tour over the old Inca Trail as it fills rapidly. The cost is in addition to the price of the trip. Included in the price are the meals during the hiking tour (three times breakfast, lunch and dinner), a guide, the carriers and the overnights in domed tents. The nights that you will not sleep in Cuzco are deducted. Also the entrance fee for the trail and for Machu Picchu is included in the price. Please, bring a warm sleeping bag to walk the Inca trail or you may rent one in Cuzco. The other camping gear is at the ready locally. You will receive a mattress pad at the start of the tour that you will have to carry yourself, as well as your own backpack with all your personal items. The staff member that prepares the meals will also set up your tent will carry the other camping gear. It will also be possible to pay a person to carry your bag with your sleeping bag and your mat for and additional fee. That way you only have to carry a small backpack with your camera and a bottle of water.
Other than that you need to bring sturdy shoes with good traction for the trail (sneakers are not acceptable for this climb), a rain jacket, a flashlight and a towel. Along the way there are enough small streams where you may fill your water bottle. In Cuzco you may buy water-purifying tablets, so you will have enough water to drink during the trip. Finally, there is one more day to look around in the fascinating town of Cuzco. The last day in Peru we will fly to Lima in the morning, We leave Lima that late that evening and arrive in the United States the following morning.
