A Month in Peru

Lima

You are met at Lima airport from your international flight and driven to your hotel in the city for 2 nights. Rest of the day free.

A day in Lima to explore this wonderful city. You are collected from your hotel for a morning tour with a guide. On towering cliff tops at Miraflores you visit the Parque del Amor, where mosaics decorated with romantic poetry look out over the Pacific. In the midst of the city itself you visit the site of Huaca Pucllana, a centre for the pre-Incan ‘Lima’ culture. At the Plaza de Armas, the heart of colonial Lima, you see the Government Palace and the City Hall, and step inside the Cathedral if it is open for visitors (the pre-Incan Huaca Huallamarca pyramid is the alternative). Finally you visit the impressive San Francisco Monastery, the height of Spanish baroque; its library and catacombs date from the earliest colonial times. You are returned to your hotel with the afternoon free to rest or explore Lima by yourself..

Larco Museum, then fly to Arequipa

This morning a private driver collects you from your hotel and takes you to the Larco Museum, a privately owned museum of pre-Hispanic art. You could take lunch al fresco on the pretty patio at the museum (which is not included) before being driven directly to the airport for a mid-afternoon flight to Arequipa, where you are met and taken to your hotel.

Arequipa

After a leisurely start, this morning you are taken to visit the Andean Sanctuaries Museum and ‘Juanita’ a 600 year old Incan ice mummy. After lunch you are given a tour of Arequipa, starting in the district of San Lazaro, then to Carmen Alto with its fine views across to the 3 majestic snow-capped volcanoes which stand over the city, and to the district of Yanahuara. You return to the colonial centre and visit the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral and the evocative Santa Catalina Monastery. You should also have time to stroll around the city by yourself. You might visit the bustling market or browse the city’s shops for llama, alpaca and vicuna woollens–some are of very highest quality. .

Colca Canyon

This morning you are picked up from your hotel for the journey by road across high Andes plains to the Colca Canyon. You pass through the foothills of Chachani Volcano through the private reserve of Pampa Canahuas, which protects wild vicunas. The road ascends to the Patapampa look-out point (4910m), and then down to Chivay (3600m), at the head of the Colca Canyon. Here you stop at a local restaurant for a simple lunch. You are dropped off at your hotel with the rest of the afternoon free to relax or explore. You are acclimatising, so you should take it easy. In the evening you could visit the thermal baths above Chivay, or perhaps do some star gazing–there is an astronomical observatory and small planetarium with nightly talks; low key but fun.

Very early this morning after breakfast you are picked up and driven along a road that follows the contours of the valley through traditional villages beside pre-Incan farming terraces above the river as it plunges into its deep canyon. Reaching the Condor Cross viewpoint high above the canyon a succession of condors rise from the canyon to wheel on morning thermals below and above you. You return via the colonial-era hamlets of Maca and Yanque and lunch in Chivay. After lunch you set off to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, by tourist bus. This is a journey of about 5 hours with several stops to stretch your legs and take photos on the vastness of the high altiplano. Arriving at Puno you are met and driven to your chosen hotel, with an evening free to explore the town.

Lake Titicaca

A day on Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake. Leaving Puno by boat, you visit the floating islands of the Uros community not far from the city. You walk, squidgily, on the spongy reeds and learn about their extraordinary way of life. Your boat navigates onwards for 1½hr to reach the rocky island of Taquile, home to a community of master textile makers. The women spin yarn and weave with backstrap looms to create intricately designed ‘chumpi’ belts, while the men fish, grow potatoes on their terraced plots, and do the knitting. It's a bit of a puff up a well-paved slope to the village at the top of the island where you are rewarded with a traditional lunch and a great panoramic view of Lake Titicaca. There are opportunities to hear about their traditions, and to buy their high quality handicrafts.

Across the Altiplano by train

A scenic journey by comfortable tourist bus across the altiplano from Puno to Cusco, with a lunch break and comfort stops at archaeological sites and places of cultural interest. At the Pucara Museum with its stone monoliths and ceramics you might buy a pair of little bulls, the ‘Toritos de Pucara’ that bless houses throughout the Andes from their rooftop perches (they stand on the roof of our meeting room in London too!). At Racchi, the temple of the Wiracocha god has an immense 20m high adobe wall that once supported the largest single roof in the Incan empire. There is also a stop at the beautiful chapel in Andahuaylillas. At the end of a journey of about 8 hours, sometimes longer in wet weather, you arrive at Cusco for 2 nights. We can arrange for you to fly to Cusco or travel by train if you prefer.

Cusco

This morning your local Cusco guide meets you at your hotel to visit Incan sites around the city. At the great fortress and sun temple of Saqsawaman you walk among massive Incan stone walls at the jaguar’s head of the Incan city, with wonderful views across Cusco and beyond. At the small site of Qenko you delve into Incan beliefs, entering passages carved into a sacred rock that lead to its revered divining stone. You visit Incan baths at Tambo Machay, where a mountain spring cascades from a rock channel at just the right height for a (rather short) Inca to enjoy. At nearby Puca-pucara you see a lovely example of a classic Inca post-house, or tambo, of the kind that marked each day’s journey on Incan roads throughout their empire. In the afternoon you tour the city itself. Stopping beside the church of San Cristobal there is a lovely panorama of Cusco on your way to bustling St Peters Market–its aisles stuffed with Andean produce. You next visit Qoricancha, the most important temple in Incan times, with walls once lined with gold. In the oldest, most atmospheric part of Cusco you visit the narrow street of Hatunrumiyoc flanked by the walls of the palace of Inca Roca (on which the Spanish built their Archbishop’s Palace–now the Museum of Art). A long sloping wall of magnificent Incan ‘pillow’ stonework of green diorite runs beside the alley; near the centre is a 12 sided stone intricately worked to fit each neighbour exactly. Hatunrumiyoc runs towards the Plaza de Armas, Cusco’s impressive main square, where you visit the Cathedral. Later you should have some free time left to explore this lovely city yourself and perhaps choose your restaurant for dinner.

Sacred Valley of the Incas

Today you enter the Sacred Valley. On the drive from Cusco you pause at Awancancha where you can get up as close as you might wish to llamas and alpacas, whose wool is shorn, dyed and woven on site by traditional methods. You continue to Pisac and visit the Incan hilltop fort guarding the valley. Terraces on the hillside below are still in use. Descending to the town you stop to visit the daily market. You visit the Inkariy Museum, which focuses on Peru’s ancient civilisations, before arriving at your hotel in the Sacred Valley for 2 nights.

This morning you are driven on country roads to visit the dramatic Incan site at Moray, where deep depressions cut into the land were terraced to create what is thought to have been a centre for Incan agricultural experiments. You continue to the salt pans above Maras. Here complex channels divert the stream from a naturally salty spring into several hundred shallow, terraced ponds tiered into a narrow hillside–an array of white arcs glistening against the greens of the Sacred Valley below. In the afternoon you visit the very important Incan ceremonial site dramatically set above the town of Ollantaytambo, with temples, observatories, grain stores and stone-walled terraces.

A morning free to relax and soak up the special ambience of the Sacred Valley. In the afternoon you board the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo–a 1½ hour ride into the secret mountains of the Vilcabamba. On arrival you are escorted to your hotel in the village for the night.

Machu Picchu

First thing this morning you head up with your guide by bus to the ruins of Machu Picchu itself. At the 'Lost City of the Incas' you have a guided tour of the principal parts of the citadel. Afterwards you have free time to explore, hike to the Inca bridge or the Watchman's hut, or just relax in this special place. (Permits obtained in advance are needed to hike up Huaya Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain.) You descend in the late afternoon for the train back to Cusco, where a vehicle is waiting to transfer you to your hotel for 3 nights.

Cusco

Two free days to enjoy the amazing city of Cusco.

Free in Cusco.

Southern Amazon

Morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado in the southern Amazon. You are met on arrival by a representative from your jungle lodge and transported by river to the lodge, usually with other guests arriving that day.

Exploring the life of the rainforest from your jungle lodge.

Exploring the life of the rainforest from your jungle lodge.

Lima

Back to Puerto Maldonado this morning for your flights via Cusco to Lima, where you are met and driven to your hotel.

Paracas

You are collected from your hotel in Lima in the morning for the journey by shared minibus to your hotel in Paracas for a 3 night stay, with the afternoon to relax by the pool or walk on the shore. Paracas seafood is fabulous.

Ballestas Islands and the Nazca Lines

After an early breakfast take a 2hr shared boat trip to see the Ballestas Islands, Peru’s ‘Little Galapagos’, an important marine sanctuary and seabird colony. Your open boat takes you among the islands, but not ashore. Return mid-morning, in time to get ready for your flight over the Nazca Lines At the time of writing, flights over the Nazca Lines are operated with Cessna Grand Caravans with 12 passenger seats, each a window seat, but plane types vary. The whole flight lasts 70min from Ica. You do not land at the lines. The pilot and co-pilot fly over twelve of the Nazca figures so that passengers on both sides of the plane can enjoy them. They identify them as they appear. On your way to Nazca look out for the natural oasis at Huacachina. When the flight returns to Ica you will met and transferred back to your hotel in Paracas. The rest of your afternoon is free.

A morning relaxing by the coast before you cruise by express bus back to Lima (you are driven to the bus station and helped aboard). You are met on arrival and driven to the airport for your flight to Chiclayo where you are met and driven to your hotel.

The Moche

A day to discover the remarkable Moche civilisation. First you visit the desert site of the Huaca Ventarron temple pyramid. A section of mural has been dated to 2000BC making this the oldest surviving adobe pyramid in the Americas. You visit the nearby Huaca Rajada pyramid where the stunning artefacts of the Lord of Sipan were found. Its treasures are on show at your next stop–the Royal Tombs Museum at Lambayeque, a building designed to reflect the pyramid's multi-levelled, dark interior. The dazzling splendour of its collection will amaze you–and make you wonder why Sipan and the Moche are not much more widely recognised.

Sican Treasures

This morning you explore the Pomac Forest and the Batan Grande pyramids of the Sican culture, then visit the Sican Museum. You are later driven to the delightful Chaparri Lodge, your base for 2 nights. Somewhat isolated, with little English spoken (so not for everyone), this lodge is one of our absolute favourites in Peru.

Chaparri Reserve

A free day today to explore the Chaparri Reserve, which protects a dry forest habitat that is home to a range of endemic and threatened species, most notably the Spectacled Bear (of Paddington Bear fame) and the endangered White-winged Guan. You may like to rise at dawn, grab a coffee and sit quietly by a small pool to watch the hummingbirds drink and bathe.

Trujillo and the Lady of Cao

A leisurely start before the journey south to Trujillo on the Pan-American Highway. You pass through lush valleys that recalling the ancient civilisations whose irrigation systems brought life to this desert. You visit the El Brujo archaeological complex with its Moche polychrome reliefs and the Museum of the Lady of Cao, arriving in Trujillo in the afternoon with the evening to explore the city’s atmospheric colonial centre.

Pyramids and cities

This morning you visit the Moche pyramids of the Sun and the Moon where wall after adobe wall of vivid friezes were hidden for over 1500 years, then on to Chan Chan, the largest adobe city ever built, the imperial capital of Chimu civilisation whose empire stretched 600 miles from Guayaquil in Ecuador to the Carabayllo Valley north of Lima. Lunch at the fishing village of Huanchaco famous for its reed boats: a farewell to this amazing region, returning to overnight in Trujillo.

Departure return to Lima for eve flights home

A morning free in Trujillo. You may like to visit the quirky toy museum, or the elegant mansion that was home to Simon Bolivar. There’s also the Casa de la Emancipacion where independence from Spain was declared. In the afternoon you are driven to Trujillo airport for a flight to Lima in time for onwards international connections in the late evening.