PAT 1445 - PERUVIAN MAGIC II

Upon arrival, our staff will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you to the selected hotel. Remainder of the day off to rest or take an excursion (on request) if time allows. Overnight in Lima.

Breakfast at the hotel. Between 08:45 and 09:15, depending on your choice, we will pick you up from your hotel to start the panoramic city tour where we will visit the Colonial Center, the Plaza Mayor, the Palace of Government, the Cathedral Basilica, the Archbishop’s Palace, and the Municipality of Lima. Also, we will be visiting San Francisco, a convent with cloisters and catacombs of the Colonial period.

The tour starts with a panoramic view of the Huaca Pucllana and the traditional, residential, and commercial areas of Lima to continue with the historic center of Lima and end with a spectacular panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and the beaches of the Miraflores district.

At 14:0 p.m. approx.  we will transfer you to the station to board the bus to the city of Paracas (Approximate duration of the trip: 3.30 hours approx.). Upon arrival our staff will be waiting for you to transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Paracas.     (B.)

Breakfast at the hotel. At 07:45 hrs., we will transfer to the Paracas pier to board the boat in which we will start the excursion out to sea towards the Ballestas Islands. During the ride we will be able to appreciate the gigantic Candelabra outlined on the side of a hill facing the sea, and our local guide will tell you the various theories that have been woven around this enigmatic design. When you arrive at the Ballestas Islands, you will be able to observe different species that make up part of the local marine fauna, including Humboldt penguins, sea lions, seagulls, boobies, Zarcilillos, pelicans, etc. (some of them are almost extinct).

NOTE: (The exact time of departure to the Ballestas Islands is subject to the weather, and it is necessary for the port captaincy to give the go-ahead for navigation).

After the tour of the islands, we will return to the mainland and transfer you to the Pisco or Ica aerodrome depending on availability. Upon arrival, you will enter an overflight orientation room where you will be able to appreciate audiovisual material referring to the Nasca Lines. During this flight, we will be able to appreciate the gigantic zoomorphic and geometric figures, traced in low relief on the sands of the Nasca desert.

The Nasca Lines are located in the southern part of Peru, mainly on a desert plateau between the Ingenio and Nasca valleys. On this dark plain of more than 500 square kilometers, the ancient men of the Nasca culture drew enormous designs, representing geometric figures, animals, birds, plants and straight lines that run through the desert for several kilometers in all directions. These images on the surface of the desert are so gigantic that the only way to appreciate them in their full dimension is to do so from the sky. The true origin of these lines and figures is unknown, no one knows for sure who built them, or why. For some, these lines represented a gigantic astronomical calendar related to agriculture, for others it is a navigation plane and extraterrestrial airport.   At the end of the flyby, you will be able to draw your own conclusions. Transfer to your hotel in Paracas.     (B.)

Breakfast at the hotel.  Morning off.

At 1:30 p.m. we will transfer you to the station to board the bus back to the city of Lima. Upon arrival, our staff will be waiting for you to transfer you to your hotel.    (B.)

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport to board the flight to the city of Cusco. Arrival, reception, and transfer to the hotel. Free time to rest.

Between 12:30 and 13:15 hours, our staff will pick you up from the hotel to start the tour of the colonial city, built on the bases of Inca palaces. In the tour we will visit the Plaza de Armas, the Temple of the Sun, also known as Qoricancha, and the Cathedral of Cusco, where we can see beautiful paintings and sculptures. Then we will continue to the archaeological center of Sacsayhuaman, a multipurpose place where the Sun, the Moon and the Earth were worshiped, and which was also used as a military fortress and an astrological center. Later, we will arrive at Q’enco, a cult center related to the fire element. Finally, we have Puca Pucara, a place used as a supply center and Inca checkpoint, where wind ceremonies were also held. At the end of the tour we will arrive at Tambomachay, center of cult to water and fertility. Return to the hotel.   (B.)

Breakfast at the hotel. Between 07:20 and 07:40 hrs., we will start our tour visiting the beautiful town of Pisac, its handicraft market and its narrow streets. Continuing the tour through the Sacred Valley of Urubamba, where you can enjoy a nice lunch.

Next, we will visit Ollantaytambo, an Inca city still inhabited that conserves a complex system of irrigation canals and foundations of that time, on which a large part of the town was built. The archaeological center of Ollantaytambo has large groups of platforms, forts, plazas, canals and the Real Casa del Sol, a megalithic temple of great mystical value. Overnight in the Sacred Valley.     (B. L.)

Breakfast at the hotel.  At the agreed time transfer to the train station to begin the excursion to the Sacred Citadel of Machu Picchu, recognized as one of the wonders of the world and declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The train takes us to the town of Aguas Calientes and then upon arrival we will take the bus to go up to the Archaeological Center and then begin the guided tour that lasts approximately 2 hours. During the visit you can appreciate temples, squares, terraces, houses, barns, as well as the great biodiversity that exists in the surroundings. It is worth mentioning that because of where Machu Pichu is located its beauty is exalted. A National Reserve has been formed around the citadel that has an area of 32,500 hectares, and which includes a constellation of archaeological monuments, which, in our opinion, were built as part of the Machu Picchu complex and not in isolation. After our visit in the Archaeological Center, we will take the bus to go down and back to the town where you will enjoy a delicious meal. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.     (B. L.)

Breakfast at the hotel. Day off to stroll around this small village on your own, or if you prefer, you can make a second visit to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu and visit the Inti Punku, also known as the Sun Gate (Entrance Gate to the citadel from the Inca Trail), Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu (Subject to availability of spaces – 400 spaces per day).  Both Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu tickets are limited, so we recommend when booking the program request these tickets as well to avoid congestion or unavailability if you wish to visit these tourist attractions.

Aguas Calientes works as a foundation for Machu Picchu, with the main attraction being its beautiful natural scenery. The itinerary you choose for this day is not included and is at your own risk. At the appointed time you will board the train back to the city of Cusco. Upon arrival, our staff will be waiting for you to transfer you to your hotel.   (B).

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the bus terminal to board the tourist bus to the city of Puno. On the way we will visit the church of Andahuaylillas, also known as the Sistine Chapel of South America, the archaeological center of Raqchi (one of the main temples to the god Wiracocha), the “La Raya” pass, which is the highest point of the route (4335 meters above sea level) and the Pucará site museum. Arriving in the city of Puno, our staff will be waiting to transfer you to the selected hotel. Overnight in Puno.    (B. L.)

Breakfast at the hotel. At the agreed time we will transfer you to the Titicaca Lake pier to begin our excursion to Taquile Island, a place of spectacular beauty where its inhabitants maintain ancestral customs with whom we can share some of their experiences. Continuing with the trip, we will visit the floating islands of the Uros; artificial islands, handcrafted by its inhabitants based on Totora, a plant that grows in the same lake. The Uros lives basically from fishing, hunting and gathering, as well as from the sale of handicrafts and multicolored knitted products. During the tour, we will be able to see and hear the legends of the Uros, their customs and folklore. It should be noted that the entire route of this day is done sailing on Titicaca Lake, the highest navigable lake in the world.   (B. L.)

Breakfast at the hotel. At the indicated time, transfer to the Juliaca airport to continue with your itinerary. On the way we will make a quick stop to visit to the Pre-Inca Archaeological Center of Sillustani, located 16 km from the city of Puno, on a small peninsular plateau, where the best funerary towers of the highlands called Chullpas, dating from 600 to 800 years A.D. are located. The environment of Sillustani is simply spectacular because it is surrounded by the Umayo lagoon.    (B.)

Meals included in the program:     B. = BREAKFAST     A. = LUNCH        C. = DINNER