Peruvian Highlights | Sample Itinerary

As the name of the tour, this program includes the principal highlights of Peru you must visit. A tour through the Ballestas Island, a nature and biodiversity destination and where you will appreciate ‘El Candelabro’ (The Candlestick), figure carved in a hill similar to the Nazca Lines. The enigmatic Nasca Lines, most varied types of figures, a bird, an enormous monkey, a spider and a large number of geometrical lines. Visit Arequipa, known as the White City because of their walls made of white volcanic rock called Sillar. This City is surrounded by some peaks but the most important is The Misti Volcano. The Colca Valley with beautiful landscapes is surrounded by terraces and snow-capped peaks also it has archaeological remains left by the Collagua, ancient inhabitants of the area.
Visit also the historic Inca and colonial city of Cuzco and archaeological sites in the surrounding countryside. The Sacred Valley of the Incas with it pleasant climate and fertile land where Incas took advantage of, Where took place every Sunday the Indian Market, which attracts traditionally dressed locals from miles around. Also Machu Picchu with a spectacular and awe-inspiring location, it is the most spectacular archaeological site in the continent. The highest navigable Lake in the world, with its important Islands. Uros, the floating islands made of Totora where several hundred people still live on the islands and eke out a living with fishing and tourism and Taquile where the main attraction is the beautiful landscape plenty of hills and archaeological ruins. Sillustani Necropolis, built by the Collas, used to bury important personalities. Finally visit of the Lima, the biggest city of Lima, plenty of history.

 

Ballestas Island, in contact with the wildlife
It is a real must to visit the Islas Ballestas. They are also known as the smaller version of the Galapagos Islands. With a speedboat you will visit the Islas Ballestas which are full of seabirds and other kinds of sea animals, for example the Humboldt-penguins, pelicans, cormorants in all kind of varieties, the sea lion and so on. Maybe you will get lucky and some dolphins will swim along to the Islas.
During the boat journey you can admire the famous three-pronged Candelabro. It is a giant figure of 150m high and 50m wide, which is etched into the coastal hills. No one really knows who made this figure and what the significant is of it, but theories abound. 

The enigmatic Nasca Lines
What is amazing is the gigantic scale of the figures: some animal designs measure 15 to 300 m. Some straight lines are almost 10 km long, while others only reach 4 m, strips and squares from 4 to 1,000 m2.
The extraordinary dimension and characteristics of these figures only visible from above, has given rise to magic and certainly extravagant currents of thought trying to elucidate their origins. One of the most popular and peculiar versions is that they are flown interpretations, such as the suggestion that the some 100 km distant Paracas candelabrum was a sign for extraterrestrials -obviously arriving in UFOs-, indicating them to slow down before landing safety on the Nazca plains. Another interpretation maintains that the lines were part of the cult rendered to water, considering the great importance it had among the Nazcas (Pre-Columbian Italian Research Centre). As it is known, the Nazcas had an extensive and ingenious system of irrigation channels based on underground filtrations still used today. María Reiche, a German mathematics professor, who came to Perú in the 40s, has devoted her life to the study of the Nazca lines, to which her name will be linked forever. "The Lady of Nazca", as she is called, has been recently honoured by the Peruvian Government. 

The Condor’s flight
The Colca Valley was already a very productive agricultural area before it was taken over by the Inca's. You can still see a lot of terraces that date from the Inca period and even some from the pre-Inca period. The inhabitants of the Colca Valley were farmers, but when the valley became a part of the route to the silver mines in the south of Peru, farmers were taken out of their houses and had to go and work in the mines. Later, when the railway led directly to Arequipa, their help was not necessary anymore.
In the valley you have the change to see the famous and with extinction threatened Condor. This enormous bird usually searches for its preys in the morning or late in the afternoon. In the valley they fly along on the currents of the warm air. The best spot to see them is at Cruz del Condor. This is a beautiful viewpoint where you can also see the Colca River flow on a depth of 1200 meters. 

The floating Island of Uros and Taquile
Uros floating islands on Lake Titicaca are named after the Indians that live on them. Another name for these islands is kotsuña, which means ´villages on the lake´. In total there are 40 islands, 12 of these are open to the public. Everything on the islands, including the island itself, is made from totora cane. Making an island from cane takes about 3 to 4 months, depending on the family and manpower. It is a bale of cane of a meter thick, which has to be filled up all the time, because the lowest layer will rot slowly. From the same cane they also make houses and boats. Making a boat takes about 3 weeks and lasts 6 to 12 months. The soft roots of the cane are also eaten by the inhabitants. Furthermore the people live from fishing and hunting birds.
Taquile Island, also called the Weavers Island, has a long history. It was once a colonial hacienda, but after Peru regained its independence it was used as a prison. Step by step the original inhabitants took back the land of their ancestors and make sure that the old traditions won't fall through. There are no roads, no cars and no bikes on the island
Taquile is completely dedicated to processing wool. In the streets you see a lot of men knitting, while women are weaving. The colours of the designs also give information on the person who's wearing it. Certain colours represent a marital or social status and some garments are only worn during festivities. 

Machu Picchu, the Lost Inca City
This spectacular archaeological site is discovered in 1911 by an American historian Hiram Bingham. The site was initially overgrown with thick vegetation, but nowadays you can see most of the stone buildings, which all have their own meaning. You can join a guided tour or walk around the site by yourself, or/ and make a magnificent hiking trip to for example the Intipunku. This is also known as the Sun Gate. Furthermore you can do a hiking to the mountain behind the ruins, Huayna Picchu. You can do different kind of hiking trip to Huayna Picchu, also translated as ¨young peak¨, with beautiful views and you can visit other ruins, such as the Temple of the Moon. Apart from that you can visit the Inca drawbridge, which is a nice and easy walk, where you can see clearly the vegetation of the high cloud forest and a different view of Machu Picchu. 

Includes:
1. All mentioned transfers
2. All hotels based on double room accommodation
3. Private car on Lima-Paracas-Ica-Nasca-Arequipa stretches
4. Paracas National reserve excursion in share service with transportation and English speaking guide.
5. Ballestas Island excursion in shared service with boat and English speaking guide.
6. City Tour in Ica in private service with transportation and English speaking guide.
7. City Tour Arequipa in private service with transportation and English speaking guide.
8. Colca 3d/2n excursion in private service with transportation and English speaking guide.
9. Uros and Taquile excursion in private service with boat and English speaking guide.
10. Tourist Bus Puno/Cuzco with lunch and visits on the route.
11. City Tour Cuzco in private service with transportation and English speaking guide.
12. Sacred Valley excursion in private service with transportation and English speaking guide.
13. Machu Picchu excursion in private service with train Cuzco–Aguas Calientes–Cuzco in backpacker class, bus up/down to ruins and English speaking guide.
14. City tour in Lima in private service with transportation and English speaking guide.

Does NOT include:

  1. Domestic flight Cuzco/Lima (Usd 120.00 pp). The flights price is subject to availability and tariff changes by airlines.
  2. Airport taxes domestic flights (aprox. Usd 6 pp per flight) and international flight departure from Lima (aprox Usd 30 pp)
  3. Overflight of the Nasca Lines (Usd 46 pp)
  4. Entrance fee for Paracas National Reserve (aprox Usd 6 pp)
  5. Entrance fee for City Tour in Arequipa (aprox. Usd 10 pp)
  6. Entrance fee for Colca Valley (aprox Usd 10 pp)
  7. Entrance fee for the City Tour and Sacred Valley in Cuzco (aprox. Usd 48 pp)
  8. Entrance fee for Machu Picchu excursion (aprox. Usd 45 pp)
  9. Entrance fee on the route Puno/Cuzco (aprox Usd 6 pp)
  10. Entrance fee for City Tour in Lima (aprox. Usd 6 pp)
  11. Optional excursions
  12. Tips
  13. Extras and items of a personal nature
Ballestas Island, in contact with the wildlife

The enigmatic Nasca Lines

The Condor’s flight

The floating Island of Uros and Taquile

Machu Picchu, the Lost Inca City
 

Duration:
18 days

Itinerary
 

1.Arrival to Lima, reception and transfer to your hotel
2.Departure by private car to Paracas. Start the Ballestas and Paracas Reserve excursions.Ica arrival
3.Private City tour of Ica
4.Morning departure by private car to Nasca. Arrival and rest of the day at leisure.
5.Morning at leissure. Afternoon departure by private car to Arequipa
6.In the morning visit of the City of Arequipa.
7.At proper time pick up from your hotel and departure to Colca Valley
8.Morning departure for visiting the Colca Canyon
9.Morning departure by private car to Puno. Arrival and accommodation in your hotel
10.Uros and Taquile excursion
11.Transfer to the bus station and departure to Cuzco. After 8 hours arrival and transfer to your hotel
12.Morning City Tour of Cuzco
13.Early in the morning departure for visiting the Sacred Valley. After the excursion return to Cuzco.
14.Full Day Tour of Machu Picchu ruins
15.Morning at leisure. In the afternoon return by train backpacker to Cuzco.
16.Day at leisure
17.In the morning transfer to the airport to take the flight to Lima.
18.At proper time transfer to the airport to take your international flight