Lima, Cusco, Puno, Arequipa Peru Itinerary

After you arrive to Lima, pass through immigrations, retrieve your luggage and clear customs, exit the terminal where your driver will be waiting with our Blue & Gold ILE Tours sign. Take your time to find him, he will be there amongst many drivers. Private transfer to Miraflores hotel (1 hr) for hotel check in. Miraflores is an upscale area right on the Pacific Ocean. Your hotel is on Av Larco in the heart of Miraflores. Safe area to walk south to Larcomar Mall overlooking the Pacific Ocean and north to Kennedy Park.

At 10AM you will be met in your hotel lobby and taken on a GROUP city tour of Lima. Visit Main Square and San Francisco Convent & catacombs which is a sprawling monastery complex containing cloisters, convent, temple, 2 churches, library, tomb of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and catacombs. Completed in 1674. This is a meandering, thoughtful tour to enjoy frescoes on hallway walls, sculptures and history. LOW CEILINGS IN DARK CATACOMBS! WALK SLOWLY, DON'T BANG YOUR HEAD IN LOW DOORWAYS, ARCHWAYS and LOW CEILINGS. Return to your hotel after your tour. Overnight Lima. (B)

After breakfast and check-out please be sure to leave nothing behind in your Lima hotel. Private transfer from your Lima Hotel to LIM airport (1 hr) for your short flight east over the Andes to historic Cusco, Peru. In Cusco your driver will be waiting with our blue & gold ILE Tours sign to take you by private car to your downtown hotel (20 min). Please rest, eat lightly, breathe, drink the complimentary coca tea provided by your hotel and most importantly do not exert yourself this day. Overnight Cusco. (B)

At 9AM, after breakfast you will be greeted in your Cusco hotel and driven NE out of Cusco to Pisaq. Stop periodically at scenic overlooks for pictures of the dramatic landscape before continuing on to Pisaq. Known for its indigenous craft market, Pisaq was also the easternmost fortress of the Sacred Valley. You can see Pisaq from the winding road that approaches the market town and the ruins high above the town square.

Next continue west through the picturesque Sacred Valley to enjoy an excellent Andean buffet lunch in one of the best restaurants. You will next visit the archaeological city of Ollantaytambo, the Inca’s northern fortress walled city where they guarded the Sacred Valley to the north. Here you can appreciate the complexity of this magnificent Inca construction built in accordance with the landscape. Spectacular views of the Sacred Valley from atop the wall where there are more magnificent cut stones. Your hotel will meet you in the Aguas Calientes train station and escort you to your hotel. Just in case, you hotel voucher has a map to the hotel so you can simply walk there to check in. At 7PM your guide will meet you in your hotel lobby to discuss tomorrow's plan to visit Machu Picchu at 7AM. Overnight Aguas Calientes. (B, L)

Bring passports & tickets for train boarding, hotel check in and to enter Machu Picchu
You cannot bring large luggage on the train this afternoon
After breakfast & check out, store your large luggage pieces with the front desk of your Cusco hotel.
Bring a small backpack for your overnight to Machu Picchu
Backpacks are easier to take on the train and navigate the streets of Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes
Be at the Ollantaytambo train station 30 min before your train departs
Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes train (90 min)

After breakfast check out and store your back packs with your Aguas Calientes hotel. Your guide will meet you to take one of the continuously running buses up 20 min to Machu Picchu's entrance. Buses run continuously and only stop at the top and bottom. Machu Picchu was probably an estate of the Inca Pachacutec, who also designed Cusco. It was a town with individual homes for nobility made in the classical Inca style with polished dry-stone walls. When finished take one of the continuous running buses 20 min back down to Aguas Calientes, retrieve your overnight or carry on bags from the hotel and be at the Aguas Calientes train station at least 30 minutes before your departing train/vans to Cusco. Overnight Cusco. (B)

Remember once you enter Machu Picchu Park you CANNOT exit and re-enter!
Restrooms are outside the park so plan accordingly.
Aguas Calientes - Cusco train/van (4 hrs)

At 10:00AM you will be met in your hotel by your and taken to enjoy a 3-4 hr tour of Cusco and surrounding important sites. Visit Koricancha, The Temple of the Sun near the center of Cusco. Koricancha is an architectural marvel since it was built with ashlar masonry, which is composed of similarly sized cuboid stones. Now Koricancha is the foundation of the Santa Domingo Church. Next drive north of Cusco for 15 minutes to the magnificent site of Sacsayhuaman. Its huge monolithic stones were perfectly cut and fit together without the use of mortar. Next drive to nearby Q’enqo – a small cave like structure used in Inca ceremonies. 10 minutes further north stop at Pucapucara, a small fortress and resting place. Finally, visit the fountains and canals at Tambomachay. All of these sites are near each other. After completion of the tour you will be returned to your hotel before sundown. Overnight Cusco. (B)

Bring jacket & brimmed hat since it gets cold at 6PM year round when the sun goes down.

After breakfast and check-out be sure to leave nothing behind in your Cusco hotel. Prompt 06:30 hotel greeting and transfer to your tourist bus for a 07:00 sharp departure to Puno (10 hrs). Andean buffet lunch is included today on the road.

The first-class Tourist Bus from Cusco - Puno is one of the most comfortable and safest bus rides in Peru and stops at various points of geographical and cultural interest along the way, such as:

Raqchi: (or the temple of the God Wiracocha) 121 kilometers from Cusco, this Inca temple is monumental: 100 meters in length, 26 meters in width and 14 meters in height. Divided in two naves, each of these still retains the base of eleven giant columns.

Andahuaylillas: Referred to as the Andean Sistine Chapel because of its magnificent frescoes, the church is but one example of the mestizo baroque architecture typical of the Cusco School, which was prominent in the 17th century. You will marvel at the ceiling of carved panels covered with gold leaf.

La Raya: The highest pass on the route between Cusco and Puno, La Raya is 4335 meters above sea level. Beautiful landscapes await you, as well as the animals that are symbolic of the Andes: llamas, alpacas and vicunas. This is a region situated between two cultures, Quechua and Aymara, as well as a composite of two terrains: dry and arid altiplano and the more verdant Quechua valleys and rivers.

Pukara: This is the most important and oldest ceremonial site this side of Tiahuanaco. Characterized by a series of staired platforms, the ruins also reveal some litosculptures and tombstones, all witnesses of a pre-Inca civilization, possibly one at the origin of the Andean culture of the Altiplano. Upon arrival to Puno you will be met and taken by van car to your hotel to check-in. Overnight Puno. (B,L)

Tour Bus Puno-Cusco 07:00-17:00
OPTIONAL: Luxury Perurail Titicaca Train. non-stop, no tours ( does not run daily )

After breakfast you will be taken to Titicaca lake for a visit to the floating man-made Islands of Uros on a group motor yacht tour. Here you will meet, up-close the citizens who have preserved their old traditions and still live on the water. “The Aquatic Tribe” will show you how they have kept their customs, make their islands and display their crafts made of reeds. For an additional very small tip (5 soles per person) they will take you for a short optional ride on one of their reed boats if you wish. The motor yacht tour then continues to the Greece-like steep island of Taquile, inhabited by native Quechuas. On Uros and Taquille you can appreciate and purchase some of the finest handmade crafts and basket weavings in Perú to support the very friendly and welcoming island people. Typical lunch on Taquile Island. The motor yachts have bus style seating and you can climb to the cabin roof to get fresh air and great photos. Be sure to bring brimmed hats and jackets as it will be sunny, windy and colder in the afternoons. Overnight Puno. (B,L)

07:00 Boat tour of Lake Titicaca. Lunch included on Taquile Island

As the sun peeks over the horizon, you're greeted at your hotel and transferred to your bus to embark on a journey to Chivay, nestled in the heart of the Colca Canyon.

The bus winds through endless highland plains, carpeted in a sea of ichu, a type of straw that thrives at high altitudes. Gradually, you ascend, crossing the occidental Andes, until you reach Lagunillas Lagoon. Here, you can observe rare Andean birds, including the giant Andean coot and the Andean goose.

Continuing on, you arrive at Pampa Cañahuas, where you have the chance to spot the beautiful vicuña, a relative of the camel. With its soft, golden fleece, the vicuña is one of the most iconic creatures of the Andes.

Finally, you arrive in Chivay, a charming village perched on the edge of the Colca Canyon. After checking into your hotel, you can relax and enjoy the stunning scenery, or head out to explore the town's narrow streets and colorful markets. Overnight Chivay. (B)

After a hearty breakfast, your guide will pick you up for an early morning excursion to Mirador Cruz del Cóndor, one of the most breathtaking viewpoints in the Colca Canyon. As the sun rises over the rugged peaks, you'll marvel at the canyon's immense depth, stretching nearly 4,000 feet below. With a bit of luck, you'll witness the awe-inspiring sight of condors soaring effortlessly overhead, searching for their morning meal.

On the journey back to Arequipa, you'll stop at the charming colonial communities of Maca and Yanque, where snow-capped glaciers loom majestically in the distance. At the lookouts of Choquetico and Antahuille, you'll be mesmerized by the intricate Incan and pre-Incan terracing systems that blanket the valley floor.

Finally, you'll arrive back in Arequipa, a vibrant city known for its stunning architecture, delicious cuisine, and welcoming atmosphere that can be found in one of the local, friendly restaurants in the Main Square, Plaza de Armas. Overnight Arequipa. (B)

Casa Andina reservation code: 141199

Meet your guide at your hotel and embark on a walking tour of Arequipa, Peru's second-largest city and one of its most beautiful. Visit the magnificent Arequipa Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its soaring bell towers and intricate facade. Step inside the Santa Catalina Monastery, a sprawling 16th-century complex that once housed over 200 cloistered nuns. Explore its colorful cloisters, peaceful gardens, and hidden passageways. Enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of Arequipa's many traditional restaurants, where you can sample local specialties such as rocoto relleno and adobo arequipeño. Visit the Museo Santuarios Andinos, home to the world-famous mummy Juanita, a perfectly preserved 500-year-old Inca ice maiden. Admire the majestic presence of Misti Volcano, a towering stratovolcano that looms over Arequipa's skyline.

Return to your hotel and prepare for your evening flight to Lima.

Private transfer to Arequipa airport for your flight to Lima and connection home.

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