Lima to La Paz

• Day 1

  ARRIVE LIMA
  Arrive to Lima today.
  Lima, capital of Peru, which was founded by the great conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and soon became the capital of the extensive and tremendously wealthy Peruvian Vice Regency of Spain. By the end of the 16th Century it had grown into a city of fine palaces and churches and was the cultural center of the southern hemisphere. Today, Lima still retains the essence of the Spanish colonialism.
  Upon arrival to Lima, you will be welcomed outside of Customs by an English-speaking assistant holding a sign with your name on it. This representative will direct you to your awaiting vehicle and driver, and accompany you to your hotel to assist with check-in.(Private Transfer)

  Note: Medical "Assist Card" insurance for the entire journey within Peru, with 24 hours medical assistance is provided to assist any relevant issues with altitude or any sickness.

• Day 2

  LIMA
  This morning, embark on a city tour of Lima. See the plazas, colonial buildings with ornate balconies, colonial churches and mansions, gems of Ibero-American architecture including the 17th century San Francisco Monastery. Modern Lima is a mix of architectural styles and beautiful gardens, especially Miraflores and San Isidro, popular commercial districts with excellent shops, art galleries and restaurants. Visit Love Park in the Miraflores district and admire its view of the Pacific Ocean, and then head to Huaca Pucllana, the adobe pyramid that was ancient Lima’s ceremonial heart. Next, drive through the district of San Isidro, the financial center of the city, and then on to the city’s main square, Plaza Mayor, where you’ll see the Government Palace and Lima’s town hall. (B.) (Private Tour

  Note: This evening pack a small overnight bag for your stay in the Amazon; your main luggage will be locked in the office in Puerto Maldonado. We suggest you do not leave valuables in your main luggage. You must carry your passport with you.

• Day 3

  LIMA – SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS
  This morning we transfer you to the airport for your departing flight to Cusco.
  On arrival to Cusco you will be met at the airport by a local representative who will transport you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas (8,500 feet elevation), a long, fertile river valley surrounded by snowcapped peaks that lies between Cusco (11,000 feet elevation) and Machu Picchu (8,000 feet elevation). Starting here helps you adjust to the high altitude of the Andes and is a great way to see how the local people continue to live in the traditional Andean manner.
  On the way to your hotel, we will explore the village of Pisac where we will visit a traditional Indian Market and you can buy some local souvenirs.
  After check-in, you can relax in the peaceful garden surroundings of your country hotel as you settle in and acclimatize to the altitude.
  This morning we transfer you to the airport for your departing flight to Cusco.
  On arrival to Cusco you will be met at the airport by a local representative who will transport you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas (8,500 feet elevation), a long, fertile river valley surrounded by snowcapped peaks that lies between Cusco (11,000 feet elevation) and Machu Picchu (8,000 feet elevation). Starting here helps you adjust to the high altitude of the Andes and is a great way to see how the local people continue to live in the traditional Andean manner.
  On the way to your hotel, we will explore the village of Pisac where we will visit a traditional Indian Market and you can buy some local souvenirs.
  After check-in, you can relax in the peaceful garden surroundings of your country hotel as you settle in and acclimatize to the altitude. (B.) (Private Tour) (Private Transfer)

  Note: Due to the altitude, we recommend that you avoid any strenuous activity for the remainder of the day. We suggest that you rest for one to two hours after checking in to your hotel, prior to commencement of any physical activity. To further reduce the effects of altitude sickness, we recommend you also drink plenty of fluids: water, fruit juices, herbal tea or the local 'mate de coca'. It is highly recommended to avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol.
  Remember: Altitude affects each person differently so symptoms may vary greatly, so please be alert to any possible symptoms and if in any doubt seek medical advice.

• Day 4

  SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS
  Today you will visit Maras salt pans where the finest salt in the world is extracted. Next, you will travel to Moray and tour the enormous circular and semi-circular agricultural terraces built into the top of a hill overlooking the Urubamba Valley and used by the Incas as a botanical laboratory.
  Afterwards, we will get to Ollantaytambo, one of the most monumental architectural complexes of the ancient Inca Empire, one of the few places where the Spanish conquistadors lost a major battle. Very well known for its “andenes” (terraces dug into the slopes of mountains for agricultural purposes), Ollantaytambo was a highly effective fortress, that also served as a temple. Then, we will follow to the town of Ollantaytambo, “the unique living Inca town”: the best surviving example of Inca city planning, with narrow cobblestone streets that have been continuously inhabited since the 13th century.(B.) (Shared Guide)

  Note: This evening, pack an overnight bag for your stay at Machu Picchu, your main luggage will be transferred back to Cuzco and placed in secure storage and will be made available to you when you check in to the hotel. You must carry your passport with you.
When packing your bag please bear in mind the below luggage requirements for Peru Rail passengers travelling to Machu Picchu: Each Passenger is allowed to carry only light baggage on board the train, with a maximum weight of and measuring 157cm (length + height + width) due to limited space availability.

• Day 5

  SACRED VALLEY – MACHU PICCHU
  Awaiting you today is by far and away one of the high points in world tourism: Machu Picchu, where you will definitely have an experience you will never forget.
  You will be transferred from your hotel to the train station in Ollantaytambo this morning.
  Your luggage will be collected and transferred to your hotel in Cuzco for storage while you are at Machu Picchu. We recommend you do not leave valuables in your luggage.
  Board the Vistadome Train to Aguas Calientes; a 90 minute journey. Your Vistadome service departs at (to be advised) and you need to be on the platform 30 minutes prior to departure.
  The Vistadome is the ideal train for those who want to be in contact with the environment and appreciate the wonderful journey to Machu Picchu. Surrounded entirely by glass and wagons with large panoramic windows offering incomparable scenic views and numerous opportunities to capture amazing pictures, Vistadome travelers feel connected and part of the impressive landscape of Peru. Perurail provide travelers on board personalized and first level service to give them an unforgettable life experience.
  Upon your arrival into Aguas Calientes Railway Station, you will be met by your English speaking guide who will arrange for your luggage to be taken to your hotel for secure storage while you’re exploring Machu Picchu. Your guide will then take you from Aguas Calientes Railway Station up to Citadel of Machu Picchu by a 30-minute mini-bus transfer.
  A 2 hours 30 minutes guided tour of the ruins will have you wondering about the lives of the priests, craftsmen, and servants who inhabited this citadel and what drove them to build it on a mountain-top. Excavations have revealed skeletons, artefacts and woolen clothing, but no gold. The same precise stonework as in other Incan sites in evident. Overlooking the raging Urubamba River and discovered in a hidden tangle of vines and trees atop the mountain, the city of Machu Picchu will forever hold the secret of its destruction as the Incas left no written record.
  After exploring the most fascinating features of this astounding and mysterious Inca settlement, you will have the rest of the time free for your own unguided exploration of Machu Picchu.
  At the proper time, you should exit the citadel and enjoy your buffet style lunch at the Sanctuary Hotel.
  Your return mini-bus transfer to Aguas Calientes is included; buses leave approximately every 15 minutes. The village of Aguas Calientes is very small; on arrival please ask for directions to your hotel. Most properties are within a 5- 10 minute walk from the bus terminal. Your luggage will be made available to you after you have checked in.
  Tonight enjoy a la carte dinner. (B. L. D.) (Shared Guide) (Private Transfer)

  Note: as of 1 July 2017 there have been changes to the way entrances to Machu Picchu are controlled. The maximum time to stay into the citadel is 4 hours. You are no longer allowed to exit and re-enter the ruins.

• Day 6

  MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO
  Return to Machu Picchu this morning to continue your unguided exploration of this extensive site; your return mini-bus tickets and entry to Machu Picchu are included. We recommend rising early and taking one of the first buses; the ruins are much quieter in the morning and seeing the mist clear as dawn breaks is a wonderful sight.
  There are many things to see and do at the site, including the hike to Inti Punku, the Gate of the Sun.
  Morning visitors to Machu Picchu must leave the ruins by 12pm. Take a mini-bus back to Aguas Calientes and have some free time for lunch or visiting the souvenir shops. Please make sure you allow enough time to collect your luggage from your hotel before returning to the train station to take the afternoon Vistadome train back to Ollantaytambo, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Cuzco, where the bulk of your luggage will be waiting.
  You will have the balance of the day free to relax and explore this historic city.
  Cusco is another of the highlights of a trip to Peru, a fascinating city built on the foundations of the former Incan capital. You can observe massive Incan walls along many of the streets of the city. The city has a vibrant atmosphere and many excellent restaurants. (B.) (Private Transfer)

  Note: you MUST bring the previous day’s ticket to enter Machu Picchu today without a guide.

• Day 7

  CUSCO
  This morning, enjoy a city tour, which includes the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas, and the Koricancha Temple. Just outside Cusco, you will visit the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a testimonial to the Incan architectural skills. Compiled of massive stones (one weighs 125 tons!) you are challenged to try to slip a piece of paper between the cracks of these blocks, cut and fitted together with incredible precision without a single drop of mortar to hold them in place. This ancient fortress where the greatest battle between the Spanish and the Incas took place overlooks the red-tiled roofs of Cuzco and the spectacular lush countryside. Also visit Qenqo (the Labyrinth), an Incan shrine dedicated to the Earth Mother, the small fortress of Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay, a sacred bathing place.
  Once the city tour is completed the rest of the afternoon and evening enjoy free time to relax, shop or explore more of Cuzco's sights (B.) (Shared Guide)

  Note: Make the most use of your ticket called "Boleto Turistico" that was included on your Cusco city tour program. This boleto Turistico (Tourist Ticket) gives you entry to 16 places: Saqsayhuaman -Q ́enqo -Pukapukara - Tambomachay -The Cathedral -San Blas -Museo de Arte Conteporaneo - Museo de Arte Popular -Museo de Sitio Qoricancha -Museo Histórico Regional -Parque Arquelógico de Pisaq -Ollantaytambo -Tipón (See Oropesa-pages) - Pikillaqta - Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo Danzas Folklorica - The ticket gives you entry for one visit at each place.
  Some of these places are visited during your city tour. However, on your free time in Cuzco you will be able to use this Bolesto Turistico to visit the rest of the museums, churches and sites.
  On the backside of the ticket you will find information about opening and closing times and some telephone numbers etc. You will also find a map of the central parts of Cuzco (where the old parts that form a Puma are marked), and a little map that gives you a hint on where some places outside Cuzco are located (Machu Picchu, Chinchero, Pisaq, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, etc.)
  Please keep this ticket "Boleto Turistico" until the end of your stay in Cuzco area. You will need it to gain entry to different local touristic attractions. If you misplaced it will attract new charges.

• Day 8

  CUSCO – ALTIPLANO – PUNO
  Transfer to the station for your morning bus trip across the Altiplano (Spanish for high plain), where the Andes are at their wildest.
  Sightseeing on the way:
  • Andahuaylillas: Referred to as the Andean Sistine Chapel because is magnificent frescoes, the church is but one example of the mestizo baroque architecture typically of the Cusco school which was prominent in the 17th century. You will marvel at the ceiling of carved panels covered with gold leaf’s
  • Raqchi: Also named the Temple of the God Wiracocha. The Inca temple is monumental: 100 meters in length, 26 meters in width and 14 meters in high. Divided in two naves, each of these still retains the bases of eleven giant columns. The base of the walls consists of Imperial Inca stonework with a top section of adobe. Adjacent to the temple, we can see many storehouses, used for various purposes: social, religious and military
  • Sicuani: in this village you will be able to enjoy a delicious lunch buffet and buy handicrafts.
  • La Raya: The highest pass on the route between Cusco to Puno. Beautiful landscapes await you, as well as the animals that are symbolic of the Andes: llamas, alpacas and vicunas. This is a region situation between two cultures Quechua and Aymara, as well as composite of two terrains: the dry and arid Altiplano and the more verdant Quechua valleys and rivers
  • Pucara: This is the most important and oldest ceremonial site this side of Tiahuananco. Characterize by a series of satire platforms, the ruins also reveal some lito-sculptures and tombstone, all witnesses of pre Inca civilization, possible one at the origin of the Andean culture of the Altiplano.
  On arrival into Puno, you will be met and transferred to your hotel located on the shores of Lake Titicaca. (B. L.) (Private Transfer)
  

• Day 9

  ISLANDS OF LAKE TITICACA (Peru side)
  Today will be a full day excursion on Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake at 3808 meters.
  First, you will sail to the floating Uros Islands. The Uros are the descendants of a pre-Inca group who live on forty-two self-fashioned floating islands on Lake Titicaca. The Uros use bundles of dried totora reeds to make reed boats and to make the islands themselves. The purpose of the island settlements was originally defensive, and if a threat arose they could be moved.
  Your guide will discuss the Uros way of life, culture and history and explain how these unique islands are built and maintained. Continue to Taquile Island, located around 45km east of Puno. We walk along a gently inclining path - streaks of stone that wind their way among greenery platforms - to arrive at the village of Taquile where we have lunch.
  Taquileños run their society based on community collectivism and on the Inca moral code 'ama sua, ama llulla, ama
qhilla' (Quechua for do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy). The island is divided into six sectors or 'suyus' for crop rotation purposes. The economy is based on fishing, terraced farming horticulture based on potato cultivation, and income from the approximately 40,000 tourists who visit each year. Later this afternoon we take the boat back to Puno and your hotel. (B. L.) (Shared Guide)

• Day 10

  LAKE TITICACA (Bolivia side) - LA PAZ
  Early land transfer to Copacabana Sanctuary, board the Catamaran Cruise Ship, snack on board while sailing to Sun Island, the legendary birthplace of the Inca Empire. Visit the Inca Garden, steps and fountain followed by the Inti Wata Cultural Complex including the Ekako Underground Museum, the traditional medicine and the Titikaka Reed Shipbuilders display centres, the Pachamama agricultural Inca terraces, a handicraft centre, the Intica lounge and at the Manco Kapac look out the largest variety of Andean camelids. Also, the Inti Wata Complex at Sun Island includes a unique sailing experience aboard a huge Titikaka traditional vessel for a panoramic visit to the Pilkokaina Inca Palace.
  Catamaran Cruise Ship to Copacabana harbor while enjoying a buffet lunch on board, land transfer to La Paz in a road running parallel to the mighty snowed peaks of the Andes. (B. L.) (Shared Guide)

• Day 11

  LA PAZ
  Today you will be taken on a 6 hours tour of the’ city of contrasts’, which represents a unique blend of cultures and races.
  After breakfast, we will head to the famous valley of the Moon where erosion has changed the badlands into fantastic shapes and deep gullies.
  Follow by a Teleferico (cable car) ride on the green and yellow lines, a great opportunity to get a birds-eye view of the city.
  After descending we will stroll around La Paz’ trendy bohemian neighborhood, Sopocachi the place to be for the city’s wealthy and sociable youth. Admire the striking views of the city and of iconic Illimani Mountain from the lookout at Monticulo Park.
  Later you will experience a unique visit to the popular neighborhoods and markets of La Paz, guided by a “lustra bota” or shoe-shine will provide different impressions of this unique city. After a short visit to the main cemetery, continue walking to “Fish Street Market”, the “Flower Market” and the “Ice Cream Plaza”. The tour concludes at the famous witches’ market where we will learn a little bit of Andean cosmovision.
  Once all activities are completed we will head back to your hotel.
  Rest of afternoon and evening at leisure. (B.) (Private Tour)

• Day 12

  DEPART LA PAZ
  Enjoy breakfast. Check-out. One of our representatives will collect you from your hotel and drive you to the La Paz airport for your next onward flight destination. (B.) (Private Transfer)

The below hand-picked properties feature good location, superior service, and all facilities necessary for a comfortable stay.

PERU

• Lima: Hotel Arawi – Miraflores
• Sacred Valley of the Incas: Hotel Pakaritampu
• Aguas Calientes: Mapi by Inkaterra
• Cusco: Hotel: Double Tree by Hilton
• Lake Titicaca: Sonesta del Inka 

BOLIVIA

• La Paz: Atix 

NOTES:

• Hotel accommodation quoted in lead-in hotel guest rooms unless specified otherwise
• Hotels can easily be changed at the customer request. We have a wide selection so you can be assured of a great place to stay

Occasionally due to circumstances out of our control, hotels quoted may not be available at the time of booking. In these circumstances when hotels are unavailable, South America Tours Pty Ltd will provide the best possible alternative.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Accommodation with private facilities as mentioned in the itinerary
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary:

(B.) = Breakfast

(L.) = Lunch

(D.) = Dinner

• All transport, sightseeing and excursions as per the itinerary unless specified otherwise:

(Private Transfer) = Your own exclusive driver. No queuing for taxis, no stopping en route at tour booking agencies. All private transfers / transport is operated on a private basis – i.e., you won’t be sharing with others

(Private Tour) = Your own, personal tour guide and an exclusive vehicle

(Shared Guide) = Meet other like-minded travelers and share the services of a guide / vehicle during the plan sightseeing activity. Typical group size is around 10 travelers.

• Parks and monuments entrance fees
• Professional English speaking local guides throughout
• Service charges and taxes. 

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

• International flights.
• Domestic flight package. Flights needed: Lima – Cusco. Approximate cost US$ xxx – xxx. We only use LAN or Avianca Airlines. We can purchase these flights on your behalf.
• Flight cost is subject to change
• Tourist Visas are not included
• Travel insurance
• Any items not specifically mentioned as included, phone calls, laundry, tips, alcohol, etc.