10 Best Full Days. PERU Land of Contrasts. Day 1. Machu Picchu. Day 2. Titicaca Lake. Day 3. Highland of Chinchero. Arequipa. Day 4.

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1 10 Best Full Days PERU Land of Contrasts Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Machu Picchu Titicaca Lake Highland of Chinchero Arequipa Colca Valley Cusco & nearby ruins Tambopata Research Center Cordillera Blanca Kingdoms of the Moche Nasca Lines & Tablazo de Ica 1

2 MACHU PICCHU AGUAS CALIENTES - MACHU PICCHU - SACRED VALLEY / cusco Breakfast in the hotel and early morning transfer by bus to the majestic ruins of Machu Picchu before the arrival of most tourists. The impressive Inca citadel is placed on the side of a mountain. Its Quechua name means Old Mountain, but it is also known as the Lost City of the Incas since it remained hidden from the West until discovered by Hiram Bingham in It was built in the fifteenth century, and is attributed to the Inca Pachacutec. The archeological complex is divided into two zones that are contained within approximately twenty hectares. On the sides of the mountain, you can see up to four meters high agricultural terraces. Several plazas and buildings, the most important being the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana or solar clock and calendar, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Main Temple and the Condor Sector, make up the urban sector. There is also an impressive monolith of carved stone, three meters high and seven meters wide at the base, named the Sacred Stone. In order to build Machu Picchu, the Incas had to use blocks of stone brought from long distances. The finish of the walls features different quality levels and techniques. One of the highest quality walls is the central one of the Main Temple where the stones fit together perfectly. Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary in not only a priceless archeological site, it is also associated with rich animal and plant life. In 1983, UNESCO placed it on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Lists. Back to Aguas Calientes for luch time, afternoon return train to Ollantaytambo and transfer to the hotel in the Sacred Valley of the Incas or continuation to Cusco. Dinner and overnight in the hotel. 2

3 TITICACA LAKE PUNO UROS TAQUILE SUASI ISLAND Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning we will cruise through the amazing blue waters of lake Titicaca until we reach the floating islands of the Uros. Today the Uros people no longer speak their native dialect but rather the Aymara language. While their islands have became somewhat over-commercialised, they are still worth a visit because of their peculiar way of life. We continue to Taquile Island, one of the biggest of the lake where a community of farmers still lives in a very traditional way. After the visit we ll keep navigating towards the remote Suasi Island. In this occasion you will have the opportunity to fully appreciate the huge extension of the lake, which is more than 170 km in length from north to south and 110 km from east to west. Suasi is a lost heaven of nature and harmony where you ll find only a cosy small hotel entirely made of wood and stone. Afternoon free to carry out various activities such as visiting a herd of vicunas, the prettiest of the four Andean camelids, the house of culture or simply relax in this enchanted place. In the late afternoon you can hike to the western extremity of the island to enjoy a spectacular sunset over the lake. Lunch, dinner and overnight at the hotel. 3

4 HIGHLAND OF CHINCHERO CUSCO - CHINCHERO - MARAS - MORAY SACRED VALLEY / AGUAS CALIENTES Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning excursion to Chinchero, a pretty Andean village with a magical atmosphere, located on the plateau straddling the valley of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Visit to the ruins of an Inca temple dedicated to Sun God and to the colonial church recently restored and completely covered with frescoes. Continuation to the amazing salinas on the plateau of Maras. These salt-mines have been used since the Tahuantinsuyo. The people channel the salt water that bubbles to the surface from a spring called Qoripujio towards men-made wells. From the exposure to the sun, the water evaporates and the salt remains on the surface to be transported later to the market to be sold. The view of this complex of nearly 3000 wells is spectacular. A short ride will take us to Moray, a site that contains unusual Inca ruins consisting of several enormous terraced circular depressions, the largest of which is about 30 m deep. The purpose of these depressions is uncertain, but their depth and orientation with respect to wind and sun creates a temperature difference of as much as 15 C between the top and bottom. This large temperature difference was probably used by the Inca to study the effects of different climatic conditions on crops. At the end of the visit we ll continue through beautiful landsacpes to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Box lunch, dinner and overnight in the hotel. Notes: - Instead of sleeping in the Sacred Valley, its possible to take the last train to Machu Picchu and overnight in Aguas Calientes. - A nice market takes place in Chinchero on Sundays 4

5 AREQUIPA AREQUIPA: CITY TOUR Breakfast in the hotel. The very pleasant Arequipa has many colonial-era Spanish buildings built of sillar, a pearly white volcanic rock, from which it gets the nickname La Ciudad Blanca. It lies at the feet of the mighty volcanos of Mount Chachani, Mount Misti, and the snow covered peak of Mount Pichu Pichu. The historic centre of Arequipa was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, in recognition of its architecture and historic integrity. It features mixed Baroque churches and mansions from the Colonial Period like the Monastery of Santa Catalina, a Spanish city in miniature with stone streets, beautiful patios and plazas. Constructed to shelter the daughters of the wealthiest families of the city with a religious vocation, the monastery was inaugurated in 1580, under the name of Santa Catalina of Siena to be a totaly cloistered religious center, and it remained that way until Dinner in a restaurant and overnight in the hotel. 5

6 COLCA VALLEY COLCA VALLEY Breakfast in the hotel. Early in the morning we ll drive along the valley where the tumultuous river has created a gigantic rift with a stunning drop of m, the second deepest Canyon after the Colorado Gran Canyon and one of the deepest in the world. We ll have a short walk on a hiking trail which will allow us to admire this huge valley in all its splendor. Arrival at the panoramic point known as Cruz del Condor, where, with a bit of luck, we ll spot condors flying. They are the biggest birds existing in the world and the Andean symbol of peace. In this specific view point, warm ascending air permits the condors to fly away from the canyon: the way they fly is an amazing gift of nature. From here we continue our journey to the village of Cabanaconde where we could have an easy walk to enjoy a unique view on the canyon over the Colca River. Back to Chivay, we ll have free time for lunch and to visit the local market. Don t miss the big rock at the back on the market; it s an important map of the area. Afternoon at leisure with the possibility of having a relaxing bath in the nearby hot thermal waters. Dinner and overnight in the hotel. 6

7 CUSCO & NEARBY RUINS CUSCO: city tour & NEARBY RUINS Breakfast in the hotel. This morning we ll visit the city on foot: the ancient capital of the Inca Empire has been declared World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1983 and is without a doubt one of the most important destinations in Peru. There are Inca buildings among its cobble-stoned streets, like the Koricancha and the palace of Inca Roca as well as Andean baroque structures from the Colonial Period like the Cathedral and the Church of the Company of Christ. In the picturesque neighborhood of San Blas the best artisans have set up their workshops. After lunch we ll reach the nearby ruins: the area of Cusco contains thirty-three archeological sites. The most famous is Sacsayhuaman. It might well have been a religious structure, but for its location and style, the Spanish and the historians believe it was a military construction. It s a huge complex on three levels with some stones weighting between 90 and 120 tons and from its top you ll have a spectacular view over the city of Cusco. Continuation to the Qenko or labyrinth that might date from around 1500 A.D. It is considered a holy place where ceremonies honoring the sun, moon, and the stars used to take place. The nearby complex of Pukapukara contains several rooms, inner plazas, aqueducts, vantage points, and pathways. It might have served as a tambo or rest and lodging area. According to the tale, each time the Inca was able to go to Tambomachay, he would be accompanied by a large cortège, which stayed at Pukapukara. It is also called a fort because of its fortified-city appearance. Another site is Tambomachay. It might have fulfilled an important religious function linked to water and the regeneration of the land. It was built around 1500 A.D., closely linked with Pukapukara. The area covers about one hectare, and was made out of polygonal shaped set limestone. Dinner in a restaurant and overnight in the hotel. 7

8 TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER TAMBOPATA RESEARCH CENTER On most clear mornings of the year dozens of large macaws and hundreds of parrots congregate on the large river bank in a raucous and colorful spectacle which inspired a National Geographic cover story. Discretely located 50m from the cliff, we will observe Green-winged, Scarlet and Blue-and-gold Macaws and several species of smaller parrots descend to ingest clay. Outings are at dawn when the lick is most active. After breakfast we ll take a 5km floodplain trail that covers the prototypical rain forest with its immense trees criss crossed by creeks and ponds. Amongst the figs, ceibas and shihuahuacos we will look for Squirrel, Brown Capuchin and Spider Monkeys as well as Peccaries. Tambopata Research Center is located in this habitat. Ten minutes upriver from the lodge is a tiny pond with a platform in the middle. It is a great place to spot aquatic birds such as Muscovy ducks, sunbittern and hoatzin along with the woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers and parakeets that make of this pond their home. After dinner at night you will have the option of hiking out when most of the mammals are active. Dinner, lunch and overnight in the lodge. 8

9 CORDILLERA BLANCA MONTERREY - LAGUNA LLANGANUCO - CEBOLLA PAMPA - MONTERREY Breakfast in the hotel. Morning departure towards the village of Yungai where we ll leave the paved road and climb along a dirt road climbing along the western slope of the Cordillera Blanca to reach the beautiful lagoons Llanganuco, two gems of turquoise water topped by majestic mountains such as the Chopicalqui, the Huandoy and Huascaran. Continuation along the road till pass of Portachuelo de Llanganuco, the only access to the valleys east of the Cordillera Blanca from where we ll have incredible views over snow capped ranges. Returning back to the first lagoon, we ll have the opportunity to have an easy hike in a typical cloud forest of the high central Andean Region caratterized by peeling orange bark trees that create wonderful color contrasts in the green forest foliage. Picnic lunch. In the afternoon return to the town of Monterrey and hotel accommodation. Picnic, dinner and overnight in the hotel. 9

10 KINGDOMS OF THE MOCHE CHICLAYO - HUACA RAJADA - MUSEO TUMBAS REALES DE SIPAN - TUCUME Breakfast in the hotel. Full day visit of the most important archaeological remains of the Moche and Lambayeque cultures. In the morning short transfer to the archeological complex of Huaca Rajada where in 1987 the tomb of the Lord of Sipan, the highest dignitary of the Moche culture, was discovered. The funeral fardo represents the most stunning treasure ever discovered in Peru and has been linked in importance to the Tomb of Tutankhamen in Egypt. The Lord of Sipan was buried with a warrior, a priest, two women, a boy, a dog, a llama and a guardian with both feet amputated. The burial paraphernalia included numerous items of gold and silver jewelry inlaid with turquoise and lapis lazuli. After the visit, short transfer to the town of Lambayeque to the Museum Tumbas Reales del Señor de Sipan built and opened in 2004 to show to the world a unique treasure of inestimable value: the sensational collection of objects found in the Tomb of the Lord of Sipan in Huaca to Rajada. The visit of these archaeological treasures is by many worth the trip! Among the many important pieces are earrings, ceremonial scepters, medallions, a heavy circular gold ingot, nose rings, gold necklaces in the shape of peanuts, a gold chin and cheek mask, gold back flap and gold disks worn around the neck. In the afternoon transfer to the village of Tucume and to the so called Valle de las Pirámides (Valley of the Pyramids). According to the legend, it was built in the year 700 A.D. and was founded by Calac, descendent of Naymlap. It is made up of twenty-six pyramids, the most impressive ones being the Huaca del Pueblo, La Raya, El Sol, and Las Estacas. The small town stands out for its level of community involvement in the preservation of its natural and cultural heritage. Visit the small museum and return to Chiclayo. In the evening dinner in a typical restaurant where you will experience the cuisine of the north. Dinner in a restaurant and overnight in the hotel. 10

11 NASCA LINES & TABLAZO DE ICA PARACAS NASCA OVERFLIGHT - TABLAZO DE ICA PARACAS Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to the nearby town of Ica (45 minutes) to start an incredible flight over the mysterious Lines of Nasca. The Lines, discovered in 1927, are the most extraordinary legacy left by a culture that flourished in 300 BC. The lines are a series of complex designs, some up to 300 m long which can only be seen in their true dimension from the sky. The Nasca culture was obviously not capable of manned flight but the question remains as to how they crafted the drawings, what technology they used and what purpose the lines served. The debate is still ongoing. After the overflight we ll leave the paved road and start the most surprising part of our journey in Peru: the crossing of the Tablazo de Ica. Desert and ocean come together in a spectacular way. The cliffs that fringe the beaches in striking natural rock formations are teeming with life. We will cross this fantastic desertic area in our 4x4 cars: imagine rows of sand dunes, a magnificent spectacle of colors and shapes. Picnic lunch in a wonderful setting on the shores of the Ocean. After lunch we ll drive north along the coast arriving at sunset in Paracas. Picnic lunch. Overnight in the hotel. 11