THE IMPOSING WHITE CITY AND THE MAJESTIC COLCA CANYON

THE IMPOSING WHITE CITY AND THE MAJESTIC COLCA CANYON:

LIMA-AREQUIPA-CUSCO

This wonderful adventure will take you from our Peruvian capital to the wonderful White City of Arequipa, where we will visit the majestic Colca Canyon, without leaving aside the Imperial City of Cusco, with the Sacred Valley and the Citadel of Machu Picchu.

Included
Location

A Professional English-Speaking Tour Guide.
Personal attention.
Nights lodging at the hotels mentioned in the program, For Double Occupancy.
Excursions and Tours In Private Service.
Transfers and transportation with a private van.
A Professional Driver.
Entrance tickets to all the attractions. mentioned in the program.
Round trip VISTADOME train ticket to Machu Picchu.
Round trip bus ticket to Machu Picchu.
Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu.
Meals as indicated (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).

NOT INCLUDED

Travel insurance.
Entrance to Huayna Picchu Mountain.
Domestic flights from Lima to Cusco & Cusco to Lima.
International flight tickets.

Tour Plan

DAY 1: Peru-Lima

Upon arrival in Lima after your international flight, our staff will be waiting for you to transfer you to your chosen hotel, so you can leave your luggage, at a certain time we will pick you up to start with the City Tour. In this visit we will explore the historic center of the Viceroyal City, the main square, the subway catacombs of the Monastery of San Francisco, among other tristical attractions that will leave you fascinated.

Day 2: Lima – Arequipa

This day will start with your pick up from the airport of the White City of Arequipa and transfer to your hotel, then, start with the visit of the city, Arequipa is known for its admirable temples, convents, colonial houses and palaces built with a white volcanic stone called Sillar. Our first visit will be to the Santa Catalina Monastery, one of the most fascinating colonial and religious convents in Peru. This monastery is different from other colonial heritage sites for its fusion of Spanish and Andean elements, its charming and colorful alleys, cozy squares, water fountains and the cells of the novices who once lived there. Continuing with this wonderful experience we will tour the beautiful downtown neighborhoods such as Mirador Carmen del Alto, Yanahuara, Sachaca, Tingo, Founder’s Mansion, Sabandia and Paucarpata. Examples of European architectural influence with charming buildings at the foot of a volcano. At the end of the tour, our local guide will take you back to your hotel. He will give you some recommendations to avoid altitude sickness and about the best place in town to enjoy a wonderful lunch or dinner on your own.

Day 3 : Arequipa- Colca Canyon

After breakfast provided by your hotel, our tour guide will pick you up to begin your magical tour of the Colca Canyon. During the tour we will have breathtaking views of the Misty, Chachani and Pichu Pichu volcanoes. We will make a first stop at the Pampa Cañahuas National Reserve, where we will be able to appreciate vicuñas, huanacos and other Andean species in their natural environment. In the afternoon, we will pass through several picturesque Andean villages, where we will appreciate the ancient lifestyle, traditions, and even charming handicrafts made by its inhabitants. Afterwards, we will stop to enjoy a delicious lunch in a charming place in the middle of the Colca Canyon. Later, we will drop you off at your hotel in the middle of the Colca Canyon to rest and enjoy a comfortable dinner on your own. Optionally, you can visit the local hot springs, La Calera, on your own.

Day 4: Colca Canyon - Puno

Today we will make a fascinating journey from the Colca Canyon to the wonderful city of Puno. After a delicious breakfast our local guide will pick you up to start the trip to the Mirador de la Cruz del Condor. If we have the luck of the Apus you can admire the flight of the majestic condors, winged deities soaring high in the Andean skies. We can also appreciate the depths of what is considered the fourth deepest canyon in the world. At approximately 4,160 m or 13,650 feet deep. Continuing with our visit we will go to the charming villages of Maca and Yanque; where we will find typical colonial architecture and know a typical Andean village where you can interact with its inhabitants and buy the beautiful handicrafts they make. During the tour we will enjoy a delicious lunch made with local ingredients and fully included in our program as a farewell to such a beautiful place. In the afternoon your guide will drive you to your hotel in Chivay (Colca Canyon), for a refreshing rest.

Day 5: Chivay (Colca Canyon) -Cusco

Very early in the morning we will move to the Main Square of Chivay, where we will board the transport for our trip to the city of Cusco. During the trip we will pass through the traditional villages of Tuti and Sibayo, we will make a stop to appreciate the impressive Callalli Castles which are rock formations that look like medieval castles formed by the erosion of water and wind. Continuing the trip, we will pass near the “Condoroma Dam” located at an altitude of 4737 meters above sea level, the next stop will be at the “Bosque de Piedras”. And later we will stop at the “Laguna de Langui”, a magnificent natural mirror lagoon that also serves as a breeding ground for trout and pejerrey. By midday 12:30 Pm we will stop for approximately 1 hour in the town of Sicuani so that passengers can enjoy a buffet lunch. Then we will resume our trip and later we will pass through the towns of Andahuaylillas and Urcos, arriving to Cusco at approximately 4:00 Pm.

Day 6: Cusco

This day will be the best of all as you will know in detail the magical Cusco City, the day will begin with the pick up from your hotel and then transfer to the Plaza de Armas and visit the Cathedral of Cusco which displays a famous collection of paintings of unique artistic style called “Escuela Cusqueña”. Continuing the tour, your guide will lead you to the temple of Qoricancha, where you will be fascinated by the mixture of Inca and Spanish architectural styles, as well as some original remains of Inca temples. Then we will go to the Sacred Precinct of Sacsayhuaman, with its gigantic rocks perfectly embedded in its structure. The tour will continue visiting the Inca ceremonial center of Qenqo, with its ancient sacrificial enclosures. Then, the Inca military barracks, Puca Pucara. Finally, our guide will show you the famous archaeological center of Tambomachay, with its beautiful water fountains, where the sovereign spent long periods resting. Almost at dusk we will finish this tour in the main square, where you can take the time to explore the city on your own.

Day 7: Cusco- Sacred Valley (Route 1) Awanacancha- Pisaq

This great day, after a delicious breakfast, our local guide will pick you up to start exploring the Sacred Valley. Our first stop will be at the Andean camelid zoo called Awanacancha, where you will appreciate the 4 types of South American camelids bred in captivity: the llama, the alpaca, the guanaco and the vicuña. You will also be able to feed them and learn to distinguish them, then the local people who work there will show you how they use the techniques of their Inca ancestors to transform the delicate fur of these animals, especially the alpaca and the vicuña, into beautiful and colorful garments through traditional weaving. Continuing along the Sacred Valley route, we will arrive at a spectacular Inca archaeological site located on a hill called Pisac, with beautiful terraced fields, among Inca enclosures, squares, temples and an Inca cemetery. Descending to the modern city, we will get lost among the colorful stalls of the famous traditional market of Pisac, where you will be attracted by the beautiful handicrafts made by the local people. Next, we will head to a charming restaurant amidst the landscapes of the Sacred Valley to enjoy a delicious lunch based on local ingredients, included in our program. To end the day, we will transfer you to your hotel for a well-deserved rest.

Day 8: Sacred Valley (Route 2 ) Maras- Moray- Ollantaytambo

A new day awaits us in the Sacred Valley, at a certain time, we will pick you up at your hotel in the Sacred Valley, to start our journey to the impressive Maras Salt Flats. The Maras Salt Flats have more than 3000 pools, of different sizes and dimensions, which are fed by salt water that springs from the subsoil of the mountain Qaqawiñay. Afterwards, we will go to the agricultural experimentation center “Moray”. Moray was an agricultural research center of Inca use that used a method similar to the technique we know today as spiral cultivation, which as you can see is used for the cultivation of plants with diverse environmental needs. At the end of this great tour, we will go to your hotel in the Sacred Valley so you can rest, because the next day a great day awaits you.

Day 9 : Sacred Valley - Machupicchu

The most important day has arrived, after a delicious breakfast, we will pick you up to transfer you to the Ollantaytambo station where you can board the train to the impressive village surrounded by mountains “Aguas Calientes”, where we will be waiting to accompany you to the CONSETUR station, where you can board the bus that will allow you to arrive in a period of 30 minutes to the Machupicchu Citadel. Accompanied by your guide you can access it to start your magical visit, temples, terraces, Inca dwellings, depending on the schedule and the route of income that is available for your travel date, at the end of your tour you can go to a wonderful restaurant located in the same Machupicchu “Tinkuy”, at the end of your refreshing lunch, you can go to take the CONSETUR bus to descend to the town of Aguas Calientes, taking into account that you need to be 30 minutes before your time. When you arrive at the Ollantaytambo station we will be waiting for you to board the transportation that will take you back to the City of Cusco.

Day 10: Cusco – Lima

The day of our farewell has arrived, at a certain time, depending on the schedule of your Cusco-Lima flight, we will pick you up at your hotel to transfer you to the airport and take you to your flight to Lima.