Day 6, MACHU PICCHU - CUZCO: We rise early and travel by bus to the ruins at Machu Picchu again, to fully enjoy one of the most impressive sites to be found anywhere on the planet. We have a guided tour around this amazing ancient city, as well as having time to explore on our own. Later we travel in our comfortable train back to Cuzco where we spend the night. (B)
Day 7, CUZCO - PUNO: We take the bus to Puno, on the edge of Lake Titicaca. On the way there is the chance to visit different sites, like the Raya High Pass, Andahuillas or Raqchi Temple, dedicated to Viracocha the Creator God of the Incas. (B)
Day 8, LAKE TITICACA - SUN ISLAND: We head out onto the sparkling waters of Lake Titicaca in a hydrofoil towards the Bolivian side. After a quick visit to the Moon Island we arrive at the Island of the Sun where legend says that the first Incas mystically appeared here after a direct order from the sun. One of the most sacred sites in the Inca world, the island is scattered with enigmatic ruins, including the Inca Stairway and Inca Springs. We spend the night at an eco-lodge on the island. (BLD)
Day 9, COPACABANA - LA PAZ: A short boat transfer takes us to Copacabana, on the border with Peru. This town served as a site of religious pilgrimage for centuries, beginning with the Incas. From there we drive to La Paz, the Bolivian capital and highest capital city in the world. (B)
Day 10, LA PAZ - TIWANAKU - PUNO: We drive along the edge of Lake Titicaca back to Puno. Before leaving Bolivia, we stop at Tiwanaku, a pre-Inca city that was once home to 50,000 inhabitants, and one which remains largely a mystery. We spend the night in Puno. (B)
Day 11, PUNO - SILLUSTANI - LIMA: In the morning we visit the burial towers of Sillustani, situated in a beautiful setting by a lake. Built originally by a pre-Inca culture (Colla), their use was continued by the Incas, so we can appreciate the differences in the architecture. From there we transfer onto Juliaca airport for our flight back to Lima. (B)
Day 12, LIMA - BALLESTAS ISLANDS - ICA DESERT: We depart early in the morning driving along the Pan-American Highway to Pisco. From there we take a picturesque boat ride out to the Ballestas Islands, home to an abundance of birdlife, sea lions, penguins and pelicans. We also see the famous ‘candelabra’ figure etched onto the coastal hills. Later we continue to Ica, in the Peruvian desert. (B)
Day 13, ICA DESERT - CHAUCHILLA CEMETERY - NAZCA: As we are in the area famous for their grape production, in the morning we visit a wine and pisco factory, to see how the national drink of Peru is made. Later we drive to Nazca. On arrival we visit the Chauchilla cemetery, a impressive collection of mummies, most of which still have their original hair, and their funerary ornaments. They belong to the pre- Inca Nazca culture that was responsible for the famous 'lines'. (B)
Day 14, NAZCA - LIMA: In the morning we take a flight over the Nazca Lines, mysterious lines and figures etched into the landscape. The pictures represent people, a variety of birds from hummingbirds to condors, fish, a whale, a lizard, a pair of hands and a series of intersecting grids and trapezoids, some of which are 10 km long. No one exactly knows why and when they were created or what they were meant to represent. We drive along the coast back to Lima (B)
Day 15, LIMA: Tour ends after breakfast. (B) |
On this fantastic trip we follow the tracks of the Inca and former cultures in Peru and Bolivia. Exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas and visiting inspirational Machu Picchu are part of any itinerary to Peru, but on this tour we go beyond to reveal further secrets of an intriguing land.