The Best of South Peru

Our tour starts in the vicinity of the city, where you can admire the natural landscape of the valley and volcanoes surrounding Arequipa, seen from the viewpoints of Carmen Alto and Yanahuara. Then you will visit the central area around the Mainsquare, including the elaborate Jesuit Church of the Society of Jesus of the seventeenth century and the imposing facade of the cathedral with its imposing towers. This plaza- one of the best on the continent - it is still the focal point of the social life of the city, and every night is filled with locals. Only a couple of blocks away, the Convent of Santa Catalina occupies an entire city block that was once walled home to more than 400 nuns, many of whom came from the highest levels of Peruvian society of the time; although the number has been reduced to less than thirty today, the chapel, the cloister and rooms connected by a maze of alleyways of colors, offer a fascinating insight into the way the nuns once lived in a city miniature.

Make the journey, leaving the city of Arequipa. We will border the Chachani volcano and pass the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca habitat of the Vicuna, the finest South American camelid; where it is usual to see these wild animals in groups grazing in the meadow. We will pass by ‘Alto Sumbay’ and stop at a rustic coffee to acclimatise to the altitude and if you want you can buy a coca tea or other typical infusion of the place. We will see the lakes of Tojrapampa and birds that inhabit it, llamas and alpacas also, we will learn about the life of the shepherds of the Peruvian Andes and their small communities. We will border the crater 'Chucura' volcano to reach Patapampa (4910 m), 'El Mirador de Los Volcanes' highest Peru roadside tourist spot, from here we can appreciate volcanoes like Misti, Hualcahualca, Sabancaya, Ampato, Ubinas and Chachani. We arrive to Chivay, main town of the Colca Valley. We can visit the mainsquare, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the traditional market of Chivay, then we will stay at the hotel. In the afternoon and optionally we can coordinate a visit to the hot springs of La Calera (located 15 minutes by bus from the village of Chivay), then return to the village of Chivay and the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and at 05:30 hrs we depart to the Colca Canyon (weather permitting, it could be half an hour later), this day we will have a tour of an hour and a half to reach the Cruz del Condor, where we will have free time to enjoy the scenery of the Colca. On the road, we will treasure the villages of Yanque, Achoma, Maca and Pinchollo (no stops), the Mirador of Antahuilque, of which three enchanted lagoons are observed, and the Mirador de Choquetico, where we will see hanging tombs and pre-Inca carved models. We reach the Cruz del Condor viewpoint from where the flyover of the Condors is appreciated. Return to Chivay, free time and at the scheduled time return to the city of Arequipa. Approximate arrival time 3:30 pm.

Pick up from Puno’s bus station to the hotel. Transfer from the hotel to the main port of Puno, you will embark to start the journey into the highest navigable lake: 'Titicaca' After 25 minutes and having an informative preamble of the guide, you will arrive at complex floating islands of Uros, disembarking to contact the descendants Islanders 'Lupakas'.

After taking breakfast, you will continue the tour to Taquile Island, unique of its kind for its textiles and crafts. We will visit the people admiring the view of the natural landscape of Lake Titicaca. For lunch, we’ll have a typical regional dish (grilled trout). After a short break, we will descend to the port, where you will board the boat to the city of Puno. At night, you will be picked up from the hotel to the bus station to board the bus to Cusco.

• Arrival, reception and transfer to hotel.
• Free time to rest and acclimatize to the altitude.

CITY TOUR

Departure: 2:00 pm. Return: 6:00 pm.

This tour takes place in the city of Cusco, visiting the Temple of the Sun or Qorikancha, which in Quechua means ‘enclosure of gold’ and was the main religious building of the Incas dedicated to the worship of the sun and the Archaeological Site of Sacsayhuaman, an important collection of Inca architecture nestled on a hill overlooking Cuzco, and Kenko, Puca-Pucara and Tambomachay.

Departure: 9:00 am. Return: 6:00 pm.

Excursion to Sacred Valley. You will visit the archaeological complex of Pisac, from their fabulous platforms you’ll observe their domestic and ceremonial structures and aqueducts, Inca cemetery, once you completed the tour you will head to the main square where we will appreciate the typical market of Pisac and observe their craft colorful and tradition. In Urubamba, lunch buffet at the Inka's House Restaurant. It continues with a visit to the town of Ollantaytambo, one of the most important fortresses built to guard the imperial capital of attacks by settlers in the Amazon region, consisting of a series of terraces superposed. After the visit to the archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo, we return to Cusco visiting Chinchero, famous for its textiles and its church.

Transfer to Ollantaytambo station to board the train to Aguas Calientes, this is one of the fastest ways to visit the majestic citadel of Machu Picchu, you will travel by train for an hour and a half, passing through beautiful landscapes, valleys and gorges, plus you can see some typical villages. Arriving to Aguas Calientes, you will be picked up by staff selected. The guide will visit you at your lodge to coordinate the visit to Machu Picchu. Guided tour of the Lost City of the Incas: Machu Picchu, you will visit the Main Plaza, the Circular Tower, the Sacred Solar Clock, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows and the cemeteries. Then you will have free time to take photos and explore on your own this beautiful architectural gem. At night, you’ll return by train to Ollantaytambo station. Reception and transfer to your hotel in Cusco.

In the morning at 7:00 am you can visit the Cathedral and the Church of the Society of Jesus at the time of the mass, and you can visit also the museums, the entries are in the tourist ticket. In the afternoon, you can tour the neighborhood of San Blas and stone of 12 angles. You may attend the Qosqo Center, where typical dances of the region are presented, the entry is included in the tourist ticket, the show is at 7:00 pm, one hour of presentation.

Transfer to airport.