In the morning you travel by bus from Lima to Paracas, a bus journey of 4 hours in total. You are free in the afternoon.

Advice
Do you want to take it a bit easier in Lima in the morning? It is also possible to take the bus from Lima to Paracas around noon. It is then no longer possible to visit the National Park of Paracas on this day.

Tip for fish lovers
This is the day to try a ceviche in one of the restaurants at the port of Paracas. Ceviche is a Peruvian seafood dish with raw, fresh fish that the Peruvians themselves love. The fish is often caught the same morning by the local fishermen and you can taste it!

In the morning you will visit the Ballestas Islands by boat. During this excursion it is possible to see different species of pelicans, penguins, seals, sea lions, dolphins and whales. You will also sail past ´el Candelabro´, a large drawing in the rocks, which can only be seen from the water.

At the end of the morning you drive to Huacachina, an oasis next to the city of Ica. In Ica and surroundings the weather is nice and sunny all year round. The place is ideal to enjoy and recover in the sun, to sandboard from one of the many sand hills or to tear through the dunes with a driver in a buggy. You spend the night in a nice hotel with an outdoor pool in the oasis.

Tip for wine lovers

The best Peruvian wines come from the region around the city of Ica and also the national drink of Peru called Pisco (a liqueur that Peruvians use for the cocktail Pisco Sour) has its origins in this region. It is possible to visit one of the wineries on this day of this tour of Peru.

Visit to the Wine Farm

Tour of a wine farm near Ica, home to the best Peruvian pines.

Huacachina Perú

Race in an open buggy through the sand dunes surrounding the Huacachina oasis.

At the end of the morning you travel by bus to the city of Nazca, known for the Nazca lines. In the afternoon you are free in Nazca, a town where the weather is always nice, just like in Huacachina. Here too you will spend the night in a hotel with an outdoor pool and a nice garden.

You have a free day in Nazca. There are several excursions to make around Nazca.
At the end of the evening you take the luxury night bus from Nazca to Arequipa.

Optional

If desired, it is also possible to travel by bus from Nazca to Arequipa in the middle of the afternoon. You will then arrive in Arequipa around midnight.

Nazca lines Peru

Chauchilla and Cantayoc

In the morning of day 6 you will arrive in the city of Arequipa. During the tour of Peru you will be at altitude for the first time. Arequipa is located at an altitude of 2300 meters. You can use this day to recover from the night bus ride and to explore Arequipa, also called 'the White City', in a relaxed way.

Breakfast on the central square, la Plaza de Armas, with a view of the volcanoes el Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu, is highly recommended. Other highlights in Arequipa are the beautiful, large and colourful Santa Catalina monastery in the middle of the city and the museum Santuarios Andinos with (when she is not travelling, she is often loaned to foreign museums) ice mummy Juanita. This still intact mummy was a girl of around 12-14 years old who was sacrificed about 500 years ago. The mummy, which was stuck in the ice, was found by chance by a mountain climber in 1995, shortly after an eruption of the nearby Ampato volcano.
A nice excursion for day 7 is the approximately four-hour Arequipa Tour.

AREQUIPA TOUR

Today you start with the two-day tour to the Colca Canyon. In the morning the guide will pick you up at your hotel in Arequipa. You will visit the Colca Canyon together with a small international group. The route to the Colca Canyon is about 160 kilometers. Along the way you will regularly stop to enjoy the beautiful nature. Animals that you can encounter along the way are alpacas, llamas, wild vicuñas and various species of birds. The highest point during this route is at 4900 meters. From this point you have a beautiful view of the many surrounding volcanoes and mountains, including the Ampato volcano where the ice mummy Juanita was found. After this you descend again to 3600 meters and finally arrive at the town of Chivay in the Colca Canyon. In Chivay you have the opportunity to have lunch and you will be taken to your hotel.

To catch our breath after the bus ride and to get used to the altitude, we always find a visit to the medicinal hot springs of la Calera, just outside Chivay, very relaxing. Our guide will gladly take you there.

In the evening there is the possibility to dine during a show with traditional dance and music from the Andes.

You get up early to enjoy the beautiful view of the Colca Canyon. In about an hour and a half you drive to the point 'Cruz del Condor'. You pass beautiful viewpoints, you make a stop at the hanging tombs of the Collawas and you drive past beautiful villages where the women often still walk in colorful, local costumes. At the point 'Cruz del Condor' you can see with a bit of luck the largest bird in the world, the majestic condor, floating by on the thermals of the warming air.

After lunch you will say goodbye to the group and travel by bus through a beautiful plateau with small villages and lakes from Chivay to Puno. You will arrive here in the early evening.

Tip

Stay an extra day in the Colca Canyon during your tour in Peru. You will spend the night in a nice hotel in the town of Coporaque, on the other side of the canyon, from where you can make beautiful walks. We would like to tell you more about this.

Today you start in an international group with a 2-day excursion on Lake Titicaca. In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel in Puno and taken to the harbor. You will sail in about half an hour to the Uros Islands that are made entirely of reeds. On these islands you can get to know the local population that mainly lives from tourism and fishing. Sometimes it is possible to sail a bit with a traditional reed boat. After this you will sail further on the lake to the island of Amantani. In clear weather you can see several snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance, a beautiful view. Halfway through the afternoon you will arrive at the island of Amantani. In contrast to the reed islands of Uros, Amantani is a 'real' island.

On Amantani you will take a nice walk with your guide along the different terraces and you will be taken to the farm of your host family, who will cook for you and where you will spend the night. It is appreciated by your host family if you bring a small gift from the Netherlands or from the mainland in Peru, such as pens, soap, etc.

Optional

If you prefer to stay in a local lodge on the island of Amantani instead of at a local's home, that is also possible during this 3-week tour through Peru.

Today is all about the beautiful bus trip from Puno to Cusco. You travel in a bus that stops at a number of beautiful places along the way; such as the border point of the provinces of Puno and Cusco with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, the Inca site Raqchi and a beautiful Jesuit church in Andahuaylillas. Arriving in Cusco, Orlando from our own Tura-Travel office in Cusco will pick you up from the bus station and briefly discuss the coming days of the tour in Peru with you. Orlando is happy to help you with tips for nice restaurants and activities. There is a good chance that you will encounter Orlando more often in the coming days.

In the morning you will be taken to the station of Poroy (a town near Cusco) for the train ride to Aguas Calientes, the town near Machu Picchu. This beautiful train ride goes through the beautiful, green, and fertile Sacred Valley. In the Sacred Valley the Inca expansion started. In the afternoon you are free in Aguas Calientes.

NB: Since mid-2019 it is again possible to take the train from the San Pedro station in the city of Cusco to Aguas Calientes. You then zigzag through the valley where Cusco is located and experience the city morning life in the suburbs of Cusco up close. A very nice experience! There is a small additional charge for this train journey, we would be happy to tell you more about it.

Tip for a nice walk

A nice walk for the afternoon is to a waterfall nearby. You walk out of the town of Aguas Calientes with the Urubamba River on your left. After a little over a kilometer you can cross the river via a bridge, but you go right. You pass a railway station and continue walking on the railway along the mountainside. Watch out for passing trains. They don't go fast, but you need to be off the railway in time. After walking for about an hour on the railway you will see a small restaurant on your left. Here you can have a drink on the terrace and is the start of a walk of about 20 minutes through banana plantations to the local waterfall.

Today you have a free day in beautiful Cusco. The city can be easily explored on your own, although we can always organize an excursion for you. Highlights in this former Inca capital include the cathedral on the Plaza de Armas (the central square of the city), the church of Santa Domingo and the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman just outside Cusco. There you can also enjoy the beautiful view over the city of Cusco. Cusco also has many nice museums, markets, shops, restaurants, etc. and is a city where you will not get bored quickly.

Guinea pig food

In the Andes mountains, guinea pigs are often kept and eaten. The guinea pig is considered a delicacy and is reminiscent of rabbit meat. Many restaurants in Cusco have guinea pig on the menu and if you have always wanted to eat guinea pig, Cusco is a good place to do so. Don't be alarmed if the guinea pig is served with its head!

Tips for activities this day

-Have a taxi driver drop you off at the Sacsayhuaman site (also known as 'Sexy Woman') in the morning. Sacsayhuaman is an Inca fortress with very large stones, which the Incas managed to place on top of each other using ingenious techniques. You can take a nice walk on the site and have a beautiful view of the city of Cusco. From Sacsayhuaman it is easy to walk back to the city. All you have to do is keep descending and you will automatically end up at the Plaza de Armas, the central square of Cusco and the lowest point in the city.
- A visit to the Cusco market is a great experience. This is the place where the Cuscueños (as the inhabitants of Cusco are called) buy their food, clothes, etc. The tastiest, fresh jugos (fruit drinks) are prepared for you here.

Eating al locals' homes

In the morning you will be taken to the station of Poroy (a town near Cusco) for the train ride to Aguas Calientes, the town near Machu Picchu. This beautiful train ride goes through the beautiful, green, and fertile Sacred Valley. In the Sacred Valley the Inca expansion started. In the afternoon you are free in Aguas Calientes.

NB: Since mid-2019 it is again possible to take the train from the San Pedro station in the city of Cusco to Aguas Calientes. You then zigzag through the valley where Cusco is located and experience the city morning life in the suburbs of Cusco up close. A very nice experience! There is a small additional charge for this train journey, we would be happy to tell you more about it.

Tip for a nice walk

A nice walk for the afternoon is to a waterfall nearby. You walk out of the town of Aguas Calientes with the Urubamba River on your left. After a little over a kilometer you can cross the river via a bridge, but you go right. You pass a railway station and continue walking on the railway along the mountainside. Watch out for passing trains. They don't go fast, but you need to be off the railway in time. After walking for about an hour on the railway you will see a small restaurant on your left. Here you can have a drink on the terrace and is the start of a walk of about 20 minutes through banana plantations to the local waterfall.

You get up early to experience the sunrise at Machu Picchu. At Machu Picchu you get a tour of about two hours from a guide who can explain a lot about this beautiful place. After that you have another hour to walk around the grounds of Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world. Halfway through the afternoon you take the train back to Poroy. In Poroy someone will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel in Cusco.

Tip for climbing Huayna Picchu

In 'the photo' of Machu Picchu you can see the mountain top Huayna Picchu (which means 'young mountain' in Quechua, the language of the Incas) on the right. This top can be reached via a fairly steep climb. The climb takes about an hour. Tickets for the climb are limited and must be arranged in advance. We can arrange this entrance ticket for you.

Tip for hikers

During the 3-week tour in Peru, you can make several beautiful 2- or 4-day treks to Machu Picchu from Cusco. If you like walking, you can also start one of these treks to Machu Picchu on day 14.

Inca Trail Peru

An extra free day in Cusco.

It is also possible to take a day trip to, for example, the Sacred Valley, Maras & Moray or Rainbow Mountain.

Cusco is also the ideal starting point for a stay in the Peruvian jungle. From Cusco there are domestic flights to the town of Puerto Maldonado, in the middle of the rainforest. In this region we have contacts with several lodges, from somewhat cheaper to very exclusive. We would like to explain the differences between all these lodges.

Sacred Valley Peru

Maras and Moray

Rainbow Montain Peru

Rafting Peru

Posada Amazonas Peru

At the end of the morning you fly from Cusco back to Lima. In the afternoon you are free in Lima. Don't forget to enjoy the delicious food and atmosphere in one of the restaurants in the bustling Barranco district in the evening. In this district you will also find the MATE photography museum named after - and with work by - the famous Peruvian photographer Mario Testino.

Tip

During your Peru tour, visit El Paseo de las Aguas. This beautifully landscaped park has many fountains, including the largest fountain in the world. The Peruvians are proud that this record has been included in the 'Guinness Book of Records'. The park is also called 'Circuito Mágico del Agua', or 'the Magical Circuit of Water'. In this park you can enjoy a beautiful spectacle of water, light, music and images.

The last day of your 3-week tour of Peru. You have a free day in Lima. This day it is possible to visit the colonial center of Lima or make an excursion to Islas Palomino.

Lima Peru

Palomino Islands