South-Peru

Nazca - Flight over Nazca lines (to be booked before departure)

With a small 4-seater Cessna plane fly for about 20 minutes over some of the Nazca drawings (occasionally, a slightly larger aircraft is deployed for up to 12 people). The pilots are known for their particularly good flying skills.

The Nazca plains extend around the famous Nazca lines. The Nazca lines are an enigma. Nobody has proof why they lie, or by whom they were created. Since their discovery, the Nazca lines have inspired the most fantastic stories. The lines are dated between 200 BC and 600 AD, and it is thought that they were used for rituals that are linked to astronomy.

Includes: airport transfers, flight over the Nazca lines and a certificate at the end.
Not included: airport tax (sol 25.00 per person, about £5).

This excursion must be booked at the time you make your trip reservation. You can book it as part of the excursion package or as an individual excursion.

Pisco - Ballestas Islands

Some 240 kilometers south of Lima lies the Paracas National Reserve and the Ballestas Islands. The Ballestas Islands have more than 160 species of seabirds, including Humboldt penguins, pelicans, cormorants and gannets. In addition, large numbers of sea lions live here. Dolphins and whales can sometimes be seen. The only way to observe the wildlife around the Ballestas Islands is from a boat. It is forbidden to enter the islands but you can easily spot the animals from the boat. The islands also have some impressive rock formations and you will certainly sail alongside the Candelabra (an archaeological etching in the hills), which is best seen from the sea.

Duration: 2 hours
Includes: transportation to the port, cruise to the islands and a local guide.
Exclusive: fee (1.00 pp sol) + port load (sol 5.00 pp)
You travel in international company (shared excursion)

Arequipa - City tour

This excursion begins with a tour of the Santa Catalina convent. You continue the route to the Compañía church. In the central square you will find the cathedral in Neo-Renaissance style. You leave the center and travels by bus to the traditional villages of Yanahuara and Carmen Alto, where you have a wonderful view of Arequipa and the surrounding volcanoes. After lunch you'll return to Arequipa.

Duration: 3 hours
Departure: in the morning or afternoon
Minimum number of participants: 7
Included: Private transportation, English speaking guide, entrance fees

Cuzco - 2 day Inca Trail (book before departure)

For description, see day to day program.

Includes:

Transfer from hotel to train station v.v; Expedition train from Cuzco ( for 104 km), Inca Trail Entrance (also valid for Machu Picchu), English speaking guide / cook; Overnight hostel in Aguas Calientes: All meals from lunch day 1 until breakfast day 2 (1 x breakfast, 1 x lunch, 1 x dinner); Visit Machu Picchu on day 2; Bus trips between Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu ; Expedition train Aguas Calientes - Cuzco.

Please be sure to add this package to your booking form at the time you reserve your trip.

Cuzco - 4 day Inca Trail (book before departure)

For description, see day to day program.

includes:

Transport from hotel to trail start point (82 or 88 km); Entrance Inca Trail (also valid for Machu Picchu), English speaking guide / cook; Carriers (not for personal equipment); Complete camping equipment (double tents with simple mats, kitchen tent, toilet tent, dining tent, tables and chairs, cooking equipment, crockery, first aid box and oxygen); All meals from lunch day 1 until breakfast on day 4 (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners); Visit Machu Picchu ; Bus Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes, Expedition train Aguas Calientes - Cuzco.

Please be sure to add this package to your booking form at the time you reserve your trip.

Cuzco - City tour + Incan sites

During this city tour you'll visit the highlights in and around Cuzco. You start with a visit to Sacsayhuaman. This vast building overlooks the city and is a perfect structure, made ​​of huge boulders. Then you will visit another important Inca site called Qenqo. Here you will find carved stone channels in a zigzag pattern. In the inner part is a stone table where the Incas mummified their dead. You return to Cuzco, where you visit one of the holiest Inca buildings, the Temple of Koricancha. Finally, visit the magnificent cathedral of Cuzco. On one of the many paintings you see the Last Supper depicted. Christ and the apostles eat guinea pig (guinea pig was one of the main dishes at sacred Inca festivals)!

Duration: 4 hours
Departure: in the morning or the afternoon
Includes: transportation, English speaking guide, entrance fees
Minimum number of participants: 7

Cuzco - Lares trek (4 days, book before departure)

The Lares trek is a good alternative to the 4-day Inca Trail, or if the 4-day Inca Trail is full. More information about this trek is available on request.

The Lares trek is a four-day trek that ends at Machu Picchu. It takes you to the rarely visited Lares valley offering spectacular views of the Urubamba Mountains, east of the Sacred Valley. You'll come across small villages and mountain passes at altitudes of over 4000 meters, with a great view of the snowy peaks. This trek gives you the opportunity to see how the Quechua-speaking Indians of the high mountain villages make their living from agriculture.
The Lares trek is seen as not too difficult and is similar to that of the Inca Trail. However, there is a peak of over 4000 meters to climb and so it is important that you have a reasonably good physical condition. People who go trekking only need to take their day bagage (the bulk of your luggage you leave in the hotel in Cuzco). You must bring your own sleeping bag.

includes:
Transportation by bus from Cusco to Lares, English speaking guide / cook, 2 nights camping and 1 night in a hostel; horses for luggage (not for personal equipment) including escorts; breakfast, lunch and dinner during the trek, complete camping equipment (double tent with simple mats, kitchen tent, toilet tent, dining tent, tables and chairs, cooking equipment, crockery, first aid box and oxygen); bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu + v.v, entrance fees and guide; Expedition train Aguas Calientes - Cuzco.

Please add this trek to your booking form at time of trip reservation.

Cuzco - Machu Picchu entrance

At the beginning of the trip you can ask your tour leader for your ticket to Machu Picchu. You may want to combine this with Huayna Picchu, the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) or the museum.

Cuzco - Sacred Valley tour

You leave by bus north to the mountains. On the way you stop at El Mirador, from where you can see the whole Sacred Valley and have a good grasp of the history of the Incas. You drive to the modern town of Pisac, where you have the time to visit the local market. You continue your journey along the Urubamba River to Ollantaytambo. You'll visit the ruins of Ollantaytambo, an important Inca construction built during the heyday of the Incas.

Duration: 8 hours
Departure: 08:30 am.
Includes: transportation, English speaking guide, entrance fees
Not included: lunch and tips
Participants: at least 7

Cuzco - Tambopata jungle extension (book before departure)

The ''South Peru'' trip can be extended with a 4-day (3 nights) jungle tour in Puerto Maldonado. You must book this extension at the same time as reserving your trip. The flights invloved are on a request basis. If you are the only one to book and there are no others to share a room with then there will be a single room surcharge of £89. The price of the jungle package includes the transfer from the hotel to the airport in Cuzco, the entrance fee to Tambopata Reserve and local airport taxes, but excluding, gratuities, drinks and personal expenses.

On day 21 you will fly from Cuzco in a half hour to the city of Puerto Maldonado, where you'll meet your boat and sail to the jungle lodge. In the afternoon there is time for a welcome drink and a short walk to a lake. After sunset there is the chance for caiman spotting by canoe. You see their eyes sparkle in the light of your flashlight.

Day 22 you make a walk and a canoe trip on the lake where, if you are lucky, you can see giant river otters, monkeys, turtles and many species of birds. In the afternoon you have time to relax on your own or take the opportunity to go hiking.

Day 23 is often used to do your own thing or to walk along the marked trails. Of course you can also sign up for an excursion organized by the lodge if you prefer. For example, a visit to a small clay wall or a day hike to the Katicocha Lake.

On the last day (day 24) you'll travel by motorized canoe back to Puerto Maldonado. From this city you will fly back to Lima and the extension will be finished.

Lima - City Tour

You start the city tour with a visit to the modern suburbs of San Isidro and Miraflores. From the Miraflores Malecon (the seafront) you have a beautiful view over the cliffs and the Pacific. In the 16th century historic center of Lima (UNESCO world heritage), you see the Plaza Mayor, the presidential palace, the Cathedral, City Hall and the palace of the bishop. In the San Francisco monastery visit the Catacombs.

Duration: 3 hours
Departure: after arriving from Cuzco
Includes: private or shared transport, English speaking guide, entrance fees.

Nazca - Chauchilla

The cemetery of Chauchilla is the only place in Peru where the ancient mummies can still be visited in their original graves. The excursion to the cemetery is combined with a visit to a ceramics workshop where you you can see the old fashioned way that gold was processed.

Duration: 2-3 hours
Includes: transfers and a local guide.
Exclusive: entrance fee (5 Sol p.p.).

Nazca - Flight over Nazca lines (to be booked before departure)

With a small 4-seater Cessna plane fly for about 20 minutes over some of the Nazca drawings (occasionally, a slightly larger aircraft is deployed for up to 12 people). The pilots are known for their particularly good flying skills.

The Nazca plains extend around the famous Nazca lines. The Nazca lines are an enigma. Nobody has proof why they lie, or by whom they were created. Since their discovery, the Nazca lines have inspired the most fantastic stories. The lines are dated between 200 BC and 600 AD, and it is thought that they were used for rituals that are linked to astronomy.

Includes: airport transfers, flight over the Nazca lines and a certificate at the end.
Not included: airport tax (sol 25.00 per person, about £5).

This excursion must be booked at the time you make your trip reservation. You can book it as part of the excursion package or as an individual excursion.

Pisco - Ballestas Islands

Some 240 kilometers south of Lima lies the Paracas National Reserve and the Ballestas Islands. The Ballestas Islands have more than 160 species of seabirds, including Humboldt penguins, pelicans, cormorants and gannets. In addition, large numbers of sea lions live here. Dolphins and whales can sometimes be seen. The only way to observe the wildlife around the Ballestas Islands is from a boat. It is forbidden to enter the islands but you can easily spot the animals from the boat. The islands also have some impressive rock formations and you will certainly sail alongside the Candelabra (an archaeological etching in the hills), which is best seen from the sea.

Duration: 2 hours
Includes: transportation to the port, cruise to the islands and a local guide.
Exclusive: fee (1.00 pp sol) + port load (sol 5.00 pp)
You travel in international company (shared excursion)

Puno - Sillustani

Sillustani is about a 30 minute drive from Puno. At the archaeological site a local guide shows us the cemetery and provides a better insight into the Andean culture. Our visit to Sillustani ends with a magnificent panoramic view over the lake Umayo. After sunset, you'll return to Puno.

Duration: 4 hours
Departure: in the afternoon
Includes: private or shared transport (min. 7 participants for private transport), English speaking guide, entrance fees.

Puno - Tiahuanaco

From Puno you make a day trip to Tiahuanaco in Bolivia. The old town, just like Lake Titicaca, sits at about 4000 meters high. Tiahuanaco probably arose before the year 400 and is one of the oldest excavations. A local guide leads you along these impressive excavations.

Duration: full day (8 hours)