Day-to-day schedule
Day 1 -
2: Lima
Arrive into the beautiful capital city of Peru,relax and acclimatise to your new surroundings.You will have two days to explore Lima at your leisure. The city centre around Plaza de Armas is full of beautiful old colonial buildings, palaces, churches and monasteries. In the monastery of San Francisco you can visit the catacombs. There are several markets and excellent museums, such as the Gold Museum and the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. The shopping streets brim with life and in the evening you could sample local cuisine in one of the many restaurants. Delicious dishes are Lomo Saltado and Ceviche.
Day 3 -
4: Lima - Pisco – Ica
In the morning you will take the bus to Pisco (some 3.5 hours driving). Pisco is a small fishing town near Paracas National Park. There’s time to visit the Islas Ballestas, a paradise for sea lions, penguins, cormorants and gannets. Although you are not allowed to disembark you will see most of them. Curious sea lions swim around the boat while various sea birds fly overhead. On the return trip you will pass “Candelabro”, a drawing of a candle etched in the rocks. The origin like that of the Nazca Lines, is unknown. Then you will go to Ica, a famous oasis surrounded by beautiful sandy dunes. In Ica you can opt the next morning to take a spectacular buggy ride and enjoy a beautiful sunset or go sandboarding, i.e. skiing the dunes on a waxed wooden board. In the oasis you can take a swim. You will stay overnight near the oasis in a hotel with a swimming pool.
Day 5: Ica - Nazca
Next day the trip continues to Nazca, famous for its intriguing Nazca Lines. The origins and purpose of the Nazca Lines remain a mystery. Some lines represent animals, among them a large 90-metre monkey and a 180-metre lizard. Others are geometric patterns, such as perfectly straight lines of several kilometres and gigantic triangles. Various theories have been developed about the function and background of these lines. The most plausible seems to be the theory by Dr Maria Reiche, a German mathematician who has spent a large part of her life studying the Nazca Lines. She thinks the drawings are part of an astronomical calendar. Just as amazing is the cemetery at Chauchilla, where sun-bleached Nazca skeletons guard their age-old resting place. If you want to fly across the Nazca Lines you can do so in the morning of Day 6, the weather permitting.
Day 6 -
8: Nazca - Arequipa (night bus)
Today you will have lots of time to take the optional flight across the famous Nazca Lines. In the afternoon you can sit and relax by the hotel swimming pool or book another optional excursion.
In the evening we will take the comfortable public night bus to Arequipa where you will arrive in the morning, after a journey along the coast and through the mountains.
Arequipa is a beautiful old colonial city at 2235 metres, surrounded by volcanoes. The most famous of them is El Misti (5822 m), which can be seen from Plaza de Armas. Although the city was founded by the Spanish Conquistadors there are still many remains from pre-Inca and Incan times to be found in and around Arequipa. Various daytrips can be taken. In Arequipa the beautiful Santa Catalina convent is worth a visit. For 400 years, nuns lived here in total isolation. It was only in 1970 that the convent was opened to the public. The convent is probably the most beautiful in the New World. The complex measures around 20,000 sq m and you can wander for hours through its picturesque alleyways. At the Museum of Sanctuaries Andinos you can visit the mummy of a young Inca girl called Juanita. She was sacrificed to the volcano to put it in a more favourable mood. The mummy has been preserved so well because it lay frozen under a layer of ice for all these years.
Day 9: Arequipa – Cabanaconde
Today you cross the Altiplano to Cabanaconde, where you will stay for the night. At the highest point of the journey you will have a fantastic view of the surrounding volcano peaks. You will see the pampas, where the vicuña, threatened with extinction, is grazing, and various kinds of llamas. You will pass through several small traditional Andean villages. This trip can be physically demanding because of the altitude, which rises as high as 4800 m.
Day 10: Cabanaconde – Chivay
Today is one of the highlights of the trip: visiting the “Cruz del Condor” offering a splendid view of Colca Canyon, one of the deepest gorges in the world. If you are lucky you will see the majestic condor floating on the thermals. You will also visit some surrounding villages and continue in the afternoon to the Indian village of Chivay, where you will stay the night. The entrance to Colca Canyon National Park is included in the holiday price.
Day 11 -
12: Chivay - Puno
In the morning you will be taken to Puno, where you are free to spend the day as you please. Puno lies on the banks of Lake Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world (3820 m). You can visit the Sillustani Tombs here. In these towers the Colla people, a pre-Inca civilisation, buried their dead. Or you could visit Puno’s colourful market or explore the town at your leisure. It is also possible to make an excursion to Tihuanacu, in Bolivia, where pre-Incan excavations can be seen.
Day 13: Puno –Uros- Amantani
Today you will take a boat trip to the floating Uros Islands. They are entirely made of reeds and when you tread on them it feels as if you are walking on the moon. You will spend the night at home with the Indians on the island of Amantani. The islanders settled here centuries ago to avoid surrendering to the Incas. The local traditional clothing is very colourful. Women wear several layers of skirts and beautifully embroidered blouses. Men knit their own woollen caps. They wear half-length black trousers, white shirts and woven cardigans. Bring sufficiently warm clothes but don’t forget the suntan lotion either; lying on deck can get you burnt quite quickly.
Day 14: Amantani –Puno
This morning you will take the boat across enormous Lake Titicaca back to Puno. You are free in the afternoon to do whatever you wish.
Day 15 -
19: Puno - Cuzco
A beautifully scenic bus trip across Peru’s Altiplano will take you to Cuzco in 8 to 9 hours. In Cuzco you can explore the royal seat of the mighty Inca kingdom. Cuzco is rich with monuments and surrounded by countless Inca ruins. In the language of the Incas, “cuzco” means “the navel of the world.” At one time the city was the powerful and religious centre of the Incas and Cuzco still breathes the mystic air of those times. In 1533, Cuzco was conquered by the Spanish. They destroyed it and used the foundations of the Inca buildings as a base to build a new colonial city. Many of these foundations are still visible. It is worth paying 70 sol (GBP 11.50) to buy the special Cuzco Visitor Ticket that gives you access to almost all of the important monuments, churches and museums in the city and the most important ruins sites in the area.
Next to Plaza de Armas is the imposing Cathedral, linked to the churches of El Triunfo and Jesus María, which in turn are outshone by La Compañía church, diagonally across the street. The Qorikancha was once the most important and richest temple of the Inca kingdom. Over its foundations, Santo Domingo church was built, but you can still admire the beautiful masonry of the Inca temple. Outside the city there are interesting Inca ruins such as Tambo Machay (a water temple), Puca Pucara, Qenko and Sacsayhuaman which; once a powerful fortress and centre of religion, offers a great view of Cuzco. Colossal blocks of granite were hewn so as to fit together exactly. These four ruins can be visited in one journey on foot or on horseback. In the evening you can dine in one of the many lovely restaurants.
Inca trail
For the real hikers, nature and culture lovers the 42 kilometre long Inca trail forms a true challenge. Do not take the ruggedness of this trek lightly, because there are no hotels, you sleep in two-person tents and the weather can change everyday. Moreover, the terrain is anything but flat. Are these reasons not to walk the Inca trail? No! But prepare yourself thoroughly, because the trek is tough, but thoroughly enchanting. It is best to walk the Inca trail between May and October, although there may be one or two showers. . Please note that during the month February the Inca Trail is always closed for maintenance.
In four days you will walk, from a height of 2000 m. along passes of 3900 and 4200 metres. You will cross bare plains and densely grown mountain cloud forest with beautiful bromelias and lianas. You will be accompanied by a local guide, who will stay with the group during the entire trek through a number of truly wonderful Inca ruins. Local porters carry the cooking equipment, tents, provisions for four days and fuel. You carry yourself a small backpack containing your needs for these four days and a sleeping bag.
In two days, you can walk a shorter version of the Inca trail. The two-day trek starts near the holy Urubamba River. By the end of the afternoon, you arrive at Machu Picchu, where you stay overnight in the village of Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu. The following day you have plenty of time to visit the ruins, led by the guide. At the end of the afternoon, you return to Cuzco by train.
If you want to walk the Inca trail, indicate this on your booking form and book as early as you can. The trek is extremely popular and if you book late, the odds are that there will not be a place left. When booking, give your precise name and passport number (your passport must be valid until 6 months after the tour!), because this information will be printed on the entrance tickets. Any error in these data automatically generates a penalty fee which we will have to charge you.
The Inca trail is always in high demand and only becomes fixed upon receiving our confirmation. It is however strongly advisable to book this well in advance as we are unable to guarantee you if you book less then 3 months in advance. Before booking an Inca trail excursion please check real time availability http://www.inca-trail.com.pe/dispo/index.php?lg=en . Please note that the Inca Trail is not available during the month of February.
The price per person for the four-day Inca trail is £150, - and for the two-day Inca trail £125 per person.
If you have booked the 4 day Inca trail, you will not stay overnight in Aguas Calientes (plus train trip) according to the standard programme. Obviously, all these costs are taken into account in the price of the Inca trail. Walking the Inca trail also means you have fewer or possibly no days off in Cuzco.
Day 20: Cuzco - Aguas Calientes
We travel by train to Aguas Calientes. The 4-hour train ride takes us through stunning scenery. The rest of the day, you are free to explore the village, take a walk or a break in the hot water springs.
Day 21: Aguas Calientes-Cuzco
Today, you may visit the world-reknowned lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, beautifully located on a plateau in the middle of freakish rock formations (the bus ride from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu is at your own expense and you will have to pay a 2-day entrance fee). Due to its unique location, the city was never discovered by the Spaniards and thus has remained relatively well preserved. It was only in 1911 that the American historian Hiram Bingham, who thought he had found the lost Inca city of Vilcabamba, discovered the ruins. Archaeologists believe it was once a religious Inca town, but its precise function is still unknown. You will have ample time to explore the whole complex of temples, terraces and holy places. The most famous photo of Machu Picchu was taken after a climb up to the Hut of the Caretaker of the Funeral Rock. If you prefer a completely different view of the ruins, a walk to the Inti Punku (Sun Gate) is highly recommended. From this point, people walking the Inca trail get their first glimpse of Machu Picchu. A steep climb of around an hour takes you to the top of the Huayna Picchu, where you will be again be rewarded with spectacular views. In the afternoon you return by train to Cuzco to spend the final two nights of the tour.
Day 22 -
23: Flight Cuzco - Lima
In the morning, we fly back to Lima for one final night before your tour finishes on day 23.
It is the last day of your tour but rather than being about ‘Goodbye’ your thought should be ‘Go further’!
Visit your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website. ‘my.shoestring’ is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today.