Holiday Itinerary
Day One - Your Peru Holiday Begins!
Arrive in Lima on an evening flight as you begin your holiday in Peru! You will be met at the airport and driven to your hotel in the trendy Miraflores area of the city in time to take a walk around the elegant Parque Kennedy and perhaps to take in an evening meal on your first night in Peru. Of course, since this is your first night on holiday in Peru, then if you're feeling up to it then Miraflores is a great place for a night out...
Day Two - Pachacamac
After breakfast, we will take you out of a Lima for a guided tour of the sacred city of Pachacamac - some of the most important pre-columbian ruins in South America. In the afternoon we can either leave you with some free time to explore or we can arrange a guided tour of the colonial centre for you.
Day Three - The desert oasis of Huacachina
Today you will catch a morning coach along the Pan-American highway to Ica, south of Lima. We will meet you and take you to your hotel at the nearby stunning desert oasis of Huacachina. You can then relax by the palm tree-lined lagoon, or perhaps head out into the dunes in a dune buggy to see the amazing desert sunset.
Day Four - Free time at the Oasis
After a free morning relaxing at Huacachina, and perhaps heading out for some sandboarding, your holiday in Peru continues as we take you by coach to the desert town of Nazca. You'll arrive in plenty of time to explore the town before getting a good night's sleep for an early start tomorrow...
Day Five - Fly over the Nazca Lines
To ensure optimum conditions (and optimum photos!) you'll need to get up early this morning for us to take you to the airstrip for your flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines. Experienced and knowledgable pilots will make sure you get the most out of this intriguing spectacle. In the afternoon you will return to Nazca to catch a first-class coach to the White City of Arequipa. You will arrive here late tonight and we will meet you and take you to your hotel.
Day Six - The White City
You will wake up this morning in Arequipa - the White City. This is probably the most beautiful city in Peru - a kind of Seville at the foot of a snow-capped volcano! You will have the whole of the day free to rest and relax or to visit some of the fantastic sights in Arequipa such as the monastery of Santa Catalina.
Day Seven - Into Colca Canyon
This morning you will set out from Arequipa on a guided tour of Colca Canyon. The Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon and is home to a stunning array of wildlife and also some great natural hot springs! You will stay overnight in a hotel in Chivay, a small town right in the middle of the Canyon, where you can enjoy some traditional music and food.
Day Eight - Back from Colca Canyon
A very early start this morning, as your guide and driver take you to the 'Cruz del Condor', a natural viewpoint opposite the nesting-sites of the famous Andean Condors. We'll arrive in time to see these majestic birds launch themselves into the Canyon as they set out on their day's hunt. After spending more time in the Canyon, you will return to Arequipa in the evening to enjoy some of its superb andean cuisine (can we recommend the stuffed peppers!?!) in one of the restaurants overlooking the bustling and beautiful main square.
Day Nine - Travel to Puno
This morning we will take you to the bus station to catch the coach to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Many people find the elevation a little hard to handle at first so you may just want to rest up in your hotel and then have a wander around the town, so you will have the rest of the day free to get used to the altitude - we recommend you try the coca tea: it's natural, it works and it's definitely the Real Peru!
Day Ten - Lake Titicaca
Today you will leave your hotel in the morning for an all-day trip out onto Lake Titicaca. You will get the chance to visit the floating reed islands and also the stunning 'real' island of Taquile, with its Inca ruins. The lake is truly a very special place and as you feel the sense of peace and tranquility you get out in the middle of the lake you can understand why it became the focal point for successive Andean religions. If you'd like a really fascinating RealPeru experience, then ask about arranging to stay the night on the island of Amantani with a local family?
Day Eleven - Free time in Puno
This morning you will have some free time in Puno to explore local sites like the Sillustani funeral chimneys or perhaps just to explore the local market - it's the perfect place to pick up those alpaca scarves...
Day Twelve - Along the Andes to Cusco
Today you will catch a coach right along the Andes as your holiday in Peru continues. As well as the fantastic scenery, you will stop at some interesting Inca sites along the way before you arrive in the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco, where we will take to your hotel just off the main square.
Day Thirteen - City tour of Cusco
Today will be spent on a tour of the main sites in the city itself, and also in the surrounding hills. You will visit the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the temple complex at Kenko, Tambomachay and many other unique and beautiful locations. You will have the evening free to relax and enjoy a meal overlooking the lively central square.
Day Fourteen - Free day in Cusco
We've given you a free day in Cuzco here. There's loads to do and you should be pretty used to the altitude by now so you should be able to really explore the city - our 'PeruPack' will help you find all the best places!
Day Fifteen - The Sacred Valley of the Urubamba
A full day away from Cuzco today as you journey into the Andes for a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Urubamba. As you wind your way along one of the beautiful valleys in the world, you will be able to visit the village of Pisac (including its famous market and temple) and the temple-fortress of Ollantaytambo. You really begin to feel the spirit of the Incas as you visit these extraordinary locations. But in many ways this is just preparation for...
Day Sixteen - Machu Picchu
In many ways today is the climax to your holiday in Peru. You will set off early in the morning to take the scenic train along the valley of the Urubamba to Machu Picchu, giving you the full afternoon at this breathtaking lost Inca city. Gazing down on this semi-mythical city, high up in the cloud forest is an unforgettable experience that will stay with you forever. You will stay overnight at a hotel in Aguas Calientes, at the foot of the mountain, so you can relax in the town's famous hot springs.
Day Seventeen - Back to Machu Picchu
Today you will have the opportunity to revisit Machu Picchu, and to make sure you explored every corner of this unique site. Perhaps today might be a good opportunity to climb up to the sun-gate, or to visit the watch-tower on Wayna Picchu from where you will get an unparalleled view of the site. You will return by train to Cusco in the evening.
Day Eighteen - Into the Jungle!
This morning we will pick you up and take you to the airport to catch a flight down into the jungle, to Puerto Maldonado. From here we will take you on a 40 minute journey down the Madre de Dios River by motor canoe, at the end of which is the lovely Posada Amazonas eco-lodge. We will have a short briefing session on arrival and then walk out to the lodge’s private canopy tower, from where you have an amazing birds-eye view of the rainforest. We will then walk back to the lodge by a longer trail, to give us extra wildlife-spotting opportunities and so the expert local guides can explain more about the amazing flora and fauna of the rainforest. We return to the lodge around nightfall for dinner. After dinner we may have a chance to head out to a nearby oxbow lake to look for the large and extremely rare Black Caimans. If it is a clear starlit night, we will also be able to float in the middle of the lake and enjoy the southern stars as they are meant to be seen...
Day Nineteen - Posada Amazonas
After breakfast this morning, we will head out by boat from the lodge, and then have a short walk throurh the primary forest before we reach the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake. As we paddle across the lake, we will be keeping an eye out for the resident families of giant otters, and other lakeside wildlife such as caimans, the prehistoric-looking hoatzins, and a huge variety of birdlife. Our destination is one of the largest parrot clay licks in the Amazon basin. From a specially-constructed blind, you will be able to see dozens of parrots and parakeets, from many different sub-species descend on the clay lick to supplement their fruit diet with the clay minerals.
After lunch, we will head by boat downriver to a special trail designed by the staff of the Centro Ñape – a specialist medical centre dedicated to producing medicines from rainforest plants, using the knowledge of local peoples. We will then head back to the lodge for dinner, before our optional night walk out into the jungle, which gives you a fantastic opportunity to see many of the more elusive jungle denizens...
Day Twenty - Last Day in the Amazon
After an early breakfast it’s time to head back to the river and perhaps into the jungle itself, for a final chance to spot some of the local wildlife before returning to Puerto Maldonado to catch the lunchtime flight out of the jungle to Lima. On arrival we’ll take you back to your Miraflores hotel to get ready to head out and enjoy your last night here in Peru!
Day Twenty-one - Last day on holiday in Peru
We have left the rest of your last day on holiday in Peru free for you to explore on your own. A last chance to do some shopping, perhaps? If you'd prefer us to organise something for you, of course, we'd be more than happy to. Most international flights for the UK leave fairly late at night so we will pick you up from your hotel in the evening to make sure your Peru holiday ends perfectly by getting to the airport in plenty of time to catch the flight back home.
Options
Easy upgrades
As we've said, we can tailormake your itinerary to your exact specifications, and you can have a look at our Peru Guide or some of our other Peru Holidays for ideas about how to add to this holiday, but we can also offer you some easy optional extras which fit into this exact itinerary:
Paracas Reserve and the Ballestas Islands - from £120pp
Take a couple of days to relax in the beautiful Paracas peninusla at an exclusive beachfront hotel. You can also take a boat trip out to visit the amazing Ballestas Islands, home to huge dolphin, sea-lion and sea-bird colonies.
Trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - from £190pp
This trip takes you to Machu Picchu by train but if you'd like to keep things authentic, then why not trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu instead. It will only add three days to this itinerary and is an amazing experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.
Tour of Peru's best wineries - from £50pp
The first vines in the New World were planted in Peru and today the province of Ica is still famous for its wines, producing some excellent reds and, of course, the world-famous Pisco brandy. Why not let us take you to a couple of the best of the area’s wineries where you’ll have guided tours and talk to the experts about their work?
Homestay on Lake Titicaca - from £40pp
For a slice of the Real Peru, why not extend your trip on Lake Titicaca and stay overnight with a local family on the island of Amantani? You'll get much more time to experience the beauty of the lake this way, as well as getting a real taste of true Andean hospitality...
The Nazca Lines from Ica - from £220pp
If you'd rather avoid some of the coach journeys along the coast and up to Arequipa, then one option for you would be to do your flight over the Nazca Lines from Ica. This way you don't have to travel to Nazca by coach and then come back to Lima and fly up to Arequipa.
Tailormade for you
Of course, what we want you to remember is that we're here to offer you any guidance and advice you need. We're not about trying to sell you more than you want - we want you to have the holiday that's right for you, so give us a call or send us an email and we can start to find out what sort of Peru holiday is right for you!
Prices
Because all our Peru holidays are tailormade, our prices are flexible and depend on the accommodation and activities you want. If you want to change the length of this holiday, or the activities you do, or the type of accommodation you use - let us know! We can send you a tailormade itinerary, including price, absolutely free!
Our standard price for this trip is £1825 per person. This price is based on two people sharing a double or twin room in our standard 3-star accommodation (details available on request).
And what does it include?
We know that you need to be able to see how much things are going to cost you, so everything that you read about on the previous page is included in this price. The only "biggie" that we don't include is your international flight to and from the UK as these can vary depending on the time of year. However, we will do all the research for you and find you the best deal going, so you don't to have expend any effort here.
Just to be absolutely clear, here is what you're getting for your money on this holiday:
- All accommodation in superior hotels we have personally checked out
- All transfers
- All internal transport, including flights
- All entrance fees
- Half-day guided tour of Cusco
- Full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley
- Full-day guided tour of Machu Picchu
- Full-day guided tour of Lake Titicaca
- Two-day guided tour of Colca Canyon
- Flight over the Nazca Lines
- Three-day guided programme in the Tambopata Reserve
- Lunches on Sacred Valley and Titicaca tours
- All meals in Colca and Tambopata
- Full buffet breakfast every day