ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrive in Lima Board your flight to Lima, Peru. On Arrival at Lima airport, you will be welcomed by an English speaking guide and transferred to your Hotel.
Day 2: Lima City Tour In the morning, guided sightseeing tour to the most attractive and important sites in Lima, the "City of Kings". The tour includes Lima's Historical Centre, passing by Plaza San Martin, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the City Hall. We will visit the Convent and Church of San Francisco, the greatest monumental complex of Colonial Art in America and Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The tour includes a visit to the Basilica of 21 altars, Convent of Cloisters, Capitulary and Clementine Rooms, Chorus and Library of the monks, a Museum showing 11 paintings of the Rubens School, the Sacristy with paintings of Surbaran and Ribera, and its great patio decorated with Seville tiles of the XVI Century, Moorish arches and underground Catacombs. We visit, the Larco Herrera Museum, founded in 1926, showcases remarkable chronological galleries providing an excellent overview of 3,000 years of development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. Located in a unique vice-royal mansion of the 18th century built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid, the museum is surrounded by beautiful gardens. The museum features the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru. It also houses the famous erotic archaeological collection, one of the most visited Peruvian tourist attractions. For an unforgettable experience, Larco is one of the few museums in the world where visitors can also choose to enter the storage area with its 45,000 classified archaeological objects. Its masterpieces are considered worldwide icons of pre-Columbian art, after being exhibited in the world's leading museums.
Day 3: Fly to Cusco / Visit the Sacred Valley In the morning our staff will transfer you to the airport where you will take one-hour flight to the Capital of the Incas. Upon your Arrival in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas, we greet you at the airport and transfer you to the Sacred Valley, following brief orientation and a cup of traditional coca tea to assist in the acclimation to the 11300 ft. in the Inca Capital of Cusco, we travel in a private van over a low pass then down into the famous Sacred Valley of the Incas. The scenery is unsurpassable, close and distant snow peaks glistening in the sun. Visit the Ancient Pisaq market, where many of the local Indians sell their handmade textiles. Lunch at the local hacienda restaurant and continue to Ollantaytambo the major Inca temple / fortress. Probably built by the great Inca ruler, Pachacuti in the 1460s, it was the site of Hernando Pizzaro's defeat by Manco Inca in 1536. Overnight at Hotel.
Day 4: Explore Machu Picchu After Breakfast transfer to train to Aguas Calientes. Train journey passes through picturesque Andean scenery, passing traditional villages, Inca ruins and rushing rivers. We'll descend 1300 meters through the Sacred Valley of the Incas and follow the Urubamba River until the final stop at Aguas Calientes. Afterward we'll take the 20 minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu, perched 600 meters above the river. Upon arrival check-in for a one-night stay at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge located in a privileged area right at the entrance to this magnificent site. After a private guided tour, our guide will explain you the history and the myths that surround this archeological wonder MACHU PICCHU! The famous lost city of the Inca is one of the most magical and mysterious places on Earth! Stand 2,430m above sea-level in the middle of a tropical mountain forest. In an extraordinarily beautiful setting, it was probably most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height, its giant walls, terraces and ramps seen as, if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting on the eastern slopes of the Andes encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna, the site is frequently shrouded in misty clouds pierced by the powerful equatorial Sun.
Day 5: Machu Picchu / Cusco Early in the morning opportunity to enjoy a wonderful sunrise over Machu Picchu again. Lunch. In the evening aboard the train to return to Cusco.
Day 6: Cusco City Tour After breakfast, we enjoy a sightseeing tour starting in the centre of the Inca empire, the Plaza de Armas, with its Cathedral built on the ruins of the Inca Palace this tour include: The Cathedral, Qoricancha, temple of the Sun, the most important of Inca ceremonial sites. Later you will continue to the most important site of Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay, Qenqo and Puca Pucara. We return to Hotel.
Day 7: Journey from Cusco to Puno After breakfast transfer to the railway station for the wonderful Andean Explorer Inca express, which take us across the Altiplano, past llamas, alpacas, and through desert like landscapes. We ascend through snow-covered mountain tops as our train reaches the Aguas Calientes station with its hot springs and continues to the highest station of our Andes Journey. Arriving on Puno, reception and transfer to the hotel.
Day 8: Visit the Titicaca Lake After breakfast, a private tour by boat to the island's of Uros and Taquile on Lake Titicaca. Our first stop is the floating reed islands of the Uros indigenous group who maintain houses and evens schools on these floating reed islands. We continue to Taquile Island and Lunch on the Island and an opportunity for some spectacular views over the haunting beauty of Lake Titicaca. Return to Puno and to hotel.
Day 9: Visit the Sillustany Towers Early wake up to enjoy a spectacular sunrise before heading towards Juliaca, and an excursion to the Silluastani towers. These ancient funereal towers dating back to pre-Inca times are examples of the most ancient cultures found on the altiplano. After lunch, transfer to Juliaca airport for the return flight back to Lima. Reception and transfer to Hotel.
Day 10: Back Home Leisurely day with plenty of opportunity for shopping before your transfer to the airport and your return flight home
Contact us: info@ecuadventour.com
