Peru Expedition Tour Package 18 Days

About this tour

Places visited

Lima - Arequipa - Cusco - Puno

Pickup point

Hotel

Drop-off point

Hotel - Plaza de Armas

Departure time

07:00 am

Return time

06:00 pm

Itinerary

1. Day 1 Peru Expedition Tour Package 18 Days

   DAY 01 – ARRIVAL IN LIMA (private transport)

   Arrival in the city of Lima. A representative of CUSCO INSIDE TRAVEL AGENCY will be waiting for you at the airport and will take you to your hotel in Miraflores, where you will receive a briefing about your tours in Lima.

   ACCOMMODATION:

   • Hotel Mariel Miraflores (double room with private bathroom or triple room with private bathroom)

   INCLUDED:

   • Pick-up from Lima airport and transfer to the hotel

   DAY 02 – FULL DAY TOUR: LIMA – PARACAS – HUACACHINA – NAZCA (shared service)

   5:30 am – 6:00 am: Departure from Lima. We pick you up directly from your hotel for safety and comfort. Your booking confirmation will show your exact pick-up time, depending on where you are staying.

   6:00 am – 10:00 am: Direct bus to Paracas, a beautiful small town by the sea.
   10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Two-hour boat tour of the Ballestas Islands. The Ballestas are a smaller version of the Galapagos and just as impressive: you will see sea lions, penguins and countless birds in their natural habitat. If you are lucky you may even spot a dolphin or three!
   1:00 pm – 2:15 pm: Direct bus from Paracas to Huacachina, a small natural oasis in the Ica desert.
   2:15 pm – 3:30 pm: Free time to explore and have lunch at one of the local restaurants around the oasis.
   4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Two hours of exhilarating dune buggying and sandboarding. Ride the dune buggies up and sandboard down the biggest dunes in South America, a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the only natural desert oasis on the continent.
   Transfer and overnight in Nazca.

   INCLUDED:

   • Guide and bus transport
   • Entrance fees and taxes for all destinations
   • Ballestas Islands boat tour in Paracas
   • Dune buggy and sandboarding in Huacachina
   • Hotel in Nazca (HOTEL BRISS)

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • Lunch and dinner

   DAY 03 – NAZCA LINES FULL DAY (private service) WITH CONNECTION TO AREQUIPA

   We will pick you up at your hotel in Nazca at 8:00 am for a 30-minute flight over one of the greatest creations of the ancient world, the Nazca Lines. Discover the fascinating geoglyphs of the Nazca desert, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, from the air.

   Our aircraft have guaranteed panoramic window seats, and professional noise-cancelling headphones let you follow the pilot's narration in several languages during the flight, making this a truly memorable experience.

   At the end of the tour we will take you to the Nazca bus terminal for your overnight bus to Arequipa.

   INCLUDED:

   • Pick-up from your hotel in Nazca and transfer to the aerodrome
   • 30-minute overflight during which you will see 12 enigmatic figures
   • Transfer to María Reiche Neumann airport (Nazca)
   • Individual seat with panoramic window
   • Transportation back to your hotel
   • Bilingual guide (audio in your own language coming soon)
   • Overflight certificate with route map
   • Risk insurance
   • Luggage storage
   • Transfer to the bus terminal

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • TUUA (airport usage fee): $20.00 per person

   DAY 04 – ARRIVAL IN AREQUIPA

   Arrival in the city of Arequipa. Our staff will meet you at the bus terminal and take you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free.

   INCLUDED:

   • Pick-up from the bus terminal and transfer to your hotel in Arequipa (private transport)
   • Hotel in Arequipa (Hotel San Agustín Posada del Monasterio)

   DAY 05 – FREE DAY IN AREQUIPA

   Free day to enjoy the city of Arequipa.

   INCLUDED:

   • Hotel in Arequipa

   DAY 06 – COLCA CANYON FULL DAY TOUR (private service)

   Hotel pick-up: around 7:00 am
   Return time: 5:30 pm

   Detailed itinerary:

   8:30 am

   We arrive at the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint, where we will take in the impressive views of one of the deepest canyons in the world and look for the majestic Andean condor, which may be spotted soaring right over your head (fingers crossed!). Get up close and take amazing photos of these birds, whose presence makes the canyon a truly unique experience.

   On the way back to Chivay we stop in the villages of Pinchollo, Maca and Yanque, small local villages with colonial churches, tombs and pre-Inca terraces, where we will get a real sense of life in the second-deepest canyon in the world.

   12:00 pm

   We arrive in Chivay, where you may visit the hot springs if you wish, and then stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

   On the way back to Arequipa we stop at Patapampa, an incredible viewpoint from which you will see the Ampato, Sabancaya and Hualca Hualca volcanoes side by side. At 4,800 meters above sea level, in Pampa Cañahuas, this is also the highest point of the day.

   5:30 pm

   Arrival back in Arequipa and drop-off at the door of your hotel.

   INCLUDED:

   • Round-trip tourist transportation
   • Breakfast
   • English-speaking guide, a local expert who knows everything about the canyon
   • Hotel in Arequipa

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • Entrance ticket to the canyon: S/ 70 soles (not included on any tour, as it cannot legally be included)
   • Entrance to the hot springs: about S/ 15 soles (optional)
   • Lunch

   DAY 07 – FLIGHT AREQUIPA – JULIACA

   Free day until the time of your flight.

   INCLUDED:

   • Pick-up at Juliaca airport and transfer to your hotel (about 1 hour from the airport)
   • Hotel in Puno (Hotel Hacienda Puno)

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • Flight Arequipa – Juliaca

   DAY 08 – LAKE TITICACA, FIRST DAY (Uros and Amantaní) – shared service

   We first visit the Uros floating islands, taking a comfortable boat from the port of Puno (30 minutes). After visiting two floating islands we continue to Amantaní Island (2½ hours), arriving around noon, where we are warmly welcomed by local families.

   Accompanied by the families, we walk about 30 minutes uphill to their homes, where we have a typical Andean lunch. After settling in and resting, we hike to the top of the island to visit the Pachamama and Pachatata Inca ceremonial temples.

   After enjoying the beautiful views of the lake, we wait for one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Finally we return to the family homes for dinner. In the evening the families organize a welcome party (optional) where you can dance and wear the local dress, accompanied by local musicians.

   DAY 09 – LAKE TITICACA, SECOND DAY (Amantaní and Taquile) – shared service

   We start the day with a typical breakfast and then walk down to the port (8:00 am) to take our boat to Taquile Island. We walk uphill to the main square, where we can take in the island and learn about its customs and textiles. After lunch we walk down to the port of Taquile (1:00 pm) and return to Puno, arriving at around 3:30 pm, and then transfer back to your hotel.

   INCLUDED:

   • Transfers hotel – port – hotel
   • Motor boat (with toilet and bus-style seats)
   • Professional Spanish/English-speaking guide
   • Entrance fees
   • Basic accommodation and 3 meals (lunch, dinner and breakfast) on Amantaní, mainly Andean food (potatoes, rice, eggs, quinoa soup, cheese, etc.)
   • Lunch on Taquile (quinoa soup, trout with rice or potatoes, and coca or muña tea)
   • Hotel in Puno

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • Tips
   • Traditional reed-boat ride (balsa de totora) on the Uros islands (optional): about 10 to 15 minutes, S/ 10.00 soles or $3.00 USD per person, paid directly to the islanders
   • Anything not mentioned

   DAY 10 – PUNO – CUSCO BY THE ROUTE OF THE SUN (private transport)

   DESCRIPTION: This service is provided in buses fitted out especially for tourist travel, offering the best way to travel between Puno and Cusco. Along the way you will enjoy places of magical charm and ancestral history, such as the Andahuaylillas church (the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas”), the mighty Temple of Wiracocha, the majestic La Raya pass (the boundary between Cusco and Puno, with a beautiful view of the Chimboya glacier) and the fascinating Lithic Museum of the Pukará culture.

   THE SERVICE INCLUDES:

   • Bilingual guide (English/Spanish), on board and at each site visited
   • On-board service with water and fruit nectar, plus a tasting of the famous Oropesa bread (pan chuta), all included in the fare together with ground staff assistance
   • Buffet lunch at the tourist restaurant “La Pascana”

   Arrival in Cusco at about 6:00 pm at your hotel.

   DAY 11 – CUSCO, FREE MORNING

   Our staff will meet you at your hotel to give you a brief explanation of your tours in Cusco. The rest of the day is free for you to acclimatize.

   ACCOMMODATION:

   • Hotel in Cusco (Casa San Blas Boutique or Hotel Anawarque Boutique), double or triple room with private bathroom

   INCLUDED:

   • Hotel in Cusco

   DAY 12 – CUSCO CITY TOUR AND NEARBY RUINS (private service)

   At 1:00 pm we begin the tour of the city and its nearby ruins. You will discover the amazing colonial city built on Inca foundations: the Cathedral, a Renaissance building with fine paintings of the Cusco School, and Koricancha, the Temple of the Sun. We then continue to the four archaeological sites near Cusco: Sacsayhuamán (the great fortress 5 km from the city), Q'enqo (a sacred amphitheater and center of worship of the puma god), Puka Pukara (the “red fortress”, named for the color its rocks take on at dusk) and Tambomachay (a temple dedicated to the worship of water). Return to the hotel. Overnight in Cusco.

   INCLUDED:

   • Boutique hotel in Cusco
   • Tourist ticket
   • Private transport
   • Guide

   DAY 13 – SACRED VALLEY VIP FULL DAY (private service)

   At the appointed time we pick you up at your hotel for our visit to the Sacred Valley. We visit the picturesque colonial village of Chinchero, then continue through the villages of Coya, Lamay, Calca and Urubamba. Buffet lunch. In the afternoon, guided tour of the archaeological parks of Ollantaytambo and Pisac, giant agricultural, religious, military and administrative complexes from the time of the Tawantinsuyu. Return to Cusco.

   INCLUDED:

   • Private transport
   • Guide
   • Buffet lunch
   • Entrance tickets
   • Hotel in Cusco

   DAY 14 – INCA TRAIL 4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS (private service): CUSCO – PISCACUCHO – WAYLLABAMBA

   The adventure of a lifetime begins with pick-up at your hotel between 6:00 and 6:30 am for the drive to the town of Ollantaytambo.

   After the two-hour drive you will have the chance to have breakfast. We then continue for one more hour in the same vehicle to the trailhead at Km 82 / Piscacucho.

   On the way to the start of the 4-day Inca Trail you will see plenty of corn and potato fields, since the valley we drive through to reach Km 82 is the Sacred Valley, where most local people are dedicated to farming. Once at the trailhead, we get ready to pass the first checkpoint of the Inca Trail.

   After getting an Inca Trail stamp in our passports, we hike for 2 hours to Miskay, where we take a break and you can try the local corn beer called chicha. We then continue to the viewpoint over the Llactapata ruins to explore and listen to your guide's explanation.

   We hike 30 more minutes to the lunch spot to enjoy a delicious, energizing lunch. After lunch, 2.5 more hours of hiking take us to the campsite at Wayllabamba, where our crew of porters and cooks will have set up your camp. Time for hot tea and dinner at the camp, located at 3,000 m.

   DAY 15 – WAYLLABAMBA – INCA TRAIL – PACAYMAYO

   The cooks will wake you up early with hot coca tea to get ready for the hardest day of the whole Inca Trail.

   After a nutritious breakfast we begin the climb to the highest point of the entire trail at 4,212 m / 13,818 ft: about 4 hours uphill over 9 km / 5 miles.

   The trail climbs from 3,000 m to 4,212 m along a beautiful stone path with Inca stairways that lead you to the pass known as Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass).

   With good weather we can enjoy sweeping views of the mountains that surround Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

   After some time at the pass we begin the descent, about 2 hours down the Inca steps, to Pacaymayo, where we have lunch and set up camp. In the afternoon we serve tea time followed by dinner, and we sleep at the Pacaymayo campsite, located at 3,700 m.

   DAY 16 – PACAYMAYO – PHUYUPATAMARCA – WIÑAYWAYNA

   Today is the most beautiful day of the 4-day Inca Trail, as you will see the landscape change from Andean cloud forest to the edge of the jungle.

   We hike along beautifully preserved original Inca trails and visit Phuyupatamarca (the town in the clouds). In the distance you can admire the majestic Salkantay and Wakaywillka (Verónica) mountains and, of course, your first views of Machu Picchu mountain and Huayna Picchu mountain.

   After a delicious breakfast, at around 5:30 am we leave camp toward Phuyupatamarca: 2 hours uphill, then two more hours downhill on the flatter Inca trail.

   Once at Phuyupatamarca you will have time to enjoy the views and explore this beautiful archaeological site.

   We then descend the winding Inca stairways to Intipata, which we reach after about 2 hours, to explore its farming terraces and enjoy magnificent views of the Urubamba River and its valleys. From there we continue to the Wiñaywayna campsite for a delicious lunch.

   After time for a siesta we explore the Inca ruins of Wiñaywayna, then return to camp for tea time and the last dinner prepared by our camp crew.

   DAY 17 – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO

   Today you will experience the magical moment of seeing Machu Picchu after your 4-day hike. Early in the morning the chefs serve hot coca tea at your tent, followed by a delicious breakfast, so that we can be among the first to pass the last Inca Trail checkpoint.

   We trek to the Sun Gate along amazing trails built into the cliffs of steep, rocky mountains covered in dense vegetation.

   Once we reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate), we take time to enjoy the magnificent view of Machu Picchu, the “cathedral” of the Incas, spread out before your eyes.

   Enjoy incredible views of a stone city built by the ancient civilizations of the Peruvian Andes, then continue the trek to the Inca citadel itself, passing through the enclosures that served as access controls and ritual spaces for the Incas before reaching Machu Picchu.

   Once at Machu Picchu we take time for the classic panoramic photos and then enter the ruins for a guided tour of approximately 2.5 hours.

   Afterwards your guide will leave you free to explore the vast Inca city on your own, including the Inca Bridge or, if booked in advance, Huayna Picchu mountain or Machu Picchu mountain. After 6 to 7 hours at Machu Picchu we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes, where there is time for lunch.

   You then take the train at 6:20 pm to Ollantaytambo (1.5 hours), where our driver will be waiting to transfer you to Cusco, about two more hours by car. You will be back in Cusco at around 10:00 pm.

   INCLUDED:

   • Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
   • Classic Inca Trail permit
   • Pre-departure Inca Trail briefing, given by the tour guides at our office at 6:00 pm the day before
   • Professional English/Spanish-speaking guide
   • Guided visit to Machu Picchu
   • Transportation to the Inca Trail trailhead
   • 3 nights of camping
   • 3 breakfasts
   • 3 lunches
   • 3 dinners
   • Bus ticket from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes
   • Train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (Expedition 6:20 pm or similar)
   • Transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco after the train
   • Personal sleeping pad
   • Cooks and cooking equipment
   • Vegetarian food available on request at no extra charge
   • First-aid kit
   • Oxygen bottle for emergencies
   • 1 night of hotel in Cusco (last day)

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • Breakfast on day 1 of the trail (we stop in Ollantaytambo, where you can buy it for 12 to 18 soles)
   • Lunch on day 4 of the trail, in Aguas Calientes, the tourist town at the foot of Machu Picchu
   • Sleeping bag (if you do not have one, you can rent one from us)
   • Porter service. You carry all your personal belongings, including your sleeping bag; a porter for up to 7 kg for the four days costs $80.00 USD
   • Extra expenses, tips and gratuities

   WHAT TO BRING FOR THE INCA TRAIL

   We recommend taking only what is necessary. Remember that you will walk many kilometers to Machu Picchu and every extra gram affects your performance, so here is a list of items to consider for your journey along the Inca Trail:

   • Passport
   • Cash, preferably in small bills of 10, 20, 50 and 100 soles
   • Camera and video camera
   • Backpack rain cover
   • Windproof, waterproof jacket
   • Small towel and swimsuit
   • 4 shirts / T-shirts
   • Sun hat
   • 1 pair of shorts
   • 2 pairs of long pants
   • Hiking boots or sturdy, comfortable shoes
   • Sport sandals
   • Sunscreen
   • Sunglasses
   • Toiletries (biodegradable)
   • Water bottle
   • Flashlight
   • First-aid kit

   Sleeping bag rental: $20.00 USD

   Trekking pole rental: $15.00 USD

   DAY 18 – FLIGHT CUSCO – LIMA

   Free day in Cusco until the time of your flight.

   INCLUDED:

   • Transfer from your hotel in Cusco to the airport

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • Flight Cusco – Lima

What's included?

Prices

What to bring and tips

• Extra money
• Cap and sunglasses
• Camera
• Clothing suitable for the program
• Passport
• Travel insurance