Peru Surprises 10D/9N

About this tour

Places visited

Lima - Cusco - Puno

Pickup point

Hotel in Cusco

Drop-off point

Hotel - Plaza de Armas

Departure time

07:00 am

Return time

06:00 pm

Itinerary

1. Day 1 Arrival in Lima

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

   ACCOMMODATION:

   • Hotel in Miraflores (CASA ANDINA *** or HOTEL IBIS ***)

   INCLUDES:

   • Transfer from Lima airport to your hotel
2. Day 2 Ballestas Islands, Paracas National Reserve and Huacachina Oasis (Private)

   The Paracas – Huacachina full-day trip from Lima combines the best of Paracas and the city of Ica. It is an excellent option for travelers who want to see, in a single day, the Ballestas Islands, the Paracas National Reserve, the Huacachina oasis and an adventure tour of the dunes by buggy and sandboard. (The buggy ride is not recommended for people with back problems, as the buggy performs stunts and there are moments of strong vibration along the route.)

   PARACAS – HUACACHINA ITINERARY

   05:00 am: Pick-up from your hotel in Miraflores.

   09:00 am: Ballestas Islands and Candelabra tour (2 hours).

   We begin the Paracas – Huacachina full day with our first tour to the Ballestas Islands, boarding a speedboat with two 200-horsepower outboard motors at the port of El Chaco, Paracas. The boat is shared with other travelers. After a fifteen-minute ride across Paracas Bay we reach the Candelabra, where our guide will explain the different theories about this enigmatic figure and reveal the mysteries of this geoglyph. We then sail fifteen more minutes out to sea to the Ballestas Islands, where we will see rock formations and a great variety of marine species: sea lions, Humboldt penguins, red-legged cormorants, guanay cormorants, pelicans, Inca terns, oystercatchers and thousands of seabirds. We will also visit the sea lion nursery before returning to the port of El Chaco, Paracas. (This tour lasts approximately 2 hours.)

   You will then have free time to explore the Paracas boardwalk and the handicraft market.

   12:00 pm: Paracas National Reserve tour.

   We continue our Paracas – Huacachina full day by boarding our tourist bus for an excursion into the impressive coastal desert of the Paracas National Reserve. We will travel across the Paracas Peninsula, admiring the colorful red and yellow desert and its wind-carved formations, and visit its beautiful beaches, such as Yumaque Beach, Red Beach and Lagunillas Beach. At Lagunillas you will have free time for lunch at one of the beachfront restaurants or to walk along the shore taking photos. We then return to Paracas.

   03:00 pm: Transfer from Paracas to the Huacachina oasis (1 hour 15 minutes).

   On arrival in Huacachina we will enjoy a fun afternoon at a true desert oasis, where palm trees, huarango and eucalyptus trees offer shade for a pleasant rest.

   From Huacachina we set off on our last tour of the day: buggy and sandboarding in the desert.

   05:00 pm: Extreme desert excursion by buggy and sandboard (1 hour).

   On this ride we drive across the Huacachina desert in a 4x4 vehicle known as a buggy, making several stops along the way for photos. Our driver will take you to the top of some of the dunes so you can slide down them. Before you start sandboarding, your driver-guide will teach you specific techniques to ensure your safety.

   06:30 pm: We board our tourist bus for the trip from Huacachina back to Lima.

   INCLUDED IN THE PARACAS – HUACACHINA FULL DAY

   • Tourist bus
   • Speedboat tour to the Ballestas Islands and the Candelabra
   • Paracas National Reserve tour
   • English/Spanish-speaking guide
   • Buggy and sandboarding tour of the dunes
   • All entrance fees
   • First-aid kit
   • Hotel in Lima

   NOT INCLUDED

   • Meals
   • Ministry of the Environment tourist tax in Huacachina: S/ 16.00 per person
3. Day 3 Lima City Tour with Connection to Cusco

   LIMA CITY TOUR WITH CONNECTION TO CUSCO

   Today our staff will pick you up at your hotel to begin the Lima city tour, visiting the city's main attractions: the Huaca Pucllana, the Catacombs of San Francisco, the Plaza de Armas, the Central Reserve Bank and the Parque del Amor in Miraflores, along with a few additional stops.

   INCLUDES:

   • Hotel pick-up
   • Tour guide
   • Entrance fees
   • Tour of the historic center
   • Permanent assistance
4. Day 3 Arrival in Cusco

   Upon arrival at Cusco airport on the Lima – Cusco flight, our staff will be waiting to welcome you. The city of Cusco sits at 3,400 m.a.s.l., so we recommend drinking a natural coca-leaf tea to help you acclimatize and avoid altitude sickness. After pick-up we will take you to the hotel where you will stay during your time in Cusco.

   INCLUDES:

   • Transfer from your hotel in Lima to Lima airport
   • Night at Hotel SAN AGUSTIN ***
5. Day 4 Cusco City Tour (Half Day)

   Our travel agency staff will pick you up at the scheduled time to begin the Cusco city tour, visiting the following archaeological sites:

   • Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun
   • Sacsayhuamán
   • Qenqo
   • Puka Pukara
   • Tambomachay

   INCLUDES:

   • Hotel pick-up
   • Round-trip tourist transport for the tour
   • Official tour guide
   • Hotel in the city of Cusco
   • General Tourist Ticket (B.T.G.)
   • Entrance to the Temple of the Sun – Qoricancha
6. Day 5 VIP Sacred Valley Tour with Connection to Machu Picchu (Private)

   ITINERARY

   Activities: archaeology, culture and a little hiking.

   After breakfast, our staff will pick you up at your hotel and you will board our transport bound for the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Along the way you will enjoy beautiful landscapes, flora, fauna and impressive archaeological sites. At the end of the tour we head to the train station in Ollantaytambo for the train to the town of Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, where you will spend the night at your hotel.

   Sites visited in the Sacred Valley:

   • Chinchero
   • Maras & Moray
   • Ollantaytambo

   Includes:

   • Breakfast at your hotel
   • Round-trip tourist transport for the tour
   • Official tour guide
   • Buffet lunch in Urubamba
   • Hotel in Machu Picchu (HOTEL INTI PUNKU ***)
   • Tourist train (Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu)
   • Tourist Ticket (B.T.G.)
   • Entrance to the Maras salt mines
7. Day 6 Machu Picchu Full Day (Private)

   PRIVATE FULL-DAY TOUR OF THE MACHU PICCHU CITADEL

   Today your guide will pick you up at your hotel in Aguas Calientes to take the Consettur bus, a 30-minute ride up to the main entrance of Machu Picchu, where your guide will be waiting to take you inside. Once in the citadel, the guide will lead you through the different areas of Machu Picchu. At the end of the tour you will leave the citadel and walk a few steps from the main gate to the bus stop to take the Consettur bus back down. Back in town you will have a free afternoon to have lunch and explore Aguas Calientes. According to your return train time, you will go to the Aguas Calientes train station and take the train back to Ollantaytambo, where our staff will be waiting for you with a sign bearing your name to drive you back to Cusco (about 1 hour 30 minutes). You will be dropped off at Plaza San Francisco, from where you will make your own way to your hotel.

   INCLUDES:

   • Tourist train: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo
   • Consettur bus up to and down from the site
   • Official tour guide
   • Entrance ticket to the Machu Picchu citadel
   • Return train: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo
   • Tourist transport from Ollantaytambo station to Cusco
   • Hotel in the city of Cusco

   NOT INCLUDED:

   • Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
8. Day 7 Free Day in Cusco and Overnight Bus to Puno

   OVERNIGHT BUS CUSCO – PUNO

   Today is free for you to visit Cusco's main markets and traditional neighborhoods. At 08:00 pm our travel agency staff will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the Cusco bus terminal for the trip to the city of Puno (about 8 hours).

   INCLUDES:

   • Bus Cusco – Puno (VIP service)
9. Day 8 Arrival in Puno at 05:00 am

   On arrival in Puno, our staff will pick you up at the bus terminal and take you to the hotel so you can have breakfast and use the facilities. At the scheduled time, 08:00 am, your guide will pick you up to begin the 2D/1N islands tour.

10. Day 8 Uros and Amantaní (Group)

    The tour begins at 08:00 am with a visit to the floating islands of the Uros, reached by a comfortable boat from the port of Puno (30 minutes). After visiting two floating islands we continue the journey to Amantaní Island (2 ½ hours), arriving around midday to a warm welcome from the local families.

    Accompanied by the families, we walk uphill (about 30 minutes) to their homes on Amantaní, where we will have lunch featuring typical Andean dishes from the island. After settling in and resting, we hike to the top of the island to visit the Inca ceremonial temples of "Pachamama" and "Pachatata".

    After taking in the beautiful views of the lake in all its splendor, we wait to watch 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 dress in local costume, accompanied by local musicians.

11. Day 9 Visit to Taquile

    We start the day with a typical breakfast and then walk down to the port of Amantaní (around 8:00 am) to board our boat to Taquile Island. We walk uphill to the main square, from where we can take in views of the island and learn more about its customs and textile traditions. After lunch we walk down to the port of Taquile (01:00 pm) for the return trip to Puno, arriving at around 03:30 pm.

    Back in Puno you will have the afternoon free to explore the city before returning to Cusco for your connecting flight to Lima.

    THE TOUR INCLUDES:

    • Bus Cusco – Puno (overnight)
    • Uros – Taquile – Amantaní tour
    • Transfers hotel – port – hotel
    • Motorboat
    • Spanish/English-speaking guide
    • Entrance fees to the Uros, Amantaní and Taquile
    • Basic accommodation and 3 meals (lunch, dinner and breakfast) on Amantaní, with authentic Andean food (potatoes, rice, eggs, quinoa soup, oca, cheese, etc.)
    • Folk music show on Amantaní
    • Lunch on Taquile: quinoa soup
    • Main course option 1: fried trout with rice, fries and salad
    • Main course option 2: vegetable omelet with rice, fries and salad
    • Coca tea
    • Transfers between hotels, terminals and ports in the city of Puno
    • Permanent assistance
12. Day 10 Departure

    Today our travel agency staff will pick you up at the bus terminal and take you to your hotel to collect your luggage, then transfer you to the airport according to your flight time.

    Option 2: take a flight from Juliaca (1 hour from Puno) on the Juliaca – Lima route.

What's included?

Prices

What to bring and tips

• Extra money
• Hat and sunglasses
• Camera
• Sunscreen
• Appropriate clothing for the trip