Peru & Bolivia Highlights

On the final day you will awake to the sounds of the jungle before departing this tropical haven and returning to Puerto Maldonado for our flight on to Cusco. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel by private vehicle. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and traces of its past can be found around nearly every corner. From old Incan walkways to beautiful well preserved colonial architecture, Cusco has a varied history that is evident at a glance.

This afternoon you will join a group to explore the churches and cathedral around the charming Plaza de Armas. Your next stop will be the complex of Koricancha which contained the Temple of the Sun, the most sacred site in the Inca religion. It was the centrepiece of a vast astronomical observatory. Little remains of it today except for sections of its stone walls which hint at the sites once massive size. The Christian monastery of Santo Domingo was built on top of the complex, no doubt to signify that one religion had been replaced by another. Afterwards, you will drive to the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman which reveal the Incas extraordinary architecture. Like all Inca constructions, the stones fit together perfectly without mortar and it would be hard to fit a single sheet of paper even between the biggest. It took almost one hundred years and thousands of men to complete.

Next it is on to a site shrouded in mystery, the large rock and intricate complex of Qenko. The site is named for the zigzag channels carved into the rock which are believed to have been used by Inca priests to pour sacred chicha or llama blood into as part of an annual ritual. Tambomachay is thought to be have been used to worship water as the source of life. Two aqueducts, artistically carved on the rock, transport and keep a constant flow of clean water. Your final stop is the red fortress of Puka Pukara which took its name from the colour of the stones (especially at dusk).

Included Excursions

Cusco City Tour

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

You will meet your guide and group this morning for your full day excursion through the Sacred Valley. Here the Incas lived, farmed and enjoyed the natural wealth of this verdant region. Visit the colourful and vibrant arts and crafts market in Pisac. The nearby Inca site has a citadel, turrets, military fortresses and astronomical observatories. The largest Inca cemetery in South America is also located here.

You will continue onto the town of Ollantaytambo, which has many houses built on the bases of the old Inca town with local people maintaining their ancestral customs. The complexity of these Inca constructions incorporated into the contemporary town is considered by many to be one of the most important living museums in the world. Above the town, the military fortress that protected this area of the valley prevails strategically between two mountains. On the summit of the archaeological complex stand six enormous monoliths with mysterious engravings of Inca iconography.

You will overnight in Ollantaytambo and the evening is free here at your leisure.

Included Excursions

Sacred Valley of the Incas tour

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

Early this morning you will be met by your private guide who will travel with you on the 45 minute bus journey to the site for sunrise. You will then have an informative and fun 2 hour guided tour with enough time afterwards to explore the site at your own pace. Please bring your passport with you and you can even get it stamped here if you wish.

The lost city of Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) was originally completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces to feed the population and watered by natural springs. While the ruins were only discovered by the outside world in 1911, the site was never really lost and has been continually used for farming by the local people. Located high above the fast flowing Urubamba River, the cloud shrouded ruins have palaces, baths, temples, storage rooms and some 150 houses, all so remarkably preserved that it will take your breath away.

As you will have return bus tickets, you can make your own way down to Aguas Calientes in time for your train back to Cuzco where you will be collected on arrival and taken back to your hotel by private vehicle. The evening is then at your leisure.

Included Excursions

Guided tour of Machu Picchu

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es)

Today you will be taken to the station by private vehicle to board the bus for the scenic drive to Puno. Whilst this is a full day of driving, there are plenty of stops along the way to stretch your legs and to appreciate some of the history that this route, ‘The Route of the Sun’, holds.

Your first stop will take in the Andahuaylillas church, also known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas thanks to its intricately painted ceilings and other murals. Jump back on the bus and whilst your journey takes you onwards, your next stop takes you further back in time. Built in the fifteenth century, Raqchi is considered by historians to be one of the most audacious Inca constructions. The remarkable Wiracocha temple, 100 metres long and 20 metres wide is made of adobe walls, built on top of volcanic stone foundations.

You will then stop for lunch in the picturesque Sicuani before driving over La Raya Pass where there is a stunning view across to the snow-capped mountains and over a beautiful old chapel, standing alone in the middle of the Andean plateau. Your final stop is the archaeological site of Pukara which dates back to approximately the first century. The small museum here has items of the lithic Pukara culture.

You will arrive in Puno in the early evening and you will then be taken to your hotel by private vehicle. Puno is located on the banks of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake and stands at an impressive 3,800 metres above sea level. According to legend, it was on this lake that the Sun God commanded his children, Mama Ocllo and Manco Cápac, to give birth to the Inca civilisation.

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es)

Today you will join a group to explore two of the distinctly different islands to be found in Lake Titicaca. The ancient Uros were originally forced to take up residence on the floating islands when the Incas expanded onto their land and the mobility of the islands was a defence mechanism. Totora reed, which is plentiful along the edges of the lake, is used to make homes, furniture, boats and the islands they stand on. As reeds disintegrate from the bottom of the islands, which are four to eight feet thick, residents must add more to the surface. Each island has a collection of simple reed houses but they are not short of modern conveniences such as solar panels and televisions.

Later you will travel on to Taquile, an island untouched by the mainland's modernity. The local inhabitants, known as Taquileños, still wear traditional clothing and are known for their high-quality handicrafts. Since 1970, the islands have been governed by the Taquileños and visitors are greeted by these ancient communities and have the opportunity to share their ways of life. While the women make yarn and weave, knitting is done exclusively by men. Pre-Inca vestiges are found in the highest part of the island. You will return to your hotel in Puno in the afternoon and the evening is at your leisure.

Included Excursions

Lake Titicaca Excursion

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es)

Waving goodbye to Peru, it's onto Bolivia where you will transfer across the border. Once clearing immigration you will be taken to the Tiwanaku Archaeological Complex, a Pre-Inca site and home to important temples. After lunch you will continue to La Paz where the evening is at your leisure.

Included Excursions

La Paz City Tour

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es)

You will be collected after breakfast to spend the morning exploring the city with your guide. Walk the narrow, meandering streets of Rosario, San Jorge and San Miguel, some of La Paz's oldest and liveliest neighbourhoods. Pass through the witches' market, in the middle of the city where Aymara women in traditional Altiplanic petticoats and bowler hats sell medicinal herbs and spices. There are a number of spiritual artefacts as well including, surprisingly, mummified llama foetuses which are supposed to bring good luck in traditional culture.

As you walk down from the stalls, you will come to the San Francisco cathedral, one of the oldest and largest cathedrals in the city and home to some impressive examples of colonial-era religious art. At the Plaza Murillo, your guide will point out the Presidential Palace and the National Congress, all impressive colonial edifices in the oldest quarter of the city. You can also visit the Costumes Museum and Gold Museum, located on one of the most traditional and oldest street in La Paz.

Your next stop will be the unique Moon Valley, a fascinating geological anomaly so called because of its bizarre, moon-like landscape. Valle de la Luna has a few kilometres of walking paths that run through the huge stalagmites and trenches of the valley, carved out over centuries of erosion by the wind and rain. In addition to its fascinating geology, there are some impressive views of the Andes Mountains of the Cordillera Real outside the city.

The afternoon is then free for you to explore as you wish. You will find that the colourful markets on Sagarnaga Street have some of the best shopping in La Paz. The Mercado Lanza, famous for its Api, a hot yellow or purple drink made with cornmeal and traditionally enjoyed with a fresh cheese empanada makes a great refuelling stop.

Included Excursions

Valley of the Moon tour

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

Today you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport to board your flight to Uyuni where you will begin your tour of the famous salt flats - one of the most stunningly beautiful places in Bolivia. Make sure your camera is fully charged and the memory card is empty before you begin as the salt flats and surrounding landscapes provide spectacular and surreal photo opportunities. In the wet season a shimmering layer of water covers part of the area and creates eerie reflections. Located at 3,660 metres above sea level, the salt flat can be cold and windy, so wrap up warm for your big day out. Tonight you will overnight in a salt hotel.

The following day you will continue on through the high desert of Pampas de Dali until you reach Laguna Verde, a beautiful green lagoon in the foothills of Licancabur Mountain. From there you will travel to the Chilean border at Hito Cajon where you will be transferred to your accommodation in San Pedro de Atacama. In the afternoon you will have a half day tour of the Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna).

Included Excursions

2 night Uyuni Salt Flats and Laguna excursion

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es), 1 Dinner(s)

Today you will visit Isla Incahuasi and see slow-growing cacti on this small, rocky, coral-strewn outcrop. Some of the cacti are over 1,200 years old and reach up to 10 metre high. You will also take in the amazing Laguna Colorada with it's 30,000 Andean flamingos, geysers and natural hot springs. Tonight you will overnight in a basic lodge.

Included Excursions

2 night Uyuni Salt Flats and Laguna excursion

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es), 1 Dinner(s)

Fly back to La Paz where you can enjoy one last night before the tour comes to an end.

Accommodation

1 night(s) in hotels

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)

Your adventure of a lifetime comes to an end today. If you have a late flight or have lengthened your stay by adding post tour accommodation you will have more time to explore the sights.

Included Excursions

Departure Transfer

Meals

1 Breakfast(s)