Itinerary

Day 1 (Wed) LIMA   View Lima accommodations picture gallery  The excitement of our Peru tour begins as we pick you up at Lima International Airport and help with hotel check-in on arrival in the capital city. Southern Explorations can arrange city tours, museum visits or sightseeing excursions matching your interests if you arrive early.
View Optional Pre-Itinerary Tour Extensions

Day 2 (Thu) LIMA - CUSCO View Cusco accommodations picture gallery Your day begins with a morning flight to Cusco, center of the Inca Empire. Southern Explorations' Peru tour guides pick you up at the airport for a quick tour of the beautiful Plaza de Armas. From there, you will be taken to your hotel for a free day to relax and acclimatize to the altitude (10,856 ft). (B)

Day 3 (Fri) CUSCO View Cusco accommodations picture gallery The morning begins with a guided walking tour of Cusco markets, the colonial cathedral, and Koricancha, the famed Temple of the Sun. After lunch, your Peru tour continues, visiting temples and other Inca sights, including the fortress of Sacsayhuamán with its grand stone terraces; the carved stone surfaces and subterranean altars of Kenko; the small fortress of Puka Pukara, protector of the royal capital, and the water temple of Tambo Machay. An evening orientation session prepares you for the upcoming trek. (B)

Day 4 (Sat) CUSCO - SACRED VALLEY View Sacred Valley accommodations picture gallery Embark upon a day-long guided excursion as our Peru tour takes us to the snowcapped mountains to the timeless Sacred Valley. Along the way, you'll observe Inca terracing that climbs the steep valley walls, the ruined temples of Pisac and panoramic views of jagged granite mountains. Get acquainted with the local culture of Pisac, home to one of the best textile markets in the Andes. After lunch, you'll travel on to Ollantaytambo (9,185 ft), a small town with an impressive Inca fortress. Overnight at an Ollantaytambo hotel. (B)

Day 5 (Sun) SACRED VALLEY - PAUCARCANCHA Camp - Life on the Inca Trail Inca Trail & Lake Titicaca - CLICK TO ENLARGE This action-packed day of our Peru tour begins with a transfer to the train station for the picturesque trip to Aquas Calientes. We will catch the bus to Km 82, where you begin the Inca Trail trek. After meeting our porters, you cross the Urubamba River by bridge and continue along the river with views of the Vilcanota mountain range and Mt. Veronica (18,745 ft). Traveling through the narrow Cusichaca valley, you'll see vestiges of an ancient culture and its agriculture practices. Later, pass through the small indigenous community of Huayllabamba (9,025 ft), before stopping to camp in the archaeological zone of Paucarcancha. (B,L,D)
Inca Trail Hike Details: 5.62 miles | 6 Hours Altitude: from 8,910 ft to 9600 ft.

Day 6 (Mon) PAUCARCANCHA - LLULLUCHAPAMPA Camp - Life on the Inca Trail Today see some of the most spectacular scenery Peru has to offer, including a cloud forest that contains the rare Queñua tree. Our Peru tour continues as the trail ascends steeply before reaching a large area of pampas below the first pass. Camp overnight at Llulluchapampa (12,300 ft), with a breathtaking view of Mt. Huayanay. (B,L,D)
Inca Trail Hike Details: 4.37 miles | 5 Hours Altitude: from 9,600 ft. to 12,700 ft.

Day 7 (Tue) LLULLUCHAPAMPA - PHUYUPATAMARCA Camp - Life on the Inca Trail Physically, this is the most strenuous day of the trek, as the trail ascends steeply toward Warmiwañusca pass (13,680 ft). From there, the trail descends to the Pacaymayo River and then climbs slowly past the ruins of Runkuraqay. Another pass takes you from Runkuraqay to the ruins of Sayacmarca (12,628 ft). Along the way, you'll see some advanced Inca engineering before coming upon the beautiful ruins of Phuyupatamarca (12,000 ft), your camp for the night. (B,L,D)
Inca Trail Hike Details: 8.75 miles | 8 Hours Altitude: from 12,700 ft to the pass 13920 ft. and to over night at 11850 ft.

Day 8 (Wed) PHUYUPATAMARCA - MACHU PICCHU View Machu Picchu accommodations picture gallery Inca Trail & Lake Titicaca From Phuyupatamarca, you follow the flagstone trail that winds sharply down into the cloud forest to the ruins of Wiñay Wayna (8,855 ft). Wiñay Wayna is located along the same watercourse as Phuyupatamarca and contains well-restored Inca ruins. After a two-hour walk through a cloud forest along the Inca Trail, you at last come to a highlight of our Peru tour: Machu Picchu (7,875 ft), entering through Intipuku, the Sun Gate. After a brief tour, stay overnight at a hotel in nearby Aguas Calientes. (B,L)
Inca Trail Hike Details: 8.12 miles | 8 Hours Altitude: from 11,850 ft to 7,875 ft. (in Machupicchu)

Day 9 (Thu) MACHU PICCHU - CHINCHERO ARTISAN MARKET - CUSCO View Cusco accommodations picture gallery Dedicate your morning to exploring extraordinary Machu Picchu by waking up early to catch sunrise over the ruins. The remainder of the day holds various opportunities for your own exploration, including a climb to the sacred peak of Huayna Picchu, up to the Sun Gate, or through the lush cloud forest to the Temple of the Moon. The afternoon train takes you back to Ollantaytambo, where you are transferred to the vibrant Chinchero Market. Here local artisans will give you an introduction to their textile creations, known to be among the best in Peru. Take advantage of this last-minute shopping opportunity before returning to your Cusco hotel for the evening. (B)

Day 10 (Fri) CUSCO - LAKE TITICACA View Puno accommodations picture gallery Embark by bus over the altiplano (high plains). Here our Peru tour consists of a full day of high altitude views as we reach the community of Puno, along the shores of Lake Titicaca. Transfer to your hotel. (B)
Travel Cusco - Puno, via bus at no extra charge.
Upgrade: +$120 - Flight to Lake Titicaca (Cusco - Juliaca)
Upgrade: +$195 First Class train to Lake Titicaca (Cusco - Puno)
(Trains depart Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday only)

Day 11 (Sat) LAKE TITICACA View Puno accommodations picture gallery Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca In the morning, take a short drive to Puno harbor to travel by boat to the famed floating Uros islands for a quick visit. Continue the journey by boat to tranquil Taquile Island, where a community of male weavers and spinners lives and works in a Mediterranean-like setting. In the late afternoon, return to Puno for shopping and sightseeing. Puno is a great place to buy alpaca wear, so don't hesitate to pick up some souvenirs from your Peru tour. (B, L)
 
Lake Titicaca, the cradle of Inca civilization, is the largest fresh water lake on the South American continent, extending from southeastern Peru to western Bolivia. The lake is 122 miles long with an average width of 35 miles, so large that it has waves. At so high an altitude and the lake's frigid waters do not invite swimming. Fed by the Andes, this remnant of an ancient inland sea is appreciated by photographers but not swimmers. Bring your camera to photograph this gorgeous natural wonder from your Peru tour, but leave your swim trunks behind.

Day 12 (Sun) LAKE TITICACA - LIMA - RETURN HOME Your morning is free to enjoy breakfast at the hotel before an excursion to the outskirts of Puno. Here our historical Peru tour takes us to see the ruins of some pre-Inca funerary towers called chullpas. The finest are located at Sillustani on a peninsula in Lake Umayo. The warrior Colla tribe buried their elite in these giant cylindrical tombs, some as tall as 40 ft. Many archeologists and historians consider the Collas' exquisite stonemasonry more complex and superior even to Inca engineering. After exploring the area, you'll travel from Puno back to Lima, arriving in the late afternoon to make your connecting international flight which marks the end of Southern Explorations services. (B)

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