Lima and Cusco

Paracas, Islas Ballestas and Huacachina

You leave at 5:00 a.m. with a box breakfast from the hotel and travel about 3 hours to the Paracas bay, with a stop along the way to try handmade empanadas (on your own). From the El Chaco pier you take a motorboat to the Ballestas Islands, with sea lions, penguins, dolphins and seabirds, and see the Candelabra geoglyph up close.

Then you continue to Ica, with time for lunch on your own and a tasting of pisco, wine, tejas and chocotejas. In the afternoon you arrive at the Huacachina oasis (403 m), where you ride up the dunes in a buggy and slide down on a sandboard. You return to Lima at night, around 10:30 p.m.

Overnight: Lima

Arrival in Cusco and city tour

You arrive in Cusco (3,399 m) and we transfer you to your hotel; on the way you pass the Pachacútec monument and the Qoricancha. At the hotel, coca tea awaits you to start acclimatizing, along with a briefing on your itinerary.

At 12:45 p.m. we pick you up for the city tour: the Cathedral from the Plaza de Armas, the Qoricancha or Temple of the Sun and, by tourist transport, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay. You return to the city around 6:30 p.m.

Overnight: Cusco

Sacred Valley and train to Aguas Calientes

At 7:30 a.m. we pick you up to tour the Sacred Valley. First you stop at the Taray viewpoint (3,200 m), then visit the Pisaq archaeological complex, with its terraces and temples, and its handicraft market. Following the Vilcanota River, you reach Urubamba for a buffet lunch of Andean cuisine.

In the afternoon you explore Ollantaytambo (2,792 m), an Inca town with stone streets and a large archaeological complex. When you finish, you take the train to Aguas Calientes (2,040 m), where you spend the night.

Overnight: Aguas Calientes

Machu Picchu and return to Cusco

After breakfast you take the bus up from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. You tour the citadel with your guide for 2 hours, covering the best-known sectors according to your ticket's circuit, with time for photos before the return schedule.

You take the bus down to Aguas Calientes and, at the scheduled time, the train back to Ollantaytambo, where transport to Cusco awaits you.

Overnight: Cusco

Rainbow Mountain

You leave Cusco around 4:30 a.m. toward Cusipata, where you have a buffet breakfast, and continue to Phulawasipata (4,600 m), the start of the hike. In about 1 hr 30 min you climb to the Vinicunca viewpoint (5,200 m), among llamas, alpacas and views of the Ausangate range.

At the top your guide explains the geological formation of the mountain, and you have time for photos. You descend the same way, have a typical buffet lunch in Cusipata, and return to Cusco around 5:00 p.m.

Overnight: Cusco

Humantay Lake

You leave at about 4:30 a.m. toward Mollepata, where you have breakfast, and continue to Soraypampa, from where you hike about 1 hr 45 min to Humantay Lake (4,200 m), surrounded by snow-capped peaks.

Your guide explains the site and you have free time for photos. You return the same way to the vehicle, have lunch at the restaurant, and get back to Cusco around 5:00 p.m.

Overnight: Cusco

Airport transfer

After breakfast, at the scheduled time, we take you to the airport, 2 hours ahead of your flight. Our services end here.