Colours of Peru

Upon arrival, on the first day of your trip to Peru, you will be welcomed by our personnel at Lima airport and transferred to the selected hotel. After check in you will have a briefing in which you will be handed your “Travel kit” which includes all your travel documents such as itinerary, flight, train and bus tickets, and hotel information.

Today, we will delve into the historical essence of Lima, preserved in its historic center, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will be transported to the colonial era as we walk through its streets and plazas, admiring iconic landmarks such as the Government Palace, the Cathedral, and the Archbishop’s Palace. We will have the opportunity to visit one of Lima’s most iconic ecclesiastical sites, the Convent of Santo Domingo, also declared a World Heritage Site, where the relics of three Peruvian saints are kept: Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martín de Porres, and San Juan Macías. The tour wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Rafael Larco Herrera Museum, one of the most important in the country for showcasing a valuable collection of nearly 45,000 pre-Hispanic artifacts, especially from the Mochica culture. This museum stands out for being one of the first in the world to have visitable storage rooms and to provide virtual access to its entire collection. We will be amazed by the quality of its jewelry, textiles, and its enigmatic erotic room, dedicated to ceramics related to fertility.

At the coordinated time, you will be transferred to the bus station to board your regular bus to the beachside town of Paracas, located approximately 3 hours 30 min south of Lima. Upon arrival, take the 1 hour and 40-minute flight over the Nasca Lines. A once in a lifetime chance to see and to photograph this immense Pre-Incan astronomical calendar comprised of extraordinary and mysterious designs that were discovered in the 1930’s. After, return to your hotel.

** Important: Overflight to Nazca lines is subject to weather conditions. Don’t forget your original passport, which is required.

After breakfast, take your two-hour boat trip to the famed Ballestas Islands to enjoy the sights and sounds of fascinating Peruvian coastal wildlife living there, marine animals like sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and an endless number of migratory birds. Along the way, there will be ample opportunity to marvel at the Candelabro, a mysterious and huge geoglyph that stands watch over the Ica coastline. At the coordinated time, you will be transferred to the bus station to board your regular bus back to Lima. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to your hotel or airport.

Note: Services in Paracas are always in shared basis (yacht and overflight)

At a coordinated hour, you will be transferred to Lima Airport to take your flight to Cusco. On your arrival to Cusco, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
In the afternoon, we will be able to appreciate how the Andean and Spanish cultures, as well as the past and the present, coexist in harmony in the Imperial City. We will arrive at the center to walk the halls of the San Pedro market, the oldest in the city. Designed in 1925 by Gustave Eiffel, today it brings together hundreds of merchants selling local products. We will also visit the Koricancha temple, which during the Inca empire was a center of worship of the Sun and on which the Santo Domingo convent was later built as part of the evangelization process. Its baroque style façade built on solid Inca walls perfectly summarizes the syncretism of cultures in the city of Cusco. To appreciate the greatness of the Incas, we will ascend to the monumental fortress of Sacsayhuaman, which with its enormous carved stone walls constitutes one of the best examples of Inca military architecture. We will tour the archaeological center of Kenko, a ceremonial place where the sun, the moon and the stars were worshiped. We couldn’t take a tour of the city without visiting the Cathedral, the most important temple in the city. It was built by the Spanish on top of the palace of the Inca Huiracoha. Its interior houses a wonderful collection of colonial art composed of goldsmith pieces and representative canvases of the Cusco School of Art.
Return to your hotel.

We will visit Chinchero, a place where many communities are still organized under the Inca system of ayllus and proudly wear their typical costumes. We will take the opportunity to visit the Parwa cultural center. Here we will learn about the textile processes, the products from which the vibrant natural dyes are obtained, and the traditional weaving techniques used to manufacture them. In addition, we will be able to see the work of the artisans live and, if we want to take a souvenir with us, purchase some of their pieces. In a short walk we will pass in front of the church of Nuestra Señora de Monserrat and reach the archaeological complex, which during the Tahuantinsuyo was an agricultural and livestock center, with terraces and aqueducts. We will also arrive at the archaeological site of Moray, which during the Tahuantinsuyo functioned as an agricultural research center, something like a laboratory. Its enormous concentric terraces and the variety of microclimates they created allowed the growth of a wide variety of crops. In the valley we will also enjoy a typical lunch and visit Ollantaytambo, an ancient military, religious and agricultural center of the Incas. Strategically located on a mountain, it offers an unbeatable view of the town, the only one that maintains the original Inca urban design and which we can also visit to see its stone streets, its market and breathe the spirit of the Andes.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the train station to board the tourist Class Train to Machu Picchu, a great World Heritage Site. This archaeological site was hidden for centuries, until it came to light during the early 1900s, by the famous discoverer Hiram Bingham. It is impossible to describe in words, how you will feel when faced with the citadel, a huge complex located between the mountains and the jungle and a wonderful challenge to your imagination. Upon arrival at Aguas Calientes, reception at the train station and transfer uphill to Machu Picchu (approximately 20 minutes). On arrival to Machu Picchu, you will begin your tour of the Citadel where you will appreciate the history of this enigmatic and impressive place. The citadel was built on a very special spot covered in vegetation between two mountains: the Machu Picchu (old mountain) and Huayna Picchu (young mountain), at the foot of which meanders the Urubamba or Vilcanota River (lower Jungle featuring abundant flora and fauna). At coordinated time, you will be transferred to the train station to board your return train to Cusco. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to your hotel. Overnight.

Hike to the Rainbow Mountain with lunch.

You will leave your hotel in Cusco early in the morning, crossing the South Valley, towards Cusipata. From there, you will be transferred to Phulawasipata where you will begin your walk. After some time to prepare, you will start with the ascending route to Vinicunca, the Rainbow Mountain. The place will amaze you with its vivid colors and natural beauty. There, you will have time to take photos and fill yourself with the energy of the place. Depending on time, you might continue your walk towards the Red Valley, where you will appreciate a beautiful landscape of mountains of red dirt. There, you will also have time to appreciate the place and take photos. At the end of this visit, you will walk back to the starting point. Finally, you will be taken back to your hotel in Cusco, stopping along the route for lunch at a local restaurant.

Total walking distance: 10 km
Minimum height: 4652 m.a.s.l.
Maximum height: 5,020 m.a.s.l.
Walking hours: 3.5 hours
Degree of difficulty: 3 of 5.

Transfer to the airport for flight back to Lima.