Cusco, Puno y Arequipa 10D/9N
Tourist Packages
Day 1: Lima/Arequippa
We will pick you up in the airport or bus station in Arequipa,
welcome you, and take you to your hotel.
Mid-day tour: city of Arequipa and the Convent of Santa Catalina
Arequipa: it is known as the “White City” because all of its
buildings, churches, and beautiful colonial monastarys are built
from white volcanic stone. We visit all of the necessary sites in
Arequipa, including the lookout point of Yanahuara, from where we
can admire the city and the towering volcano, Misti. After this, we
go to the Convent of Santa Catalina, which is one of the most
important religious monuments in Peru. It was founded in 1579 and
closed to the public in 1970. After the city tour, we take you back
to your hotel.
Day 2: Arequipa/Qolca
Breakfast is in the hotel. Afterwards, we leave for Chivay, a
city enclave in the Qolca canyon. During the trip there, we see
incredible scenery, full of mountains and lakes, and get to see the
Vicuna (a very symbolic animal in Peru) in its natural habitat.
We spend the night in a hotel in Chivay.
Day 3: Visit to the Qolca Canyon
Here you can appreciate the flight of the Condor and the
majestic surroundings of one of the largest canyons in the world. We
return to Chivay for lunch, and in the afternoon make the trip to
Puno and the hotel there.
Day 4 and 5:Tour of the islands of Uros/Taquile/Amantany/Puno
At 7:30am, we begin our tour of the island of Uros. Descendants
of the indigenous Aymarans built their houses on these artificial
islands on the waters of Lake Titikaka. The people living here live
have formed familial communities and guard the customs of their
ancestors. After Uros, we continue by boat to the island of Taquile.
This is the largest island on Lake Titikaka, and the people living
here also conserve the traditions, customs, and laws of the Incan
times. In this beautiful place, you will see the traditional clothes
and ceremonies (beautiful dancing) as well as their sacred and
ceremonial sites. All of this is a culmination of their cosmovision,
and they exemplify it in the way that they live, dedicated to
agriculture, textiles, and fishing. We eat lunch on the island of
Taquile, and then take a boat back to Puno and the hotel.
Day 6: 6:40am transportation to the bus
terminal for PUNO – CUSCO
Along the way, we visit Pukara, Raqchi, and Andahuaylillas. We
eat a buffet lunch in Sicuani, and then arrive in Cusco and go to
the hotel.
Day 7: 1:15pm to 6:30pm : Cusco city tour
(city and neighboring ruins)
The tour of the city includes the following: The Plaza de Armas
(main plaza), The Cathedral of Cusco, Koricancha (religious complex
dedicated to the different deities of Tahuantinsuyo). We then visit
the arqueological sites near the city: Kenko, an ancient ceremonial
center dedicated to the earth; PucaPucara, an ancient administrative
and military site; Tambomochay, an important and sacred place
dedicated to water; Sacsayhuaman, a fort overlooking Cusco and a
central part of its defense. After Sacsayhuaman, we take you back to
the city and your hotel.
Day 8:Cusco/ Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu
We leave early in the morning for an excursion to the Sacred
Valley of the Incas. Initially, we visit Pisaq, a picturesque little
town in which you have the opportunity to visit the largest artisan
market in the region. This is followed by lunch in Urubamba (not
included) after which we visit the ruins of Ollantaytambo, which
were a massive agricultural, administrative, social, religious, and
military complex during the time of the Tawantinsuyo. At either 4:30
or 7:00pm, we take a train to the town of AguasCalientes at the base
of Machu Picchu and check into a hotel.
Day 9: Machu Picchu / Cusco
Tour: the city of Machu Picchu
We meet at a predetermined time at the bus station in AguasCalientes,
and board a bus which will take us to the lost city of the Incas on
a very windy road up the mountain. Upon arrival, we will begin a
guided tour of the city, an arqueological complex that is clearly
divided into agricultural and urban sectors that were in perfect
equilibrium with the natural environment of the area. In the
afternoon, we return by train to Ollantaytambo and then take a van
back to Cusco and the hotel.
Day 10: Cusco/ Airport
We will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the airport
(or bus station) for your next connection.
Included:
Transportantion to and from the airport or bus station ( from
the beginning until the end of the itinerary)
Tourist bus from Arequipa to Chivay
Tourist bus from Chivay to Puno
Tourist bus from Puno to Cusco
Train to and from AguasCalientes (Turist and Expedition class)
Bus ticket to and from Machu Picchu (up and down the mountain)
Professional guide for all of the tours (Spanish & English)
All entrance fees for the attractions mentioned (BTC, Cathedral,
Koricancha, Machu Picchu)
Lodging: 9 nights in hotels (1 night in Arequipa, 1 night in Qolca,
2 nights in Puno, 1 night in the island near Puno, 3 nights in Cusco
and 1 night in Machu Picchu)
Food: Breakfast every day.
Not Included
Neither food nor touristic services not indicated in the
itinerary.
Airfare to and from Cusco
Tips for the guides and drivers (optional)
Any other tips in the hotels or airports (optional).