Andean world: 7 days tour to Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Lima

Pass By: Centro Historico de Lima, Lima Peru
A transportation service and a representative will pick you up from the airport at the scheduled time and transfer you to your hotel in Lima. The Peruvian capital is a modern metropolis full of history and is home to approximately 10 million inhabitants. The city is currently undergoing an exciting process of cultural and economic changes.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Lima.

Day 2: Lima - Cuzco: City Tour & nearby archeological site

Stop At: Centro Historico De Cusco, Cusco 08002 Peru
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Cuzco. A transportation service takes you to the hotel to check-in. Then, start the city tour visiting Coricancha, also known as 'The Temple of the Sun', ordered to be built by Inca Pachacuti, which became the foundation for the construction of the Santo Domingo Convent at the arrival of the Spanish. Next, visit the Cathedral, the most imposing monument of the Main Square, construction of which began in the sixteenth century. Then, get to know the Sacsayhuaman fortress, one of the most emblematic Inca buildings, erected in the 15th century. It is an immense fortress built with large stones, their transportation, carving and assembly still remains a mystery. Every June 24th the Inti Raymi Festival, where the sun is worshipped, is recreated during the winter solstice. Continue to Qenqo, an archaeological complex for mainly religious purposes. It is believed that agricultural rituals were held in this site, located at four kilometres from the city of Cuzco. Finally, visit Puca Pucara, at seven kilometres from the city. Puca Pucara, meaning 'red fort', was an architectural complex of alleged military use with multiple environments, plazas, aqueducts, walls and towers. It is believed that it was used by the Inca entourage while he rested in Tambomachay. When finished, return to the hotel.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: At the hotel
Accommodation included: Overnight in Cuzco.

Day 3: Cuzco - Sacred Valley: Chinchero - Ollantaytambo

Stop At: Sacred Valley of the Incas, 0051 Peru
Breakfast at the hotel. During the morning, you are picked up from your hotel to visit the town of Chinchero*, a traditional Cuzco urban centre located at an elevated point with a beautiful view of the valley. The inhabitants of this area preserve the artisan traditions and the inherited knowledge of the Incas and display them in their clothes and customs. In Chinchero there are also archaeological remains and a beautiful seventeenth-century church, one of the first Catholic buildings in Peru. Then, you are transferred to the Living Museum of Yucay, a centre of Andean handicraft traditions where demonstrations of the elaboration of textile work, adobe, pottery and silverware are carried out in the same way in which they used to in antiquity; an original recreation of Incan traditions. In addition, you may be able to feed the ´residents´ of the museum! These include llamas, sheep and alpacas! Later, have lunch in Ollantaytambo and enjoy a superior Andean gastronomy experience in a restaurant, where the true spirit of the Sacred Valley radiates in a cosy atmosphere. Upon arriving in Ollantaytambo, visit its town, inhabited uninterruptedly sice Inca times, and climb the iconic fortress, built next to a mountain. At the end of this activity, you are transferred back to your hotel. *On Sundays, also visit the local market.
Duration: 9 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: At the hotel
• Lunch: In Sacred Valley
Accommodation included: Overnight in Sacred Valley.

Day 4: Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu - Cuzco

Stop At: Hot Springs (Aguas Calientes), Signposted from main square, Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu Peru
Breakfast at the hotel. A transportation service picks you from your hotel in Urubamba to take you to the Ollanta station. Your trip to Machu Picchu starts with a train ride to the town of Aguas Calientes. This town has a handicrafts market, restaurants, and accommodation of different categories. At arrival, take a short trip by bus to Machu Picchu, a masterpiece of engineering and architecture that served as a sanctuary and resting place for Inca Pachacuti. Machu Picchu means 'Old Mountain' and was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. In the citadel, you can optionally visit inti Punku (the Sun Gate) Huayna Picchu (according to availability) or the Inca Bridge. Later, return by bus to Aguas Calientes and enjoy lunch in Café Inkaterra. Finally, start your return to the city of Cuzco.
Duration: 10 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: At the hotel
• Lunch: In Aguas Calientes
Accommodation included: Overnight in Cuzco.

Day 5: Cuzco - Puno

Stop At: Catedral de Puno, Puno Peru
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the bus station. Travel by bus to Puno, passing through the impressive landscape of the Andes. The trip has three stops; the first stop in Andahuaylillas, a town located 40 kilometres away from Cuzco. Its main attraction is the local Church, also known as the "Sistine Chapel of America" owing to the highest quality of art found in it. The structure of the church was built in the sixteenth century in a site possibly inhabited by the Wari civilisation. Today, it houses a recently restored original pipe organ. Continue the journey to Racchi, home to the Wiracocha Temple, a striking rectangular structure that measures 30 meters wide and 20 meters high, similar to a wall with windows and doors. A stop is made to have lunch in Sicuani. Then make a brief stop at La Raya, the highest point of the trip between Puno and Cusco, at 4,313 meters above sea level. From here, at 60 kilometers from the city of Juliaca (very close to Puno), reach the town of Pucara, where the Pucara Lithic Museum is located. This city was the first urban settlement in the lake and developed between 100 and 300 A.D. Finally, make the last trip to the hotel in the city of Puno, where a representative will assist you with the check-in.
Duration: 9 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: At the hotel
• Lunch: In Sicuani
Accommodation included: Overnight in Puno.

Day 6: Puno: Lake Titicaca - Uros and Taquile Islands

Stop At: Lake Titicaca, Puno 21000 Peru
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the port of Puno, where a boat takes you to the floating islands of Uros. The Uros are an ancient society that populates a series of artificial islands built using totora reeds, which grow in the lake. The islands are constructed by weaving thick canes, forming a natural layer. The locals build their houses, also made of reed, and cook outdoors to avoid possible fires. After an hour and a half of travel, continue your trip to Taquile. This island is Quechua-speaking, unlike the other islands on the lake where Aymara is spoken. The island was once part of the Inca Empire, and you can still see vestiges of that culture in its structures. Once there, receive a brief explanation and witness a cultural demonstration. After lunch, start the return to Puno.
Duration: 9 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast: At the hotel
• Lunch: In Taquile.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Puno.

Day 7: Departure Puno

Pass By: Catedral de Puno, Puno Peru
After having breakfast at the hotel, you are transferred to the Juliaca airport. A representative assists you along the way.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: At the hotel
No accommodation included on this day.