Classic & Lima & Puno & Arequipa

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Lima

Upon you arrival to Lima, you will be met and transported to your hotel in Lima, where you will spend a well-deserved overnight stay. * An extra day in Lima can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities.

Day 2: Lima City Tour & Museum Visit (B, L)

Many tours tend to forget about Lima on the way to Cusco. In our opinion, the history and anthropology of Lima, with Cultures that pre-date the Incas by thousands of years, provides an excellent starting point to better understand and appreciate the Inca cultures you will see in Cusco. In the City Tour, we will see the Spanish city Square, get a snapshot of the most important city sites, and visit a world-class museum to learn about pre-Inca cultures. Sites to be visited: Main Square, The Cathedral, Government Palace, City Hall, San Francisco Monastery (including catacombs), old streets with colonial houses, and a great driving tour through beautiful San Isidro and Miraflores. You will have a delicious typical Peruvian lunch at one of the best restaurants in Lima. After lunch, you will visit the Museum of Anthropology, or Museum Larco, where we will share the Peruvian culture from the many thousands of years of pre-Inca societies up to colonial Peru. * While in Lima, we highly recommend adding culinary activities such as cooking classes and tasting dinners in the best restaurants of Latin America, for more information check our Culinary site: taste-of-peru.com and ask our agents for more information.

Day 3: Flight to Cusco & Afternoon City Tour (B)

We transfer back to the airport for the short, one hour flight to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas, located at 11,100 feet above sea level. You will be met upon arrival and transferred to your hotel of choice. You will have the remainder of the morning to rest and freshen up. It’s best to take it easy this morning to let your body adjust to the altitude. Some find enjoying a cup of hot coca tea a real help in adjusting to the high elevation and that is what the locals traditionally use coca for. Both lunch and dinner are on your own today as there are so many choices available at reasonable price either in or near your hotel. * Depending on which domestic flight you choose you will have more or less time to rest.

After lunch, you will set out on grand tour of Cusco, the former capital of the once vast Incan Empire. The city’s Spanish Colonial architecture both overlays and is interlaced with the earlier Incan architecture. We walk Cusco’s impressive Plaza de Armas and visit both the Spanish cathedral and Incan temple of the sun, Qoricancha. The Spanish conquistadores destroyed significant portions of the Inca civilization while leaving their mark on Cusco. Ornate cathedrals, adobe walls, carved balconies, hidden courtyards and cobblestone streets add to the historic richness of the ancient Incan capital.

Next we set out to visit the ruins above the city that were considered an essential part of the ancient capital. We start with one of the most impressive of them all, Sacsayhuaman. This is where Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, is held during the Summer Solstice. Some of the stones used to build the site weigh up to 70 tons yet are fitted so precisely–without the use of mortar–that one cannot slide even the thinnest object between them. Some believe that the site forms the head of puma or jaguar and that the huge triangulated walls form its teeth, or symbolize lightening. Tambomachay, the Temple of the Sacred Waters, is another site we will visit and is a marvel of hydraulic engineering. Its waters still flow today. At Q´enqo we’ll see the remains of a ceremonial site used for fertility rites and for celebrations of the solstice and equinox. * An extra day in Cusco can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities and meals.

Day 4: Sacred Valley Tour (B, L)

After breakfast, we set out into the Urubamba Valley, also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our first stop will be a visit to the Pisac market. The Pisac market has a wide variety of artisan arts & crafts and you will have the chance to see the many different products that the sacred valley produces. This is a great opportunity to for you to do some unique shopping, and to purchase souvenirs for your family and friends. After the market, we head deeper into the Sacred Valley and visit the Inca town of Ollantaytambo, still inhabited by the locals in much the same way as it was during the time of the Incas. The lodging area is formed by complex structures known as “canchas” or apartments. The Inca built a temple on a terraced site above the town. The impressive, standing stones they erected, conjure up images of Atlantis. This is the site where Manco Inca and his warriors staged a temporary victory over the Spanish Conquistadors, led by Francisco Pizarro. During this victory, the Inca warriors flooded the fields, while raining down spears and arrows from above, making it difficult for the Spanish horses to maneuver, ultimately forcing a rare retreat on the part of the Conquistadors. We then return to Urubamba, where you will have a chance to break for lunch and recover energies to continue with our tour.

After lunch, we head out to the bustling market-town of Chinchero, our final visit today. The town of Chinchero is the the Birthplace of the Rainbow, situated at over 11,500 feet. Its extensive agricultural terraces made it, in Incan times, the breadbasket of Cusco city. The main sight to see at this location is a catholic church, with fine paintings from the Cusquenian School. Modern Chinchero has a very active community of women weavers who create textiles on backstrap looms using only natural dyes. The weavers make fine, high quality mantas, table runners, pillows, bags, belts, and scarves in soft natural colors. At the end of the day you will go back to Cusco. All of our suggested hotels are well situated, so that you can relax and enjoy more of both ancient and contemporary life this evening. * An overnight at the sacred valley can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities and meals.

Day 5: Machu Picchu (B, S)

The day you have been waiting for! After breakfast we catch the train to the town of Aquas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. Continue by bus for the short ride up switch backs to the Machu Picchu citadel overhead. We enter the ruins for a breathtaking view of the city in the sky. You will enjoy a full tour of the lost city and have lunch on your own after the tour. In the afternoon we say farewell to Machu Picchu as we set out by train heading to the station at Poroy and then on to Cusco Hotel by car arriving at night. * An overnight in MachuPicchu can be added upon request. Also, we can add bus and entrance tickets for a second day at the citadel. Please let us know if you like us to add additional activities and meals.

Day 6: Tourist Bus to Puno (B, L)

After breakfast at your hotel in Cusco, you will be picked up, and taken from your hotel to the Bus station in Cusco, in order to commence your journey to Puno. Your bus from Cusco to Puno, will take you through many interesting stops:

Andahuaylillas: A beautiful and charming town. The unique Church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas is the most popular tourist attraction for visitors. Built at the beginning of the 17th century, the church walls are decorated with beautiful murals that depict the roads to glory and to hell. Raqchi: This town is located following in route to Puno. The Raqchi town has a unique church that dates back to the Colonial period church. The local craftsmen produce beautiful pieces of clay pottery to sell during the town fair. Four kilometers past this town, you will arrive at the archaeological site of Raqchi, an Inca sanctuary built by Pachacutec after his victory over the Chancas Nation. This is a gigantic construction. The most outstanding features of the construction are two rows of round columns, unique in Inca architecture, and a large longitudinal wall that runs parallel to the buildings. In this site, there is also a small museum managed by local residents as part of the complex. La Raya: Is a community dedicated to sheep farming. There are hot springs in the area. This is the highest point on the route of Puno and the doorway to this Department. Pucara: This is a quaint village in the Vilcanota Valley. The potters of Pucara are famous for the small ceramic toritos or bulls they make. Traditionally, Cuzquenian people build their houses with the help of the community.  When the house is finish, the padrino (godfather) puts one of these toritos on top of each house.  You can see examples of this all over Cuzco.  The area is also well-know for the pre-Inca Pucara culture. Architectural ruins and stone monuments of this important culture period, the intermediate formative (between the 3rd and 8th centuries A.D), are situated close to the San Cayetano precipice. Lunch today will be at the town of Sucuani. At the conclusion of the bus tour, you will be met at the bus station by one of our representatives, where they will escort you to your hotel in Puno. * Optional train or flight to Puno could be arranged.

Day 7: Uros & Taquile Island tour (B, L)

After breakfast, we will pick you up for your guided tour of Uros Island. The residents of Uros islands are Aymaras who have inherited the way of life of the long-gone Uros. Their livelihood is based on the benefits of a unique plant: the totora reed. They use it to build their homes, boats and even the floating islands they live on, periodically adding new layers of reeds. Next, you will be transfer to Taquile, where you will have lunch. Finally, you’ll set out on a grand tour of Taquile Island. Its inhabitants speak only Quechua. Farmers, fishermen and weavers, they wear distinctive outfits. Heirs of the ancient, commune-like system called ayllu, the people of Taquile offer room and board to visitors in their own homes, ensuring an opportunity to share in their customs and way of life. Taquile has several hills and many archeological ruins. After the tour, you go back to Puno where dinner is on your own. There are many places in Puno you can explore this night.

* An extra day or two in Puno can be added upon request. There are tours to Amantani, the unique Suasi Island and other places in Puno. Please ask our team.

Day 8: Touristic Bus to Arequipa (B, S)

You will have to wake up really early since you will be picked up at your hotel for your trip from Puno to Arequipa, you will be Visiting Las Lagunillas and Pampa Cañahuas. (The duration of the bus ride is approximately 6 hours). This bus tour includes many interesting stops:

Your first stop will be at the lake of Las Lagunillas: This Lake is located at 4,174 metres above sea level, and from this place we will be able to see animals like the flamengos, which history tells, was the inspiration for the colors of our Peruvian flag. On the following stop at “El Mirador del Tio Carlitos”, you will have some time to see the beautiful landscapes. Next you will continue your trip until Pampa Cañahuas: where you will have some time to drink some Mate de Coca to relieve the altitude sickness and also, to allot some time to use the restrooms. On this last stop of the bus ride you will also have the chance to view the Vicuñas, one of two wild South American camelids along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre. Vicuñas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive because the animal can only be shorn every 3 years. The vicuña is the national animal of Peru; its emblem is used on the Peruvian Coat of Arms representing the animal kingdom. Once we arrive in Arequipa, you will be met by one of our representatives and taken directly to your hotel in Arequipa. You will have the rest of the afternoon at your leisure. * Optional flight could be arranged.

Day 9: Arequipa City Tour & Free afternoon (B)

After breakfast at your hotel in Arequipa, one of our representatives will meet you at the hotel, and accompany you on your your guided tour of the city of Arequipa. The city tour will include many interesting stops. Your tour begins by arriving at the Santa Catalina Monastery, one of the most beautiful convents in Peru; the Santa Catalina monastery was founded in 1580, to shelter a select group of the religious order. It is a veritable Colonial small town, made up of houses for the nuns and their servants, cloisters, plazas and narrow streets, kitchens, refectory and laundry, as well as the church with its single nave, cupola, and square tower. The next stop on your City tour of Arequipa will be The Cathedral. Located in the main square, the construction of this church began in 1544, and has gone through several periods of restoration due to the many earthquakes and fires that the original edifice was subjected to. It is the prime example of nineteenth-century religious architecture in Peru. The Cathedral is predominantly in the Neo-classic style, with three naves, enormous columns, a great Belgian organ and a French neo-gothic pulpit. As your tour continues, you will drive through the district of San Lorenzo as you get to downtown Arequipa, to visit the Tristan del Pozo Old House, a large mansion, finished in 1738. It is distinguishable by its imposing façade, with its tympanum in the shape of candelabra of cantata flowers and monograms of the Holy Family. Still in downtown Arequipa, your next stop will be the the Carmen Alto viewpoint where you can see Arequipa’s 3 volcanoes. Our next stop will be the picturesque district of Yanahuara perched on a hill overlooking the city. Its name means “black trousers” in Quechua. It resembles Seville, with its narrow streets, Colonial facades and workshops. We will visit the church and stroll through this district to the small plaza or plazuela of Yanahuara, with its arches of sillar framing—one of the best views of the city. At the conclusion of your eventful tour, you will be taken back to your hotel, where you will have a chance to rest and gear up for the next day’s activities. **An optional tour to see “Juanita” mommy could be arranged as an extension to your city tour. Please also let us know if you like to add a lunch.

Day 10: Colca Canyon tour 2D/1N (B)

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up for your guided Colca Canyon journey. The Colca Canyon is an impressive geological formation carved out by the river as it has descended between the mountains (made of largely volcanic materials) over millions of years. The area is perhaps one of the major attractions of the area, which led Nobel Prize award winner, Mario Vargas Llosa to call it the “Valley of Wonders.” On your excursion, you will visit the Pampas Canahuas, the most important reservations of Vicunas in Arequipa. We will also see than extinct volcano called Chucura. You will then visit the town of Chivay to have lunch on your own. After lunch, you will be taken back to your hotel, where you will have the option to either rest and enjoy some leisure time on your own, or to visit Coporaque town where will have the chance to do some mild trekking and to enjoy one of the many natural and beautiful landscapes, you will also have the option to go to the hot springs tour of Calera, which will depart at 5:30pm, shortly before dinner (NOTE: Both the trekking and hot springs tours are entirely optional, depending on whether you wish to continue to see the sites, or relax at your hotel in Colca). Upon your return from the springs, you will have dinner back at the hotel, on your own before calling it a night, in order to prepare for the next day’s events. *Lunch in Chivay may be included upon request. * An extra day in Colca can be added upon request.

Day 11: Colca Canyon Tour 2D/1N & Back to Arequipa (B)

After breakfast at your hotel in Colca, you will be picked up to continue your guided tour of the stunning Colca Canyon and continue until reaching the lookout known as the Cruz del Condor (the cross of the condor), near the town of Cabanaconde. It will be at this point of the tour that, based on climate and a whole deal of luck, you may, or may not, have the once-in-a-lifetime chance of seeing the flight of the condor, in its native habitat, and the impressive scenery of one of the most naturally gorgeous spots Earth. This rare experience only serves to add to the attractions already visited on this tour, which further makes the Colca Canyon, one of the most important travel destinations in the southern Andes. Following the flight of the condor, we will continue our tour by heading out to ancient towns of Pinchollo, Yanque & Maca. Pinchollo is a small town, 50 minutes West of Chivay, famous for its miniature carved handicrafts depicting the valley’s traditions. The highlight of this small town is the church of San Sebastian, with its unique doorway to the baptistery painted with large flowers. At the Yanque town, the church is the most important Barouqe-mestizo building in all of Colca. At Maca, you will visit the beautiful church of Santa Ana, which was seriously damaged by an earthquake, but still stands today. The church, built in 1812, is considered one of the most original in the entire region. At this point, you will travel back to the town of Chivay in order to enjoy a lunch on your own. Shortly after lunch, you will return to your Arequipa route where you will pass through the Antahuilque and Choquetico viewpoints. The rest of the afternoon will be at your leisure, in order for you to enjoy the sites and have the freedom to see Arequipa at your own pace. * An extra day in Arequpa can be added upon request. Please let us know if you like us to also add additional activities.

Day 12: Flight back to Lima – Back home (B)

After breakfast at your hotel in Arequipa, you will be met and taken to the airport in Arequipa, where you will catch your short-flight back to the capital, and ultimately back home.

NOTE: Some people prefer to go directly to the sacred valley upon arrival to the Cusco Airport. Please let us know if you prefer that to send you an updated itinerary

Not exactly what you want?

Remember that Magical focuses on providing the best available options and can work with you on customizing your tour to better fit your interests and budget, without compromising the quality of your tour. Just contact us with your questions and preferences and we can modify this tour based on your expectations and requests.

Important Notes:

About MachuPicchu Entrance Tickets

As the popularity of MachuPicchu has increased in the last few years, and in order to preserve the ancient paths of MachuPicchu, the Peruvian Cultural Institute (INC) has restricted the number of people that could enter MachuPicchu to 2,500 people per day. This means that, once the 2,500 tickets are sold out, no further entrance tickets will available. Also, please note that to avoid a secondary market for these tickets, all tickets are issued with the name of the passenger, his/her passport number, nationality and date of birth. Therefore, tickets are non refundable and non transferable.

About Huaynapichu Tickets

Entrance tickets to Huaynapichu are not longer free, entrance tickets are now US$12.00 per person. There are two scheduled visits per day, with a limit of 200 people per visit (Total of 400 per day). If you are interested in hiking the Huaynapichu, we will need you to let us know at the same time you book your trip since the Huaynapichu tickets need to be purchased in conjunction to the MachuPicchu tickets.

Price

This tour (*) is available from:

USD$1279.90 per person – All Pool tours, except Arequipa City Tour that is in private. All Private Transfers.

Group with Private Transfers

For single supplement and prices in a private service, please contact us!

* Based on double occupancy, 4 people, Budget Accommodations

IMPORTANT: As price depends on each passenger choices, please contact us to send you an updated price based on your specific request. Please send us the following information and we will respond within 24 hours with your updated price.

• Number of people in your party
• Level of accommodation (3,4,5*). Please see options
• Choosing a Private or Group Tour?
• Train choice. Please see options
• Adding options: if you like to add day tours, extra days, meals, etc
• Need domestic or international flights?
• Have a special request (e.g.: special diet, wheelchair, children, senior, etc)

What’s Included?

• Expedition train Roundtrip. Upgrade to other trains: Vistadome train, Hiram Bingham Train upon request.
• Bus to Machu Picchu roundtrip.
• Tourist Bus from Cusco to Puno
• Tourist Bus from Puno to Arequipa
• Expert leadership, guides & support personnel for all listed tours
• Accommodations: 2 nights in Lima, 3 nights in Cuzco, 2 nights in Puno, 3 nights in Arequipa, 1 night in Colca.
• Meals as noted (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner S = Snack). We can add any meals upon request
• Land excursions as noted including entrance fees (Lima Cathedral, San Francisco Catacombs, Lima Museum, BTG, Cathedral and Qoricancha, Machu Picchu, Uros & Taquile Tour, Santa Catalina, Capilla San Ignacio Loyola, Colca Canyon)
• Private Transportation: Lima Airport/Lima Hotel, Lima Hotel/Lima Airport, Cusco Airport/Cusco Hotel, Cusco Hotel/Train Station, Train Station/Cusco Hotel, Cusco Hotel/Cusco Bus Station, Puno Bus Station/Puno Hotel, Puno Hotel/Puno Bus Station, Arequipa Bus Station/Arequipa Hotel, Arequipa Hotel/Arequipa Airport.

What’s Not Included?

• Airport taxes: Local ($5-6) and International ($31) departure tax of payable in local currency by each passenger at Lima International Airport upon departure (if applicable)
• Hot Springs entrance tickets
• International and domestic airfares, usually quoted separately
• Excess baggage charges
• Medical immunizations
• Insurance of any kind: mandatory evacuation insurance; suggested cancellation insurance, interruption, baggage loss, damage and delay
• Tipping & Gratuities (Guides $4 per person per day / Drivers $1 per person per day)
• Items of a personal nature (clothing, sodas, liquor, snacks, laundry, etc.)
• Visas. Please be advised that some citizens other than Canadians and US may need visa to travel to Peru. Please advise us of your nationality to help you or check with the Peruvian Consulate.

Domestic Tickets

Lima/Cusco/Lima: From US $190 per person. This is an example price. Prices depend on the airline, date and time of booking.