Fair stay in Peru

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Lima

  Welcome upon arrival of your international flight at Jorge Chavez airport in Lima, and transfer to the hotel. A French-speaking representative will be waiting for you at the airport and will give you your travel documents. Night at Barranco's Bed & Breakfast hotel. Included: private transport, welcome by French-speaking guide, room & breakfast.

• day 2

  Lima

  In the morning, departure by private vehicle to Huaycan. On the way, visit the ruins of Puruchuco (closed on Mondays), which were built during the reign of the Incas and used as a residence for the Kuraca, an official of the Inca empire. At the end of the morning, arrival at the Cory Llacta association workshop and meeting with the artisans. Lunch at the workshop. At the beginning of the afternoon, the artisans will teach you weaving techniques and how to make objects in burilado mate. You will be able to try your hand at their craft and leave with your homemade object. In the afternoon, return trip to Lima. Overnight at Barranco's Bed & Breakfast hotel. Included: French-speaking guide, entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program, private transport, (private) excursion, lunch, room & breakfast.

• day 3

  Lima - Arequipa

  Transfer to Lima airport. Flight to Arequipa. Reception upon your arrival at Arequipa airport and transfer to the hotel. Half-day dedicated to discovering the white city. Guided tour of the Plaza de Armas, the cathedral, the church and the convent of La Compañía. You will then visit the Santa Catalina convent, a real city within the city, with its alleys lined with small houses painted in ochre, blue, and white, its squares and fountains, a setting reminiscent of distant Andalusia. Night at the Casa de Melgar hotel. Included: private transport, departure transfer, domestic flight, airport taxes, reception by French-speaking guide, French-speaking guide, entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program, room & breakfast.

• day 4

  Arequipa - Colca Valley

  In the morning, departure in a private vehicle with your French-speaking guide along the road leading to the Colca Canyon. You pass through the Pampa Cañahua area, a natural reserve for vicuñas and other Andean camelids. Short stop at the Patapampa pass, at 4,900 m altitude, to admire the volcanoes of Ampato, Sacanbaya, and Hualca-Hualca. Arrival in Chivay, then transfer to the village of Coporaque. Welcome by the family, then lunch in their company. In the afternoon, activities and a walk with your hosts around Coporaque, and the possibility to bathe in the village's hot springs (entrance fee to be paid on site). Dinner and overnight stay with the family. Included: French-speaking guide, entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program, private transport, lunch, dinner.

• day 5

  Colca Valley - Cruz del Condor - Puno

  Breakfast, then drive to the Mirador de la Croix du Condor (39 km), from where you can truly appreciate the depth of the Colca Canyon (1200 m). Stay at the site to admire the flight of the condors. Then return towards Chivay, passing by the Antahuilque viewpoints (another observation point allowing you to appreciate the canyon's width and its agricultural use: terraced crops) and Choquetico, the pre-Inca cemetery (hanging tombs), as well as the traditional villages of Maca (3262 m) and Yanque (3417 m: colonial church in baroque style). Free lunch in Chivay or with a family in Coporaque (optional). Early in the afternoon, return to Arequipa then transfer to the hotel. At 1:00 pm, departure by tourist bus to Puno. This route allows you to discover the somewhat unusual landscapes of the Altiplano. Arrival in Puno in the early evening. Welcome upon your arrival at the Puno bus terminal and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the Balsa Inn hotel. Included: French-speaking guide, entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program, private transport, breakfast, arrival transfer, room & breakfast.

• day 6

  Puno - Chucuito - Luquina Chico

  Departure at 8:00 am in a private vehicle. After about 2 hours of travel, you arrive at Chucuito where you visit the fertility temple and the Platería peninsula. You then follow the shore of Lake Titicaca to reach the Luquina Chico peninsula (Chucuito), where you are welcomed by the families of the community. You can then participate in field activities and thus share and better understand the daily life of your hosts. Free afternoon or afternoon discovering fishing (optional). Dinner with the family with a typical meal. After dinner, gathering around a fire to watch traditional dances with music. Night with a local family. Included: French-speaking guide, private transport, room, lunch, dinner.

• day 7

  Luquina Chico - Taquile - Uros - Puno

  Breakfast with the family. At 8:00 am, departure by boat (1h30 of navigation) to reach the island of Taquile, then welcome by the families and visit of the community. Discovery of the island's customs and especially the art of weaving, which is highly developed in this island community. After lunch, walk to the main square and visit the community craft center. After the visit, you take the boat back towards the floating islands, which are not natural, but were built by the Uros tribe, whose main activity is fishing. Visit and return to Puno in the afternoon. Night at the Balsa Inn hotel. Included: French-speaking guide, private transport, lunch, room & breakfast.

• day 8

  Puno - Cusco

  Transfer from the hotel in Puno to the bus terminal. At 7:00 am, departure by tourist bus to Cusco (unaccompanied journey), the navel of the Inca Empire. This route allows you to enjoy beautiful landscapes throughout the journey, via the Raya pass, at 4,320 meters above sea level. Stop at the village of Pukara and its small main square before continuing to Raqchi to visit the temple of Wiracocha (the creator of the world), built with lava from the Quinchasata volcano. Discover the remains of the great administrative city, which includes more than 160 circular constructions used as warehouses by the Empire. The day ends with a visit to the village of Andahuaylillas and its church, nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of the Andes for its rich interior (murals layered over 3 centuries, paintings, sculpted and gold-leafed altar, organ). Arrival in Cusco at the end of the day. Travel time / duration: 11:00. Reception at the Cusco bus terminal and transfer to the hotel. A French-speaking guide will accompany you to the hotel. Overnight at Amaru I hotel. Included: departure transfer, entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program, bus ticket, lunch, arrival transfer, reception by French-speaking guide, room & breakfast.

• day 9

  Cusco - Sacsayhuaman - Q’enqo - Cusco

  Departure for a half-day dedicated to discovering the ruins around Cusco (Sacsayhuaman and Q’enqo), then the historic center: visit of the Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), the Cathedral which has many paintings from the Cusco School, as well as treasures of goldsmithing, silver, and precious stones. Return to the hotel, in Cusco. Free afternoon in Cusco, navel of the Inca world. Night at the Amaru I hotel. Included: entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program, private transport, French-speaking guide, room & breakfast.

• day 10

  Cusco - Huayopata

  Departure by public transport for 2 days to discover all the secrets of coffee and cocoa production in the organic producers' communities of the Quillabamba valley. Stop at the village of Huayopata (about 3 hours by road). Check-in at Julia's house at the end of the morning, meet and have lunch with the family. At the beginning of the afternoon, walk through the plantations to discover all the local fruits, harvest coffee, and learn about the principles of coffee cultivation. Return to Julia's "casa", where she will teach you the different stages of coffee production: pulping, roasting, and grinding the beans will no longer hold any secrets for you! All that's left is to taste your coffee. Free time and dinner with the family. Night at Julia's. Note: basic comfort with the host family. Included: excursion (private), public transport, guide fees, French-speaking guide.

• day 11

  Huayopata - Aguas Calientes

  Breakfast with the family before heading to the cocoa plantations to discover the different stages and challenges of its cultivation: from the flower to the harvest. As with coffee, you will pulp, roast, and grind the beans before tasting your own cocoa paste with fruits from the plantation and a hot chocolate. At the end of the morning, departure for the village of Santa Teresa. Swim in the thermal waters, then continue to the hydroelectric plant where you will board a train to the village of Machu Picchu (possibility to go on foot: 2h30 walk). Check-in at your hotel. Night at the Rupa Wasi hotel. Included: excursion (private), entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program, French-speaking guide, public transport, train ticket, room & breakfast.

• day 12

  Machu Picchu - Ollantaytambo - Sacred Valley

  Shuttle ascent to reach the citadel of Machu Picchu. Departures, both for the ascent and descent, take place every 5 minutes. Note: - 1st shuttle to the site: 05:30 - Last shuttle to the site: 15:30 - Last shuttle to Aguas Calientes: 16:45 Travel time: 30 minutes. Arrival at the Machu Picchu site, wonder of the world. Machu Picchu is an ancient 15th-century Inca city located in Peru. Abandoned during the collapse of the Inca Empire, the sacred city of the Incas, forgotten for centuries, is considered a masterpiece of the architecture of this civilization. It was revealed by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. Since 1983, the site has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On July 7, 2007, Machu Picchu was designated as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World by the NewOpenWorld Foundation, an unofficial and commercial organization. Finally, the site is part of a cultural and natural ensemble known as the "Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu." Guided tour of the site (about 3 hours) and one hour of free time. You board a train to Ollantaytambo. Afternoon train. Note: The train company allows travelers to carry a cabin suitcase of up to 10 kilos per person. You will need to leave your checked luggage in storage at the hotel in the Sacred Valley or in Cusco. Overnight at the Tunupa hotel. Included: bus ticket, guide fees, entrance(s) to the site(s) mentioned in the program, French-speaking guide, train ticket, room and breakfast.

• day 13

  Sacred Valley - Moray - Maras - Chinchero - Cusco

  Departure at 9 am in a private vehicle for a day dedicated to discovering the Sacred Valley. First stop: the cultural site of Moray, an ancient Inca agricultural laboratory. Then, continue the excursion to Maras: salt pans in the heart of the Cordillera! Continue to the colonial village of Chinchero to visit the colonial church and the adjacent ruins. Visit the Chinchero Women's Weaving Association "Awana Wasi Tocapo", which has a workshop and sells its own products through the cooperative. It offers workshops and demonstrations of various craft techniques. You will discover the different types of camelids: llamas, alpacas, vicuñas. Possibility to buy quality fabrics, sold directly by the community. Return road to Cusco and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at Amaru I hotel. Included: private transport, entrance(s) to the site(s) mentioned in the program, guide fees, French-speaking guide, room and breakfast.

• day 14

  Cusco - Lima

  Free morning in Cusco, navel of the Inca Empire. Transfer from your hotel to Cusco airport. Your French-speaking guide will accompany you to the airport. Flight to Lima. Welcome upon your arrival at Lima airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at Barranco's Bed & Breakfast hotel. Included: private transport, departure transfer with French-speaking guide, domestic flight, airport taxes, arrival transfer, room & breakfast.

• day 15

  Lima

  Three hours before departure, transfer to Jorge Chavez Airport in Lima. Included: private transport, departure transfer.