The best of Peru

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival in Lima. Transfer by shuttle to the hotel.

  Welcome to Peru! Lima, the largest city and the capital of Peru, is a must-see during your visit to the country. In recent years, it has become a modern city with beautiful beaches, many seafood restaurants, numerous museums, and finally, an exciting nightlife.

• day 2

  Transfer, flight to Cusco, arrival in Cusco, city tour

  When you arrive at the airport, our driver will be waiting to take you to your hotel. After an exhausting flight, you will probably need some time to relax at the hotel. In the afternoon, you will explore the impressive city of Cusco. The history of the Inca Empire began here. The imperial city of the Incas was a complex urban center, with different religious and administrative functions. Many years later, the Spanish conquerors destroyed the ancient culture and sent its treasures to Spain. In the historic center of Cusco, we will see Spanish buildings, indigenous ruins, temples, and buildings finely constructed by the Incas. The main attractions are: the "Temple of the Sun," the main square "Plaza de Armas," the "San Pedro" market, and the "Papa Museo." Let your mind drift and feel the energy of the past in this magical city. Next, we will continue to the nearby ruins: Kenko, where you will see its underground galleries and semi-circular amphitheater; Tambomachay, a complex of walls connected by stairs, with water sources that feed a well via channels in which, apparently, the Inca used to bathe! It is believed that he also greatly worshipped water. Puca Pucara, the red fortress located on a hill, may have served to defend Tambomachay and the fortress of Sacsayhuaman. It is an impressive example of Inca military architecture: this fortress was built using large granite slabs to protect the city from enemy attacks or invading forces. Meals included: breakfast

• day 3

  Sacred Valley

  With its incredible nature, breathtaking views, ancient ruins, and various adventure activities, the Sacred Valley has a lot to offer. The valley was chosen by the Incas because of its geographical and climatic conditions. It was the best place in Peru to plant all kinds of vegetables and plants. However, the Sacred Valley was not part of the Inca Empire, but was rather a personal property of the Emperor. Here, you will have the chance to visit the magnificent "Pisac Market." You will find a wide variety of locally produced handicrafts there. Later, we will go visit the small town of "Ollantaytambo." Enjoy a good coffee or a delicious meal in one of the local cafés and restaurants. In addition, you will find one of the most beautiful stones in Peru there. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.

• day 4

  Rainbow Mountain, Cusco

  The Vinicunca mountain, also known as Rainbow Mountain, is one of the newest destinations for those who love trekking, nature, and landscapes. Vinicunca is a mountain located in the province of Quispicanchis in Cusco, Peru, near one of the highest snow-capped peaks in the country, Apu Ausangate. At over 5000 meters above sea level, the surrounding landscape offers a bright blue sky and almost no human, plant, or animal presence. The rainbow colors create a pleasant contrast with the other mountains and the afternoon sky. When the sun rises and the clouds are carried by the wind, the colors of Vinicunca mountain change, becoming lighter or darker, making the view even more spectacular. After being transferred from your hotel in Cusco by car (3 hours drive) and having a traditional breakfast, you and your travel companions will begin the journey to Rainbow Mountain. You can go at your own pace to enjoy every minute of the trek. About three hours later, you will turn right on the last hill, holding your breath, to be dazzled by the mountain of 7 colors, Vinicunca. You will have time to relax and take as many photos as you want. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.

• day 5

  Day 5 to 9, Salkantay trek, Cusco

  The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is an alternative to the Inca Trail and is considered by most as the best alternative route (and maybe even better!). This magnificent trail is perfect for adventurers who want to personally immerse themselves in the ever-changing ecosystems from one day to the next. You will walk through magical and grandiose landscapes, from a snowy mountain paradise to a tropical jungle where you will find a wide range of animals, medicinal plants, and varieties of flowers. Witness with your own eyes a living but ancient culture in remote villages barely seen by outsiders! The Vilcabamba mountain range is an impressive chain stretching over 260 km. The snow-capped Salkantay mountain rises to 6271 m in altitude. It is an exceptional peak, located less than 80 km northwest of the city of Cusco, in the south-central part of Peru. Due to its proximity to the city, it is easily accessible by car and has been climbed by professional mountaineers since 1952. To do the Salkantay Trek, you must have a reasonable level of fitness, but age should not be an obstacle. The most important thing is to be well acclimatized to the altitude. The highest altitude encountered during the trek is 4,650 m. Two days of acclimatization before the trek are ideal for visiting the city of Cusco, its nearby Inca ruins, and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. -- DAY 1: CUSCO | MOLLEPATA – CHALLACANCHA – SORAYPAMPA (HUMANTAY LAKE) Walking distance: 12 km Starting altitude: 3350 m Highest altitude: 4600 m Camping altitude: 3920 m Difficulty: Moderate Meals: lunch & dinner (in addition to snacks and tea time) Accommodation: Transparent glass bubble from which you can observe the sky Adventure: Moderate-High! (Especially the trek to Humantay Lake!) Highlights of the day: Walk from Challacancha to Soraypampa with very few tourists. Enjoy the afternoon visit to Humantay Lake. This lake is absolutely fantastic, nestled at the base of the Apu Humantay mountain. Take your first photos of the enigmatic Apu Salkantay. Spend the night in our glass-topped Sky Camp and admire the stars from your bed in our exclusive campsite! We start the day by picking you up at your hotel at 05:00. We will drive for about 4 hours, passing through Anta and Mollepata and arriving at Challacancha. Through the bus windows, you can clearly see the white, snow-capped mountains of Apus Salkantay and Humantay: two colossal gods of the Incas. You will also see spectacular landscapes of high peaks and low valleys in a colorful and contrasting panorama in every direction you look! After the first two hours of driving, we will make a quick stop in Mollepata to enjoy the restrooms, souvenir shops, and an optional breakfast. We will then continue to Challacancha, the starting point of our trek. We will meet our support staff, and they will organize all the equipment and pack mules. Around 09:30, we will begin the hike to Soraypampa (3850 m), the first campsite of our journey. The first section of the trail takes us above some deep valleys along the side of a mountain. In some parts of the trail, you can still see an old aqueduct that still supplies farmers in the lower valleys. We will cover 7 km in 3 hours to Soraypampa where we will have lunch at the Salkantay base camp. After lunch and a short rest, we will walk to the unforgettable Humantay Lake (4200 m). This is a 5 km round trip that we will complete in 3 hours total. This place is one of the most beautiful sites in the entire Andes, with blue-green water reflecting the glaciers of the Apu Humantay mountain. It seems like something out of a dream or a fairy tale! Back at our campsite, the background of the valley at sunset creates the most peaceful scene, with an energy that can only be felt and not described! Because Soraypampa (our camp) is located in the middle of glacial valleys, the sky is so clear at night that you can truly appreciate the stars, constellations, and even comets crossing the darkness, uninterrupted by the hustle and bustle or city lights. Take a moment tonight to refocus your mind and consider all the profound things in life in the deep silence and tranquility of Soraypampa!

• day 6

  Trek day 2: Soraypampa, Salkantay Pass, Wayracpunku, Chaullay

  Walking distance – 22 km Starting altitude – 3800 m Camping altitude – 2750 m Highest altitude: 4650 m Difficulty: difficult Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (in addition to snacks and tea time) Accommodation: Camping in CHOZAS wood cabins (Andean huts) Adventure: Absolutely, 100%! The raw and breathtaking beauty of today's hike, along with its challenging nature, will strengthen any sense of adventure you have tried to cure! Highlights of the day: Walk along the winding Salkantay trail with the highest mountain peak in front of your eyes all morning! Take on the challenge as we climb steep slopes while admiring the valley in the distance up to the base of Apu Salkantay. By noon, you will be standing in the middle of the Andes mountain range! In the afternoon, we will enter the incredible cloud forest and tropical jungle around Chaullay. This is your toughest day, but also the most rewarding! After an early wake-up at 5:30 am and a quick but energizing breakfast, we will start the hike to the highest point of the trail: the Salkantay pass (4650 m). The distance is 7 km of difficult ascent in 3 hours between the base of the rocky valley and the magnificent Salkantay mountain (6271 m). When we reach the top of the pass, we will enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding valleys and the imposing snow-capped peaks of the Salkantay, Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo mountains. Salkantay mountain is the second highest mountain in the Cusco region and one of the Inca gods called "Apu." After this highlight of the trek, there is a 5 km descent to the lunch site. The descent is on a winding gravel path that leads to the lunch camp, Huayracmachay. To rest on the way down, there is an absolutely magnificent view of the valley! In the afternoon, after our meal, we will enter the upper part of the Amazon jungle, also called "the cloud forest." It is a 10 km hike doable in 3 hours on a wide trail in the thick and magical rainforest. During this part of the trek, you will notice a significant change in the landscape and the energy of the land as we move from the Andes to the Amazon! This hike is truly beautiful, the hills are decorated with native fauna and plants. The forests are warm and tropical most of the year, with temperate climates. At the end of this exceptional hike, we will arrive at the village of Chaullay (2900 m) for a well-deserved reward and rest after our long day of trekking! We will arrive at our jungle base camp, then continue our journey towards the magnificent Machu Picchu.

• day 7

  Trek day 3: Chaullay, Collpapampa, La Playa, Lucmabamba.

  Walking distance – 18 km Starting altitude – 2750 m Camping altitude – 2400 m Difficulty: Easy Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (in addition to snacks and tea time) Accommodation: Newly built jungle domes! Adventure: Absolutely! You will be in the middle of the rainforest you have dreamed of! Highlights of the day: We leave our campsite early today to enjoy a serene and empty trail. We will appreciate the scenery, the wildlife, including the roaring river below in the valley for much of the day. While hiking through the lush jungle, you will find countless wild fruits such as banana, avocado, passion fruit, and granadilla. There are also waterfalls and streams where you can cool your feet and swim! After having lunch in the small town of La Playa, we will take a short hike to the Lucmabamba base camp and visit organic coffee, orange, and avocado plantations! At 06:00, we will start our trek towards the small town of La Playa through the Santa Teresa valley. You will be able to soak in this new lush landscape during our 6 hours of hiking today! During the hike, we will see rivers, waterfalls, wild orchids, and plantations of coffee, banana, and avocado trees. You can taste the famous passion fruit and granadilla along the way! We will see a village called Colpapampa, also known as "the front of the cloud forest," where you can observe waterfalls, birds, hot springs, fruit trees, as well as wildlife and flora. If we are lucky, we may even see the beautiful bird called "The Cock-of-the-Rock," the national bird of Peru! After a hearty lunch at La Playa, we will hike for about 1 hour to our base camp called Lucmabamba (2400 m). We will go explore the rainforest for a while and visit an organic coffee farm. If you are a coffee lover, this will be especially wonderful for you: you can taste freshly prepared coffee by the locals! Otherwise, you can still enjoy the decadent aroma of freshly roasted and ground coffee floating in the air! Coffee is the main agricultural industry for the local population here in the jungle, and they cultivate many hectares of coffee to export to the United States, Asia, and Europe. Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia, but it was only when the Spanish invaded Cusco that it was brought to this region. We will also explore an orange plantation and an avocado plantation this afternoon.

• day 8

  Trek day 4, Lucmabamba, Llactapata, Hidroelectrica, Aguas Calientes

  Walking distance – 18 km Starting altitude – 2450 m Camping altitude – 2000 m (Aguas Calientes hotel) Difficulty: Moderate to difficult Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (in addition to snacks and tea time) Accommodation: Comfortable hotel Adventure: moderate to high! How could it not be an adventure to climb the steps to visit the Inca people?! Highlights of the day: Today, something special is happening: we are walking a part of the famous Inca Trail! On this path, we will arrive at the impressive archaeological site of Llactapata, just in front of its big brother, Machu Picchu. You will meet some of the locals who live their daily lives in the region. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to pick several fruits while enjoying one of the best views of the Urubamba valley! Don't forget to turn around and see Apu Salkantay in the background before looking forward to catching your first glimpse of the glorious Machu Picchu! Like previous mornings, the trek chef will wake you up early with a good cup of coca tea served in your bed. You will be ready for today's activities while enjoying your last breakfast prepared by the talented trekking chef. We will start the hike early, and you will have the opportunity to enjoy a small part of the famous Inca Trail! After a 2-hour ascent with breathtaking views of the Santa Teresa valley, we will arrive at the Llactapata Inca site, right in front of Machu Picchu. This will be the first archaeological site we see of the mysterious lost city of the Incas! It is a very special place to enjoy together and spend time learning a little more about the roots and history of this country. We will be able to see not only the ruins of Machu Picchu from this place, but also Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountain. We will explore this Inca site with the guide, who will continue to tell the story of the Incas who used and worshipped this land. Of course, you will have plenty of time to take as many photos as you want to capture these memories and share them with your friends at home! After the Llactapata ruins, we will continue our trek with a 2-hour hike. On this part of the trail, you are still able to see Machu Picchu until we arrive at the Hidroelectrica station for lunch. One of the most impressive sites in this region is the 300-meter-high natural waterfall that generates electricity for the entire Cusco region! After lunch, we will arrive at Intiwatana, a famous ancient rock used as a sundial in Inca times. According to history, Intiwatana worked with the famous sundial stone at the Machu Picchu site. People used these two stones to measure and read the winter solstice, which marked the beginning of the new agricultural season for the Incas. After passing this interesting Inca site, we will reach the railway tracks that lead to the town of Aguas Calientes. Here, you will have two options: 1) If you are exhausted, you can take the train to Aguas Calientes ($31.00 extra). 2) If you are still eager to walk, you can walk from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes for about 3 hours along the railway. Next to the tracks, there is a lovely path that we will take through the warm paradise of the cloud forest. This is the same trail used by American professor Hiram Bingham, who rediscovered Machu Picchu after centuries of its loss to the outside world! Note: During the rainy season, hiking on the Llactapata trail is not 100% guaranteed for safety reasons. When heavy rains are frequent, this trail becomes very dangerous.

• day 9

  Trek day 5, the most important day, Machu Picchu.

  Activity Overview: Visit to Machu Picchu with optional hike Activity Level: Easy visit, intense hike Activity Duration: 2 to 5 hours of exploration and optional hike of 2 to 3 hours; Machu Picchu is at 7,972 m altitude. Highlights of the day: Your excitement for our rendezvous at Machu Picchu will grow, as we will set out early in the morning through the forest to reach the site before most other tourists – even the Inca Trail trekkers! You will have plenty of time to explore this magnificent wonder of the world while admiring the sunrise from this unique viewpoint. Your group will discover this mystical place during a two-hour guided tour through the ruins. Then, you can choose to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (if you have pre-booked tickets), or walk to the Sun Gate (no extra tickets required). Today, we reach the long-awaited finale of our trek, one of the 7 new wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Machu Picchu! We will get up early, after a refreshing night at our hotel, to beat the crowds to the top of Machu Picchu and enjoy its serenity in the soft morning light. The Machu Picchu entry checkpoint is open from 06:00 to 17:00. We will climb up to Machu Picchu (a bus ride is optional for $12.00) and enter the royal hidden citadel of the Incas. Here, we will have a 2-hour guided tour through this incredible ancient city to visit the temples, terraces, palaces, priests' houses, the sundial, the industrial sector, and the agricultural fields. Be amazed by the technical ingenuity of the Incas, who were so ahead of their time and whose secrets remain a mystery even today! Without modern tools, steel, or iron, the builders of this city showed great ingenuity in organizing this community sustainably and aesthetically on the mountainside, even bringing water into irrigation channels. When the Peruvian guide showed this site to Hiram Bingham, it was almost unrecognizable, covered in thick vegetation and in an advanced state of disrepair. It has since been cleaned and restored, and is now protected and cherished by the whole world! After this visit, you are free to climb up to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (make sure to book tickets in advance!). Each mountain takes about 3 hours to go up and down. Another low-impact option, for which you do not need an extra ticket, is trekking to the Sun Gate, the main entrance of the Inca Trail (this takes about 2 to 2.5 hours round trip). Another option is to walk to see the Inca Bridge. You can stay and enjoy this magical city for more than 7 hours before heading back down to Aguas Calientes to catch the 16:22 train to Ollantaytambo. A private bus will pick up your group and drop you off at your hotel in Cusco around 20:00. Rest your feet and body now, but we can assure you that your heart will continue to soar for weeks and years to come!

• day 10

  Flight Cusco-Lima, visit of the capital, shared service.

  At the scheduled time, you will be transferred to Cusco airport and take your flight to Lima. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel and then you will begin your city tour in Lima. ANCESTRAL LIMA: We start our tour with a panoramic view of the "Pyramid of Pucllana," a magnificent ceremonial and archaeological center built in the 4th century BC and considered a "sacred village" by the Incas. The viceroyalty of Peru was the most important of the Spanish Empire and Lima was its capital. COLONIAL LIMA: We visit the historic center of Lima, where you will appreciate more than fifty colonial monuments and buildings, such as the Paseo de la República, San Martín Square, the main square, the Government Palace, the Archbishop's Palace, the Cathedral, the Basilica, and the Municipal Palace, among others. We will visit the MUSEUM OF THE CENTRAL RESERVE BANK*, where we will admire the "Treasures of Peru" collection, a beautiful selection of gold, ceramic, and textile objects from different pre-Columbian cultures. We will visit the monumental SAN FRANCISCO convent, which displays the largest collection of religious art in America. Our highlight will be the visit to the underground vaults, known as the "Catacumbas" or Catacombs. CONTEMPORARY LIMA: We will visit the traditional residential districts of Lima and Larcomar. Meals included: breakfast

• day 11

  Arrival and transfer to Ica, Paracas Nature Reserve, Nazca

  Early in the morning, you will take the tourist bus and go to the city of Paracas where you will take a shared tour to the Paracas reserve. The "Paracas" national park is located south of Lima. It represents the coastal marine ecosystem of Peru while hosting millions of birds as well as different species of flora and fauna. The park is ideal for birdwatchers, as well as for nature lovers who enjoy walking. Meals included: breakfast.

• day 12

  Nazca, Lima

  Distinct straight lines, geometric figures, and drawings of animals and plants characterize the city of Nazca. Located between Huacachina and Arequipa, the city is a perfect stop to learn more about pre-Inca culture. Like the Paracas, the Nazca were famous for their work with textiles, but even more famous for the creation of geoglyphs, massive drawings and lines. Walking through the landscape, you might identify distinct shapes such as a hummingbird, a spider, or a monkey. It is still not known why the lines exist, but it is assumed that they may have been used for astrological or ceremonial purposes. To better see the lines, you can walk to the observation tower. From there, you will have a beautiful view of three of the symbols. After this visit, you will take the tourist bus back to Lima. Included meals: breakfast

• day 13

  Transfer to the airport – International flight

  At a coordinated time, you will need to take the shuttle transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima. Meals included: breakfast We hope you enjoyed your stay in Peru. Thank you for choosing Gulliver Expeditions. *** END OF SERVICES ***