Lima | Cusco | Sacred Valley | Puno | Uros
Highlights:
Note: Airfares are not included. Ask our Destination Experts about great pricing on international and domestic Peruvian airfares.
At IWorld of Travel, we understand that where you stay is as important as the destination itself. Rest assured, we are in the process of hand-selecting accommodations that align with our high standards of luxury and comfort. Our portfolio exclusively features 4 and 5-star properties, as well as boutique hotels that are not just places to stay, but integral parts of your travel experience. These establishments are chosen for their exceptional service, prime locations, and the unique charm that they bring to your journey. We are committed to ensuring that your accommodations will enhance your trip and we look forward to sharing the details with you soon.
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
Welcome to Lima! You will be met and transferred to your hotel. Head out for a tour of both the colonial and modern sections of the city. In the Historic Center of Lima, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, see the lovely Plaza Mayor, palaces, churches and other historic buildings. Then continue to drive through some exclusive residential areas in the modern sections of the city. In the late afternoon, visit the Magic Water Circuit, holder of the Guinness Record for the largest water fountain park in the world. Dinner at a restaurant in a 5th-century archeological site. (B,L,D)
Day 2: Lima
Morning visit to a local market, you will be impressed by the large variety of fish and seafood showcased at the local markets. Try some local produce and watch a demonstration of how to prepare ceviche, pisco sour and other Peruvian cocktails. Then enjoy a tasting of the finished dishes and drinks. Get off the beaten path and visit one of the city’s low-income areas. Your guide will show you around the neighborhood located on the slopes of the sandy hills of Lima’s outskirts. You will also see some of the innovative social and environmental projects that have been set up by a local NGO and have the opportunity to interact with several locals. (B,L)
Day 3: Lima | Cusco | Sacred Valley
Early morning transfer to the airport for a short but spectacular flight over the snowcapped Andes to Cusco, the oldest inhabited city in the hemisphere. (Flight included in package price). Drive through the fertile countryside of the Urubamba Valley to the Pisac Indian Market, where you will have the opportunity to bargain with the natives for many different types of handicrafts and jewelry. What a Peruvian Paso show, horses that are known worldwide for their smooth gaited movements. After lunch in the Sacred Valley, continue to the Ollantaytambo archaeological complex. The Incas built it as a fort that included a temple, agricultural terraces and an urban area. The town of Ollantaytambo is called a “Living Inca Town” since the inhabitants maintain very old practices and customs. (B,L)
Day 4: Sacred Valley
Visit the Incan agricultural experimental center of Moray, designed for experimenting with crops at various altitudes, some of which run down to depths of 100 meters. It is also famous for its sunken amphitheater. Continue to the impressive Maras salt pools formed by water, emerging from a lake inside a mountain. It’s an amazing view of evaporating ponds for the extraction of salt. After lunch, visit an authentic Quechua Village to feel the way of life of the Inca’s ancestors. Later, visit a planetarium and learn about constellations of the Southern Hemisphere. (B,L,D)
Day 5: Sacred Valley | Machu Picchu | Cusco
Morning train ride through the sacred valley of Urubamba to the “Lost City of the Incas,” Machu Picchu, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Perched 8,200 feet above the valley, it was hidden by mountains and semi-tropical jungles for 400 years until discovered by Hiram Bingham of Yale University in 1911. Archaeologists believe that the Inca “Virgins of the Sun” took refuge from the Spanish Conquistadors here. Enjoy a guided tour of the ruins upon arrival. In the afternoon you return to Cusco. (B,L)
Day 6: Cusco
City tour of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit important landmarks such us Cusco’s Cathedral, Santo Domingo Church, Plaza de Armas and Koricancha. Visit the city’s artisans quarter, filled with typical narrow streets, charming small homes, galleries and craft workshops. Visit the Choco Museum where you will learn the entire chocolate-making process, starting with the cocoa tree from the Peruvian jungle. You will make your own milk or dark chocolates with more than 15 different flavors to choose from! (B,L)
Day 7: Cusco | Puno
We drive through the Peruvian Andes to Puno, one of South America’s most extraordinary overland trips. We pass through striking highland scenery and picturesque Andean villages. Our first stop to see the remains of the remarkable temple of Viracocha, considered by the historians an important Inca construction. The next stop is in a town with a church that is called “the Sistine Chapel of America.” (B,L)
Day 8: Puno | Uros | Puno
Excursion to the highest navigable lake in the world to the floating islands of the Uros Indians. These islands are man-made from totora reeds. The Uros hunt wild birds and maintain traditional fishing methods. The men have developed extraordinary skills in weaving reeds, as well as producing houses, boats and handicrafts, while the women are expert knitters. Continue to visit a native community of about 400 families who still live with the traditions and high principals of the Incas. (B,L)
Day 9: Puno | Departure from Lima
Morning excursion to the Sillustani Burial Towers, famous for its chullpas, large circular fortified burial towers. Some are 39 feet high and remarkable for their shape, which is thinner at the base and wider at the top. After lunch at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima, to connect with your return flight home. (B,L)
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*Gelber’s Way is an Associate Member of the United States Tour Operators Association. However, Gelber’s Way is NOT a participant in the USTOA $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program and is not held by USTOA to certain standards required of Active Members.”
