Exploring Peru 11D/10N

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Highlight: larco Museum, cooking classes, Colca Canyon to see Condors, Machu Picchu, planetarium in Cusco to see Inca Constelations

Location: Lima Arequipa, Chivay Cusco.

Duration: 11 days & 10 nights.

Level: Easy

Adventure Rating: On of the traditional routs of Peru.

Departure Dates: Any day with two people. We offer affordably-priced tours for 2 people so that you can depart on the date that suits you.

Day 1.- ARRIVE TO LIMA, PERU

Arrive to Lima airport, transfer to the hotel and have the rest of the day to spend at your own leisure

Day 2.-   after a good breakfast go to explore lima downtown, then We go to visit Larco museum that gives you the idea of the pre-Columbian and extend indigenous art of the Peruvian civilizations, also where you will see the major collection of exotic ceramics, and pre-Columbian jewelry, and have the lunch there. Then go to our hotel and  have free afternoon to rest.

Or see Lima Down town and cultural places, or any other option that you decide on your own leisure.

Day3.-  After breakfast at the hotel we will go for cooking classes, which includes a visit to a market to buy the ingredients for our cocking classes, and learn to prepare your own ceviche, one of the traditional meals in Peru, and enjoy your cooking expertise. Dinner late in the afternoon. 

Day 4.- FLY FROM LIMA TO AREQUIPA

Early transfer to Lima airport to flight Arequipa, where our transport will wait for us to start our trip, We drove along the paved road to Yura, through Pampa de Arrieros and Pampa Cañahuas, watching vicunas, llamas, alpaca. Then past to Viscachani where we will enjoy a coca tea to acclimate the body, continuing the journey appreciating lagoons and wetlands and simultaneously observe some migratory birds like flamingos, ibis. then arriving at the highest point of the journey Patapampa (4830 masl), also called the viewpoint of the Volcanoes, because from there you can see the volcanic chain in particular: the Hualcahualca, Sabancalla and Ampato, then descend to the town of Chivay. (3600 masl), because of our flight time From Lima to Arequipa we will have  a box lunch that will be provided when we arrive to Arequipa and get it on the way to Chivay.  At night dinner in one of the local restaurants in Chivay, with a show of typical Dances of the province

Accommodation at Casa Andina Classic hotel.

Optional afternoon visit to the hot springs

Day 5.-  In the morning (05.30) breakfast at the hotel. Then depart for the Cruz del Condor where we will stay for a period of approx 2hrs. Where you will obserb the greatest dimension depth of the Colca Canyon and Condor consiered the biguest bird in world flying a short distance.

On the way back will observe archaeological remains, Inca agricultural terraces, panoramic views of the Colca Canyon. We will pass through the villages of Pinchollo, Maca, Achoma, Yanque.

Arriving to Chivay we will have buffet lunch. Finally Drive Arequipa to the hotel. at night we will explore the Arequipa down town on the way to one of the traditional restaurants at the cloister of Jesus Company where we will enjoy our celebratory dinner.

Day 6 .-

 Day 7 .-

Fly from Arequipa to Cusco. morning to rest to get acclimate or have a free time to explore Cusco Down town independently

Late in the afternoon visit planetarium of Cusco

17:40pm start from Regocijo sq.

17:55pm arrive to the Cusco Planetrium

18:00pm the experience begins. Introduction to Inca astronomy in two interpretation rooms

18:20pm virtual projection of southern sky in dome

19.00pm Stargazing with telescopes

19:30pm back to Cusco  for Dinner
Day 8 .- Cusco city tour

  City Tour

This is one of the traditional tours around Cusco, usually done the day after arrival. Despite being extremely touristic, it’s still an excellent tour that gets you out of Cusco city and helps you begin to understand the incredible construction and building abilities of the Incas. You will be amazed by the enormous, towering rocks at Sacsayhuaman and the views of Cusco. This is a great day’s outing that can be done on horseback, on foot, or by car, depending on your fitness.

Sacsayhuaman
Visitors to this magnificent Inca Fortress cannot fail to be impressed by the beauty and monumental scale of this important temple. Sacsayhuaman can be translated as speckled falcon or speckled head. The last interpretation refers to the belief that the city of Cusco was set out in the form of a puma whose head was the hill of Sacsayhuamán.

The main part consists of three massive parallel walls zigzagging together for some 400m, designed to make any attacker expose his flanks. The massive blocks, the largest being 8.5m high and weighing nearly 300 tons, are fitted together with extreme accuracy. The foundations are made of limestone. The outer walls are made from massive diorite blocks from nearby, and the inner buildings and towers are made from dark andesite, some of it brought from over 35km away. With only natural fiber ropes, stone hammers and bronze chisels the construction must have been an enormous task. The chronicler Cieza de Leon, writing in the 1550´s, wrote that some 20,000 men were involved in the construction of Sacsayhuamán.

Qenko

This is one of the important astronomical sites and is as if it possessed some hidden spiritual force. Q´enko is one of the finest examples of an artfully carved rock and an excellent example of how the Incas worshipped. This large limestone rock shows complex patterns of steps, seats, geometric shapes and a puma design. The name of this small but fascinating ruin means ‘zigzag’ because it is covered with zigzagging channels. These channels were used for the ritual sacrifice of chicha (local corn beer) inside the rock are large niches and a possible altar. This may have been a place where the mummies of lesser royalty were kept along with gold and other precious objects.

Puca Pucara (Red Fort)

Located on a small hill with a nice view over the surrounding areas, Puca Pucara was more likely as a tambo, an administrative, resting house. Travelers may have lodged here with their goods and animals before entering, or after leaving Cusco. It also served as a guard post that controlled the flow of people between Cusco and the Sacred Valley

Tambo Machay
This is the temple of water where Incas possibly did purification ceremonies and it was a site for ritual bathing. The excellent quality of stonework suggests that use was restricted to the aristocracy, who maybe only used the baths on ceremonial occasions. The ruins basically consist of 3 tiered platforms. The top platform has four niches that probably were used as seats. On the next level an underground spring emerges directly from a hole to the base of the stonework. From here it cascades down to the bottom platform, creating a cold shower that was just high enough for an Inca to stand under.

Day 9 .- Machupicchu Tour 2 days

At 7 am drive to Chincheros importand weaving community Where we will enjoy weaving classes in one of the organization of traditional textiles where the ladies will show you the process of elaborating it. If you are interested to obtain hand make textiles this is the recommended point to get it. Then we will explore the archaeological site and the colonial church full of mural paintings.

Moray is a great circular terracing area that the Incas did use to do agricultural experiments, continuing we will head to the salt mines then to Urubamba for our buffet lunch finally head to Ollantaytambo to take our train l 4:36 pm to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town), where we will get our accommodation in a confortable hotel and then go for a dinner before to go bed and be ready for next day.

Day 9.-

After getting our delicious and nutritious breakfast 4:30am very Early in morning we will head to the bus stop to take the bus to visit Machu Picchu for a guided tour of the Sacred City for 2 hours by our knowledgeable guide that will  lead us through, explaining the significance of the various structures and the theories behind Machu Picchu’s purpose and construction methods.

Then will have free time to hike Huayna Picchu or explore more of Machu Picchu. Finally head to Aguas Calientes for Lunch and take the train back to Ollantaytambo then bus to Cusco

Day 10.-  visit Pisac Archaeological site and the park of potatoes  (full day tour)

Day 11.-   Transfer to Cusco Airport  and flight Lima and home (on this day is not included lunch and dinner)

Itinerary notes:

• Walking time on each archaeological site will depend how the group goes and the guide can change thinks depending on the progress of the group.
• Our program is subject to change, because of the weather conditions or any other unexpected circumstances.

What’s Included:

• All private transfers from airport to Hotels & Hotels to the Airport
• Private transportation and transfers for all the tours in Lima Arequipa And Cusco
• All meals (except breakfast on day1, lunch and dinner on last day
• All entrance fees to the places we will visit
• 10 days of Hotel 3 in Lima 1 in Chivay 2 in Arequipa 4 in Cusco 1 in Aguas Calientes. All in 4 start Hotels (the accommodation is in a double rooms if you will need a single accommodation there will be and extra cost)
• Professional guide to visit all the places we will visit

What’s is not included

• Snacks
• Water bottle and drinks on all meals
• Gratuities for guides, drivers

Thinks you should bring

• Original passport (if someone is changing passport or have a passport which is going to expire before trip must communicate, and bring old and new passports )
• A light day bag pack to carry your staff
• Money to buy some handicraft or weavings, tips, (soles and dollars)
• Rain poncho
• Hiking shoes
• Hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and sunglasses
• The season in the Andes is very changeable, you can experience in one day all the seasons. So you should be prepared for any eventuality.