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Take in all of the highlights in Peru in a short amount of time on this actionpacked adventure. With options to visit the Ballestas Islands, go sand boarding at the Huacachina desert oasis, fly over the mysterious Nazca Lines, cruise across the world’s highest navigable lake, and hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, you’ll be able to see and do more in three weeks than you ever imagined! This tour finishes in La Paz in Bolivia, the world's highest capital city.

Day 1 to 2 - Lima (Peru)
Day 1 is simply an arrival day with no pre-organised activities, so you will have free time to relax and see some of the sights. Your tour leader will usually hold a group meeting at approx. 6.00pm on Day 1 (check the notice board in the hotel reception for the exact time and location). Your tour leader will give a briefing about the tour, outline the plan for the next few days, answer any questions and collect your ‘Local Fund’ payment in full in US$ cash. Then there will usually be the option for everyone to go out for dinner and drinks to start to get to know one another.

Lima was founded by the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, after he eradicated the Incas and made the city his capital. Lima has many fine colonial buildings and some of the best museums in South America including the Gold Museum, Museum of the Inquisition and the Catacombs below the San Francisco Church. Peru’s capital has heaps to offer and many of the sights, including the city’s two main squares the Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Martin, are within easy walking distance.

Day 2 to 3 - Paracas - Nazca
After a few days in Lima, a short drive along the Pacific coast brings us to Paracas where upon arrival we will have the option to go by speedboat to explore the Ballestas Islands, passing the unusual ‘Candelabra’, a giant design carved into a desert hill, along the way. On and around these celebrated islands you’ll see thousands of sea lions plus many varieties of aquatic birds. Continuing on, we stopover at Huacachina, a desert oasis surrounded by massive sand-dunes.

You have the option to do an overnight excursion into the desert here sleeping under the stars this also incorporates the chance to take an awesome ride in dune-buggies or, for the even more courageous, sand boarding down the dunes is an unreal way to spend the afternoon and evening, a good time for a Pisco Sour party! Travelling further inland, we reach Nazca, famous for the strange parallel lines and geometrical figures etched into the desert floor. Here you can take a flight in a light aircraft to see the ‘monkey’, ‘hummingbird’, ‘condor’, ‘spider’ and even what appears to be a spaceman. There are many more designs to be seen on this 30 minute flight but to this day, no-one really knows why they are there!

Day 4 to 7 - Puerto Inca - Arequipa
Heading back along the coast our journey takes us to Puerto Inca, the Inca's original fishing port, which was only re-discovered in the 1950’s. Tonight we camp by the beach just down from the actual ruins.

Travelling back into the foothills of the Andes we reach the city of Arequipa, located 2,380 metres above sea level and dominated by the conical snow-capped El Misti Volcano. Here the attractions include the Plaza de Armas, one of South America’s most charming main squares and the Santa Catalina Convent, which is like a walled colonial town dating back more than 400 years. Shrouded with mystery, the convent’s 450 nuns lived in complete seclusion until 1970.

From Arequipa you can take an optional excursion to visit the Colca Canyon. The Colca Canyon is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, making it the world’s deepest. From the lookout point at Cruz del Condor you can see the river flowing 1,200 metres below and you’ll have a very good chance of seeing condors as they soar out of the canyon on the hot thermal currents. Our base for visiting the canyon is the town of Chivay where we’ll also have time to soak in the nearby hot thermal pools.

Day 8 to 10 - Cuzco
It gradually becomes greener as we get closer to the former Inca capital of Cuzco, which means ‘navel of the earth’ in the Inca language of Quechua. This enchanting city has a mostly indigenous population of around 275,000 and is centred around the Plaza de Armas, which is dominated by the Cathedral and La Compañia de Jesus Church. Nowadays Cuzco is also legendary for its party atmosphere and brilliant nightlife and is jam-packed with arcades housing many fine restaurants, bars and shops. For people wanting the challenge of the 4 day Inca Trail trek there will be a briefing in which your local guide will chat about the arrangements for the next few days.

We have a full day trip through the Sacred Valley of the Incas (Optional - at additional cost) and if you’ve purchased your full Cuzco visitor’s ticket previously then you’ll be able to visit the Pisac ruins perched on a hill high in the mountains and the famous Indian market of the same name, in the valley below (that’s free). This is a great place to buy textiles, pottery and jewellery, not to mention the delicious empanadas (pasties) at the famous bakery. After spending time at both, we move down the valley to the temple fortress of Ollantaytambo, with its enormous terraces climbing up the hillside (you’ll need your visitor’s ticket again). If you are trekking the Inca Trail you will spend the night here at one of the little hostels in preparation for the next four days.

Day 11 to 14 - Inca Trail or free time in Cuzco
THE INCA TRAIL
Please see the brochure or the ‘Useful Information’ section of our website for important booking regulations and prices. You may not be able to complete the trek if you do not read this information. For more details about the trail facilities, equipment, etc. please ask your agent for an ‘Inca Trail Info Sheet’. If you are trekking the Lares Trek you should ask for a ‘Lares Trek Info Sheet’ also available on our website.

If you are not hiking the Inca Trail, you will return to Cuzco where there are many other options available including an overnight trip by train to Machu Picchu, white water rafting, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing, jungle excursions, shopping (make sure you bargain!) and sightseeing etc.

If you have chosen to hike the Inca Trail you will cross spectacular passes and visit more Inca ruins en-route to the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu. A local guide will lead this expedition and there will be cooks and porters to carry the main equipment, leaving you with just a small daypack. The trek begins after a short bus journey and the first day is a relatively easy 4½ hour 10km walk which will get you limbered up for the highest pass at Warmiwañusca (4,200m) which you will reach before lunchtime on Day 2 (and which translates to “Dead Woman’s Pass”!). During Day 2 you will cover approximately 12km in about 7 hours and after the high pass it’s all down hill as the trail winds its way along old Inca stairs to our campsite. On Day 3 we pass the ruins of Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca, walking approximately 15km in 7 hours.

The last morning, after an overnight stop at Wiñay-Wayna, you will rise early for the final walk to Machu Picchu and greet daybreak over the famous “Sun Gate”. There will then be time to explore on your own or simply take in the magnificence of the place before your guided tour. The ruins were only discovered by the outside world in 1911, when American explorer Hiram Bingham found them while looking for another “lost city” called Vilcabamba. Due to their isolation many of the buildings are still quite intact and you can’t help but admire Huayna Picchu (“Young Mountain”), which towers above the ruins. It is a hard climb to the top of the mountain (it takes about 50 minutes) but you are rewarded with spectacular views over the whole site. After spending most of the day at Machu Picchu you have the chance to soak your tired muscles in the hot springs at Aguas Calientes or meander through the markets before returning to Cuzco by train.

Day 15 to 16 - Cuzco - Puno
Making the most of your last free time in Cuzco you can explore its amazing churches, colonial buildings and picturesque streets, most of which have Inca walls, arches and doorways. Leaving Cuzco, we drive along roads bordered by herds of llamas, alpacas and vicuñas before reaching the Altiplano (high plain). Our journey takes us past hot mineral pools, snow-capped mountains, through villages where the Indians sell food, fur hats and alpaca sweaters, and over the La Raya Pass at 4,321 metres. We stop at the Sillustani ruins. Here you will have the option to visit these ancient burial towers and the fascinating little museum. We then continue on to Puno.

Day 17 to 19 - Puno
Puno is on the shores of Lake Titicaca, which at 3,855 metres, is the highest navigable lake in the world. From here you have the chance to take an excursion to the islands of Amantaní and Taquile. On Amantaní we arrange homestay accommodation with the native Quechua Indian families and you will have the chance to eat with the family, perhaps enjoy a party and dancing and maybe play soccer with the local children! The next morning you’ll visit Taquile Island where the people live in simple adobe huts and the men knit colourful hats. You will also visit the floating reed islands in the Bay of Puno, to see the Uros Indians’ way of life and ride in a traditional reed boat. Continuing back to Puno, you’ll arrive in time to visit the colourful markets.

Day 20 to 21 - La Paz (Bolivia)
We drive around Lake Titicaca to the border town of Desaguadero where we can change money before crossing into Bolivia. We pass adobe villages before reaching a highway which winds its way down the canyon into La Paz, the highest capital city in the world at 3,636 metres. La Paz is built in the basin of a spectacular ancient crater with the snow-capped Mount Illimani in the background. The city has colourful Indian street markets including the ‘witches market’ where women in flared skirts sell, amongst other things, dead cats and llama foetuses which are placed under new buildings to keep evil spirits away. The main square, Plaza Murillo, is where many years ago a president of the republic was lynched from a lamppost. La Paz is one of the best places to see a traditional peña show of Andean music and dance where local musicians play their time-honoured instruments such as zampoñas (pipes) and charangos (ukulele).

There are heaps of optional excursions available in La Paz. Check out the Moon Valley with its strange rock formations shaped by the weather or take in the incredible views from Mount Chacaltaya and the world's highest ski resort at 5,221metres. Another fantastic excursion is to Coroico, the gateway to the Bolivian jungle region and a great place to see sub-tropical vegetation and plants. En-route you will cross a 5,000 metre high pass before descending to 1,300 metres on narrow mountain roads bordered by sheer drops. The excursion to Coroico can also be done by mountain bike, as it is downhill nearly all the way and very exhilarating, but not for the fainthearted! Our tour concludes after breakfast on day 21.