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What awaits you
The south of Peru is an unforgettable journey blending colonial and Inca cultures from the city of Lima all the way to the splendid city of Cusco. After discovering the contrasts of the capital, we will fly to Arequipa at the foot of the Misti and Chachani volcanoes. We will spend a few days there visiting the attractions of the city and its surroundings, such as the Santa Catalina convent, the Church of the Society of Jesus, and the famous Colca Canyon, one of the deepest in the world. We then continue onto the Altiplano to the Llachon peninsula, a village on the shores of Lake Titicaca, where we will share powerful moments of tradition and cultural exchange with its inhabitants. We will continue towards Cusco, stopping in Sicuani to admire the spectacular Mountain of 7 Colors as well as different sacred and historical places along this route. The second-to-last major stop is Cusco, the stronghold of the Inca Empire, with its great architectural works such as the Koricancha, Sacsayhuaman, the towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, and of course ending at the citadel of Machu Picchu, the inexplicable beauty that makes this trip of a thousand nuances worthwhile.
Highlights of the trip:
- Colonial, modern, and bohemian Lima
- Arequipa, the white city
- Colca Canyon and its condors
- Lake Titicaca (Llachon, Uros and Taquile islands)
- Palcoyo, the rainbow mountain, America’s Sistine Chapel
- Cusco and the Sacred Valley
- Machu Picchu
Day-by-day program
01 LIMA
Arrival in Lima and welcome by your guide at the airport, then transfer to the hotel.
Included: Airport/hotel transfer – hotel
02 LIMA
We will dedicate the morning to visiting the typical colonial-style historic center (Plaza San Martin, Casa Aliaga, the churches of La Merced, San Pedro and San Francisco, the Museum of the Central Reserve Bank, then we finish at the Plaza de Armas, the Presidential Palace and the City Hall). Early in the afternoon we take our bus to Miraflores for lunch and, of course, to taste the great fish specialties. We will finish the day with a short one-hour walk along the Pacific coast, then you will have free time to stroll as you please in this beautiful district.
Included: private vehicle – half board – entrances – hotel
03 LIMA 🡲 AREQUIPA 2300 m (1h flight)
In the morning we will head to the airport to go to Arequipa. After dropping our luggage at the hotel, we will continue on foot through the beautiful Andalusian-style neighborhoods of the city up to the Yanahuara viewpoint and then to the Picanteria Nueva Palomino for lunch. In the afternoon, visit of the Santa Catalina Monastery, unique in the world, with its streets and squares all named after Spanish cities. Late afternoon free.
Included: Flight – half board – entrance – hotel
04 AREQUIPA
Morning visit of the colorful San Camilo market, then the Cathedral and its unmissable dome, and we finish with the Church of the Society of Jesus and its cloisters. In the afternoon, we will take an excursion to the Sillar quarry, over 3 million years old, where you will witness the entire extraction process of this volcanic-origin stone, which gave this city the distinction of “White City”. The vast majority of the buildings surrounding the historic center were built during the colonial era with this stone, giving this beautiful city the privilege of offering a unique and impressive architectural landscape. Late afternoon free.
Included: private vehicle – half board – entrances – hotel
05 AREQUIPA 🡲 YANQUE 3100 m (148 km, 4 h)
Today we will discover the wonderful Colca Canyon. During this stage across the Pampas de Cañahuas, we will make frequent stops to observe vicuñas, llamas, alpacas and migratory birds that come to drink at the edges of the small bodies of water along this route. Before lunch, we will stop at the volcano viewpoint at 4920 m, offering an incredible view of Misti and Chachani. We will spend the night with Guillermina.
Included: private vehicle – full board – Colca Valley entrance – night with locals
06 YANQUE 🡲 CONDOR CROSS 🡲 LLACHON 3800 m (260 km, 7 h)
Departure around 8 a.m. toward the Condor Cross. From this viewpoint we will appreciate an impressive abyss 1200 m deep, at the bottom of which flows the Colca River. You will likely have the chance to observe the majestic flight of the condors, an unforgettable and unique spectacle in South America. Along the way we will also stop at two viewpoints to appreciate the agricultural terraces built in pre-Inca times, still cultivated by the local population (potatoes, quinoa, kiwicha, wheat). Visit of the village of Maca. Return to Chivay for lunch. Continue by road toward the Llachon peninsula, crossing the Altiplano. We will have dinner and spend the night with a local family.
Included: private vehicle – full board – Colca Valley entrance – night with locals
07 LLACHON (45 km; 2h30 by boat)
We will depart by boat on Lake Titicaca, the legendary lake and cradle of Inca civilization. Mythical history tells that a couple, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, emerged from the lake to found the Inca Empire. You will first discover the floating islands of the Uros people, whose lifestyle and traditions have always attracted curiosity: they live in rudimentary reed huts, feed on fish caught with basic nets and hunt ducks. Then we will continue to Taquile Island for lunch. In the afternoon, a short hike on the island with majestic, unobstructed views over the vastness of the lake, with the Royal Mountain Range of Bolivia in the background. Return late afternoon.
Included: private boat – full board with locals
08 LLACHON
This day will be entirely dedicated to sharing daily life with the Llachon farming community. Visit of the school, introduction to local agriculture and weaving. In the afternoon, a short walk on the peninsula and ancestral spiritual ceremony of offering and purification accompanied by the community’s shaman. For those who wish, it is also possible to rent a kayak and navigate freely on the highest navigable lake in the world.
Included: full board with locals – ceremony
09 LLACHON 🡲 SICUANI 3550 m (289 km / 5 h)
Departure by private vehicle toward the city of Sicuani. During this stage we will visit the magnificent and spectacular Tinajani Canyon, then we will continue on the route called “La Raya” (4335 m), the highest point of the trip, where the various Andean mountain ranges intersect, known as “El Nudo de Vilcanota”. This place is also the final point of the Altiplano and the beginning of the Sacred Valley of Cusco. Arrival at the hotel late afternoon.
Included: private vehicle – half board – entrance – hotel
10 SICUANI 🡲 CUSCO (100 km / 2 h)
Our driver will pick us up at the hotel around 8 a.m. to take you to Palcoyo, a splendid multicolored mountain perched at 4900 m. We will continue toward Cusco, stopping on the way at the Andahuaylillas temple, better known as the Sistine Chapel of America. Arrival in Cusco around 6 p.m.
(Ascent: +200 m – 200 m; Distance: 4 km, 3h hike)
Included: private vehicle – half board – entrance – hotel
11 CUSCO IMPERIAL CITY OF THE INCAS (3300 m)
In the morning we will visit the archaeological sites located near the city of Cusco. We will first see the Q’enqo complex, which means labyrinth. This temple dedicated to Inca rituals is remarkable for its semi-circular amphitheater and its underground galleries built into the rock, then we will continue with the visit of the Sacsayhuaman temple, an extremely complex temple, both because of its enormous stones that serve as walls… an architecture unexplained in the positioning of its construction.
In the afternoon, walking visit of the city of Cusco and the Temple of the Sun (the Koricancha), the famous temple of temples, whose polished stone walls are considered the finest works of Inca art. We will finish this pleasant day in the city center, its Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and the streets where Inca and Spanish architectures blend.
Included: private vehicle – half board – entrance – hotel
12 CUSCO 🡲 AGUAS CALIENTES 2400 m (96 km; 2 h + 1h30 train)
Today we will arrive at the village of Pisac 2970 m, where we will visit its Inca archaeological site located on a hill at the entrance to the Sacred Valley. The function of this military fortress was to defend the southern entrance of the Sacred Valley. In the afternoon we will continue toward the village of Ollantaytambo 2792 m to explore the center as well as its fortress which defended the northern entrance of the Sacred Valley. Then train to the village of Aguas Calientes located at the foot of Machu Picchu.
(Descent: – 500 m; Distance: 4 km, 3h trekking)
Included: private vehicle – train – half board – entrances – hotel
13 MACHU PICCHU
Your guide will pick you up in the morning at the hotel to take you by minibus to the Inca city discovered in 1911 by the American archaeological explorer Hiram Bingham. The history and function of the citadel perched at 2430 m remain an enigma. This absolutely magnificent site, wedged between two mountains, the young “Huayna Picchu” and the old “Machu Picchu”, will enchant you with its beauty and mystical character. Guided visit of 3 hours. Return by minibus to Aguas Calientes and free time.
Included: minibus – entrance – French-speaking local guide – hotel
14 AGUAS CALIENTES 🡲 CUSCO (1h30 train + 76 km, 1h30)
This morning we start by reaching Ollantaytambo by train, then we continue with a visit to the Maras salt mines, saltwater pools clinging to the mountainside which after evaporation allow the collection of salt and fleur de sel. This white gold was already exploited long before the Incas and allowed various civilizations to preserve their perishable foodstuffs. We will continue toward the circular terraces of Moray, an ancient Inca research and agricultural study center. In the afternoon we will finish with the village of Chincheros, renowned for its handicrafts, and we will visit an artisanal wool dyeing workshop. We will arrive in Cusco at the end of the day.
Included: private vehicle – train – half board – entrance – hotel
15 CUZCO 🡲 LIMA
Free day. Then late afternoon transfer to the airport and flight to Lima.
Included: transfers – flight – hotel
16 LIMA 🡲 INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT
Today is the day of farewells for some, and depending on the time of your flight we go to the Lima airport. Check-in of your luggage and return international flight. For others the adventure continues depending on the additional services contracted.
Included: transfer to the airport
Price details
The travel package includes:
- The international flight
- Assistance from your arrival at the airport until the end of the program.
- A French-speaking accompanying guide for the entire stay
- Occasional French-speaking guides on certain days
- Entrance fees to all archaeological sites and attractions.
- Hotels and lodges based on double-room rates.
- 1 flight Lima/Arequipa
- 1 flight Cusco/Lima
- A private transportation vehicle
- Meals on a half-board basis
The travel package excludes:
- Accident, cancellation, and trip interruption insurance
- The single-room supplement
- Drinks, tips, and personal expenses.
