Cusco – Puno - Day 06
After breakfast you will check–out of your hotel and be met and taken to the First Class bus for your 8 hour guided tour to Puno. Stopping along the way you will visit the Sistine Chapel of the Andes, Andahuaylillas. This is a very pretty cathedral with frescoes on almost every wall. Sorry no pictures allowed. The temple ruins at Raqchi are magnificent at the second stop. There are remains of cottages, warehouses and terraces and it is a beautifully excavated clean site. The remains of the largest Incan church are there and the tight stonework left standing is incredible. Next at the small town of Sicuani you stop for a sit-down relaxing outdoor buffet lunch. The next stop is La Raya, the highest point on the route at 4,300 meters elevation. The final stop is the museum in Pukaraou to see the ancient pre-Incans artefacts. When you arrive in Puno you will be met and taken to the Sonesta Posadas del Inca Hotel by private car.
Option – Rather than taking the tour bus to Puno you can substitute the exquisite Andean Explorer Luxury train from Cusco to Puno. The 10-hour train ride to Puno affords one to see Peru’s magnificent changing landscape from the open observation bar car. Enjoy a 3-course lunch during the ride. Be prepared for go to the colder Lake Titicaca area from the less cold Cusco. You will be greeted at the Puno train station and taken to your hotel.
Lake Titicaca, Uros, Taquile motor yacht group tour (Full Day) - Day 07
After breakfast you will be taken to Lake Titicaca for a visit to the floating man-made Islands of Uros on a group motor yacht tour. Here you will meet, up-close the citizens who have preserved their old traditions and still live on the water. "The Aquatic Tribe" will show you how they have kept their customs, make their islands and display their crafts made of reeds. For an additional very small tip (5 soles per person) they will take you for a short optional ride on one of their reed boats if you wish. The motor yacht tour then continues to the Greece-like steep island of Taquile, inhabited by native Quechuas. On Uros and Taquille you can appreciate and purchase some of the finest handmade crafts and basket weavings in Perú to support the very friendly and welcoming island people. At night return to Puno by boat where your van will be waiting to return you to your hotel.
Puno - Sillustani (Chullpas) - Juliaca - Day 08
After breakfast you will checkout of your hotel in Puno and be driven to the Pre-Inca chullpa tombs at Sillustani on Lake Umayo. There your guide will explain the circular monument tombs that represent the circle of life. Afterwards you will continue on to the nearby Jullaca Airport for the short flight to Arequipa where you will be greeted ad taken to your hotel.
Arequipa City Tour - Day 09
After breakfast you will tour Arequipa, “The White City“ so named for being constructed predominantly of the stone Sillar. Arequipa, with its pleasant climate, is the second largest and one of the most beautiful cities in Peru. We’ll begin our city tour with a visit to the Cathedral Santa Catalina Convent and the museum. There we’ll be able to observe the Juanita Mummy, one of the oldest preserved mummies of South America. Also be sure to observe the majestic presence of “El Misti”, the snow covered inactive volcano Arequipa sits at the base of. After the city tour you will be returned to your hotel.
Arequipa, Colca Canyon - Day 10
After breakfast and hotel checkout you will be met and taken to the Colca Lodge in Colca Canyon (3 or 4 hour drive in small van). During the ride you will visit the National Reserve of Cañahuas Pampas to observe groups of Alpacas and Vicunas. The drive through Vizcachani, a typical landscape of the Andes, offers a panoramic view of the White Mountain range. We will stop at the town of Chivay, one of the most important places of the valley. Later you will arrive at the Colca Lodge where you can enjoy a relaxing bath in the hot springs.
Colca Canyon – Arequipa - Day 11
After breakfast and checkout you will be taken to the viewpoint of "the Cross of the Condor", a few kilometres from Condor Cabana where the Colca Canyon starts. Here we hope to witness the wonderful spectacle of the flight of the Condors. Later, on the way to Arequipa you will see the hanging Pre-Incas tombs and visit the small cities of Pinchillo, Maca, and the town of Shames Anvil (visiting its church with cusqueñan paintings). After returning to Arequipa you will be brought to our hotel.
Arequipa - Lima - Day 12
In the morning after breakfast and hotel checkout you will be greeted in your hotel lobby and taken to the airport for your flight to Lima and international connection home.