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Highlights Peru in 15 Days
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
Arrival in Lima. You will be picked up from the airport and taken to the hotel. The rest of the day and evening you are free. Located in Lima's most touristic and secure district, called Miraflores, your hotel is within walking distance of central Parque Kennedy, the heart of this lively district. There are many restaurants, shops and bars nearby.
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For several years in a row, Peru has been the winner of the World Travel Awards in the category 'best culinary destination in the world' hence one can find in Lima no less than three restaurants that are in the Top 50 of the best restaurants in the world, namely Central by top chef Virgilio Martinez, Maido of Mitsuharu Tsumura and Astrid & Gaston of Peru's most famous top chef Gaston Acurio.
Well worth combining your stay in Lima with a visit to one of the above restaurants or perhaps one of the many other restaurants nearby. You will be amazed by Peruvian cuisine, where one can eat delicious food at a very reasonable price.
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Overnight stay in Lima: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Day 2: The Lima City Tour
You will be picked up from your hotel around 09:15 - 09:45. Please be ready in the hotel lobby.
This excursion offers you a perfect combination between the different cultures and periods (precolonial, colonial and modern Lima) that have influenced Lima throughout its history. Route: We drive along the Huaca Pucllana, built in the fourth century before our era by the Lima Culture, and today lying in the middle of the modern Miraflores district.
Then we will visit the historic center of the city where you will see, among other things: the Plaza de Armas, built in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro - the Spanish conqueror of Peru, the Governoral Palace where today the President of the Peruvian Republic sits, the Town Hall, the Cathedral and beyond, The House of El Oidor, Furthermore, we see architectural gems such as Palacio Torre Tagle , an impressive Baroque-style palace from the eighteenth century. Then we will visit the church San Francisco (1673) with its monastery and Catacombs, where we will take a tour and see the bones of tens of thousands of wealthy Limeños - in the period of the Viceroys - neatly sorted buried. This monastery, known for its impressive dome made of cedar wood from Nicaragua, walls tiled with mosaic stones imported from Seville and arches and columns with an obvious Moorish relief, has weathered several major earthquakes. In the beautiful chapel there is a collection of paintings by the apostles and there is also an impressive library.
Then we continue via the business district of Lima called San Isidro to the most touristic district, namely Miraflores where your hotel is also located. Before we drop you off at the hotel again, the bus will first pass the Kennedy Park and Larcomar. The Kennedy Park is the central park of the Miraflores district and is surrounded by many restaurants, bars and shops and forms the heart of this cosmopolitan district. Larcomar is a large shopping mall located on a cliff, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Here too you can find many shops, restaurants and bars with often a beautiful view over the ocean. If desired, you can get off at the Kennedy Park or Larcomar to stroll around here on your own. In that case, this tour ends here and you go back to the hotel on your own.
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Overnight stay in Lima: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Day 3: Flight to Arequipa and the Arequipa City Tour
You will be picked up in Lima at 09:30 and taken to Lima airport.
Domestic Flight 1 (included): Flight Lima – Arequipa
Arrival in Arequipa and transfer to the hotel in Arequipa. Then you immediately do the Arequipa City Tour (private tour/ own guide): One visits the Monasterie of Santa Catalina, the Plaza de Armas, the Jesuit monastery La Compañía with its church and dome, the house of Tristan del Pozo.
Includes: Official Guide and Entrances
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Overnight stay in Arequipa: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
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Day 4: Colca Canyon day 1
After breakfast at your hotel you will be picked up and we will leave at 07.30 - 08:00 to Chivay. Our first stop is the reserve located at 3900 meters altitude called Salinas y Aguada Blanca also known as Pampa Cañahuas. Then we take the route to the Colca Canyon. The second stop is in a restaurant called Chinitos located at 4000 meters altitude. Here we can use the toilets and drink coca tea. Furthermore, you can see the Misti, Picchu Picchu and the Chachani from the back and see rock formations in the form of trees. Then we continue to the Toccra Plateau. Here we see lagoons and streams fed by underground bubbling water. Furthermore, we see llamas, alpacas and typical birds from the Andes. The fourth stop is a viewing tower called Pata Pampa. It is located at an altitude of 4900 meters and is the highest point of the entire trip where we see 8 volcanoes situated in a circle of fire, as it were. From here we descend to Chivay, the main city of the Colca Canyon.
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Chivay is located at an altitude of 3650 meters (12,000 ft). On arrival in Chivay we have lunch (not included). After lunch you are free or you can walk to the picturesque village called Coporaque or walk alongside the river in this valley with beautiful views, towards the hot springs of La Calera. If you don’t feel like walking our guide can take you there in bus.
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Overnight stay in the Colca Canyon: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Day 5: Colca Canyon day 2
After having our breakfast, we drive to Cruz del Condor where we can observe the condor's flight. After enjoying the Colca Canyon and the condor flight we will return to Chivay where we will have lunch (not included) and take our bus to Puno at 13:20 and you will be dropped off at the hotel in Puno.
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Two day Colca Canyon Tour included: Transport, English/Spanish speaking guide, 1 x overnight hotel, breakfast day 2, Entrance to the reserve and transport. Not included: 2 x lunch, 1 x dinner and access to the hot springs.
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Overnight stay in Puno: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Day 6: Lake Titicaca day 1
You will be picked up from your hotel around 7:45 and then taken to the harbor where we take the boat (half an hour) to the floating islands of the Uros (reed islands). Here you can walk around quietly, take photos of and with the islanders, buy souvenirs and take a boat trip on a typical thatched raft.
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Then we set off in boat to the island of Amantani. After arrival, you will be welcomed by the islanders in their typical costume and invited to have a meal in their home. After lunch we will walk to a pre-inca temple called Pachatata and we can observe the daily life of the inhabitants. After dinner you can (if desired) participate in a ceremony and party organized by the islanders.
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Overnight stay on Amantani: with the islanders (Upgrade possible)
Day 7: Lake Titicaca day 2
On day 2 of this tour we leave by boat at 8:00 to Taquile, another island located at 1 hour. Here we take a nice walk on the beautiful paths overlooking the clear blue waters of Lake Titicaca and snowy peaks of the Bolivian High Mountains on the horizon. In the main square, the residents displayed their wares, known for their high quality. At 1:00 p.m. we leave again by boat to Puno where we arrive around 4 p.m.
Two days Tour Titicaca not included: Contribution Uros and Taquile each 4 dollars p.p.
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Overnight stay in Puno: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Day 8: Bus Puno Cusco including excursions and lunch
At 06:20 you will be picked up at your hotel and taken to the bus terminal for the ride to Cusco. During the drive to Cusco, which takes about 10 hours, four short excursions are done in interesting places and stops for lunch (buffet lunch included).
The first stop is the Inca Aymara museum of Pukara. Then we visit the Temple of Inka Raqchi and stop at the mountain pass la Raya (no excursion), located 4335 meters above N.A.P. Then we drive on to Cusco and stop at the church San Pedro Apostel in Andahuaylillas which is sometimes called the 'Sistine Chapel of South America'. Then we continue to Cusco where you arrive around 17:00. You will be picked up and taken to the hotel. The rest of the evening you are free in Cusco.
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Overnight stay in Cusco: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Day 9: The Cusco City Tour and surrounding sites
You will be picked up at 12:50 - 13:10 for the Cusco City Tour.
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The Cusco City Tour starts in the main square, the Plaza de Armas of Cusco (Cuzco) with a visit of the Cathedral. Then we visit the Korikancha: The Sun Temple of the Inc'a where the Spanish Conqueror built his church on the foundations of this temple. Then we visit the Inca ruins of Kenko, Tambomachay, Puca Pucara and the impressive ceremonial Inca complex Sacsayhuaman, which is strategically built on a hill overlooking Cusco; Sacsayhuaman is built with inhuman hand-crafted stones placed with great precision. Some stones are no less than 9 meters high and weigh almost 350 tons.
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Not included: Boleto Turistico $35.00, Entrance Korikancha $3.00 and Cathedral $7.50
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Overnight stay in Cusco: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Day 10: Tour Sacred Valley and the train to Machu Picchu
At 07:50 - 08:10 in the morning you will be picked up at the hotel. We drive to Pisac, about 32 km drive from Cusco. Here we have a nice overview of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the city of Taray. Here we visit the ruins of Pisac (which are also called the Little Machu Picchu) and the market of Pisac with typical Peruvian souvenirs and products. Then we drive on to Urubamba for lunch and then on to Ollantaytambo where we will visit the impressive ruins.
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From Ollanta we take the train to Aguas Calientes which is at the foot of Machu Picchu. The train ride is described as one of the most beautiful in the world and goes through an increasingly narrow valley along the bustling Urubamba River. During the ride we see the climate and vegetation change from a predominantly mountain climate with mountain flora to a rainforest climate and corresponding flora. After a drive of about 1:50 hours we arrive in Aguas Calientes where you will spend the night.
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Not included: Boleto Turistico (already purchased for the City Tour)
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Overnight stay in Aguas Calientes: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Day 11: Machu Picchu
From Aguas Calientes we leave early in bus to Machu Pichu. Guided tour of about two hours in with a bilingual guide.
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MACHU PICCHU:
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The construction of the city of Machu Picchu is believed to have begun around 1440, under the leadership of Pachacuteq. Until the Spanish conquest of the area in 1532, the city was inhabited.
Scientists disagree on the city's function. Because the city is so inaccessible, it is assumed that the city did not have a typical function:
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Machu Picchu is often believed to have been a country retreat for kings and other high-ranking figures. The city has many lodgings for nobles, and a few homes for their servants. Around 750 people could stay in the city. During the rainy season, if there were no kings present, there would have been far fewer people in Machu Picchu. When the Spaniards defeated the empire of the Inca, the regular trek to and from Machu Picchu stopped by nobles and became abandoned.
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According to some, the city would have been a fortress in defense of the Inca Empire. After the Spanish conquest, there was no longer any need for the Incas to keep getting there. Not everyone agrees with this statement, because the location of the city does not make it plausible that from there the Inca empire was defended. Moreover, there were too few houses for foot people.
According to a third theory, Machu Picchu would have been primarily intended for collecting coca leaves because it is at a point from which many plantations could be reached. But even after the Spanish conquest, the coca continued to play an important role in the area, so that this theory does not explain that the city was abandoned.
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It was recently established that in 1867 the German prospector and timber merchant Augusto Berns found and looted the mountain city, with the permission of the Peruvian government. Berns sold the historical treasures to European museums. In 1911, the historian Hiram Bingham conducted a study of the Inca trails in the vicinity of the city. During this study trip he rediscovered Machu Picchu. The city gained widespread notoriety in 1913 when the National Geographic dedicated an entire story on Machu Picchu. In 1983, the city was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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You will return to Ollantaytambo by train in the evening (other trains possible at an additional cost). In Ollantaytambo you will be met and you go by bus to Cusco (private transport / taxi possible at extra cost). In Cusco you will be dropped off at the main square Regocijo. From there, you can return to your hotel on foot in 5 minutes or by taxi (not included).
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Overnight stay in Cusco: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Day 12: Free day in Cusco
After an exhausting day in Machu Picchu you are free in Cusco today or you can go out on your own, there is so much to do and see in this fun and attractive city, that you will certainly not get bored.
Suggestions: A visit to the San Blas district, the Pre-Colombian Art Museum, the Market of San Pedro, the Church of San Blas, the Inka Museum, Convento Santo Domingo, Plaza de las Nazarenas, The Regional Historical Museum, Museum Palacio Arzobispal, etc.
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Overnight stay in Cusco: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
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Day 13: Maras & Moray
You will be picked up at 08:15 - 08:30 for the Tour to Maras and Moray
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Moray is home to the ingenious Inca-era terraces. These terraces are completely different from agricultural terraces that you may have seen before during your trip through Peru. Moray was an important centre for agricultural experiments in the time of the Incas. The terraced complex you see here is shaped like an amphitheatre.
Las Salinas de Maras is an overwhelming spectacle of salt pans with 4000 salt basins. Amazing photos can be taken here. The white color of the salt with different colors because of all the minerals that are in it, together with the mountains at the background, form a beautiful sight. The salt water comes out of the ground and forms puddles that dry up in the sun, causing the salt to be deposited on the surface. The salt is collected and sold by the locals with centuries-old techniques on the many markets in this region.
At 14:30 we drive back to Cusco where we arrive around 15:00.
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Not included: Boleto Turistico (already purchased), Maras and Moray contribution $3 each
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Overnight stay in Cusco: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
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Day 14: Flight back to Lima
You will be picked up from your hotel in Cusco and taken to the airport for your flight to Lima.
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Domestic flight (included): Flight Cusco - Lima
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Arrival in Lima. You will be picked up from the airport and taken to the hotel. The rest of the day and evening you are free. Your hotel is located in the most touristic and safe area of Lima, called Miraflores. Afternoon and evening off in Lima.
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Suggestion: For several years in a row, Peru has been the winner of the World Travel Awards in the category 'best culinary destination in the world' and not for nothing can one find in Lima no less than three restaurants that are in the Top 50 of the best restaurants in the world. Well worth combining your stay in Lima with a visit to one of these restaurants or perhaps one of the many other restaurants nearby. You will be amazed by Peruvian cuisine, where one can eat delicious food at a very reasonable price.
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Overnight stay in Lima: 3 star Hotel (Upgrade possible)
Photo Impressions of this Round Trip
Price USD 1,690
Conditions:
1) Boleto Turistico: To see the ruins of Pisac, Ollantaytambo and the ruins in/around Cusco you need a so-called Boleto Turistico. Since it must be purchased in person, we cannot arrange this in advance. You will get these entrance tickets yourself (or together with our guide) when entering the attractions that require this Boleto. These costs are not yet included in the price.
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2) The mentioned price is per person - based on a minimum of two (2) people, accommodation based on 1 x double rooms in 3 star hotels including breakfast. Upgrades are possible, please let us know your wishes.
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3) The quote is based on breakfast. Lunch and dinner are not included unless explicitly stated.
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4) Peru Spirit is neither responsible nor liable for delays or cancellations of domestic flights and/or the consequences thereof. Please see page four of our Terms and Conditions regarding this point
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5) On this trip, our Terms and Conditions apply as described on our site (LINK: https://www.peruspirit.com/files )