Explore two of Peru's most iconic and awe-inspiring historic ruins on a holiday to both Kuelap Fortress and Machu Picchu.
Departures: Daily
Length: 13 days / 12 nights
Destinations: Lima / Chachapoyas / Kuelap Fortress / Gocta Waterfall / Cusco / Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu
Highlights: In Peru's north discover the hidden wonders lost among this beautiful part of the country, including the epic Kuelap Fotress and Gocta Waterfall - one of the ten highest in the world. In Peru's south explore the Inca heartland with visits to Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Machu Picchu.
Tailor Made: This is a suggested holiday that can be booked exactly as described or that can be used to help inspire you on the fascinating journeys and destinations in Argentina. Like all our holidays this itinerary can be tailored, customised and crafted by our friendly experts to suit your own travel style, personal requirements, wishes, budget and interests. Simply get in touch to discuss, and we would be delighted to create a truly personalised holiday for you.
Holiday Itinerary
Arrive in Lima at anytime at the start of your holiday and on arrival we will meet you and escort you by private vehicle to your hotel where the remainder of the day will be time at leisure to relax from your flight and adjust to your new surroundings.
Meals: None
Overnight: Hotel in Miraflores, Lima
Personalise Your Holiday: Choose a hotel in the historic district of Barranco instead of Miraflores to discover this colonial region.
Enjoy a half-day city tour exploring the historic heart of Lima, a UNESCO World Heritage centre due to the rich colonial history to be found here. Visit the main plaza with its panoramic views of the Presidential Palace and Cathedral, then visit the San Francisco Monastery which houses a collection of religious art, a fascinating library and subterranean catacombs underneath the monastery. Later the tour returns to Miraflores through contemporary Lima passing the residential districts of San Isidro and onwards to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hotel in Miraflores, Lima
This morning we will meet you and escort you back to Lima airport from where you will take a domestic flight to Jaen in the north of Peru. From Jaen we will escort you on a private journey by road through the beautiful landscape to your hotel, the Gocta Lodge, which surely has one of the most spectacular locations of any hotel in the world with incredible landscape views of the Gocta Waterfall. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax following the journey.
Meals: Breakfast, Evening Meal
Overnight: Gocta Lodge, Gocta Waterfall
Today is a wonderful day as you will embark on a walk from your hotel towards the Gocta Waterfall, a natural wonder of the world and one of the highest waterfalls in the world with a total height of 711 metres. The falls were known only to the local Peruvians and were kept secret from the wider world for hundreds of years until 2005. From your hotel you will embark on a guided walk through the scenic landscapes that surround the falls, passing local self-sufficient indigenous Andean farming communities and spotting birds, butterflies and mammals along the way, as well as observing the beautiful flowers and orchids. The views of the falls throughout the day are simply incredible.
Meals: Breakfast, Evening Meal
Overnight: Gocta Lodge, Gocta Waterfall
Enjoy a full day tour to the iconic Kuelap Fortress. This iconic wonder of northern Peru was built by the Chachapoyas Cloud People (also referred to as the Warriors of the Clouds) and is a wonderful sight to behold, matched in size and grandeur only by Machu Picchu. The fortress is surrounded by a huge defensive wall that resembles a cliff, which protects the approximately 400 buildings that are housed inside. You will travel by road to the site, where you will have a guided tour and will learn about its history, and the mystery surrounding the demise of the Chachapoyas people. After the tour instead of returning to Gocta Falls you will continue on to the city of Chachapoyas, where you will spend the evening.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hotel in Chachapoyas
Today you can enjoy a free day in Chachapoyas, a traditional, historic and relatively untouched (by tourism) city hidden in the valleys of northern Peru. The day acts as a rest day within your holiday to relax, watch wildlife from the hotel gardens or enjoy a short walk, or to explore the city of Chachapoyas if you so wish.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hotel in Chachapoyas
Personalise your holiday: The Chachapoyas region, home to the "Warriors of the Clouds" who built the Kuelap Fortress, is steeped in history with many interesting sites to visit. Consider adding a day tour to "Karajia" today to see the cliffside mummies - contact us for further information.
Today you will depart from Chachapoyas, home to the Warriors of the Clouds, and journey south to Cusco, home of the Inca Empire. We will meet you at your hotel early this morning to escort you back to Jaen airport from where you will embark on a domestic flight to Cusco (via Lima). On arrival in Cusco we will meet you and escort you to your hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to relax following your journey.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hotel in Cusco
The city of Cusco is a UNESCO World Heritage site rich in history, culture, archaeology and architecture, and today you will enjoy a half-day guided tour to visit some of the more important historic sites in and around the city including the Inca Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha), Cusco Cathedral with its fine art collection, the main central plaza, and the large and important Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman (with its megalithic stone masonry) and Tambomachay both of which are on the outskirts of the city.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Central hotel in Cusco
Enjoy a donwerful day today as you journey on a full day tour along the length of the Sacred Valley of the Inca, following in the footsteps if the Inca towards Machu Picchu, stopping off along the way to visit some of the incredible Inca sites along the way including the traditional Andean village of Chinchero to admire the Inca streets, ancient church and Inca ruins as well as see demonstrations of the traditional craft techniques that have been employed for centuries by the inhabitants; the outstanding Inca ruins of Moray which are giant circular terraces built into the ground that it is believed were used by the Inca people as a fascinating botanical experiment; the ancient salt fields of Maras which predate the time of the Inca where an entire valley has been formed into a network of salt pans; and the Inca town of Ollantaytambo and the Inca fortress that overlooks the town. After the tour has concluded you will journey deeper into the Sacred Valley on the wonderful train to Machu Picchu, spending the night in Machu Picchu Pueblo, the village in the valley beneath the iconic ruin.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hotel in Machu Picchu Pueblo
Personalise your holiday: Instead of sleeping in Machu Picchu Pueblo tonight sleep in the Sacred Valley for a more relaxed evening among the beautiful landscape of the valley. The Sacred Valley is a popular place to add a free day to relax, with the valley featuring some wonderful luxury and spa-style hotels.
This morning you will depart early on one of the shuttle-buses that run from Machu Picchu Pueblo to Machu Picchu itself, and will embark on an tour throughout Machu Picchu visiting the famous viewpoint so you can observe Machu Picchu in all its glory before touring the important parts of the site including the Temple of the Sun and Intihuatana Sundial. After the tour you will return to Machu Picchu Pueblo where you can enjoy some lunch before returning by train through the Sacred Valley and back to Cusco where we will escort you to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Hotel in Cusco
Personalise your holiday: Stay an additional night in Machu Picchu Pueblo and upgrade to a "Two-Day Machu Picchu Entry Permit" to allow more time to explore this wonderful place, or to include time to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain.
Enjoy a free day in the fantastic city of Cusco, an outstanding city of archaeological, architectural, religious and historical beauty. We include free time here to allow time for you to explore the city and visit some of the many museums, historical sites, plazas, galleries, churches, shops, markets or cafes in and amongst the city.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hotel in Cusco
Today you will return to Lima. You can choose from a morning, afternoon or evening flight depending on where you would rather spend the majority of this day. We will meet you at your hotel at the appropriate time and you will transfer to Cusco airport for your flight and in Lima will travel with you to your hotel. In Lima the remainder of the day will be free time for you to explore the Peruvian capital one final time, maybe shop for some souvenirs, stroll through the parks of Miraflores and enjoy your last Peruvian meal and Pisco Sour cocktail.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hotel in Miraflores, Lima
Personalise your holiday: Lima is the culinary capital of South America and home to some of the finest restaurants in the world. Why not conclude your holiday with a fine Peruvian mean?, if you need restaurant recommendations or reservations please just let us know.
At an appropriate time we will meet you at your hotel and escort you to Lima airport for your return flight home.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: N/A
Included
- Four domestic flights within Peru (Lima - Jaen, Jaen - Lima, Lima - Cusco, Cusco - Lima)
- All excursions
- English-speaking guides for all excursions
- Entry fees to all sites included in the itinerary (including Machu Picchu)
- Accommodation
- All meals detailed
- Transfers to / from airports or hotels as required
- All transport and travel within Peru
Not Included
- International flights to/from South America. We exclude international flights to give the option to compare flight pricing or use airmiles, however we can include and provide international flights as part of your holiday and any international flights booked through us would be ATOL-protected as part of your package with us. Depending on time of year, departure airport and airline preference flight prices start from around £600pp economy. If you would like us to quote on international flights just let us know your preferred departure airport when you enquire.
ATOL PROTECTION
This is a flight-inclusive package holiday. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/atolcertificate.
Contact Us if you want more information or want to book this holiday. One of our South America holiday specialists will be more than willing to help.
