Pure Peru - 19 days

Arrive in Lima at any time to start your holiday. Upon arrival at Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport you will be met by your guide and we will escort you from the airport to your hotel, help you check-in, and answer any questions you may have. The remainder of the day will be free time for you to relax following your long haul flight and to give you time to explore Miraflores, the modern district in Lima where you are staying. Miraflores is home to a fantastic selection of modern restaurants serving up modern Andean cuisine (Peru was voted World Culinary Travel Destination of the Year an astonishing 4 years in a row from 2012 to 2015 at the World Travel Awards) so this is an excellent place to enjoy your first meal in Peru. Ask us about restaurant recommendations or reservations.

Meals: None

Overnight: Hotel in Miraflores, Lima

Today you will have a city tour of Lima including visits to the old colonial heart of the city, visiting the major plaza, and with panoramic views of the Presidential Palace and Cathedral amongst others. The highlight is a visit to the San Francisco Monastery with its collection of religious art, fascinating library and the subterranean catacombs underneath the monastery. Later the tour returns to Miraflores and contemporary Lima passing the residential districts of San Isidro and the astonishing cliff-top Larcomar shopping mall.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Hotel in Miraflores, Lima

Today we will escort you from your hotel for a journey south down a small section of the Pan-American Highway to Paracas, a delightful seaside town a few hours south of Lima. Here you will have free time to enjoy your hotel, stroll along the beach, spot for pelicans and other sea birds which are frequently seen on the beach or near the harbour, eat some fresh seafood from one of the seafront restaurants and watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Hotel in Paracas

In the morning you will take a boat tour to the Islas Ballestas, passing the giant "Candelabra" on the way. The Candelabra is a massive impressive shape similar to the Nazca Lines etched into the side of the Paracas peninsular. The Ballestas Islands are roosting grounds for tens of thousands of birds and you should be able to spot species such as boobies, cormorants, pelicans and penguins. At certain times of year groups of sea lions sprawl out on the small beaches and dolphins swim in the waters. In the afternoon you will travel further south via the town of Ica to the astonishing oasis town of Huacachina which sits on an oasis in the middle of a naturally occurring desert, the town is famous for the giant sand dunes that surround a natural oasis. Later in the day you will travel to the city of Nazca where you will be escorted to your hotel for the evening.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Hotel in Nazca

The Nazca Lines are one of the most iconic sights in the world and have graced the cover of endless travel magazines, been featured in countless travel documentaries, and even played a role in Hollywood blockbusters. Today you have the option (not included in the tour price) to purchase a sightseeing flight over the lines, so if interested you will be transported to the Nazca airfield where you can purchase tickets directly in Peru. In the afternoon you will travel from Nazca to Arequipa, a relatively long journey that will see you arriving in Arequipa in late evening. In Arequipa we will escort you to your hotel for the evening.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Central hotel in Arequipa

Note: The Nazca Lines flight is not included in the tour price and you will need to make this payment direct in Nazca if you wish to fly over the lines. If you do not want to fly but still want to see the lines we can arrange a tour to the viewing platform - please enquire for further details.

Today enjoy free time in the fascinating city of Arequipa. We include free time in Arequipa as it is your first destination at altitude to allow you time to acclimatise. If you wish during your free time you may consider visiting the “Inca Ice Maiden”, also known as “Juanita”, an Inca mummy that was discovered on a nearby mountain and is now displayed in the Museo Santuarios Andinos just off the central plaza. Also recommended is Santa Catalina monastery which was closed to the public for hundreds of years and is beautifully painted, tranquil and peaceful with a religious art collection.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Central hotel in Arequipa

Journey by road from Arequipa to the Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world (more than 4000 metres deep from the highest point to the bottom of the valley floor – truly a special sight). The journey takes you through beautiful scenery and across a high altiplano where you will have breathtaking views of the many volcanoes in this region of Peru and may be able to see wild herds of vicuñas – a wild relative of the llama. Your destination is Chivay, the gateway to the Colca Canyon, where you have the afternoon free to buy some lunch and stroll through the city.

Meals: Breakfast, Evening Meal

Overnight: Hotel in Colca Canyon

Depart on a tour to “Cruz del Condor”, the impressive viewing platform 3400 metres above the base of the valley where it is possible to see condors gliding on thermals rising from the valley floor. After returning to Chivay for a lunch of your choice you will travel to Puno, a city on the banks of Lake Titicaca, journeying through some of the most beautiful and stunning landscapes in the whole world. You will spend the evening in Puno near the banks of Lake Titicaca.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Hotel in Puno, Lake Titicaca

Today you will embark on a boat tour across Lake Titicaca to visit the famous Floating Uros Islands, stopping to visit the islands, meet the locals, and learn more about the history and craft of these unique floating islands. In the afternoon you will go on a tour to visit Sillustani, impressive pre-Inca burial tombs or “chullpas” which are situated in a beautiful setting overlooking a lake and surrounding Andean landscape.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Hotel in Puno, Lake Titicaca

Today you will journey on a full day tour by road from Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire. The road you will follow is called the “Ruta del Sol” or the Sun Road and the tour includes stops along the way to visit archaeological and interesting sites that cannot be visited on any other journey, including visits to an Andean colonial church built in 1626, a visit to Raqchi Inca archaeological complex as well as outstanding views of snow-capped Andean mountains and landscapes.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Central hotel in Cusco

Enjoy a free day in the fantastic city of Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire. This is an outstanding city of archaeological, architectural, religious and historical beauty and is a destination in itself, so we include free time here to give you a day to relax within your holiday and to allow time for you to explore the city if you wish. We recommend visiting some of the countless museums, historical sites, plazas, galleries, churches, shops, markets or cafes in and amongst the city.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Central hotel in Cusco

Today go on a city tour of Cusco and the surrounding area and visit some of the many historic sites within and surrounding the city including the Inca Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha), Cusco Cathedral with its fine art collection, the main central plaza, plus 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

Journey on a full-day tour from Cusco across the Andes and passing into the Sacred Valley following the ancient route from Cusco to Machu Picchu. The first stop on the tour is a visit to the traditional Andean village of Chinchero where you will be able to stroll through the village 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 tour continues to 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. Next visit 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. The view of the salt pans from the edge of the valley is astonishing. The tour finishes in the Inca town of Ollantaytambo which has a network of Inca streets still as they were in Inca times and a giant Inca fortress that overlooks the town that you will tour. Tonight will be spent sleeping in the tranquil beauty of the Sacred Valley.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Hotel in Sacred Valley

Early in the morning we will collect you from your hotel and escort you to the train station at Ollantaytambo for you to take the scenic train through the valley to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu. The train journey provides outstanding views of the Andes landscape passing villages, Inca terraces and with fine views of the river, valleys and mountains that make this region so beautiful. On arrival at Machu Picchu you will embark on an epic tour throughout the site visiting the famous viewpoint so you can observe Machu Picchu in all its glory before touring all of the important parts of the site including the Temple of the Sun and Intihuatana Sundial. After the tour you will have free time to explore or take photos by yourself before returning to Machu Picchu Pueblo, the small town in the valley below Machu Picchu, for lunch. Later in the afternoon you will take the train to Cusco where we will escort you to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Central hotel in Cusco

Today enjoy another free day in the marvellous city of Cusco to relax after your exhilarating visit to Machu Picchu or to explore more of the city.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Central hotel in Cusco

Today you will depart early for a flight from Cusco to the city of Puerto Maldonado, the gateway to the Tambopata region of the Amazon Jungle, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. In Puerto Maldonado you will be met at the airport on arrival by your jungle guide and will journey by river-boat through the jungle up a tributary of the Amazon River to your renowned Amazon lodge in the heart of the jungle. Your first jungle activity is a short jungle walk from the lodge to a 30m high canopy tower giving you unparalleled views over the Amazon treetops, the jungle canopy and the horizon stretching towards the Tambopata National Reserve. From this height you have a good chance of spotting different types of Amazon birds including toucans, parrots and macaws as well as species of monkeys. In the evening you have the option of attending a short talk in the lodge to understand some of the many eco-projects being undertaken by the lodge in this region to protect the wildlife and manage the sustainability of the region.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Meal

Overnight: Posada Amazonas Lodge

In the morning you will depart early to visit an oxbow lake on a catamaran to search for wildlife including birds, macaws, hoatzin, caiman, horned screamers and possibly giant river otters. Later visit a parrot clay lick where from a blind spot on a river bed you can observe parrots, parakeets and other species descend to ingest the clay - one of nature's most beautiful natural phenomenons. In the afternoon you will go on a jungle walk along a trail developed by a local medicinal community to learn about the many types of plants and trees that have been used for countless years as remedies for various ailments by the indigenous societies in this region of the Amazon. After nightfall you have the option of a jungle night walk to try to see and listen to the bizarre sounds of the many animals which are more active by night including species of tree frog, night monkeys and other nocturnal creatures.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Meal

Overnight: Posada Amazonas Lodge

In the morning we will escort you by jungle riverboat from the lodge back to Puerto Maldonado airport to take a flight to Lima. In Lima we will meet you and escort you back to your hotel where the remainder of the day will be free time for you to enjoy your final night in Peru.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: Hotel in Miraflores, Lima

Optional: Contact us to discuss a range of Amazon extension options including additional nights to allow time for more jungle excursions, deeper travel within the Amazon to visit the renowned Tambopata Research Center lodge, or "a la carte" jungle excursion packages where you can plan your own jungle itinerary.

At the appropriate time we will meet you at your hotel and escort you to Lima international airport where you will be able to check-in for your international flight home.

Meals: Breakfast

Overnight: N/A