July 8 - July 16, 2022

Peru Itinerary

July 8: Flight to Lima – Arrive in Lima & spend night in comfortable hotel near airport.

Upon your arrival to the airport (Arrival details: To be confirmed) you will only need to walk 5 minutes to find your hotel Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima for evening accommodation. Show them your original passports and ask for your booking made in your names through South Adventure Peru Tours. (10 Twin rooms) (No meals included) 

July 9: Lima to Cusco – Private City Tour Tambomachay/Pucapucara/Queno/ Sacsayhuaman/Cathedral & Qoricancha

Upon your arrival to Cusco, (Flight details: to be confirmed) our guide and representative will be waiting for you, holding a small board with your names, then you will be transferred to our office to get further information about the trip. Our staff will serve you COCA tea to avoid altitude sickness. You will be dropped off at the Hotel Casa Andina Premium San Blas - 4 Star (close to South Adventures office) or similar one.

At 1:00pm, you will be picked up from your hotel for the famous traditional tour which involves visits to Tambomachay (Temple of the Water), a center of adoration and worship of water; Puca Pucara (Reddish Place), that was used as a military control center; Q`enqo (Labyrinth) a religious center dedicated to the adoration; Sacsayhuaman (Majestic Place with impressive works in stone which sum up to 120 tons); Main Cathedral (Marvel of the Religious); and The Koricancha (Temple of the Sun). Afternoon, you will be dropped off at your hotel in Cusco.

Optional visits to: San Blas area or Barrio de san blas, one of Cusco's oldest neighborhoods; Inca Museum, installed in the Admiral's House, an important monument of colonial architecture, the museum keeps the main Inca archaeological collection in Peru Inca culture that reflects and other archaeological cultures of the region of Cusco; San Pedro Market (One`s of the biggest market of Cusco, on the walk to it you’ll generally notice more and more street vendors and ladies in traditional dress sitting on the side of the streets selling nuts, popcorn, and other small bags of dried foods. You’ll spot more and more local shops (tiendas) selling the most random of things all in one tienda. If you’re looking for an alpaca jumper, a freshly made juice, a bag of nectarines, some plantains to fry, buttifaras (ham sandwiches served on French bread), or some cheesy gifts for your parents or friends back home, you’re definitely on your way to the right place! 

Includes:  Buffet breakfast at your hotel; English speaking guide with extra assistance guide; Professional driver; 2 or one BIG minibus with air conditioned and reclined seats; Big bottle of oxygen and medical kit to avoid the altitude sickness; Mineral water; Guided tour in every archaeological site; Lunch; Entrances to the sites 

Hotel accommodation: located only few meters away from our office - Hotel Casa Andina Premium San Blas 

Not Included: Dinner (LCWBB is paying)

July 10: Cusco – Tour of Sacred Valley of the Incas: Cochahuasi Zoo, Pisac Market & Ruins, Lamay (tasting Guinea Pig), Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Cusco 

At 9:00am, you will board our private coach for a drive to the Sacred Valley, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire (great option to acclimatize). This mountainous region of Peru offers mystical, awe-inspiring sights to discover… along with farms and villages that welcome you with a taste of daily life. An English-speaking guide will help to explore a vital Inca Road that snakes its way up the Canyon entering the Urubamba valley at Pisac. The citadel at the entrance to this gorge, now in ruins, controlled a route which connected the Inca Empire with Paucartambo, on the border of the eastern jungles. Set high above a valley floor patch, worked by patterned fields and rimmed by vast terracing, the stonework and panoramas at Pisaq’s Inca citadel are magnificent. Terraces, water ducts, and steps have been cut out of solid rock, and in the upper sector of the ruins, the Main Sun Temple is equal to anything at Machu Picchu. Above the temple lie still more ruins, mostly unexcavated, and among the higher crevices and rocky overhangs, several ancient burial sites are hidden.

Afterwards, you will return walking around the mountain or you can catch our private transport to explore the modern Pisac, a picturesque Andean village, typical except for the huge, spreading Pisonay tree that dominates the central square. The village is best known for its Sunday market, now open every day, which draws hundreds of tourists each week. In spite of its popularity, the market retains much of its local charm, at least in the part where villagers from miles around gather to barter and sell their products. In the tourist section of the market, you can buy a wide variety of Handcrafts - mostly the same things you can see in Cusco. Pisac is a good place to buy the local ceramics, including a huge and varied collection of hand-painted multi-colored beads. Enjoy a tasty buffet lunch in one of the restaurants in Urubamba (variety of dishes and vegetarian optional).

After the lunch, continues towards Ollantaytambo, an archaeological site that the Incas built as a fort and includes a temple, agricultural terraces, and an urban area. There are two distinct sectors: Araqama Ayllu, the religious and worship zone, and Qosqo Ayllu, the residential area. Ollantaytambo was an important administrative center with probable military functions due to the walls and towers. There are also traces of ancient roads and aqueducts. The town of Ollantaytambo is called a Living-Inca-Town, since the inhabitants maintain very old practices and customs. Afternoon, return to the hotel in Cusco.

Includes:  Buffet breakfast at your hotel; English speaking guide with extra assistance guide; Professional driver; 2 or one BIG minibus with air conditioned and reclined seats; Big bottle of oxygen and medical kit to avoid the altitude sickness: Mineral water; Guided tour in every archaeological sites; Buffet Lunch; Entrances to the sites. 

Hotel in Cusco: Hotel Casa Andina Premium San Blas – 4*

Not Included: Dinner

July 11: Cusco – Chinchero (Alpaca Farm), Maras Moray, Salt Mines (Optional Activities - Zipline, Canopy, Quat ATV) – Urubamba - Ollantaytambo (Buffet)

At 9:00am, you will be picked up by your English-speaking guide. You will visit the colorful village of Chinchero, where we will find the ruins of the Tupac Inca Yupanqui Royal House, and we will appreciate its well-preserved Inca wall in the main square and you will visit the beautiful Colonial Temple with invaluable portraits, built over Inca Bases.

Then you will continue with the tour to ALPACA FARM, which is a weaving center with the goal to keep alive the traditional textile arts. Here you can see llamas and alpacas. Alpaca has thick wool and is the most commonly used while the llamas are very social animals and live with other llamas as a herd. The wool produced by a llama is very soft and lanolin free. Llamas are intelligent and can learn simple tasks after a few repetitions. When using a pack, they can carry about 25 to 30% of their body weight for 8 to 13 km (5–8 miles). You can meet these camelids, learn about the harvesting of the different wools and the natural dyeing techniques, and have the chance to see native weavers from different areas showing their weaving style and dress.

Afterwards, you will visit the Inca site of Moray. This is a fascinating and unique ruin, where the Incas used a fabulous amphitheater of terracing as an agricultural experimental site by taking advantage of the microclimates produced by the varying altitude to breed new varieties of their crops. We shall also visit the village of Maras, and the saltpans which have made it famous. The saltpans are an unforgettable site: people from Maras have diverted a salt-laden spring coming out of the hillside, evaporating the water to collect salt, as their ancestors have done for centuries. We will walk among the salt pans, witnessing a scene largely unchanged from Inca Ames.

From noon until 1:00pm, you will enjoy the buffet lunch in Urubamba. After lunch, the tour continues towards Ollantaytambo, where you will stay at the Hotel Pakaritampu.  

Includes: Buffet breakfast at your hotel; English speaking guide with extra assistance guide; Professional driver; 2 or one BIG minibus with air conditioned and reclined seats; Big bottle of oxygen and medical kit to avoid the altitude sickness; Mineral water; Guided tour in every archaeological sites; Buffet Lunch; Entrances to the sites; Optional Activities such as Zip Line, CANOPY and QUAD ATV…

Hotel in Ollantaytambo:  Hotel Pakaritampu 

Not Included: Dinner (LCWBB paying) 

July 12: Starting in Ollantaytambo Train to Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu  

After your breakfast, you will be picked up and transferred to the train station (5-minute trip) where you will have a fantastic journey through the sacred valley of the Incas and the remote canyon of Vilcanota to Aguas Calientes village. The train ride consists of spectacular views along the way in this wonderful land of the Incas, amazing landscapes of mountains and valleys, Inca farming terraces on both sides of the valley, snow capped mountains, and sub-tropical jungle near the Ceja de Selva. Aguas Calientes town is 2,040 mts and is the closest access point to Machu Picchu.

Then, journey along the cloud forest and you will be picked up by our English-speaking guide or our representative. You will be immediately transferred to the hotel for check in and the free time to explore on your own. Optional walking in your free time: You can visit the thermal baths located next to the town (Entrance US $3 or 10 Soles).  Or you can do the walking tour to MANDOR. This fascinating valley shelters unique species of flora and fauna, as well as a stunning waterfall. The journey to Mandor starts on the outskirts of Aguas Calientes town towards Santa Teresa village. From there, we hike alongside the Vilcanota River and the railroad track until the 114.4 Km marker. The landscape is spectacular since the valley is inhabited by birds such as golden oriole, woodpeckers, blue-grey tanagers, and the cock-of-the-rock, Peru's national bird; as well as beautiful wild flowers such as orchids and impressive ferns that are more than 2,000 years old. Or you can just relax by walking around the town, visiting some museums and visiting some handicraft vendors. Or Hike Sun Gate Trail. Keep good energy for the next day for glorious Machu Picchu.

Includes: Buffet breakfast at your hotel; Train Tickets Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes by INKA RAIL or VISTADOME; English speaking guide with extra assistance guide; Big bottle of oxygen and medical kit to avoid the altitude sickness; Mineral water; Guided tour in every archaeological sites;  Lunch and Dinner;  Entrances to the sites

Hotel in Agua Calientes:  4 Star or Casa Andina Standard

Not Included:

July 13: Starting in Aguas Calientes – Tour/Hike Machu Picchu - Cusco

This day will be one of the most important and interesting days during your whole trip. You will be picked up from your hotel very early (before the birds sing). Our guide will meet you at your hotel between 4:30 and 5:00am to aboard the first shared bus and to drop you off at the main door where you have to show your original PASSPORTS and ISIC Cards (if applicable) at the checkpoint, and then try to be the first visitors inside of the wonder of the world: Machu Picchu. You will have a complete guided tour of this spectacular and mystical place, lasting 2-3 hours. The guided tour includes a walk through the different sections such as The Urban sector, the Agriculture sector, and the religious zone.

After the guided tour in Machu Picchu, you will have free time to explore by yourself, walk in your own space, take many selfies, and to meet other tourists in the sanctuary. According with the time and to your physical conditions, you can coordinate with the tour guide to climb to HUAYNA PICCHU or Machu Picchu Mountain, where you can have the best panoramic view for photos of all Machu Picchu and of deep green canyon surrounding the sacred Inca Citadel. Do not forget that these entrances must be booked in advance and pay US $65 extra.

Afternoon and depending on your train schedule back to Cusco, you will have to take the bus down to Aguas Calientes to catch the train back to Cusco. Upon your arrival at Poroy station, you will be met again by our staff and then transferred back to your hotel.

Includes:  Buffet breakfast packed by the hotel;  Bus Tickets Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes; Entrances to Machu Picchu and MACHU PICCHU Montaña with 2 Guides for each hike;  Train Tickets Machu Picchu - Cusco by INKA RAIL or VISTADOME; English speaking guide with extra assistance guide;  Big bottle of oxygen and medical kit to avoid the altitude sickness;  Mineral water; Guided tour in every archaeological sites;  Lunch

Hotel in Cusco: Hotel Casa Andina Premium San Blas - 4 Star (close to the office)

Not Included: Dinner (LCWBB paying)

July 14: Cusco Free day – Walking tour/Cooking Class/Chocolate making/ Farewell Dinner

Beginning at 11:00am, we have a walking tour OR Chocolate Making Workshop - a short and simple explanation of the chocolate making process. Make your own chocolates (100 g) milk chocolate or bitter chocolate. Class is 2 hours in length, pick up chocolates 1 hour later.

At 2:00pm, we have a cooking class: a gastronomic journey that takes you throughout the Peruvian coast, highlands, and jungle. The different and unequivocal flavors that you will try throughout our cooking class will spoil your palate as you participate in the best culinary experience found in the city of Cusco. Marcelo Batata Culinary Experiences will immerse you into the world of Peruvian gastronomy and is a personalized and participatory class developed in a fun and dynamic environment so that everyone can join in no matter the amount of kitchen knowledge or previous experience they’ve had. Class is 4 hours in length. Six course meal, including topics such as the history of Peruvian gastronomy, concepts of the kitchen, tropical fruit and Andean super food tasting, Pisco tasting, Pisco Sour and Chilcano de Pisco preparation, and finally the preparing and cooking of two of Peru’s most emblematic dishes: Ceviche and Lomo Saltado with Alpaca. In addition, the chefs from our restaurants will spoil you with criolle and Novo-Andina small bite appetizers such as cuy (guinea pig), stuffed potatoes, aji de gallina, and causas, amongst others.

Includes: Breakfast at Hotel, Lunch on our own, Farewell Dinner provided

Hotel in Cusco: Hotel Casa Andina Premium San Blas - 4 Star (close to the office)

July 15: Cusco – Lima - USACusco – Lima (B)

After your buffet breakfast or afternoon, pick up and transfer to the airport. We will not schedule a hotel in Lima, just a layover at the airport before heading back to the United States. Night flights back to the USA.

July 16:  Arrive in USA