Glimpses of Peru, Bolivia and Chile

Land at Lima International Airport. Transfer to your hotel on your own (see “Extra Supplements”). Overnight at your hotel in Lima.

Breakfast at the hotel. Half day Lima city tour (shared services): Discover Lima’s Cathedral, the Government Palace and the San Francisco Convent among many other impressive colonial buildings. Lunch not included. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Cuzco. Meet and greet your local host, transfer to your hotel. Dinner not included. Overnight at your hotel in Cuzco.

Join a full day visit to the Sacred Valley (shared services) today. Drive from Cuzco to the village of Pisac, which is famous for its market with its many indigenous Quechua communities meeting to sell and trade their goods. Then visit Pisac Ruins. Transfer to Ollantaytambo, a fortified city built during the reign of Pachacutec, the most powerful Inca emperor. Train to Aguas Calientes and transfer to your hotel. Overnight at your hotel in Aguas Calientes.

After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to the bus station to hop on a bus to the entrance of the archaeological site. Marvel at the 15th century Inca citadel Machu Picchu during a half day tour (shared services). The abandoned stronghold was rediscovered in 1911 by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham, and the citadel is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. At the end of the tour, you will take the bus back to Aguas Calientes before you board the train to the Sacred Valley, then transfer to Cuzco. Overnight at your hotel in Cuzco.

Enjoy a day at leisure or join one of the optional excursions (against surcharge)

Optional excursion 1: Rainbow Mountain Trek Trek to the top of Vinicunca Mountain, which reaches 5200m in altitude and is a colorful display of golds, reds and turquoises. Cusco – Pitumarka – Chilca (start of the trek) – Rainbow Mountain (duration: 6-7 hours) We will leave very early from your hotel to go to Checacupe then Pitumarka by bus. After breakfast, we start the trek and will cross impressive landscapes with small lagoons. After a 3-hour walk, we will take the road back to Cusco and have a break to enjoy a delicious and local meal.

Optional excursion 2: Mountain Bike in the Sacred Valley After breakfast, leave for the Cruz Pata hamlet in your private vehicle. As you get closer, you’ll see the characteristic landscapes of the Chinchero flatlands. Arrive in Cruz Pata, and after a safety briefing, start riding on the gravel path. The scattered houses are quickly left behind in place of snowy peaks of the Urubamba Cordillera. As you navigate ups and downs on the paths, you’ll reach the circle terraces of Moray. According to archaeologists, the site of Moray was an Inca agricultural laboratory. Ride downhill to the small town of Maras, where you’ll have lunch at the main square. Then bike down to the salt ponds on a more technical path. Avid riders can complete the tour on a steep downhill to the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Note: These tours are year-round, but we do not recommend them during the rainy season (between December and March)

See some of the highlights during a half-day city tour (shared services). First you will visit Plaza Mayor and the San Pedro local market before you get to the most important Inca temple in the city – the Qoricancha or Sun Temple. “The Gold Precinct,” as it was known, was a sacred place in which people honored the most important Inca god, the INTI. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight at your hotel in Cuzco.

After breakfast you will take the bus from Cuzco to Puno with visits enroute (shared services). First stop is the incredible church of San Pedro Apostol of Andahuaylillas, also known as the Andean Sistine Chapel. Continue to Raqchi, a former Inca stronghold on the edge of the Empire that served administrative, economic and military purposes and hosted the unique Temple of Wiracocha. Lunch stop at a buffet restaurant. The third stop is La Raya Pass, the highest point on the journey at 14,222 feet (4335 m). Finally, stop at the lithic museum of Pukara. Overnight at your hotel in Puno.

A 30-minute boat ride takes you to Uros, which is inhabited by Uros-Aymara families who still follow their venerable traditions, like fishing and hunting. Then, discover the island of Taquile where the friendly Taquileños have maintained their customs and traditional agricultural techniques. Traditional lunch included. Return to Puno in the afternoon. Overnight at your hotel in Puno.

Transfer to Desaguadero and cross the border with a Bolivian guide in a private vehicle, moving towards Tiwanaku. Recognized as one of 754 World Heritage Sites and considered the Stonehenge of America, Tiwanaku is one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire. Visit the Museo Cerámico (Museum of Ceramics), then see the Temple of Kalasasaya at the Tiwanaku complex, and locate the famous Puerta del Sol (Door of the Sun) and The Pyramid of Akapana. Depart for La Paz in a private vehicle. Overnight at your hotel in La Paz.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Uyuni (flight not included). Upon arrival in Uyuni, transfer to the hotel. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight at your hotel in Uyuni.

After breakfast depart for the renowned Uyuni Salt Flats. The Salt Flats of Uyuni were once part of a prehistoric inland sea called Lake Minchin, which included most of southwestern Bolivia. With more than 12,000 km2 in land area, it’s considered the largest salt desert in the world. Observe the process of extraction and refinement of salt. Visit Incahuasi Island, home of the Inca in Quechua. Take a lunch break before you depart for San Pedro de Quemez (194 km). Overnight in San Pedro de Quemez.

After breakfast visit of Pueblo Quemado (burned village). Then depart for Salar de Chiguana and visit Mirador de Ollague Volcano, which stands at 5868 meters above sea level. Afterwards depart for Jewels of the Andes, in which the lagoons are named Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiari Khota, and Honda. Enjoy a picnic lunch during your excursion. In the afternoon depart for Paseo del Leon (Pass of the Lion) and Siloli Desert. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight at the hotel

Start your day with an excursion to the Eduardo Abaroa National Reserve in South Lipez with a visit of the Red Lagoon, located at an altitude of 4,278 meters above sea level. Marvel at Sol de Mañana (Sun of Tomorrow), a geothermal area dotted with geysers and fumaroles. See the thermal waters of Polkes, then visit the Salvador Dali Desert. Enjoy a picnic lunch during your excursion. Depart for the Green Lagoon, then to the Hito Cajon border. Private transfer from Hito Cajon to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama. In the late afternoon, depart for Moon Valley (shared service) to observe the lunar-like patterns formed by erosion, which are covered with a thin layer of salt. These curious formations were caused by the existence of an ancient lake and by erosion from the wind and water. In the silence of the desert, you’ll experience one of the most beautiful sunsets ever seen. Overnight at your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

Morning departure to Atacama Salt Flat with views of the Licancabur Volcano. Visit the village of Toconao and the Chaxa Lagoon, where a large variety of flora has adapted to the desert climate. Then see the Miscanti and Meñiques Lagoons situated at 4300 meters (2671 feet) above sea level, where you’ll have a spectacular view over the high plateaus. Lunch in a local restaurant along the way and return to San Pedro de Atacama. Overnight at your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.

Depart early this morning (around 5 a.m.) for Tatio Geysers, which are situated at 14,100 feet (4300m) above sea level. Arrive at sunrise, a time when the geysers are most spectacular. El Tatio is the largest place of this kind in the southern hemisphere. The eruption of the highest geyser reaches about 20 feet (6m). Picnic breakfast in the middle of the geysers. Return to San Pedro de Atacama around noon. Transfer from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama to Calama Airport (shared service) for your flight to Santiago (flight not included). Assistance at Santiago Airport to get to your hotel in Santiago (in front of the airport building) . Overnight at your hotel at Santiago Airport.