Discovering the Inca Empire
8 days / 7 nights
DAY 1: LA PAZ | INC: -
Arrival in La Paz, meet and greet at the airport, transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon it is time for our city tour which begins in the typical Witches’ Market, then is off to the Colonial San Francisco Church and the Murillo Plaza in which we will find the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Government Palace and the Parliament. Then we will walk around the famous Jaen Street where the most important museums of La Paz are located, to later move to different directions like the residential areas of Obrajes, Calacoto and la Florida to end our tour in the spectacular Valley of the Moon.
DAY 2: LA PAZ/SUN ISLAND/COPACABANA/PUNO | INC: B/L
The day has finally arrived: the Lake Crossing. We will set off early for the Chua Port to board the catamaran that will take us on a panoramic journey through Lake Titicaca’s immensity to the legendary Island of the Sun, cradle of the Inca Empire to visit the Garden of the Inca, the Fountain of the Inca and the Inti Wata Complex. We’ll get on board a traditional totora reed boat to enjoy the view of Pilkokaina Palace. To end we´ll board the catamaran to Copacabana and lunch will be provided. Transfer to the city on arrival. Stay at Puno.
DAY 3: PUNO | INC: B
A morning trip to visit the “people of the lake”. A visit to the Uros’ handmade islands and their inhabitants who will welcome us to their peculiar life style. It is hard to believe but these friendly locals live, get an education and make a living on these floating islands. In the afternoon we will visit the pre-Inca cemetery of the Hatun Colla chiefs in Sillustani, on the shore of Lake Umayo. A great trip to see the funerary towers or Chullpas reaching up to six meters high. Stay at Puno.
DAY 4: PUNO/CUSCO | INC: B/L
Departure on a tour bus to Cusco. On the way we’ll stop to visit the attractions this beautiful route has to offer. Our first stop: the in site Pucara Museum and a chance to get one of the local classic bull shaped ceramics. Then it’s lunch time and the opportunity to see the view at La Raya, natural border between Puno and Cusco. We will continue our trip to Racchi, Temple of the Wiracocha god where the walls and narrow streets stand out. Before our final destination, we will stop at Andahuaylillas for a visit to its beautiful chapel. We will arrive in Cusco at the end of the afternoon. Stay at Cusco.
DAY 5: CUSCO | INC: D.
In the morning we will distance from the crowds and visit Sacsayhuaman, a huge and impressive fortress of colossal constructions and surrounded by beautiful views blending together perfectly. Our adventure continues at the Inca Shrine Qenqo, to see the sacrificial altar embedded inside a rock cave. Finally we will arrive to the Puca Pucara viewpoint and Tambomachay, monument of impressive architectonic knowledge considered as one of the pillars of Andean Cosmo vision.
In the afternoon our exclusive city tour starts with a visit to the San Cristobal Plaza to enjoy its panoramic view of the city. Then, we will visit the San Pedro Market to soak in its local flavors and to learn about more of the products grown in the area which supply the whole city. After this, the Korikancha temple will welcome us in all his magnificence; this temple, whose Quechua name means “Gold Enclosure” still bedazzles us with the thought of its gold covered walls. Then it is the turn to visit the Santo Domingo Church. We will walk from San Blas, the artisans’ neighborhood, to the Hatun Rumiyoc street, stopping at the Inca Roca Palace, nowadays home to the Archbishop’s Palace and also at the famous Twelve Angle Stone. We will continue our walk to the Main Square to visit the Cathedral and its valuable and beautiful colonial masterpieces.Stay in Cusco.
DAY 6: CUSCO/MACHU PICCHU/CUSCO | INC: B/L
A train trip away to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We arrive at the Aguas Calientes station where our staff will assist us on boarding the bus to go up the winding road to Machu Picchu, amid a spectacular view of the Urubamba River and its canyon. The Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, will astonish us with its terraces, ceremonial shrines, steps and urban areas. Energy is all around us. After a guided visit, we will have lunch at one of the restaurants in the area. At the arranged time, we will take the train back to Cusco to be transferred to the hotel.
DAY 7: CUSCO/LIMA | INC: B
Arrival in Lima, meet and greet at the airport, transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon we will have a tour through Lima’s streets and plazas. Starting at the Love Park in Miraflores, with a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean, and then heading to the Huaca Pucllana, ceremonial center of the Lima culture. After this, we go on to the Main Square where the Government Palace and the Town Hall are located. We will visit the Cathedral and explore the Santo Domingo Convent, along which corridors San Martin de Porras and San Rosa de Lima used to walk around in 17th century, and where their remains rest today. Stay in Lima.
DAY 8: LIMA | INC: B
Departure transfer.