Land of the Incas
Experience Overview
Explore Incan history like an insider on this epic Peru Tour, visiting Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, and Sacsayhuaman, UNESCO-listed Taquile Island and the Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca. On a guided visit to the Ballestas Islands, you’ll marvel at penguins and blue-footed boobies, and on the Galápagos Islands, walk among giant tortoises and swim with manta rays.Please note that the flight between Lima and Quito is not included.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 7 Dinner (D)
- 17 Breakfast (B)
- 8 Lunch (L)
- 1 Farewell Dinner (FD)
Be My Guest
- Sacred Valley: Connect with Locals over a Be My Guest experience lunch, learn about the culture surrounding the production of Giant White Corn. Our hosts will demonstrate the differences between traditional farming techniques and the newer technologies used today.
Dive Into Culture
- Lima: Dive into the rich history of Casona San Marcos, an ancient building in Lima now part of the property of a university. Learn to play the “cajón” (meaning “box” or drawer”) box-shaped percussion instrument played by slapping the faces with the hands, fingers, or sometimes implements. Continue your musical discovery trying the basic steps of “musica negra”, a dance that originated in Chincha (near Paracas) that is popular during over the Christmas season. Over your lesson, try a snack from a “pregonero”, a vendor who specializes in selling a typical snack through boisterous advertising in the city streets.
- Sacred Valley: We'll Dive into Culture and meet a Quechua Shaman who will perform a ceremony welcoming you to Peru.
- Lake Titicaca: Visit the home of Víctor Coila and his wife Mariluz, and their two daughters, Luz Mery and Carla Mercedes. Join the family to try quinoa bread, potatoes with cheese, and chaco - a sauce made with a kind of clay used in cooking and medicine.
- Paracas: Stop at the Regional Museum of Ica where we'll explore the centuries-old cultures of the Paracas and Nazca.
- Paracas: Visit Bodega El Catador to learn about and taste the finest pisco in the country.
Iconic Experience
- Nazca: Take to the skies on your Peru tour to see the iconic Nazca Lines, archaeological enigmas scratched in the ground 500 B.C. and A.D. 500. Gaze down in awe of these massive designs and patterns you can only view from above. Your private flight will show you many of the lines, complete with their names and a bit of history. From above, you’ll observe the different types: straight, geometric (such as triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, spirals, arrows, zigzags, and wavy lines), and pictorial (including a spider, hummingbird, cactus plant, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower, tree, lizard, dog, and even a mysterious humanoid figure). Some of the animal geoglyphs are up to 1,200 feet long! You’ll also learn why the Nazca culture created these lines in the desert plains of the Rio Grande de Nazca River basin and how the Nazca people were able to carve out such massive designs.
- Lima: Take in the highlights of Lima, the 'City of the Kings,' including a panoramic view of the ancient districts. Join a local specialist for a visit to the UNESCO-listed Historic Center. Learn how before it was destroyed by earthquakes in the mid-18th century, observing how the historic buildings display a collaboration between local craftspeople and others from the Old World. Then drive along the coastline as you learn more about the fascinating history of Peru's capital city.
- Machu Picchu: Learn how to prepare an authentic Ceviche and pour the perfect Pisco sour.
- Cusco: Visit the mystical Incan stronghold of Ollantaytambo. These famous ruins are a massive Inca fortress made of large stone terraces stretching out across a hillside. Walk among the stone platforms, the sun temple of six monoliths and the Princess Baths fountain ― the Baño de la Nusta at the base of the ruins flowing from carved stone into a pool. Over your exploration, learn how the old town is an Inca-era grid of cobblestoned streets and adobe buildings.
- Machu Picchu: Soak in every moment of your Machu Picchu tour in style as you descend to the Lost City in the clouds aboard the Vistadome train. Traveling the Inca Trail, you’ll traverse dramatic landscapes with a panoramic view of the soaring peaks, river, and ruins. Sit back and relax as you enjoy this multi-sensory journey complete with background music, an informative audio commentary highlighting interesting sites, and an included light snack.
- Machu Picchu: Take a shuttle to the top of the mountain where you’ll meet your local specialist for a guided hike of Machu Picchu. You’ll learn about Machu Picchu’s history and the use of each section of including ceremonial, storage, agriculture, temples, astronomical, and observatory as well as the possible reasons why the Incas left Machu Picchu.
- Machu Picchu: The ruins of Machu Picchu beckon yet again and we enjoy one final opportunity to reconnect with its story. Journey to take in the ruins at sunrise spending some time on your own to explore the hill-top fortress. Soak in every moment at this iconic site, making stops at points of interest while your guide shares their insights on the archaeological sites.
- Cusco: Join your Local Specialist for a guided walk through Cusco's colonial center, including the nearby 13th century Incan settlement of Koricancha. Here in Cusco’s Golden Temple of the Sun dedicated to the Sun God Inti, view the trapezoidal and irregular shapes and rounded edges. Note how the stones fit together and were built simply by placing them on top of each other without using any mortar. This staggered placement also enables them to withstand earthquakes.
- Cusco: Begin your day at the ruins of the UNESCO-listed Sacsayhuamán fortress overlooking Cusco. With zig zagging walls and ruins of giant stones, see how the shape and harmony of the landscape is similar to Machu Picchu. Stroll through this Incan architecture of sacred buildings such as residential buildings, towers, shrines, warehouses, roads and aqueducts. And while you may not be able to take in the grand scale, the complex design is based on the shape of the head of a puma, a sacred animal in Inca spirituality.
- Sillustani: Enjoy lunch alfresco next to Lake Umayo on your way to Sillustani, a pre-Incan burial ground on the shores of Lake Umayo. Join a local specialist and explore its towering chullpas (above ground tombs) that cast long shadows across the landscape. Then cruise the deep blue waters of South America's largest lake - Lake Titicaca, the birthplace of the sun - through floating islands made of entirely reeds by the Uros Indians.
- Lake Titicaca: We cruise the deep blue waters of Lake Titicaca with a Local Specialist, discovering its floating islands constructed from reeds by the Uros Indians
- Paracas: Explore Paracas, a town on Peru’s west coast known for its beautiful beaches. Named after the Paracas people who were fishermen and farmers of beans, maize and red peppers, Paracas is now the gateway to the Paracas National Reserve. In this pristine desert you’ll find colonies of sea lions and sea birds. With an afternoon at leisure, explore Paracas Bay where restaurants and shops line the boardwalk and fishermen’s boats gather at the docks.
- Nazca: Take to the skies on your Peru tour to see the iconic Nazca Lines, archaeological enigmas scratched in the ground 500 B.C. and A.D. 500. Gaze down in awe of these massive designs and patterns you can only view from above. Your private flight will show you many of the lines, complete with their names and a bit of history. From above, you’ll observe the different types: straight, geometric (such as triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, spirals, arrows, zigzags, and wavy lines), and pictorial (including a spider, hummingbird, cactus plant, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower, tree, lizard, dog, and even a mysterious humanoid figure). Some of the animal geoglyphs are up to 1,200 feet long! You’ll also learn why the Nazca culture created these lines in the desert plains of the Rio Grande de Nazca River basin and how the Nazca people were able to carve out such massive designs.
- Ballestas Islands: Connect with nature, cruising around the uninhabited Ballestas Islands, a "mini-Galapagos" teeming with wildlife. See the mysterious Candelabra in Pisco Bay. Gaze up where birds including the guanay cormorant, Peruvian booby and Peruvian pelican cruise above. Colonies of sea lions gather on rocky isles, barking as they welcome you to their home. Smaller gray or tan South American fur seals lounge on rocky shores shaded by the cliffs. Even Humboldt penguins - who only populate the coast of Peru and northern Chile – waddle along the shore.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Cusco: During your city tour on the outskirts of Cusco, visit the shop of the social project Mantay, a housing and education project for underage mothers who come to live here and learn a craft or trade. The children are taken care of while the mothers are working, and your visit supports both the family’s livelihood. You’ll also receive a hand-crafted gift that will further support your visit.
- Lake Titicaca: Arrive at Taquile Island, where we'll embark on a private tour to gain insights into the tradition of Textile Art for which the local villagers-men and women-are renowned. Learn more about the culture of the people living on the island and enjoy a traditional lunch.
Must-see Highlights
- Explore Lima and Cusco with a Local Specialist, Learn about Giant White Corn, watch a local Marinera dance performance
- Visit the outdoor market at Pisac, Ollantaytambo, two visits to Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuaman, the Uros Islands and Lake Titicaca, enjoy a Casona San Marcos Experience
- See the other-wordly Nazca Lines from the air
- Scenic Cruise around Lake Titicaca and the Ballestas Islands
- Scenic Drive through the Sacred Valley
- Scenic Train Ride to Machu Picchu aboard the Vistadome train
- Cusco: Enjoy the flavors of chicha, a Peruvian corn beer. Hear about how chicha is brewed by the local indigenous women and its history dating back to the time of the Incas as a favorite drink of the Andes. Learn about the two types of chicha, alcoholic sour chicha de jora made from fermented jora corn and the non-alcoholic, sweet chicha morada.
Trafalgar Difference
- Sacred Valley: Admire your idyllic setting within the Sacred Valley and take in the 18th-century colonial-style features of Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay, a former monastery complete with plazas and cobbled streets.
Trip Details
Product Code: 28250
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+
Tour Operator:
Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 127.499
Starts: Lima, Peru
Finishes: Quito, Ecuador
Duration: 18 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- A Trafalgar bonus all Intra-Air Flights: Lima to Cusco, Cusco to Juliaca and Juliaca to Lima, including porter service at all airports.
- Tickets for a ride aboard the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $7,894 ($439 /day)
Itinerary
The Capital of the New World extends a warm welcome on your epic voyage through the iconic and unexpected highlights of Peru. Meet your local host on arrival and transfer to your hotel in the upscale shopping district of Miraflores. This evening, you’ll join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for dinner at 6 p.m.
Accommodation: Iberostar Hotel Lima
Meals: Dinner
Start your city tour taking in of the highlights of Lima. Visit Casona San Marcos, where you’ll enjoy a snack from a local vendor learn more about the fascinating history of this ancient building from Local Specialists. During a short workshop, learn to play the “cajón” percussion instrument and get an introduction to the basic steps of “musica negra”, a dance that originated in Chincha (near Paracas). Continue to the Main Square of Lima for more views and history. Choose to join a walking tour of Miraflores with a local expert highlighting the popular Larcomar shopping center and on towards the Kennedy Parkor for dinner at one of the restaurants in “Pasaje de Ramón.”
Accommodation: Iberostar Hotel Lima
Meals: Breakfast
We'll fly to Cusco this morning, the gateway to Peru's treasured Sacred Valley, where you will enjoy a local Peruvian lunch with sweeping views of the Sacred Valley. Then we'll Dive Into Culture, meeting a Shaman who will perform a special ceremony to welcome us to Peru.
Accommodation: Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Connect With Locals over a Be My Guest experience lunch, learn about the culture surrounding the production of Giant White Corn. Our hosts will demonstrate the differences between traditional farming techniques and the newer technologies used today. Revel in the romance of the local Marinera dance and local musicians. The marinera is the best-known couple dance on the coast of Peru. It is characterized by the use of handkerchiefs, steps of great elegance and rhythmic music similar to the Aragonese jota, the zamacueca and the Chilean cueca, but with its own Peruvian identity that flaunts the Hispano-indigenous-African miscegenation. For the same reason, over the years Andean and highland versions have emerged. This evening, meet Local Specialist, Peter Frost, a writer, photographer and independent scholar who has explored the Andes and Amazon for 47 years, locating and investigating the previously unknown Inca and pre-Inca site of Qoriwayrachina. He currently resides in Peru and works as an accompanying expert for National Geographic Expeditions. Later this evening, learn how to prepare an authentic Ceviche and pour the perfect Pisco sour.
Accommodation: Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Visit the mystical Incan stronghold of Ollantaytambo, en route to Machu Picchu, a village in the Sacred Valley, set on the Urubamba River amid majestic mountains. It's known for the Ollantaytambo ruins, a massive Inca fortress with large stone terraces on a hillside. Then, ascend to the Lost City in the Clouds aboard the Vistadome train (light snack included) traveling along the Inca Trail, where you can view hikers and porters along the way. Here you will delve into the mysteries of this once-great civilization, joining your Local Specialist for an exploration of the temples, palaces and terraces whose construction defy imagination. Visit the iconic great Temple of the Sun, the House of the Priest, the Sacred Plaza and the intricately carved Intihuatana, most likely used as a sundial centuries ago.
Accommodation: El MaPi
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
The ruins of Machu Picchu beckon yet again and we enjoy one final opportunity to reconnect with its story, spending some time on our own to explore the hill-top fortress. Next, we’ll journey back to the Sacred Valley by train, stopping en route to Cusco to learn about the natural dyeing techniques used by native weavers. Visit the Pisac handicraft market followed by sampling the sweet flavors of chicha, savoring the favorite drink of the Andes.
Accommodation: Novotel Cusco
Meals: Breakfast
Begin your day at the ruins of the UNESCO-listed Incan Sacsayhuaman fortress overlooking Cusco. Admire the massive, sacred stonework before your Local Specialist guides you through Cusco’s colonial center. During your city tour, MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® by visiting the shop of the social project Mantay, a housing and education project for underage mothers to live here and learn a craft or trade. Later, you’ll join another Local Specialist who will reveal insights into the nearby 13th-century Incan settlement of Qoriwayrachina. The afternoon is free to join an optional experience including a visit to the Chocolate Museum, Cusco off the beaten track or the greenhouse and salt wells of Maras & Moray.
Accommodation: Novotel Cusco
Meals: Breakfast
Fly to Juliaca and meet a Local Specialist to learn about daily life on the Peruvian altiplano. After an included al fresco lunch, visit Sillustani, a pre-Incan burial ground on the shores of Lake Umayo where striking chullpas (stone tombs) are scattered across the landscape, inviting you to step back in time. Then travel via Puno along the shores to Lake Titicaca, the birthplace of the sun. Here you’ll Dive Into Culture visiting the home of Víctor Coila, his wife Mariluz, and their two daughters for a meal of quinoa bread, potatoes with cheese and authentic chaco sauce.
Accommodation: GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Connect With Locals as you cruise the deep blue waters of Lake Titicaca, passing floating islands constructed by the Uros people. Next, in the midst of South America’s largest lake lies Taquile Island, where we’ll MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® and embark on a private tour to gain insights into the tradition of knitting and weaving for which the local villagers - men and women - are renowned. Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO. This experience aligns with UN's Global goal 10, reduced inequalities. Enjoy a lunch here and learn more about the islanders’ unique way of life upon islets make of totora reeds, which grow in the lake, and are attached to sticks driven into the bottom of the lake. Tonight, we indulge in a Regional Dinner at our favorite local restaurant in Puno.
Accommodation: GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Return to Lima this morning, then continue your journey to the coastal playground of Paracas. Discover what life is like in Peru’s rural countryside before arriving to Paracas for dinner at your seaside hotel and an evening at leisure. Perhaps there’s even time for a stroll along the Malecon.
Accommodation: Spa Hotel Aranwa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Take to the skies, soaring above the coastal desert to see the enigmatic Nazca Lines, gigantic geometric designs viewable only from the air. Next, stop this afternoon at our Dive Into Culture, the Regional Museum of Ica, where we’ll explore the centuries-old cultures of the Paracas and Nazca. Later, we will once again Dive Into Culture during a visit to Bodega El Catador to learn about and taste the finest pisco in the country. The rest of the day is free.
Accommodation: Spa Hotel Aranwa
Meals: Breakfast
This morning, connect with nature with a Local Specialist, cruising around the uninhabited Ballestas Islands, a 'mini-Galapagos' teeming with wildlife. See the mysterious Candelabra in Pisco Bay, then return to Lima where this evening, we’ll visit the Larco Museum with a Local Specialist. Our journey almost at its end, we’ll indulge in a festive Farewell Dinner in the museum’s garden restaurant.
Accommodation: Iberostar Hotel Lima
Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Ecuador (flight not included in holiday price). Enjoy a warm welcome in Quito where you will be greeted at the airport and taken to your hotel.
Accommodation: Sheraton
Meals: Breakfast
Visit the historical center of Quito, which was the first place in the world to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and travel to the 'Middle of the World' to stand on the Equator. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Accommodation: Sheraton
Meals: Breakfast
Cruise north to south through the islands and islets of the remote Galápagos. On arrival at Baltra Island Airport, transfer to the M/V Galápagos Legend, which will ferry you to the Highlands Tortoise Reserve on Santa Cruz Island, where you’ll walk amongst the world’s largest tortoises in the wild.
Accommodation: M/V Galápagos Legend
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Visit to Genovesa Island today, climbing up the rocky Prince Phillip's Steps in search of Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies and Darwin’s famed finches. Walk to expansive lava field over which Wedge-rumped storm petrels swarm, then continue to Darwin Bay.
Accommodation: M/V Galápagos Legend
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The marine iguanas of South Plaza Island view our arrival with indifference as we embark on our walk from the small lava dock. We’ll see the shallow lake where flamingos come to feed, then continue inland in search of land iguanas. Arriving Santa Fé island later, we’ll enjoy a snorkel amongst sea lions, turtles, reef sharks and spotted eagle rays, then walk past a forest of giant Opuntia cacti.
Accommodation: M/V Galápagos Legend
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The serene landscape of Bachas Beach is our final stop on our Galápagos expedition. Bachas is a great place to swim, walk along the shore or visit the lagoon. Our journey at its end, we transfer to Baltra Airport for our return flight to Quito. Airport arrival time in Quito will be at 5 p.m.; please be aware when booking your flights.
Meals: Breakfast
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Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
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