Peru Encompassed - Multi activity Trip

Accommodation

We use small local hotels and guesthouses and during the Inca Trail we camp. There\'s no single supplement but you will share with another member of your group.

Kitty Notes

The Local Payment is part of your overall trip price and is used for various costs that cannot be pre-paid from the UK. These include accommodation, transport and included activities.

Itineraries (Lima - Lima)

The capital of Peru, Lima is a city of contrasts. Here you\'ll encounter both abundant wealth and grinding poverty, modern skyscrapers next to some of the finest museums and historical monuments in Latin America. You will have a free day to explore its many museums, markets and colonial plazas.

Our first stop south of Lima is at the Ballestas Islands in the Paracas National Reserve. Here we take a boat trip to view one of the most important marine reserves in the world with the highest concentration of rare and exotic sea birds and sea mammals.

An hours drive inland in the heart of the Ica Desert is Peru\'s main wine centre. Here we visit the Tacama winery, originally a Jesuit run Bodega it now produces export quality wines as well as Peru\'s national drink, Pisco. After our own tasting session we continue a few kilometres to the nearby Oasis of Huacachina. A palm fringed lake surrounded by impressive sand dunes, you can relax on the beach and go for a swim.  If its an adrenaline rush you\'re after, head out with your Tour Leader on a custom made dune buggy and roar across the desert sands to the top of enormous dunes and then sand board down them - imagine snowboarding but on sand instead! After an unforgettable desert sunset we head back to the oasis.

Travel to Peru is not complete without a trip to one of the world\'s greatest archaeological mysteries - the Nazca Lines. Only discovered 70 years ago from the air, these huge figures carved into the desert floor are best viewed by light aircraft. Thought to have been made by three different civilisations going back more than 2000 years, there are many contrasting theories about what they signify and why they are there.  It is worthwhile asking local opinion - you may well be surprised with the replies! Also memorable is a visit to Chauchilla Cemetery with its well-preserved mummies. Leaving the Atacama Desert we begin to climb into the Andes mountain range towards Arequipa.

You will have three days to explore this beautiful colonial city and the spectacular surrounding area. There are options to go cycling, trekking, horse riding as well as a visit to the Colca Canyon, which at 900m is not only one of the deepest in the world but also the home of the majestic Condors. Here you can view the condors circling lazily in the thermals rising from the canyon floor.

A short flight over the Andes Mountains takes us to Cuzco, Peru\'s mecca for adventure travel. Although Cuzco is today a colonial city most of its churches and museums are built on top of original Inca stonewalls which are clearly visible. We include a day tour of the beautiful Urubamba or Sacred Valley of the Incas where you\'ll find temples, terraces, local communities and markets and finally our comforatble campsite at km82, the start of the Inca Trail!

We embark on our 4 day hike along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This moderate to strenuous hike is a once in a lifetime experience and anyone with a good level of fitness can master it. Many believe that Machu Picchu itself cannot be understood without following the steps of the Incas on the Inca Trail. A stunning combination of awesome views, Inca ruins, magnificent mountains and exotic adventure. There are also the options to undertake either a shorter hike travelling by train part of the way to the ruins, or to take an alternative trek such as the Salkantay or Lares trek where you meet the local weaving community. Our route back to Cuzco for all options is by train.

This is a free day in Cuzco to relax and recover as well as explore more of the city and its museums and churches or look for local crafts from Alpaca woollen jumpers to musical instruments.Those on the 15 day trip will board the plane to Lima where hte trip ends on arrival.  Or you can extend your trip with a 4 day visit to the lush jungle of the Amazon basin - ask us for details!

Bordering Peru and Bolivia at 3800m lies Lake Titicaca, the original place of the Uros Indians who have made their homes on floating reed islands. By boat we visit the floating islands during the day and then spend the night with one of the Indian families on the lesser known islands Isla Amantani or Taquile. Spending some time in these local communities is a definite highlight of travel to Peru and is almost like stepping back in time. This experience will provide a unique opportunity to learn more about the traditional lifestyle of the Andean people and their customs as well as supporting these families with some extra income.

For those who would like to return to Lima we can help you arrange a flight on this day from Juliaca to Lima.Our travel to Peru draws to a close this morning as we leave for Bolivia. Just after crossing the border is the picturesque lakeside village of Copacabana on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca where we have some free time. From here we continue onto the impressive city of La Paz.Bolivia is considered the most indigenous of all South American countries and this is clearly visible in La Paz. The capital is a hilly city full of markets and traditionally dressed people. A great place to spend a few extra days at the end of your trip, sightseeing, shopping, visiting museums and outlying areas.  Or you can extend your trip with a 6 day visit to the lush jungle of the Amazon basin - ask us for details!