Stay : Three weeks for the must-sees of Southern Peru
It would take many weeks to cover Peru in its entirety, and we do not recommend any circuit that would propose to make discover the northern and southern part of Peru in only 3 weeks. The circuit below has the advantage of making discover the most important tourist points of Peru, accessible to all, as well as others less known.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
19 days
€€ - Charm and comfort
Detail of the stay : Three weeks for the must-sees of Southern Peru - 19 days
Day 1: Historical center of Lima
Steps: Lima
This first day is dedicated to the visit of the historical center of Lima and to a few hours of shopping in the surrounding streets to gather the last elements that could be missing during this trip. Don't miss the Plaza Mayor, where the cathedral and the governmental palace were built. Evening in the lively Barranco neighborhood.
Day 2: Direction Cusco
Rise at Aurores to take a plane to Cusco. As a party of sea level to be at about 3 400 m, it remains imperative to sleep a few hours after arrival, because the evil of altitude will save nobody. All pharmacies in the centre sell some capsules to overcome these ailments. The rest of the day, walk around the Plaza de Armas with its colonial constructions. Do not make efforts and rest.
Day 3: Visit of the city
Steps: Cusco
Visit of the city with a local travel agency during half a day. This one begins with a visit of the cathedral which contains more than four hundred paintings of the school of Cusco, then continues by the discovery of the temple of the Sun, Inca religious center dedicated to the worship of the sun. A bus will then take the participants to the magnificent ruins of Saqsayhuamán, then to Q'enqo and Tambomachay. Return to the city to spend the night.
Day 4: Sacred Valley Archeological Sites
Steps: Písaq, Yucay, Urubamba, Chinchero, Ollantaytambo
Excursion to the Sacred Valley (Duration: 1 day). It asks for the purchase of a tourist ticket which offers access to many cultural and monuments sites. First stop in the city of Písaq, known for its particularly lively market on Sunday, and where many inhabitants are dressed in traditional clothes. This is a good place to take some memories. Lunch in the city of Urubamba, where everyone can taste the famous corn grown in the region. Then direction to the incase ruins of Ollantaytambo and then to the archeological site of Chinchero, which stands with a magnificent colonial church. Night in the sacred valley at the Sonesta Posada Del Inca Sacred Valley in Yucay for pleasant moments of relaxation.
Day 5: The D-day: Machu Picchu
Steps: Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu Pueblo, Machu Picchu
By taking a shuttle early in the morning, direction towards the station ofOllantaytambo where a train will await the tourists who wish to visit one of the mythical sites of Peru: Machu Picchu. It is strongly advised to have a guide with you in this city of stone because it is difficult to know the meaning of each ruin, and the visit would then lose much of its interest. Return by bus to the city ofAguas Calientes with some moments of relaxation in the natural sources of hot water.
Day 6: Trek to Huchuy Qosqo
Steps: Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu Pueblo
Return by train to Ollantaytambo station from Aguas Calientes. Here, a guide will wait for the traveler to train in a one and a half day trek whose first step is the Huchuy Qosqo site. It is an ancient Inca city located in the middle of nowhere with a superb view on the mountain range of the Vilcanota Cordillera. Night camping in the middle of the ruins.
Day 7: Lake and mountains
Steps: Cusco
The next day, the walk continues to reach Cusco. It passes through various and varied landscapes, often located at high altitude (about 4 300 m). On request, lunch is possible on the edge of a mountain lake. A few cooks will prepare this meal, as well as the previous evening. After a long day of effort, night in Cusco.
Day 8: Continuation of the exploration of Cusco
Free day in Cusco. It is the occasion to discover the numerous churches of the city and the museum of religious art(boleto religioso) or the Inca walls. Cusco has other museums for those who are eager for culture: the Inca museum, the museum of Pre-Columbian Art and the museum of Popular Art for the most known. The latter is included in the tourist ticket. Night in Cusco.
Day 9: Heading towards the Titicaca lake
Steps: Puno
A long day bus ride leads to the city of Puno, which borders the beautiful lake Titicaca. It is better to take a quality bus (example: Inka Express) in order not to suffer from a sometimes difficult road. These high class buses also show videos, have hostesses who serve drinks, and a guide who provides all the necessary explanations during the stops, the latter being transformed into visits of architectural places. Night in Puno.
Day 10: On the lake islands
Steps: Isla Taquile, Islas Flotantes De Los Uros
The morning is dedicated to the visit of the floating islands of Uros, where it is possible to do some shopping and to sail on boats built manually with natural material. The second part of the day is dedicated to the visit ofTaquile Island. So that this excursion, which requires to cross several hundreds of steps, does not turn into an ordeal, ask to borrow this famous staircase at the end of the day, by descending the steps to join the boat rather than by climbing them while arriving on the island. Possibility of spending the night at the inhabitant's house and of returning to Puno the following morning.
Day 11: In the market of Puno
Steps: Arequipa, Puno, Sillustani
Second day in Puno. It is the occasion to visit the very big market of the city: clothes in wool of alpaca, fruits and vegetables, products of maintenance and everyday consumption, everything is found here! In the afternoon, excursion towards the site of Sillustani. The funerary towers of this place, called chullpas, where the corpses of whole families were grouped together, are among the highest of Peru. In the evening, take a night bus toArequipa.
Day 12: Arequipa, rich colonial heritage
Steps: Arequipa
The bus arrives very early in Arequipa, at dawn. Free day in the city where the major places are the monastery of Santa Catalina, a real city in the city, as well as the Santuarios Andinos museum, which contains the mummy of a child sacrificed on top of the Ampato: Juanita. Its state of preservation is such that it is still possible to distinguish the hair and the texture of the skin of the girl. Night in Arequipa.
Day 13: Escapade in the Colca Canyon
Steps: Chivay, Yanque, Coporaque
The excursion to the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world, exists in two formulas, in one or two days. Clearly, the one-day trip only brings fatigue and a lot of driving. After crossing high altitude desert plateaus where we meet alpacas, vicuñas and llamas, a short stop allows us to drink a tea with coca leaf, recommended for a better adaptation to the altitude. The bus then leaves for the city of Chivay, famous for its natural thermal springs. Night in Chivay, Yanque, Coporaque or in Colca Lodge.
Day 14: Meeting the condors
Steps: Arequipa, Cruz Del Condor
The second day represents the one where the traveler enters directly in contact with the canyon. After crossing tortuous roads, the main objective of this expedition is reached: the mirador of Cruz del Condor. By chance, the visitor will observe condors in full flight. Return and night in Arequipa. With a minimum of 2 more days, it is possible to trek down to the oasis.
Day 15: Buy souvenirs in Arequipa
Another free day in Arequipa, where the purchase of some souvenirs is possible in the streets adjacent to the sublime Plaza de Armas. Knowing that the bus that leads to Nasca does not leave until 10 pm, it is better to take advantage of the terraces of the big hotels to have a drink with a magnificent view on the fountain and the cathedral of this square. Night bus to Nasca.
CATEDRAL DE AREQUIPA
Day 16: The mysterious lines of Nasca
A great mystery surrounds Nasca and its region. Flying over the desert, large figures can be observed from the sky, some having the appearance of a monkey, a spider or even a hand. Although many theories try to answer the reason of the existence of these lines, called lines of Nasca, nobody knows today the meaning of it. Bus in the late afternoon from Nasca to Paracas. Night in the beautiful fishing port of Paracas.
LINEAS DE NAZCA
Day 17: Peru's Mini-Galapagos
Steps: Paracas
Excursion to the Ballestas Islands, also known as the mini Galapagos. They attribute this designation by the abundant fauna of birds (petrels, cormorants and others) and sea lions who live in these places. Every five years, and for about three months, workers come to live on these islands to salvage the guano, dejecting animals that, by accumulating, can reach several tens of meters thick. Back on the port, a bus will follow with the visit of the national reserve of Paracas. Afternoon transfer to the Huacachina oasis, 1 h drive to arrive at sunset time on the dunes.
Day 18: On the sand dunes
Steps: Lima
Tour in buggy of the dunes if we didn't have the time the day before and take advantage of the places to make sandboarding, the equivalent of snowboarding, but on the sand. Bus to Lima. Night in Lima in the district of Miraflores or in Barranco.
Day 19: Return to Lima
Steps: Lima, Pachacámac
In Lima, before taking off for the return trip, all lovers should not forget to meet at the Bridge of Sighs in the Barranco district or visit its museums and stroll among its casonas. A day at the archaeological site of Pachacamac remains another solution for those who do not wish to stay in the city. Night in Lima.
SITIO ARQUEOLÓGICO PACHACÁMAC
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