An epic journey through the extraordinary diversity of Peru, starting in Lima, the capital that blends colonial history with modern life, then sailing among sea lions and penguins at the Ballestas Islands in Paracas and experiencing the thrill of sandboarding at the Huacachina Oasis. The journey continues to the ancestral energy of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas all the way to Machu Picchu.
The journey continues along the Sun Route to Puno, visiting highland towns and archaeological sites, and culminates in the sacred waters of Lake Titicaca, where you will sail to Amantaní Island to experience the Aymara Baptism, an ancestral ritual of purification and connection with the Pachamama. A more relaxed and detailed itinerary, with an extra day of community connection with Andean families.
Upon arrival at Lima – Peru airport, our agency staff will be waiting for you with a sign with your name, to give you a warm welcome and comfortably transfer you to your hotel. We begin the Ancestral Lima City Tour, enjoying a panoramic view of the mystical Pucllana Pyramid.
We will tour the majestic Historic Center of Lima, a World Heritage Site, admiring San Martín Square, the Main Square, and Lima Cathedral. We will visit the Central Reserve Bank Museum, the San Francisco Convent with its Catacombs, and finish at the Santo Domingo Monastery.
Meals: — | Lodging: Night in Lima (Hotel)
Between 4:45 and 5:00 a.m., after breakfast, we will depart for the port of Paracas to begin the tour to the Ballestas Islands, first passing by the famous Candelabro. At the islands we will enjoy a tour of approximately 2 hours, observing sea lions, seals, Humboldt penguins, and a great variety of birds.
In the afternoon, we will continue to the magical Huacachina Oasis, where visitors can relax by the lagoon and experience the adrenaline of sandboarding and buggy rides among its gigantic dunes. At the end of the tour, we will head to Lima, where we will spend the night.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch | Lodging: Night in Lima (Hotel)
Flight to Cusco and start of the Cusco City Tour excursion: Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), the most important temple of the Inca Empire; Sacsayhuamán, an imposing ceremonial complex of megalithic constructions.
We continue with Qenqo, Tambomachay, a temple dedicated to the worship of water, and Puka Pukara, a military control complex. At the end of the tour, we will leave you near the Main Square of Cusco.
Meals: Breakfast | Lodging: Night in Cusco (Hotel)
After having breakfast, we visit Chinchero, with its Inca palace and colonial church. We continue to Moray, the circular cultivation terraces, and descend to the Maras Salt Mines, with more than 4,000 salt pools.
We will enjoy a buffet lunch in the Urubamba valley and visit Ollantaytambo, the last living Inca city. In the afternoon we will board the tourist train to Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night.
Meals: Breakfast, buffet lunch | Lodging: Night in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Town)
Early, in coordination with our guide, we will board the bus to Machu Picchu for a 2.5-hour guided tour of the citadel. After the tour we will descend to Aguas Calientes, where you can have lunch (not included).
In the afternoon you will take the train back to Cusco. Upon arrival at the train station in Ollantaytambo, we will be waiting for you to take you to your hostel in Cusco.
Meals: Breakfast | Lodging: Night in Cusco (Hotel)
We depart from Cusco to an Andean community in the Sacred Valley, where we will be received by local families with a brief harmonization ceremony, thanking Pachamama. We will actively participate in the traditional harvest of Andean grains such as quinoa, beans, or corn (depending on season), learning ancestral techniques and the spiritual role of food in the Andean worldview.
We will participate in the preparation of the Andean huatia, building the earth oven and burying potatoes and tubers for cooking, and enjoy an ancestral lunch. In the afternoon, we will carry out a practical adobe-making workshop guided by a local master builder, closing with traditional music (quena and charango) before returning to Cusco.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch | Lodging: Night in Cusco (Hotel)
After breakfast, hotel pickup at 06:30 hrs and start of an approximately 9-hour tour along the Route of the Sun, with guided excursions to the main attractions of the southern altiplano.
We will visit the Andahuaylillas Temple (Sistine Chapel of America), the Raqchi Inca Complex, enjoy a buffet lunch in Sicuani, and continue to the Raya Pass (4,335 masl), the highest point of the tour, finishing with a visit to the Inca Aymara Museum of Pukara before arriving in Puno.
Meals: Breakfast, buffet lunch | Lodging: Night in Puno (Hotel)
After breakfast, we depart by boat to the Capachica – Llachón peninsula, where we will perform the Aymara Baptism, a purification ceremony and connection with Pachamama and Mamacocha (Lake Titicaca). We continue to Amantaní Island, where we will learn about the daily life of its inhabitants.
In the afternoon, we will ascend to the sacred mountain Pachatata to participate in an Andean ceremony of gratitude to the universe guided by an Andean master. Dinner and night in a family home in Amantaní.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner | Lodging: Family home on Amantaní Island
After a typical breakfast, we return by boat to Puno, making a stop at the Floating Islands of the Uros, where we will learn about the ancestral traditions of this millenary people.
Then, we will participate in the Andean Cochamacho Ceremony, a cultural experience full of music, dances, and traditional costumes, dedicated to gratitude to water as a source of life in the highlands.
Meals: Breakfast | Lodging: Night in Puno (Hotel)
You will have a free day to do activities of your preference, such as visiting the Plaza de Armas, visiting museums and craft markets, or buying souvenirs.
At the appropriate time, we will head to Juliaca airport to take the return flight to Lima, closing this journey through the desert, coast, mountains, and highlands.
Meals: Breakfast | Lodging: —