Inca Explorer: National Geographic Journeys 14 days from Lima

Lime

Welcome to the city of Lima!, also known as the cultural capital of Peru! Upon arrival at the Lima airport we will wait for you with a sign with the name of the main traveler, we will take you to your hotel to register, leave your luggage and freshen up. You'll have some time to rest before finding a place for lunch or dinner.

After lunch, and once you are ready, you will choose whether to rest or take an optional city tour.

Peruvian cooking classes (optional)

The Lima Cooking Class is highly recommended for families with children very interested in cooking and learning more about local cuisine and ingredients. Please note that the pisco sour offered during the cooking class is for adults only.

City tour Lima (optional)

We can prepare this tour starting at 1:00 pm, visit The Love Park in Miraflores, panoramic view of the Huaca Pucllana , olive grove forest, Paseo de los Heroes, Plaza San Martin, Plaza de Armas de Lima and its main monuments , convent and Cantacombs of San Fransico .

Lime

Have breakfast at the hotel to explore more of Lima before traveling down the coast to Paracas. Walk along the city's lively pedestrian street (pedestrian avenue) and find a cafe to try some Peruvian food, like ceviche or papa a la huancaína (potatoes with cheese and chili sauce).

12:00 PM Not much time to explore this morning as the bus to the station leaves around noon. Get on board, take a seat and enjoy the ride.

Paracas

Upon arrival, we will assist you in Paracas and take you to your hotel that we will have reserved.

Ballestas Islands

10:00 AM Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, visit the Ballestas Islands before traveling to Nazca. Along the way, you will stop at a winery and the Huacachina Oasis.

In the morning there will be time for an excursion to the popular Ballestas Islands, an excellent opportunity to see a lively colony of sea lions, pelicans, penguins and other varieties of birds. Make

Back on land, take a bus south to Nazca. On the way you will pass through the pleasant colonial town of Ica.

Ica | Huacachina

Ica enjoys a dry and sunny climate all year round and is known for its enormous sand dunes. Located around the nearby Huacachina oasis, the dunes are perfect subjects for photography and the favorite local pastime: sandboarding . Aside from the dunes, Ica is famous for its wines and there are several wineries and distilleries in the area.

Nazca | Arequipa

After breakfast take a guided tour of the Nazca Desert Cemetery and the potter's workshop. Opt for a flight over the Nazca Lines before the overnight bus to Arequipa.

Travel south to one of the world's greatest archaeological mysteries, the Nazca Lines. The lines consist of patterns and images etched into the ground, crossing a wide area of flat desert. From the ground we can see very little and the best view is from a small plane, which can be easily obtained.

Choose to pre-book your flight over the Nazca Lines on the checkout page to include this optional activity in your tour or ask your travel agent for help.

Remnants of the Nazca culture are still visible during our included tour of the ancient pre-Inca cemetery of the Chauchilla Desert , with 2,000-year-old mummies, bones, and pottery on the desert floor. The tour also includes a visit to an artisans' workshop, where modern masters create Nazca-style pottery.

Later, we will board a night bus to Arequipa.

Note : Please note that this activity costs a tourist ticket of S/.47 PEN per person, payable directly by each traveler at the Nazca airport.

Arequipa | Free Day| Optional city tour

Enjoy a free day in Arequipa. Opt for a city tour or a visit to the Monastery of Saint Catherine or an optional food tour.

Explore Arequipa, the 'white city'. Interested in history and architecture? Opt to visit St. Catherine's Monastery, which offers a brief respite from the outside world and a unique view of a bygone way of life. Make an early reservation by adding the Arequipa City Tour and Santa Catalina Monastery on the payment page or ask your travel agent for help.

For those who love spicy food, it is essential to visit one of the “Picanterías”. Arequipa offers a variety of regional food: alpaca, shrimp, pork, many soups and spicy sauces waiting for you to enjoy.

Arequipa

Travel to Chivay, a town near the Colca Canyon, relax or take an optional dip in the thermal baths.

Travel on a rugged and bumpy road through the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve. Along the way there are chances of seeing vicuñas, alpacas and llamas. Stop at the Patapampa Viewpoint , the highest point of the tour at 4910m with views of the surrounding area.

Chivay Town | Colca

Upon arrival in the Colca Valley, transfer to our hotel.

In the afternoon, we recommend you rest and acclimatize to the altitude. If you are in good physical condition, you will have free time to take a walk around the hotel or take a restorative bath in the Yanque hot springs in the Colca Valley.

Chivay

Get up early to take a tour of the Colca Canyon and spot condors. On our return we will visit the towns of Yanque, Pinchollo and Maca.

Fist

We will continue by bus to Puno. Arrive with some time to wander the markets and explore the city.

Climb the mountains today, descending in Puno, which is on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Titicaca is also the largest lake in the world above 2000m, and the views from its islands are stunning.

Titicaca lake

Enjoy a guided tour of Lake Titicaca with a homestay in a small town.

Boat trip across Lake Titicaca. Visit the community in the Taquile Islands and stop at a local restaurant to enjoy lunch with spectacular views.

Afterwards, sail to another town to spend the night at a lakeside homestay. This experience provides the opportunity to learn more about rural life in the Peruvian highlands and participate in local traditions.

Afterwards, enjoy spending the night with a host family and the opportunity to learn about life on the islands.

Your local living moment: Homestay on Lake Titicaca

Split into smaller groups and experience local life first-hand as we move into family homes for the night. Play soccer with the children, enjoy dancing, watch dinner being prepared, learn about regional cuisine and dress in local clothing to spend an unforgettable evening with the whole village, enjoying traditional music and dances. Lend a hand the next morning and help with tasks such as feeding the animals, harvesting local produce or fetching buckets of water from the well.

Titicaca lake

Spend the morning with host families and then depart after lunch. Enjoy the best views from the speedboat on the way back.

Sillustani | Optional tour

Immerse yourself in the waters of the highest navigable body of water in the world, Lake Titicaca, and paddle on one of the islands of Lake Titicaca. Get a glimpse of local island life before returning across the lake to Puno.

Fist

In the morning after breakfast at your hotel we will take you to the private bus station, which will take you along the famous Ruta del Sol heading to Puno. Get on board, take a seat and enjoy the ride, this is a special bus trip that will allow us to visit many different places along the way on the sun route. Several stops will be scheduled for us to visit the following places: Andahuaylillas; (The Sistine Chapel of America, this temple is one of the best examples of the fusion between Catholic and Andean religions), Raqchi ; An Inca temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha , a construction of monumental dimensions, about 100 meters long, 26 meters wide, 14m high. This is the only known temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha , creator of the universe.

Cusco

Upon arrival in Cusco we will take you to your hotel. After check -in take a look around a bit of Cusco, find a place to have dinner.

Cusco

07:45 AM. After breakfast at your hotel in Cusco, we will pick you up and go to visit part of the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas, its beautiful views, its people, the artisan markets and the incredible archaeological centers. that make this tour an unforgettable place.

Chinchero

08:30 AM. After driving 45 minutes from Cusco we will find the traditional town of Chinchero, we will visit a local family, here they keep the weaving tradition alive. Their alpacas and guinea pigs will welcome you and you can feed them their breakfast. Plus, learn about their fascinating weaving techniques using natural ingredients to create stunning hand-made textiles.

Moray Archaeological Park

10:00 AM. Imagine the impressive Inca terraces and the beautiful Andes in the background. This view is simply stunning, the story behind it even more so. Your guide will teach you about the agricultural laboratory of the Incas and how they created different climate zones on these terraces. We will enjoy this place for approximately 1 hour.

Maras - Salt Mine

11:00 AM. Stand in front of thousands of salt ponds, still intact. Here you have the opportunity to take one of the most famous photographs of the Sacred Valley. Our guide will be happy to capture this moment for you. From here we continue our tour to enjoy a delicious lunch.

Urubamba – Colonial style Don Angel Restaurant

12:30 PM. Enjoy an extraordinary buffet lunch (with vegetarian options available) at one of the best restaurants in the Sacred Valley. You have the option of trying more than 50 Peruvian dishes including salads, soup, main dishes, and Peruvian desserts.

Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park

2:40 PM. Our last discovery of that day: The terraces and ruins of Ollantaytambo. This place was highly protected since it was the entrance to the road to Machu Picchu. Therefore, many things happened here during the Spanish invasion. We will then take you to the station to board the selected train. This 1:45 minute train ride will allow you to see incredible views of mountainous terrain before seeing Machu Picchu.

Hot Waters

18:10 PM. You will arrive in Aguas Calientes (town of Machu Picchu) at the exit door of the train station we will be waiting to take you to your hotel where you will spend the night. Get settled in your hotel. After check -in, you have the afternoon free at your own expense.

Historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu

07:00 AM. After having our breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer with our guide to the bus station. This bus will take us to the main door of the Historical Sanctuary of Machu Picchu where we will begin our unforgettable experience. Your expert guide will accompany you through the main streets of these incredible ruins. Stroll through the city squares and climb the delicately carved stone stairs. Esoteric wisdom supports Machu Picchu as the new spiritual center of the world. There will be time to be alone and fully embrace this magnificent wonder of the world, letting this once-in-a-lifetime experience take hold. After finishing the visit, we will take the bus back to Aguas Calientes where you will have time for lunch (not included).

14:00pm at the time indicated on your ticket, let's board the train that will not take you to the Ollantaytambo train station.

Ollantaytambo

Upon arrival at the train station in Ollantaytambo, our transportation will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco. Estimated arrival time 18:30pm

Cusco

Free day in Cusco, yes please!

For those who haven't had enough hiking and food-worthy moments, you can take the full-day hike to Rainbow Mountain. Otherwise, there are plenty of other things to keep you busy, such as mountain biking or exploring the city's museums, markets and shops, or perhaps you just want to relax at the hotel with friends. It's pretty much a win-win no matter what.

Cusco

Breakfast at the hotel. At the appropriate time we will pick you up to transfer you to the airport to board your return flight.