Highlights of Southern Peru - 2 weeks taking in Peru’s most iconic sites

Overview: This trip has been carefully designed for travelers wishing to explore the highlights of Southern Peru in the most flexible, authentic and inspiring manner. Take in the sights, aromas, and tastes of Peru's world-class cuisine on a food tour through bohemian Lima. Venture into the Amazon Rainforest, one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet. Discover Cusco and Machu Picchu, the famed 15th-century citadel of the Incas. Finally sail across the picturesque Lake Titicaca and visit its traditional communities. Prepare for a journey of a lifetime as we show you the best of our country.

• Destinations: Lima, Tambopata, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Puno

• Trip Focus: Local Culture, Soft Adventure and Nature & Wildlife

• Duration: 14 days

• Accommodation (suggested): Combination of boutique and comfort properties:

Trip Outline:

Day 1: Welcome to Peru and Lima!
Day 2: Walking food tour through bohemian Lima
Day 3: Venturing into the Amazon Rainforest
Day 4: À la carte experiences in the Amazon Rainforest
Day 5: À la carte experiences in the Amazon Rainforest
Day 6: Flight to Cusco and Journey into the Sacred Valley of the Incas
Day 7: Visiting Misminay, Maras and Moray
Day 8: Morning at Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu
Day 9: Hiking to Machu Picchu's viewpoints
Day 10: Guided Walk through historic Cusco
Day 11: Scenic private journey towards Lake Titicaca
Day 12: Private boat journey to Southern Taquile, where few others visit
Day 13: Sillustani and return flight to Lima
Day 14: Day at leisure and departure

Day 1 - Welcome to Peru and Lima!

Welcome to Peru and Lima! Upon Arrival, we'll meet you at Lima Airport and continue together to your hotel in Miraflores or Barranco, where you are free to relax and wander around at your own pace. After check-in, we'll hand you your travel kit and have a short briefing to answer any last-minute questions. Depending on your time of arrival, we have plenty of suggestions for you to make the most of your first day in the city.

Included meals: none
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: Casa Republica

Day 2 - Walking food tour through bohemian Lima

Lima's cuisine, popular art, and local culture await you today! Get Ready for a food tour through the bohemian district of Barranco. During our walking route, you will sample more than 15 Peruvian dishes and drinks. From our most popular dish ceviche to a causa limeña, you'll not just learn how everything is prepared but travel through history. Every bite has a story to tell! Visiting Owner-run coffee shops, art galleries, and small local restaurants is the best way to start getting a feel of the Peruvian culture. We should be returning to your hotel at around 2. 00 pm, and the rest of the day is free so you can relax and wander at your own pace.

Included meals: breakfast and lunch
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: Casa Republica

Day 3 - Venturing into the Amazon Rainforest

Today, we’ll go to the local airport to board our flight to Puerto Maldonado, the gateway to Peru’s Southern Amazon and Tambopata National Reserve. On arrival, our jungle specialist guide will welcome us and drive to the local office to leave any excess luggage.

From here we continue for one hour by land and then by boat for two and a half hours to arrive at Tambopata Research Center Lodge (TRC). This is the lodge that is located deepest in the virgin rainforest in Peru, however, it also offers some of the most comfortable facilities so you can relax during your stay. Its unique location offers the highest chances of spotting exciting jungle wildlife such as jaguars.

Upon arrival, the manager will welcome us and brief us on important navigation and security tips. We’ll have some free time to relax and we will be introduced to the various activities at the lodge. At TRC they offer a "á la carté" activity system. This means that once you are there you can select from over 20 different options, which fit best into your travel style. Whether it is an interest in birdwatching, medicinal plants, visiting oxbow lakes, searching for monkeys, etc. It's up to you to decide.

Once you are ready, you can relax, or begin exploring this afternoon and evening.

Type of service: Shared "á la carté" service. You chose your own activities but they are not private. Anyone else staying at the lodge who wishes to do the same will join the group. Groups have a maximum of 10 travelers.


Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Type of service: Private guide in Lima, group tours in Amazon
Accommodation: Tambopata Research Center
 

Day 4 - A la carte experiences in the Amazon Rainforest

Get up early to go bird watching or stay up late and wait for Tapir, deer and other animals that come to feed on the nearby Mammal Clay licks. Hike to nearby oxbow lakes or enjoy a river boat ride at sunset in search of caimans and nocturnal animals. The choice is yours. You have the unique opportunity to handpick your activities depending on how you feel. This is the best possible way to enjoy a truly authentic Amazon Adventure.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Type of service: group tours/activities with other guests
Accommodation: Tambopata Research Center
 

Day 5 - A la carte experiences in the Amazon Rainforest

Get up early to go bird watching or stay up late and wait for Tapir, deer and other animals that come to feed on the nearby Mammal Clay licks. Hike to nearby oxbow lakes or enjoy a river boat ride at sunset in search of caimans and nocturnal animals. The choice is yours. You have the unique opportunity to handpick your activities depending on how you feel. This is the best possible way to enjoy a truly authentic Amazon Adventure.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Type of service: group tours/activities with other guests
Accommodation: Tambopata Research Center

Day 6 - Flight to Cusco and Journey into the Sacred Valley of the Incas

This morning, at the coordinated time, we head to the airport in time to board our flight to Cusco. Upon arriving, we'll be expecting you at Cusco airport. After a brief introduction and getting acquainted with your private guide, we’ll begin our scenic journey to the Sacred Valley Incas. Because of its lower elevation (2, 870 m or 9, 415 ft) and its peaceful atmosphere, this valley is the perfect place to enjoy your first days in Cusco while you acclimatize.

The drive takes approximately one hour and thirty minutes, with several chances to stop along the way to enjoy the dramatic scenery of the Andes in the area of Peru. One of which will be at Piuray, a beautiful lake, where we’ll enjoy a tasty lunch based on local produce from the surrounding communities.

After lunch, we continue our journey towards our countryside hotel in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch
Type of service: Group tours/activities (Amazon) / Private guide (Cusco)
Accommodation: Casona de Yucay

Day 7 - Visiting Misminay, Maras and Moray

Enjoy an unforgettable day of sharing and learning about local culture at Misminay, a small Andean village in the Maras plateau. On arrival, our Flora and her family will be expecting us. They will show us around their village, and we'll have time to learn about life in the countryside of Cusco. It's particularly interesting to learn about their weaving traditions using animal fibers and natural dyes found in plants and minerals. Before leaving, we can join our hosts on a walk to Moray viewpoint. This lookout is only accessible via Misminay and offers fantastic sights of the Moray Terraces below. We think that these circular Inca terraces were used for crop experimentation in prehispanic times.

For lunch, we head to a fantastic picnic spot with views of the mountains and fields. A tasty private meal will be waiting for you to enjoy here. Finally, in the afternoon, we'll visit the Maras, an impressive prehispanic salt-extraction complex consisting of thousands of small white ponds hanging on a mountain slope.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: Casona de Yucay

Day 8 - Morning at Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu

We'll begin today by visiting Ollantaytambo, a village that has not changed much since Inca times. Besides it, we have the Ollantaytambo archaeological site, a place with impressive Inca stonework only seconded by that of Machu Picchu. Visiting in the morning is a huge advantage as large groups arrive only in the afternoons. Next, we head to Ollantaytambo train station to board the train to Aguas Calientes. Upon arriving, we'll take a 25-minute bus up to the impressive mountain setting where Machu Picchu is located. Once here, we'll find a secluded spot, overlooking the main site, for an initial explanation of Machu Picchu. A little later in the afternoon, it's the ideal time to take our guided tour around the main areas of the citadel, as most travelers should already have left. We can tour the site until it closes at around 5. 30 pm.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: El Mapi by Inkaterra

Day 9 - Hiking to Machu Picchu's viewpoints

Today, you'll have bus and entrance tickets at your disposal for a second visit to Machu Picchu at your own pace. Your guide will be happy to join you, of course. For this second visit, we can include any of the three main viewpoints of the site; Huayna Picchu (the most famous), Montaña (the highest), and the Sun Gate (the main entrance to Machu Picchu when coming from the Inca trail). The three of them offer superb panoramic views of Machu Picchu. They all take between 2 to 4 hours if you include the time you spend thoroughly enjoying the sights before you return. These sites require an additional entrance that must be booked in advance, so please let us know which you prefer upon booking the trip. Later, take the bus down to Aguas Calientes, in time for lunch and after, we'll board the train back to Ollantaytambo and then a private transport back to your hotel in Cusco. Depending on the time and your energy level, we can make some short stops on the way back to Cusco.

Included meals: breakfast
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: Antigua Casona San Blas

Day 10 - Guided Walk through historic Cusco

Strap on our walking shoes and prepare for an easy guided stroll around Cusco's historical center. We will begin with a 10-minute drive to our first visit of the day: Sacsayhuaman, a massive Inca fortress overlooking the city. From here, our walking tour takes you not only through the top landmarks in Cusco, such as the Main Square, and the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun, but you will also walk into its lively neighborhoods and local markets where you'll discover the true magic of this city. This is the perfect way to get a more authentic feel of this fantastic place and its people. A spot we like to visit, where few others go, is San Francisco Church. It has impressive colonial architecture, catacombs, and excellent rooftop views of the city.

Included meals: breakfast
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: Antigua Casona San Blas

Day 11 - Scenic private journey towards Lake Titicaca

We'll set off on a long scenic journey from Cusco to Puno. The next 400 km will take us along Andean towns, populated with herds of Andean camelids, and with breathtaking views of snow capped mountains in the background. Our first stop is the Church of Andahuaylillas, baptized as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas due to the outstanding quality of art pieces we find inside it. We'll then continue to the beautiful Tambo Queque Norte, an old country manor. We'll enjoy a fresh farm to table lunch based on local ingredients. Back on the road, the route will take us through the Tinajani Canyon, an area with plenty of peculiar reddish rock formations, a scenery well worth admiring. Then, our last stop is Tarukani, famous for its Puyas Raymondii. It is a unique endemic plant that only grows at over 3000 m. A. S. L against the dryness of its conditions, on shrubby and rocky slopes. Finally, we will proceed to Puno city to have a well-deserved rest after this long but fun journey.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: Sonesta Lago Titicaca

Day 12 - Private boat journey to Southern Taquile, where few others visit

This morning, we prepare to explore a more authentic side to Lake Titicaca. At 7:15 am, we depart on a “fast boat” across Puno bay and towards Taquile Island. We remark the “fast” as many more traditional boats take a good one-hour extra to do this journey.

About 1.5 hours later, we arrive to a secluded section of Southern Taquile Island. Here we can explore the less touristy side of Taquile, and enjoy a pristine sandy beach, there you will have plenty of time to relax and feel the serenity of Titicaca. Then, a hike through a pre-Inca trail with spectacular landscapes leads us to a family of local weavers to learn about their textile art & symbolism that has been declared by UNESCO as world heritage.

After, we depart Taquile and make way to Luquina, a scenic community in the Chucuito peninsula that has excellent dining facilities for lunch. We can relax a little in the shoreline of Luquina and after, we begin our return journey to Puno. If you wish, we can stop on the way at the touristy, but still interesting, floating Islands of the Uros. Here, the locals will be more than happy to show you a little of their local culture and bizarre islands. However, please bear in mind that nowadays these communities are very much integrated with the “outside world”. This is optional, and we can skip it if you please.

We finally arrive to Puno in the afternoon.

Included meals: breakfast, lunch
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: Sonesta Lago Titicaca

Day 13 - Sillustani and return flight to Lima

After a great time in the Andes, it is now time to continue to Lima. At the coordinated time, we'll head to Juliaca's airport to catch our flight. On route, we'd like to show you one final site that this area has to offer, called Sillustani. This archaeological site, located at the shores of Lake Umayo, is an area full of energy and mystery. Sillustani is something entirely different from what Lake Titicaca has to offer. Here we will see a marvelous burial site made up of cylindrical tower-like tombs called Chulpas. Most of the tombs here were built by the Pukaras, a prehispanic civilization related to the Tiwanaku's, that were conquered by the Incas in the xvth century. After the tour, we continue to the airport to board our flight to Lima.

Upon arriving to Lima, reception and transfer to your hotel.

Included meals: breakfast
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: Casa Republica

Day 14 - Day at leisure and departure

Enjoy a last walk around Lima's shops and markets. After, at the coordinated time, we'll head to the airport to board your international flight back home. Hopefully, you will be heading home full of happy memories, new friends, and great pictures of your time with us!

Included meals: breakfast
Type of service: private guide
Accommodation: none - departure day