THE FLIGHT OF THE CONDOR(VDC010)

A complete program that it crosses by main the attractiveness of the south of Peru, from the coastal desert of Ica and the islands crossbows to mountains of Machu Picchu, knows the south Peru with a concrete proposal. One of our better combinations, we offer the most varied experiences observing the Andean condor in his you live natural in one of the guns but deep of the planet, to sail in the high lake but of the world and to culminate the visit in one of the new world-wide wonders throughout the days it will have a experience of resistances.

Itinerary description

Day 1: Arrive to Lima.

Arrival to Lima airport. Transfer to hotel located in downtown Lima.
Overnight at hotel in Lima.

Day 2: Lima/Nazca (approximately 7 hours by highway.)

The guide will pick you up early in the morning. The bus will head south on the Pan-American Highway following the Pacific Ocean’s coastline, is a narrow dessert strip often cut across by luxurious oasis and rivers. You are on the planet’s driest dessert! At the small port of Chaco on the Paracas peninsula you will take a boat to the Ballestas Islands, passing before the famous Paracas Candelabrum. These protected islands are the reproduction grounds for thousands of sea lions and birds that produce a world-wide appreciated fertilizer. Without delay we will retake our route to the Nasca meseta, making a short stop in Ica to enjoy the calm at the Huacachina oasis hidden between sand dunes and reminding us of a Saharan landscape.
Nightime arrival to Nasca.
Overnight at hotel or shelter.

Day 3: Stop at Nasca and route Nazca/Arequipa, (Ten hours on the road, 560 km).

Overflight of the Nasca lines depends on weather conditions. A long time ago, between the II and VI Centuries of our era, the Nasca culture developed in this area. They were extraordinary astronomers and hydraulic engineers who traced animal and bird, as well as geometric figures in the sand. These figures remain one of the greatest archeological enigmas in the world, an enigma that remains whole; an enormous astronomical calendar (the hummingbid’s peak points towards sunrise during the summer solstice on December 21). Flight over the Nasca lines is optional, made in small groups and lasting approximately 40 minutes.
Unassisted trip on regular bus line with comfortable buses.
Arrival to the city of Arequipa at approximately 2 a.m. and transfer to hotel.

Day 4: Arequipa (2,325 meters above sea level)

Arequipa City Tour. Arequipa is the region’s capital; watered by the Quilca River and surrounded by fabulous volcanoes such as the Misti (5,825 m), the Chachani (6,075 m) and the Pichu Pichu (5,564 m), with their eternally snow-capped summits. Arequipa, also called “La Ciudad Blanca” (“The White City”), because it is built from sillar, a rock made of white fossilized volcanic ash. The convent of Santa Catalina is, undoubtedly, a monument that takes us back into XVII Century Arequipa when it housed Dominican nuns who came from aristocratic families. This convent is one of the most beautiful in Peru and a complete town in the heartt of the city.
Free afternoon in the city where you will be able to discover Arequipa’s handicrafts and take advantage of the region’s fair weather.
Overnight at hotel in Arequipa.

Day 5: Colca Canyon  

Your guide will pick you up in the morning to continue on the route towards the Colca Canyon. We will cross Pampa Cañahuas, home to the vicuña, the Andean Princess, at almost 4,000 meters above sea level.  We will most likely be able to spot some. Unavoidable stop at the Volcano Lookout Point  (4,900 m) from where we will be able to observe the white summits of the Ampato  (6,309 m), the Coropuna  (6,425 m), the Mismi (5,597 m), and the Sabancaya (5,798 m). We then go down to the quaint town of Chivay (3,650 m).
Possibility of taking a bath at La Calera Termal Baths at the end of the day.
Overnight at a small hotel in the Colca Canyon.

Day 6: Visita to the Colca Canyon (3,600 m) and trip across the Andes.

Excursion to the canyon’s edge. On the way we will admire the small town of Yanque and then head towards the fabulous Cruz del Condor Lookout (3,800 m) where we will sight the Colca River making incredible curves 1,200 meters below. We will reach the lookout point between 8 and 9 in the morning and wait for the condors to ascend on warm air currents. It is a unique moment, marvelous, almost surreal. We will then discover a landscape completely formed by cultivated terraces.
The trip takes us across the western Cordillera to the high Andean plateau where the waters of Lake Titicaca glimmer. After passing through the city of Juliaca, a road will leads us to the tip of the Capachica peninsula.
Overnight on the shore of Lake Titicaca in the homes of local inhabitants; one of the trips special moments for we will be in direct contact with the local population.

Day 7: Excursion to Lake Titicaca: Taquile Island.

Boat ride to Taquile Island where men do the knitting. The site has a Mediterranean coast feeling, but Bolivia’s awesome Cordillera Real reminds us that we are still high in the Andes. Meeting the Uros the lake people. The Uros live on small floating totora reed islands where a small civilization flourished and disappeared to be reborn from its ashes. Boat ride towards the city of Puno.
Overnight at hotel in Puno.

Day 8: Trip  Puno – Juliaca – Cuzco:

Unescorted bus ride on regular bus line (But the bus line has a bilingual (Spanish/English) guide who will give you information throughout the trip).
Trip across the Altiplano, where Alpaca herds are raised. We will cross La Raya Pass  (4,336m), the highest point on our trip.  There will be several stops during this leg of our journey. We will discover the small Viracocha temple at Raqchi and the famous Sistine Chapel on the quaint town of Andahuayllillas.
Arrival to Cusco, considered by the Incas the “Navel of the World.” You are 3,400 meters above sea level in the heart of the Andes.
Transfer to your hotel in the city’s historical center.

Day 9: Chincheros – Maras – Salineras – Ollantaytambo

Your guide will already be waiting for you at your hotel to discover the charms of the Cusco region. We will start with a visit to the small town of Chinchero where we will discover the ruins of an ancient temple on top of which a charming colonial Andean church was built. The road takes us on to the town of Maras where we will admire a landscape dominated by the Chicon glacier. We will then walk down hundreds of immaculate white terraces offering a spectacular view from the lookout point. Exploited for thousands of years, restored by the Incas and the region’s inhabitants, these terraces produce salt, an element indispensable for life. There are over 4,000 terraces fed by a small watershed with a high concentration of salt. We will walk down to the bottom of the Sacred Valley (easy 2-hour trek). Guided visit to the Ollantaytambo archeological site in the afternoon, an imposing fortress watching over the road to Machu Picchu.
Overnight at the Hotel in Ollantaytambo.

Day 10: Multiple optional activities (Rafting, mountain biking and horseback riding).

Ollantaytambo -.Multiple optional activities to chose from.

Rafting: Type II y III rapids. No experience necessary.
Run: 1h30 on the Vilcanota River.
Possibility of other activities:

Mountain biking: Leaving the Ollantaytambo campsite, we follow the Vilcanota River in the Sacred Valley. The ground is level. 2 to 3 hours.

Horseback riding: Leaving the campsite, we cross an Inca bridge and climb a bit towards a lovely lookout point in the Sacred Valley of the Incas to enjoy a beautiful view of the whole valley. Three hours.

Tour payment on the spot. Cost for each activity on a two-person basis. US $ 25 per person.
Overnight at the Hotel in Ollantaytambo.

Day 11: Departure by train for a guided visit to Machu Picchu – Return to Cusco by train.

We leave our campsite walking towards the small Ollantaytambo train station. Unescorted train ride. The railroad follows the Vilcanota River as the Sacred Valley narrows. Vegetation changes fast and the climate soon turns tropical. Your guide is already waiting for you at the small train station in the town of Machupicchu for a transfer to the bus station and ride to the citadel of Machu Picchu. The citadel was discovered to the world at the beginning of the 20th century by the North American Hiram Bingham and is still a mystery for the archeological world. What could this place have precisely been?
The geographical location is awesome and we can only stand in awe before the Inca builders. Visit to the agricultural, religious and urban sectors. Visit to monuments such as the Sun Temple, the Condor Temple and the Intiwatana.
Bus ride down to Machupicchu Town and return by train to Cusco (unescorted trip).
Transfer to hotel in Cusco.

Day 12: City Tour and guided visit to Sacsayhuamán

Guided visit to the Cathedral and the precious Cusco School paintings. Visit to the Korikancha religious center, the most sacred place in the whole Inca Empire. We will once again be able to admire the impressive Inca walls with their perfectly fit stones; not even a needle can be put between them. Visit to the archeological site of Sacsaywaman and its cyclopean stones, which are a mystery for modern archeology. Sacsaywaman stands as a lookout point above the imperial city of Cusco, 3,600 meters above sea level. Free afternoon in Cusco.
Overnight at hotel in Cusco.

Day 13: Flight Cusco/Lima

Transfer from the hotel to the Airport
In Lima reception and transfer from the Airport to the hotel
In option you can enjoy a City Tour
Overnight at hotel in Lima.

Days 14 and 15: Flight Dep to Lima.

• This proposal has been designed to show you the best sites in Peru and Cusco. Nevertheless, for those travelers who wish to add, change or remove details to their program, please, check our options or create your own program.

• Your creativity and our experience will offer you a more personalized journey

Prices include:

• Program, visits and excursions stipulated above.
• Transportation for the excursions
• Entrances to tourist sites and museums in Ica, Arequipa and Puno.
• Private transfers airport / train stations / bus terminal / hotel.
• The bus ride to and from the archeological site of Machu Picchu.
• Tickets train round trip Ollanta – Machupicchu - Cusco
• Overnight at hotel, hostel, and exclusive lodges.
• Meals: 13 breakfast, 02 lunch, 01 Box lunch, 02 Dinner
• Local guides (except for on planes and buses without escort as specified in the itinerary).

Prices do not include:

• Domestic or international flights.
• International airport taxes.
• Meals no mentioned  in the program
• Domestic airport taxes (approximately US$ 48).
• Entrance to Colca Canyon in Arequipa
• Tourist Tickets in Cusco and entrances to the Cathedral and Koricancha
• Entrance to Machupicchu
• Lima optional city tour
• Visit to Lima (optional depending on flight schedule)
• Flight over the Nazca lines (optional, depending on weather conditions).
• Tips.
• Health insurance.
• Personal expenses.