Gems of Peru
Ancient paths and ruins of the Incas
Ancient paths and ruins of the Incas
Why do the Inca trail you may ask? Because it is the most
famous hike in South America and a must-do experience. It combines the
cultural highlights of the Sacred Valley with a stunning combination of
ancient architecture, a cloud
forest, plant life and Machu
Picchu.
The hike itself heads along ancient narrow paths deep into
the Peruvian countryside and high into the Andean mountains. The terrain
changes from lush green forests alive with births and plant life to
semi arid zones, sections with pampas
and tussock grasses, small tarns and steep mountain passes,. And to top
it all off there are ancient Inca ruins all along the way. However, the
best part of this 4 day hike is reaching the iconic Sun Gate at sunrise
for that first magical
view of Machu Picchu below.
It is easy to get confused when you talk about the Inca Trail,
as the Incas built an advanced network of nearly 40,000 thousand
kilometers of trails to connect the distant corners of their vast empire
Ecuador to Santiago and Mendoza
in Argentina. The classic Inca Trail starts at a place called Km82 (so
called because it is located 82 kilometres along the railway line
between Cusco and Machu Picchu). It takes 4 days to do complete trek
arriving at the Inca ruins of
Machu Picchu for sunrise on the fourth day.
As a country, Peru offers visitors 3 distinct geographical zones,
from the dry arid coastline which is home to the incredible Ballestas
Islands and just inland, the Nazca Lines; high Andes range and also the
Amazon. There is so much to see
in this diverse region, that one is spoilt for choice.
Part of this tour to Peru includes the sacred valley and the Inca
Trail which follows the ancient Inca Paths through to the complex of
Machu Picchu near the town of Aguas Calientes. Any reasonably fit person
should be able to cover the route.
However, the second day of the trek is quite challenging as one heads up
to an altitude of 4200m to the top of Dead Woman's Pass.
The tour also includes a magical visit to the islands of Taquile on Lake
Titicaca where the locals live on floating reed beds. We also take in
the enigmatic Nazca lines
?Day-1. Lima
Day-2: Lima - Nazca (B)
Day-3: Nazca - Lima (B)
Day-4: Lima - Puno (B)
Day-5: Lake Titicaca (B)
Day-6: (Friday) Puno - Cuzco (B)
Day-7. Cuzco
Day-8: Sacred Valley - Ollyantaytambo (BL)
INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU STARTS
Day-9: Chilca - Wayllabamba
Day-10: Wayllabamba - Pacamayu
Day-11: Pacamayu - Winayhuayna
Day-12: Winayhuayna - Machu Picchu - Cuzco (B)
Day-13. Cuzco-Lima
Day-14. Lima (B)
GEMS OF PERU ITINERARY
Day-1. Lima
Arrival in Lima, and transfer to hotel.
Day-2: Lima - Nazca (B)
After breakfast you will head out on a guided visit of both colonial and modern Lima. This will include the cathedral dated to 1654, the main square and the original bronze fountain built in 1650 as well as the San Francisco Convent and its catacombs. Known as the city of the kings, Lima was founded in 1535 by Pizarro and rebuilt in 1991, the same year that UNESCO declared it a world heritage site. One of the very few South American cities that preserve the colonial past, Lima was home to the Spanish viceroy during the time of the Spanish colonialists. After lunch at Rosa Nautica, the foremost seafood restaurant in Lima, private transfer to Nazca. Arrival and overnight accommodation in Nazca
Day-3: Nazca - Lima (B)
Today a tour flight over the enigmatic Nazca
Lines; gigantic drawings and geometrical figures engraved in the driest desert of Peru and dating back to 250 AD. Drawn throughout over 1000 Km2 of desert on the Pampas of San Jose in Ica, and due to their enormous size and largely unknown origin, leaves an indelible impression on all who visit this most mysterious archaeological site. With representations of animals, such as a spider, a monkey and several birds, they are believed to be an enormous astronomical calendar or possibly an offering to the gods. First discovered in 1550 it was not until the advent of flight, in the 1920's that the lines were first realised for their significance. The drawings are not in actual desert sand but on small rock debris, varying in length from 150m to 300m and with a depth of 20cm. A tour of Chauchilla cemetery before transferring to Lima and your hotel in the late afternoon.
Day-4: Lima - Puno (B)
Flight to Juliaca, before transferring to Puno visiting en route the Sillustani funereal towers. Arrival to Puno for overnight accommodation.
Day-5: Lake Titicaca (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the port for the boat trip on Lake Titicaca to the reed Islands of Uros. A visit to the Aymara island of Taquile before returning in the afternoon to Puno. Overnight accommodation.
Day-6: Puno - Cuzco (B)
Departure by private vehicle to Cuzco visiting en route several Inca ruins and the remains of the great Viracocha temple, Raqchi. We shall also stop at the highest point along the way, La Raya. Arrival to Cuzco and transfer to your hotel for overnight accommodation.
Day-7. Cuzco
Afternoon visit to the main ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, Puca-Pucara and Tambomachay, followed by a city tour of Cuzco.
Day-8: Sacred Valley - Ollyantaytambo (BL)
Full-day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Inca and then a visit to Pisac markets and Ollantaytambo
INCA TRAIL TREK TO MACHU PICCHU STARTS
(Breakfast, lunch & dinner included - only breakfast on final day)
Day-9: Chilca - Wayllabamba
After an early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to Chilca by bus, where we meet our Quechua porters and have breakfast before joining the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. Crossing over the turbulent Vilcanota River, with magnificent views of Nevado Veronica (5,900m/19,000ft) we will continue hiking admiring the Llactapata archaeological site, and stopping at Huayllabamba river for lunch. We will visit the archeological sites of Patallacta, Qente, and valley of Cusichaca and magical Polyepsis forest. Today the Inca trek will last approximately 7 hours, arriving in camp around 17h00. Camp and dinner at 3,800 meters. Overnight on the trail to Machu Picchu.
Day-10: Wayllabamba - Pacamayu
Today is the most demanding day of the trip as we gain a lot of altitude. We will see outstanding views east to the Huayanaya peaks and west into the rugged Vilcabamba Range. After breakfast, we will continuously climb up through the first pass at 4,200 m/13,750 feet at Warmiwanusqa. Passing 3 ecological areas such as the Yunga, Quechua and Puna. we will climb 1000 metres in 5 hours. On the descent to our lunch spot, we encounter a large number of stairs. After lunch, we again climb about 500m in altitude before dropping again, about a further 400.Today camp and dinner near Pacamayu. Overnight on the trail.
Day-11: Pacamayu - Winayhuayna
Today is a much easier and shorter day. After breakfast, we will trek down through the valley of Pacamayu to the famous archaeological sites of Runquraqay. We will continue to the second pass and the restored town site of Sayaqmarka ("Town in a Steep Place") and explore the Sayaqmarka Ruins. The Inca Trail in this section is a white granite roadway, traversing a thickly forested mountainside known as the cloud forest. We will then descend to the magnificent archeological Phuyupatamarka ("cloud Level Town") and have lunch. We will then begin the decent to Winaywayna where a visit of the ruins and have dinner.
Day-12: Winayhuayna - Machu Picchu - Cuzco (B)
Early morning wake up at 4:30 a.m. for breakfast and to begin the trek to be the first at the archaeological site of Macchu Picchu for the sunrise. We will descend rapidly from cloud forest into high jungle habitat. Orchids and hummingbirds are commonly seen along this spectacular section of the trail high above the river. We will arrive at Intipunko "Gate of the Sun" to observe the sunrise over Macchu Picchu from an elevated vantage point. We continue down to the royal road and at last the "Lost City
of the Incas". A guided tour of the marvelous citadel, visiting the Main Plaza, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of Three Windows, the Circular Tower and the Sacred Sun Dial and Burial Grounds. After the guided tour, transfer to Aguas Calientes onto the train station for your return train to Cuzco. Arrival and transfer to your hotel.
Day-13: Cuzco - Lima (B)
Return flight to Lima and transfer to your hotel. Last night's accommodation in Peru.
Day-14: Lima (B)
Depart Lima
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