TAQUILE ISLAND FULL DAY

Taquile, is a fascinating island on the lake. It is 45km from Puno. It is about seven km long and one km wide and has several hills with Inca terracing. The scenery of the islands is beautiful. The soil is a deep earthy red color which in the strong highland sunlight, contrasts magnificently against the intense blue of the lake. The backdrop of the snow-capped Cordillera Real on the far side completes a splendid picture. The people wear colorful traditional clothes which they make themselves, they speak Quechua rather than the Aymara language of most Titicaca Indians, maintain a strong air of group individuality and don't often marry with non-Taquile people.

We highly recommend to spend one night in the island. A day tour is not recommended if you want to see the complete island.



Itinerary:

Early in the morning our guide will take you from your hotel, to go to the Punos port, there we will take the motorboat (2 hour trip) to go to Taquile island, We also visit Uros island, our guide will tell you everything about this places, the traditions of their inhabitants, etc, going back to Puno in the afternoon.

Included:

Professional English Speaking Guide
Entrance fees
Transportation

COLCA CANYON

Duration: 2 days/ 01 night
Leaving: daily

Pampa Cañahuas Reserve- Patapampa highest point – Town of Chivay – Town of Coporaque - Cruz del Condor view point- la Calera hot springs.



FIRST DAY:

We will depart at 8:30hrs from Arequipa, crossing 160 Km to the town of Chivay, capital of the Province of Caylloma. At the beginning of our excursion we will enjoy the majestic views of Misti, Chachani and PichuPichu volcanoes and then we will approach the National Reserve of “Pampa Cañahuas”, where our transportation will make a stop to observe the wild Vicuñas (the most important American camel) in its natural habitat. At this point we will be around 3,400 meters above sea level.
We will arrive to “Pata Wasi” (Pata=high Wasi=home) an Andean community in the opposite border of the reserve, here it is interesting to see the natural formation of the rocks and a view of the backside of the Misti and Chachani volcanoes. To prevent altitude sickness we will enjoy an original Andean “Mate de Coca” drink in Sumbay, 3,800 meters above sea level.
Continuing on the road we will pass through “Tocra” over the 4,500 meter high mountains, where we will observe the lakes with migrant birds and we’ll get pictures of the “Antiplano” (highland) with its llamas and Guanacos. Our highest point will be “Pata Pampa” (Pata=High, Pampa=Land) located at 4,820 meters, where we’ll observe the volcanoes Ampato, Sabancaya, the Hualca-Hualca, the Mismi (the source of the Amazon River), and the “Cordillera de Chila”.
When we are getting close to the town of Chivay (3,651meters) we will start to wonder at the spectacular multicolor view of the terraces of Colca valley. In Chivay we will drive to our hotel and after finding our rooms, we will have our lunch. Around 3:30 p.m. we will drive or walk (optional) to the real Indian Town of Coporaque, where we will walk around its traditional main square and hike to the hill of San Antonio ruins (optional), where we will visit a cemetery and enjoy the view of the terraces ( the hike takes around 1 ½ hrs.)
We’ll return to our hotel and take our towels to enjoy the warm waters of “La Calera”, natural hot springs where we will have a spectacular sunset rounded by the mountains.




SECOND DAY:

We will have our breakfast very early in the morning (around 6:00 a.m.), so we can leave to the famous “Cruz del Condor” point, as early as possible. We’ll arrive to “Cruz del Condor”.around 8:00 hrs (approximately).
After taking pictures of the majestic flight of the Condors, our guide will take you for a short hike near the Canyon (1 hour). We will return to our transportation and driving back to Chivay, visiting on the route the traditional town of Pinchollo and the “Antahuilque viewpoint”, where we will observe a wonderful 1,500 yea- old terracing constructed by the Collaguas culture (before the Incas’ time). Also we will make a stop at the look-out point of “Choquetico”, with its “Tumbas colgantes “(hanging tombs), and taking a look to the litomaqueta (The terrace model drawn in a rock). We will continue visiting the town of Maca, an Andean community that experienced an earthquake in November of 1991 and the town of Yanque, with the most beautiful church in the valley.
We’ll return to Chivay and after our lunch we are taking the route back to Arequipa City. Arriving at 17:30 aprox.

Included: Transportation- English guide - hotel (two-bed rooms), breakfast.
Optional : In our Hotel in Coporaque we can aks for the mountain bikes or horses.

MACHU PICCHU FULL DAY

The tour to Machupicchu starts very early in the morning. The first train leaves from the station of San Pedro at 6:00, then during half an a hour a zig-zag way leades to El Arco de Tika Tika (the high point on the outskirts of Cusco) through popular neighboors. If you leave very early from Cusco, you can't let to contemplate its dawn. Afterwards the train descends to La Pampa de Anta, which is an open and grassy country with willow trees, herds of cattle, and many small villages.




Before a great lake, now an extraordinary colorful carpet on an vast opened country. After reaching the edge of the plain the train follows a steep drop through a magnificent gorge into the Sacred Valley via Pomatales - Pachar. Sacred threshold between secret trails and sacred mountains.

Now the route stretches along the Urubamba Canyon between Ollantaytambo and Machupicchu, which grows more narrow and beatyful as the train nears to Machupicchu, for the mountains themselves seem almost vertical and the vegetation is a real jungle.


As you get closed to Machupicchu the spirits of the mountains get made more powerful. By 9:30 the train arrives in Aguas Calientes, the village whence buses are taken during 25 minutes to get the mountain called Machupicchu. Travel in first class to be first in Aguas Calientes.

The tour to Machupicchu (the archeologycal complex) is about 2 hours and a half, which is leaded by a professional tour guide who will explain the most plausible theories about the secrets of Machupicchu. We are sure you will also take the best pictures of the impressive Machupicchu.
By afternoon the first train coming back to Cusco leaves at 3:00 and gets there by 7:00.

INCLUDED :
 Train transportation
 Tranfers
 Entrance ticket to Machupicchu
 Bus tickets (round trip)
 Professional tour guide

CUSCO - SACRED VALLEY

The first visit at the village of Qorao where is possible to take beatyful pictures of the landscapes from a lookout site. Also sometimes a handycraft shopping can be taken.
The next stopping is another lookout site, whence Pisaq (Ruins and village) and the Sacred Valley with its impressives snow capped mountains are seen.
The route follows to "Pisaq" (village), here exists another handicraft market located at the main square and surroundings. On the other hand Pisaq Ruins stands over the upper part of the hill, its visit is carriet out in private tours.
The lunch is usually taken in Urubamba or Yucay where the best restaurant services are located.
By afternoon Ollantaytambo (an impressive inca village) is visited. The only inca settlement still inhabited in Peru.
Afterwards to finish the tour at dast, Chinchero a colonial village built upon inca foundation and where typical shopping is usually taken.

INCLUDES :
 Bus transportation (first class).
 Tranfers.
 Entrance tickets to Pisaq, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero.
 Professional tour guide.

CUSCO CITY TOUR

We start taking the tourist toward the Q'oricancha the most important shrines in Cusco during the incas time), discover with us, the most important religious shrine of the andean civilization at the Q'orikancha, which shows an interesting dominican colonial church upon inca foundations

The second visit is to another colonial church La Catedral, the most imposing church at the main square, which shows 400 impresive colonial paintings, including many from the 'Escuela Cusqueña'.
The tour keeps going to Sacsayhuaman, this site is a megalithic work made by the INCAS; it stands on a hill looming over the city to the north-yet even these enormous stones are filled with that extraordinary inca perfection.
The next sightseeing is named Q'enqo, another shrine by the incas time close to Sacsaywaman, it shows a singular limestone outcrop, which was used to religious cult.
The tour finishes at Puka Pukara and Tambomachay. The first was a kind of establishment or post-house where travelers were logged and goods, animals, etc. were housed temporarily. The second one which is populary called the Baños del Inca the Inca's bath, is a rather finely preserved example of a site for ritual bathing and water cult.

Includes :
 Bus Transportation (first class)
 Tranfers
 Turistic Ticket (BTG)
 Entrance ticket to Qoricancha
 Entrance ticket to Catedral
 Tour guide

PARACAS RESERVE, BALLESTA ISLANDS, ICA AND NAZCA LINES !!!!!!!!!!

PARACAS NATURAL RESERVE
To the South of Lima, at a distance of 239 Kms/150 miles, is the Peninsula of Paracas, now a National Reserve because of its exceptional natural, ecological and archaeological features. Centre of the pre-Inca Paracas culture, it is famous for its textiles and scientific (medical) knowledge; these remains can be seen at the small Julio C. Tello Archaeological Museum.


During the Ballestas Islands yacht tour you will see the mysterious huge drawing of the Candelabrum on a sand slope bordering the ocean, as well as hundreds of sea lions, some penguins, pelicans and other birds in their natural habitat. Pink flamingos can also be observed off the shores of the Paracas Bay.

Altitude: Sea level
Population: 2,000 approximately
Climate: Warm during summer months (December to March) and mild and sunny in winter (June to October)

ICA
Situated to the South of Paracas at a distance of 70 Kms/44 miles, Ica was also the site of the Paracas and Nazca pre-Inca cultures. It is famous for its vineyards, cotton and fruit plantations. The Huacachina Lagoon, nearby, was a renowned spa and resort during the forties. In the midst of an oasis, the green coloured waters are surrounded by old villas and two old-timer hotels, one of which has been completely restored and re-furnished. The outstanding Archaeological Regional Museum is a must for visitors; it contains a collection of mummies, fossils, textiles and ceramics of the Paracas and Nazca cultures. From Ica, the mysterious Nazca Lines can be seen by flying over the area in a small private plane.

Altitude: 402 metres / 1,226 feet above sea level.
Population: 161,000 approximately
Climate: Warm during summer (December-March) and mild in winter (June-September). Occasional rains.









NAZCA AND ITS MYSTERIOUS LINES
In the middle of the coastal desert at a distance of 450 Km. / 291 miles South of Lima, Nazca was founded by the Spaniards in 1591. It is most famous as the site of a collection of gigantic drawings and lines drawn into the desert over an area of around 52 square-miles, and best appreciated from the air. These drawings, representing animal figures such as a spider, a monkey, a bird and geometrical figures, are thought to be an enormous calendar. They are believed to have been made between 500 years BC and 1300 AD by the people who inhabited this oasis of the Peruvian coast. However, the surrounding area has many other historic sites, such as the extensive underground canal system dating from the pre-Inca period, the Carhuachi ruins of a Nazca culture ceremonial centre, and the Vicuña National Reserve of Pampa Galeras (4,330 meter/13,200 ft above sea level), two hours away by bus or car over a scenic highway up in the steppes (puna) of the Andes.
Altitude: 620 metres / 1890 feet above sea level.
Population: 30,000 approximately
Climate: Sunny and warm all year round. Almost no rain



_______________________________________________________________________________
BALLESTAS / LINEAS DE NAZCA

Price per person
$ 320 (party of 2)
$ 260 (Party of 4)



THIS PROGRAM INCLUDED:
Included:
**Pick up from your hotel in Lima
**Private transportation.
**Professional English speaking guide.
**Entrance fees.
**Ballestas island(2h aprox)
**Breakfast snack
**Water (4 bottle per person)

No included:
**Extras & gratuities.
**meals
_________________________________________________________________

BALLESTAS / PARACAS /WINERY/HUACACHINA

Price per person
$ 230.00 (Party of 2)
$ 180.00 (party of 4)



THIS PROGRAM INCLUDED:
Included:
**Pick up from your hotel in Lima
**Private transportation.
**Professional English speaking guide.
**Entrance fees.
**Ballestas island(2h aprox)
**Tour at the paracas reserve (3h aprox)
**Visit to a winery (El Catador), in Ica( 45min aprox)
**Visit huacachina(oasis in the desert)
** Buggies & sand board
**Breakfast snack
**Water (4 bottle per person)

No included:
**Extras & gratuities.
**meals