Peru ‘full southern circuit’ family/group comfort tour – 4 star hotels – 13 days

Today, someone would meet you from your international flight at any time then transfer to your centrally located hotel in the safe district of Miraflores. The transfer takes around 45-50 minutes depending on the time of day and level of traffic.

Overnight 4* Miraflores, Lima

BUS TOUR – We pick up at 9am in order to do a sight-seeing in the capital of Peru. We go to the downtown and can visit the cathedral, presidential palace and see the changing of the guards, as well as San Francisco convent and catacombs, finishing at around 1pm.
This tour does include the following – San Franscisco convent, Santo Domingo Church, Plaza Mayor, Presidential palace, Miraflores malecon and Lovers park . Tour is 3-4 hours with time for lunch (not included)
BICYCLE TOUR – After breakfast, we shall take you on a private guided tour around the main places of interest in the districts of Miraflores and Barranco, including a visit to the lighthouse, the Malecon of Miraflores and Larcomar and the bohemiam district of Barranco full of art deco and older classic style buildings and mansions that were of the high class of of Lima and ‘Mayor’ where you can view the presidential palace and main cathedral. We shall also take you to the San Francisco church and convent to visit the underground catacombs. Also stops en-route between Barranco and Miraflores include ‘Parque de Olivos’ and ‘Parque de Amor’, el faro (lighthouse), Puente de suspirios (wishes bridge) and finishing with an ice cream from the best shop in Barranco. Tour to finish by 1pm where you can ask the guide for suggestions for lunch (included).
In the afternoon we continue 3.5 hours along the pan-American highway Southwards to the port town of Paracas
You should have time to enjoy a ocean sun-set on the esplanade
Overnight 4* hotel Paracas

After breakfast we then take a 2 hour tour of these islands rich in marine life. NOTE – boat tour is a shared service as boat capacity is between up to 30-40 passengers. If you prefer the tour in private we would need to rent the whole boat and pay for every seat. Around 200 Km’s South of Lima lies the port of Paracas. At around 8am, where we embark on a 2 hour trip on powerboats to circumnavigate the group of Islands known as the Ballestos. Here we can see many types of sea-birds, Pelicans, Cormorants, Penguins, Sea-lions, and if very lucky Dolphins or sea-turtles.
We then continue just 1 more hour to the city of Ica we stop on the way at a Pisco distillery to learn this process native to Peru and then take an included lunch before we continue towards the hotel and the Oasis of Huacachina.We give you a short time to relax before going to the desert Oasis and taking a Sunset Dune buggy ride.
You may wish to stop there for dinner at the Oasis before returning to your hotel just a few minutes drive by car.

It is a truly a unique setting at Huacachina, a remote desert Oasis with massive sand dunes all around.

Overnight 4* Las Dunas Resort, Ica (10 minutes from the Oasis) NOTE: there are no 4* hotels at the Oasis.

After breakfast we then take a 1 hour flight over the incredible Nasca lines. The flight encounters the mystical lines from around 750m above. The Cessna planes normally have 4 or 6 seats, fly round each of the landmarks twice before proceeding to the next one. There are 12-14 lines that they follow in the circuit including a whale, monkey, snake and an Alien. Not included: national tax on flights (30 soles = approximately $10 USD). Payable at the airport

You should have an early lunch (1130-1200) before taking our 4-4.5 hour transfer direct to Lima airport. We will take an evening flight (1800) to Arequipa in around 1 hour and 20 minutes then transfer direct to our hotel located on the main Plaza in 20 minutes. Ideally we will arrive to our stay in Arequipa for a late dinner. You can check out the main square full of balcony restaurants over-looking the main square and it’s cathedral all lit up!
Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city and elevated at 2100m. It is known famously as the white city due to many of its historical buildings made of sillar – a volcanic rock that is quarried from the surrounding area.

Overnight 4* hotel, Arequipa

After breakfast, our guide will take you on a 2-3 hour tour around the historical centre showing the most important land-marks of the very pretty colonial city.
Afterwards, you will go to visit the Santa Catalina Monestary. After you can break to go for a coffee, take lunch, or look around the shops then the choice is yours. In the early afternoon you have an optional visit the mummy musuem and famous Ice Princess Juanita or a chance to go to Yanahuara and the viewpoint for a meal (not included) is just a short 10 minute taxi-drive from the downtown.

Overnight 4* hotel, Arequipa

Some time after breakfast we transfer 3.5-4 hours by private van to Colca Canyon.

We climb up to a high pass from Arequipa to a panoramic viewpoint to 7 volcanoes which can be seen on a clear day as well as spotting the native Vicuna’s, a wild specie of the Camelid family – related to Alpacas and Llamas….
We should then arrive at our pretty lodge hotel around 1pm and with an amazing backdrop of the Canyon – the worlds second deepest!

The EL Refugio lodge, located just outside the village of Yanque, is our base for relaxing with the hotels own personal hot-spring swimming pools and SPA and with the best view from the edge of Colca Canyon itself!
In the evening, we include an evening show of music, food and traditional dance native to the area in the nearby town of Chivay.

Overnight 4* El Refugio, Colca Canyon

After some time for breakfast, we then go to a view point where we can see Condors fly. There is a light trek involved, along the side of the Canyon which travels between several different viewpoints. Total time to walk on this well paved section is around 30-45 minutes. Entry ticket included.
Afterwards, we tour back from some of the famous towns along the Canyon and take lunch in Chivay. from here we head for across the Andes Mountains to Puno and Lake Titicaca. There are options for a quick lunch (not included) in the main square of Chivay before we go.

We will have a private bus at our disposal for this part of the trip. Ideally we will be departing Colca Canyon at 1pm and arriving around 6.45pm in Puno.

When we arrive in Puno we check in and free for dinner in front of the lake (not included).

Overnight – 4* hotel Sonesta, Puno

Lake Titicaca is one of the natural wonders of Peru and largest mainland lake on the South American Continent. It is shared almost equally between Peru and Bolivia and you can see wonderful views of each country from either side. It’s altitude is almost 4000m so nights are cold and days are sunny.
Schedule – Pick up from accommodation at around 7.30am. We travel around Uros Islands in a reed boat to learn the local way of fishing and how they make the islands. These 30 or so Islands are made up entirely of floating reeds found at the base of the shallow parts of the lake. Here, the guide will explain about their way of life and the language they speak which is called Aymara and the second most spoken indigenous language of the Andes after Quechua. After 1 hour, we then travel approximately 2.5 hours into the centre of lake and Island of Taquile. On Taquille, we take a short hike to navigate the Island and stopping at the main village for some photos and an explanation of the weaving done by the men and textiles specific to the Islanders. Then go for a typical included lunch before heading back to boat and a 3 hour transit back to the port of Puno arriving between 3.30 and 4-30pm, so it may be an idea to bring a book for this part of the journey.

Once arriving back at Puno port you have one more night at the 4 star hotel Sonesta by the lake. If you would prefer to eat out in the centre of Puno we can arrange a meal and taxis at an extra cost.

Hotel accommodation 4* Sonesta, Puno

In the morning after breakfast we transfer you to Juliaca airport just under 1 hour drive from Puno. Then you will have the flight to Cusco (50 minutes) arriving in the early afternoon. It is a short 15 minute drive from airport to your hotel in the centre of the city. After check in we will offer you to be orientated by local guide showing you around the historical centre of the City on foot and some place for an included late lunch or early dinner suggested by the guide.
In the given time you would visit the main plaza, San Franscisco Square, San Blas neighbourhood and San Pedro Market.

In your free time there are many other ideas to visit such as the Inka museum, Coca museum, museum of Pre-Colombian art. As well as many cafés, shops, restaurants and bars that offer almost any type of eating and drink.

Overnight: 4* Hotel Cusco

At around 9am, you will be met by a local guide and head through the nearby Inka ruins of
Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pukara and Tambo Machay.
In the afternoon you have some free time. We can offer a cookery class in private at the exclusive rooftop kitchen for 100 USD per person (minimum 4 people).

If you want to do activities such as horse riding, we can offer this at an additional price.

In the early evening (around 5.30pm) we could also suggest an OPTIONAL trip to the Cusco Planetarium. Here we will learn and find out about the Inkas way of astrology and also insight to the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere. The first hour will be more of a lecture and also a light projection show onto an indoor dome. This will be followed with the next hour star-gazing outside (depending on clouds). We return to Cusco square at 7.30pm.

Overnight 4* hotel, Cusco

We leave around mid-morning to Pisac. On the way we stop at Awanakancha interactive museum, we can also see how they weave and dye locally and traditionally the textiles they make from Alpaca wool.
Then just another 20 minutes to the beautiful town of Pisaq, where you can visit the local market and take lunch included.
In the afternoon we visit some of the most impressive Inka terraces at the archaeological site of Pisaq and views towards the Sacred Valley.
After Pisac, we shall start our drive along the middle of the Sacred Valley passing through many rural towns and villages and get to our hotel by 4-4.30pm.
Our hotel is place perfectly in the valley between farms and a short drive to the train station for the next morning.

Overnight 4* Casa Andina, Sacred Valley, near Ollantaytambo

After an early breakfast we depart to the train station 20 minutes drive from the hotel. We can stop along the way at Ollantaytambo town for photos and to view the Inka ruins (as long as we have enough time) then to enter the train station for our travel to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu village) at 9.15am and head straight to the ruins for 11am.We will then take our late morning tour (around 2 hours) of the Inka ruins with our local guide who will show us all the most important parts of the citadel and main buildings.

We then go back down on the 25 minute shuttle bus to the village where we can spend some time there and a good meal before taking the train back at 3.20pm and arriving to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley at 5pm and Cusco by 7pm.

Both ways will be on the Vistadome Class train which includes full viewing from above, some light refreshments and entertainment on the way

Overnight 4* hotel, Cusco

We offer you the flight back to Lima with transfer to suit the time of your international connection or individual preferences.

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