Day
1 Arrive in Lima
On arrival in Lima you will be met by your Peruvian Secrets
Tour Controller, who will transfer you to your hotel, the comfortable
Hotel Faraona. Your guide will be happy to answer any questions
you may have at this point and recommend a good restaurant;
the remainder of the evening is free to rest and take a gentle
stroll around the surrounding area should you wish.
Day
2 Fly Lima – Chiclayo
Today you will be met and transferred to the airport in Lima,
for your short flight to Chiclayo. On arrival in Chiclayo, you
will be met by your host Sñr Herbert, who will also be
your guide and driver whilst you are in the North. You will
then transfer to Herbert’s private farmstead, 60 kilometres
northeast of the city of Chiclayo, near the village of Salas.
Situated on the savannah where the desert meets the foothills
of the Andes, this truly is a wonderful and dramatic setting.
Salas is also well known as being the centre of healers or ‘Shamans’
in Peru. On arrival at the farm you will enjoy a relaxing, candlelit
evening of fine food, good wine and excellent company in a most
charming and appealing home.
Day
3 Visit Pyramids of Tucume
and Museo Tumbas Reales del Senor Sipan
After breakfast we drive to the town of Lambayeque to visit
the museum ‘Tumbas Reales del Senor Sipan’. This
museum houses the extensive collection of extraordinary gold,
silver, copper and ceramic artefacts and offerings from the
excavations undertaken at the site of the tomb of Lord Sipan.
This visit can take two to three hours, after which, you will
take lunch in the town of Lambayeque. On our return we will
stop in Tucume to visit the site of twenty-six pyramids built
of adobe, which also has a small museum. You will then return
to our private farmstead and enjoy an evening BBQ offering a
chance to sample the many unusual types of fruits to be found
in this region.
Day
4 Free day at farmstead,
optional excursions
This is a free day to enjoy your pleasant surroundings at your
leisure. It is also an excellent opportunity to take a drive
up into the small Andean villages with Herbert to learn about
the way of life for people in this region. This is also a fantastic
photo opportunity and a chance to see a less-visited, authentic
side of Peru. This can be arranged if requested and would be
a local payment to guide.
Day
5 Transfer by road to
Cajamarca
We rejoin our bus and take the incredible journey to Cajamarca.
The road will take us from the coast into the heart of the Andes
on a journey taking approximately 5 – 6 hours. On the
way you have the opportunity of stopping and photographing some
of the breathtaking scenery. Arriving at Cajamarca late afternoon
you will check into the Hotel El Portal Del Marques, a beautifully
renovated hacienda where we will have a short talk and you will
be given a map of the city. Your evening will be free to relax
in the hotel or sample one of the city’s fine restaurants.
Day
6 Cajamarca city tour
Today you will enjoy a more relaxed day by taking a tour of
the many places of interest this fine, traditional city has
to offer. For the start of this tour you will travel a short
distance outside of the city to the Ventanillas of Otuzco, a
site of strange burial chambers, before continuing on to the
beautiful Hortensia Gardens, where you will see a fantastic
display of traditional flowers. The next stop is a visit to
Tres Moulinos, a cheese workshop. Cajamarca is famous throughout
Peru for its wide variety of truly excellent cheeses. We will
then return to the city for lunch, after which we will take
the road out of Cajamarca, up out of the valley to visit Cumbe
Mayo. This is a place of strange rock formations with an incredible
water channel and petroglyphs. You will then return back to
Cajamarca for the evening and staying once again in the Hotel
El Portal Del Marques.
Day
7 Free day in Cajamarca
with guide
Today is a chance to relax and enjoy this beautiful city. Your
guide will give you a walkabout tour to the places of your choice,
perhaps to post some postcards, visit the market or simply stroll
around the main plaza. In the evening your guide will return
to escort you for an evening of good food and traditional music.
Day
8 Fly Cajamarca –
Lima – Arequipa
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your short
flight to Lima, where you will be met and assisted with your
onward flight to Arequipa. Upon arrival in Arequipa you will
check in to your hotel before the remainder of your day is free
to relax and wander around this pleasant city centre, which
offers many fine restaurants and places of entertainment.
Day
9 Transfer by road to
Colca Canyon
After breakfast you will be collected for the
start of your tour of the beautiful Colca Canyon in our private
mini bus (a detailed description of our Colca canyon tour will
be provided on application). Your night’s stay will be
in a Hacienda style guesthouse offering friendly and comfortable
accommodation.
Day
10 Free day Colca Canyon
This is a free day in the Colca Canyon to enjoy your stunning
surroundings at your leisure. You may like to take an optional
excursion; your options can be discussed with your guide at
the time and would be a local payment to guide.
Day
11 Return by road to Arequipa
Today you will take the spectacular return journey to Arequipa.
Upon arrival you will check into your hotel once again, where
your evening is free for you to have your last exploration of
the marbled city.
Day
12 Fly Arequipa –
Cuzco
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for you
short flight to the Inca capital of Cuzco. Set amongst stunning
hillsides and boasting a lively and varied nightlife, Cuzco
is a destination itself. Its proximity to the Sacred Valley
and Machu Picchu help in making it the most visited city in
all of Peru. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your
hotel, the Royal Inca and have the rest of the day free to relax
and explore the city at your own pace.
Day 13 Sacred Valley
Tour
Today you start your relaxed tour of the Sacred Valley. On the
way we will visit Sacsayhuaman, one of the best examples of
Inca stonework. From here we will travel to a variety of sites
including Qenko, Puca Pucara and Tambo Machay, before arriving
at the small village of Pisac, a picturesque town, which is
the gateway to the Sacred Valley, here you have an opportunity
to viewing the many artisans work. You will then transfer to
a beautiful country inn where you will have the evening free
to relax and enjoy the fine facilities on offer.
Day
14 Train to Aguas Calientes
This morning you will be transferred to the small station of
Ollantaytambo, at the end of the valley. From here you will
take your beautiful train journey through the changing microclimates
as the ride takes you into the higher reaches of the Amazon,
to the small yet lively town of Aguas Calientes. Here you will
be transferred to the Machu Picchu Inn and have the afternoon
free to explore this small but lively town.
Day
15 Full day at Machu Picchu
This is an ideal opportunity to take the first transport up
to the city of Machu Picchu where you will have the opportunity
of seeing the spectacular sight of the ruined city appearing
like magic through the early morning cloud. In order for you
to maximise your enjoyment from your visit, Peruvian Secrets
provides the services of a professional local guide who will
reveal some of the mysteries that surround this fascinating
place. After your visit we return for mid afternoon to the small
village of Aguas Calientes where we will take the 4.35 afternoon
return train to Cuzco. Upon arrival we transfer to your hotel
and have the evening free to explore Cuzco by night, take in
a fine restaurant and sample one of the many places of entertainment.
Day
16 Free day Cuzco
Today is a free day in Cuzco to spend as you most wish; perhaps
you could have a long lie in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast
before exploring the many little plazas and streets in this
beautiful city. Or, why not take this opportunity to write and
post your postcards and simply while away the day in Cuzco’s
many cafes, bars and restaurants?
Day
17 Orient Express train
to Puno
This morning you will be transferred to the main train station
and take the incredible journey to Puno and The Great Lake Titicaca.
This journey is one of the great train journeys of the world
and takes approximately ten hours. The comfortable Orient Express
style carriage offers restaurant service (lunch included) and
a carriage attendant providing beverages and light snacks during
your journey. To the rear of the train is a glass observation
carriage that offers spectacular views of this wonderful journey.
Upon your arrival in Puno you will be transferred to your hotel
and have the evening free to relax and enjoy this lively, sociable
town.
Please
note: the train only travels this route on Mondays, Wednesdays
& Saturdays and that this will need to be taken into account
in your preferred dates of travel.
Day
18 Lake Titicaca, stay
on island with local family overnight
Today we take our tour on the Great Lake Titicaca. You will
be visiting one of the floating islands of the Uros Indians
and then we will continue on to the island of Amantani. Upon
arrival you will be allocated to a family licensed by the government
to house visitors. You will become the guest of that family
and have an excellent opportunity to experience the life these
friendly people live. Late afternoon you have the option of
a small trek to the Inca ruins situated on the summit of the
island where we will stay for the magnificent sunset over Lake
Titicaca. You will then return to your family where you will
be served a traditional evening meal (please bear in mind this
will be a very basic meal). In the evening you are invited to
the village community hall for a traditional night of entertainment.
Day
19 Return to Puno
After we have had breakfast and said goodbye to our host family
we rejoin our boat for the visit to the neighbouring island
of Taquile. Here you have the option of leaving the boat and
taking the one-hour coastal walk or if you feel you are unable
to do this walk the boat will take you directly to the port.
Our guide will give you a tour of the Inca ruins and bring to
life some of the incredible history before descending down to
the village for lunch. Here you will the opportunity of sampling
the delicious freshwater fish of Lake Titicaca. We will then
rejoin our boat and return to Puno for one further night.
Day
20 Ruins of Sillustani
Your morning is free to relax before your transfer to the airport,
situated in the small town of Juliaca approximately one hour’s
drive outside Puno. As part of your tour we will stop on route
to the airport to show you the fantastic Sillustani Lake and
the Inca and pre Inca ruins. Here, weather permitting; we stop
for a picnic lunch at the site of the strange cylindrical Inca
towers of Sillustani which has spectacular lakeside views. You
will then continue on to the airport for the short flight to
Lima, where you will be met and transferred to your Lima hotel.
The rest of the day is free to spend at your own leisure.
Day
21 Depart Lima
This morning you will need to prepare for your departure before
your international return flight. You may like to do some last
minute shopping for gifts or mementoes of your time in Peru,
or alternatively you could to take our optional Lima city tour;
your options can be discussed with your guide at the time and
would be a local payment to guide. At the appropriate time your
Peruvian Secrets Tour Controller will meet you and transfer
you to the airport for your international departure.
Return
to top
FURTHER
DETAILS
