Southern Circuit with Machu Picchu - 9 Days

What's Included?

• Transfers
• Lodging
• Guides
• Transportation
• Park Admissions
• Cusco Tourist Ticket
• Huayna Picchu Ticket
• Nazca Lines Fly over

This grand trip of Peru takes you to the south of the country to see the famous Nazca Lines, Arequipa and Lake Titicaca before heading north to Cusco and the magnificent ruins of Machu Picchu. The trip will make the most of your Peru vacations and let you get to know a significant portion of the country and its cultures. The Nazca Lines and preserved mummies are strikingly different to what you observe at Machu Picchu. Lake Titicaca the largest lake in the country is set in a dramatic landscape and the tour takes you to view the Uros whose civilization predates the Inca and who still live on the floating Reed Islands of the lake. Arequipa is a dramatic city set at the foot of El Misti a giant volcano exceeding 5000m in height. The logical path of the tour allows us to maintain a leisurely pace and take in all the key sites as we head down the coast before heading inland to Arequipa and back north to Machu Pichhu.

Hotels (Standard Package)
Lima - Hotel España
Nazca - Nazca Oasis
Arequipa - La Gruta
Puno - Totorani Inn
Cusco - Hostal Resbalosa
Machu Picchu - Hostal Muyurina

Upgrades available to 4* and 5* please enquire

Day 1

We will pick you from your flight at Lima airport and shuttle you to your hotel where you can spend the rest of the day exploring the city or resting.

Day 2

We pick you up from the Hotel and catch a bus to Nazca for flight over the mysterious lines. After the flight you will also have a chance to visit the Chauchilla Cemetery, the cemetery houses the remains of an ancient burial ground from the Nazca people. You will see mummies in their tombs, many of them well preserved due to the dry climate. We leave that evening for an overnight bus ride to Arequipa.

Day 3

We arrive in Arequipa in the morning and have the chance to rest or explore the city before leaving for a tour of the city in the afternoon. The tour visits Mirador de Yanahuara a great viewpoint of the city, Monasterio de Santa Catalina, La Plaza de Armas and other spotes. You can spend the evening exploring the city on your own.

Day 4

The morning is free to explore the city. We catch a tour bus in the early afternoon to go to Puno. Stops enroute include Juliaca, the Lagoon Lagunillas famous for its Chilean Flamingo, the Rock Forest and the National Reserve of Salinas Aguada Blancas. We arrive in Puno and the evening is free to explore the city.

Day 5

We pick you up early for a full day tour of Lake Titicaca. We leave the port at Puno and take a boat to Uro Island. The island is made of Totora reeds, which grow in the lake. The dense roots that the plants develop and interweave form a natural layer called Khili (about one to two meters thick) that support the islands. From Uro Island we head towards the island of Taquile where we visit the Main Plaza and Market. We return by boat to Puno and have the remainder of the day free.

Day 6

We pick you up early to get the first class tourist bus to Cusco. The bus visits a number of archaeological sites along the way which include; pre-Incan Pukara, Sicuani (lunch stop), followed by Raqchi and the colonial church of Andahuaylillas. We arrive in Cusco by 5pm where you are free to explore the city.

Day 7

We will pick you from your hotel around 8:45am and then head by private van to Ollantaytambo where we will catch the train to Aguas Calienties the departure point for Machu Picchu. We spend the day touring the sites of the Sacred Valley which include Pisac, Urubamba and the impressive fort at Ollantaytambo. We depart Ollantaytambo at 6pm to take the train to Aguas Calientes where we spend the night.

Day 8

This morning you wake up early to board one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu. Once up at the ruins you'll catch a beautiful sunrise over the site and you can participate in a tour in which all of the buildings of the site are explained. The rest of the day is free to explore before we depart in the late afternoon via train and then private van back to your hotel at Cusco.

Day 9

We will pick you up from your hotel and drop you at the airport for a connecting flight to Lima. If your flight is in the evening please advise us and we will schedule some programs for the day.

Exclusions

• Domestic Airfare
• International Airfare
• Airport Taxes
• Meals