Southern Peru & Bolivia
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Southern Peru & Bolivia: Inca Landscapes & Lake Titicaca 2017 14-Day Land Tour{TRIPOperatedBy} EXTEND YOUR TRIP PRE-TRIP The Amazon Rain Forest of Peru POST-TRIP Coastal Peru: Paracas, Nazca & the Ballestas Islands Your Day-to-Day Itinerary OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL Overseas Adventure Travel, founded in 1978, is America’s leading adventure travel company. The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, The Los Angeles Times, Travel + Leisure, The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, and others have recommended OAT trips. But our most im- pressive reviews come from our customers: Thousands of travelers have joined our trips, and 95% of them say they’d gladly travel with us again, and recommend us to their friends. INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE » International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements » All land transportation and 3 internal flights » Accommodations for 14 nights » 33 meals—daily breakfast, 11 lunches, and 8 dinners » 9 small group activities » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Leader » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters » 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next adventure—an average of $259 Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. WHAT THIS TRIP IS LIKE PACING TeRRAIN & TRANSPORTATION » 6 locations in 14 days; several early » Travel over city streets, unpaved roads, mornings and rugged paths » International flights to Peru arrive late in » We take some 2-hour hikes on uneven the evening or very early in the morning, terrain, including steep and slippery and internal flights are scheduled early trails without handrails, at high elevations that make physical activity » International flights from Bolivia depart more difficult early in the morning » Travel by 16-24 passenger minibus and PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS small excursion boat » Not appropriate for travelers who have » Several drives of 2-6 hours; 1 long bus difficulty at high altitudes or who use ride of 6-8 hours; three internal flight of wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility about 1.5 hours; boat excursion of 1.5-2 aids hours » You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted and participate in 6-8 hours ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES of physical activities each day, including » Hotel rooms are smaller than in the U.S. hikes that are made more difficult by and offer simple amenities high elevation » All accommodations feature private baths » This trip takes you to remote areas with no medical facilities nearby » We reserve the right for Trip Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience ELEVATION » 12 full days at elevations of up to 13,000 feet, and some mountain passes above 15,000 feet CLIMATE » Lima is warmest between December and March, with daily highs of 80°F » Day and evening temperatures in the Andes range between 35-70°F Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. Southern Peru & Bolivia: Inca Landscapes & Lake Titicaca 2017 EXTEND YOUR TRIP PRE-TRIP The Amazon Rain Forest of Peru POST-TRIP Coastal Peru: Paracas, Nazca & the Ballestas Islands Sweeping across southern Peru and western Bolivia, the Andean plateau is a landscape of stunning vistas, a place where ancient societies thrived in the shadow of volcanoes and on the shore of the world’s highest navigable lake. From colonial-era cobblestone streets to plunging canyons where condors fly, you’ll experience the history and beauty of southernmost Peru, then uncover centuries of culture in Bolivia, as you stroll traditional markets and explore pre-Incan ruins at Tiwanaku. Witnessing weavers at work, visiting islanders on Lake Titicaca, and meeting Peruvian farmers along the way, you’ll discover the spirit of the region up close on this inspiring adventure. Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. DETAILED ITINERARY An important word about your adventure Our Southern Peru & Bolivia trip is designed for people who want a different kind of travel expe- rience. We seek out unusual experiences, in out-of-the-way places where ordinary tours don’t go. Peru and Bolivia are developing countries, and the overall quality of travel services may not be what you would find in the United States or Europe. We respond to changing circumstances on the spot, and we may not follow this itinerary exactly. To enjoy this trip, you need an open curiosity, an adventurous spirit, and a healthy sense of humor about the unpredictable nature of travel in South America. DAY 1 Fly to Lima, Peru You’ll get lunch on your own, and then Today, you’ll fly from the U.S. to Lima. An we explore Lima together. Founded by the O.A.T. representative will meet you when conquistadors in 1535, Lima became Spain’s you arrive to assist with your transfer to largest and wealthiest city in the New World. your hotel. The city has a proud history, including the founding of one of the first universities in South America, the Universidad de San DAY 2 Explore Lima Marcos, in the middle of the 16th century. After breakfast, we meet our expert resident Today, Lima’s historic city center is a Trip Leader, who will give us a late-morning UNESCO World Heritage Site. We begin with briefing. We will also be introduced to a guided visit to Lima’s Larco Museum, our fellow travelers—including those who which specializes in treasures from ancient took the Amazon Rain Forest of Peru pre-trip Peru. The Larco is home to one of the extension. world’s most outstanding collections of Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. pre-Columbian gold and silver, as well as a some of the countless halls and interior fascinating collection of erotic archaeological lanes of this 65,000-square-foot city within artifacts. Then, we explore Lima’s Colonial the city, where vivid paint brightens walls streets and architecture, evidence of the made of sillar and ashlar, the local volcanic city’s Spanish heritage, including the iconic stone. Spanish-Moorish architectural details San Francisco Church. This evening, our like flowing fountains, orange trees, and small group gets better acquainted as we arched colonnades make this a setting as enjoy a Welcome Dinner together. romantic as it is meditative. Breakfast, Dinner Then we’ll visit the Sanctuary Museum to learn about some Inca mummies that were discovered frozen high in the Andes in 1995. DAY 3 Fly from Lima to Arequipa The best known is Juanita, nicknamed the After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for Ice Maid of Ampato, believed to have been our flight to Arequipa, where the elevation is a teenager sacrificed by Inca priests. Her 7,600 feet above sea level. When we arrive, discovery electrified the scientific commu- we’ll have lunch in the elegant Yanahuara nity and caught the attention of the world. neighborhood, where we’ll savor examples In this tucked-away museum, her mummy of traditional dishes from the region. After is maintained in a state-of-the-art freezing lunch, we’ll check into our hotel. Then our chamber and scientific teams work on ana- Trip Leader leads an informative orientation lyzing her DNA. Please note: Juanita is removed walk to familiarize us with our setting. from public display between January and April for preservation and study, but other mummies Arequipa is a thriving metropolis where an- from the site, and artifacts found with them such cient and modern touches coalesce. Under El as cloth and footwear, can still be viewed here Misti Volcano’s watchful eye, Peru’s second- during those months. largest city is also the center of legal affairs. Much of Arequipa is built using the pale We’ll stroll through the bustling San Camillo volcanic stones sillar and ashlar, which gives Market, a hub of local life in Arequipa, and Arequipa the nickname “the White City.” on to the city’s main square, the Plaza de Dinner is on your own this evening. The food Armas. We’ll see La Compañía Church, of Arequipa is considered by many to be the whose elaborate stone carvings are fine best in Peru. Perhaps you’ll try chicharron, examples of the architecural style known as deep fried pork, or rocoto relleno, stuffed chili La Escuela Arequipeña (Arequipa School)—a peppers. blend of indigenous Peruvian influences with Spanish and European models. After our Breakfast, Lunch tour, we’ll have lunch at a local restaurant, then return to our hotel. The rest of your afternoon is free, and dinner is on your own DAY 4 Discover Arequipa this evening. This morning, we enjoy a walking tour of Arequipa’s historic center, a UNESCO World Breakfast, Lunch Heritage Site. We begin at one of the world’s most unique religious sites, the 15th-century Santa Catalina Monastery. We’ll explore Itinerary subject to change. For information or reservations, call toll-free 1-800-955-1925. DAY 5 Arequipa • Puno 40 islands are man-made, fashioned by the After breakfast this morning, we travel Uru people from local tortora reeds, and overland to Puno, pausing en route at farms anchored with ropes attached to stakes in where we may meet a trio of Peru’s most the lake bottom. Each island floor is only beloved animals. Vicuña may only be shorn six to eight feet thick, so that every step every three years but, as a result, yield the “squishes” a bit. The local people must softest fibers—so prized that Incas declared constantly maintain not only the underlayer only royalty could wear garments of this and anchor, but replenish the top layer, material.