High Alpine Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca 12-26 Oct (Sat–Sat)
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High Alpine Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca 12-26 Oct (Sat–Sat) This is a much requested and anticipated trip and one which we are proud to offer in 2019. The Inca Trail, Macchu Pichu, Lake Titicaca – the very names conjure up mystical images. We will walk in the footsteps of the Inca people in order to reach their Lost City, Macchu Pichu. We will discover lush forest, sub-tropical jungle and many Inca ruins along the way. Our trip will not just be about walking but also about discovering the history and culture of this fascinating country. We will explore Lima, the City of the Kings and take a tour of the Sacred Valley. After our trek, we will visit Cusco, Puno and head on to beautiful Lake Titicaca. Price includes: 13 nights accommodation (10 hotel / 3 camping); Single rooms available £20 per night supplement; 6 lunches; 3 dinners; domestic flights; excursions; entrance fees; fully supported camping with porters. Not included: flight to Lima; tips; meals not mentioned above. Price includes: 13 nights‟ accommodation (10 nights hotel / 3 nights camping), all transport, all entrance fees and tours, meals as outlined below Not included: Flight to Lima, tips for local staff, meals not listed above, Itinerary (subject to change) Day 1: Lima Upon arrival in Lima, you will take the transfer to the hotel. Overnight at Ferre De Ville Hotel. http://hotelesferre.com/hotel-ferre-ville-miraflores/ Meals included: None Day 2: Lima HALF DAY CITY TOUR (COLONIAL AND MODERN LIMA WITH LARCO MUSEUM) A visit to the modern and colonial parts of the city of Lima, the "City of Kings", starting in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro, including an overview of the impressive Huaca Huallamarca. The tour later takes you to the Historic Centre, for a visit to the Santo Domingo Convent -a World Heritage Site- where the remains of patron saints St. Martin of Porres and Saint Rose of Lima lie. See the Main Square, surrounded by the Presidential Palace, the Archbishop's Palace, the Municipality of Lima and the Cathedral. This section ends with a stop to sample a pisco sour. The final part of the tour takes you to the Larco Museum, an incomparable private collection of treasures from ancient Peru. This inspiring collection helps visitors to understand and enjoy more than five thousand years of Peruvian history, represented by more than 45,000 exhibits. Meals included: Breakfast Overnight at Ferre De Ville Hotel. http://hotelesferre.com/hotel-ferre-ville- miraflores/ Day 3: Lima to Cusco At the scheduled time, we transfer to the airport to board the flight to Cusco. We then transfer from Cusco to the Sacred Valley. Meals included: Breakfast Overnight at Villa Urubamba Sacred Valley. www.villaurubamba.com Day 4: Cusco FULL DAY TOUR CHINCHERO, MARAS, MORAY & OLLANTAYTAMBO Spend part of the day at the town of Chinchero, 35 kilometres northwest of Cuzco. The townsfolk are famous for having preserved traditional Andean weaving techniques. They also set up a market in the town square to sell handmade crafts from around the region to visitors. It‟s a lively affair as they dress in their colourful outfits. Nearby is the town of Maras, and you will visit its salt pans where the finest salt in the world is extracted. Next, you will travel to Moray and tour the enormous circular and semi-circular agricultural terraces built into the top of a hill overlooking the Urubamba Valley and used by the Incas as a botanical laboratory. Last stop of the day is at Ollantaytambo; an Incan military religious, and agricultural centre located at the highest point on the mountain. From the perspective of the archaeological site, you will look down upon the town of the same name and see its incredibly narrow streets and canals that have not changed since the Incas constructed them. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch Overnight at Villa Urubamba Sacred Valley www.villaurubamba.com Day 5: Inca Trail CUSCO – HUAYLLABAMBA Early morning bus drive to the head of our trail at Km 82 from where we continue along the Urubamba River to the first archaeological site "Llaqtapata". Here we enjoy lunch in a beautiful setting. After a rest we continue into the side valley starting to gain altitude until we get to the last village Huayllabamba where we camp for today. Meals Included: Lunch and Dinner Max Altitude: 2954 m / 9694 ft Min Altitude: 2670 m / 8761 ft Campsite Altitude: 2954 m/ 9694 ft Distance Travelled: 12.00 km / 7.47 ml Approximate Walking Time: 5 -6 hours Day 6: Inca Trail HUAYLLABAMBA – PACAYMAYO After a healthy breakfast, we start climbing up to the first pass "Warmiwañusca" (4200 Mt/ 14200 Ft). The climb will take us most of the morning. From here we descend for about 2 hours into the valley to our next camp "Pacaymayo". Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Max Altitude: 4226 m / 13866 ft Min Altitude: 2954 m/ 9694 ft Campsite Altitude: 3500 m / 11480 ft Distance Travelled: 11.00 km / 6.84 ml Approximate Walking Time: 6 - 7 hours Day 7: Inca Trail PACAYMAYO – WIÑAYWAYNA Today is the most diverse day. We start in the morning with the ascent of the second pass "Runcuracay" (3900 m/ 13800 ft) and descend on the other side for about 2 hours to the beautiful archaeological site "Sayacmarca". After having explored this unique place, we continue on the original stone path of the Incas through semi-tropical cloud forest onto the third pass "Phuyupatamarca" (3800 m/ 13'600 ft). With good weather we have spectacular views of the surrounding snow peaks and the valley below. From here it is all downhill to our camp at "Wiñaywayna" (one of the most beautiful sites in the area for its construction and setting). Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Max Altitude: 3974 m / 13039 ft Min Altitude: 2729 m / 8954 ft Campsite Altitude: 2650 m / 8692 Distance Travelled: 16.00 km / 9.94 ml Approximate Walking Time: 8 hours Day 8: Inca Trail WIÑAYWAYNA – MACHUPICCHU-CUSCO – HUAYNAPICCHU Early after a tasty breakfast, we hike for 2 hours through cloud forest to the famous sun gate "Intipunku" from where we have the first breath-taking view and best panorama of the mysterious "Machu Picchu". A short walk brings us down to the site. After an amazing day of discovery at this architectural masterpiece, you can choose to come back the following day (this includes the entrance fee to Machu Picchu and the bus ticket) to climb to the top of Mount Huayna Picchu (2667 meters), Quechua for “Young Mountain”, on the eastern side of the Central Cordillera. After refreshing a little we will visit "the lost city of the Incas" on a guided tour (app. 2 hrs). After that we descend by bus to the village of Aguas Calientes. After lunch we take the train back to Ollantaytambo and transfer by bus to Cusco. Meals Included: Breakfast Max Altitude: 2732 m / 8964 ft Machu Picchu Altitude: 2400 m / 7872 ft Distance Travelled: 4.00 km / 2.49 ml Approximate Walking Time: 2 hours Overnight at Antawasi Hotel. www.hotelantawasi.com Day 9: Cusco HALF DAY CITY & ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES Visit the city of Cusco, also called the Imperial City, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The excursion starts at Koricancha temple, an ancient Inca palace and centre of worship of the sun god, on the site of which the Dominicans ordered a church to be built, which survives to this day. Then to the Main Square, where you will visit the cathedral, the most important religious building in the city. The climb continues to Sacsayhuamán fortress, an impressive example of Inca military architecture. Then to Kenko, where the sun, moon and stars were worshipped. Next a visit to Puca-Pucara, which may have been a tambo or rest and lodging place for the Inca. Finally, you will visit the Inkas Expression art workshop, where you will appreciate how different Peruvian natural products are used (such as plants, fruits, vegetables) and you will discover their nutritional, curative and cosmetic properties. Meals Included: Breakfast Overnight at Antawasi Hotel www.hotelantawasi.com Day 10: Cusco A day of rest to explore at leisure. Meals Included: Breakfast Overnight at Antawasi Hotel www.hotelantawasi.com Day 11: Cusco to Puno Take the tourist bus to Puno; en route enjoy the magnificent scenery of the valley south of Cusco. First stop is Andahuaylillas, which has a beautiful 17th Century church containing an impressive organ decorated with angels and cherubs. After that, the ruins at Racchi -also known as the "Temple of Wiracocha”- the different zones of which were used for different purposes. After this visit, you will enjoy a typical and delicious buffet lunch at a local restaurant. Then you will visit the archaeological site of Puca-Pucara, basically a military camp that also functioned as an administrative centre. Finally, you arrive at the bus station in Puno. Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch Overnight at Qelqatani Hotel www.qelqatani.com Day 12: Lake Titicaca The trip begins early as you head out of the city of Puno towards Taquile Island, about 35 kilometres away and 3950 meters above sea level. The culture on the island is old, dating back to Pre-Incan times. The islanders still live according to the traditions and beliefs of their ancestors and are world renowned for their lovely outfits and incredible textiles. In fact, UNESCO has declared the textile art of Taquile Island as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.