Rail Adventures in the Andes 11 JUNE - 1 JULY 2020
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Rail Adventures in the Andes 11 JUNE - 1 JULY 2020 RAIL SOUTH AMERICA Tour Overview THIS RAIL ENTHUSIAST TRIP CONSISTS OF MANY GREAT ANDEAN TRAIN ADVENTURES IN CHILE, BOLIVIA, AND PERU. THE ANDES ARE THE PERFECT SCENERY FOR MANY BREATHTAKING RAILWAY JOURNEYS. TRADITIONAL SIGHTSEEING IS SECOND ON THIS TOUR; THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS ARE TRAIN JOURNEYS AND VISITS TO RAILWAY RELATED SITES. WE TRAVEL ON VERY RUSTICAL AS ALSO ON LUXURIOUS TRAINS DURING THE TRIP. YOU WILL EXPERIENCE SOME OF THE MOST SCENIC RAIL JOURNEYS YOU CAN IMAGINE DURING THE TOUR. Especially to mention is the trips we do on the Arica - La Paz railroad. First, we travel from Arica to Paconchile in Chile and then, later in the journey, from Viacha to Charaña in Bolivia. Part of our journey is also a trip to the recently opened Zigzag's inside of Cusco. We travel over this Zigzag using the early morning train from the city of Cusco to Aguas Calientes, the day when we visit Machu Picchu. An exciting visit is the Railway Museum in Machacamarca near Oruro. This Museum exposes the locomotives and carriages of former private Patiño Railway, which covered the journey from Machacamarca to the Patiño Mines in Uncia. Another Mining site that we visit is Pulacayo, were you find the oldest steam locomotive in Bolivia. The site itself is a place to stroll around old steam-engines and mining equipment. RAIL SOUTH AMERICA Tour Price 2020 Double Room accommodation USD 6’351.— pp Single Room supplement USD 1’020.-- pp Accommodation: We use very comfortable 3-4* Hotels during this trip. Inclusions • All services mentioned in the program, accommodation, meals, entrance fees, train tickets, and taxes. All Services are private for our tour group except the train rides and the bus up from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. • English speaking Tour Leader and English speaking local guides • Flights in Economy Class Uyuni - La Paz and Cusco - Lima • 1 Piece of luggage of up to 15kg (33 lb) per person Exclusions • International flight tickets to Tacna/Peru and out of Lima/Peru. • Meals not mentioned in the itinerary and drinks to ALL the meals. • Travel, Health and Accident Insurance • Visa costs • Tips for local guides and driver RAIL SOUTH AMERICA Travel Information Bear in mind that the high altitude doesn’t suit everyone! The effects of high altitude on humans can be considerable. Before you confirm the tour consult your medical doctor about the effects that a journey over several days at a height between 3500m (11’483ft) and 4400m (15’681 ft) above sea level might have on your body. Apart from the high altitude, the trip is physically not particularly challenging; a healthy level of fitness is enough to participate. The most challenging parts are the hike to the highest point of the Incahuasi Island in the middle of the Uyuni Salt Flat (there is no obligation to go up) and the visit of the citadel of Machu Picchu with lots of ups and downs on well-marked paths and stairs, visited by millions of people of all ages every year. RAIL SOUTH AMERICA Day by Day Itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner) CONSIDERING THE CHARACTER OF OUR TRIPS, WE MAY BE MAKING ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS ITINERARY. BELOW YOU FIND THE DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY FOR THE TOUR “RAILWAY EXPEDITIONS IN THE ANDES." WE DO OUR MAXIMUM TO COMPLY WITH THE SCHEDULED TOUR PROGRAM, BUT DUE TO THE TRAVEL STYLE AND REGIONS WE VISIT, WE MAY DEVIATE THE JOURNEY SLIGHTLY TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ENCOUNTERS WITH THE DESTINATION AND ITS PEOPLE, AND CULTURE. Day 1: Arrival in Tacna – Peru You arrive on your flight to Tacna in southern Peru. Transfer-in to your Hotel. Day 2: Railway Museum Tacna and the train journey to Arica in Chile In the morning, we visit the railway museum in Tacna. You have time to have lunch before we board the train to Arica in northern Chile. The Ferrobus journey will go across the part of the Atacama Desert that builds the border between Peru and Chile. In Arica, transfer from the railway station to our Hotel. (B/L) Day 3: Train Journey from Arica to Paconchile and from there by bus to Oruro We travel by train from Arica to Paconchile (Arica – La Paz Railroad). We continue from there with our private van to Oruro/Bolivia crossing the spectacular pass of "Tambo Quemado." The journey across the high Andes between Chile and Bolivia is exceptionally scenic. We spend the night at our Hotel in Oruro. (B/L) Day 4: Railway Museum Machacamarca and Uncia Mining town We visit Bolivia's largest Railway Museum in Machacamarca, about 30 km south of Oruro. The Museum has many exciting rail vehicles exposed, and you get an impression of how life was in Bolivia at the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. From Machacamarca, we follow the old private mining railroad to Uncia in our vehicle. We return to Oruro to spend the night. (B/L) Day 5: Oruro We visit the San Jose Mine and the Mining Museum in Oruro. Then we make a trip on the RAIL SOUTH AMERICA Urban Train “Qamqi” from Oruro’s central station to San Pedro in the Outskirts of town. After lunch, we use the cable car up to the Socavon Virgin. We stay overnight in Oruro. (B/L) Day 6: Journey with the “Expreso del Sur” to Uyuni You have free time in the morning. We have lunch before we board the "Expreso del Sur" to Uyuni in the afternoon. The journey crosses the flatlands of the Altiplano between the two cities. The Expreso del Sur has a dining car where you can have a beer or drink a coffee. At our arrival in Uyuni, transfer to the Hotel where we stay overnight. (B/L) Day 7: Uyuni Salt Flat – La Paz Early morning we visit Pulacayo, an old, abandoned mining site near Uyuni. Pulacayo is a site to stroll around between old oxidized steam locomotives, mining equipment, and mining buildings which are mostly abandoned and can be observed only from the outside. After we go to Incahuasi Island in the middle of the world's largest salt flat. In Uyuni, we visit the famous railway cemetery before we have dinner and go to the Airport for our evening flight to La Paz. Transfer-in from the Airport to our Hotel where we stay overnight. (B/L/D) Day 8: Ferrobus from Viacha to Charaña We travel on a Ferrobus from Viacha to Charaña at the Chilean border on the Arica - La Paz Railroad. This trip is an adventurous rail trip because the vehicle is an old bus on rails. The Ferrobus transports the local population living in this remote and harsh region. Enjoy the incredible scenery during this trip. We return to La Paz in a private vehicle. Overnight we stay in La Paz. (B/L) Day 9: City Tour in La Paz We explore La Paz during a full- day city tour. We visit the old part of town and drive up to the Killi Killi viewpoint, from where you have breathtaking views of the city. We visit the old railway station in La Paz, which is now a cultural center. After lunch, we travel on cable-cars from La Paz to El Alto. We spend the night at our Hotel in La Paz. (B/L) Day 10: Day at leisure in La Paz You have a free day in La Paz. (B) Day 11: La Paz – Tiwanaku – Puno (Peru) We leave La Paz visiting in the morning Tiwanaku, one of the most famous Archeological Sites of the Aymara culture in Bolivia. We have lunch on the shores of Lake Titicaca before we cross the border to Peru and drive to Puno where we stay overnight. (B/L) RAIL SOUTH AMERICA Day 12: Peru Rail Titicaca Train Puno – Cusco Early morning, we head to the Puno Railway station and board the “Perurail Titicaca Train” that brings us to Cusco. This fascinating train journey goes through a fantastic high Andean scenery. The train travels the 390 km (242 Mi) to Cusco in about 11 hours. In La Raya, the train reaches its highest point at 4.321 meters (15177 ft.) above sea level. The downhill train ride to Cusco goes through endless pastures and calls at remote villages, reaching Cusco in the evening. We stay overnight in Cusco. (B/L) Day 13: City Tour in Cusco We do a city tour of Cusco in the morning. One of the highlights is the Santo Domingo Convent, which the Spaniards built over an ancient Inca Palace. Outside of Cusco, we visit the monumental Inca military fortress Sacsayhuaman. Later, we have a look at the Inca ruins of Qenko, Puca-Pucara, and Tambomachay. In the afternoon, you have free time. We stay overnight in Cusco. (B) Day 14: Train Journey to Machu Picchu We travel on the Incarail First Class Train from Cusco San Pedro Station to Aguas Calientes. Our train drivers up the Zigzag's inside Cusco on the way to the station of Porroy. We have lunch on the train before we reach Aguas Calientes. An expert guide will show us Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. In the afternoon, we return to Aguas Caliente to board the Incarail First Class Train back to Cusco. We have dinner during the train journey. We stay overnight in Cusco. (B/L/D) Day 15: Cusco – Lima Transfer to the Airport and flight to Lima.