Palace Tours 12000 Biscayne Blvd. #107 Miami FL 33181 USA 800-724-5120 / 786-408-0610 Call Us 1-800-724-5120 Explore Peru: Empire of the Sun Come face to face with the Sun centric religion of the Incas and the many monuments dedicated to the Sun God (Inti). Here as your journey from Lima to the capital of the Incas, Cusco, you will see remnants of the Temple of the Sun and the Sacsayhuaman fortress. As you travel along the paths taken by the Incas to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley you will discover many of the beliefs and rites that were held sacred by them. Also you get to travel on two trains the Andean Explorer and the Vistadome, bask in their luxurious surroundings and taste great food and wine. Itinerary Day 1 - Welcome to Lima Arrival in Lima, reception and transfer to the selected hotel. Accommodation at the hotel and overnight. Day 2 - Lima to Cusco - The remarkable Incan Ruins of Cusco Breakfast at hotel. Morning flight Lima/Cusco. Reception and transfer to the selected hotel. Afternoon City tour of Cusco including the Cathedral and the Koricancha Temple, them visit to the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay, Qenko and PucaPucara. Day 3 - Cusco - Archeological marvels in the Sacred Valley Breakfast at hotel. Morning departure for a full day tour to the Sacred Valley of Urubamba, visiting Pisac market and the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo. Lunch at the Hacienda Huayoccari. Accommodation at the selected hotel at the Sacred Valley. Day 4 - Cusco - Experience the wonders of Machu Pichu Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the Ollanta train station where we will board the Vistadome train or the 360° Machu Picchu Train for an exiting 1 ½ hours journey to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, meeting service at the train station and transfer by shuttle bus up (25 minutes) to the citadel of Machu Picchu located on the top of the mountain. Guided visit of the Citadel. Lunch at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge hotel. Afternoon Vistadome train back to Cusco. Upon arrival, meeting service at the train station and transfer to the selected hotel. Overnight at the selected hotel. Day 5 - Cusco - Your day your way in Cusco Breakfast at hotel. Day at leisure in Cusco. Overnight at the hotel. Explore Peru: Empire of the Sun(© www.palacetours.com) 1/9 Day 6 - Cusco to Puno - Spectacular Train journey to Puno Breakfast at hotel. Transfer on time to the train station. 07:30 hrs. Board the Titicaca Train to Puno (operates WED – FRI – SUN). Lunch on board. 19:00 hrs. Arrival in Puno and transfer to the hotel. Day 7 - Puno - Exciting speedboat adventure to Taquile Island Breakfast at hotel. Full day visit to Uros & Taquile Islands on standard boat. Lunch included in Taquile. Day 8 - Puno to Lima - Explore the Burial tombs of Sillustani Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the airport in Juliaca. En route visit the Burial tombs of Sillustani. Flight Juliaca/Lima. Arrival in Lima and transfer to the hotel. Day 9 - Lima- Tour of Lima and site of Huaca Pudlana Breakfast at hotel. Morning tour of Lima and visit to the Museum and site of Huaca Pucllana Transfer on time to the Airport for your international departure flight. Destination Information Cusco Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley (Sacred Valley) of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cusco Province. The city has a population of 348,935 which is triple the figure of 20 years ago. Cusco is the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. It is a major tourist destination and receives almost a million visitors a year. It is designated as the Historical Capital of Peru by the Constitution of Peru. Juliaca Juliaca is a city in the Puno Region, Peru. It is the region's largest city and capital of the San Román province. Juliaca is on the Altiplano, 3825 meters above sea level. It is located in the Collao Plateau and close to Lake Titicaca. Close by are the ruins of Sillustani, a pre-Incan burial ground on the shores of Lake Umayo near Puno. The tombs, which are built above ground in tower-like structures called chullpas, are the vestiges of the Colla people, Aymara who were conquered by the Inca in the 1400s. The structures housed the remains of complete family groups, although they were probably limited to nobility. Lima Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, on a coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It forms a contiguous urban area with the seaport of Callao and is the 5th largest city in Latin America. Lima was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, as La Ciudad de los Reyes, or "The City of Kings." It became the most important city in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru and, after the Peruvian War of Independence, was made the capital of the Republic of Peru. Today around one-third of the Peruvian population lives in the metropolitan area. Machu Picchu Explore Peru: Empire of the Sun(© www.palacetours.com) 2/9 Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,430 meters (8,000 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, 80 km southwest of Cusco. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire. The Incas started building it around 1460 AD but was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. The site was brought to worldwide attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction. Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. Ollantaytambo Ollantaytambo is a town and an Inca archaeological site in southern Peru some 60 kilometers northwest of the city of Cusco. It is located at an altitude of 2,792 meters above sea level in the district of Ollantaytambo, province of Urubamba, Cusco region. During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. Nowadays it is an important tourist attraction on account of its Inca buildings and as one of the most common starting points for the three-day, four-night hike known as the Inca Trail. Písac Písac is a Peruvian village in the Sacred Valley on the Urubamba River. The village is well- known for its market every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. One of its more notable features is a large pisonay tree which dominates the central plaza. The sanctuary of Huanca, home to a sacred shrine, is also near the village. Pilgrims travel to the shrine every September. The area is perhaps best known for its Incan ruins, known as Inca Písac, which lie atop a hill at the entrance to the valley. Puno Puno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, at 3,860 m (12,421 ft) above sea level. It is also the capital and largest city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of Paucarcolla with the name San Juan Bautista de Puno. The city has several churches dating back from the colonial period that were built to service the Spanish population and evangelize the natives. Sacred Valley The Sacred Valley of the Incas or Urubamba Valley is a valley in the Andes of Peru, close to the Inca capital of Cusco and below the ancient sacred city of Machu Picchu. The valley is generally understood to include everything between Písac and Ollantaytambo, parallel to the Urubamba River, or Vilcanota River or Wilcamayu, as this sacred river is called when passing through the valley. It is fed by numerous rivers which descend through adjoining valleys and gorges, and contains numerous archaeological remains and villages. The valley was appreciated by the Incas due to its special geographical and climatic qualities. It was one of the empire's main points for the extraction of natural wealth, and the best place for maize production in Peru. Taquile Taquile is an island which sits on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca 45 km offshore from the city of Puno. About 1,700 people live on the island, which is 5.5 by 1.6 km in size. The highest point of the island is 4050 meters above sea level and the main village is at 3950 m. Taquile, whose Quechua name some believe was Intika, was part of the Inca Empire and has a number of Inca ruins. The island was one of the last locations in Peru to capitulate to Explore Peru: Empire of the Sun(© www.palacetours.com) 3/9 Spanish domination during the Spanish conquest of Peru. It was captured for Carlos V and eventually passed to Count Rodrigo of Taquila, who inspired the island's current name.