Experience the spectacular Amazon rainforest, the magnificent Inca ruin of Machu Picchu, the small local markets and pleasant villages of the Sacred Valley, the legendary Lake Titicaca, the elegant condors of the Colca Canyon and the mysterious Nazca lines. See culture of Peru on calculatorinc.
The adventure begins in the Peruvian capital Lima, where after a good night’s sleep you have most of the day to explore the city’s beautiful places and exciting museums on your own. In the afternoon you visit a market and then have dinner with a local Peruvian family, which gives you a unique insight into the life of an ordinary family here in Lima. The next day starts your round trip in Peru and the first stop is the desert city of Nazca, where you get to experience the legendary Nazca lines from the air. You have plenty of time to explore the city and go on a trip to the Chauchilla tombs in the desert before continuing the journey by night bus to the pleasant city of Arequipa. The city is beautifully situated with the three volcanoes El Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu as fantastic backdrops. The city has a nice center, and just like in most other cities in Peru, the city’s residents and tourists gather around the Plaza de Armas, which is the city’s central square. From Arequipa you drive to Colca Canyon, which is one of the world’s deepest gorges and one of the best places to see Peru’s characteristics: The Condor. Here you can enjoy the beautiful nature and pleasant villages before continuing the journey to the floating islands on Lake Titicaca, where you get close to the descendants of the ancient Collas people, who still live on the islands. After a few days on Lake Titicaca, the journey continues to the ancient Indian capital, Cuzco. Here, wait a few days on your own before where you can explore the city before embarking on a two-day trip to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. After experiencing the sunrise over Machu Picchu, the tour continues with flights to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon jungle. Here you get to experience the rainforest’s rich animal and plant life up close. From Puerto Maldonando the journey returns by flight to Sweden.
Day 1: Departure from Scandinavia and arrival in Lima
Departure from Scandinavia towards Lima, Peru’s capital, where you usually arrive late in the afternoon depending on the airline. You will be picked up at the airport and driven to your hotel located in the pleasant district of Miraflores.
Day 2: On a discovery trip in Lima and dinner at the home of a local family
The day is free at your disposal. Lima is an exciting and contrasting city, where natives mix with business people. Experience the city’s historic center with i.a. The Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace and the San Francisco Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the afternoon you visit a local family in their home here in Lima. They take you to the market and then back to their home where you have dinner together. A different experience that gives a unique insight into the life of an ordinary family. ( F , L )
Day 3: By bus from Lima to Nazca
On this day, the journey continues by night bus to Nazca. The name comes from the ancient Nazca culture that also lies behind the Nazca lines, the cemeteries in Chauchilla and the Cahuachi temple. Nazca is a city full of mysteries, ancient cultures and history with an Indiana Jones aura over it. ( F )
Day 4: Flight over the Nazca Lines
Today you get to experience the Nazca lines from a smaller propeller plane, so it is clearly the best way to experience the enigmatic lines in the desert. The Nazca lines consist of 12 animal motifs in the desert, such as monkeys, birds and religious figures. They are a true mystery, and no one really knows what the meaning of these 12 sand figures was – some say they are runways for aliens, while others think they are god sacrifices. The Nazca Lines were first mentioned by Pedro Cieza de León in 1553 and then by the archaeologist Toribio Mejia Xesspe in 1927. ( F )
Day 5: By night bus from Nazca to Arequipa
You have all day to explore Nazca and the amazing nature that surrounds the city. In the evening, a night bus departs to Arequipa. ( F )
Day 6: On a voyage of discovery in and around Arequipa
In the morning you arrive in Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city with about one million inhabitants. The city is beautifully situated with the three volcanoes El Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu as fantastic backdrops. The city is called the “white city” because all the houses are built in light volcanic rock that looks completely white in the sunshine. The city has a nice center, and just like in most other cities in Peru, the city’s residents and tourists gather around the Plaza de Armas, which is the city’s central square. Here you will also find a large selection of restaurants and cafes. Arequipa contains a wide range of interesting sights. Among other things, visit the convent of Santa Catalina, which is one of the city’s biggest attractions. Another highlight is the Museo Santuarios Andinos, where you will find the very well-preserved ice mummy Juanita. Her fate provides an exciting historical insight into the lives and victims of the Inca people. (F )
Day 7: Condors and Colca Canyon
You will be picked up at your hotel in Arequipa in the morning and take a minibus to Colca Canyon, a landscape on a beautiful plateau with llamas and beautiful mountain lakes. On the way to the gorge, the route goes via the Pata Pampa Pass, which is located at 4,910 meters above sea level. The place offers a fantastic view of snow-capped mountain peaks and volcanoes. On the way, we stop at a small cafe to enjoy a “Mate de Coca”, also called “coca tea”, which prevents altitude sickness. After arrival and check-in at your hotel in the Chivay Valley, visit the small town of Coparaque, which offers the opportunity for a short walk to nearby ruins. Then visit Calera, where you can bathe in hot springs (admission not included) before returning to the hotel. ( F )
Day 8: Colca Canyon to Puno
After breakfast we head towards the Colca gorge and the famous viewpoint “Cruz del Condor”. Here you get the opportunity to see one of the world’s largest birds, the condor, with a wingspan of up to three meters. Seeing the big birds soar across the sky is a pretty impressive sight. We stop at several viewpoints and in several small villages. Lunch can be enjoyed in Chivay before the tour continues to Puno in the afternoon. Upon arrival in Puno, you will be driven to your hotel in the city. ( F )
Day 9: Lake Titicaca and the island of Amantani
Departure in the morning from the hotel to the port, where the boat is waiting for you and the group. You take a boat out through the small bay of Puno towards the floating islands “Los Uros”. About 300 inhabitants live on these floating islands, and the old building and living traditions have been preserved to this day and are explained by a local resident. After visiting one or two of the islands and a possible trip in one of their beautiful boats, you continue out through the archipelago of Lake Titicaca and out on the open sea with the island of Amantaní in sight. The trip is beautiful and takes two to three hours. The temperature can vary greatly depending on the sun and wind. Bring both wind and waterproof clothing as well as a hat with a brim and sunglasses. At Amantaní you will be picked up by different representatives of the different families you will be staying with. The group then separates to have lunch with their host families. In the afternoon you meet again to hike up to a lookout point at about 4 120 meters altitude. From here you have a fantastic view over Lake Titicaca to Taquile Island and, not least, to the snow-capped mountains of Cordillera Real in Bolivia. After sunset, return to the village and your host families, where you will have supper. In the evenings there is the opportunity to visit the parish building where the locals often meet to dance, dressed in beautiful traditional clothes. If you want to bring a gift for your host family, good suggestions are, for example, fresh fruit, rice, paper and pencils as well as cooking oil. ( After sunset, return to the village and your host families, where you will have supper. In the evenings there is the opportunity to visit the parish building where the locals often meet to dance, dressed in beautiful traditional clothes. If you want to bring a gift for your host family, good suggestions are, for example, fresh fruit, rice, paper and pencils as well as cooking oil. (F , L , M )
Day 10: Amantani – Taquile Island – Puno
After breakfast and a final farewell to your host family, take a boat to the neighboring island of Taquile. While at Amantaní in particular it is the women’s clothing that is beautiful, it is to a greater extent the men who stand out here at Taquile. The men are elegantly dressed in shirts and vests, with beautiful woven belts and knitted hats. As you will soon discover, it is the men who knit, while the women spin yarn and weave. The pattern on the men’s hats reveals whether they are married, engaged or looking for a wife. At Taquile you get time to look around the village square and have lunch on your own. There are several small restaurants, a market with beautiful, handmade goods and a small local museum. After visiting Taquile, you will return by boat to Puno and arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon. ( F , L)
Day 11: By bus from Puno to Cuzco
After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to Lake Titicaca. From the bus station, the tour continues by tourist bus to Cuzco. The tour takes about eight hours and includes lunch and interesting stops along the way. Among other things, you can visit the city of Andahuaylillas, known for its colonial church with the “Latin American Sistine Chapel”. You will also visit the temple complex “Temple of Wiracocha” in the city of Raqchi. ( F )
Day 12: On adventures in and around Cuzco
You have all day to explore Cuzco on your own. Around the Plaza de Armas, Cuzco’s pleasant squares surrounded by impressive colonial churches, there is always life and movement. Here you will find many restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. You can also enjoy a smoothie at the city market, where you can experience the local trade. Around Cuzco you will find good hiking and biking tours to small villages, ruins and markets. ( F )
Day 13: Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes
Today the trip goes to the Holy Valley, which is located just outside Cuzco. If it’s Sunday, the first stop is at the large Native American market in Pisac. Here the local women come a long way in their colorful skirts to sell their wares. You will find a large selection of souvenirs, including colorful ponchos, hats, gloves, and of course pan flutes and other musical instruments. Then the tour continues to the impressive Inca fortress in Ollantaytambo, where you get an exciting tour and insight into history. From Ollantaytambo, the tour continues by train through the mountains along the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes, where the legendary ruin of Machu Picchu is located. Upon arrival at the train station, you go on your own to your overnight stop, which is about 10 minutes from the station. ( F , L )
Day 14: Sunrise over Machu Picchu and train to Cuzco
Early in the morning, your English-speaking guide will meet you and take you by bus the short distance up to Machu Picchu. Your guide will give you a four-hour tour and tell you about the place’s great historical and religious significance. Next to Machu Picchu is Mount Wayna Picchu. Wayna Picchu is 2,720 meters high and is 360 meters higher than Machu Picchu. From here you get a magnificent panoramic view of the entire ruin area. It takes about an hour to get up, but it is a tough hike with small steep steps, and you have to be in good shape to reach the top. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed to climb the summit per day, so if this is something you want to experience, you should book a place and pay for it from home. In the afternoon you take a bus back to Aguas Calientes, then by train back to Ollantaytambo and from there by bus the last bit to Cuzco. In Cuzco you will be picked up and driven to your hotel. (F )
Day 15-16: On an adventure among the wild animals of the Amazon, Tambopata National Reserve
More than half of Peru’s area is covered by rainforest, but only a limited part of this rainforest is accessible. The Amazon has a fantastic animal and plant life that is relatively easy to get close to. In contrast to Brazil, the Peruvian authorities have been able to maintain a good balance between nature and tourism. Today, the tour continues with a flight to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon rainforest, where your English-speaking guide will meet you to take you to your lodge deep in the rainforest. You will stay here for the next two nights, and all activities and meals are included. Together with your nature guide, you can explore the Amazon on hikes through the rainforest and boat trips along the Tambopata River. Here you get the opportunity to experience the unique animal and plant life that exists in this untouched part of the Amazon. You get to hear, see and breathe rainforest both during the day and at night. In and around the lodge there is a chance to see jaguars, giant otters, tapirs, monkeys, toucan birds, crocodiles and many other animals. There is also a lookout tower at the lodge, which is located high above the treetops. Here you can see birds and experience the rainforest from their perspective. (F , L , M )
Day 17: Return from Puerto Maldonado
After breakfast, the tour returns to Puerto Maldonado, from where you fly back to Scandinavia. ( F )
Day 18: Arrival in Scandinavia
Arrival in Scandinavia. The time of arrival depends on which airline you fly with.
Overnight stays
Two nights in Lima at hotel
Two nights in Nazca at hotel
One night in night bus from Nazca to Arequipa
Two nights in Arequipa at hotel
One night in Colca Canyon at hotel
One night in Puno at hotel
One night with a host family on the island of Amantani
One night in Puno in hotel
Two nights in Cuzco in hotel
One night in Aguas Calientes in hotel
One night in Cuzco in hotel
Two nights in lodge near Puerto Maldonado
