OTHER TOURS.

 >>SACRED TRIP TO UFOS MOUNTAIN

 >>MAGIC EXPEDITION IN THE ANDES

 >TOUR TO QUILLABAMBA HIGH JUNGLE

 >>MAGIC EXPEDITION TO LAKE TITICACA -       PUNO

 >>TOUR NAZCA LINES  

>>TOUR PERU Highligths                                  

Here is an example of a tour itinerary that Juan arranged for a group of 5 people in the Fall of 2008.

TOUR LIMA - NAZCA - PARACAS - CUSCO AND THE SACRED VALLEY

• Day 1: Lima

  Group arrives: Juan will pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel.

  Visit Pachacamac Archeological Complex.
  
  31 km / 19 miles from Lima on the Pan-American Highway South (45 minutes by car). It was the most important pre-Inca ceremonial center on the Peruvian coast. The main building material was mud. Around the complex, there are palaces, plazas, and temples (some of them restored), the most important being the Temple of the Sun and the Acllahuasi, both built during the Inca reign (1440 A.D. - 1533 A.D.) and the best preserved parts of the area. You will find a site museum that displays pieces found during the excavation.

  Overnight in Lima.

  
  
  
• Day 2: Lima-Nazca

  Transportation from the Lima hotel to Nazca (approximately 6 hours by bus).
  
  Fly over Nazca Lines
  
  These are a vast network of lines and drawings in the desert sand of animals and plants credited to the Nasca culture covering an area of approximately 350 square km / 135 square miles. Some of the best drawn figures are the hummingbird, the dog, the monkey, and the long-tailed mockingbird. Maria Reiche, a German archeologist, devoted 50 years of her life to studying and researching the area and came to the conclusion that the Nazca Lines was an astronomical calendar. From a 12 meter / 39 feet lookout, you can partially observe the shapes of the hand and the tree. However, to truly appreciate the drawings, it is recommended to fly over the area in a small airplane. The Nasca Lines were placed on the World Cultural Heritage List in 1994.
  
  Overnight in Nasca.

  
  
  
• Day 3: Nazca-Paracas

  Travel from Nazca to Paracas along rural highways, through small and large communities.
  
  Overnight in Paracas.

  
  
  
• Day 4: Paracas -Lima

  Tour the Island Ballestas and Candelabro of Paracas by boat and visit the Nacional Reserva de Paracas.
  
  The Reserve's 335,000 hectares is a refuge for fur seals, Humboldt penguins, flamingos (parihuanas), and many other birds. You can visit many different natural and archeological attractions in the reserve. One of them is the El Candelabro (The Candelabra), a geoglyph of more than 120 meters / 394 feet long, better appreciated from the ocean. Another place to visit is La Catedral (The Cathedral), a vast rocky formation eroded by the wind and the ocean that shelters marine otters or chingungos, a species on the verge of extinction, and other marine birds.
  
  Return to Lima and overnight.

  
  
  
• Day 5: Cusco

  Transfer to the Airport and depart for Cusco. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel.
  
  In the afternoon take a walking tour to the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo / Koricancha.
  
  The Koricancha was one of the most impressive buildings of Inca Cusco according to the historians: the glowing gilding of the interior walls illuminated what used to be the main temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. The Spanish built the church and Dominican convent on top of the original structure around 1534, but they collapsed during the earthquake of 1650 and were rebuilt around 1681. The convent has an art gallery of valuable seventeenth and eighteenth century canvasses.
  
  Overnight in Cusco.

  
  
  
• Day 6: Sacsayhuaman

  Tour the Sacsayhuaman Archeological Complex.
  
  The area contains thirty-three archeological sites. The most famous is Fort Sacsayhuaman. It might well have been a religious structure, but for its location and style, the Spanish and some historians believe it was a military construction. The most important temple in Hanan Qosqo or Upper Cusco might have been located there, dedicated to Andean cosmology and to the worship of the Inti (sun), the Quilla (moon), Chaska (stars), Illapa (ray), and other divinities. It is described as massive -- some of the stones used to build it weigh between 90 and 120 tons. This is also the site of the Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun every 24th of June.
  
  Overnight in Cusco.

  
  
  
• Day 7: Sacred valley of the Incas

  Tour Maras and Moray
  
  In the morning we drive by bus to the Sacred Valley. We continue to Moray which is the site of the Incan agricultural development station where each terrace is a different micro climate/culture. The Incas used the site to improve crops. The Sacred Valley has been identified by archeologists as one of eight ancient world locations that developed farming techniques that were then spread around the globe. From Moray, we walk to Salineras de Maras, the salt mines of Maras, where we will see thousands of individual ancient salt pans that form unique terraces on a hillside. The salt mines are passed down generation to generation and are still being operated today. At the end of the day, we will return to Cusco.

  Overnight in Cusco.

  
  
  
• Day 8: Aguas Calientes / Machupicchu

  Travel to Aguas Calientes and tour Machupicchu
  
  In the morning we take the train to Machupicchu, traveling along the beautiful Urubamba River and canyon into the rain forest to arrive to the village of Aguas Calientes. We transfer to the hotel, then we will go by bus up to the ancient sacred city of the Incas, Machupiccu. We will tour the ancient city in the afternoon until sunset.
  
  Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

  
  
  
• Day 9: Aguas Calientes / Machupicchu

  Tour Machupicchu
  
  In the morning we take the bus up to Machupicchu to see the sunrise and visit other important places that we did not see the previous day. The city of Machupicchu is Peru's most important tourist attraction. Discovered in 1911 by the American explorer, Hiram Bingham, this city is considered to be one of the most extraordinary examples of scenic architecture in the world. The city of Machupicchu itself was built at the top of a granite mountain. The Incas, using ingenious engineering techniques, were able to transport heavy stone blocks up the mountain side, and once there, they used their excellent masonry skills to produce amazingly polished stones that fit together perfectly.
  
  Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

  
  
  
• Day 10: Ollantaytambo

  Tour Ollantaytambo and Chincheros
  
  In the morning we will take the train to Ollantaytambo and visit the ancient city of Ollantaytambo, built by the Incas in the shape of an ear of corn and still inhabited. We will also hike the spectacular terraced temple-fortress built by the Inca Pachacutec just behind the town center. In the afternoon we will go by bus to Chinchero, where the women of the village have formed weaving cooperatives and offer naturally dyed, hand-woven textiles for sale. In the late afternoon we return to Cusco and our hotel.
  
  Overnight in Cusco.

  
  
  
• Day 11: Tipon

  Tour Tipon
  
  In the morning, we travel by bus to the Inca Temple of the Water in Tipon and hike to Pumamarca's ancient Temple of Water. Both sites are rarely visited by tourists and can be reached only by hiking.
  
  Overnight in Cusco.

  
  
  
• Day 12: Raqchi

  Tour Raqchi
  
  In the morning we travel by bus to Raqchi and the Temple of Wiracocha where the Incas went to pray and practice sacred rituals. This is a full day excursion. Built in the fifteenth century, Raqchi is considered by the historians to be one of the most audacious Inca constructions. The remarkable Wiracocha temple, 100 meters (328 feet) long and 20 meters (66 feet) wide is made of adobe walls built on top of volcanic stone foundations. The complex also includes a residential area made for the Inca nobles and dozens of circular warehouses to store food.
  
  Overnight in Cusco.

  
  
  
• Day 13: Quillarumiyoc-Baños the Conoc

  Tour Hot Springs and Quillarumiyoc
  
  This day, we travel to a natural hot spring for swimming and visit the Temple of the Moon in Quillarumiyoc. This is a full day excursion.
  
  Overnight in Cusco.

  
  
  
• Day 14: Cusco/Lima

  Departure
  
  In the morning you will transfer to the Cusco Airport for your flight to Lima and your international connections.