Riviera Travel Peru

• Explore the legendary ‘Lost City of the Incas’ with a guided visit to Machu Picchu.
• Tour the Sacred Valley of the Incas, revealing its ancient secrets.
• Discover the enchanting city of Cusco, once the Inca capital and now a captivating South American gem.
• Embark on a memorable journey to the famous floating islands of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake.
• Witness the majestic South American condor in flight at the awe-inspiring Colca Canyon, one of the planet’s deepest canyons.
• Delve into the charm of Arequipa, a Spanish colonial city

• 11 nights in three to four-star accommodation
• Return flights & transfers
• Programme of daily tours & visits
• Selected Meals: Daily breakfast & 5 dinners
• Expert Tour Manager
• Checked luggage

Day 1 – Departure

Arrive at the airport for your overnight flight to Lima via Bogota

Day 2 – Arrival in Lima

Following check-in, this afternoon, embark on a city tour, exploring Lima’s significant colonial landmarks. Witness the Presidential Palace, the Plaza del Armas, Lima’s central square, surrounded by colonial-era structures in the UNESCO-listed city center. Your visit also includes Casa Aliaga, a renowned 16th-century colonial mansion built by Pizarro for one of his lieutenants.

Day 3 – Arrival in Arequipa

Transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to the colonial city of Arequipa. The rest of the day is yours to relax.

Day 4 – Arequipa

Your day begins with a tour starting from the Carmen Alto viewpoint, offering breathtaking city views. Explore the charming Yanahuara quarter with its cobbled streets and historic mestizo baroque church. Then, visit Arequipa’s UNESCO-listed historic center, the Plaza des Armas, featuring the impressive 17th-century Jesuit church of La Compañia and the grand cathedral with its stunning marble columns. A visit to the Monastery of Santa Catalina, founded in 1580, follows. The afternoon is free for leisure, allowing you to browse the local craft market, explore colonial streets, and savor local cuisine.

Day 5 – Colca

After breakfast, journey north to Colca, home to one of the world’s deepest canyons. En route, we traverse the Pampa Cañahuas Reserve, passing through desert landscapes, unique rock formations, and grasslands inhabited by vicuñas, llamas, and Andean deer. Ascend further, reaching over 12,000ft and the Pampa de Toccra, a plain with a seasonal lake where pink flamingos dwell.

In the afternoon, we arrive at Chivay, a small town near Colca Canyon, situated at an altitude of 11,900ft.

Day 6 – Colca Canyon

Today, visit Condor Cross for breathtaking views of the Colca Canyon, over twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and a top attraction in Peru. Here, you can witness the majestic Andean Condor up close, one of the world’s most spectacular birds with a wingspan of up to 10ft. In the afternoon, continue eastward to Puno on Lake Titicaca, where you enjoy a two-night stay with a view of the lake.

Day 7 – Lake Titcaca

Following breakfast, embark on a private motor launch to explore the renowned floating Uros Islands, crafted by indigenous communities using layers of totora reeds. Next,  journey to Taquile Island, known for Peru’s finest knitwear and its traditional village life without roads or electricity, where the Uros people proudly maintain their heritage and attire.

Day 8 – Cusco

This morning, bid farewell to Lake Titicaca and journey northward to Cusco. Your route takes us through the high-altitude Andean plateau, the altiplano, where we encounter llama herds, alpacas, and traditional mud-brick, thatch-roofed homes of local farmers. As you continue, gradually ascend to La Raya, the highest point at 14,170ft, on this remarkable journey. Following an included lunch, you visit the captivating Andahuayillas church, often likened to the Sistine Chapel of the Americas due to its exceptional artwork. The day concludes with your arrival in Cusco during the late afternoon.

Day 9 – Cusco

Following breakfast, explore Cusco, a stunning city blending traditional colonial architecture with intriguing Inca remnants. Notable sites include the 16th-century cathedral, which took a century to complete, and the Qorichancha, the principal Inca sun temple, once adorned with pure gold sheets and housing the sacred golden disc of the sun. Your journey continues to Sachsayhuaman, an extraordinary Inca site boasting three colossal megalithic walls.

Day 10 – Pisac & Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley, a vital part of the Inca empire, boasts a fertile plain with ancient terraces and stunning Andes peaks. Your first stop is Pisac, known for its fortress and vibrant indigenous market offering local handicrafts. After lunch, explore Ollantaytambo’s massive fortress and temple, renowned for intricate Inca stonework and its history as a site of a rare Conquistador defeat. Then return to the Urubamba Valley, known as the ‘Sacred Valley of the Incas,’ by train.

Day 11 – Machu Picchu

Today,  embark on the Explorer train from Ollantaytambo station for an extraordinary rail journey through the Urubamba river gorge to Machu Picchu. The ‘Lost City of the Incas’ emerges, captivating with its enigmatic history. While exploring its gates, temples, and houses, your guide will illuminate its significance concerning equinoxes and the Inca’s reverence for mountains.

Day 12 – Return home

Today, travel back to Cusco airport for your flight home

Day 13 – Arrive home

Arrive back in the UK

Casa Andina Select Miraflores, Lima

The Casa Andina in Lima features a 24-hour front desk, swimming pool, spa & wellness facilities, a lounge & bar, fitness center, and a lift between floors. The hotel’s 155 modern rooms are air-conditioned and equipped with amenities such as bath/shower, hairdryer, mini-fridge, iron/board, safe, TV, and coffee-maker.

Casa Andina Select Arequipa

The Casa Andina, a newly converted three-star superior hotel from an old mansion, offers a 24-hour front desk, lounge & bar, restaurant, fitness center, sauna, air conditioning, and laundry service. Its 58 air-conditioned rooms are equipped with a shower, hairdryer, mini-fridge, iron/board, safe, TV, and coffee-maker, with Wi-Fi available for an extra charge (free in the lobby).

GHL Lago Titicaca Hotel, Puno

The exceptional hotel features a swimming pool, spa & wellness facilities, a lounge & bar, restaurant, fitness center, 24-hour front desk, and a terrace. The 123 rooms offer lake views and come with amenities such as an en-suite bathroom with shower, TV, air conditioning, and a minibar (additional charge).

Casa Andina Standard Colca

The hotel offers a rustic ambiance with 52 thatched cottages, each furnished to match the surroundings and equipped with a shower and safe. It features a 24-hour front desk, a breakfast restaurant, a bar, a garden, and a terrace. Additionally, the hotel has a planetarium that provides daily classes on stars and constellations.

Fact File

• Currencies: Peruvian, Nuevo, Sol
• Flight time: Approx. 15 hrs total
• Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
• Time zone: GMT-5
• Country: Peru

*All transfer times listed here are approximate and dependent on traffic