Peru Special

Depart 11 September 2008

Accommodation – 8 nights hotel, 4 nights camping

Itinerary At A Glance

Peru Special itinerary at a glance
DAY 1 Fly from Australia to Lima
DAY 2 Fly to Cusco
DAY 3 In Cusco
DAY 4 In Cusco
DAY 5 Inca Salt Pans Walk in Sacred Valley
DAY 6 Walk in Sacred Valley in Marcacocha
and traditional Pachamanca meal
DAY 7 Walk to Cachicata
DAY 8 Walk to Camicancha
DAY 9 Walk to Veronica Vista
DAY 10 Train to Machu Picchu
DAY 11 At Machu Picchu and return to Cusco
DAY 12 Free day in Cusco
DAY 13 Fly to Lima, sightseeing in Lima, fly to
Buenos Aires
DAY 14 Free day in Buenos Aires, evening flight
to Australia
DAY 15 Flying
DAY 16 Arrive Australia

Peru Special detailed itinerary
Day 1: Fly to Lima
Depart: Australia
Arrive: Buenos Aires
Connecting with:
Depart: Buenos Aires
Arrive: Lima
On arrival in Lima you will be met and taken to your hotel, which is located in a good area of the city.

Day 2: Fly to Cusco
Early morning wake-up call, breakfast and short drive to the airport for the spectacular 55-minute flight across the Andes to Cusco (if possible try
and get a seat on the left side of the aircraft as some of the best views of the Andes can be seen during the last 20 minutes of the flight to Cusco),
You'll be met by your guide and transferred from Cusco airport to our hotel for a short initial briefing and then a few hours of rest, essential to initiate successful acclimatisation. In the evening you'll have a longer briefing to discuss aspects of the itinerary and in particular the trek. B

Day 3: Tour of Cusco and nearby ruins Every alleyway we enter or corner we turn brings another surprise or enigma in the form of the superbly constructed Inca walls or the more architecturally extravagant colonial churches and palaces. The city, once capital of the extensive
Inca Empire, has seen many changes since Francisco Pizarro's men took the city with such apparent ease in November 1533. Our city tour will provide a great introduction to Cusco and the history of the Inca civilization. After an early lunch we drive above Cusco and enjoy a leisurely walk back down to Cusco via various Inca ruins at Tambomachay, Q’enqo and the enormous
monolithic walls of Sacsayhuaman, spectacularly set above the city. B

Day 4: Free day in Cusco
Morning walking tour of Cusco to visit local markets and the rest of the day is at leisure. You might like to go shopping, bartering in the markets, visiting one of Cusco’s many cultural sites or simply relaxing on the bustling Plaza de
Armas. B

Day 5: Day walk in Sacred Valley to Inca salt pans We leave Cusco and drive to the Chinchero Plateau from where we get impressive views of
three mountain ranges. We then walk down through the remarkable Inca Salt Pans below Maras. We end up in the Sacred Valley, in Pinchingota, near a good restaurant where we can savour dishes made with locally grown
produce. After a leisurely lunch we follow the Urubamba River to Ollantaytambo. The rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy beauty of this
famous valley. BL

Day 6: Commence trek to Maracacocha
NB: NON TREKKING OPTION AVAILABLE,

We make an early start to explore Ollantaytambo which is a beautiful 'Inca' village with an impressive citadel/fortress towering above it. We
then drive up the Patacancha Valley to the weaving and farming village of Huilloq from where we take a walk down to the gorgeous hamlet of
Marcacocha for a picnic buffet lunch including a very traditional Andean 'pachamanca' meal which takes a few hours to cook under the ground
(similar to a NZ hangi). Here we witness a demonstration of traditional Andean weaving – a craft that was developed centuries ago using a
backstrap loom technique. Not only is weaving a practice of today but the people who produce the weavings are the traditional custodians of this
craft – the Qechuans – the full blooded Indians who continue to bide by traditions of the past. They are almost always in their brightly coloured
ponchos and bowler-like hats and are happy to have their photos taken.
Camp. BLD

Day 7: Trek to Cachicata
We descend to Ollantaytambo to visit the spectacular fortress/temple ruins and finally cross the river to the village of Cachicata. Above Cachicata are the famous Cachicata Inca Quarries from where some vast pink granite
blocks were hauled to Ollantaytambo to construct the fortress. If time permits we will try and visit these. Camp. BLD

Day 8: Trek to Kamicancha
This is a relatively short day during where we hike from Cachicata down the left bank of the Urubamba River and then make a short ascent to the village of Kamicancha. From this village we are rewarded with the most spectacular views of the great snowpeak of Veronica (6,086m) with its
dominating presence at the end of the valley.
Camp. BLD

Day 9: Trek to Veronica Vista
We enjoy a morning visit of the small village school and the classrooms that World Expeditions helped to build in 2006 and then we trek down the valley towards Machu Picchu. As we follow the left bank of the Urubamba River we can enjoy more spectacular views of the beautiful Andean mountain range whose main peak is Veronica. We spend the night at Veronica Vista.
Camp. BLD

Day 10: To Machu Picchu
Walk across the river to a tiny train station at Km82 for a spectacular one hour train journey to Aguas Calientes. Visit the magnificent world
famous Machu Picchu ruins. The legendary 'Lost City of Machu Picchu' is without a doubt the most important tourist attraction in Peru and one of the
world's most impressive archaeological sites. Built by the Incas on the summit of "Machu Picchu" (Old Peak), overlooking the deep semi
tropical canyon of the Urubamba river it is an extraordinary blend of beauty & engineering genius with its giant walls, terraces and ramps,
which appear as though they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. After a professionally led tour of the site we’re
free to wander taking in the scope of chambers and open terraces that make up the site. We return to our hotel in Aguas Calientes and
perhaps enjoy a soak in the hot springs. B

Day 11: Machu Picchu and return to Cusco Without a doubt the best time to view Machu Picchu is at dawn before the crowds arrive on the train. We drive up to the ruins in time for the opening and savour the views and the
atmosphere as the light changes as the sun rises. We have the rest of the morning to explore the ruins at our own pace and enjoy the scenery.
During the afternoon we descend from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes railway station, and embark on the afternoon train which slowly winds
its way through the Andean countryside to Ollantaytambo where we transfer to our vehicle for the drive back to our hotel in Cusco. B

Day 12: Free day in Cusco
Today is free to enjoy our last day in Cusco. Whether it be shopping, site seeing, rafting, horse riding or walking, there are many options (at your
own expense) that can be enjoyed in Cusco. Your leader will be able to help with your arrangements or point you in the right direction. In the evening
your local guide will organise a farewell dinner for the group, along with traditional Andean music and dancing – a time to celebrate the fine
experiences we’ve had along the way and to say our goodbyes to the local guide and drivers who have helped to make our Peruvian journey such a
memorable experience. BD

Day 13: Fly to Lima for sightseeing, fly to Buenos Aires
We depart Cusco today and fly to Lima. Upon arrival we shall be met and taken on a guided tour of the city. Lima was founded by Francisco
Pizarro in 1535 and has a superb combination of Spanish Colonial and 19th century European architecture. We'll visit the famous Museo de la
Nacion or the Larco Herrera Museum - which give us an excellent overview of the Andean cultures. After dinner we transfer back to the airport for our
night flight to Buenos Aires B

Day 14: In Buenos Aires and night flight to Australia
Today we have many choices. We arrive into Buenos Aires at around 7am and depart at midnight, so there is a full day available to enjoy Buenos Aires. No arrangements or services have been arranged for today, and you may elect to take a taxi into the city and enjoy the city under your own steam or take an organized tour with private airport transfers. The choice is yours. If
you wish, this would be an ideal opportunity to enjoy some of our optional extensions to Iguasu Falls, an Estancia near Buenos Aires, stay in
Buenos Aires and enjoy a Tango Show or perhaps travel further a field to other parts of South America, such as Rio, the Pantanal,Galapagos Islands or Atacama Desert. If you wish to extend your stay in South America then
please call your nearest World Expeditions office to discuss the options available.
This evening, make your own way back to the airport for your night flight to Australia.

Day 15: Flying across International Date Line

Day 16: Arrive Australia
Arrive Australia in the morning.