Southern Peru at the heart of local life

Reception at the arrival of your international flight at Jorge Chavez airport in Lima and transfer to the hotel. An English representative will greet you at the airport and hand you over your travel documents. Night at the hotel Barranco's Bed & Breakfast

Departure in the morning to discover the way of life of the inhabitants of the Chorrillos district. Throughout the morning, you will be accompanied by Françoise, a member of the Casas del Peru bed and breakfast network. This Belgian, who has been living in the area for many years, will tell you, and make you live, the stories and legends of Lima. Visit the port and the market of Chorrillos, where you will be able to appreciate the daily life of the fishermen, before strolling along the Pacific coast. You will enjoy an impressive view of the Peruvian capital. After arriving at the foot of the statue of the "Christ of the Pacific", it is at Julio's house that you will have the opportunity to participate in a workshop to prepare "ceviche", a national dish and very popular on the coast. You will taste your ceviche for lunch. Return to your hotel. Free afternoon in Lima. Suggestions: In Miraflores, you can go to the craft market on Calle Petit Thouars or take a walk through the Parque de Amor located along the "Malecon" facing the Pacific Ocean ... In Barranco, we advise you to wander the streets around main square, the Bridge of Sighs and along the Malecon, to discover the charming architecture and colorful houses of the bohemian district of the capital. Between designer boutiques, street-arts, street musicians and colonial mansions, you'll find two merging universes in Barranco! Night at the hotel Barranco's Bed & Breakfast

Half day dedicated to the visit of the Peruvian capital. Depart on foot with your guide to reach the Metropolitano station, Lima's public transport that crosses the capital and runs 100% on natural gas. You get off at Jirón de la Unión station, discover the colonial districts of the city center, passing through Plaza San Martin and Plaza de Armas. Visit of the San Francisco Convent and its catacombs. Transfer from your hotel to the Lima airport. Flight with destination to Arequipa. Reception at Arequipa airport and transfer to the hotel. Nigth at Dina´s house. Dina's charming house, recently renovated and typically Peruvian, is located close to downtown Arequipa in a quiet and secure residential area. Beyond having a magnificent and breathtaking view of the Chachani and Misti volcanoes from the terrace of the house, Dina, your host, will welcome you in a family atmosphere. Dinner at Dina's home.

Around 09:00 am, after your breakfast, you go to the typical market of Avelino Cáceres with your host Dina on foot (about 15 minutes). Dina will make you discover this market and will buy the necessary ingredients for the cooking class you will take with her once you return home. The course is participative, you will prepare with her delicious typical Peruvian dishes. Tasting the prepared dishes, accompanied by Chicha, a local drink made from black corn, and Mazamorra, a popular dessert in Latin America. The cooking class is in Spanish. Departure for an half-day dedicated to the discovery of Arequipa, the white city. First, visit of the plaza de armas, the cathedral, the church and the Jesuit convent. After, you will go visit the Recoleta franciscan monastery, founded in 1648. Master piece of the colonial architecture, tipical of Arequipa, it shelters four magnificent and abolutely quiet cloisters. You can go up to the monastery mirador to enjoy the view over the city. Note: closing of the monastery on Sundays End of the visit with the pointview of Yanahuara, located at 10 minutes on foot from the Recoleta. Return on foot to the hotel. Dinner and nigth at Dina´s house.

Morning departure in a private vehicle along the road that leads to the Colca canyon. We will pass through the Pampa Cañahua region, a nature reserve for vicunas and other camelids. We will also make a stop at the Patapampa pass at 4,900 meters of altitude, to admire views of the Ampato, Sacanbaya and Hualca-Hualca volcanoes. Arrival at the hotel. Departure by private vehicule with your guide to the village of Coporaque. Coporaque, cradle of the Collagua culture, where the Inca empire began its expansion at the time of the Inca Mayta Capac and later became the residence of Francisco Pizarro's brother. This quiet village lives on agriculture, livestock and more recently, rural community tourism. It maintains its customs, traditions and culture, while opening up to the world and presenting its natural wonders, flora, fauna and landscapes. Arrival at the family where you will have lunch. In the afternoon, visit of the village of Coporaque (Church, Plaza de Armas, cultural house...). Afterwards, walk of about 45 minutes to the thermal baths of the village crossing the fields of culture arranged in Andean terraces (entrance fee to be paid in situ: 15 soles). Return to your hotel at the end of day. Night at the hotel Killawasi.

After breakfast we will take to the road as far as the lookout point of Cruz del Condor where the true depth of the canyon (1200 m) can be appreciated and where we can observe Andean condors in flight. Return toward Chivay stopping along the way at the lookout points of Antahuilque and Choquetico, the pre Inca cemetery and the picturesque villages of Maca (3262m) and Yanque (3417m). Departure from your hotel by private transport with your English speaking guide to the village of Canocota (3750 m) which is located 15 km north of the provincial capital of Cañon de Colca on the Callalli road. From Canocota, you can see the pretty church built of volcanic stone (sillar). The beginning of the walk will allow you to enjoy a panoramic plunging view on the canyon (altitude 3.850 m) and to see in the distance the Hualca Hualca volcano (6025 m) which is at the foot of the village of Cabanaconde. The path is easy and pleasantly punctuated with diversified and abundant flora as one goes down towards the río Colca. You will discover for example the Muña, some queales and different varieties of cactus. At the end of the hike you will see the imposing thermal site of calera de Chivay which is 3 km from the village. Possibility of enjoying the hot thermal waters (entrance to be paid on site: 15 soles) Return by private transport to Chivay and transfer to your hotel. Notes: walking time: 2h30-3h00 height difference: + 250m / - 400m altutide max : 3 860 m. Night at the hotel Killawasi.

Free morning and transfer to Chivay. You take a touristic bus from Chivay to Puno. On the way, you will stop at the Patapampa Volcano Viewpoint (4950 masl), pass through the crater of Chucura Volcano, and stop at Lagunillas to observe birds and lagoons. You will arrive in Puno around 19h30. Reception at Puno bus station and transfer to the hotel. Night at the hotel Conde de Lemos.

Departure at 07:00 am fron the hotel to the port of Puno. Then continuation to the Llachon peninsula (2h10 of navigation) Once in Llachon you start walking about 3h to Paramis. Lunch in Paramis. In the afternoon you can choose between the following activities : demonstration of medicinal plants, preparation of a traditional dish of the community "Quispiño". You will have to opportunity to learn the traditional embroidery technics for hats. Dinner and overnight in homestay Note: basic comfort in homestay

In the morning, small sailboat trip to discover how Paramis traditionnally fish. Then you start walking back to Ccotos, about 2h00 long. Lunch at a homestay in Ccotos. Return to Puno in the afternoon and transfert to the hotel. Night at the hotel Conde de Lemos.

Transfert from the hotel to the train station. From Puno to Cusco, you will enjoy the Highlands of the Andes, by disfruting an unforgettable experience with the PeruRail Titicaca Train. You will discover wonderful landscapes along the way to Cusco. The PeruRail Titicaca Train features an open-air observatory car, allowing you to take in the majestic views while enjoying the typical music and dances of the Peruvian highlands. Note 1: The train operates on monday, thursday and saturday. It makes no stops. Note 2: Visitors are not accompanied by a guide on this train journey. Note 3: Journey in first class, ten hours and half of travel time. Reception at Cusco's train station and transfert to the hotel. One of our English-speaking representatives will accompany you to the hotel. Night at the hotel Inkarri Cusco.

Departure for a half day dedicated to the discovery of Cuzco's historical downtown. Walk through the picturesque streets and squares of the San Blas neighborhood. Visit the Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), and the Cathedral which has many paintings and other treasures of goldsmithery, silver and precious stones. Free afternoon in Cusco, navel of the Inca world. Suggestion: Free time in Cusco is generally appreciated for its walking possibilities in the many small cobbled streets of the city. Night at the hotel Inkarri Cusco.

Morning departure by private vehicle for an encounter with the Umasbamba community where we will prepare the pre Hispanic Pachamanca dish that is cooked in the ground, or other dishes made with quinoa, maize or potato. Demonstration of wool dying and weaving techniques. Lunch within the community. In the early afternoon, continue to the village of Chinchero on foot along the beautiful little Lake Piuray (2h to 2h30 walk). Visit the archaeological site of Chinchero. Then, you will visit the Maras salt mine, in the middle of the Cordillera. Transfert to the guesthouse where you will spend the night in the sacred valley. Dinner and night at Yolanda and Hilario's, member of the guesthouse network Casas del Peru. Nicknamed the house of Paradise, their lovely house is located in the Sacred Valley, in Urubamba. You will enjoy an idyllic environment, trying out Hilario's fruits and vegetables while Yolanda will share with you her knowledge of the inca population. This confortable and welcoming house is an ideal spot to discover the treasures of the famous Sacred Valley.

Visit to the Sol y Luna school, which offers an innovative and particularly inclusive education project for children in the region. Located in Urubamba, this school is one of the projects of the Sol y Luna association, created by two Swiss in 2010 to facilitate access to culture and education for the children of Urubamba, and to transmit the values of tolerance and respect for differences. The school also ensures that the children have access to health care and a healthy and varied diet every day at lunchtime. It also offers vehicles and transfers between the villages and the school for children who live far away or who have a disability. We propose you to discover the school during a morning visit: presentation of the infrastructures, projects and objectives, means of financing and operation, then time to share with the children around playful games and in class. Lunch at the guesthouse. Hilario will lead you to his fish farming place. He will present the whole process of breeding from the eggs to adulthood, followed by the preparation and the comercialisation. You will then start a walk in the hights of Pumawanka. You will enjoy an amazing landscape and will appreciate the area's vegetation along with birds singing.You will also discover pre-Inca archeological sites of Qoriwayrachina and Pumawanka. Yolanda will share with you the myths and legends than surround these magical places. Dinner and night at Yolanda and Hilario's.

Transfer in private vehicule to Ollantaytambo's train station. Train to Aguas Calientes, starting point for visiting Machu Picchu. Direct connection to the shuttle service that will drive you to the citadel of Machu Picchu. Arrival on the site of Machu Picchu, wonder of the world. Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca city of the fifteenth century in Peru. Abandoned during the collapse of the Inca empire, the sacred city of the Incas, was forgotten for centuries. It is considered as a masterpiece of the architecture of this civilization. It was unveiled by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. In1983, Machu Picchu was declared UNESCO World Heritage List. On July 7, 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World by the NewOpenWorld Foundation, an unofficial and commercial organization. Finally the site is part of a whole cultural and natural complex known as the "Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu". Together with your english speaking guide, you will start to discover the archaeological complex. In the afternoon train to Ollantaytambo. Reception at Ollantaytambo's train station and transfer to the hotel in the Sacred Valley. Dinner and night at Yolanda and Hilario's.

In the heights of Pisac, in the village of Chahuaytiri, you will meet the shepherd Juan. You will discover his job and the village which is very authentic and very little frequented by tourists. At the arrival at the village, after a 45 minuts walk, you´ll arrive at Juan´s house, located on the heights of Chahuaytiri. You will escort the sheep with Juan up to their pasture. Juan will explain how live sheperds in the Andes. You will then continue the hike for about 1h30 until arriving at the Totorani Lagoon where you´ll be able to appreciate the mirrors of water. The next stop will be at the ruins of Pisac, one of the main Inca sites, where the different areas (administrative, religious, military) are scattered on the mountainside. Also observable are the large terraces that were used for agriculture but also protected from the effects of erosion. Then we will take a walk around the colorful handicraft market before taking to the road again, this time in the direction of your hotel. Hiking time: 3 hours Difference in height or level: + 500 m / - 500 m Box lunch included Night at the hotel Inkarri Cusco.

Free day in Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire. Suggestions: In the morning, you can go to the San Pedro market to discover the many varieties of exotic fruits that you will only find in Peru but also cusqueños breads, local cheeses, as well as Cusquenian florists and craftsmen of all kinds! You can also take advantage of this moment to make your last purchases of souvenirs: clothes, jewelry and decoration, the choices are endless in Cusco! At the end of the day, you can go to the Sacsayhuaman archeological site that you will reach through the typical district of San Blas. Or wander around the cobbled streets of the colonial center of Cusco, where magic happens during sunset time. Night at the hotel Inkarri Cusco.

Transfer from your hotel to Cusco's airport. Flight with destination to Lima, then connection with your international flight home.