Southern Peru & Machu Picchu 4x4 Tour, 15d/14n

Lima - Pachacamac Ruins - Paracas National Reserve - Ballestas Islands - Huacachina Oasis - Puerto Inca - Colca Canyon - Arequipa City - Lake Titicaca - Taquile and Uros Islands - Cuzco - Sacred valley of the Incas - Machu Picchu Citadel

During this 15 day tour you will see all the highlights of the south of Peru traveling in your very own 4wd vehicle! You'll make stops at interesting places where most do not and also get to see things off the beaten tourist path. Discover some of the most important sites in Peru such as the Nazca Lines, the Colca Canyon, and Lake Titicaca as well as other major cities such as Arequipa, Puno, and Cuzco. The places you visit will be the perfect precursor to Machu Picchu which is the highlight end to the trip. Your trip will include such experiences as flying over the Nazca Lines at sunset to seeing one of the most well preserved mummies in the world, La Juanita in Arequipa. We promise this 4x4 tour will not dissappoint and will give you an in depth view into Peru's most valuable heritage and history!

This thrilling 4x4 tour in Peru offers you spectacular landscapes, adventure and access to off-the-beaten track destinations. In addition to the 4x4 tour, Machu Picchu is a highlight of this trip, which is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience that will leave you with lasting memories. Once you’ve finished the 4x4 tour, Cusco is a great place to rest and soak up the local culture of Incas. With this 4x4 trip, Peru is yours to discover!

Please note the fixed departure dates for this special offer.

Day 1: Lima – Pachacama – Chincha – Pisco – Paracas Marine Reserve
Our trip starts out in Lima as we head south to the Paracas National Reserve, land of beautiful beaches, sea lions and migratory birds. On our way we'll take part in a few activities, like visiting the Pachacamac ruins, a very well excavated site that will give us a good idea how the Incas and Pre Incan cultures constructed temples (pyramids) to worship their gods. After this visit, we will continue south and stop to enjoy lunch at a very well known small restaurant by the beach. Here we will try the famous Peruvian dish, ceviche, which is raw fish cooked in lima juice and mixed with onions and choclo (Peruvian corn) and served with sweet potatoes. You’ll also get a chance to try the Peruvian soup, chupe, which is a creamy soup with rice, seafood , egg, and vegetables.

After this culinary experience we'll continue on to Chincha where we will have a Peruvian wine tasting as well as have a tasting of the Peruvian national liquor, Pisco, also made from grapes.
We’ll spend the evening at the Paracas National Reserve in a comfy hotel in the small quiet town of El Chaco.
Meals Included: None

Day 2: Paracas – Ballestas Island – Nazca Lines
Today after a light breakfast we will embark on our tour of Ballestas Island in a speed boad (shared service). We’ll have the chance to see many migratory birds, sea lions, penguins and the second largest bird in the world, the Andean Condor. (Due to strong afternoon sea winds, this tour will be done in the early morning.)

After this experience with the wildlife at Ballestas Islands we'll continue to visit one of the most beautiful deserts in the world and its oasis, Huacachina. When we get to the desert oasis we'll jump aboard a dune buggy to travel through the sand dunes and do some sandboarding (same idea as snowboarding, but down sand dunes). You’ll find that the best pictures are of you gliding down one of the big 300m high dunes. This is a one of a kind experience!

After we have had our fun sandboarding we will continue traveling through the hot desert only to take a "cremolada" (frozen fruit drink) break in the town of Ingenio. We’ll arrive to the Nazca Lines by 4pm, just in time to take an over flight in a small plane for a better view of the massive lines. The most interesting fact about these lines is that no one is 100% sure who made them and why. There are several theories from as simple as using the lines as walking rituals for priests to as crazy as having alien origins.
Nazca is also a place that has great sunsets that are best seen from above, so a wonderful multicolored sunset will end our second day of the trip in the Peruvian desert.
Meals Included: Breakfast

*Nazca Lines Over Flight costs $100
Flights are secure, but we respect everyone decision to fly or not, so the flight cost is not included.

Day 3: Nazca – Chauchilla – Sacaco – Puerto Inca – Camana
Today we will leave shortly after breakfast to continue our journey through the desert. A small dirt road will guide us to Chauchilla cemetery where human remains belonging to the Nazca culture exist. This culture practiced skull surgical trepanation and skull embellishment by deformation of skulls of living humans.

Later on the road again we'll continue south through very barren land, an evidence that the area was under water millions of years ago. There is a large whale fossil in an area called Sacaco and here we can see the bones of this whale in solid rock and in perfect condition. Further on we'll reach the Inca Port, an ancient resort spot the Inca emperor visited personally. Here you will find the first evidence of fish farms during Incan rule as fish taken from the sea were transported to pools. Ancient constructions that are believed to have been these pools still exist. Here is where we will enjoy lunch and relax at the beach.

At the end of the day we will arrive to Camana City, where the main economic activity is rice farms. We will spend the night here in great hotel and get a chance to eat Peruvian Chinese food called Chifa. The blend of Peruvian flavors with Chinese sauces and dishes is excellent. Peru has a very large Chinese population as many immigrants came from China back in the early 1900s and of course brought their recipes. This led to chifa restaurants becoming very popular and can be found all throughout the country.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4: Camana – Colca Canyon
Departure will be a little early as we need to get on the road to start acclimatizing since we will be arriving closer to the Colca Valley. We will go through passes of 4000m and all through the drive will be surrounded by the Andes Mountains. If conditions are adequate we will be able to reach the Ampato peak at 6310m high. Here was found the "Ampato princess", a young girl sacrificed centuries ago and recently found intact and preserved by subzero temperatures at the place of her tomb. After this visit we will reach the Colca Valley and Canyon.

The Colca Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon in the US and is the habitat of the Condor of the Andes, a gigantic bird the weighs 11 kilos (22 pounds). The Condor does over flights in the canyon mostly in the early morning and late afternoon, the best place to view them is at "Cruz del Condor". During the morning there are many people at the Cruz del Condor so we will make our stop there during the late afternoon when there is hardly anyone around. We'll get also get a chance to stop at other great places to see the Condors. Lunch we'll be at one of the very first and old Andean villages in Colca, where we'll have a very light meal due to the change in elevation we will experience. We’ll stay at a comfortable hotel in the canyon and rest up for our next day’s adventure.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5: Colca Canyon – Arequipa City
Today our drive will take us to Arequipa City, we will pass by hanging tombs where ancient people are still buried and rock sculptures representing the panoramic agricultural view of the other side of the canyon will be visited. We’ll also make a stop at a yogurt factory which makes 100% natural yogurt with strawberries and peaches, an excellent buy to add to your breakfast.

Our drive will offer us even more surprises, such as a hawk we can visit named "Buddy John" that is owned by local villagers. This hawk is very friendly with humans and some say he even searches for human company. You’ll get a chance to take pictures with him standing on your shoulder and even on your head. Lunch will be at a restaurant in Chivay's central square where we will enjoy typical food from Arequipa. Some say the cuisine from this area is the best in Peru, so during lunch you can find out for yourself! After we are dong eating we will continue on to Arequipa, also known as the "white city". The name “White City” comes from the white volcanic rock that has been used to construct many of the buildings. More than 90% of the "Plaza de Armas" central square is made with this rock.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 6: Arequipa City
You will have the morning free to rest up and do a little exploring on your own if you like and in the afternoon we'll have a city tour of the White City. The best places to visit are the Santa Catalina Monastery that has very impressive gardens with walls made from the white volcanic stone, the mummy Juanita and her museum. The mummy Juanita is the young girl that was found at the Ampato Pass we traveled through 2 days ago and her museum also includes many pieces of discovered items found during the exploration of Ampato Mountain. After our city tour and visit to see Juanita, we have many recommendations for great Arequipa restaurants that will give you a taste of the regions famous cuisine. If you are a beer lover then you will also have to try the local beer brand called Arequipeña.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 7: Arequipa – Puno – Lake Titicaca
Today we leave Arequipa and continue crossing the Andes, but before that we'll buy some food for lunch because there will not be any place to stop. We’ll go to a local market where you will get a chance to try out your Spanish buying some fruit, water and bread.

After getting food for lunch we will head south east to Lake Titicaca, the drive will give us an incredible view of the Volcano Misti. On our drive we will also see Parihuanas; a beautiful bird that usually can be found around the small lagoons at the Agua Blanca Reserve. If we are lucky we can find a local market where we can experience how community members buy and exchange items.

For lunch we have a very beautiful place at a big lake where we will set up for a picnic. There are also some locals who sell alpaca sweaters of good quality. We suggest you buy alpaca garments here as it is not only less expensive than city stores; it's also a good way to help the community and of course meet new people.

Late in the afternoon we'll pass through Juliaca City, this is a place where merchants come from Bolivia to Peru and Chile and the town is not known to be that charming so we will just be passing through. Finally, after Juliaca we'll arrive to Puno and Lake Titicaca. Our hotel is in the center of the city, so we'll have the chance to do some exploring around. We suggest you have trout for dinner as they come from Lake Titicaca and its surrounding rivers and are quite delicious!
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 8: Puno – Uros Island – Taquile Island – Puno
Today we’ll have a full day out on the lake and will get an early start to visit Uros Island. This is one of the famous floating reed islands constructed by the Andean people since the time of their ancestors and where their homes are built and where they live their daily lives. Totora cane is what is used for the construction of the island and also they use it in their food, their homes, and to construct their boats.

After our visit of Uros Island we will head to Taquile Island where the people dress in traditional clothing. They use the same styles, same colors, and same materials to hand make their clothing as their ancestors did. On this island you'll be able to buy handicrafts of great quality if you like. The culture of the island is rigid, respectful, and loved by their people. There is virtually no crime on the island due to the people’s intense love for their community, they believe being respectful is a necessity and helping one another in need is an everyday custom.
The locals from Taquile also make alpaca garments that they themselves wear. The men of the community use two different types of hats which they call chuyos. Made from Alpaca wool one is all red and is for the men that are single, the red with black chuyo are for the men that are married. You can purchase these hats from the locals as they are great for cold temperatures such a skiing and have a great variety of colors.

We’ll return to Puno late afternoon after a full day on the lake. We suggest you try tonight for dinner alpaca meat, it’s very tender and a delicacy in the Andean region.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 9: Puno – Cusco
In the morning we will wake up early to start packing our bags for Cuzco. On the way we'll visit the Chullpas of Sillustani that is an ancient cemetery, there are huge Incan tombs, large constructions that have been made from solid granite rock and cut in round perfection. No one knows how it was possible without a machine to cut these rocks, which makes the place very mystical. From here we’ll continue crossing the Andes through the valley where we can see alpacas and other small animals closer to the road. They live freely in the wild, however each year the owners of the herds come to sheer their wool in order to create their alpaca garments for the cold season. We will make stop to visit a beautiful canyon where we’ll find old rock formations, huge caves that have water running marks at the top, middle and bottom. There are also tombs, where we can see human bones, and "pagos a la tierra" land payments. These offerings are made with coca leafs that come from locals that are giving back to the land for the good life they have or also to offer this present to ask for good health, harvest, etc. This is a very peaceful area where we can see also some alpacas and llamas feeding in the pastures.

Later we'll continue driving on the road going to Cuzco, where we’ll pass Sicuani, a very quaint town in the middle of the Andes. We will find a small restaurant only for locals that make trout in a traditional oven, perfect to stop and have lunch at. If we arrive early enough we can visit Andahaylillas main square and church that has frescoes painted by Esteban Murillo a famous Spanish painter. They call this church the Sistine Chapel of the Americas. We will continue on to the main square of Cuzco, one of the most beautiful in South America.
Welcome to Cuzco!
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 10: Cusco
Today we have 2 options for you to choose from:

1. Visiting Cuzco City and nearby ruins
Our tour will start in the afternoon. First stop will be the Imperial City, their typical streets, the principal square and Cuzco's Cathedral, known as "America's Vatican".
We'll go to the Koricancha Temple, a Quechua's preaching place destined to provide religious Cosmo visions of the Andean World. This temple is the most important.

The Sacsayhuaman Fortress will be next, made of huge monolithic stones. This fortress is the place for the Inti Rayimi's annual festivities where The Sun god "Wiracocha" is worshipped as it has been since ancient times. We'll visit nearby Quenco where there is a circular amphitheater and an underground irrigation labyrinth.

Finally we'll depart toward Puca Pucara, which means "Red Fortress". It was a resort place for the Inca emperor. Ending the tour we'll stop by Tambomachay where there are various ancient man made waterfalls.
Meals Included: Breakfast

2. White Water Rafting down Urubamba River
This option will take us to the Sacred Valley where the Urubamba River is located. Here you will find rapids of class 2 and 3, (rapids classification goes from 1 to 5 with 5 being almost impossible to pass). The rapids on this tour will give us an adrenaline rush, but will be safe enough for everyone to be able to participate in. We'll receive helmets, vests, security lines and a security boat. At the end of the tour we'll enjoy a box lunch all together and then be back to Cuzco before nightfall.
Meals Included: Breakfast and *Box Lunch (for White Water Rafting only)

Day 11: Cusco
Today will be a free day at your leisure to explore what you like. There are great shops to check out, restaurants to enjoy, and also cafes to sit and relax in.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 12: Sacred Valley
We'll leave Cuzco in the morning and drive to the Sacred Valley, in this valley the Incas had their farms, with very big mountains and a lot of terraces scaling each one they had large harvests able to feed everyone. Here the Quechua communities continue with the same system and of course same style of living. They also offer traditional garment handicrafts woven with the same techniques as their ancestors. The best places to buy here are at the Pisac market and the Chinchero market; both included on our tour. The Sacred Valley has several fortresses and ruins, but the most important is the Ollantaytambo fortress, it's very large and has several areas to discover which we will do today.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 13: Machu Picchu
Very early in the morning we'll go to the Ollantaytambo Train Station, where we’ll take the train to the lost city of Machu Picchu. The ruins of Machu Picchu show genius in the architecture ability of the ancient Inca people, who wisely respected and adored nature making it play an important part in their work.
The center of the city is located atop a mountain called Machu Picchu (name meaning Old mountain), it has another mountain in front of it, the Wayna Picchu (this meaning Young mountain). It holds palaces, squares, temples, homes, agricultural constructions, barns, even jails are present. All of it entirely made of hand shaped rocks and stones. We will visit several places such as, ”The Sun Temple" circularly built over a huge rocky place, "The Three Windows Temple", "The Emperor's Palace", "The Princess Palace", "The fountains Place" (unique water resource place important for crops and living), "The Sacred Square", "The Great Temple" and "The Intihuatana" which must have served for time measurement based on sun position and related projected shadows, also The Intihuatana shows it may have been used for sacrifices.
These all will take us several hours to visit. Tonight we'll stay at Aguas Calientes where there are hot springs that we can relax in after a long day of hiking.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 14: Machu Picchu - Cusco
Very early in the morning you have the chance to go back to Machu Picchu to explore on your own or you can rest in the hotel. We will be taking the train back in the afternoon to return to Cuzco.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 15: Departure
Today we will transport you to the airport to embark on to your next destination!
Meals Included: Breakfast

EXPEDITION ENDS

Prices are per person and in US Dollar. Prices are subject to change around holidays such as Easter, Christmas, New Year and other local festivities.

The prices are based on hotel allocation of 2 people in double room, 3 people in triple room and 4 people in two double rooms. A 4x4 vehicle can only hold 4 people maxium so if your group is larger than 4 another 4x4 vehicle will be needed.

Price Includes:
• 14 hotel nights.
• Meals where indicated.
• English speaking guides and skilled driver.
• All entrances to tourist sites.
• Transport in Toyota Land Cruiser Vehicle from Lima to the northern coast.
• Expert guides skilled to guide each area you visit.
• Insurance on the 4wd.

Price Does Not Include:
• Personal Costs such as souveneirs, alcohol, etc.
• Transport out of Lima to your next destination.
• Optional tipping of the staff.