Lost Civilisations

Tour Itinerary: From Lima 

Days 1 - 4:             Accommodation:

Leaving Lima, the colonial capital of Peru, we head out along the coast to the Paracas Marine reserve, the most important wildlife sanctuary on the Peruvian coast.  A short drive inland takes us to Huacachina, a tiny desert oasis nestled amongst huge sand dunes, and to Nazca, named after the ancient culture that inhabited the area in around 200AD.  We will take a flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines that to this day remain unexplained by scientists and archaeologists alike.

Days 5 - 8:              Accommodation:

We visit the fascinating Chauchilla cemetery, and stop at the ancient Inca port of Puerto Inca before climbing in altitude to arrive in Arequipa, a beautiful city surrounded by spectacular mountains.  Explore the Monastery of Santa Catalina and visit “Juanita” – the Ice Princess, a frozen Inca sacrifice recently discovered at the summit of MountAmpato.  We then arrive to Colca Canyon, arguably the world’s deepest canyon, and home to numerous Andean Condors.

Days 9 - 12:            Accommodation:

Enjoy an early morning trip to view Condors circling on the thermals rising up from the canyon floor and some time hiking in the area before travelling through the Peruvian high country to Cusco, the archaeological capital of the Americas, and our base to explore the Inca culture and the famous ruins of Machu Picchu.

Days 13 - 16:          Accommodation:   x 3; Inca Trail   x 1; Hotel

After exploring Cusco we head off into the Sacred Valley of the Incas to visit the colonial village of Pisac famous for its lively market and the massive fortress of Ollantaytambo.   Following the footsteps of ancient Incas, walk the Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu.  You will be amazed and intrigued to learn all there is to know about this mysterious race from your expert guide.

Days 17 - 23:          Accommodation:   + 1 night Homestay

Returning from Machu Picchu we have some time to relax again in Cusco before driving south across the Andean plains to arrive on the shores of Lake Titicaca.  Here you will visit floating reed islands and have a chance to experience the local culture with an overnight Island home stay.  Visit Taquile Island, famous for its traditional handcrafts and isolated way of life before finally leaving Peru and crossing into Bolivia to arrive in La Paz, our final destination.

Tour Itinerary: From La Paz 

Days 1 - 5:              Accommodation:   + 1 night Homestay

Leaving from the cultural city of La Paz, we head north across the border into Peru to arrive on the shores of Lake Titicaca. We will visit floating reed islands and TaquileIsland, famous for its traditional handicrafts and isolated way of life and enjoy a chance to experience the local culture with an overnight Island homestay. Driving across the Andean plains, we arrive in Cusco, the archaeological capital of the Americas, which will be our base to explore the Inca culture and the famous ruins of Machu Picchu.

After exploring Cusco we head off into the Sacred Valley of the Incas to visit the colonial village of Pisac, famous for its lively market, and the massive fortress of Ollantaytambo.  Following the footsteps of the ancient Incas we will walk the Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu. You will be amazed and intrigued to learn all there is to know about this mysterious race from your expert guide.

Returning from Machu Picchu we have some time to relax again in Cusco before travelling through the Peruvian high country to Colca Canyon, arguably the world's deepest canyon, and home to numerous Andean Condors. We take an early morning trip to view Condors circling on the thermals rising up from the canyon floor and enjoy some time hiking in the area.

We head down now to Arequipa, a beautiful city surrounded by spectacular mountains.  Explore the Monastery of Santa Catalina and visit “Juanita” – the Ice Princess, a frozen Inca sacrifice recently discovered at the summit of Mount Ampato. Descending down to the coast of Peru we stop at the ancient Inca port of Puerto Inca.

A short drive inland will bring us to Nazca, named after the ancient culture that inhabited the area in around 200AD. We will take a flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines that, to this day, remain unexplained by scientists and archaeologists alike and visit the mummies at the Chauchilla Cemetery. We visit Huacachina, a tiny desert oasis nestled amongst huge sand dunes before arriving at the Paracas Marine reserve, the most important wildlife sanctuary on the Peruvian coast. This is our last stop before arriving into the colonial city of Lima and the end of our tour.

**Note about Tour Itinerary: It is important that you bear in mind that there is always a certain amount of unpredictability when travelling through a foreign country. Local circumstances can change which may result in your crew making a decision to amend the itinerary. These decisions are never taken lightly and changes made are made with the best interests of the passengers in mind. Please remember that such events occur outside our control and we will always strive to minimize any disruption to the tour.