Active Adventure Tour in Peru

Welcome to Lima, the capital of Peru. You’ll be picked up at the Lima airport and transported to your hotel in the city.

Head to the Lima bus station this morning and take a bus from Lima to Paracas. Travel along the beautiful Peruvian coastline. After arriving in Paracas and checking in to your hotel, venture out into the desert to explore the Huacachina sand dunes. The drive from Paracas takes about 20 minutes, then an expert guide will help you experience the best of the desert while traveling in dune buggies. After this fun adventure, give sandboarding a try before returning to your Paracas hotel.

This morning on your Active Adventure Tour in Peru you’ll be picked up at your hotel at 8:00 AM for a 2-hour boat trip to the Ballestas Islands. Watch for sea lions, penguins, tendrils, boobies, and over 200 other species of birds, both migratory and endemic. You’ll also see the impressive El Candelabro, which is a figure of unknown origin that was painted in the sand. Finish your tour in Paracas around 10:20 AM, where you’ll have time for a short refreshment break, then leave at 11:00 AM for a mountain bike tour of Paracas Nature Reserve. The desert in this area is relatively flat and the warm, windy climate makes touring by mountain bike an ideal option. Don’t forget your camera to try to capture the breathtaking desert landscapes you see, and the flamingos and other wildlife you encounter. The exact length and distance of your tour will be customized to suit your abilities and interests.

In the morning, ride a bus from Paracas to Nazca, where you will check in to your hotel for the night. In the afternoon, take a private tour of the Cahuasi Pyramids, which were the Nazca capital from for over 600 years, 200 BC to 450 AD. This ceremonial location was of great significance to the Nazca people until it was first destroyed in an earthquake, then buried in sand after a tsunami. You’ll see that some pyramids here have been restored while others are still active archaeological sites. Leaving the Cahuasi Pyramids, tour the Catalloc Aqueducts. This impressive Nazca hydraulics system is still in use for agricultural purposes.

Explore the remains of ancient Nazca cultures today. If skies are clear, begin the day by flying over the incredible Nazca Lines, where you can see the scale of these ancient figures of unknown origin that were carved in the desert. Back on the ground, visit the Chauchillas cemetery. This ancient necropolis was discovered in the 1920s. It is full of mud-brick tombs that hold the mummified remains of Nazca people interred here over 1,000 years ago. Due to the mummification process and the dry desert climate, many of these remains still have skin and hair. After exploring this fascinating place, travel to Arequipa in the afternoon on an executive bus.

After breakfast, take a three-hour tour of the city of Arequipa. Among the incredible places you’ll visit are the Plaza de Armas main square, the Molino de Sabandia water mill from 1621, and beautiful churches such as Santa Catalina monastery, the cathedral, and La Compañia de Jesús church. After the tour, the rest of the day is free to explore the city at your leisure.

Today begins a three-day tour to Colca Canyon. You’ll be picked up at your hotel in the morning for a road trip from Arequipa to Chivay. You’ll travel through the Pampa Cañahuas National Reserve where you can spot wildlife such as alpacas and vicuñas llamas. At the Patabamba overlook, stop for spectacular views of volcanoes. After arriving in Chivay, check in to your hotel and spend some time visiting La Calera hot springs.

In the morning, head to the popular Colca Canyon viewpoint called Mirador Cruz del Condor. At this point, the canyon is approximately 1,200 m deep and you will likely see condors gliding in the air currents. The scene is absolutely breathtaking. Continue on from here to Cabanaconde where you will begin your trek. Stop along the way at San Juan de Chuccho village to appreciate views of snow-capped peaks. As you continue your descent into the canyon, you’ll come to the village of Malasa which is known for warm weather and lush green vegetation. When you reach the Oasis Lodge, stop for the night.

Finish your Colca Canyon trek today, returning to Cabanaconde. From here you’ll transfer to Chivay then board a shared tourist bus that will take you to Puno. When you arrive in Puno, you’ll transfer to your hotel for the night.

Get an early start today, boarding a motorboat at 7:00 AM that takes you to Llachon. Here you’ll get safety instructions from a specialized kayak guide before beginning your Lake Titicaca paddling adventure. Stop at Amantani Island to explore the town and spent the night. Your accommodations for the night are in local homes, where a host family will help you experience authentic local life. In the evening, don the traditional local dress and join a cultural celebration in the community hall. The facilities are basic, but the experience is outstanding.

Return to your kayak after breakfast and paddle across Lake Titicaca to Taquile Island. During the three-hour paddle, look around and appreciate the incredible snow-covered mountains in the distance. Taquile Island is known for its fine textiles and amazing views. When you reach the island, walk for about an hour up the path to the village where you will enjoy lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch, walk down 500 steps that take you to the port to board a boat back to Puno. Stop along the way to visit the floating islands of Uros. The people who live on these floating reed islands have developed a truly remarkable way of life, using the totora reeds for everything from building homes and canoes to making art, food, and fuel. You may have an opportunity to take a ride in a reed boat with a local fisherman. Return to Puno in the late afternoon check in to your hotel.

Head to the Puno bus station in the morning and ride a shared tourist bus from Puno to Cusco. Stop along the way to visit the Pucara museum, and the Raqchi temple archaeological site. You’ll also visit the San Pedro Church in Andahuayllillas , which is so ornate and beautiful it has been called the Sistine Chapel of the Americas. When you arrive in Cusco in the afternoon, a private transfer will take you to your hotel.

Enjoy a private, half-day tour of the city of Cusco and its surrounding area. Visit Qorikancha, the Sun Temple that was the most important temple to the Incas. On the outskirts of the city, visit fascinating Inca ruins, such as the Sacsayhuamana citadel, Qengo temple, the fort of Puca Pucara, and the mysterious Tambomachay. After your tour, the rest of the day is free to explore Cusco on your own.

The Sacred Valley was sacred to the Incas. It was the property of the emperor and contained some of the region’s best land. Today is contains a wealth of beautiful and fascinating ruins from the time of the Incas, as well as rich indigenous culture. Today’s private tour of the Sacred Valley takes you to the Pisac Inca ruins, the Pisac Market, and through the beautiful Urubamba Valley to view more Inca ruins found in Ollantaytambo. Spend the night in a hotel in Ollantayatambo.

Leave your Ollantaytambo hotel at 8:00 AM and drive for approximately one hour to the start of the Inca Trail at Piskakucho (which is also referred to as Km 82). Meet your trail crew and begin the trek by crossing the footbridge and hiking for about two hours on a gentle descent into the Urubamba canyon. At the Cusichaca River, you’ll see impressive farming terraces sculpted by the Incas, and the Llaqtapata settlement. A short climb up through the Cusichaca Valley brings you to the village of Huayllabamba (2,866m / 9,403 ft), which is the last inhabited village on the Inca trail. Camp here for the night.

Leave Huayllabamba and climb through the steep Llullucha Valley. You’ll see a lovely rushing stream and walk through a forest of native polylepis trees that feels like the setting of a fairy tale. When you cross the rim of a plateau, the landscape changes suddenly to the high-altitude treeless grasslands of the Andes called the puna ecoregion. Ascend to the Warmiwañusca Pass (4,194 m/13,760’) by traversing an open slope. Pause at the top of this pass, looking back to the snow-capped peaks and valleys of the Huayanay massif, and looking ahead to trail you’ll follow to the next pass. Descend again into the Pacaymayo Valley, where you’ll find a forested area to camp for the night.

Today’s trek is longer than previous days. First, climb the Runkurakay Pass (3,860 m/12,664’), then visit the Sayacmarca and Phuyuptamarca archaeological sites. Continue hiking to Intipata, then camp for the night at Wiñay Wayna.

Complete your Inca Trail trek today with a shorter hike. Get an early start and trek first to Intipunku, the Sun Gate, which was once the main entrance to Machu Picchu. Then continue to visit the world-famous archaeological site of Machu Picchu. After your visit, take a bus to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes.

The first part of the day is free to explore Aguas Calientes on your own. If you wish, you can choose to return to Machu Picchu for a second visit (transportation and entrance fees not included in your tour). In the afternoon, take the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, then a private transfer takes you to your hotel in Cusco. There are no guide services today.

Transfer from your hotel in Cusco to the airport and fly to Lima. Connect from the Lima airport on to your final destination. Your amazing tour of Peru has reached its end. Have a pleasant journey.