Vacation in the Inca Kingdoms of Peru and Ecuador

Meals included: Breakfast. Arrival in Lima, transfer to your hotel. After your arrival in Lima, you will be taken to your hotel in the Miraflores district. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Lima, the capital of Peru, was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro. Here you find decaying colonial splendor and the vibrant energy of an oriental bazaar. The winters are melancholic and cloudy, while the summers are pleasantly warm and windy. Alongside sprawling slums stand venerable buildings in quiet, upscale corners where the scent of jasmine fills the evening air. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hilton Garden Inn Lima Miraflores 4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Casa Andina Standard Miraflores 4*. All overnight stays on this tour are in 3- or 4-star hotels (or similar) in standard rooms.

Meals: Breakfast. Half-day city tour (4 hours). After your arrival in Lima, you will first visit the colonial city center, the Plaza de Armas, where the Government Palace, the Town Hall, the Archbishop's Palace, and the Cathedral can be found – some of the most impressive buildings in this historic square. Next, you will visit the San Francisco Monastery, which houses the largest collection of religious artworks in the Americas. The highlight of this visit is the catacombs. Then you will continue to Plaza San Martín, lovingly restored after each earthquake. The tour continues through the modern residential neighborhoods of San Isidro and Miraflores to the Pacific coast, where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the sea. The next stop is the Larco Museum, which houses the world's largest private collection of pre-Columbian art from northern Peru. The museum was founded on July 28, 1926, by Rafael Larco Herrera on his sugar plantation in Chiclin in Trujillo and moved to Lima in 1958, where it is now housed in a colonial building in Pueblo Libre. The collection includes more than 45,000 objects, including pre-Columbian ceramics, gold and silver work, an impressive collection of textiles from the Chancay culture, and an amusing collection of erotic pottery from the Moche period. Optional: City tour through Miraflores (3 hours). Optional: Visit to the Fountain Park with dinner at Café del Museo (5 hours). Note: The visit to the Fountain Park is only possible from Tuesday to Sunday. Dinner: 3-course menu with a Pisco Sour to welcome you, mineral water, and a hot drink (coffee or tea). The afternoon is at your leisure. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hilton Garden Inn Lima Miraflores 4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Casa Andina Premium Miraflores 4*.

Included Meals: Breakfast. Transfer Hotel – Lima Airport. Flight Lima - Cusco (not included). Transfer Cusco Airport - Hotel in the Urubamba Valley including a visit to Manos de la Comunidad. Transfer to the airport in Lima and onward flight to Cusco. After arrival, drive to the hotel. On your way, you visit Manos de la Comunidad, about 40 minutes from Cusco. In this project that supports the surrounding communities, you will learn all about the wool processing process. Additionally, it is one of the few places in Peru where you can see the four South American camelids (Guanako, Llama, Vicuña, Alpaca) side by side. After the tour, it continues to your hotel in the Sacred Valley. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel Sonesta Posada del Inca Yucay 3-4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Hotel Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel & Wellness 4-5*.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch. Excursion to Mercado de Urubamba. Half-day excursion to the Ollantaytambo ruins (4h). In the morning, you will drive to the “Mercado de Urubamba”, an authentic market where real barter is still practiced in part. The rural population of the surrounding area sells and exchanges agricultural products as well as animals. The market also serves as a place to exchange news. Following this, you will visit Ollantaytambo, one of the most important ruins from the Inca period. The massive fortress was one of the few places where the Spaniards lost a major battle during the conquest of Peru. Below the ruins lies Ollantaytambo, built on the foundation of Inca structures. Ollantaytambo is one of the best examples of Inca city planning, where the place had more religious significance than defensive purposes. The temple district is located at the top of the terraces. The stones for the buildings came from a mountain located 6 km away high above the opposite bank of the Urubamba. Transporting them from the quarry to the site was a remarkable feat that required the labor of thousands of indigenous people. On the way to Ollantaytambo, lunch at a typical restaurant is included. The afternoon is at your leisure or you can join a short hike. Optional: Hike to the terraces of Yucay (1h). Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel Sonesta Posada del Inca Yucay 3-4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Hotel Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel & Wellness 4-5*.

Included Meals: Breakfast. Full-day excursion to Machu Picchu (8h). In the morning, you will go to the train station in Ollantaytambo and begin a beautiful train journey with the Vistadome train through the fertile plain of the Urubamba Valley to Aguas Calientes. The landscape is constantly changing. After your arrival in Aguas Calientes, the train station at the foot of Machu Picchu, the final leg is by shuttle buses up the winding road to the ruins city. Machu Picchu was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, who was originally searching for the ruins of Vilcabamba, the lost stronghold of the last Inca. Machu Picchu is often considered a refuge known only to a few selected individuals and remained hidden from the Spaniards. Other theories suggest that Machu Picchu served as a research and training site as well as an observatory, supported by the latest finds. It follows a guided tour lasting about 2 hours through the world-famous ruins city. After that, you will take the shuttle bus back to Aguas Calientes, from where you will return by train to Ollantaytambo. Subsequently, you will be taken to your hotel in Cusco. Cusco – Just as the tourist paths today, all roads led to Cusco in the time when it was the capital of the Inca Empire and the “navel of the world.” Located at an altitude of 3500 m in the fertile Vilcanota Valley, Cusco remains the indigenous center of the Andes and the capital of a people who have physically adapted to the high-altitude conditions for millennia. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel Xima Cusco 3-4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Hotel Aranwa Cusco Boutique 5*.

Included Meals: Breakfast. Half-day city tour including ruins. Afternoon at leisure. In the morning, the half-day city tour of the historic city of Cusco begins. You first visit the exact center of the Inca Empire, the Plaza de Armas, with the Cathedral built on the ruins of the Inca Palace and several other churches. Then you walk through the old alleys with beautifully restored colonial buildings, some of which now house hotels, restaurants, and shops. A highlight is the visit to Korikancha, the old sun temple of the Incas. After that, you go out of the city to Sacsayhuaman, a fortress ruin 3 km above Cusco. From there, you have a unique panoramic view of the city. Following this is a brief visit to the surrounding ruins. Note: To protect the historic center of Cusco, no vehicles are now allowed to drive through the main square. The afternoon is at your leisure. The following excursions can optionally be booked through our local office: Optional: Cusco after dark. Optional: Cemetery of Cusco. Optional: Cusco - off the beaten path. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel Xima Cusco 3-4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Hotel Aranwa Cusco Boutique 5*.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch. Bus trip from Cusco to Puno – on a group basis. Today you have a full-day bus trip from Cusco to Puno on the agenda. The ride takes you through the Peruvian highlands, past snow-capped mountain peaks, reaching an altitude of over 4,300 meters before descending to Puno, which is located directly on Lake Titicaca. Along the way, you will visit the town of Andahuaylillas, the ruins of Racchi, and the small town of Pucara. Lunch is included. Note: The bus ride is conducted with other travelers and a German- or English-speaking tour guide. Puno was founded in 1668 and was once one of the richest cities on the continent due to its proximity to the Laykakota silver mines. Today, the city is less economically significant, but is considered Peru's capital of folklore. Numerous powerful traditional dances, such as the devil dance during the festival of the Virgin of Candelaria, are performed here. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel Lake Titicaca 3*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at GHL Lago Titicaca 4*.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch. Full-day excursion to Uros & Taquile including lunch. Transfer to Juliaca Airport. Flight Juliaca - Lima (not included). Transfer from Lima Airport - Hotel. In the morning, you will embark on a full-day excursion on Lake Titicaca. You will boat to the Uros Islands, one of the few remaining high-sea cultures. The residents live on floating islands made of reeds and make a living from fishing and agriculture. Here you have the opportunity to experience the daily life of the Uros and speak with the locals. After that, you will continue to Taquile Island, where you will enjoy a traditional midday Andean meal. After lunch, you can explore the island with your tour guide. Taquile is known for its weaving art, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will also have the opportunity to admire the colorful costumes of the local population and enjoy the breathtaking view of Lake Titicaca. Return by boat to Puno. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hilton Garden Inn Lima Miraflores 4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Casa Andina Premium Miraflores 4*.

Included Meals: Breakfast. Transfer Hotel Lima – Airport. Flight Lima – Quito (not included). Transfer Quito Airport - Hotel. In the morning transfer to the airport and flight to Quito (not included). Arriving in Quito, you will be welcomed by the local tour guide and transferred to the hotel. Quito – The charming and unusually beautiful city is surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes and is only 22 km from the Equator. Due to its numerous churches and monasteries, Quito is also referred to as the “Monastery of America”. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel Mercure Alameda 4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Swissotel 5*.

Included Meals: Breakfast. Half-day city tour including the Equator monument (approx. 5h 30min). Today you will get a first comprehensive impression of this city located 2,800 m above sea level and of unique cultural-historical significance during a city tour. The highlight is the visit to the historic old town, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its wealth of Spanish, Flemish, Moorish, and pre-Columbian architecture. You will pass by the Independence Square with the Government Palace and the Cathedral. Visit the La Compañía Church, which has an ornate façade and richly decorated interior. Next, you will learn about the San Francisco Church. After that, you will go to the Equator monument “Mitad del Mundo” (“Middle of the World”) located about 25 km away. At this marked line, you can stand with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and the other in the Southern Hemisphere. The 30 m high monument, topped with a gigantic brass globe, points precisely at latitude 0. Inside, there is a small, very tasteful ethnographic museum that illustrates the colorful mix of communities from the various Ecuadorian regions and ethnic groups of the country. After that, you return to the hotel. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel Mercure Alameda 4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Swissotel 5*.

Included Meals: Breakfast. Day at leisure. The day is at your leisure to explore Quito at your own pace or relax. Optional: Full-day tour to the Indian market in Otavalo (approx. 8h). Today’s destination is the now-famous handicrafts market of Otavalo. The route takes you first over winding roads through dry bush and cactus landscapes to the broad, fertile valley of Guayallabamba. With a bit of luck, you can see the snow-capped summit of the Cayambe volcano on the way. The equator runs directly through the glacier of the mighty mountain, making it the highest point on the equatorial line. As you drive through this picturesque landscape, you can admire Lake San Pablo with the impressive rock formation of Taita Imbabura (Father Imbabura) in the background. This sight is a great photo opportunity! Once you arrive in Otavalo, you will visit the Plaza de los Ponchos, the central point of the bustling market. The traditionally dressed Otavalo Indians are known for their wealth and respect, stemming from their weaving skills and business acumen. Their relative prosperity, however, has not led them to abandon their indigenous identity. Quichua is still the mother tongue of the locals, and their clothing reflects their traditions. Enjoy the lively market atmosphere, where local indigenous people sell their handcrafted products. You will find handwoven rugs, wall hangings with various motifs, knitted sweaters, colorful belts, hammocks, and numerous products made of wool and fabric. Not far from Otavalo is Cotacachi, a small town known for its excellent leather goods. Here you can stroll from shop to shop and explore the small streets before returning to Quito. Optional: Full-day tour to the cloud forest of Mindo (approx. 8h). Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel Mercure Alameda 4*. Comfort class: Overnight stay at Swissotel 5*.

Included Meals: Breakfast. Transfer Hotel – Quito Airport. Today your journey through Peru and Ecuador comes to an end. The team of the tour operator OVERCROSS will take you to the airport for your return flight to Europe.