Welcome to Lima, the ‘City of the Kings’. Upon arrival, you will be picked up from the airport and privately escorted to your hotel.

Flight to Arequipa. Upon arrival, explore the ‘White City’ in a 3-hour walking tour. You will visit the extraordinary Santa Catalina Convent. This cloister, built in the 16th century, is a huge construction which once served as a town within itself housing 450 nuns. Your experience is topped off with a signature cocktail at ‘La Benita de los Claustros’ set within the courtyard of the Jesuit church ‘La Compania’, whose Baroque-style facade is considered to be a masterpiece of South American Colonial architecture.

Experience a unique mountain bike adventure on the Misti Volcano as you ride through the traditional town of Chiguata (3,200 m/10,500 ft.) and surrounding villages. Leave your hotel in the morning to travel to the base of Misti Volcano by a 4x4 vehicle. After getting your gear and brief enjoy some challenging hills and exciting pedaling along dirt and paved roads and be rewarded with beautiful mountain scenery, before riding back to Arequipa.

Distance covered by bike: approx. 20 km/12.4 miles
Travel time by car: 1 hour
Biking duration: approx. 3 hours
Difficulty level: Moderate

Afternoon free at leisure.

You will depart in the early morning and make your way to the Colca Valley. Passing through the town of Yura, Pampa de Arrieros, Pampa Cañahuas (where the Vicunas National Reserve is located) as well as Vizcachani and Tojra, where you will have the chance to spot a variety of migratory birds all year round. Your journey will continue through Chuccura and Patapampa with a visit to a viewpoint where you can see the picturesque panoramic views of the volcanoes of Mismi.

Once in Chivay your driver will bring you to the starting point for your zipline adventure over the Colca River (3.5km from Chivay). Your ‘scenic ride’ is very easy and offers an excellent introduction for first-timers. It features 2 cables with a total length of 595 meters. Your instructor will help to put on your harness, slings, pulley, helmet and gloves before starting with a brief orientation in either Spanish or English. If you are lucky, they might even let you spin upside down on the final run (approx. duration 15 minutes).

You will begin your day with an early morning drive to the observation point ‘Mirador del Condor’ - the perfect spot to look down 1,200 m (3,937 ft) into the canyon. It’s here that the legendary condor, the bird with the largest wingspan in the world, can be seen rising and circling on the morning thermals, silhouetted against the magnificent backdrop of the mountain scenery. Afterwards, stop by at Maca and Yanque to visit its colonial churches. Your last stop is at the Mirador lookout point of Antahuilque, where terraces have the shape of an amphitheater. You may choose to go on a short afternoon trek (your guide will suggest the trail based on your fitness level and interests). You could also request to go to the Uyu Uyu archeological site at an additional entry cost.

Early in the morning, you will be transferred to Chivay for a drive to Sicuani (shared with other travelers). This 6-hour journey has stops at the ‘Castles of Callalli’ (geological formations eroded by wind and rain), the ‘Stone Forest’ in Yauli and Langui Lagoon.

The stunning and colorful Vinicunca also known as ‘Rainbow Mountain’ can be seen on the spectacular Ausangate trek, which requires at least a 4-day trek. This day trip including been designed for those lacking enough time for a lengthy trek to this hidden gem in Peru. It will take you through amazing landscapes, remote Quechua villages, snow-capped mountains and crystal-clear rivers and lakes.
At around 07:00 in the morning, you will be picked to drive to Chillihuani (4,350 m/14,272 ft). As you slowly climb through the valley you will see traditional shepherd’s houses, grazing alpacas, lamas and even the rare vicuna. While hike you observe how the color of the landscape changes from green to red. After a hike of approx. 2 hours the sandy terrain gives way to mountain peaks and all your efforts will be rewarded by the magnificent views on the Ausangate snowcapped peak on clear days (Cusco’s highest mountain with 6,385 m/20,945 ft) and the Rainbow Mountain (5,020 m/16,466 ft) with its colorful sediments in turquoise, orange, brown and red. At the top of the world, you have time to take in the colors and the scenery before starting the descend the same path downhill (1.5 hours). Your driver will be waiting to bring you to your hotel in Cusco (approx. arrival time is at 17:00 hrs.).

IMPORTANT
The trek starts at around (4,350 m/14,272 ft) and ends at (5,020m/16,466 ft) and requires acclimatizing in Cusco beforehand
Hiking distance: 8 km
Difficulty level: Challenging (not suited for first-time hikers)
The trek includes a professional English-speaking guide, transfers, entrance fees and a first-aid kit with oxygen tank
We recommend taking layers due to constantly changing weather conditions (7°C to 27° C), waterproof and windproof jacket, hiking poles and shoes, sunblock, a cap and water, as well as snacks (energy bars, cookies etc.), a small towel and toilet paper

Get ready to explore Cusco’s gems on foot! Your walking tour starts at the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. Hosted in a beautiful colonial casona, this collection is dedicated to rebound the arts of ancient Peruvian cultures and showcases an astounding pre-Columbian collection dating from 1250 B.C to 1532 A.D.

Once back at the main square enter ‘La Compania’ one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in the Americas. Built by the Jesuits in the 16th century over the site of the Amara Cancha Inca palace in a deliberate attempt to rival the Cathedral of Cusco, La Compania contains a grand gold-leaf altarpiece and several works of art by local. There will be time for some snapshots of Koricancha or Temple of the Sun, a fine example of the fusion of Inca and colonial architecture (only visited from the outside). Finally get in the bus for a 10-min drive to visit Cusco’s most impressive fortress, Sacsayhuaman. The largest stones used in its construction are nearly 8.5 m (28 ft) high and weigh 360 tons, fitting so perfectly together that a single piece of paper would not fit between two stones.

Your 2-day Inca Trail adventure starts with a pick up from your hotel to bring you to the railway station and board the train heading to Aguas Calientes. Escorted by your guide you descend at kilometer 104 – the starting point of today’s hike to Machu Picchu. En-route stop by the Inca ruins of Chachabamba (2,150 m/ 7,054 ft), which is noted for its complex irrigation channels and expert stone masonry. Your route will soon lead along misty cloud-forest paths, moss-covered stairs and numerous mountain lookout points, before arriving at the well preserved, imposing ancient compound at Winay Wayna. After a lunch break you head to Inti Punku or ‘Sun Gate’, the place where you will get your first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Before dark, a secondary trail will take you down to the village of Aguas Calientes to spend the night at your selected hotel.

IMPORTANT
Distance: 8 km / 4.9 miles
Walking time: 6 to 7 hours
Starting altitude: 2,150 m / 7,054 ft
Max. altitude: 2700 m / 8,858 ft

A very early start this morning is essential if catching the first bus back to Machu Picchu (a 20-minute ride) and enjoying the best, uninterrupted views of the early-morning sun rising above the main complex without the crowds. Your private guide will then be on hand for a personal, informed, two-hour walking tour. At around 13:00 climb aboard the shuttle bus that will take you to Aguas Calientes for a lunch break (lunch not included) before taking the train back to Ollantaytambo.

IMPORTANT
Walking time: 2 to 3 hours
Starting altitude: 2,000 m / 6,561 ft
Max. altitude: 2400 m / 7,874 ft

At proper time you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight to Lima in order to catch your flight back home.