The Golden cities

11 days

from 1501 to 2000 US$

The Golden cities

Peru and the land of the Incas, to discover as a family. In the footsteps of Esteban, Tao and Zia, you travel through the Andes among myths and legends: Cusco and its archaeological sites, a day of sharing in the Andean community of Patabamba, the Sacred Valley and mysterious Machu Picchu.

You then cross the Altiplano to Lake Titicaca, where you meet families on the Uros, Amantani and Taquile islands. The pace is suited to children, with fun activities and encounters they will remember for a long time. The perfect holiday to explore another culture with your children.

Like all our trips, this tour is fully customizable: we adapt it to your dates, your pace and your budget. Ask us for a free quote.

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Day by day

day 1: Arrival in Lima - On your mark...Ready...Go!
Arrival of international flight.

Transfer to the modern district of Miraflores.

Meals on your own.

Overnight in Lima.

Steps: Lima and its region
day 2: Visit Cusco - Over the incas footsteps!
Flight to Cusco, the "navel of the world" for the quechuas.

Welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel

Lunch on your own in Cusco.

You are finally in Cusco, the center of the world for the Quechuas, the capital city of the Inca Empire, classed as a Human legacy city, has preserved its historic city centre with its cobbled streets and perfectly carved stone walls,

During the day visit the famous imperial city, including the Plaza de Armas. Testimony of the architectural mastery of the Incas and the spanish, you will have the opportunity to discover the stone at the 12 corners, an Inca construction where the stones are perfectly intertwined, which raises many questions.

Way to the Gold's temple, or Q'oricancha, from quechua; then discover the monastery of Santo Domingo as well as the colonial church.

Opportunity to discover the city's main market, San Pedro, which is still in full swing. This is the most important market in the city, and you can find fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers; The discovery of all the spices and exotic fruits will delight young and old alike.

Dinner on your own in Cusco.

Overnight in a hotel in Cusco.

Steps: Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu Cusco The Inca Museum Plaza de Armas de Cusco
day 3: The archaeological sites around Cusco - Cusco the navel of the world!
Morning at leisure.

Lunch on your own in Cusco.

Departure by private vehicle to discover the main archaeological sites around Cusco, the most famous of which is the fortress of Saqsayhuaman, a site designed to protect the city. The walls of this site were created with huge blocks of stone. To build the whole of Saqsayhuaman, it took about fifty years and more than forty thousand hands! For more than 500 years, this site has remained unchanged.

Visit the ceremonial baths of Tambomachay, dedicated to the worship of water and the gods. Then the journey will continue with the visit of the fortress of Puka Pukara, with its pinkish colours at sunset, as well as the ceremonial site of Q'enko, a place of worship for the Incas where sacrifices, including the mummification of the Incas nobles, were made. (visits to the 4 sites last about 2 hours)

Dinner on your own in Cusco.

Overnight in a hotel in Cusco.

Steps: Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu Ceremonial Baths of Tambomachay Cusco Puka Pukara Q'enqo Saqsayhuaman
day 4: Day to share with the Patabamba Andean community.
A day of sharing to discover weaving techniques and the life of the fields.

Go to the surroundings of the village to look for plants and minerals used for natural dyes.

Then workshops will be set up with the various stages of the weaving process: the treatment and spinning of llama and Alpaca wool, colouring with natural elements, and of course weaving. an active participation in these workshops is required.

Typical festive lunch: Pachamanca lunch, where a traditional oven made of large stones heated by wood fire is built, which is collapsed and then cooked with different meats and vegetables.

It is also today where you will have the opportunity (for those who wish) to taste one of the country's specialities, the roasted Cuye or guinea pig.

Dinner on your own in the sacred valley.

Overnight in the sacred valley.

Steps: Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu Patabamba
day 5: Visit the sacred valley of the incas - That's Peru!
Visit to Moray, a concentric circulaires terraces site. They were maybe an agricole laboratory. The local populations reproduced (artificially) different climates in order to assess the production capacities of the area.

Continue the visit to the salines of Maras, fabulous contrast in the heart of the valley. The saltworks consist of more than three hundred terraces on the mountainside; a short walk and discover the salt extraction mechanism.

Lunch in Urubamba on your own.

Visit of the Ollantaytambo fortress. The strategic geographical location of this last Inca stronghold allowed them to resist the Spanish; the remains of the fortress bear witness to the clashes that took place following the loss of Cusco to the conquistadors. it should be noted that the village has changed very little since the Inca era.

Trip by train to Aguas Calientes.

Dinner on your own in Aguas Calientes.

Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

Steps: Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu Aguas-Calientes Maras Village Archaeological site of Moray Ollantaytambo – Village
day 6: Machu Picchu - The mysterious inca citadel!.
Bus to the Inca site.

The guided visit on the site last about 2 hours: A dream of every traveller, a legend that has not yet revealed all its mysteries, and continues to enchant and seduce visitors in search of magic. Its particular geographical location gives it an insolent and intoxicating beauty. The organization of the site into several districts and the geographical constraints of the region underline the greatness and genius of the Inca civilization... Many mysteries remain to be solved...

After the guided tour, you will have a free time to stroll freely on the site and soak up its magic.

Back to Aguas Calientes by bus

Lunch on your own in Aguas Calientes.

Departure by train to Ollantaytambo

Transfer from Ollanta train station to Cusco.

Dinner on your own in Cusco.

Overnight in Cusco.

Steps: Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu Huayna Picchu Machu Picchu Montaña Machu-Picchu Condor’s Head
day 7: Visit the Altiplano - Travel through the time!
Crossing through the great landscapes of the andean plateaus, many stops are planning to visit interesting places.

Andahuaylillas. This small village is famous for its early 17th century church, known as the "Sistine Chapel of South America" due to the frescoes and paintings that decorate it, but also for its golden carved altar. (about 20 mn)the lithic museum of Pucara, wich show the andean people evolution from the first men to the incas.

Raqchi site where, the Inca temple of Wiracocha, the creative god, is located. This temple was a major administrative and religious center. Its impressive size and geographical location suggest that it was a food storage center for pilgrims travelling to Cusco.

La Raya pass where the oxygen will be scarcer. 14232 ft. above the sea level. View over the Royal Cordillera, in the center of the Andes.

Lunch stop included in Sicuani,

La Raya pass where the oxygen will be scarcer. 14232 ft. above the sea level. you will discover the Royal Cordillera, in the center of the Andes.

The lithic museum of Pucara, wich show the andean people evolution from the first men to the incas.

Dinner on your own.

Overnight in Puno.

Steps: Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu Raqchi
day 8: Uros and Amantani islands. How are you?
Departure to discover the highest navigable lake of the world.

Visiting the Uros island group, close to forty islands made of braided aquatic plants reinforced with the lake reeds "totora". Then, a family of the island will propose a tour by boat made of reeds to reach the next island (10 soles to be paid on site). this tour is absolutely not mandatory.

Amantani island, where we can see the lake from a lookout point, in the top of a hill, discover also the habits and customs of its inhabitants, in particular agriculture with many terraced crops, the breeding of llamas, goats and sheep as well as crafts that have gradually developed, together with tourism.

You will be welcomed into a family in Amantani to share a meal with its members.

Late lunch with your host family in Amantani.

Overnight in host family house.

You will not be able to take all your luggage with you on this excursion.
We advise you to bring a backpack for both days.
Your main luggage must therefore remain in check at the hotel in Puno.

Steps: Puno and the Titicaca lake Amantani Island Uros Islands Titicaca Lake islands: Uros and Taquile
day 9: Taquile island - Titicaca... is that a bad word?
Departure to Taquile; a peaceful island with green hills, contrasting with light blue of the Titicaca lake. Discover the habits ans customs of this island inhabitants, who has a high quality textil tradition.

Lunch on your own in Taquile.

Return by boat to Puno after lunch.

Dinner on your own in Puno.

Overnight in Puno.

Steps: Puno and the Titicaca lake Taquile Island Titicaca Lake islands: Uros and Taquile
day 10: Juliaca / Lima - The flight of the condor!
Departure from Puno to the Juliaca airport.

On the way you will visit the site of Sillustani and its "chulpas", (if schedule admits) a kind of circular tower-shaped tomb used for the ceremony of the pre-Inca period, dominated by the Collas.

Flight between Juliaca and Lima.

Lunch on your own in Lima.

Dinner on your own in Lima.

Overnight in Lima.

Steps: Lima and its region Huaca Pucllana Lima Larco herrera Museum
day 11: Lima - ... When are we coming back?
Transfer to the Lima international airport.

End of your stay.

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