Journey Peru and Bolivia

28 days from € 9.760 per person

culinary - ancient civilizations - Amazon - Andes

Day 2: Lima

This morning your guide takes you to the main sights of Lima, the city was long considered the most important city in South America during the colonial rule. You visit the characteristic neighborhoods of Miraflores and San Isidro and the impressive Huaca Huallamarca ruin. Afther that your guide will take you to the historic center. You end this city tour with a visit to the Larco Museum. It contains a huge private collection of pre-Columbian utensils, jewelry and ceremonial attributes, most of which are made of gold.
Overnight: Casa Andina Select Miraflores | bed & breakfast

Day 3: Lima – Arequipa 

Today you fly from Lima to the colonial city of Arequipa. The city is beautifully situated with the majestic peak of the “El Misti” volcano in the background. There is some uncertainty about the origin of the name Arequipa. Several stories are circulating. One is that the Aymara people came up with the name since in their language "ari" means mountain and "quipa" behind. Freely translated it says "behind the mountain" with which the El Misti volcano is meant.
Overnight: San Agustin Posada del Monasterio | bed & breakfast

Day 4: Arequipa

A day off is planned. You can visit the Santa Catalina monastery, this enormous structure is a city within a city in itself. Also recommended is the museum about The Ice Girl Juanita. This mummy of a young girl, dating from the 15th century, was found on the top of the El Misti volcano by the famous high mountain archaeologist Johan Reinhart. Furthermore, you should definitely take a look at the cathedral in the main square Plaza de Armas.
Overnight: San Agustin Posada del Monasterio | bed & breakfast

Day 5: Arequipa – Colca Canyon 

After breakfast, you will be picked up from the hotel and taken to the Colca Canyon, said to be the deepest canyon in the world. On the way here you visit the Andean community in Pata Wasi (literally: high house) where you can taste the original Maté de Coca. This is a kind of herbal tea which has medicinal effects and acts powerfully against, for example, altitude sickness. After this visit your journey continues to Torca, where you have a great view over the lakes and the Altiplano where the grazing lamas and alpacas stand. Lunch will be served in Chivay, after the lunch you continue to your hotel in the Colca Canyon.
Overnight: Colca Lodge | bed & breakfast

Day 7: Colca Canyon – Puno

Today your driver takes you to Puno, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. On the way you will be rewarded with beautiful views of the surroundings. Located on the border of Peru and Bolivia, this huge lake is the highest navigable lake in the world, located at nearly 4,000 meters above sea level. The landscape is really beautiful. The clear blue lake is surrounded by some of the most impressive mountains in the entire Andes. From a historical point of view, this place is extremely important. Legend has it that the first Inca king was born on the Island of the Sun, an island located in the Bolivian part of this lake.
Overnight: Sonesta Posada del Inca Puno | bed & breakfast

Day 8: Puno

After breakfast, you bring a visit to the floating islands of the Uros Indians led by your private guide. This authentic population group traditionally lives in Lake Titicaca, where they have made artificial islands from reed, on which they live. You will also visit the island of Tacquile, a place where the Aymara Indians still live in a traditional way. Tacquile is also known for the production of the "Sicuri", a musical instrument essential for the folklore of the Peruvian highlands. In the afternoon you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Overnight: Sonesta Posada del Inca Puno | bed & breakfast

Day 10: Isla del sol – La Paz

Early in the afternoon you will be taken to the sacred fountain on Isla del Sol; the water would provide eternal youth and a life full of happiness. Lunch is served at the archaeological restaurant of Uma Kollu. After lunch, you have the possibility to visit a small craft market and after that you return by boat to Copacabana. From Copacabana you travel further overland to La Paz. La Paz is located in a valley and is surrounded by the high Altiplano. You will stay in the modern Stannum Boutique Hotel. Located on the 12th floor of the Multicine Mall, this hotel offers breathtaking views of the city and its surrounding Andes Mountains.
Overnight: Stannum Boutique Hotel | bed & breakfast

Day 11: La Paz

In the morning your guide is waiting for you to show you the citycentre of La Paz. During this tour you visit the Indian market also called the "the witch market". Furthermore your guide shows you several museums that give you a better picture of the history of Bolivia and La Paz. With a cable car you go to the upper district of El Alto from where you have a nice view over the city. In the afternoon you will be taken to the Valle de la Luna nature reserve. This nature reserve is located just outside the city and is known for its impressive rock formations that give the impression of having landed on a moonscape.
Overnight: Stannum Boutique Hotel | bed & breakfast

Day 12: La Paz – Uyuni

You fly from La Paz to Uyuni, where a local representative will be waiting for you upon arrival. You will be taken to the cemetery of trains. Uyuni was originally destined to become a major train destination connecting several cities. Those plans never came true, because the mining industry lost momentum and then disagreements with neighboring countries broke out. The trains are exceptionally worn out because of the mixture of salt and strong winds that give the massive steel structures their weathered appearance. There are over 100 trainsets to explore and each has its own unique structure. After lunch you will be taken to a special natural phenomenon and the Dakar salt monument. You will stay in a hotel of salt, on the edge of the immense salt plain of Uyuni, a special experience!
Overnight: Palacio de Sal | half board

Day 15: Uyuni – La Paz – Puno 

In the morning you take a flight from Uyuni to La Paz. Once you arrive here, you will be brought to your hotel in Puno by one of our local staff.
Overnight: Sonesta Posada del Inca Puno | bed & breakfast

Day 16: Puno – Cuzco 

After breakfast you take the bus to Cuzco. The bus makes a few stops on the way and you English speaking guide will learn you more about the environment. You will stop at La Raya (4335 m) where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the snow-covered Andes. Lunch will be served in an authentic restaurant in Sicuani. After this you will visit the Viracocha temple. At the end of the day you arrive at your hotel in Cuzco.
Overnight: Hotel Quinta San Blas by Ananay | bed & breakfast

Day 17: Cuzco 

Nothing planned for this day so you can visit the city centre by yourself. Make sure to visit the Plaza de Armas, which includes the famous cathedral. Cuzco comes from the Quechua word "Cosqo", which means "Navel of the World". From here, the Incas founded their mighty empire Tahuantisuyu, "Land of the Four Winds". The entire inner city consists of colonial buildings, which are built on the foundations of the old Inca palaces. A good example of this is the sun temple of Koricancha, on which the Santo Dominco monastery is built. Just outside Cuzco you will find the archaeological park of Sacsayhuaman, where you can visit the fortress of the same name. It is impressive here to see how the Incas built this. Some stones are up to four meters high. You can also visit the underground cave of Q'enqo and the Puma temple, where an altar for sacrifices can be seen. In the San Blas district in Cuzco you will find a nice market.
Overnight: Hotel Quinta San Blas by Ananay | bed & breakfast

Day 22: Aguas Calientes – Cuzco 

Today you visit the Machu Picchu. Here you will be guided by an English speaking guide. Enjoy this amazing place, where the Incas have managed to build a city on top of this ancient mountain peak. From this hidden city you have a wonderful view over the surrounding subtropical rainforest. This city was never discovered by the Spanish and has therefore remained intact. Much of the Inca civilization can still be found in this city. In the afternoon, you travel by train through the "Sacred Valley" to Cuzco train station where you will be picked up and brought to your hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Quinta San Blas by Ananay | bed & breakfast

Day 23: Cuzco – Puerto Maldonado – Sandoval

Today you travel to the Peruvian Amazon and you leave the civilized world behind. You will stay at the Sandoval Lake Lodge, deep in the Amazon. You arrive by the end of the morning / early afternoon. After lunch, you set sail by boat to explore the surroundings of the lake. Here, along the edge of the forest adorned by overhanging palms, you will hear the sounds of the hundreds of Red-bellied and blue-and-yellow macaws as they return to the palm forest for the night. After this, you will return to the lodge for dinner. After dinner, board the boat again to look for black caimans, which are very rare in the Amazon today. However, they occur frequently in the Sandoval Lake. They can grow to about 4 meters in length and compete with the giant otters for their share of fishing.
Overnight: Sandoval Lake Lodge | full board

Day 26: Sandoval – Lima

After breakfast, head back to the west side of the lake to find the home of a giant otter family. From here, on clear days, you can see a brilliant sunrise and its reflection in the open water of the lake. After this you will return across the Madre de Dios River to Puerto Maldonado. From here you take a flight to Lima. Once you arrive here, you will be brought to your hotel by one of our local staff.
Overnight: Casa Andina Select Miraflores | bed & breakfast

Day 27: Lima – Amsterdam

Unfortunately, your trip through Peru and Bolivia is over. You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the airport of Lima, where you will board your flight to Amsterdam. You arrive the next day.

Day 28: Amsterdam

You arrive in Amsterdam today.