Ballestas Island Tour, Peru

Upon arrival into Lima International Airport, you will be met by our representative and private driver and will be transferred to your hotel. Our representative will assist you with check-in procedures and provide you with a detailed itinerary, vouchers covering all the services included in your tour and additional information on the organization of your Peru trip. You will also receive a contact information sheet with all the hotel details as well as our offices contact information for each city and a 24-hour emergency number. Meals Included: None

Get ready for a busy morning, starting with a guided sightseeing tour to the most attractive and important sites in Lima, the “City of Kings”. The tour includes Lima’s Historical Center, passing by Plaza San Martin, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the City Hall, the Cathedral and its Religious Art Museum (closed on Sunday and Saturday pm, Santo Domingo Convent is provided instead on these days) as well as San Francisco Monastery and its famous underground crypts known as the Catacombs. Finally, visit the residential Districts of San Isidro and Miraflores, passing by the Huaca Pucllana, a Ceremonial and Administrative Center of the Lima Culture built in the II Century A.C. that the Incas considered as “Ñaupallaqta” or Sacred Town. Also visit El Olive Grove Park with olive trees brought from Spain in the XV Century, the Central Park of Miraflores and El Parque del Amor, or Peruvian Love Park. The Love Park, located on the cliffs of Miraflores overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is a beautiful natural lookout, where you can see the waves of the Pacific rolling in towards the coast below and the Morro Solar in Chorrillos at a distance, with the coast extending further along the bay until the port of Callao. This is also the perfect spot for a romantic vie w of the setting sun in the late afternoon, right in front of you. Meals Included: Breakfast

Visit the Pachacamac citadel, often called the Rome of the Andes, with its temples, streets, pyramids, cemeteries, and home of the most famous oracle in the Andean empire. People from all over the Tawantinsuyo Empire visited this shrine to learn what the future held in store for themselves, their communities as well as the outcome of important ba ttles, possible droughts, and other catastrophes. Peruvian Paso Horse Show Then head to private Hacienda (ranch) located in the Southern Valley of Lima, a place devoted to breeding of the traditional Peruvian Paso Horse. Relax in contact with nature and learn first-hand about the history of this particular type of horse and its characteristics. Admire newborns, horses being trained and adult horses showing off all their qualities in their luxurious “apero” outfits, ridden by our “chalanes” in typical gar ments. Enjoy the opportunity of riding the smoothest horse in the world and feel the elegant “paso” walk that resembles a dance. Lunch will be served at the restaurant and you will enjoy typical Peruvian cuisine. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Discover the mystery of the Nazca Lines and appreciate them by air in a small aircraft. In this amazing tour, you can see and the giant figures that the ancient inhabitants of Peru left marked on the vast Pampa de Nazca. Proof of the genius and wisdom our ancestors had. Dr. Maria Reiche, a German archeologist who dedicated her life to studying the lines described it as the largest astronomical calendar in the world. We will fly over these mysterious drawings made in the sand that represent several animal shapes such as a spider, a monkey, a dog, a hummingbird, a condor, amongst others; all of these having huge dimensions that vary from 50ft to 985 ft. in length and one -foot depth. After the tour, you will stop at a local restaurant for lunch We will then board a bus and continue onto Huacachina. It is home to an extraordinary adventure with dune buggies and sandboarding down the dunes! This tour is both thrilling and jaw-dropping. After that, we leave Huacachina back to Paracas to your hotel. Free time to explore Paracas. Enjoy exploring the nightlife with the restaurants and boardwalks along the beach. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning admiring the sea and the ecological richnes s of Peru. Early morning departure to the pier to board comfortable sailboats and sail the Ballestas Islands. In this area, there is an important marine fauna and here you will find large colonies of seabirds such as the guanay, the booby, the tendril plus some examples of Peruvian penguins (Humboldt), a lot of seals (fur seals and sea lion) besides other species. Prepare your camera to take amazing pictures of the biodiversity in this area and also the famous “Candelabro de Paracas” (part of the Nazca Lines). We continue with a SEA SIDE visit to the Paracas National Reserve. The Paracas National Reserve is a protected area of Peru located in the province of Pisco, within the department of Ica. The National Reserve of Paracas was declared as such on September 25, 1975. It was created in order to conserve a portion of the sea and the desert of Peru, giving protection to the various species of wild flora and fauna that live there. It conserves a representative sample of the marine ecosystems of the cold se a of the Peruvian Current or Humboldt Current, considered by the specialists as the most productive of the Earth, besides maintaining the environments used by a wide variety of migratory species for its feeding and refuge during their long annual voyages. Lunch will be served at the restaurant before you take your van back to Lima Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Your local tour guide will meet you at the hotel lobby at a pre-determined time and transfer you to the Lima Airport to board your flight to Cusco. Our representative will assist you with check -in procedures and all departure formalities. Flight Lima – Cusco: Many tout this flight path as one of the most spectacular scenic flights to be experienced anywhere in the world. During the course of the flight the major glaciated peaks of the Cordillera Vilcabamba and Vilcanota ranges can be seen, surrounded by an agricultural patchwork quilt of tranquil Andean fields and small hamlets (some of which we will explore in the coming days). The approach to Cusco Airport is unique in that it requires the pilot to make a sweeping 180-degree turn to enter the valley, providing a staggering panorama of the Inca city center. Half Day Arqueological Cusco City Tour This afternoon you’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Cusco, with your guide to the first ruin site (Tambomachay). As you walk to and visit each archaeological s ite, your guide will explain the history, architecture, and local traditions. The four sites are Tambomachay, Puca Pucara, Q’enko, and Sacsayhuaman. After exploring the last ruin site you will walk down to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco City. With examples of Inca history and architecture. Visit the city’s most important historical monuments that reveal the influence of different cultures: The Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral dating from Spanish vice-royalty times, built with great slabs of red granite renaissance style in contrast with the baroque style silver work of its interior and, the Santo Domingo church built upon the foundations of the Inca temple Qorikancha, dedicated to worship the Sun God. Meals Included: Breakfas

An English speaking guide to start your exploration on the way to the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley of the Urubamba is located one hour from Cusco and is significantly lower in elevation, which aids the acclimatization process by allowing our bodies to adjust to the altitude more gradually. Today you will have the opportunity to visit Awanacancha, an Andean textile center whose key objective is to maintain the wealth of Incan textile art and keep their traditions alive. Awanacancha means “the palace of weaving” and as its name announces, it is all about textile production. Here we will learn about the dyeing techniques and instruments used for hundreds of years in the weaving of these famous textiles. You will walk along a thatched roof path and will watch and learn about the four different kinds of South American camelids: Huanaco, Llama, Alpaca and Vicuña. At the end of the path you will find weavers from over 12 communities from southern Peru who alternate exhibitions of threading, dying and weaving traditional Andean textiles, thus avoiding their identity loss. Then head to the town of Pisac, famous for its ruins which lie atop a hill at the entrance the valley and separated along the ridge into four groups: Pisac, Inti Watana, Q’a llaqasa, and Kinchiraqay. Visit the Inti Watana group which includes the Temple of the Sun, baths, altars, water fountains, a ceremonial platform, and an inti Watana – a volcanic ritual stone used as an astronomic clock or Inca calendar to define the change seasons. The Incas constructed agricultural terraces on the steep hillside by hauling richer topsoil by hand from the lower lands, enabling the production of surplus food, more than would normally be possible at altitudes as high as 11,000 feet. The narrow rows of terraces beneath the citadel are thought to represent the wing of a partridge (Pisac), from which the village and ruins get their name. Continue to the Pisac Markets, which was the place of reunion for all artisans of the region to get together and exchange or buy and sell their products. Originally held only on Sundays, but due to the increase of tourism in the area during the XX century it became increasingly popular to the point that now it is held daily. It is a favorite destination for visitors from all over the world who don’t want to miss the opportunity of enjoying the colorful ambiance in this marketplace. This is an excellent chance to share the peasants’ customs closely with plenty of time to explore and even barter all the goods and crafts typical of the areas around Cusco. Leisurely roam through the textiles and souvenir sections of the market. A buffet lunch will be served in a country restaurant. After lunch we head to the Ollantaytambo Fortress to continue enjoying this spectacular building that in the time of the Incas. The end of the tour you can enjoy the town of Ollantaytambo while waiting to board your train that will take you to hot springs. At the indicated time one of our attendants will take you to the station to help you with your Check in. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

You will leave your hotel after breakfast and board a bus that will take you to the entrance gate of the citadel of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is one of the most-visited sites worldwide. Machu Picchu dazzles all who visit it with its beauty and mystery. You will follow in the footsteps of the ancient Incas as you explore this magical citadel along with your local and experimented tour guide. After the tour, you will stop at a local restaurant for a buffet lunch. Afterwards you will have a little time to explore the town of Aguas Calient es before boarding your train back to Cusco. Upon arrival at the station an assistant will be waiting for you to bring you back to your hotel in Cusco. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch OPTIONAL : HIKE UP TO HUAYNA PICCHU, the mountain behind Machu Picchu. This hike is strenuous and recommended only for travelers comfortable with heights and who have a good fitness level. A fair amount of climbing is required. Get fabulous views of Machu Picchu from the top. Total time for this excursion is 2.5 hours. You may want to extend your hike and go to the Moon Temple as well, which is close to Huayna Picchu. This adds an extra hour total to this excursion. Total time for the Huayna Picchu visit, including the Moon Temple is 3.5 hours. (This hike requires advanced reservations.)

After enjoying breakfast at your hotel. At the scheduled time you will be shuttled from the hotel to the airport to board y our flight back to Lima. Our representative will assist you with check -in procedures and then to your connecting flight back home. We hope that you have enjoyed you stay with us and the fond memories of Peru. Meals Included: Breakfast