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2009


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INTI RAYMI 2009 TOUR

(12 days and 11 nights)

FIXED DEPARTURE DATE JUNE 19, 2009

Before the colonial Spaniards banned the ceremonial events occurring each Winter Solstice in Cusco, the native residents gathered to honor the Sun God, sacrifice an animal to ensure good crops and to pay homage to the Inca, as the first born Son of the Sun. The historic ceremony of Inti Raymi is based on the available chronicles, the ritual was composed in his Native Quechua and the event is held in the Saxsayhuaman amphitheater. The hillsides and the monument terraces surrounging the ampitheater fill with a vast crowd for this event. The event occurs on the morning of the Winter Solstice, as was the case in the prehistoric era. The reenactment portrays only the religious portion of the ancient nine day festival, its invocation, which originally began before sunrise on the solstice. The reenactment occurs later in the morning

Hotels PRICES PER PERSON
Category Room
TOURIST CLASS SINGLE US$2725
DOUBLE US$2262
FIRST CLASS SINGLE US$4170
DOUBLE US$2986

FIRST CLASS
Hotels included in this package
Miraflores Colon Hotel Lima
Picoaga Cusco
Inkaterra Machupícchu Hotel (Machu Picchu)

Eco Inn Puno

TOURIST CLASS
Hotels included in this package
La faraona Hotel Lima
Los Portales Cusco
Presidente Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu)
Qelqatani Puno

This package can be easily customized to suit your needs

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BOOK THIS TOUR ? ASK FOR AVAILABILITY

DAY 1: JUNE/19 LIMA PICK UP
Pick up upon arrival and overnight at the Hotel located in Miraflores, Lima

DAY 2: JUNE/ 20 CUSCO
Transfer to the Lima airport for the flight to Cuzco (airfare not included).
Upon arrival, you will be met and driven to the hotel. Around 1:45pm Cusco city tour. This tour includes the major sites of historical interest in Cuzco, such as the famous Inca fort at Sacsahuaman, and the temple of the Sun. Also included in this is a tourist card, giving you access to all the sites in the Cuzco area as a whole (i.e., including outside of the City itself). This tour finishes at 18:00, overnight at the hotel. (B)

DAY 3: JUNE/21 SACRED VALLEY TOUR
 Breakfast . You will be picked up at 8:45 am. Full day excursion to the Urubamba Valley visiting: the village of Pisac, a picturesque town of creole and colonial aspect and its lndian market and craftfair. Lunch provided. In the afternoon you'll visit to the fortress of Ollantaytambo, an architectural group that in the days of the Tahuantinsuyo empire was a gigantic agricultural, administrative, social, religious and military complex, then the Chinchero market. At the end, return to Cusco at 6:30pm. Overnight (B,L)

DAY 4: JUN/22 MACHU PICCHU TOUR
At 5:45 a.m. you will be picked up from the hotel to the train station which leaves at 06:00 a.m. Travel will be in "Vistadome" Class (formerly "Autowagon"). At 09:40 a.m. you will arrive at the Aguas Calientes Station, from where you will take a 25 minutes bus ride to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Once there, you will take a guided tour, with an English speaking
professional guide. The ruins are on the eastern slope of Machu Picchu in two separate areas: the agricultural and the urban. Lunch at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge (included). Overnight. (B, Lunch )

DAY 5: JUN/23 MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO
Morning at leisure in Machu Picchu to continue visiting the ruins by your own (please take note that the entrance and bus fee to Machu Picchu for this day are not included on the rate). In the afternoon we'll take the Vistadome train; the departure is around 3:30 pm to arrive back in Cusco around 7:30 pm. (B)

DAY 6: JUNE/24 INTI RAYMI
Cusco celebrates the Inti Raymi with occasion of the winter solstice -the solar new year - for a town which main cult object was the god Inti (the sun). In time of the Incas was a religious ceremony, now it is a theater representation. However this expression generates a feeling of identity in the town that evokes values and memories that are still excellent in our days, it also brings to the memory a time that lives in the heart of the town of Cusco (Qosqo). The version is expressed in the original, Quechua language. The celebration starts on the Temple of the Sun (Koricancha) then continues to the Sacsayhuaman, we will provide you the transportation and entrance. Afternoon transfer to the Hotel and overnight. (B, Box Lunch)

DAY 7: JUN/25 PUNO
Transfer to the bus or Train Station. Ten hours aprox. Bus or Train ride to Puno*, across the scenic high Andes landscapes only dotted by small villages and herds of the llamas and vicuñas. Upon arrival transfer to the Hotel and overnight. ( B,L )
(*) Additional fare on $250 per person if travelling by train. Ask for availability.

DAY 8: JUN/26 UROS AND TAQUILE ISLANDS
You will be picked up from your hotel 6:40 am, after 2 hours motorboat you will arrive at the Uros island, in the Titikaka lake. Fishermen and hunters inhabit the floating islands of the Uros. The residents of the Uros use the cattail, a type of  rush, which grows in the lake, to create the conditions that ensure the islands stay afloat. The dense roots that the plants develop support the island.The roofs are waterproof and the houses are extremely humid because of the surrounding water. At present they speak Quechua and Aymara. Then we will visit the Taquile island , including lunch in the co-operative restaurant, there is also a co-operative shop on the plaza that sells exceptional woollen goods which are not cheap but of  very fine quality. Taquile Island is famous for its craft production, particularly for its beautiful textiles. The island is narrow at about 1 Km. wide and 6 to 7 Km. long. The visit could be exhausting because of the 533 steps on the stone stairway to climb to get to the village and because of the altitude (13,000 ft above sea level). On Taquile there are numerous pre-Inca and Inca ruins as well as Inca terracing. We will return in Puno in the afternoon.
Overnight at the Hotel . (B,L)

DAY 9: JUN/27 SUN ISLAND FULL DAY
You will picked up from your hotel at 6,30 am. Land transfer to Copacabana Sanctuary. You will arrive into Copacabana after about 3 hours. Copacabana is the most important religious sanctuary of Bolivia, thousands of pilgrims visit every year the virgin of Copacabana also known as Native Madonna, you will visit the main square and the impressive Cathedral (1/2 hour tour). You will arrive into the Sun Island after about 1 hour of a spectacular catamaran cruise including lunch on board, this island has been identified as the birthplace of several revered entities, including the sun itself. A source of magnetic energy, the vertex of the earth and the cradle of the Inca Empire, the Inca couple Manco Kapac and Mama Ocllo appeared here and founded the Sun Empire. During a 2 hours Sun Island Tour you will visit:
-The Inca garden, the island micro climate provides the ideal location for this garden that during Inca times was full of Andean flowers, water and trees.
-The Inca Stairs that was built by the Incas in order to reach the Inca Water spring.
-The Inca water spring, a natural water spring with 3 different openings of different tastes, this Inca made water fountain is supposed to be a source of eternal youth.
-The Sun Island Inti Wata Complex,that contains the largest amount of archaeological items founded in the island and the largest demo variety of Andean flora and fauna available in Bolivia.
-The Sun Island Kallawaya Ancient Ceremony, witchcrafts, natural medicine, art, magic, and millenary traditions are part of the mystic world of the Kallawayas heritage. The purpose of this mystic ceremony is to purify the souls of the Chinkana holy temple visitors, this Ceremony take place in a Inca altar at the top of the hill facing the temple and overlooking the lake. You will then proceed back to Copacabana and then to Puno, we will return in Puno at 6:30 pm. Overnight. ( B,L )

DAY 10: JUN/28 SILLUSTANI - LIMA
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Lima (airfare included).
On the route visit at the Sillustani Chullpas (pre-Colombian funeral towers). The scenery is desert but impressive, in a beautiful setting on a peninsula on Ayumara lake about 32 Km. from Puno. Most of the towers date from the period of Inca occupation in the 15th century; the engineering involved in their construction is more complex than anything the Incas built. Upon arrival reception and transfer to the hotel. Overnight. (B)

DAY 11: JUN/29 LIMA CITY TOUR & PACHACAMAC RUINS

In the morning Lima city tour, you will be picked up from your hotel at 09 AM. We will visit the colonial area and to the Plaza de Armas where you will see the Government Palace, the Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace and the City Hall as well as the XVII century church and cloister of San Francisco, a world cultural heritage.
Then we will go to the modern downtown with a view of the Pacific Ocean and the modern residential suburb of San Isidro. We will visit a place that is near Lima, there is an archaeological enclosure whose constructions conserve the mysticism and religiosity of their past. Its name: Pachacamac. When traveling this sanctuary, where hundred of years ago the natives surrendered cult to the sun and to the Earth, one can feel the magic attraction of a place that will always be sacred. Finally, return to the hotel. Overnight. (B,L)

DAY 12: JUN/30 TRANSFER OUT
Transfer to the airport in time to get.

 


Inti Raymi

Inti Raymi

Cusco
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BOOK THIS TOUR ? ASK FOR AVAILABILITY

INCLUDES:
All hotel and lodge accommodations based on double occupancy. All scheduled transportation. All transfers. All scheduled excursions with English-speaking guide services. All entrance fees. Meals. B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner.

Note : We can replace above Hotels with other one with the same characteristics in the case that it becomes necessary for operative and other reasonable causes

NOT INCLUDED IN THE FEE
International and domestic airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry, phone calls, radio calls or messages, reconfirmation of flights and items of personal nature
Please note that there is an extra fee for transfers to and from the Hotel Isla Estevez ( only apply to clients that overnight there ), the extra fee per is USD5 per person per transfer.


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Published articles and reviews about us

2009
Testimonials

Noelle Melnychuk
Calgary, AB

Our tour to the islands on Lake Titicaca was a wonderful day. We had great weather and the people that we met were very friendly. The island of Taguile was a beautiful little paradise. The hotel in Puno was very good, with a great breakfast. It is too bad we could only stay one night. We kept the room for the second night so that we could freshen up before going on the bus to Cusco Peru.
Thank you for everything that you have done to make our trip so enjoyable. Please pass along to Christi our thanks for the great job that she did in organizing our tour. She was able to assemble an itinerary that included everything that we asked for and still was not too rushed. It was an enjoyable, informative and relaxing time.
Thank you again to all of the staff at Peru travel Gateway and your suppliers for making this a wonderful experience.

 


Peggy Chang
McLean, VA
US

I always wanted to write
you a line and let you know my husband and I had a great time in Peru. Thank
you so much for the arrangement; everything was really smooth! The guide in
Cusco, Eriksson, was really great. thank you also for helping me with all
the reservation and all the changes!! Cusco and Machu Picchu were all
fantastic, I"m sure we will want to go back to Peru at some point again, and
I"ll definitely contact you again!! Thank you!!


Sincerely,

Peggy Chang


Mary W. Earp
WINNALSAW, NC
US

We had a very nice trip to Peru. Thanks for you help. Our hotels in Peru were what we expected, very nice and the hotel help went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and had what we needed. Our guides were outstanding. Always on time and catered to our needs. Our groups were small except for the Sacred Valley tour where we had 25 members. Food was plentiful and tasty at each restaurant.
The Hotel Casa Andina in Cusco gave us an upgrade when we returned from MP which was very nice. Also, the Radisson gave us an upgrade when we returned to Lima although we stayed only 6 hours.
Again, thanks for your services. I feel very fortunate that I selected your travel services, because of the services. Several on the trip thought I was mighty brave to select an unknown agency. I was impressed with Ivan during our first emails and phone conversations. I trusted him and he trusted me, this makes for happy results for everyone.

Sincerely, Mary Earp.


Wendy Feldman
Los Angeles, CA
US 90025



I just returned back to the US from my trip to Peru. I wanted to let you know how grateful I am for the wonderful experience that you help me coordinate and plan. I loved all of the sites and felt I had a unique experience that I will never forget. The tour planners and the tour guides were all wonderful and extremely helpful. Each of them were very polite and knowledgable about their subjects and locations. I learned alot about Peru and its customs.
The hotel on Machu Picchu (Sanctuary Lodge) and the hotel in Puno (The Libertador) were excellent and I would recommend anyone to stay in each of those locations. The San Augustin El Dorado was just adequate; I found the hotel to be clean and the staff helpful, but there is too much noise during the evening and mornings; this is because many of the rooms overlook the central lobby of the hotel and the acoustics create echos of sound from the front desk and those people having conversations in the lobby area. Also, the space heaters in each of the El Dorado rooms I stayed in did not work at all. I do not think I would recommend the hotel to people unless they didn't mind a noisy atmosphere.
The Posada del Inca hotel in Bolivia was very nice; I really liked the rustic feel and intimate setting and the private gardens--the views of Lake Titicaca and the mountains were spectacular. Although I didn't realize it would be a hike (literally) up to it. One of the couples I was travelling with on the first day in Bolivia had trouble making it up the hillside (they didn't know they would have to hike to the top to get to the hotel). I would recommend letting potential guests know that it is a 40 - 45 minute hike from the dock to the hotel itself. The guides were very helpful and it was good that our luggage was carried up separately.
The trip was amazing and I just wanted to thank you for all of your planning. I would recommend you and your staff to everyone I know who wanted to plan a trip to go to Peru.
Have a wonderful new year!

Regards,

Wendy


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PERU GATEWAY TRAVEL
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