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PERU TRAVEL PLANNER
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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
This
package can be easily customized to suit your
needs
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.
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Inti Raymi |

Inti Raymi |

Cusco |
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. | |
Mon-Fri 9 Am - 6 Pm ET
please allow pop-ups

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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