BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY – 2 PEOPLE |
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| Luxury Class 5***** | |
| Accom.A. Calientes | Sumac Machu Picchu |
| Accom. Puno | Libertador Isla Estevez |
| Accom. Lima | Country Club |
| Accom. Cusco | Monasterio |
| Train Tickets | Hiram Bingham |
DAY 1 LIMA PICK UP
Pick up upon arrival at Lima’s airport and transportation to the hotel. Overnight (No meals)
DAY 2 LIMA – CUSCO
Transfer to the Lima airport for the flight to Cuzco (airfare not included).
Upon arrival to Cusco Airport. Reception and transportation to the Hotel where you will receive an aromatic coca tea to stimulating for the height, will have the free morning to rest and also we suggest you have a light lunch in either your hotel or in one of the surrounded; in the afternoon we will depart on a City tour (entrance to the archaeological centers and museums including) we will visit the Main square, Cathedral, the Koricancha (temple of the sun) and in addition we will make a route bordering archaeological centers like Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Q’enko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay, tour finishes 6:30pm approximately at the main square in order you can take dinner in one of the exquisite restaurants in the area, then overnight. (B)
NOTES:
*City tour: from 1.45pm to 6:30pm approx. (Pickup from the hotel starts at 1:15pm)
DAY 3 FULL DAY SACRED VALLEY TOUR
Breakfast. You will be picked up at 8:15 am. Full day excursion to the Urubamba Valley visiting: the colorful Indian market in Pisac where a mixture of color and tradition will be able appreciated besides will have a good opportunity to try our bargain skills on the free time to interact with the local craftsmen to purchase their hand-made souvenirs. The Valley has a distance of 31 km (19 miles) of Cusco, and an altitude of 2,970 ms (9,700 p), Pisac is located to the entrance of the Sacred Valley and followed by Ollantaytambo, the older town continuously occupied of the American continent. The narrow streets of Ollantaytambo, along with their channels that have not varied from the time Inca, evoke their ancestral inheritance, lunch in a typical restaurant and then the last visit will be to Chinchero market.
Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow. Its major claim to tourism is its colorful Sunday market which is much less tourist-orientated than the market at Pisac. At the end, return to Cusco main square at 6:30pm approx.
The night is free for you to eat in a restaurant of your choice; although we always have plenty of suggestions for you should you require them. (B, L)
Note: Take this tour on market days: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday
Bilingual Guided tour on different days
DAY 4 CUSCO / MACHU PICCHU (*Overnight in Aguas Calientes)
*Note: Doesn’t work on Sundays
Breakfast and at 8.15am pick up to go Poroy Train’s station. The Hiram Bingham departs from Poroy Station (20 minutes outside Cusco) at 9.00am which gives a more leisurely start to the day than the traditional 6am departures of other train services to Machu Picchu.
Brunch is served on board the train whilst passengers watch the spectacular scenery unfolding before them. From the agricultural plains of the Sacred Valley, to the crashing waters of the Urubamba River, and as you get closer to Machu Picchu the soaring mountains, the scenery is constantly changing, and the Hiram Bingham travels at a speed where this can be appreciated.
The train arrives into Aguas Calientes where private minibuses await passengers to escort them on the fifteen minute journey up to the citadel, avoiding the queues.
Upon arrival at the Machu Picchu entrance, passengers can go straight into the citadel as tickets will have been pre-purchased for all guests.
A guide will escort you around the citadel in small groups, pointing out the best of the ruins and recounting the history of this Inca settlement.
After the guided tour, guests are given the choice to wander alone through this fascinating World Heritage site, or to enjoy Afternoon Tea at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, the Orient-Express hotel located right at the entrance to the citadel., overnight at the select hotel in Aguas Calientes town (B)
DAY 5 BACK IN CUSCO
*Note: Doesn’t work on Sundays
Morning at leisure by your own (entrance and bus fee to Machu Picchu archaeological site not included on the fee) in the afternoon return to Cusco.
The Hiram Bingham departs at 18.00. Guests are welcomed back on board with pre-dinner cocktails served in the Bar Car with live musical entertainment. Later a 4-course, à la carte dinner is served in the dining cars. The train pulls into Poroy station just outside Cusco at 21.25. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel. Overnight.(B)
WHAT’S INCLUDED ON HIRAM BINGHAM?
On-board meals with Peruvian wine, cusqueña Beer, soft drinks and hot drinks (brunch on outward journey, dinner on return), on-board entertainment, guides, bus transfers, entrance to the Machu Picchu sanctuary and afternoon tea at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, pre-dinner cocktails
DAY 6 CUSCO – PUNO
Early breakfast and transfer to the bus station so you can take the ride to Puno. Depart Cusco on guided bus to Puno, visiting on the route picturesque towns and archeological sites such as Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Sicuani, La Raya and Pukara. Lunch included. Afternoon arrival in Puno, reception and transfer to your accommodation. Overnight at the hotel.(B,L)
(*) Additional fare if traveling by train. Ask for availability.
DAY 7 UROS AND TAQUILE ISLANDS
You will be picked up from your hotel at 6:30 a.m., to go to the port of Puno to take a tourist motor boat and to direct towards the wonders floating islands of the Uros. After a 2 hour motorboat ride, 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 are known as the “water tribe”, because they must construct its own Islands periodically, adding new layers of totora reeds, 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.
They used it as home and trade centers for the natives, who use hand-made boats of the same material as their means of transportation. At present, they speak Quechua and Aymara. Following this exciting tour, you will be led to the Island of Taquile, , place where the form of typical and rustic experience was appraised, the place is colorful and landscaping, where they even maintain its customs, ritual, religious and folkloric traditions, in the town of Taquile we will taste a typical lunch with fresh fish (trout). There is also a craft fair on the plaza that sells exceptional wool goods which are of very fine quality and somewhat expensive. 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 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 (B,L)
>> Visa Requirement for US Citizens to enter Bolivia <<
If you are a US Citizen or a citizen of the countries listed below and have decided visit Bolivia, you must be aware of this information:
On 2007, The Bolivian President Evo Morales suppressed by decree the right of US citizens to enter Bolivia country freely, in reciprocity of a similar measure taken by the US government.
Also the citizens of Angola, Bhutan, Republic of Chad, Congo, Ruanda, Somalia, Republic of Yemen, Indonesia, China and Taiwan have been affected by this decree.
Please make sure to have all necessary documents before traveling!
DAY 8 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 of bus ride. 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 takes 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 9 SILLUSTANI – LIMA
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Lima (airfare NOT included). On the route to the airport, we will 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 Lima’s airport, reception and transfer to the hotel and overnight (B)
DAY 10 TRANSFER OUT
Transfer to the airport for your international flight and end of the services (B)
END OF SERVICES
INCLUDES: All hotel and lodge accommodations based on double room occupancy. All scheduled transportation. All transfers. All scheduled excursions with English-speaking guide services. All entrance fees. Meals as specified in the itinerary. B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner.
IMPORTANT: For a better service, the company informs you that it has autonomy to change the Hotels mentioned in the itinerary with another one of similar category if therefore sees it by advisable taking into account justifiable availability of spaces or other reasons, if this it is the case you will be notified ahead of time.
NOT INCLUDE: 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 international flights and items of personal nature
