STANDARD TOUR PROGRAM #004
Ancient Cultures & Treasures
10 Days / 9 Nights
Lima-Chiclayo-Trujillo-Lima-Cuzco-Sacred Valley of the Incas-Machu Picchu-Cuzco-Lima
Day 01 - Lima
Upon arrival, you will be met at the Lima airport and transferred to your hotel. Overnight at selected hotel.
Day 02 - Lima
Afternoon guided tour of the City including the main Colonial sites and modern areas with a visit the Larco Herrera Museum. This museum gives us an excellent introduction to our next destination, the North coast. Overnight at selected hotel. (B)
Day 03 – Lima/Chiclayo
Early morning transfer to the airport to take the flight to Chiclayo. Upon arrival to “The Capital of the Friendship”, transfer to Gran Hotel Chiclayo.Then we'll visit Sipan, where the tomb of the Lord of Sipan was discovered. The Lord ruled around 200 AD over the Moche culture, and his gold-laden tomb is considered to be the richest in the Americas. We will travel to the town of Lambayeque to visit the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum where many of these riches are displayed.
After lunch, we'll visit the 26 pre-Columbian pyramids of Tucume. These pyramids were excavated by Thor Heyerdahl (of Kon-tiki fame), who discovered burial sites, textiles, Incan figurines and depictions of reed boats. This, together with goods from far-flung corners of the South America, allowed Heyerdahl to prove that the ancient people of Tucume were experienced voyagers and traders. We'll return to Chiclayo for the night. (B,L)
Day 04 – Chiclayo/Trujillo
In the morning, we'll travel by private car or bus to Trujillo. This city keeps the colonial atmosphere and it was founded in 1534 on the orders of Francisco Pizarro. Optional tour: Visit a local hacienda with delicious lunch and Peruvian Paso Fino horse show.
In the afternoon, we'll head south of town to visit the Temples of the Sun and Moon, built by the Moche Culture in around 500 AD. These 130-foot-tall pyramids are thought to be the largest adobe structures in the Americas. We return to Trujillo to spend the night. Overnight at Libertador Hotel located on the main plaza. (B)
Day 05 – Trujillo/Lima
Take a short tour of Trujillo in the morning, including Casa Urquiaga, Casa de la Emancipacion, Palacio Iturregui Main Square, La Merced Church and Plazuela del Recreo. You'll stroll along the grand central plaza and the streets lined with colonial mansions. We'll then visit the royal palace complex of Chan Chan, built by the Chimu culture in pre-Inca times. This enormous complex, the largest in pre-Columbian America, is divided into nine separate citadels.
We'll travel to the charming seaside town of nearby Huanchaco for lunch, before returning to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Lima. Arrival, reception and transfer to selected hotel. Overnight at selected hotel. (B,L)
Day 06 - Lima/Cuzco/Sacred Valley of the Incas
After early breakfast, transfer to the airport to take the flight to Cuzco. Arrival at Cuzco airport, reception and transfer to the Sacred Valley Full day tour, including visits to the colorful Pisac Indian Market and the Ollantaytambo Fortress. At an elevation of 8,500 feet, the Urubamba Valley, or Sacred Valley of the Incas, is the historic heart of the Inca Empire. It was intensively cultivated with terraces increasing its harvest several fold. Small villages lined the valley floor, while the stone fortresses of Ollantaytambo and Pisac served the dual purpose of providing protection and serving as religious centers. Without the benefit of the wheel, the Incas built massive stone cities and ruled an empire stretching 3,300 miles over some of the harshest terrain on earth. Without the use of mortar, the Inca constructed their cities, suspension bridges, and aqueduct systems, with an engineering expertise that has survived five hundred years of natural disasters, conquest, and modern development. Overnight at Sacred Valley hotel. PLEASE NOTE THE MARKET ONLY TAKES PLACES ON TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND SUNDAYS. (B,L)
Day 07 - Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu/Cuzco
You will be transferred to the Ollantaytambo train station where you will catch the train to Machu Picchu. The 1.5-hour train journey follows the ever-narrowing gorge of the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes town on the way you will see picturesque Andean scenery and traditional villages. As we approach the Machu Picchu Sanctuary, the valley turns into a canyon and the vegetation changes to a cloud forest. Then you'll board a bus for a 30-minute drive up the switchback road to Machu Picchu. Once at the site and after an orientation by the guide, then have sometime guided exploration of the fabled Inca citadel. Situated on the spine of a jungle cloaked granite peak towering some 600 meters above an entrenched meander of the roaring river below, the site is frequently shrouded in misty clouds pierced by the powerful equatorial sun. Constructed from precisely sculptured granite blocks carefully joined with the projecting exposed stone of the surrounding mountain, the site may well be the finest architectural achievement of the new world. After lunch, we'll descend by bus around 3:00 p.m. to catch the train to Cuzco (Poroy station) with private transfer to your hotel. OPTION: Overnight at Machu Picchu at extra cost. (B,L)
Day 08 – Cuzco
We’ll enjoy a guided tour of the nearby Inca ruins including Kenko, the ceremonial bath of Tambomachay and the amazing Sacsayhuaman, a huge fortress of massive stones. We will also take a tour of the city including the Koricancha, temple of the Sun, a nice example of the Inca architecture, the Twelve Angled Stone, the Main Plaza, the Cathedral and much more. Return to your hotel. Free afternoon to explore Cuzco on your own. (B)
Day 09 - Cuzco/Lima
Late morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival, greeting and transfer to your selected hotel. Free afternoon. (B)
Day 10 - Lima
Morning transfer to the airport for your international flight. (B)
| Ancient Cultures & Treasures 2011 10 Days / 9 Nights |
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| No departures on Saturday | ||||||
| Price per person | ||||||
| Class of Hotels | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5/6 | SINGLE SUPP |
| Luxury Premiun | ||||||
| Luxury | ||||||
| First Class | $ 2697 | |||||
| Superior Tourist | ||||||
| Tourist | ||||||
| See Itinerary Hotels by Class | ||||||
What's Included:
- Airport transfers.
- Guided sightseeing as detailed in the itinerary.
- Ground transportation (bus and train).
- Meals as shown in the itinerary.
- Accommodation at selected hotels.
What’s Not Included:
- Flights.
- Meals not noted in itinerary.
- Optional tipping to guides and local staff.
- Airport departure taxes.
- Items of a personal nature (sodas, alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.).