North and South Peru with the highlights of Peru in 19 days  With Lima, Nasca, Arequipa, Colca canyon, Titicaca, Cusco, Machu picchu, Trujillo, Chiclao

This tour is  leaving only in private tour with English speaking tour leader from 10 persons

Click HERE  for Fixed departure dates with Dutch speaking tour-leader

How do we work?
Our tours are with an English speaking tour leader, he travels all the time with you and the group, he is no guide but after many years working in Peru and Bolivia, he knows what a tourist need!
Or you do in private without a tour leader.
He supports and translates in any problem. He gives you general info in every place, enough info, so you can discover the beauty of this country by yourself, or with members of the group. We promote a lot of freedom and flexibility in our tours, we call it alone in a group, you do your thing with the comfort of a group while the tour leader arranges your excursion or bus ticket.

Kind of tour
This is an easy hotel tour with the 1-night bus for all ages. Open young-minded persons are what we are looking for. Leave your western look home and just enjoy the beauty of this Andean country. Accept that the diferences, we come to admire the country, not to change it!
We use good 3 *** hotels centrally located. We are going slowly to high altitude, so you get easily get used to it, together with coca thee!
With this tour, you have a good idea of the North and South of Perú

What is included?
* All bus transport, and 3 national flights, Chiclayo / lima and Cusco /Lima + lima / Trujillo + 1 train
* All hotels in good 3*** hotels with private bathroom all very clean and central located,
* All hotels are based on a double room, if you are single and don’t mind to share the room with a man or women from other sexes, there is no surcharge, if you like a single room there’s an extra cost and you have to tell us in advance!
* All buses are based on good local buses, sometimes private if written in the program, there’s also a Luxury night bus from Nasca to Arequipa.
* All breakfasts included!

not included
* Your food/ in the hotels is breakfast included
* The entry fees and taxes, like airport tax, entrée Colca canyon, entrée national park on the salt lakes, visitor ticket in Cusco, etc.
* The excursions, everything with the blue excursion in front, below there is a list of all the estimated prices.
* Insurance, everybody is obligated to have their travel insurance from home, before starting this trip.

Highlights
* Chan chan in Trujillo
* Huaca sol y luna
* Lord of Sipan
* The ballestas islands
* The Nasca lines
* Colca canyon tour 2 days
* The islands on Titicaca
* Cusco, the Inca empire with Machu Picchu

Day 1 :Lima
Departure from home to Peru

Day 2: Lima
Arrive in Lima. Someone of South América Planet will be at the airport to meet you and brings you to your first hotel in Lima. There you meet the rest of the group and the tour leader. He welcomes you all and gives a general briefing over what you can aspect from this tour.  The first day free in Lima you can visit Museo Larco, one of the best museums in Peru, also the old center is worth a visit, in the afternoon you can visit Colonial Barranco or walk on the seafront in Miraflores. You can do this on your own or as an excursion on a city tour in the afternoon.
Hotel in Miraflores

Day 3: Trujillo
Transfer to the airport and flight to Trujillo. Ones we arrive we take some Taxis to our hotel in Huanchaco, Trujillo. This day we have the excursion to Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimú Empire, which extended over more than 18 km2. The Tschudi Palace, placed in the southwest of Chan Chan, is one of the most well-preserved and well-decorated palaces. It is decorated with geometric shapes and low-relieves animal draws. You will also visit the ceremonial places, the grain stores, and the cemetery. It is a huge urban complex made of a kind of mud called adobe. The greatness and perfection of this city are expressed in its highly decorated walls, long passages, ceremonial squares, palaces, workshops, and warehouses. There was room for 100,000 people, virtually a city-state. After this, we drive to the pyramids of “Arco iris”, also known as “Huaca El Dragon”, built by the Chimu culture between the 11th and the 15th century and surrounded by a 6 meters high wall. and “Huaca de la luna y el sol “, here the archaeologists still do everyday discoveries.

We sleep in the beach village of Huanchaco

Day 4: Trujillo – Chiclayo – Lima
Today we drive early in about 3 hours from Trujillo to Chiclayo. We do the excursion to one of the most important and beautiful museums in Peru. We charter for the excursion, a minibus to go to Lambayeque. Here are the highly recommended Bruning Archaeological Museum and the New Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipan, where is the magnificent treasure from the tomb of a Moche warrior/ priest, discovered in 1987. This museum has more than two thousand pieces made of gold. The access to the museum is through a ramp, similar just as it was the access to the ancients Moche Temples. On the second floor, you could appreciate a replica of the funeral chamber for a Moche noble warrior called The Lord of Sipan. Also, you can appreciate the ornaments of how they were recovered in the tomb. If you have time left you also can visit the  35 km further the ruins of the 26 pyramids of Tucume.
In the evening we take a flight back to Lima. Hotel in Lima Miraflores

Day 5: Paracas
After breakfast, we have a private bus till Paracas, around 4 hours driving

We have a hotel close to the harbor. You can walk in the harbor, enjoy the seafood, or do the excursion to the Paracas reserve. Hotel in Paracas

Day 6: Nasca

We go direct to the port, for de excursion to Ballestas Islands, it lasts 1 ½ hour by speedboat. The islands are full of sea lions, and birds. In the port, we can relax with a cup of coffee before we go with our private transport to “El Catador “the Pisco brewery. Here we can see the whole making process and taste the Pisco. After this tasting process, we drive to our next relaxing destination, ”Huacachina” this is an oasis in the desert. Here you can do some excursion sandboarding or jeep in the big dunes of sand. Later on, we continue to Nazca, where we arrive in the late afternoon. Hotel in Nazca with a swimming pool.

Day 7: Nasca
Home to the world-famous Nazca Lines, huge geoglyphs etched in the Peruvian desert. The city’s name is derived from the Nazca culture that emerged in the area between 100 BC and 800 AD. The Nazca Lines are ancient geoglyphs etched into the Nazca desert in the south of Peru.
The lines, some over 2,000 years old, have blown away historians and archaeologists for hundreds of years, and even today there is no uniform agreement as to how or why they were created. Spread over almost 80km of the desert a flight over the Nazca Lines is the only way to do justice to these incredible landmarks. As excursion. Around 7.50 am Transfer to the airport You will take a flight over the Nazca Lines. you will board a small aircraft that will let you see several famous line figures, including the spider, monkey, astronaut & condor among many others. After your flight, you will visit as excursion Chauchilla. The area is named after the Nazca civilization that flourished there between 300BC and 800AD. It consists of a pre-Inca cemetery located 28km South of Nazca. The cemetery has exhibits of some well-preserved mummies, textiles, and other artifacts, saved from decay over the centuries by the desert conditions. At night you can take the luxury night bus for 10 h to Arequipa. The bus leaves at 10 PM.

Day 8: Arequipa
You will arrive in Arequipa early in the morning, the white city and its famous historic downtown.
Arequipa is Peru’s second-largest city with a population of over 800,000 people and arguably the most beautiful city in Peru. Situated about 2,335 meters above sea level in the shadows of the stunning ice capped Misti Volcano (5,822 meters).
The perfect place to acclimatize to the altitude before your tours in the Colca Valley.
You can do an optional city tour. We will show you all its charms of the main streets and colonial buildings, where you will visit The Main Square, The Cathedral from outside, La Compañia, a Jesuit’s church and religious cloisters, Santa Catalina convent – which is a city within the city – built on the XVI century and closed to the public for almost 400 years until 1970, and it’s still home of a few nuns. The tour continues to the Church and Square of San Francisco and the local market. The highlight of Arequipa is the 16th century Santa Catalina Convent. This beautiful complex of plazas and buildings is remarkably intact and remained closed to the outside world until 1970. You’ll also get to visit the star of Arequipa “The Mummy Juanita “. In the evening you may choose to dine at one of Arequipa’s many fine restaurants. Try the amazing alpaca steak!

Day 9: Arequipa
On this free day in Arequipa, you will get to relax or drink a cup of coffee on one of the nice balconies on the Plaza de Armas, or as an option, you can go rafting on Chili river, a great adventure or you can take the Campiña tour with viewpoints over or the reality tour. On this tour, you drive just outside the city. The guide tells you about the locale life, how People survive. Visit quarries of freestone known as “cutters”, doing a review on these materials known as Sillar, that was used by expert builders or craft beds that shaped and carved harmonious arches, domes, and facades of churches today appreciate our historic center of Arequipa. The local market and a local dining room. This tour is not to look at how poor people are, but just have a look at the different side of Peru, the real-life! In the afternoon you can visit by yourself the Mummy Juanita, also known as the Inca Ice Maiden, the ice preserved mummy of a small child who was killed as an offering to the Inca gods. The local cuisine in Arequipa is argued to be the most varied in all of Peru and while in Arequipa we encourage you to check out many of the traditional “Picanterias” to try out the local dishes such as Rocoto Relleno
This day is perfect to get used to the altitude! Hotel Arequipa.

Day 10: Colca
After breakfast, you will be picked up for your journey to the Colca Canyon. It is a scenic route 165 km from the city of Arequipa. You will enjoy beautiful views of the Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu volcanoes as you climb towards the Canahuas National Reserve. Along the way, you will pass through Pampas Cañahuas, a plain in the middle of the Aguada Blanca y Salinas National Reserve. On the way, you will stop at 3800m to drink some coca tea to counteract the effects of altitude sickness. As you climb further up onto the Altiplano, you will begin to spot wild vicunas, llamas, and alpacas as well as some interesting birdlife on the lakes. After reaching the highest point at about 4900m, you will descend a little to the town of Chivay. The Colca Canyon is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, although its incline is much more gradual. Here we stop for lunch. After we bring our luggage to the hotel, in the afternoon we will go to the nearby hot springs: La Calera. It’s a 1-night hotel in the small village of Chivay.

Day 11: Colca Puno
After an early breakfast, you will start the journey through the main towns of the valley, stopping at Yanque, where you will appreciate its typical dances exposed in the main square. Then departure towards “El Mirador de la Cruz”, 60 Km from Chivay, the best spot to observe the deepness of the canyon of 11,155 ft deep and 124 miles long, before arrival to “Cruz del Cóndor” passengers can choose for a short walk (45 min.) along a path at the edge of the canyon. Arrival. This is the place where almost always is possible to see the majestic flight of the condors. There is not an exact hour to see them, as many said, you can see them at any time, it depends on luck and patience. We are looking for the world’s largest bird, the majestic Andean condor, gliding on the thermals that rise through the canyon. Be sure to bring your camera! On the way back visit some very interesting places such as Pre Inca hanging tombs, terraces viewer and Pinchollo, Maca, Achoma, Yanque towns. Arrival at Chivay. At 13:15 were you can take some lunch. We leave the guide in Chivay and drive for approximately 6 hours through the altiplano. Hotel in Puno.

Day 12: Puno
After breakfast, as excursion you can go by boat for a visit to the Uros floating reed islands, the guide explains everything over the Islands and the Titicaca lake, after this, we go to Taquile island, where they have their way of life. Today you will visit the incredible Lake Titicaca, situated some 3800m above sea level and covering an area of over 8000 square kilometers. You’ll begin your tour by visiting the fascinating Uros Islands, home to the descendants of the pre-Inca Urus people, who continue to live on the floating islands, which are constructed by Totoro reeds that grow around the lake. It is said that, when seen from the sky, the lake looks like a Puma hunting a rabbit. Uros is comprised of about 40 islands, but the total number varies. Or you can visit the Sillustani grave towers as an excursion. Hotel in Puno

Day 13 +14: Cusco
After breakfast we take around 8 AM our local bus to Cusco, if the group is more than 15, we take a private bus. Are 6 to 7 hours over beautiful road and views over the Sacred Valley, mountain passes from more than 4300mt.  Transfer to our hotel in Cusco.
Optional excursion. You can take the tourist bus with a guide and stops along the road and lunch included. Or the train, this you have to tell us with reservation

Cusco is located in the southeast of Peru at 3,400m above sea level Famously known as the gateway to Machu Picchu, one of the 7 wonders of the world, previously the capital of the Incan Empire. Get to know the city of Cusco, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and possessor of a style all its own. The tour begins at the Koricancha Temple, an old Incan palace and main center for the worship of the sun god, Inti. Once the Spanish conquered Peru, the Dominican order built a lovely church over top of this temple’s foundations: the church of Santo Domingo, which is still there today. Your next destination is the Main Square to visit the Colonial Cathedral, home to finely carved wooden art pieces and impressive altars, and then the adventure continues at the Sacsayhuaman Fortress built of enormous stone blocks expertly shaped by the Incas. It is strategically located at the top of a hill overlooking the city of Cuzco. What a view of the city! The tour continues with visits to three archaeological sites: Qenko, Puca-Pucara, and Tambomachay, important religious and administrative centers for the Incas. In the evening there are many excellent restaurants to choose from in Cusco, just consult our restaurant list.  Accommodations in Cuzco.

Day 15: Sacred Valley and train to Aguas Calientes
This morning we visit the Sacred Valley with Chinchero and Ollantaytambo. In the afternoon we take the train Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, this is the village close to Machu Picchu. There is also a big tourist market and it is much warmer than Cusco because it’s the border of the jungle. You can visit the hot springs.

We stay overnight in a hotel in Aguas Calientes.

Day 16: Machu Picchu – Cusco
Today we will leave early on sunrise to the Machu Picchu ruins excursion. You will start with a guided tour of the ruins for 2 h, in which you will learn all about the origins of this archeological wonder with some free time to explore on your own. Your return train through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Cusco will depart in the afternoon and arrive in the evening. hotel in Cusco.
Early in the morning, you will be transported by bus to Machu Picchu citadel, our bilingual guide will take you throughout the vast ruins for about 2h. After this, you have some free time to wander around yourself. Machu Picchu is the best known of the Inca ruins, as it is recognized worldwide yet it is not mentioned in any of the writings of the Spanish Conquistadors. It believed to have been constructed around the mid-15th century and was “rediscovered” by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911. The guided tour of this fascinating place is an inspiring experience. Visit the Main Square, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Towers, the Sacred Sun Dial, and Burial Grounds.  After the excursion you can walk to Inti Punko, the “SUN GATE” to take the famous picture. Then you drive down by bus to the town of Aqua Calientes where we take the afternoon train back direction Cusco

Day 17: Cusco
Cusco, here you can do many things, this day you can sleep some longer, and in the afternoon you can do the city tour, here you visit the Cathedral, Temple of the Sun, Sacsayhuaman, Cuenca, Puca Pucara, the ruins above Cusco additional you can also visit these Ruins by horse to see the beautiful surroundings of Cusco. It is worth to buy the Cusco visitor ticket (130 soles) for the majority of the entrees to the ruins and museums in and around Cusco. Hotel Cusco.

Day 18: Lima
Transfer to the airport and flight to Lima around 9 AM, depending on your flight back home, you can drop your luggage in the airport. People whose flight home is some later can take a taxi to by yourself Miraflores to finish this Peru adventure on a terrace near the seafront in Miraflores International flight. The tour leader stay in Cusco

Day 19: home
Arrive at Home

General information

People who like to do the very famous INCATRAIL , the 2 or 4 days  (look at this website for the program ) have to make reservation for this ,together with the reservation of this tour. This Inca trail is so popular that it need more than 60 days reservation in advance !

Incatrail  4 days 339 Euro extra a person during the tour

and Incatrail 2 days 269 Euro extra a person

Its also possible to extend your stay with one of our jungle trips to Manu or Puerto Maldonado,before you go home
289 euro a person 3 days Puerto excluding  flights
357 Euro a person 4 days Puerto maldonado excluding flights
The flights we can arrange at local prices

General information
Single 425 Euro Extra
We advice to bring with you around 800 EURO pocket  money