Altiplano (Rio de Janeiro to Lima)

Day 1 to 1

Arrive Rio de Janeiro

Day 1 is simply an arrival day with no pre-organised activities, so you will have free time to relax and see some of the sights. On arrival in beautiful Rio de Janeiro you will have free time to relax and recover from your jet-lag, and what better place to do that than on one of Rio’s stunning beaches, such as Copacabana, Ipanema or Leblon. Once you feel refreshed there are many other things to do in and around Rio de Janeiro. There are excursions up Sugar Loaf Mountain by cable car and Corcovado, with its famous Statue of Christ, for great city views. Another interesting excursion is on the old tram system across the viaduct into the cobbled stoned neighbourhood of Santa Teresa. A walking tour of Rio’s historic buildings is also a lovely way to pass an afternoon, or you may like to visit the Botanical Gardens. If your tour departs in February you will also have the chance to experience the world’s biggest party, THE RIO CARNIVAL! Please note: the 4 pre-tour nights during Rio Carnival are not included in the tour price and it is essential to pre-book accommodation during this time if you want to experience the Carnival.

Day 2 to 10

Parati - Bertioga -Curitiba - Iguazu Falls

We leave Rio de Janeiro heading down the beautiful coast to the historic town of Parati, an important port established in 1600, where for two hundred years the economy depended upon the importation of slaves and the gold export trade. Piracy put an end to the town’s gold rush, and the abolishment of slavery in 1888 resulted in a massive population shift and nearly put an end to the sugar and cachaça liquor production that had taken over. Take a walk through this historic town and observe how the stone-covered streets were designed to let the tide wash over and clean them. You have an option to go on a half day boat cruise around the bay with plenty of time for swimming in the turquoise waters and eating the fresh seafood. Travelling along scenic coastal roads we come to Bertioga, which has a beautiful long beach just perfect for swimming and water sports. We now pass through the university city of Curitiba in the State of Paraná on our way. We drive through the rolling hills of southern Brazil passing rich farmlands to Foz do Iguaçu, home of over 275 waterfalls cascading over a frontage two and a half kilometres wide. There is also an excellent bird park, which we visit near the entrance to the falls. We visit both sides of the falls - from the Brazilian side there are panoramic views of the numerous falls and from the Argentine, you can walk through rainforest along catwalks directly above the falls and visit the "Devil's Throat" where fourteen falls drop with such force that there is always a massive cloud of spray overhead. For a bird’s eye view take the optional helicopter ride.

Day 11 to 15

Asuncion -Trinidad Jesuit Ruins - Gran Chaco

We cross over the Rio Paraná to Paraguay and head to the capital, Asunción, a pleasant city with a hot and humid climate. Built on the banks of the Paraguay River, the streets are laid out in the Spanish grid pattern and lined with beautiful trees. Asunción is a good place to stock up on cameras and other electronic items as it’s a duty free port. Along the riverfront are the Government and Municipal Palaces, the Cathedral and a shantytown. There are a few markets where you can buy local handicrafts. Moving south through fertile countryside we camp at Parque Manantial with its surrounding farmland and pristine refreshing swimming pool. Continuing south we stop at the nearby Jesuit ruins of Trinidad. The Jesuits came to Paraguay in the 16th century and built magnificent missions to convert the Guarani Indians to Catholicism. The buildings fell into ruin with the expulsion of the Jesuits from South America in 1767. We cross the Rio Paraná again, this time over the new International Bridge at Encarnacion into Argentina. Our journey takes us through Posadas into the Department of Mesopotamia, hopefully seeing some gauchos (typical cowboys) and rheas (South American emus). We make our way into the thorny scrublands of the Gran Chaco. This is where the Quebracho tree grows, supplying much of the world with tannin.

Day 16 to 22

Salta -Humahuaca Canyon - Salar de Uyuni - Potosi

We pass through the town of Roque Saenz Peña on our way to the attractive city of Salta in the Lerma Valley, which was established in 1582. It has many old colonial buildings, a Cathedral with ancient statues of Cristo del Milagro (Miracle of Christ) and the Virgin Mary, which were brought over from Spain in 1592. Some spectacular scenery awaits us as we head north through Argentina in the form of an arid landscape of giant cacti and unusual rock coloration in the Humahuaca Canyon. On entering Bolivia we wind our way along the dusty roads, some of the worst in South America, passing through Villazon and Tupiza. We travel on to the small town of Uyuni to visit, what is claimed to be the largest salt flat in the world, the Salar de Uyuni. The area is bright white from one horizon to the next and is quite a surreal experience. Covering approximately 10,500 km2, the salar is estimated to contain about 10 billion tons of salt. Our excursion takes us to a hotel made entirely of salt and then to “Fish Island” where giant cacti provide unique photo opportunities. The history of Potosí, its fame and splendour, tragedy and horror, is closely linked to silver. The city was founded in 1545 soon after the discovery of silver in a nearby hill, the Cerro Rico (or “rich hill”). The veins proved to be so rich that the mines quickly became the World's most prolific. Silver from Potosí underwrote the Spanish economy, particularly its monarchy's extravagance, for over 2 centuries. (In Spanish there is still a saying, valer un potosí, "to be worth a fortune".) Millions of Indians, and later, African slaves, were to work in the mines where conditions were so appalling and dangerous that miners died in astronomical numbers, either in accidents or from silicosis pneumonia. During the three centuries of colonial rule, it is estimated that eight million Africans and Indians died in the Potosí mines. Reminders of the grand colonial city are still evident in the narrow streets, formal balconied mansions and ornate churches. We offer you the opportunity to visit one of the mines (optional) where you can experience something of the hardship that miners still suffer. You soon realise that the mines are worked today in much the same way as they were under Spanish rule.

Day 23 to 28

La Paz -Lake Titicaca - Puno - Uros / Amantani / Taquile Islands

Across the Altiplano to La Paz; the highest capital city in the world at 3,636 metres. Just about every building is built on some sort of hill, so sightseeing will literally take your breath away! Our hotel is close to the fascinating Indian markets. One is called the ‘witches market’ because the bowler-hatted women sell dead cats, llama foetuses (these are placed under the buildings to keep evil spirits away) and other strange potions. The main square is the Plaza Murillo, where a president of the Republic was once lynched from a lamppost. One of the evenings here can be spent at a peña listening to locals playing “Andino” music on zampoñas and charangos. Nearby are a variety of non included options. You can choose to visit the Moon Valley with its strange rock formations shaped by the weather. Mount Chacaltaya, the world's highest ski resort is certainly worth a visit at 5,221 metres, the views are incredible! Another exciting option is the trip to the gateway of the Bolivian Amazon, Coroico, where you can climb over a 5,000 metre high pass before descending down to 1,300 metres, passing sheer drops of more than 1,000 metres in narrow one lane mountain roads. This is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who are feeling particularly fit and adventurous it can also be done on a mountain bike. While in Coroico you can have lunch by a swimming pool and admire the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Through the frontier into Peru we are destined for the little town of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. From here we visit the floating reed Islands of the Uros Indians and experience a little of their way of life. We make our way to Amantani Island, to spend the night in the houses of local Indian families. This beautiful traditional island is home to the very hospitable Aymara Indians and is situated in the centre of Lake Titicaca. The following morning we’ll stopover at Taquile Island, where the men walk around knitting typical woollen hats and the women tend the fields. We return to Puno in time to visit the colourful market.

Day 29 to 30

Cuzco -Sacred Valley

Our journey takes us alongside majestic snow-capped mountains before reaching the La Raya pass at 4,321 metres, where a research station studies high altitude animals such as llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. After a very pleasant drive we arrive in the fabled old Inca capital of Cuzco. This marvellous colonial city is situated at 3,310 metres with a population of around 300,000, mostly Indians. It has numerous churches, some of which were built on old Inca stonework, as were many other buildings in Cuzco. Most of the structures you see in Cuzco today were built in the 17th century during the time of the Spanish conquerors. The main square is called the Plaza de Armas, which has the Cathedral on one side and the church of La Compañia de Jesus on the other. The colonial arcades, which occupy the remainder of the plaza are full of restaurants and shops. There are also many fascinating markets in Cuzco, the most famous being, San Pedro market, where they sell all kinds of textiles and artesanic merchandise. Up on a hill overlooking Cuzco is the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, which has the largest Inca stonework of all. This is where the Inti Raymi Festival takes place each year around the 24th June. Nearby are the other Inca ruins of Kenko, Tambo Machay and Puka Pukara. On our full day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas we’ll visit the Pisac ruins perched on a hill high in the mountains and the famous Indian market of the same name in the valley below, which is a great place to buy textiles, pottery and jewellery. We move down the valley to the temple fortress of Ollantaytambo, with its enormous terraces climbing up the hillside. Here we will spend the night and those who are trekking the Inca Trail will have a briefing to prepare for the next few days and there will be an early departure the following morning. For those who have chosen not to trek the trail a trip to Machu Picchu by train is included. The 3 other days are spent in Cuzco where you have free time to enjoy this great city. There are plenty of other optional excursions available including white water rafting down the Urubamba River, horse riding through native villages.

Day 31 to 34

Inca Trail (or free time) -Machu Picchu

Please ask your agent or download our ‘Inca Trail Information Sheet’ or ‘Lares Trek Sheet’ for a day to day itinerary of your trek. The Lost City of Machu Picchu was originally completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed the population, and watered by natural springs. Located high above the fast flowing Urubamba River, the cloud shrouded ruins have palaces, baths, temples, storage rooms and some 150 houses, all in a remarkable state of preservation that will simply take your breath away. The ruins were only discovered by the outside world in 1911, when American explorer Hiram Bingham found them while looking for another “lost city” called Vilcabamba. Due to their isolation many of the buildings are still quite intact and you can’t help but admire Huayna Picchu (“Young Mountain”), which towers above the ruins. It is a hard climb to the top of the mountain (it takes about 50 minutes) but you are rewarded with spectacular views over the whole site.

Day 35 to 37

Cuzco

After the Inca Trail, you have two free days to explore this beautiful city further or see any of the sights you may have missed first time around.

Day 38 to 40

Chivay -Colca Canyon - Arequipa

After we explore Cuzco and Machu Picchu we travel across the Andes flats to our next destination of Chivay where we pass the night. In the evening we have time to soak in the thermal springs near Chivay. The following morning we have an early start for our visit to the Colca Canyon, the deepest in the world. The drive takes us through a high Andean desert, with amazing scenery all the way. We pass ghost towns destroyed by earthquakes and, with luck we’ll see a condor or two soaring out of the canyon from our vantage point, 1,200m above the canyon floor! With wingspans of over three metres these birds make a spectacular sight – it won’t be hard to imagine why the Incas believed that a condor carried the sun into the sky every morning! If you’re very lucky you may see herds of wild vicuñas, a relative of the llama which were hunted almost into extinction for the highly-prized silky wool in its undercoat, but have experienced a revival as they are now protected by law. We emerge out of the high Andes and visit the stunning colonial city of Arequipa, overshadowed by the massive volcano "El Misti". This city has some of the best examples of colonial architecture and the main plaza is quite magnificent, decorated with archways and dominated by the splendid Cathedral, which was completed in 1612. Although an earthquake in 2001 damaged the Cathedral, this has not diminished any of the splendour of this charming square. The other main attraction here is the vast Santa Catalina Convent (optional), a maze of cobbled streets, cloisters and other decorative buildings, it has only been open to the public since 1970 and it is certainly well worth visiting.

Day 41 to 45

Puerto Inca -Nazca - Huacachina Oasis - Pisco - Paracas - Ballestas Islands - Lima

We wind our way out of the foothills of the Andes to the rugged coastline to Puerto Inca, the Inca port which connected the coast with Cuzco in the mountains. A short walk away there are well-preserved ruins of buildings which once stored sea produce for trading with wares brought down from the Andes. In Inca times, messages and fresh sea fish were sent 240 kilometres to Cuzco using a series of relay runners each doing 7 kilometres, taking 24 hours to complete the journey. We then travel inland to the incredible Chauchilla cemetery, which we’ll visit on our way into Nazca. The sites have been excavated so you can see ancient mummies with skin and hair still intact. You’ve never seen a cemetery like this one! Mysterious Nazca is legendary for its parallel lines and geometrical figures etched into the desert floor thousands of years ago. The unexplained Nazca Lines include illustrations of a dog, a monkey, a hummingbird, a condor, a spider and even what looks to be a spaceman! Although there is a viewing tower, these strange designs can only be fully appreciated from the air. You can take a fascinating flight (optional) over the lines and shapes, which offers the best view. The designs are thought to have been made by three different groups of people: the Paracas (900-200 BC), the Nazca (200BC-600AD) and then new migrants from Ayacucho around 630AD. Other things around Nazca are: a visit to see the local techniques of the gold mining families, ceramic shops (optionals). We now head deep into the desert towards the Huacachina oasis where you have the chance to try your hand sand-boarding or perhaps take the ride of your life in a sand buggy down the enormous sand dunes, which is a lot of fun. The brave can go for a dip in the murky lagoon, which is said to contain therapeutic properties. Continuing north we arrive at Pisco. Peru’s national drink, the ‘pisco sour’, was named after this town. We spend the night in Pisco where you will have the opportunity to try some wonderful local seafood and sample the cocktails on offer. In neighbouring Paracas, where we will travel by boat to the Ballestas Islands the following morning. The trip takes us past the giant “Candelabra” figure engraved on the side of a mountain. The Ballestas Islands are teeming with over 150 species of bird life (including penguins, cormorants, boobies and pelicans), are home to thousands of sea lions and boast some amazing rock formations. Although it is not possible to set foot on the islands, you will experience the magnificent sight and sounds of the sea life and maybe even spot seals and dolphins playing around the boat. Back on shore we have time to sample one (or two) of the finest pisco sours to be found in Peru. The busy city of Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and was the capital of the conquistadors until its independence in the early 19th century. Here you will find some of the finest museums in South America, such as the Gold Museum and the Museum of the Inquisition, to name but a few (optional). Our hotel is in close proximity to the main Plaza de Armas, which houses the Cathedral, Municipal Palace and Presidential Palace where the changing of the guard can be seen every day at 12 noon. Those who have the stomach for it can visit the Catacombs below the San Francisco Church, where many thousands of bones can be seen. There are also many markets in Lima, possibly the best being in the district of "La Marina".

Day 46 to 46

Depart Lima

Our tour concludes after breakfast on day 46.