Peaks to Desert (Lima to Santiago)

Day 1 to 1

Arrive Lima

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. The tour begins in Lima, Peru's capital. Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and the capital of the conquistadors, Lima has many fine colonial buildings and some of the best museums in South America including the Gold Museum and the Museum of the Inquisition. The "City of the Kings" has much to offer visitors and most of the sights are within walking distance of our hotel including the city's two main squares the Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Martin, both of which have been recently restored to their former glory. The Plaza de Armas houses the Cathedral, Municipal Palace and Presidential Palace where the changing of the guard can be seen every day at 12 noon. There are also many markets in Lima, possibly the best being in the district of "La Marina". You may want to arrive a couple of days early to get the most out of your stay here.

Day 2 to 7

Cuzco - Machu Picchu - Sacred Valley -Cuzco - Amazon Jungle (or free time)

On day 2 our Tucan Travel rep will transfer you to the airport and we take a short flight from Lima and arrive in legendary Cuzco, where you will be taken on an orientation walking tour of this ancient Inca capital. Cuzco, which means ‘navel of the earth' in the Inca language of Quechua, has a mostly indigenous population of around 300,000 and is centred around the Plaza de Armas, which is dominated by the Cathedral and La Compañia de Jesus Church and its cloistered arcades house many fine restaurants, bars and shops. Cuzco has amazing churches, colonial buildings and picturesque streets, many of which have Inca walls, arches and doorways. On a hill overlooking the city stands the ceremonial fortress of Sacsayhuaman, where some of the most spectacular Inca walls can be found, including a massive 130 ton stone. There are also many optional excursions and activities available such as white water rafting, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing, jungle excursions, shopping (make sure you bargain!) and sightseeing. A full day is spent visiting the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Firstly we visit the Pisac ruins, perched on a hilltop with incredible views of the snow-capped mountains. We then go down to the famous traditional Indian market of the same name, which is full of colour and atmosphere. A great place for souvenirs! After lunch, we continue along the valley to the temple-fortress of Ollantaytambo with its enormous Inca terracing constructed on the side of a steep mountain. Return to Cuzco for the evening. 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. If you choose not to visit the Amazon Jungle you will have free time in Cuzco and a portion of your tour cost will be deducted (see our brochure for prices). We fly to the jungle community of Puerto Maldonado, the starting point for our visit to the Amazon rainforest. Here you can pick up any last minute drinks or snacks in the busy markets and shops. The first leg of our journey is by bus followed by motorised canoe, a 35km journey along the river (approx 2 hours total). The canoes are very safe and lifejackets are supplied. Arriving at the lodge located on the river’s edge, you will be allocated a bungalow all of which are built from local indigenous materials. Each room is sealed by meshed netting to keep out mosquitoes and other insects. All rooms have basic private bathroom facilities. Due to the remoteness of the lodge there is no hot water and drinking water should be purchased. There is also limited electricity so please charge any electrical equipment prior to your arrival. In the evening the lodge and walkways are lit by oil lamps. Other facilities include a welcoming reception area, dining room and bar facilities. All excursions are led by English speaking local guides providing plenty of opportunity to enjoy marvellous jungle landscapes and rich diversity of flora and fauna. After lunch we take a short boat trip across the Madre de Dios River to Monkey Island. On the way over you may spot caiman from the boat. Once upon the island it is possible to see a great variety of monkeys such as the ‘maquisapa’, black and white ‘Martins’, ‘Leoncito de la Selva’ (Little lions), ‘Frailes’ (Friars), ‘Achuñis’, ‘Ronsocos’  as well as an array of birdlife. In the evenings it is often possible to enjoy the wonderful sunset, one of the most impressive sights of the forest (weather permitting). We then return to the lodge for dinner. After an early breakfast we will set off on a trek through the rainforest along wooden walk ways. On the way our guide will stop to show you various species of bird and explain the medicinal plants and delicate ecological systems of the Amazon Jungle. The scenery is extremely varied incorporating dense jungle as well as marsh areas. You will see incredibly big trees, several metres in diameter and around 450 years old. There is an opportunity to take a canoe ride drifting along one of the small lakes hidden away in the jungle, observing caiman and the abundant bird life. We may also catch a glimpse of the rare giant otter. Afterwards we will enjoy the view of the lake from our viewing point/observation platform, where you can experience the canopy wildlife such as parrots, guacamayos, toucans, camungos, shanshos, herons, turtles and caiman (alligators). We will return to the lodge for a well deserved lunch. In the afternoon we visit the Gamitana River where you can try fishing or take a dip. (All excursions are weather permitting and itineraries may be changed slightly due to local conditions). On the final day we awake to the sounds of the jungle before departing this jungle haven and returning to Puerto Maldonado for our flight on to Cuzco, where you have the rest of the day free to explore this fascinating ancient capital.

Day 8 to 10

Puno -Uros, Amantani & Taquile Islands

Leaving Cuzco, we'll drive along roads abundant with herds of llamas, alpacas and vicuñas before reaching the Altiplano (high plain) where our journey takes us past hot mineral pools, snow capped mountains and through villages where the Indians sell food, fur hats and alpaca sweaters. At the highest point, the La Raya pass at 4,321 metres, you can see the research station for high altitude animals. The beautiful scenery is continual all the way to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, which at 3,855 metres above sea level, is the highest navigable lake in the world. We'll arrive in time so you can visit the colourful market. We visit the floating reed islands in the Bay of Puno to see the Uros Indian's way of life and ride in a traditional reed boat before continuing our boat journey to the island of Amantaní. Here we enjoy the hospitality of the native Aymara/Quechua Indian families to sleep in their homes, we usually purchase gifts for the families at the port of Puno. The next morning we visit Taquile, where the men stand around knitting distinctive woollen hats while the women work the fields. You can buy some of these unique handicrafts in the local co-operative shops. After lunch we board our boat for the return journey to Puno.

Day 11 to 13

La Paz

We travel across the scenic Altiplano following the shores of Lake Titicaca as we make our way towards Bolivia. After crossing the border we enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains as the road winds its way into La Paz, the highest capital city in the world at 3,636 metres. Built on a series of hills and considered one of the world's most beautiful cities, La Paz was established in the basin of a canyon with the snow-capped Mount Illimani in the background. Our hotel is very centrally located and is just around the corner from the city's colourful Indian street markets including the fascinating and suitably called "witches market'' where bowler-hatted women in their flared skirts sell such items as dead cats and llamas foetuses said to ward off evil spirits. The main square, Plaza Murillo, is also within walking distance. The square still retains its colonial buildings including the Presidential Palace. We also check out the eerie Moon Valley with its strange rock formations shaped by the weather. La Paz is possibly the best place to experience a traditional pena show of Andean music and dance where local bands play time-honoured instruments such as zamponas (pipes) and charangos (ukulele). There are also many optional excursions available from La Paz, you could take in the incredible views from Mount Chacaltaya and the world's highest ski resort at 5,221 metres. Another fantastic excursion is to Coroico, the gateway to the Bolivian jungle region and a great place to see sub-tropical vegetation and plants. En-route you will cross a 5,000 metre high pass before descending to 1,300 metres on narrow mountain roads bordered by sheer drops. The excursion to Coroico can also be done by mountain bike, as it is downhill nearly all the way and very exhilarating, but not for the fainthearted!

Day 14 to 18

Potosi -Salar de Uyuni - Laguna Colorado

Travelling further into Bolivia we come to the mining town of Potosi. The city was established by the Spanish in 1545 soon after the discovery of a rich vein of silver in a nearby hill, the Cerro Rico (or "rich hill"). It soon became the world's largest silver producer and silver from Potosi underwrote the Spanish economy, particularly the monarchy's extravagance, for over two centuries. Millions of Indians, and later, African slaves, worked in the mines in appalling conditions. You have the option to visit the mines, stopping first at the miners market to buy gifts such as coca leaves, dynamite and cigarettes. In the mines we will experience the difficult conditions in which the miners work - including 50?C heat. We'll pass several of the shrines they have made to the "Tios" which they hope will protect them while they are working in what they believe is the devil's territory. If you'd like to learn more of the historic silver industry you can take a tour of the Moneda, a museum exhibiting coins, artwork, mummies and many other interesting artefacts from Potosi's history. Moving on we reach the desolate town of Uyuni in the south of Bolivia. From here we visit what is claimed to be the largest salt flat in the world, the brilliant white vast Salar de Uyuni. Travelling by 4WD vehicles we will spend the day exploring the salt lake and surrounds. First on the agenda is a visit to the Train Cemetery, where you can see the remains of nineteenth and early 20th century steam locomotives - a good place for artistic photographs. We will then come to Colchani, the main plant for the iodisation of salt and the best place to observe the methods of salt extraction from the salar. Here ovens are used to dry the salt, which is then formed into cakes. The highlight of the day is Fish Island. Located in the centre of the salar, 100 km from Uyuni, this hilly outpost is covered in giant cacti amid a flat, white sea of hexagonal salt tiles. The island is so named because it has the shape of a fish. Visiting Fish Island is quite otherworldly and the fantastic contrast of the brilliant blue sky (weather permitting of course) and the pure white of the salt flats will take your breath away. In the afternoon we shall continue to San Juan where we spend the night. Following breakfast we head for the Red Lagoon (Laguna Colorada). We pass through the Siloli Desert, encounter spectacular landscapes with multicoloured volcanic rock formations and stop at other lagoons en route. Covering an area of 60 sq km, the lagoon has a rich red colouration derived from algae and plankton which thrive in its minerals. The shoreline is fringed with brilliant white deposits of sodium, magnesium, borax and gypsum and the lagoon is inhabited by numerous flamingos, three unique species of which breed there. (Note occasionally in the rainy season the salt flats become overly flooded and we may have to alter the itinerary if the salt flats are not safe to traverse).

Day 19 to 22

San Pedro -Calama - Antofagasta

Leaving Laguna Colorada we visit the volcanic zone 'Sol de Manana' (Morning Sun) at 4850 metres above sea level. Here you'll discover a geyser basin with bubbling mud pots, hellish fumaroles and a thick aroma of sulphur fumes. Inside a small crater we will observe boiling lava and we will also stop at hot springs where you can bathe. Crossing a 5000 metre pass we come to Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon) rich in lead, sulphur and calcium carbonate and shadowed by the cone of the Licancabur Volcano. Continuing on we will cross into Chile and come to San Pedro de Atacama in the world's driest desert. The area is famous for its lunar landscapes, geysers, salt flats and hot springs. There is an excellent archaeological museum at San Pedro de Atacama, housing a good selection of mummies and other ancient artefacts and you will also have the included visit the eerie eroded salt mountains of Valley of the Moon. Travelling onwards we'll go via the modern city of Calama, a former staging post on the silver route from Potosi and now a major copper mining base. Crossing over the Tropic of Capricorn we will make our way to the port of Antofagasta on the Pacific coast. The largest city in northern Chile, Antofagasta is beautifully set beside the ocean and in view of tall mountains and boasts a delightful climate. (Please note that whilst a hotel is booked and included in Antofagasta we often have to leave very early for our bus to La Serena)

Day 23 to 25

La Serena -Santiago

We visit La Serena, a pleasant little coastal town and important astronomical centre. Here you can laze around on the long beach, visit the interesting town or stroll to neighbouring Coquimbo along the bay. There are also optional excursions to the Elqui Valley the home of Chilean Pisco and also an optional excursion to one of the many Observatories to get a birds eye view of the night sky. Entering the fertile region of the Chilean heartlands we pass farmlands and vineyards on the way to our final stop, the European style capital Santiago. Pedro de Valdivia established the city in 1541 but not much remains of its original glory. At Santa Lucia Hill where the original fortress was constructed, there are excellent views of the city below. However, for even better photo opportunities, take a funicular railway to the top of San Cristobal where the Statue of the Virgin overlooks the capital and the distant Andes. At this very pleasant viewing area you'll find wine-tasting facilities and a couple of beautifully situated swimming pools. Santiago is a very clean modern city with fountains, parks and imposing buildings. In the Plaza Constitución at the Palacio de la Moneda you can see the changing of the guard on most days or you can take an optional excursion to the port of Valparaiso and the resort of Viña del Mar. You may want to add a couple of extra days on to the end of your tour to ensure you get the most out of your time here.

Day 26 to 26

Santiago

Our tour concludes on day 26 in Santiago.