Canaima 6 (Caracas to La Paz)

Day 1 to 1

Arrive Caracas

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. Our tour begins in Venezuela’s capital city, Caracas, which is 960 metres above sea level and has one of South America's most pleasant climates. It is a very modern city with an efficient metro system, which goes from our hotel area into the city centre in minutes. Caracas has many lovely plazas, parks, museums and impressive buildings, and is famously the birthplace of the Liberator, Simón Bolívar, whose presence is still seen everywhere. Because of the mild climate, there are many outdoor cafés and restaurants where you can sit and watch the world go by.

Day 2 to 5

Merida

We leave Caracas and travel to the city of Mérida, surrounded by mountains. You will have plenty of time to get to know this picturesque city. Founded in 1558, the city still retains many interesting colonial buildings. In the nearby Sierra Nevada National Park there is an opportunity to take a 2 or 3 day hike through breathtaking scenery culminating in an exciting cable car (teleférico) ride back to the city. This cable car was built by the French in 1958 and is the longest and highest aerial cableway in the world. Please be aware that the cable car is frequently closed for maintenance.

Day 6 to 8

Los Llanos

Our next destination is the flatlands of Los Llanos, a vast tropical grassland plains area which harbours abundant wildlife including a vast variety of birds, capybaras, caimans, anacondas, pumas, monkeys and freshwater dolphins. Most of the country’s cattle also graze in this area living side-by-side with wildlife. The cattle are mostly the Zebu variety, which comes from Brazil and India.

Day 9 to 17

Cucuta - Bucaramanga - Santa Marta - Tairona National Park - Cartagena

Leaving the plains behind we head across the border to the pleasant frontier town of Cúcuta in Colombia, where we spend the night before moving on to Bucaramanga known as ‘City of Parks. We then continue on to the slightly touristier port town of Santa Marta, Colombia's first town, founded on the Caribbean coast in 1525. It was here that ‘The Liberator’ Simón Bolivar came to die in 1830 and you can visit the lush gardens around the hacienda where he spent his final days. The Gold Museum houses a superb collection of pre-Columbian gold and Indian artefacts or you can take time out in one of the scenic open-air waterfront bars. Our next stop is the Tairona National Park, known for its tranquil beaches and pre-Colombian ruins. Here we have plenty of free time to explore the beautiful, unspoilt beachside woodland where you may see iguanas, small lizards, snakes and the occasional monkey. There is also the chance to trek to the small ruins of El Pueblito, left by the original Taironian people. We continue to the historic city of Cartagena, one of the most interesting colonial towns on the continent and where the film “Romancing the Stone” was made. Enjoy a walk along the city walls or wander through the fascinating narrow streets adorned with wooden balconies and hanging plants. There are several interesting optional excursions on offer such as a visit to Castillo San Felipe and the fortress on San Lazaro Hill. Beneath this fortress is a maze of tunnels and there are still cannons in place along the battlements. Also worthwhile is a trip up La Popa Hill to visit the colourful convent with great views over the city. The Bocagrande area of Cartagena is where Colombians come for their beach holidays and it is full of shops, nightclubs and bars. For an excellent evening out you could take a tour around the city by night in a chiva (also known by some as a “booze bus”). Frequent stops are made to see local street performers en route to a local disco. Another optional excursion that can be arranged here is a boat ride to the beautiful Islas del Rosario where it is also possible to go snorkelling or scuba diving around the islands. Near Cartagena is the Volcán de Lodo El Totumo, a mud volcano where you can relax and wallow in the mud, which is believed to be a good treatment for the skin.

Day 18 to 28

Bucaramanga - Villa de Leiva - Bogota - Zona Cafeteria - Cali - Popayan - Valle de Chota - Otavalo - Quito

We return briefly to Bucaramanga for one last glimpse of this pretty historic town and a perhaps try its famous cigars and sample some hormiga culona, a dish made of large fried ants! We then continue on to Villa de Leiva, an attractive colonial town founded in 1572 which has been preserved, with virtually no modern architectural influences at all, as a national monument by the Colombian government. You’ll have time to enjoy its incredible colonial plaza, quaint cobblestoned streets, red-tiled roofs, white-washed walls, beautiful balconies and private courtyards. This is also a popular area for hiking and mountain biking options. We head to Santa Fe de Bogotá, the capital of Colombia with a population of 6 million. The main square - Plaza Bolívar, the Cathedral, Simón Bolívar’s house and the colonial area of Candelaria are all within walking distance of our hotel. You may like to take the funicular to Monserrate for the incredible city views, or visit the world famous gold museum. Finally, a trip to Bogotá would not be complete without an evening out, dancing the night away to salsa and merengue music at one of the city’s pulsating nightclubs. Next we visit the terraced slopes of the Zona Cafeteria (Colombia’s coffee zone) which produces almost half of the country’s coffee. This area is particularly scenic with green valleys surrounded by imposing snow-capped peaks. The area was only settled by the Spanish in the 1800s. You will have plenty of time to explore this area which offers a range of activities such as a butterfly park, botanical gardens and Parque del Café and Panaca, an agricultural park. Ask your tour leader about some of the more adventurous activities available. Next we head on to the bustling city of Cali, the home of salsa dancing and in the Juanchito district you can dance until dawn any night of the week. Next we reach Popayán for our last overnight stop in Colombia. Known as the ‘White City’ because of the colour of the houses which are painted during the commemoration of Christ´s passion and resurrection, this is a stunning colonial city second only to Cartagena for beauty. On our way to the border with Ecuador we will visit the famous Las Lajas Cathedral, a spectacular Neo-Gothic church, built on the bridge spanning the river gorge to commemorate the appearance of the Virgin Mary. Legend has it that her image appeared on an enormous vertical rock 45m above the river. As you walk down the hill you will notice the plaques along the cliff wall placed there by pilgrims. Our next stop is an overnight stay in the dry Valle de Chota. Many of the local people here are of Afro Caribbean decent, with their own traditions and heritage dating back to the colonial period. Leaving the dusty valley we continue to Otavalo. The market offers fantastic photo opportunities and wool handicrafts, and you may also find good quality wood carvings and leather products made by artisans from nearby villages. The next leg of our journey takes us across the equator on our way to the colonial capital of Quito, the first city to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.

Day 29 to 41

Quito - free time

We take a break in the itinerary 12 nights / 11 days to allow you time to visit the Galápagos Islands on one of our Expedition Cruises or to attend a Spanish language school in the city, which we can book for you. Services during this period are not included in the tour cost. Quito is Ecuador’s capital city. At 2,850 metres above sea level, Quito is the second highest capital city in the world after La Paz. It was founded in 1534 by the Spanish and was originally an Inca stronghold. The city is situated in a hollow at the base of the live Volcano Pichincha and the whole length of the city can be seen from atop Panecillo Hill where the enormous Statue of the Virgin of Quito stands. The city has two main sections – the old and the new. The new is the main commercial area with lots of good restaurants and bars, whereas the old city is the colonial area in the centre, with steep calles (cobblestone streets), busy plazas and Indian markets. The equatorial monument is just 23 kilometres north of the city, and also houses an excellent museum that displays clothing, other wares and photos of the varied and colourful Ecuadorian people. You will have plenty of time to explore the surrounding area. On day 41 our tour resumes.

Day 42 to 48

Quito - Otavalo -Misahualli - Amazon Basin - Banos

Departing Quito we drive over the Eastern Cordillera to descend into the humid Amazon Basin on the banks of the Rio Napo, our final destination being Misahualli. There is an optional excursion from Misahuallí where we take motorised dugout canoes downriver to enter the jungle by foot, led by our local guide who gives details about the plants, creatures and people of the region. He will also show us how to find hidden food and water in trees; and even introduces us to the local monkeys! We stay overnight in rustic huts made of bamboo and leaves before travelling on from the jungle towards Baños. Along the edge of the rainforest we ascend back into the Andes along a spectacular route to Baños, a health resort renowned for its hot thermal springs. Besides soaking in the hot pools, there are paths where you can walk or ride horses into the hills, or for the more athletic, there is the opportunity to go bridge swinging, canyoning, white water rafting & mountain biking. (optional). If you’re more interested in chilling out, you can spend your time relaxing in cafés or buying souvenirs or perhaps a massage or try your hand at salsa dancing. This is also the best place to buy beautifully painted balsa wood animals. Moving southward, we visit the Inca and Cañari ruins at Ingapirca, the country's most important archaeological site. The fortress complex has a central platform where the Incas worshipped the sun. The Cañari people built the original structures and you can still see the place where these pre-Inca people worshipped the moon at their temple observatory Cashaloma, which means “place where the stars pour from the heavens.”

Day 49 to 55

Cuenca - Punta Sal - Lambayeque - Huanchaco - Chan Chan - Lima

We continue on to the old colonial market town of Cuenca, Ecuador's third largest city, which was founded in 1557. Cuenca is where the Panama hat originates so why not visit a factory where you can see the entire hat-making process? It is also the place to buy cheap, high quality gold and silver. After the banana plantations in the tropical lowlands, we cross into Peru and quickly the landscape changes to arid desert where vegetation is sparse. We pass through villages with fishermen working with their small hand nets, and onwards through the oil region of the derricks pumping out ‘black gold’. We camp at Punta Sal, a semi-circular beach fringed by sand dunes and groves of carob trees, with warm water and gentle waves for three nights before entering the Sechura Desert, where the barren land is irrigated creating fertile fields of rice, sugarcane and other cereal crops. Today we stop off en route at the Lambayeque Museum. One of Peru’s finest museums, it displays artefacts found at the tomb of the lord of Sipan, one of the richest archaeological finds of the 20th century. Before continuing on to the small coastal town of Huanchaco, where the fishermen still ride the surf in traditional reed boats, and where we offer you the opportunity to rent one of these reed boats for a paddle or race through the waves! It is from here, Huanchaco that we visit the largest mud-city in the world at Chan Chán. Featuring ten walled citadels covering 26 square kilometres, the city is decorated by ‘realistic’ representations of marine life. Built by Chimú Kings, Chan Chán once housed 30,000 people and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While here, we take the opportunity to visit the Moche built pyramids known as Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna (temples of the sun and moon). There is also an excellent museum in Trujillo (optional); the Cassinelli Museum which houses one of the best private collections of pottery (including erotic pottery), as well as a mummified baby in a bell jar. We enjoy another free day in Huanchaco where you can take another opportunity to go surfing, before making our way to the capital. We’ll stop over at Sechín Alto, another important ruin with temples dating back to 1500 BC, with over 500 carvings gruesomely depicting warriors and their captives. We’ll then stop again at Paramonga, a well preserved temple by the side of the highway. From the Paramonga ruins we continue on to Lima, the capital of Peru.

Day 56 to 57

Lima

We have the opportunity to enjoy two free days in this busy city. Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and was the capital of the Spanish 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 where you’ll discover fine old buildings with intricately carved wooden balconies and ceilings, a marvellous place for the culture vultures among us. The Government Palace facing the Plaza de Armas is beautiful in white marble, as is La Cathedral, built in 1555, which also faces this square. You’ll see an elegant bronze fountain at the centre of the square and standing tall behind the palace is the Cerro San Christobal Mountain, from which you can get great views of the city and the ocean. San Francisco Monastery is a must see with its splendid interior, fine and detailed mosaics covering the walls, and the stunningly macabre catacombs with their thousands of bones – this display is certainly not for the faint hearted! With an estimated population of 8 million inhabitants, Lima is a melting pot of Peruvians, so you’ll see a good cross section of the population. Lima has an array of churches, markets and other grand plazas plus an assortment of modern suburbs to visit.

Day 58 to 61

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

Continuing south 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. In neighbouring Paracas, we will travel by boat to the Ballestas Islands the following morning – sometimes known as the ‘poor man’s Galapagos’ because of the excellent opportunities to view wildlife such as boobies, pelicans and penguins. The trip takes us past the giant “Candelabra” figure engraved on the side of a mountain. After our visit to the colonies of seabirds and sea lions basking on the rocks, we have time to sample one (or two) of the finest pisco sours to be found in Peru. Ashore once more, we’ll head deep into the desert towards the Huacachina oasis where you have the chance to try your hand sand-boarding or a ride in a dune buggy down the enormous dunes for an exhilarating ride. The brave can go for a dip in the murky lagoon, which is said to have therapeutic properties. Nazca, an oasis town, is famous for a set of strange parallel lines and geometrical figures etched into the desert floor. Although there is a viewing tower, these giant designs can only be fully appreciated from the air. You can take a fascinating flight (optional) over enormous lines and shapes, which include a monkey, hummingbird, condor, spider and even a spaceman. The designs are thought to have been made by three different groups of people: the Paracas (900-200BC), the Nazca (200BC-600AD) and then new migrants from Ayacucho around 630AD. Other attractions around Nazca include a visit to a gold extraction and ceramic workshops where you will receive a demonstration of their art. On our way out of town, towards Puerto Inca, we visit the incredible Chauchilla cemetery. The sites have been excavated so you can see ancient mummies with skin and hair still intact. We travel along the rugged coastline to Puerto Inca, the Inca port which connected the coast with Cuzco in the mountains. Just five minutes’ walk away are the preserved ruins, 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.

Day 62 to 66

Arequipa - Colca Canyon - Cuzco

We wind our way into the foothills of the Andes to 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, it 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. Enjoy a free day in Arequipa to explore at our own leisure. Our next destination is 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 will see a condor or two soaring out of the canyon from our vantage point, 1,200m above the canyon floor! In the evening we have time to soak in the thermal springs near Chivay, where we spend the night. A lengthy drive crossing the Andean flats takes us to the fabled Inca capital of Cuzco. The oldest continuously inhabited city in South America, the city was the hub of the Inca empire and features a population of around 300,000, mostly indigenous Indians. This marvellous colonial city is situated at 3,310 metres and has numerous churches, some of which were built with recycled Inca stonework, as were many other buildings in Cuzco. The main square is called the Plaza de Armas, which has the beautiful cathedral on one side, which took a century to build, 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. Enjoy a cup of coca tea at one of the local cafes and take your time to acclimatise. There are also many fascinating markets in Cuzco, the most famous being San Pedro where all kinds of textiles and artisan merchandise are sold. Enjoy a day to yourself, wander the streets, visit the many markets and soak up the friendly atmosphere. If you’re in the mood for a cultural experience, take a peek inside the 14th-century Inca palace which was later converted into the city's Museo de Arte Religioso (Museum of Religious Art). The following day you have free time if you wish to visit some of the nearby Inca ruins; Kenko, Tambo Machay and Puka Pukara.

Day 67 to 67

Sacred Valley

On our full day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas we take a trip up to a hill overlooking Cuzco which is where we will explore the ancient archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, which has the largest and most impressive Inca stonework of all. We then continue to the Pisac ruins perched on a hill high in the mountains and visit the famous Indian market of the same name in the valley below. This is a great place to buy textiles, pottery and jewellery and a great place to admire the fantastic view. After some time at both the ruins and the markets, 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. 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 68 to 71

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 forgotten and never revealed to the Spanish conquerors, and 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 72 to 73

Cuzco

After the Inca Trail (or free time) we have two free days in Cuzco where you can spend your time exploring this wonderful artistic town. Of course there is much to see during the daylight hours but once the sun goes down, Cuzco’s lights come on and around the plaza the nightlife is spectacular with bars, nightclubs and every type of restaurant imaginable.

Day 74 to 78

Sillustani - Puno - Lake Titicaca Uros, Amantani & Taquile Islands - Tiahuanaco - La Paz

Time to leave the excitement of Cuzco with an early start, destined for the little town of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The journey takes us alongside majestic snow-capped mountains before reaching the La Raya pass at 4,321 metres. There is a research station, which studies high altitude animals such as llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. We stop at the Sillustani ruins, a small hilltop site on the peninsula in Lake Umayo on our way to Puno. From Puno we visit the floating reed Islands of the Uros Indians and see their way of life. We’ll take a ride in a traditional reed boat made of totora plants, which also form a staple part of the Indians’ diet and medicine. We then make our way to Amantani Island to spend the night in the home of local families. This beautiful traditional island is home to Aymara Indians and is situated in the centre of Lake Titicaca. The following morning we’ll stopover at Taquile, where the men stand, knitting typical woollen hats, while the women tend the fields. We return to Puno in time to do more shopping, Puno is one of the best places to bargain for alpaca sweaters. We cross into Bolivia and soon afterwards, stop at the pre-Inca ruins of Tiahuanaco, which date back to 1,600BC. The site has the famous Gate of the Sun, the Acapana Pyramid with six magnetic pillars and an underground temple. Our next stop is the highest capital city in the world, La Paz, at 3,636 metres. 

Day 79 to 79

Depart La Paz

Our tour ends after breakfast on day 79.