Andino (Santiago to Quito)

Day 1 to 1

Arrive Santiago

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 the Chilean heartlands in the countries capital. Pedro de Valdivia established Santiago in 1541 but not much remains of its original glory, except 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 Constitucion 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 arrive a couple of days early to get the most out of your stay in Santiago.

Day 2 to 7

La Serena - Bahia InglesaCalama - San Pedro de Atacama

The drive north takes us to La Serena, a pleasant coastal town founded in 1544. The surrounding district is one of the most important astronomical centres on earth, with observatories dotted among the hills. While in La Serena you can laze around on the long beach, visit the interesting town or stroll to neighbouring Coquimbo along the bay. In the evening enjoy a barbeque or a night out at one of the many nightclubs or possible a trip to one of the observatories (optional). Following the coast northward we camp by the beach at Caldera (Bahía Inglesa), an enjoyable beach stop. The following day we travel further up the Pacific coast passing by Antofagasta, Chile's largest northern port. We make our way to San Pedro de Atacama in the heart of arid Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world (it hasn’t rained for over 250 years). We visit the Valley of the Moon with its eerie landscape and eroded salt mountains From San Pedro de Atacma you have the option to visit the excellent archaeological museum, housing a good selection of mummies and other ancient artefacts.

Day 8 to 15

Salta - Humahuaca CanyonSalar de Uyuni - Potosi

We drive by way of salt lakes and volcanoes and if we’re lucky we may see pink flamingos and a variety of other wildlife. We travel over the Jama Pass before making our descent into Argentina and 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. 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. It is brilliant white as far as the eye can see, covers approximately 10,500 square kilometres and is estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt! Our excursion takes us to a hotel made entirely of salt and then to “Fish Island” where giant cacti and llama provide perfect photo opportunities. Next we reach Potosí, the highest city of its size on earth at 4,070 metres, with a population of 110,000 people. The history of Potosí, its fame and splendour, and 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 it quickly became the world's most prolific silver mine. The precious metal derived from Potosí underwrote the Spanish economy, particularly its monarchy's extravagance, for over 2 centuries. 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 will experience 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 16 to 21

La Paz- Puno - Lake TiticacaUros /Amantani / Taquile Islands

We journey 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 nearby 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: 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 will 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!! While in Coroico you can have lunch by a swimming pool and admire the snow-capped mountains in the distance. This option can also be done by mountain bike. 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, 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 house of local Indian 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 Island, where the men walk around knitting typical woollen hats, while the women tend the fields. We return to Puno do more shopping.

Day 22 to 23

Cuzco - Sacred Valley

Our journey takes us alongside majestic snow-capped mountains before reaching the La Raya pass at 4,321 metres. Here is a research station, which 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. 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 on 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. This is a great place to buy textiles, pottery and jewellery. We then move down the valley to the temple fortress of Ollantaytambo with its enormous terraces scaling the hillside. Here we will spend the night. Those who are trekking the Inca Trail will have a briefing in the evening in preparation for an early departure the following morning. Those who are not trekking the trail will have further free time in Cuzco and an included trip to Machu Picchu by train. There are also many optional excursions and activities available such as white water rafting, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing, jungle excursions and shopping (make sure you haggle!)

Day 24 to 27

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 28 to 30

Cuzco

After the Inca Trail we have two free days in Cuzco where you can spend your time exploring this wonderful 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 31 to 33

Sicuani - ChivayColca Canyon - Arequipa

We then 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 ravine 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 may see a condor or two soaring out of the canyon from our vantage point, 1,200m above the canyon floor! Out of the high 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, 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 34 to 37

Puerto Inca - NazcaHuacachina Oasis - Pisco - Paracas - Ballestas Islands

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. 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, who took 24 hours to complete the journey. We then journey 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 nearby the best way to see the lines clearly is from the air, as they are enormous. 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 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 (said to contain therapeutic properties). Continuing north we arrive at Pisco. Peru’s national drink, the ‘pisco sour’, was named after this town. You will have the opportunity to try some wonderful local seafood for dinner, and we’ll then stay the night. In neighbouring Paracas, we will travel by boat to the Ballestas Islands the following morning. The islands are sometimes called the ‘poor man’s Galapagos’ because of the excellent opportunities to view wildlife. 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.

Day 38 to 48

Lima - HuanchacoChan chan - Cuenca

On our way north to Trujillo we stop at Paramonga, a well preserved temple by the side of the highway and then further on is Sechín, another important ruin with temples dating back to 1500 BC, with over 500 carvings gruesomely depicting warriors and their captives. We continue on to the small coastal town of Huanchaco, where the fishermen still ride the surf in reed boats. In the evening we can dine in one of the excellent seafood restaurants along the beach. It is from here that we visit the ancient citadels of the largest mud-city in the world at Chan Chán. The vast complex covers 26 square kilometres and was built by Chimú Kings. 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 which you have the option to visit; 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! Next we enter the Sechura Desert where the barren land is irrigated, creating fertile fields of rice, sugarcane and other cereal crops. We will stop off en route at the Lambayeque museum - one of Peru’s finest museums – which displays artefacts found at the tomb of the Lord of Sipan, one of the richest Archaeological finds of the 20th century. Continuing on we visit Punta Sal where we camp on the beach for three nights, to relax and swim in the chilly Humbolt currents. From here we drive a few kilometres to Tumbes, where Francisco Pizarro, the Conquistador responsible for defeating the Incas, first landed in 1532. We leave the arid desert of Peru via Aguas Verdes, where abruptly the vegetation becomes rich banana plantations as we cross into Ecuador and to the old colonial market town of Cuenca, Ecuador's third largest, 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.

Day 49 to 55

Ingapirca - Banos - Misahualli - Amazon Basin - Otavalo - Quito

Moving northward, 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. Onto 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, bridge swinging, canyoning, white water rafting & mountain biking (optional). The less energetic can possibly spend their time relaxing in cafés or buying souvenirs; or perhaps a massage or try your hand at salsa dancing this is the best place to buy beautifully painted balsa wood animals. Ascending back out of the Andes along a spectacular route we travel alongside the edge of the rainforest into the humid Amazon Basin on the banks of the Rio Napo. There is an optional trip 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 huts made of bamboo and leaves. Our next stop is Otavalo, the famous market town. The local population is made up of a mixture of European descent, mestizos and people of indigenous descent, known as indígenas, who dress mainly in traditional clothes. The men keep their hair in long braids down their backs and wear calf length white trousers, blue ponchos, dark felt hats and sandals while the women traditionally wear white frilly blouses with flared lace sleeves and black skirts with layers of gold and coral necklaces twirled around their necks. Every Wednesday and Saturday you can visit one of the best markets to be found anywhere in South America. People come from remote villages to sell their livestock, produce and colourful textiles. The market offers fantastic photo opportunities and wool handicrafts, and you may also find good quality wood carvings, polished leather products made by artisans from nearby villages. Our last drive on this trip is up over the Eastern Cordillera to Quito in Ecuador, the second highest capital city in the world at 2,850 metres above sea level. It was founded in 1534 by the Spanish and was originally an Inca stronghold. It 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 city, the latter is the main commercial area and has all the good restaurants and bars, whereas the old city is the colonial sector with steep calles, busy plazas and Indian markets. There is an Equatorial Monument just 23 kilometres north of the city, which also houses an excellent museum displaying clothing, other wares and photos of the diverse and colourful Ecuadorian people. For our last night of this awesome trip, why not enjoy a last dinner together with your newfound travel friends and reminisce about your great adventure. 

Day 56 to 56

Depart Quito

Our tour concludes after breakfast on day 56.