DAY 1: CUSCO NAVEL OF THE WORLD

Upon your arrival to the airport in Cusco, an Inkayni Peru Tours member will be there to greet you and take you to our partner lodge, located in the charming historic district of San Blas. The lodge is centrally located and only a few minutes walk from the Plaza de Armas, the beautiful and bustling town center. This day will be reserved for resting and acclimatising to the altitude, approximately 3400 meters (11,000 feet). Meet your expedition group at 5:00pm Lodging: Cusco Tandapata Boutique Hotel *** or similar.

DAY 2: SACRED VALLEY (CHINCHERO – MORAY – SALT MINES)

This day we will begin our adventure up to the high plains, stopping first at Chinchero, an important ancient site for the Inca, known as the birth place of the rainbow. We will visit the main site with its picturesque conlonial church located upon the ancient archaelogical site and continue to a local textile center where we will learn about the ancient science of weaving from the very artesans themselves and how they bring to magic these wonderful pieces of art dyed with minerals, plants and seeds. Continuing through the rolling hills we will visit the enigmatic circular terraces of Moray where we will learn about how these constructions served as an experimental agricultural center to selectivly cultivate the best breeds of Andean staple crops at different temperatures.

Near Moray we will stop at the town of Maras to then visit the ancient salt mines, used for thousands of years by local families to supply salt not only to the Incas, but still to this day offering us an example of the natural art of salt harvesting straight from the land. In the afternoon, we will travel to Ollantaytambo and board our train to Aguas Calientes for our visit to Machu Picchu. Lodging: Waman Hotel Machupicchu *** or similar

DAY 3. MACHU PICCHU

Today we will wake early to have breakfast and board the bus up to Machu Picchu, and, if we are lucky, receive the first rays of the sun as dawn breaks and lights up this magical mountain. Your guide will be with you at every moment to inform you about the site and answer any questions. The guided tour through the Sanctuary will last roughly 2 hours, then you will have time to wander as you wish and continue to explore this wonderful other-worldly place. Later we will begin our return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and rest in our Hotel Lodging: Golden Sunrise*** or similar

DAY 4: RETURN TO PISAQ – AWANANCANCHA

In the afternoon we will arrive to Ollantaytambo and continue onwards to the town of Pisaq, offering us a spectacular encounter with the engineering of the Incas demonstrated by mountainsides full of terraces and buildings on steep hillsides and high peaks. As we journey to the top of this mountain the heights will offer us the best views of the Sacred Valley below. Later we will return to the town of Pisaq and visit the local artesan market of craftsmen, complete with products of all kinds, offering you everything from weavings to musical instruments and all sorts of souvenirs. After completing our visit to the market we will aboard our transportation back to Cusco. Along the way we will stop at Awanacancha, weaving center and also an opportunity to meet the Andean species of camels, such as alpaca, llama, vicuña, and guanaco, as we continue to dive deeper into the science of weaving and appreciate this hand-made art by Andean women. Lodging: Tandapata Hotel Boutique *** or similar

DAY 5: OPEN DAY AT LEISURE, TIME TO RELAX IN CUSCO CITY

The Day is yours, you can visit walk in the city or book day tours with us. you can ask for the following day trips to your tour guide or to Inkayni Peru Tours. City Tour River Raffting in Vilcanota River Horse Riding in Saqsayhuaman Park Zip Line in the Sacred Valley ATV’s in Killarumiyoc Lodging: Tandapata Hotel Boutique *** or similar

DAY 6: DEPARTURE TO PUNO (ROUTE OF THE SUN)

In the morning we will depart from the bus terminal and head towards Puno. This is a special journey by bus which allows us to visit the many diverse locations along the way on the route of the sun. There will we planned stops to visit the following: Andahuaylillas: (the sistine chapel of the Americas, this temple is one of the best examples of the fusion between Catholic and Andean religions) Raqchi: A Inka temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha, construction of monumental dimensions, an estimated 100 meters long, 26m wide, 14m high. This is the only known temple dedicated to the God Wiracocha, creator of the Universe. La Raya: Midway point on our journey and highest point on the road – 4335 m.s.n.m.

The impressive views here allow us to admire the rugged high altitude, full of tall peaks, many of which are snow-capped, and herds of llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. This is the geografic border between two cultures, the Quechua of Cusco and the Aymara of Puno. Pucara: This ceremonial center is one of the oldest and most important of the high plains, well known for its lithic structures and tombs. Lodging: Puno Qalasaya Hotel **** or similar.

DAY 7: UROS (FLOATING ISLANDS) – TAQUILE ISLAND

THE FLOATING ISLANDS OF UROS: Our departure to Uros & Taquile Islands starts at 7:30 am from your hotel. We will be directed to a private transport towards the dock or main port. At 7:45 am, we start the trip to the floating islands of the Uros, currently considered the National Reserve of Lake Titicaca – also known as the highest navigable lake in the world. During the trip you will be able to observe a beautiful panoramic view, landscape. Our expert guide will inform you about the existence of the floating Islands of the Uros. At present, the people of the Uros still maintains their own culture and tradition, as well as artisanal fishing, especially the (CARACHI) and the pejerrey. When fishing is abundant, fish are kept dry in the sun. Also they are dedicated to the hunting of wild birds and the collection of duck eggs. There are 75 islands that live today, and every island is well organized. After a long and beautiful visit, you will say goodbye to the Uros. Our next visit will be the natural island of TAQUILE. THE NATURAL ISLAND OF TAQUILE: To get to our next visit in our tour to Uros & Taquile Islands, we will sail by boat for 2 hours and a half, to the natural Island of Taquile, during the navigation you will be able to observe the mountain chain (the royal mountain range). The people of Taquile very cooperative and well organized. It is the reason that the Taquileños have demonstrated their high degree of advancement in the Textileria, receiving its award by the UNESCO. It should be noted that spinning and weaving are mainly done by men, starting at the age of eight. Women only make yarns and fabrics. Life in Taquile is still largely unchanged by modernity. The visit will be an average of 2 hours, and 1 hour you will have to taste a delicious typical lunch. If you would like to support and be a part of this community, you may voluntarily collaborate by buying some of their crafts. By doing so allows this community some means of sustainability and in that way they are able to continue sharing their culture and existence in the times to come. Finally we will continue to make our way towards the city of Puno, arriving at 17:00 hours. Lodging: Puno Qalasaya Hotel **** or similar.

DAY 8: PUNO – JULIACA – FLY TO LIMA

A brief transfer from Puno to the neighboring city of Juliaca. Upon arrival in Lima there will be assitence for an international connecting flight, or if prefered, transfer for a hotel. (End of tour)