4-week trip of Peru and Bolivia

28 days from €10,530 per person

culinary - ancient civilisations - Amazon - Andes

Day 2 | Lima

This morning, accompanied by your guide, you will visit the main sights of Lima, the city that was long regarded as the most important city in South America during the colonial era. You’ll explore the characteristic districts of Miraflores and San Isidro, catch a glimpse of the impressive Huaca Huallamarca ruins and be taken to the historic centre. You’ll round off this city trip with a visit to the Larco Museum. It houses a vast private collection of pre-Columbian artefacts, jewellery and ceremonial objects, most of which are made of gold.
Overnight stay: Casa Andina Select Miraflores | bed and breakfast

Day 3 | Lima – Arequipa

Today you’ll take a domestic flight to the colonial city of Arequipa. This city is beautifully situated with the majestic peak of the ‘El Misti’ volcano in the background. There is some uncertainty surrounding the origin of the name Arequipa. Various stories are circulating. One of them is that the Aymara people coined the name, as in their language ‘ari’ means ‘mountain’ and ‘quipa’ means ‘behind’. Loosely translated, this means ‘behind the mountain’, referring to the El Misti volcano.
Accommodation: San Agustin Posada del Monasterio | bed and breakfast

Day 4 | Arequipa

Today is a day off. You can visit the Santa Catalina Monastery; this enormous structure is a city within a city in its own right. Also highly recommended is the museum dedicated to Juanita, the ‘Ice Girl’. This mummy of a young girl, dating from the 15th century, was discovered by the renowned high-altitude archaeologist Johan Reinhart on the summit of the El Misti volcano. You should also be sure to take a look inside the cathedral on the central square, Plaza de Armas.
Accommodation: San Agustin Posada del Monasterio | bed and breakfast

Day 5 | Arequipa – Colca Canyon

After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel and taken to the Colca Canyon, said to be the deepest gorge in the world. On the way there, you’ll visit the Andean community of Pata Wasi (literally: ‘high house’), where you can sample the traditional Maté de Coca. This is a type of herbal tea with medicinal properties that is particularly effective against altitude sickness, for example. After this visit, your journey continues to Torca, where you’ll enjoy a magnificent view of the lakes and the Altiplano, with its grazing llamas and alpacas. Lunch will be served in Chivay, after which you’ll be taken to your hotel in the Colca Canyon.
Overnight stay: Colca Lodge | bed and breakfast

Day 7 | Colca Canyon – Puno

Today you’ll travel to Puno, situated on Lake Titicaca. You will be collected from your hotel and set off for Puno with an international group. Along the way, you will be treated to stunning views of the surrounding countryside. This vast lake lies on the border between Peru and Bolivia and, at an altitude of almost 4,000 metres above sea level, is the highest navigable lake in the world. The landscape is truly magnificent. The clear blue lake is surrounded by some of the most imposing mountains in the entire Andes. From a historical perspective, this place is of immense importance. According to legend, the first Inca king was born on the Island of the Sun, an island situated in the Bolivian part of this lake.
Overnight stay: Sonesta Posada del Inca Puno | bed and breakfast

Day 8 | Puno

After breakfast, you’ll visit the floating reed islands of the Uros people. This authentic community lives in the traditional way on Lake Titicaca, having built artificial islands out of reeds on which they live. You will also visit the small island of Taquile, a place where the Aymara people still live in the traditional way. Tacquile is also known for the production of the ‘Sicuri’, a musical instrument that is essential to the folklore of the Peruvian highlands. In the afternoon, you will be taken back to your hotel.
Overnight: Sonesta Posada del Inca Puno | bed and breakfast

Day 10 | Isla del Sol – La Paz

In the early afternoon, you’ll be taken to the sacred spring on Isla del Sol; the water is said to grant eternal youth and a life full of happiness. Lunch is served at the Uma Kollu archaeological restaurant. After lunch, you will visit a small craft market and then return by boat to Copacabana, from where you will continue your journey overland to La Paz. La Paz lies in a valley and is surrounded by the high Altiplano.
Overnight: Hotel Ritz | bed and breakfast

Day 11 | La Paz

In the morning, a guide will collect you from your hotel for a city trip of La Paz. During your trip, you will visit the indigenous market, known as ‘the witches’ market’. You’ll visit various museums that will give you a better understanding of the history of Bolivia and La Paz. You’ll then take a cable car to the higher-lying district of El Alto, from where you’ll have a beautiful view of the city. In the afternoon, you’ll be taken to the Valle de la Luna nature reserve. This nature reserve lies just outside the city and is known for its impressive rock formations, which give the impression of having landed on a lunar landscape.
Overnight stay: Hotel Ritz | bed and breakfast

Day 12 | La Paz – Uyuni

One of our local staff members will take you to La Paz airport today, where you’ll board your domestic flight to Uyuni. Upon arrival, a local staff member will be waiting for you. You’ll be taken to the train graveyard. Uyuni was originally intended to become a major railway hub connecting various cities. Those plans never came to fruition, however, as the mining industry lost momentum and disputes with neighbouring countries broke out. The trains are exceptionally weathered due to the combination of salt and strong winds, which give the massive steel structures their weathered appearance. There are over 100 train carriages for you to explore, each with its own unique design. After lunch, you will be taken to a remarkable natural phenomenon and the Dakar Salt Monument.
Overnight stay: Hotel Cristal Samaña | half board

Day 15 | Uyuni – La Paz – Puno

In the morning, you will be taken to Uyuni Airport, from where you will take a domestic flight to La Paz. Upon arrival, one of our local staff will take you to your hotel in Puno.
Accommodation: Sonesta Posada del Inca Puno | bed and breakfast

Day 16 | Puno – Cusco

After breakfast, you’ll be taken to Puno bus station, where you’ll board your coach to Cuzco. An English-speaking guide will be on board the coach, which will make a few stops along the way. You’ll stop at La Raya (4,335 m), amongst other places, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the snow-capped Andes. Your lunch will be served in an authentic restaurant in Sicuani. Afterwards, you will visit the Viracocha Temple. Upon arrival in Cuzco, you will be taken to your hotel.
Overnight stay: Hotel Quinta San Blas by Ananay | bed and breakfast

Day 17 | Cuzco

This day is free, so you can visit the city’s main attractions at your leisure. Be sure to visit the Plaza de Armas, home to the famous cathedral, amongst other sights. Cuzco derives from the Quechua word ‘Cosqo’, meaning ‘Navel of the World’. It was from this place that the Incas founded their mighty empire, Tahuantisuyu, the ‘Land of the Four Corners’. The entire city centre consists of colonial buildings, constructed on the foundations of the ancient Inca palaces. A good example of this is the Koricancha Sun Temple, on top of which the Santo Domingo monastery was built. Just outside Cuzco lies the archaeological park of Sacsayhuaman, where you can visit the fortress of the same name. It is truly impressive to see how the Incas constructed it; some of the stones are as much as four metres high. You can also visit the underground cave of Q’enqo and the Puma Temple, where an altar for sacrifices can be seen. In the San Blas district of Cuzco, you’ll find a lovely market.
Overnight stay: Hotel Quinta San Blas by Ananay | bed and breakfast

Day 22 | Aguas Calientes – Cusco

Today you’ll visit Machu Picchu. Here, you’ll be shown around by an English-speaking guide. Enjoy this amazing place, where the Incas managed, with very few resources, to build a city unlike any other on top of this ancient mountain peak. From this hidden city, you’ll have a magnificent view of the surrounding subtropical rainforest. This city was never discovered by the Spanish and has therefore remained intact. Much of the Inca civilisation can still be seen in this city. In the afternoon, you’ll travel by train through the ‘Sacred Valley’ to Cuzco railway station, where you’ll be met and taken to your hotel.
Overnight stay: Hotel Quinta San Blas by Ananay | bed and breakfast

Day 23 | Cuzco – Puerto Maldonado – Tambopata

Today you’ll travel to the Peruvian Amazon and leave civilisation behind. You’ll be staying at the Tambopata Research Centre, one of the most remote lodges in the Amazon. In the evening, there’ll be a talk where scientists will introduce you to the ongoing projects of the Wired Amazon Programme and discuss the challenges facing nature conservation. After dinner, you’ll go on an evening walk to explore the jungle after dark. Although many mammals are active at night but difficult to spot, the diverse shapes and sounds of frogs are much easier to observe and offer a fascinating glimpse into the nocturnal rainforest.
Overnight stay: Tambopata Research Centre | full board

Day 26 | Tambopata – Lima

Enjoy your final breakfast in the Amazon, one last moment in the hammock and the tranquil rhythm of the rainforest all around you. On the return journey to Puerto Maldonado, you’ll have one last chance to admire the wildlife along the river. They often seem to appear briefly, as if to say goodbye. Your journey ends with a boat and bus ride to the airport, as you look back on an unforgettable journey of discovery through the heart of the Amazon. Through your visit, you have also made a direct contribution to the Wired Amazon Programme and the protection of the Tambopata National Reserve. Once you arrive in Lima, one of our local staff members will take you to your hotel.
Accommodation: Casa Andina Select Miraflores | bed and breakfast

Day 27 | Lima – Amsterdam

Unfortunately, your trip through Peru and Bolivia has come to an end. You will be collected from your hotel and taken to Lima airport, where you will board your intercontinental flight to Amsterdam. You will arrive the following day.

Day 28 | Amsterdam

You will arrive in Amsterdam today.