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Old Jan 9, 2011 | 5:33 pm
  #4  
C-Kay
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 77
Here's my itinerary when I travelled to Peru & Bolivia in June 2008. If this can help, it cost me US$1150 (excl air fare)
1 thing that I would change is to spend more time in Cusco for the Inca festival (I think June 24). On that day we went to MP and there was less people there (actually a good thing as we had nice photos and we were able to climb the Wayna Picchu, there's a limit to the number of people climbing the mountain. So, get there early!)

Day 1: LIMA PICK UP - JUNE 21/08
Reception in the Lima airport and transfer to the Hotel located in Miraflores, Lima.

Day 2: NAZCA FULL DAY TOUR - JUNE 22/08
You will be picked up from your Hotel in Lima at 6:00 am, we will provide a driver and a minivan, the ride will take around 6 hours each way. On the way we will visit the Museum of the site. The Maria Reiche tomb and we will stop at the Over view of Nazca. Cut into the stony desert are large number
of lines, not only parallels and geometrical figures, but also designs such as a dog, an enormous monkey, a bird with a wing span of over 100 meters, a spider and a tree. The lines, that represent some sort of vast astronomical pre-Inca calendar, are best seen from the air, we will take a half hour
flight above the Lines (Airfare included), after the over flight we will take some time to rest and we will have lunch (included) before to come back to Lima. Overnight. (B;L)

Day 3 PICK UP / OLLANTAYTAMBO RUINS HALF DAY TOUR - MACHUPICCHU -JUNE 23/08
After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport where we'll take the flight to Cusco, (airfare included) Reception at Cusco Airport and private transportation to the hotel in the sacred valley (1 1/2hrs approx ). We will visit the fortress of Ollantaytambo, an architectural group that in the days of the Tahuantinsuyo empire was a gigantic agricultural, administrative, social, religious and military complex, Ollantaytambo Ruins, and then transfer to the train station to go to Aguas Calientes. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight .(B,L)

Day 4: MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO - JUNE 24/08
Breakfast. From Aguas Calientes Bus Station, you will take a 25 minute bus ride to the ruins of Machu Picchu. Once there, you will have a guided tour, with an English speaking professional guide. Watch the sun rise on Macchu Picchu. The ruins are on the eastern slope of Machu Picchu in two separate arcas: the agricultural and the urban. Return to Cuzco in the afternoon train and transfer to the hotel (Breakfast and Lunch included).

Day 5: PUNO - JUNE 25/08
CUSCO / PUNO (B) (L)
Early (7.30 am) departure by bus to the City of Puno, (3,860 m.a.s.l.). During the trip, we pass by the lovely Wacarpay Lake, offering spectacular views of the mountains reflected in its calm waters. We visit the nearby pre-Inca citadel of Pikillacta, quechua name for "City of Fleas", one of the most spectacular centers of the Wari culture. These ruins consist of more than 700 structures with some walls standing at almost 12m high. We proceed to the beautiful town of Andahuaylillas, and visit the Church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, better known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas, due to its decorated polychrome ceiling. On the way, we stop in Archi, where we can see a spectacular Inca Sanctuary built by the Inca Pachacutec, and dedicated to the great Inca God of Wiracocha. It has a great central wall with a stone base of fine Inca architecture. Other walls are made of giant adobe bricks. The structure also has two circular lateral columns. Around the Temple are several buildings once used for housing and storage. About 70 km further on, we pass through La Raya Ranch where we can see herds of vicuņas and llamas. Then we travel along the high plateau of Collao, stopping at the town of Ayaviri, an important livestock and textile center, to visit the impressive Temple of Kalasaya, ruins from the ancient Pucara Culture. Lunch in a quiet countryside restaurant, where we can enjoy the delightful culinary art of the region . In the afternoon, arrival in Puno and transfer to the selected hotel. Free night.

Day 6: SUN ISLAND PUNO - LA PAZ - JUNE 26/08
You will picked up from your hotel in Puno Peru at 6:30 a.m. Land transfer to Copacabana Sanctuary. You will arrive into Copacabana after about 3 hours. Copacabana is the most important religious sanctuary in Bolivia. Thousands of pilgrims visit every year to admire the Virgin of Copacabana
also known as Native Madonna. Next, you will visit the main square and the impressive Cathedral (1/2 hour tour). You will arrive into the Sun Island after an hour long spectacular catamaran cruise including lunch. This island has been identified as the birthplace of several revered entities, including the sun itself. A source of magnetic energy ,the vertex of the earth, the cradle of the Inca Empire , the Inca couple Manco Kapac and Mama Ocllo appeared here and founded the Sun Empire. During the 2 hour Sun Island Tour you will visit :
-The Inca garden, the island micro climate provides the ideal location for this garden that during Inca times was full of Andean flowers , water and trees.
-The Inca Stairs that was built by the Incas in order to reach the Inca Water spring
-The Inca water spring, a natural water spring with 3 different openings of different tastes, this Inca made water fountain is supposed to be a source of ethernal youth.
-The Sun Island Inti Wata Complex, that contains the largest amount of archaeological items founded in the island and the largest demo variety of Andean flora and fauna available in Bolivia.
-The Sun Island Kallawaya Ancient Ceremony, witchcrafts, natural medicine, art, magic, and millenary traditions are part of the mystic world of the Kallawayas heritage. The purpose of this mystic ceremony is to purify the souls of the Chinkana holy temple visitors, this Ceremony takes place in an
Inca altar at the top of the hill facing the temple and overlooking the lake. You will then proceed back to Copacabana and you will then cross the lake arriving in Chua after about 2 and 1/2 hours of a spectacular cruise. At the Tiquina strait, cars, buses and trucks are loaded on wooden barrages and
ferried across the strait. Two picturesque villages -San Pedro and San Pablo - are divided by the lake. We will travel by bus to La Paz, arriving al 19:30 hrs. and this will conclude all services for the day. (B,L)

Day 7: La Paz - Uyuni - JUNE 27/08
Breakfast. Bus boarding for a 3 hours drive and arrival at Oruro, where we board the train towards Uyuni, arriving there after a 7 hours trip. Reception in the train station and transfer to the hotel. Overnight. (B)

Day 8: Uyuni - JUNE 28/08
Breakfast and visit the Inca Huasi Island, also called Fish Island by its peculiar form. It has lots of caves and gigantic cactus about 8 to 10 meters spread over a lime like surface. After a snack return to Uyuni sighting salt the water ponds; We stop at Colchani where we will observe manual salt
production and processing to iodine salt. Thereafter return drive to Uyuni. Overnight. (B, L)

Day 9: La Paz. - JUNE 29/08
Travel from Uyuni to Challapata by 4x4 and them by private minibus to la Paz. Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Overnight. (B)

Day 10: TRANSFER OUT - JUNE 30/08
Transfer to the airport to take your international flight to Lima (Not Included). (B)

Last edited by C-Kay; Jan 9, 2011 at 5:45 pm
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