Down to earth holidays

Description

This is an excellent adventure holiday which introduces you to the culture and heritage of modern and ancient Peru. Travel to he heart of the Incan empire!

In Cusco, high in the Andes, your brush with Incan culture begins. This is the historical capital of the Incan Empire. Even today you can see walls made of huge interlocking granite stones which were carved so precisely that no mortar was needed to keep them together. And many of the city’s buildings are built on the foundations of Inca buildings, such as Korikancha and the cathedral. But you don’t just come here for the fascinating past, you also come for the vibrant and colourful present. Cusco is a bit of a ‘mecca’ for travellers, and it is an exciting place to be. Enjoy the bars and restaurants, watch the Quechuan people go by in indigenous dress, and even bump into the odd llama. The shopping here is excellent too, so be warned!

About an hour’s drive out of Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas was probably called this because of its great fertility. The Urubamba Valley (as it is officially known) was the bread basket of the area, and actually still is. You can still see people working the terraced hillsides which have been farmed like this for hundreds of years. It is a very scenic area with lots of small traditional villages such as Pisac, which has a not-to-be-missed market three times a week, and Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo was one of the Inca’s last strongholds, and today it retains superbly preserved ruins.

But of course the main highlight of Incan heritage is the famous ruins of Machu Picchu. A shared tour of the ancient city will undoubtedly be one of the most unforgettable parts of your holiday. Arriving by train at the small town of Aguas Calientes at the foot of the mountain on which Machu Picchu stands, you then take a zig-zag bus journey up to the ruins. The spectacle of this magical set of ruins in this dramatic mountain landscape is enjoyed by some simply by looking in awe, but you can explore the city with a guide to get all the history and hearsay, then come back and just wander around and enjoy being here.

Your last stop is Lima. After the places you’ve just seen, it could seem a little dull. However a private tour of some of the more interesting spots is well worthwhile in the time you will inevitably have here due to flight timings.

We also offer extended versions of this Peru adventure travel holiday taking in Lake Titicaca, or Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, or the Amazon rainforest, or a combination of these locations.

 

 

Detailed Itinerary

1. DAY 1: Arrive in Lima. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel.
   
2. DAY 2: This morning you will be transferred to the airport to fly to Cusco. On arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel which is in easy walking distance of the centre of Cusco. Your afternoon is free so you can acclimatise to the altitude and explore Cusco at your own pace. B
   
3. DAY 3: You have a free morning to relax, further explore Cusco or go shopping. In the afternoon you will join a shared tour of Cusco which will give you some insight into the history of this remarkable town and will take in the main sites within the town such as Korikancha (The Sun Temple) and the Cathedral, and the nearby Inca ruins such as Sacsayhuaman and Tambomachay. B
   
4. DAY 4: Today you join a shared tour of the Sacred Valley. There are some lovely villages in the valley and the main focus of the tour is Pisac which is famous for its traditional Andean market. Market days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays with the biggest being on Sundays. Local farmers bring their fruits, vegetables and other produce, and there is also a big selection of crafts and textiles on the Sunday. Lunch is at a local restaurant. The day finishes at Ollantaytambo. There are some seriously impressive ruins here as well as it being an interesting little village. You are staying in Ollantay’ overnight so you can explore some more after the tour. B,L
   
5. DAY 5: This morning you catch the train from Ollantaytambo to the little town of Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu. You are joining a shared tour to take you around this magnificent city. B
   
6. DAY 6: You have a free morning. You may like to stay in Aguas Calientes or go back up for a second visit to Machu Picchu. In the afternoon you take the train back to Cusco. B
   
7. DAY 7: You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima. On arrival you will be met and will have a private city tour taking in the main sites such as the Main Square, the Cathedral and religious museum, San Francisco Church and the residential districts of Miraflores and San Isidro. You will then be transferred to the airport for your flight home. B

Is it for you?

This holiday is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. Adults and children alike should really enjoy the variety this trip offers. All the accommodation is small, clean, comfortable and friendly.

Best times to go

This trip can be taken all year round. The dry season at Cusco is from April to October and the peak season is July.

Getting there

You will need to fly in and out of Lima. For the purposed of this tour, it has been assumed that you will get an evening flight out of Lima on the last day. Should this not be the case, we can arrange another night in Lima for you. We can book your flights for you.

Responsible Travel

HOW YOUR HOLIDAY HELPS
This is not one of our holidays which helps any specific project or initiative, but we do use small, locally-owned hotels/guest houses.

CARBON OFFSETTING
For every client we take on holiday we plant 10 indigenous tree saplings. This is used as a poverty alleviation and biodiversity scheme as well as helping with carbon offsetting. Read more about The Travel Forest.

GIVING TO GRASSROOTS PROJECTS
Our registered charity, The Tribes Foundation, is currently raising funds for a project in Peru. The kindness of strangers can make a big difference, so if you’re a travel philanthropist considering donating to a worthwhile charity, please consider backing this excellent community project.  

The Sepahua Arpillera project: Arpilleras are three dimensional textile collages depicting life and landscapes of Peru. Sepahua is an area that has an amazing macaw and parrot clay lick used by over 1,000 parrots and over 300 macaws during the high season months of August through October. These clay licks are unique and hard to recover once destroyed, so a Peruvian charity runs training workshops in the art of Arpillera, with the protection of the clay licks in mind. The production of these crafts has created local employment and the community have appointed a clay lick guard who educates people and protects the clay lick from strangers and potential hunters. The project still needs funding but it has the potential to improve conditions for the local community whilst simultaneously actively promoting conservation.

We will shortly have a page with photos of the project on www.the-tribes-foundation.org.

SHOP ETHICALLY
If you support buying fair trade, ethical and organic goods, please take a look at our online ethical shop for books, maps, travel gadgets, first aid kits etc before you travel. This is also a great place to find organic goodies and handmade crafts, many made in the countries and areas that we visit. Shop at Tribes Trading.

For more details about our general responsible travel policies, click here.

 

 

Comments

Trip Code: PE1

Validity: 1-3-09 to 31-12-09

Individual Trip Dates & Prices

2+ people can take this holiday on most days of the year, subject to availability. Please call us to check availability.

1 Mar to 31st December 09 from £1020 pp.

• Prices are based on twin share, excluding international flights.
• Please ask about child rates (if available) and single supplements.
• Exchange rate fluctuations may affect these prices (see our Booking Conditions).

Duration: 7 days

Included
Airport meet & greet, 6 nights hotel B&B, 1 lunch, shared half day city tour of Cusco, shared full day tour of Sacred Valley, shared tour of Machu Picchu with single day entrance ticket, train journey Ollantaytambo/Aguas Calientes/Cusco, private city tour of Lima, internal flights Lima/Cusco/Lima, all airport transfers, entrance fees on included organised tours.

Not Included
International flights, meals not mentioned as included, tips, insurance, visas, items of a personal nature, entrance fee to Machu Picchu on optional second day visit.