Two countries in two weeks: Explore the Inca heritage of Peru and the natural diversity of Ecuador! Enjoy a memorable round trip through the two Andean countries and experience their ancient Inca culture, colonial cities, breathtaking landscape and fascinating wildlife!
Your 14-day journey starts with a city tour through the vivid Peruvian capital, Lima. You continue to the legendary Lake Titicaca, where you will visit the incredible floating reed islands. Afterwards, you head to the picturesque city of Cuzco with the Inca Express bus. From here, you get on the train to discover the marvelous Sacred Valley and the world famous “Lost City” of Machu Picchu.
After this highlight, you head to Ecuador. There you will explore the diversity of the smallest Andean state with visits to the bustling colonial capital Quito, which will impress you with its beautiful historic center, the impressive snow-capped volcano Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world, and a stay in the tremendous Amazonian jungle. Experience a multi-facetted roundtrip through two of the most impressive South American countries: Peru & Ecuador!
• City tour through the lively Peruvian capital of Lima including a visit to the famous “Museo de Oro” (Gold Museum)
• Romantic boat tour on Lake Titicaca to the floating islands of the Uros Indians
• City tour through Cuzco – the former capital city of the Inca, including the solar temple of
Koricancha as well as the ruins of Kenko, Tambomachay and Sacsayhuaman
• Exciting ride on the Andean train through the splendorous Urubamba Valley to Aguas Calientes and from there by bus on to the mysterious Ruins of Machu Picchu
• Guided city tour through the colonial center of Quito (UNESCO World Heritage Site), including visits to the Parliament of Ecuador, the Plaza de la Independencia ("Square of Independence"), the Cathedral (16th century), the Presidential Palace, the Baroque La Compañía de Jesus Church, the Church of San Francisco (16th century) and the Panecillo Hill
• Ride up Mt. Cotopaxi till 4,500 m above sea level, the world’s highest active volcano; hike to the José Rivas refuge at 4,800 m and around Lake Limpiopungo
• Three-day excursion with native guides through the dense Amazon Jungle near Tena
• Stay in Papallacta including a bath in the volcanic hot springs
Lima - the Peruvian capital
The floating Uros Islands - Lake Titicaca
The floating Uros Islands - Lake Titicaca
Cuzco - the Inca capital
Machu Picchu
Quito's historical center
Mitad del Mundo - the Equator Monument
Mt. Cotopaxi - the world's highest active volcano
Jungle Impressions
The hot springs of Papallacta
Day 1: Arrival in Lima, Peru
Welcome to Peru. You arrive in Lima and are greeted by your English-speaking guide who will take you to your Hotel Casa Andina***. Here you can spend the rest of your day quietly and relax from the long journey.
Lima is the capital of Peru and the biggest city in the country. Every neighborhood has its own history and attractions. Only a few years after it was founded, Lima had become the most important metropolitan city of all the Spanish colonies in America. The city shows that it once used to be one the richest cities in the world by its many impressive buildings from tis colonial history – city palaces, churches, universities, elegant villas etc, and today offers an interesting blend of modern spirit and tradition. (-/-/-)
Day 2: Lima & Ride to Puno
After breakfast, you start your exciting tour through Peru! First, you undertake a half-day city tour through the colonial and modern neighborhoods of Lima in order to get a first impression of the huge city. In the old town you can marvel at the beautiful colonial architecture around Plaza Mayor. The imposing cathedral and the church of San Francisco, the city hall and the palace of the archbishop at the Plaza Mayor are especially worth seeing. Your city tour also leads you through the lovely neighborhood of Miraflores which attracts many people with its several restaurants, shops, parks and gardens. In the afternoon, you are taken to the airport and you catch a flight to Juliaca on the way to your next destination: Lake Titicaca. Tonight, you stay in the lovely Hotel Casa Andina*** in Puno. (B/-/-)
Lake Titicaca
The legendary Lake Titicaca is located on a multiple-basin plateau, known as the Altiplano. With a size of approx. 8,300 km², it is the largest lake in South America. It is situated at an altitude of approx. 3,820 m above sea level, a fact that makes it the highest navigable lake in the world.
Lake Titicaca reaches its greatest depths at 284 m in its northeastern section. Five tributaries and rainfall feed the lake. With 97% of total water withdrawals, evaporation adds to the largest loss of water from the lake. Despite high water levels in the short term, the lake level is declining continuously over the long term.
The Aymará is an Indian tribe which has been living in the surroundings of Lake Titicaca for a long time. Until today, they have been able to maintain their own language and culture, especially their distinctive dances.
Day 3: Lake Titicaca - Excursion to the Uros Islands and Isla Taquile
After breakfast, you enjoy a romantic boat ride across the deep blue Lake Titicaca with its mythical history.
After one hour, the boat arrives at the floating Uros Islands, made of a local type of grass. The islands are unique since their bottom is made completely out of slowly rotting Totara reed. This is why new reed layers are constantly put on top of the old ones. Also houses, boats, observation towers, schools: pretty much everything is made out of reed. Why don't you try a short ride on a reed raft being pushed forward by a man using a long stick? Then you get back on the boat again and ride across the gigantic lake to Isla Taquile, where a short walk of 45 minutes through a picturesque landscape awaits you.
On Isla Taquile there are neither roads and nor cars. Every day, stocks are delivered from Puno. The islanders carry heavy bundles and bales uphill over hundreds of stairs.
The village square is not only the meeting place of the local population but also a football ground and public meeting hall. The population is known for its colorful costumes and, above all, for their knitting men. Then you head back to the port of Puno by boat. From there, a driver takes you to the Hotel Casa Andina***.
(B/-/-)
Day 4: From Puno to Cuzco
In the morning, a private bus takes you across the Altiplano to Cuzco. On the way, you make several stops in order to visit the Ruins of Raqchi and the church of Andahuaylillas, also called the Sistine Chapel of Peru.
Along a landscape, which is constantly turning greener, you will head to the impressive former capital city of the Inca Empire: Cuzco. You spend the night at the Hotel Casa Andina San
Blas****. (B/L/-)
Day 5: City Tour Cuzco – Train Ride to Aguas Calientes
After breakfast, you go on a half-day walk through the ancient Inca capital. Here you visit the Ruins of Kenko, Tambomachay and Sacsayhuaman as well as the cathedral and the impressive Solar Temple of Koricancha. After prostrating and conquering the Inca Empire in 1533, the local population was humiliated by the Spaniards. All Inca buildings, especially the sanctuaries, were demolished and replaced by colonial buildings, especially churches. By bringing in even more pomp and gaudiness, they tried to convince the Indians that the Spaniards’ religion was mightier than that of the locals. After your city tour, you will be taken to the train station. By train (Vistadome) you cross the wonderful Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley, to Aguas Calientes. Here you will stay at the Hotel El Mapi***. (B/-/-)
Day 6: Machu Picchu
Early in the morning you go by bus to the mysterious Ruins of Machu Picchu (2,300 m), the world famous city in the clouds. On this steep and windy path up there, you will be impressed by the beautiful views.
As soon as you arrive in Machu Picchu, your local cultural guide takes you to the archaeological zone of this unique Inca city. Here you are shown to the most important sectors of Machu Picchu. The attraction that emanates from this place is also due to the exceptional location, high between the peaks of the Andes. For more than four centuries the city had been forgotten until the American Hiram Bingham discovered it while searching for the last city of the Inca, Vilcabamba, in 1911.
Machu Picchu
The ruins are situated approximately 112 km north west of Cuzco, at an altitude of 2,450 m between the two mountain peaks Mt. Huayna Picchu ("Young Summit") and Mt. Machu Picchu ("Old Summit"). On three sides, the mountain faces a steep decline of 600 m toward Rio Urubamba, which surrounds the rock in a u-shaped slope. No one knows the Inca name of this old town. Especially in Machu Picchu the fate of the Inca architects to adapt their settlements to the topographical conditions can be seen. There are approximately 200 buildings, arranged on large, parallel terraces around a large central square.
One district of the city was probably the residential area whereas the others were used for religious and ceremonial purposes. In the ceremonial district in the west, "El Torreón" is located, a massive round tower which probably served as an observatory. Furthermore, you can find the main temple, the temple of three windows, the sun temple and the famous Intihuatana. The residential areas are narrow and long. Thereby the space on the terraces is used in an ideal way. There are streets, stairs, small squares and a remarkable water supply system. You can also admire the typical Inca architecture: trapezoidal windows, niches and pegs in the walls.
You dedicate the entire day to this fascinating place, exploring the ruins extensively. After an impressive day, you head back to Aguas Calientes and then to Poroy by train. Here you will spend the night in Hotel Casa Andina San Blas****. (B/-/-)
Day 7: Flight to Quito, Ecuador
After breakfast, you are taken to the airport of Cuzco to fly to Lima. From there, you will travel on to Ecuador (international flight not included).
Welcome to Ecuador! You arrive in the bustling capital of Ecuador: Quito. The city of Quito is surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes and is located only 22 kilometres from the equator. Besides that, it is the highest located capital in the world with an altitude of 2,850 m. Quito was also given the nick name “Monastery of America” because of its many churches and abbeys. At the airport, your English-speaking guide welcomes you and takes you to the Hotel Mercure**** where you will spend the following nights. (B/-/-)
Day 8: Quito City Tour & Equator Monument
After breakfast, you enjoy a city tour through the colonial neighborhoods. Quito’s historic center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The city is considered the location with the largest accumulation of art treasures in South America. You visit the Plaza de la Independencia, the unique Jesuit Church La Compañía de Jesús, and those among you, free from giddiness, have the opportunity to scale the basilica’s tower over ladders – a braveness rewarded with a legendary view over the entire city of Quito!
Then you head to the Panecillo, a 200 m high volcanic hill. Here, you also have a breathtaking view over Quito, and if the sky is clear you can even marvel at the volcanoes Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Cayambe and Antizana. The statue of the Virgen de Quito with its 45 m is also located on top of the Panecillo. You continue to Mitad del Mundo, the equator monument a few kilometers north of Quito. There, you also pay a visit to the near-by Museo Intiñan. In this museum you have the possibility to check and prove your position at the zero line. Then you return to Quito and stay in the same hotel as the previous day. (B/-/-)
Day 9: Cotopaxi National Park
Right after breakfast, you start your trip to the Cotopaxi National Park, which awaits you with an overwhelming view of the imposing mountain scenery. On your way on the Panamericana down south you already cross more fascinating landscapes. The famous volcano Cotopaxi (5.897 m) is the highest active volcano in the world, however it is also one of the most ascended mountains in the country.
After paying a visit to the National Park Museum, you pass Lake Limpiopungo and ride up the active volcano. From the parking space at 4,500 m a. s. l. you walk up to the José Rivas Refuge at 4,800 m. Providing good weather conditions, you will enjoy a truly unique view. After a short side trip to one of the volcano glaciers and a lunchbox, you return to Quito. You spend the night in the Hotel Mercure**** again. (B/BL/-)
Day 10: Ride to Tena in the Amazon Basin
Today, an exciting trip (in a private vehicle) awaits you. You cross the high Andes (at an altitude of more than 4,000 m) and descend into the steaming Amazon basin, to Tena. The Amazon covers one-fifth of the South American continent. It consists of more than 1.000 tributaries and streams besides the main Amazonas river. From there, you continue to Puerto Barandilla, where you take a boat to get to the Liana Jungle Lodge***, where you stay the following adventurous nights of your jungle excursion. (B/-/D)
Day 11: Amazon Jungle
Let the jungle adventure begin! On guided hikes you immerse into the alien and fascinating world of the earth’s largest natural reserve. The Amazon jungle is the world's largest contiguous tropical rain forest and has a biodiversity that has still not been fully discovered. Another secret of the Amazon are jungle tracks being suggestive of an ancient, sophisticated culture that could have existed in the depths of the forests. This unique landscape is home to about 10% of all animals and plants living on earth. Well-known species include more than 400 mammals, more than 1,000 bird species, 3,000 species of fish, 100,000 insects and at least 40,000 plant species. You go on jungle excursions (in primary and secondary rainforests), watch birds and insects, and an indigenous expert explains medicinal plants and the unique vegetation. You also visit an Indigenous family that lets you have a glance into their way of life and culture. You make exciting trips in a dugout, spying out monkeys and other animals. You live in perfect harmony with nature and in the nights you are caught by the mysterious sounds of the jungle. Accommodation in the ***jungle lodge. (B/L/D)
Day 12: Return to Tena & Papallacta
After breakfast, you leave the jungle with many unforgettable impressions. You are taken back to Puerto Barandilla by boat. From there, you head towards Papallacta, which is renowned for its hot springs. The small town of Papallacta is approx. 65 km away from Quito and is located at an altitude between 3.330 and 3.500 m, in a region known for its stark, bizarre Páramo landscape. The hot springs are one of the most beautiful and cleanest in the entire country. They are fed by the volcanoes Cayambe and Antisana, creating a unique water composition. The area is composed of several pools where the water temperature is between 30 ° C and 70 ° C. This sulfur-containing water is enriched with sodium, chloride, magnesium and calcium. Furthermore, it is colorless, odorless and has a slightly salty taste. You can relax in the hotel’s private springs with a breathtaking view on the 5,705 m Antisana. Beside the hot springs there is a Spa-area with sauna or massage treatments (which are not included in the price). Enjoy fresh trout from the rivers nearby in the hotel's restaurant. You spend the night in the Hotel Termas de Papallacta****. (B/-/-)
Day 13: Return to Quito
After breakfast, you can spend the morning on your own. You can either relax in the hot springs or hike in the natural reserve Cayambe-Coca (entrance fee not included). The natural reserve of almost 400,000 hectare consists of so-called Paramos, a heath, which is typical for the Andes, as well as forests, rivers and lagoons. In the afternoon, you return to Quito. Here you stay in the Hotel Mercure****. (B/-/-)
Day 14: Quito – Departure
Today, the time has come to say goodbye. Your guide accompanies you to the airport, and you will take new impressions as well as unforgettable memories back home with you. (B/-/-)
Services Included
• Local English-speaking guides from Lima to Quito
• All rides (partially in public busses), transfers and excursions etc.
• Accommodation in good 2-4 star hotels & hostels typical for the countries as well as a jungle lodge (2 nights)
• Natural guides during rain forest expeditions
• Meals as stated in the tour description
Not Included
• Meals not listed and all drinks
• National park fees and other entrance fees (approx. 30 USD) as well as international exit and airport tax (approx. 45 USD)
• Personal expenses and optional activities
Please note
• Participants must have a valid international health insurance.
• We reserve the right to change the tour program due to force majeure, weather conditions or organizational reasons.
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Ecuador - Peru - Venezuela - 2014