The New Year's Tour in Peru is the ideal opportunity to spend the 2024 holiday season.
Your trip to Peru begins at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima. On arrival, our staff will be waiting to welcome you and take you to your hotel with a private transfer.
The rest of the day is free for you to rest, get settled in, and prepare to begin this wonderful adventure discovering Peru.
Welcome to the City of Kings and to the start of an unforgettable experience!
Breakfast and start of your Lima city tour. Known as the City of Kings, since the Spanish Viceroys resided here during colonial times. The tour begins with a look at Huaca Pucllana in the well-known district of Miraflores. Huaca Pucllana is a pre-Inca archaeological site built by the Lima culture. The tour continues to the UNESCO World Heritage historic center. Visit Plaza San Martín and Jirón de la Unión on the way to the main square, where you can admire the Government Palace, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace. Finally, you'll visit the Catacombs of the Monastery of San Francisco.
End of the tour and departure to Lima airport for your connecting flight to Cusco. Arrival in the Imperial City of Cusco and hotel check-in.
Overnight in Cusco.
Breakfast and departure from your hotel to discover the Sacred Valley of the Incas!
After about an hour's drive, arrival at the Pisaq fortress to learn about the Inca ruins, divided into: Pisaq, Intihuatana, Q'allaqasa and Kinchiracay.
The tour continues with a visit to the Pisaq market, where you'll enjoy local crafts and can try some freshly baked empanadas!
The excursion continues to the heart of the Sacred Valley: Urubamba! Buffet lunch.
Next, you'll get to know one of Peru's most important sites: Ollantaytambo. The village of Ollantaytambo is one of the few structures to remain almost intact since Inca times, and locals still live in the period houses today. You'll admire the water channels, the typical architecture, the agricultural terraces, and of course visit the archaeological remains.
From Ollantaytambo you'll take the train to Aguas Calientes. A unique experience that brings you to the foot of the Machu Picchu citadel. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
Dreamed of, longed for, mysterious, hidden for centuries beneath the Amazon cloud forest… here it is before you: Machu Picchu! Departure from the hotel by shuttle bus and start of the excursion with our guide. Today's visit lasts a maximum of 3 hours, unless you choose to also visit Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain.
At the end of the visit, return to Aguas Calientes and train to Cusco. Arrival in Cusco and hotel check-in.
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you'll enjoy a well-deserved rest. The city of Cusco will reveal its hidden gems. The visit begins in the bohemian San Blas district. Here you'll find street artists, as well as renowned local craft galleries and recognized artists. Along San Blas's little streets you can also try traditional bread, empanadas and local sweets. You'll get to know the famous “Hatun Rumiyoc”, the great Inca palace that proudly displays the Twelve-Angled Stone to every traveler who comes to see it. The tour continues with a look at the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral.
Next it's time to visit the beating heart of Cusco: the San Pedro Market. Here you'll experience the living culture of the people of Cusco. The city tour ends with a visit to the Koricancha Temple. The Spanish built the Convent of Santo Domingo on top of its ruins.
Free afternoon and overnight in Cusco.
Early departure from the hotel heading to the town of Cusipata. Stop for breakfast. Arrival at the foot of Vinicunca, where the trek begins at 4,650 m above sea level to reach (after two hours of walking) 5,080 m. The route is fairly simple, but due to the altitude we recommend taking it slowly. For those who'd like to experience Rainbow Mountain without walking, it's possible to rent a mule from one of the community families. Along the way the view of the Andes is breathtaking, and the spectacle of Vinicunca makes this walk that nature offers well worth it.
Return to base camp and lunch on the way back to Cusco, where you'll spend the night.
Breakfast and departure towards Andahuaylillas. Known as the Sistine Chapel of Peru, the church of Andahuaylillas is one of the many hidden gems of the Altiplano. The excursion continues with a visit to the Temple of Wiracocha at Raqchi. Wiracocha, or the Creator God, is one of the most important surviving examples of Inca culture.
Arrival in Sicuani and lunch.
Afterwards, visit La Raya, the meeting point between Cusco and the altiplano, which from here extends all the way to Bolivia. Finally, visit Pucará, the town of the potters, famous for its little Pucará bulls (“toritos”). A great chance to buy one! According to Andean tradition, these bulls, placed on rooftops, bring prosperity! Arrival in Puno in the late afternoon and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Puno.
Breakfast and transfer to the port of Puno. Start of the excursion to the islands of the indigenous Uros people. The famous floating islands built from totora reeds are a feat of ancient Andean engineering! Afterwards, you'll sail to the beautiful island of Taquile.
Taquile has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage site for its textile traditions, woven into the islanders' daily customs and way of life. Walk to Taquile's main square and the island's headland. Traditional lunch of quinoa and trout, followed by the return sail to Puno.
Hotel check-in and free evening.
Breakfast and departure towards Arequipa. Along the way, a stop at Lagunillas to admire the Andean flamingos. Afterwards, you'll have the chance to sip a coca-leaf tea right in the middle of the Salinas & Aguada Blanca Reserve while spotting vicuñas, alpacas and llamas.
You'll enjoy a breathtaking view of the Misti and Chachani volcanoes. Arrival in Arequipa and overnight stay.
Breakfast and start of the excursion. It begins with a visit to Mundo Alpaca to learn the secrets and traditions of the alpaca fiber textile world, of which Arequipa is today the world center. Indeed, the White City is home to the bulk of the production and marketing of this prized fiber.
Arequipa's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the Plaza de Armas stands the imposing Arequipa Cathedral, probably the most photographed in Peru. The visit continues with the Church of the Compañía and the colorful San Camilo Market.
Next, you'll get to know the renowned Santa Catalina Convent. A citadel surrounded by walls built of sillar, the volcanic stone typical of the city's construction. In the past, the convent was where both local and Spanish elites sent their daughters to become cloistered nuns. The atmosphere and charm found within the monastery's walls remain intact to this day.
Overnight in Arequipa.
Breakfast and free time for one last visit to the Plaza de Armas. Departure to the airport and flight from Arequipa to Lima. End of our services.