| Duration: | 14 Day(s) - 13 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Classic Tours |
Itinerary Brief:
Upon arrival in Lima the capital of Peru we continue to Cuzco where we discover the town, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and of course the famous Machu Picchu. From here we continue towards Lake Titicaca the highest navigable lake in the world where we visit Copacabana and we take a catamaran cruise to the Sun Island before arriving in the administrative capital of Bolivia, La Paz, which is also the highest capital in the world at 3660m/12.010ft.
We continue to the Salar de Uyuni where we discover the island with the giant cacti and the vastness of this 10.582km²/4.086mi2 big salt desert. Still, in the southern direction, we cross the Lipez desert with its volcanoes, Lagunas as well as its rich animal life (Llama, vicuña, alpaca, viscacha, pink flamingos, foxes, Nandu, etc....). We cross the Bolivian/Chilean border at Hito Cajon in order to reach San Pedro de Atacama where we visit the Tatio geyser field, the Laguna Cejar, and the Moon Valley.
From the driest place on earth, we fly to Santiago to visit the vineyards of Concha and Toro before our trip ends.
Day1. Arrival in Lima
Today you arrive in Lima. Upon arrival at the international airport, our team will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. There are no activities planned of today and depending on your time of arrival you might have time to explore the town.
Day2. Lima – Cuzco – City Tour
After breakfast, we head to the airport for your flight to Cuzco. Upon arrival, we are transferred to the hotel and after lunch, we start our city tour where we visit the archaeological sites of the town; Koricancha, the Cathedral, Sacsayhuaman, K’enkho, Puca Pucara, and Tambo Machay. The evening is free to enjoy Cusco.
Day3. Cuzco – The Sacred Valley – Aguas Calientes
After breakfast, we visit the Sacred Valley and all the important Inca ruins in the area. We’ll see the ruins of Pisac with (depending on the day) the market, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo - a superb Inca fortress made of megalithic stones. In the evening we take the train to Aguas Calientes - a small village where all the buildings are concentrated along the railway giving it a “gold-digger” ambiance where we spend the night.
Day4. Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cuzco
We leave at 07h00 or earlier by bus to visit the famous Machu Picchu. After this impressive visit, we return to Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Ollantaytambo where upon arrival we are transferred to the hotel in Cuzco and the evening is free.
The Citadel of Machu Picchu is the most important attraction in Cuzco. It was discovered in 1911 by the American explorer, Hiram Bingham, and is considered to be one of the most extraordinary examples of scenic architecture in the world. In Quechua Machu Picchu means “old mountain”. The Citadel was built on a hilltop that dominates the deep valley of the Urubamba river in the middle of the tropical rainforest. Machu Picchu was both a center of worship and astronomical observation and the private domain of the family of the Inca Pachacuteq.
Day5. Cuzco – Puno
In the morning we are transferred to the bus station to take the touristic bus that goes to Puno. On our way, we visit the church Andahuaylillas from the XVIIth century where we can observe some beautiful paintings. The tour continues through the valley of Cuzco close to the Huacarpay Lake where we make a halt at the pre-Inca site Pikillaqta from the Wari culture (XIIth century) which is partly destroyed.
We continue to the Raqchi ruins where we can observe the remains of the central wall of the Wiracocha temple, which was one of the highest covered buildings constructed by the Inca. We stop at Sicuani for lunch before we pass the Raya mountain pass at 4321m/14.180ft and we visit the thermal springs in the region.
Our last visit is to the ruins of Pukará and we expect to arrive in Puno around 19h30 where the evening is free.
Day6. Puno – Copacabana – Isla del Sol – La Paz
We leave Puno at 06h30 by bus to reach Copacabana. Upon arrival in Copacabana, we visit the Cathedral and the main square before heading to the harbor to board the catamaran. We have lunch on board and upon arrival on the Sun Island, we visit the Inca Garden, the Inca stairs, and the Inca fountain. We embark on a typical Totora boat to visit the Inca palace Pilkokaina before returning to the catamaran which will bring us to the harbor in Chua not far from Huatajata. Here our bus will be waiting to bring us to La Paz where the evening is free.
Day7. La Paz - Uyuni – Colchani – Salar de Uyuni – Incahuasi – Cueva de las Galaxias – San Pedro de Quemez
In the morning we are transferred to the airport for our flight to Uyuni. Upon arrival in Uyuni, our first stop will be the locomotive cemetery which is a vestige of more prosperous times. From here we continue to Colchani which is a small village situated on the edge of the Salar and whose inhabitants live from salt exploitation.
In Colchani we discover how the salt is processed manually and we visit the small salt boutique, which also serves as a museum, where we can see large salt carvings and other objects (pottery, jewelry, tools, etc.). After this impressive visit with the craftsmen on the top of the world we enter the famous Salar de Uyuni; the biggest salt desert in the world with an acreage of 10.582km²/4.086mi2.
One of the particularities of the Uyuni Salt Flat is that it contains a reserve of 9 million tonnes of Lithium which represents 40% of world production.
We head to the Island Incahuasi which mistakenly is better known as the Fisherman’s Island. This geological formation is a remnant of petrified coral and is covered in giant cacti that can get up to 12m/39.37ft high. From the top of the island, we have a wonderful 360° view of the Salar de Uyuni.
After lunch, our journey continues in the direction of Puerto Chuvica. We have the possibility to visit the “Cueva de las Galaxias” which is a strange phenomenon of fossil algae that reminds us that the ocean was present here all the way to Oruro. In the adjacent cave, we can observe the Chullpares which are Inca funerary remains.
We climb to the viewpoint from where we have an unobstructed view of the desert and if we take a closer look we can also observe the fossil coral that once was part of an impressive coral barrier. After this impressive visit, we continue to San Pedro de Quemez situated at the doors of the Lipez desert. We arrive at San Pedro de Quemez around 16h00 and the evening is free.*
*Depending on the season and the weather the itinerary will change and there are some sights that are not accessible at all times!
Day8. San Pedro de Quemez – Salar de Chiguana – Ollagüe Volcano – Siloli Desert – Ruta de las Joyas Alto Andinas (Lagunas Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiar Khota, Honda et Ramaditas) – Stone Tree - Reserva Nacional de la Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa - Ojo de Perdiz
We continue our tour of south Bolivia and from Puerto Chuvica we pass the Uyuni – Ollague railway, which is the property of the FCA (Empresa Ferroviaria Andina), before crossing the Salar de Chiguana. We observe the still active volcano Ollague and even from far we can see its fumarole. We follow the famous Jewel Route which is composed of the Lagunas Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiar Khota, Honda, and Ramadita.
Today we also visit the Stone Tree (please refrain from climbing on the rock) planted in the middle of the Siloli desert and at the end of the day, we enter the Reserva Nacional de la Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa where we arrive at the Laguna Colorada. This Alto Andina Laguna gets its name because of the red color which is caused by microscopic shellfish which is the principal nutriment of the rose flamingos that live in this area.
Due to climate changes (lack of rain) and the high evaporation of the Altiplanic basin the water level of the region Lagunas is reduced rapidly which year after year also reduces the population of the flamingos. Mid-afternoon we leave to get installed in our hotel Ojo de Perdiz and the evening is free.*
*Depending on the season and the weather the itinerary will change and there are some sights that are not accessible at all times!
Day9. Ojo de Perdiz - Laguna Colorada – Geyser de Sol de Mañana – Polques Thermal Spring – Dali Desert – Laguna Verde – Licancahur (5971m/19.590ft) – San Pedro de Atacama
Our tour continues in the southern direction to the Laguna Verde – one of the most southern points in Bolivia. We leave the Laguna Colorada in order to go even deeper into the Reserva Nacional de la Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa. We visit the boiling geysers of Sol de Mañana which is an impressive geothermal field with pits of boiling mud and strong smells of sulfur. Our tour continues in the direction of the thermal bath of Polques, a natural source of hot water where we have the possibility to go for a swim.
We continue through the South Lipez and we observe the “Damas del Desierto” which are enormous rocks planted in this barren landscape and carved by the wind and weather over the years. We also cross the Dali Desert, which was named in reverence to the Catalan artist because of the resemblance of the landscape with the unreal yet natural colors to the masters’ work.
We continue to the Laguna Verde and Blanca at the foot of the Licancahur where we stop to take a few pictures. The Laguna Verde gets its green color from the high concentration of lead, arsenic sulfur, and calcium – please refrain from bathing;-) From the Laguna Verde continue south to the Bolivian/Chilean border at Hito Cajon. After the border formalities, we continue to San Pedro de Atacama where the rest of the day is free.*
*Depending on the season and the weather the itinerary will change and there are some sights that are not accessible at all times!
Day10. San Pedro de Atacama – Tatio – Laguna Cejar – San Pedro de Atacama
We leave very early to visit the enormous geyser field “Los Géiseres del Tatio”. With over 80 active geysers it is the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere. We have breakfast on the site before heading back to San Pedro de Atacama by the village Machuca.
In the afternoon we visit the Laguna Cejar which with a salt concentration of over 40% (more than the dead sea) makes people float automatically. We return to San Pedro de Atacama and the evening is free.*
Day11. San Pedro de Atacama – Moon Valley - San Pedro de Atacama
The morning is free and we suggest you visit the archeological site Pukará de Quitor which is an impressive pre-Columbian stone fortress that was declared a national monument in 1982, just outside San Pedro de Atacama. In the afternoon we visit the Valle de la Luna which was created through the centuries by floods and winds giving it an extraordinary color and texture.
The valley is also considered one of the driest places on earth, as some areas have not received a single drop of rain in hundreds of years!! We return to San Pedro de Atacama and the rest of the evening is free.*
Day12. San Pedro de Atacama – Calama - Santiago de Chile
We transfer to the airport in Calama to take the flight Calama – Santiago. Upon arrival in Santiago, our team will be waiting to transfer you to the hotel and the rest of the day is free.
Day13. Santiago – Concha and Toro - Santiago de Chile
Chilean wine is known worldwide and it would be a shame not to discover the making of one or more of the most prestigious Chilean wines during your stay in South America. We visit the vineyard of Concha y Toro in the Maipo valley only about an hour from Santiago and of course we have the possibility to taste some of the fabulous wines. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the last moments on the South American continent.
Day14. Santiago Departure
According to your time of departure, you are transferred from the hotel to the airport. For international flights, it is recommended to arrive at the airport 3 hours before scheduled departure. End of our services
Important: The itinerary can change as a result of weather conditions and some sights are not accessible at all times – Lipiko Tours cannot be held responsible for any changes in itinerary and sights not visited as a result.
*If you wish to climb the Huayna Potosi the request has to be made at the time of reservation. Even if the request is made we can’t guarantee that there are places left (access is limited). If there are places allow for approx. 18 USD per person for the entrance fee.
General Information
Highlights: Lima, Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Puno, Lake Titicaca, Copacabana, Sun Island, Salar de Uyuni, South Lipez, Laguna Colorada, San Pedro de Atacama, Geyser de Tatio, Moon Valley, Concha y Toro, Santiago
Support Team: English speaking tour leader for the entire tour for groups of 4 people or more. For smaller groups, it is possible to book this tour without a tour leader. Instead, you would have guided visits with a local guide in your chosen language. Please contact us directly to receive a personalized quote.
Guaranteed departure: from 4 people
Group size: 4 to 12 people
Flights: Prices are valid only in certain tourist/economy classes which serve this destination. Therefore prices are subject to changes in case of unavailability at the time of reservation.
- National flight Peru; Lima - Cuzco
- National flight Bolivia; La Paz - Uyuni
- National flight Chile; Calama - Santiago
Accommodation: 11 nights in a hotel/hostel and 2 nights in the shelter (South Lipez)
Porterage: Your luggage will be transported either by plane, car, boat, or bus. You will have to carry the personal belongings (camera, water, etc.) which you need during the day.
Tour Leader: In groups of 4 to 12 people you will be accompanied by a tour leader in the chosen language. His role is to make sure that everything goes smoothly during the tour and that each individual and the group as a whole are safe. Don’t hesitate to ask him if you are unsure of anything and, very importantly, to follow his advice.
Included in the price:
- Water and land transfers as indicated in the program
- Accommodation in hotel/hostel in double rooms, Ecolodge, shelter, homestay, camping, bus, and plane as indicated in the program: 11 nights in hotel/hostel and 2 nights in a shelter
- Meals as mentioned in the program
- The assistance of specialized local English speaking guides, their fees, and expenses
- The assistance of our local teams; driver(s) and logistics department (24/7)
- Visits as outlined in the program
- National flight Peru Lima – Cuzco
- National flight Bolivia La Paz – Uyuni
- National flight Chile Calama – Santiago
Not included in the price:
- Entrance fees to sites visited, national parks and museums as indicated in the program (allow for approx. 288 Nuevos soles (Peruvian national currency) in Peru and 269 bolivianos (Bolivian national currency) in Bolivia per person and 18.000 Chilean pesos (national currency in Chile) in Chile – this is an estimate and actual prices may vary)
- Immigration fee for border crossing Bolivia – Chile (allow for approx. 15 bolivianos (Bolivian national currency) per person – this is an estimate and actual prices may vary)
- Meals not mentioned, drinks, tips, individual equipment, everything not mentioned in “included in the price” and all personal expenses
- Individual obligatory personal travel insurance (this could be included with your credit card – please check with your credit card provider)
- The supplement for a single room: 320 USD (subject to availability, must be reserved and paid upon reservation). Attention; no single room available for the nights with accommodation in shelter, homestay, and camping.
- Possible visa expenses
- International flights
