Adventure holiday Peru
| country: | Peru |
| location: | Inca Trail, Machu Picchu |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | Regular Sunday departures available throughout the year |
| price: | From £800 (15 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $400. Max group size 12 people. We can arrange flights from the UK. All departure dates are guaranteed |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
This is the perfect trip for wanting to discover the real Peru, have some fun and lots of adventure, with a reasonable level of comfort along the way. From the heat-haze shrouded coastal plains to the heights of Cuzco and Machu Picchu, uncover charming colonial cities, stunning Andean landscapes, Incan ruins, colourful markets and fascinating local culture.
Tour the historical centre of Lima, watch sea lions at play on the Ballestas Islands, admire the scenery in picturesque Arequipa, visit locals on the Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca, wander the Incan ruins of the Sacred Valley and experience the wonder of Machu Picchu.
Price includes breakfast daily & 6 other meals, 14 nights hotel accommodation and transport (by minibus, plane, train & boat). If you want to hike the Inca Trail, please tell us this when you enquire.
Tour the historical centre of Lima, watch sea lions at play on the Ballestas Islands, admire the scenery in picturesque Arequipa, visit locals on the Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca, wander the Incan ruins of the Sacred Valley and experience the wonder of Machu Picchu.
Price includes breakfast daily & 6 other meals, 14 nights hotel accommodation and transport (by minibus, plane, train & boat). If you want to hike the Inca Trail, please tell us this when you enquire.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Lima. As the heart of colonial Peru, the historic centre of Lima abounds with churches, palaces and Spanish architecture. Take a guided tour through the streets surrounding Plaza Mayor. |
| Day 3: | Ballestas Island & Nazca. Sail up close to sea lions and penguins on a morning tour of the Ballestas Islands. Returning to land, head into the desert past rolling dunes. Spend time visiting the enormous Nazca desert etchings and wander through an ancient cemetery where 1,500-year-old mummies can be seen. |
| Day 4: | Puerto Inca. Travel down Peru's rugged desert coast. Explore the ruined port of Puerto Inca and hike along the coastline to watch sea lions laze by the sea. |
| Day 5-6: | Arequipa. Take a half day tour of this picturesque Andean city and enjoy free time to visit the peaceful Santa Catalina Monastery. |
| Day 7-8: | Lake Titicaca. In Puno, by the shores of Lake Titicaca, we reach the highest point of the adventure. Head out across the vast waters of the lake to encounter intriguing island communities and spectacular views. |
| Day 9-10: | Cuzco. Travel across the llama-dotted plains of the altiplano to Cuzco. The next day is free to explore this delightful city or to visit the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a massive Inca fortress. |
| Day 11: | Sacred Valley. Discover ancient ruins, wander through vibrant markets and get a real taste of Andean village life in the Sacred Valley. Spend the night in Ollantaytambo, the site of an old fortress town and the best surviving example of Incan urban planning. |
| Day 12: | Aguas Calientes. A morning train winds its way through the steep Urubamba Valley to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Peru's most famous site, Machu Picchu. |
| Day 13: | Machu Picchu & Cuzco. The ancient "lost city" of Machu Picchu is extraordinary and must be seen to be believed. After returning to Cuzco by train enjoy a final evening to absorb the charm of this captivating city. |
| Day 14-15: | Lima. Our adventure comes full circle in Lima. If time permits, pick up some souvenirs at the Mercado del Indios before enjoying a final night in Peru. |
travellers' tales
The combination of the magnificant scenery plus the amazing Inca ruins made it especially memorable. (more)
small group adventure holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places! (more) Because of our small group size, we're able to guarantee departures for all of our trips. Once you have booked and paid your deposit, your trip is guaranteed to go!
highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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We just can't get enough of the Amazon, not only as a jaw-dropping travel destination but also as a global treasure and this trip will help to ensure that the incredibly Amazon Rainforest is here for us to enjoy for generations to come! Our Amazon Fund will help support on the ground projects by our foundation's long time partners Greenpeace and WWF. By booking your Latin American adventure with us you're helping us work towards a sustainable future for the Amazon.
This trip gives you plenty of opportunities to get to know the culture and vibrant history of Latin America. There are numerous chances for local interaction as we cover so much ground using all means of public transport. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn from a friendly local who strikes up a conversation during your journey. Your leader and the occasional local guide will be able to direct you to many local eateries throughout the trip, helping you discover real local fare at real local prices (and probably helping you learn some Spanish at the same time). All travellers are encouraged to explore with the group and on their own, learn a few words of the language and interact with the locals as much as possible. Local guides are employed to help explain as much as possible about the cultural differences and the historically significant places that we visit. This also allows us to appreciate the importance of preserving and respecting these sites and to help us minimise the impact of our visits. There are plenty of opportunities to support local merchants in the markets and stalls that we pass along the way. We can purchase traditional handicrafts from local artisans and learn more about the importance of preserving these crafts. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |