CUSCO – PUNO 06 DAYS

Day 1: Lima – Cusco – city tour

Arrival to Cusco in the morning, reception and transfer to the Hotel.
At 1:30 pm. We will begin by visiting Coricancha, the ancient Incan temple of the Sun. Next we
will visit nearby sites such as Sacsahuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay and Puca Pucara
(Quechua for red fortress) finishing the city around 5:30 pm. Overnight in Cusco.

Day 2: Sacred Valley – Machupicchu

8:00 am. We will begin the morning as we descend into the Sacred Valley and visit an interesting
animal reserve called Awanacancha then on to the Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo.
After viewing the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo, we will take an afternoon train ride at 3:30 pm
on the Vista dome train that is very comfortable and has glass ceilings to really enjoy the Andes
arriving in Aguas Calientes around 5:00 pm to prepare for our assault on Machu Picchu
tomorrow. Overnight in Aguas Calientes Machupicchu town. (B)

Day 3: Machupicchu

At 8:00 in the morning we will take a 20-minute bus ride to the Citadel of Machu Picchu, then
immediately begin a complete guided tour of the Inca citadel that will take approximately two
hours. You will then have free time to walk around, climb the Wuaynapicchu Mountain, where one
can experience spectacular views of all of Machu Picchu, the valleys and mountains that surround
it, or visit the Temple of the Moon and the fabulous Inca Bridge
In the afternoon we return to Aguas Calientes. At 3:30 pm we will board the train for our return
trip to Cusco arriving back at the hotel around 8:00 pm. Overnight in Cusco. (B)

Day 4: Cusco – Puno

Tourist bus to the city of Puno passing through and visiting such places as Andahuaylillas
known as the Peruvian Sistine chapel; Urcos- where they celebrate the birth of Inca Huascar, the
last emperor of Cusco; Raqchi- the temple or palace of Wiracocha, the white bearded God;
Sicuani- capital of this province and where we will have lunch; La Raya- Line between the
departments of Cusco and Puno also where the Vilcanota, the sacred river of the Incas begins.
Pucara- remains of an Incan temple and where the sacred bulls of Pucara are crafted. Overnight in
Puno. (B, L).

Day 5: Los Uros – Taquile Island

This will be one of your special days of the trip. Early transfer to the port for your boat ride on Lake
Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. We will first visit Los Uros and their
floating islands, which are made of reeds and inhabited by the Uros people, which live on these
islands of reeds, called Totora. We will walk on the floating islands and take a short ride on their
boats, made entirely from these same reeds. After that we will continue on Lake Titicaca to the
island of Taquile on which there are numerous pre-Inca and Inca ruins and Inca terracing.

Members of this community receive visitors in their colorful national costumes and show them
around the island. There is a cooperative shop on the island that sells exceptional woolen goods
which are not cheap but of very fine quality. Return to our hotel in Puno. Overnight in Puno. (B,
L)

Day 6: Puno – Lima

On our way to the airport for our flight to Lima and 32 kms from Puno are the Chullpas (pre-
Columbian funeral towers) of Sillustani, beautifully set on a peninsula in Lake Umayo
surrounded by stark altiplano. The Chullpas were built by the Aymara-speaking Collas – a tribe
that dominated the Titicaca region before the Incas. Each tower contained the remains of Colla
nobility accompanied by their riches. Grave robbers have since removed their contents, although
the towers are well preserved and well worth seeing. The engineering involved in their
construction is more complex than anything the Incas built. Two of the towers are unfinished: one
with a ramp still in place to raise blocks; the other with cut stones ready to go on a very ambitions
dome. Transfer at the Juliaca airport to catch your flight to Lima. (B)