Peru: Ancient Inca Culture

This trip brings together all the main locations for which it is worth going to Peru! We will visit Machu Picchu and the twin city of Choquequirao. And if Machu Picchu does not need to be presented in a special way, then we will tell about Choquequirao in more detail. This city usually goes unnoticed, but in vain! The second largest city in the Inca civilization, perfectly cleared of perennial vegetation, where we can walk through all the streets and enter the houses of the Incas without a time limit or ten kova of other tourists around. And then we will go to the symbol of Peru - Machu Picchu! In addition, for a whole week we go where the Incas went, see their defenses, camp on the ancient terraces, in short, the whole track repeats their way of life. Somewhere along these paths, they fought the conquistadors, who came hundreds and thousands of kilometers away to enslave an ancient unique civilization.

• We will plunge into the world of the ancient Inca community
• We will go on the track at once to two ancient Inca cities lost in the mountains: Machu Picchu and Choquequirao.
• Dinner with llama steak and try other gastronomic delights of Peruvian cuisine
• Walk through the real jungle with a local guide
• We spend the night on the floating islands of Uros with local tribes
• Climb the Rainbow Mountains, recognized as a new wonder of the world
• Explore the shores of Lake Titicaca, where, according to legend, the Inca civilization was born.
• We will overcome the Yanama Pass, which offers a breathtaking view of the Inca Valley.
• Walk through the streets of the ancient city of Arequipo, which is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Peru
• We will end the journey by helicopter over the incredible Nazca lines.

Peru Travel Program: Ancient Inca Culture

Day 1. Arriving in Cusco. If your flight is early enough, we will visit the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, visit a couple of museums and walk through the streets of the ancient city of conquistadors. But in any case, we will have dinner in the restaurant on the central square of the historic center overlooking the cathedral with the opportunity to try the national dish “Cuy” or llama steak and the group will be instructed. Hotel night.

Day 2. The beginning of trekking Choquequirao – Machu Picchu. Prepare to travel back hundreds of years, leaving the modern world and all your worries behind. Imagine a way of life where more importance was attached to the community, where there was a deep love and respect for Mother Nature or Pachamama.

Day 3. Cusco, Capulilla, Chiquisca. We will begin our adventure with a not the brightest landscape of wooded hills, after a slight ascent in the heat, we will find a huge descent surrounded by giant cacti, surprising with their huge flowers. At the bottom of the canyon, we have an abandoned camp, we used to stay here, but now there is no water, so today we have to go further. After some ascent, we come to camp, a night in tents on the grounds of a local family house lost in the jungle.

Day 4 Chiquisca - Playa Rosalinas - Santa Rosa - Marampata. We will continue to the deepest part of the valley, from where we will begin the climb to the village of Marampata, where we will establish our next camp. Enjoy the amazing scenery of this area – we call these slopes “vertical land”. And the truth is that there are no rocks, but the slopes are incredibly steep, and the locals somehow manage to cultivate corn and other crops here, while on the same slopes climbers usually already hang insurance. Night in the tent.

Day 5. Marampata - Choquequirao - Pinchaunuyok. On this day we will wake up early to meet the sunrise and explore the fortress of the Incas Choquequirao - in Spanish "golden cradle", discovered in 1710. Choquequirao is a 15th-16th century settlement associated with the Inca Empire, or more specifically the Tahuantinsuyo Empire. The place had two main stages of development. This can be explained by the fact that Pachacutek founded Choquequirao, and his son Tupac Inca Yupanchi rebuilt and expanded it after becoming the Sapa Inca (Major Inca). Choquequirao is located in what was considered the possession of Pachacuteca. In the center of the city are typical Inca terraces, which are the largest structures. Around the central square are a temple, several administrative buildings and residential areas of the nobility. On the outskirts of the city there are residential quarters of commoners, forming a small village. To date, numerous water channels, aqueducts and water sources remain unchanged in the city. Most of the buildings in the city are well preserved, and some of them are being restored. Next, we will pass through the misty forest to the ruins of Pinchaunuyok. Night in the tent.

Day 6. Pinchaunuyok – Maizal Minas Victoria – San Juan – Yanam Pass. In the morning, we will continue to the deepest part of the Blanco Valley to begin the hardest part of the trek. We will climb until we reach the San Juan Pass, from where we descend to our camp located in the abandoned village of Yanama in the mountains.

Day 7. Yanama - Yanam - Totor - Kollpamp pass. We will pass through the Yanama Pass, the highest point of the route, from which there is a breathtaking view of the valley. You can see a further continuation of the Inca trail, to the third most important city of this ancient civilization, but this time we will not go there. Along the way, we will see the life of Peruvian farmers and, finally, the snow-covered peaks of the Salcantai range, after which another world-popular route in the footsteps of the Inca civilization is named. Tonight we will relax at our exclusive mountain-view hotel in Collpump.

Day 8. Kollpapampa – Sahhuacho Beach – Hydroelectric – Aquas Calientes Today we have to go through the jungle until we reach the Hydroelectric Station. From here comes the most picturesque trekking (although you can take the train) to Aguas Calientes. Dinner at the restaurant and you will spend the night at the hotel.

Day 9: Aquas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Oyantaytambo - salt mines Maras - Cusco. In the morning we explore the incredible historical reserve of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is an ancient Inca city, considered one of the most amazing and significant archaeological sites in the world and is one of the seven new wonders of the world. There are several hypotheses about what Machu Picchu was used for. One of the most common options is a sacred place and residence for the Inca emperor. Religious ceremonies and ceremonies may also have been held here. Machu Picchu was also associated with the study of astronomical phenomena. Machu Picchu attracts millions of tourists annually and is the most popular tourist destination in Latin America. The city is located at an altitude of about 2,430 meters above sea level and is located on top of a mountain in the valley of the Urubamba River. Surrounded by high mountains and dense rainforests, Machu Picchu has impressive natural scenery. The city was built using masonry without the use of brick or limestone. The most important buildings of Machu Picchu include palaces, temples, terraces for agriculture, as well as unique stone stairs and paths. Many of the structures have outstanding engineering, which is considered an amazing achievement for the ancient Incas. Wandering around the ancient city, closer to noon by train we will go to Oyantaytambo. Also today we will look into the salt mines of Maras – a huge complex of baths for evaporating salt from the water of a hot spring. Transfer to Cusco tonight.

Day 10. A trip to the Rainbow Mountains. Perhaps, you have not seen anything more contrasting in nature - you can not even imagine how many colors could be mixed in the slopes of this year - colors vary from light yellow to dark brown, alternating with dozens of layers of all colors of the rainbow. Go from Cusco to the city of Cucipata, the duration of the trip is about 2 hours, then 2-2.5 hours of a simple walk and we are in place. If we are lucky, we will also find condors, the largest flying birds in South America. After a short move, we stop for the night. Hotel night.

Day 11. Moving to Puno. Puno is a city located in southern Peru, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, at an altitude of about 3,800 meters above sea level. The city is known for its unique geographical location and cultural attractions associated with the heritage of ancient civilizations – archaeological complexes and tomb towers of Indians. Hotel night.

Day 12. Swim to the floating reed islands of Uros, where families of local Indians live and the island of Amantani or Takile, where you can look at the traditional dances of local tribes, see the life of the family from the inside and walk on a reed boat. Night on the island.

Day 13. Back to Puno. Moving (300 km) to the national park of Salinas and Aguada Blanca, moving to the city of Arequipa - which is deservedly considered one of the most beautiful cities in Peru. It was created in the XVIII century, there is a large number of buildings in the colonial style of white volcanic stone. The old part of the city is represented by historical and architectural sights, the main ones are ancient churches, monasteries. Hotel night.

Day 14. Moving (564 km) along the ocean to the city of Nazca, in the evening - a flight over the Nazca Lines. These are giant geoglyphs located in the desert. They represent hundreds of huge figures on the surface of the earth, created by ancient peoples between 500 BC and 500 AD. The lines consist of various figures, including geometric shapes, animals and human figures. The most interesting thing is that the entire drawings are visible only from the air, and 2000 years ago people did not fly! Moreover, tools for designing such scales did not exist until the XX century! One of the most amazing features of the Nazca Lines is their accuracy and symmetry. Despite their enormous size, the lines are drawn with amazing accuracy and symmetry, forming a variety of shapes, including geometric shapes – triangles, squares and spirals, as well as images of animals – spiders, monkeys, llamas and birds, and human figures. Few people know, but next to the Nazca Lines is a second desert with similar lines - the Palpa Desert. We can also fly over it by plane. The Nazca Lines were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and recognized as an important archaeological site. Night at the hotel.

Day 15. Morning is a reserve in case of bad weather. Moving to Lima. On the way, we will visit the famous oasis of Huacacachina, dipping into the most that neither is Africa, as well as the Andean Candelabra - a huge geoglyph on sand dunes on the Paracas Peninsula near the city of Pisco in Peru. It depicts the outline of an abstract man and has huge dimensions: the height is about 180 meters, and the width is about 70 meters. The geoglyph is visible from a distance, as the height of the sand dunes in the area can reach up to 50 meters. Hotel in Lima, dinner in a famous restaurant on the ocean, night at the hotel.

Day 16. Airport transfer. Flight home.

Tour dates:

June 1, 2024 - June 16, 2024

• Experienced Russian-speaking guide
• All transfers under the program
• Helicopter flight over Nazca's lphinia
• Required permits and entrance tickets to national parks
• Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaitambo
• All Accommodation: during trekking – double accommodation in the comfortable spacious Timberline and Hard Wear tents and in the dome hotel in the middle of the jungle, hotels throughout the rest of the program
• Entrance ticket to Choquequirao
• Mules for transportation of all public and personal equipment (up to 7 kg)
• Entrance to Machu Picchu Archaeological Site (Route 2)
• All necessary public equipment for camping (dining and sleeping tents, tables, chairs, kitchen, kitchen supplies)
• Portable toilet for the time of trekking
• Baul for trekking for personal belongings (max. weight 7 kg)
• Emergency medicine kit
• Inflatable mattress for overnight stays during trekking
• Breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks during trekking, and breakfast only in the rest of the trip
• Drinking water during trekking
• Conductors and cooks during trekking