Small-Group Expedition — Travel Together, Share the Discovery
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A quick day-by-day overview of your 24-day journey from Kuélap and the north coast to Machu Picchu. Tap any day to see the details.
Every day of your trip, with where you'll spend the night.
Day 1
Our representative welcomes you in the arrivals hall and escorts you to your hotel in Miraflores. The rest of the day is yours to rest after your flight, stroll along the clifftop malecón or enjoy a first dinner in one of the restaurants that have made Lima a culinary capital of the world.
Day 2
A short flight takes you to Cajamarca, a colonial city in a green Andean valley where the Inca and Spanish worlds first collided. With your guide, visit the Ransom Room, which Atahualpa promised to fill with gold and silver in exchange for his freedom, then relax in the Inca Baths, the hot springs once enjoyed by the Inca ruler himself.
Day 3
Drive through rolling highland countryside, dotted with farms and eucalyptus groves, to the quiet town of Celendín, famous for its finely woven straw hats. The afternoon is at leisure to wander its peaceful plaza and markets and enjoy the slow rhythm of Andean village life.
Day 4
One of Peru’s most spectacular drives: the road plunges into the deep canyon of the Marañón River, a major source of the Amazon, before climbing again through cloud forest to Leymebamba. Here, visit the Leymebamba Museum, home to more than 200 mummies of the Chachapoya culture rescued from the cliff tombs of the Laguna de los Cóndores.
Day 5
Follow the Utcubamba Valley to Kuélap, the immense walled citadel of the Chachapoya, the “Warriors of the Clouds”. Perched on a ridge some 3,000 m high, its stone walls rise up to 19 m and enclose the remains of hundreds of circular houses, wrapped in mist and orchids. Continue to Chachapoyas for the night.
Day 6
A long and scenic drive takes you from the cloud forests of Amazonas down through the Utcubamba canyon and across the Andes to the warm Pacific coast. Watch the landscape change from green mountains to rice fields and dry forest before arriving in Chiclayo, the “City of Friendship”.
Day 7
Visit Huaca Rajada, the adobe pyramid where the intact tomb of the Lord of Sipán was discovered in 1987, one of the greatest archaeological finds in the Americas. Then continue to the Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum in Lambayeque, where the gold, silver and turquoise treasures of this Moche ruler are displayed just as they were found.
Day 8
A transfer takes you south along the coast to Trujillo, the elegant colonial “City of Eternal Spring”. The rest of the day is at leisure to admire the colorful mansions around the Plaza de Armas or enjoy the sea breeze at nearby Huanchaco.
Day 9
A full day among the great civilizations of Peru’s north coast. At the Huaca de la Luna, see the vivid painted friezes of the Moche temple. Then walk through Chan Chan, the Chimú capital and the largest adobe city in the Americas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before ending the day in Huanchaco, where fishermen still ride their caballitos de totora reed boats.
Day 10
Drive south along the coast to Casma and the temple of Cerro Sechín, where a wall of carved stone warriors has stood for more than 3,500 years. Then climb into the Andes through dramatic mountain scenery to Huaraz, framed by the snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera Blanca.
Day 11
Cross the Cordillera Blanca past the turquoise Querococha lagoon to Chavín de Huántar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the ceremonial heart of one of the Andes’ earliest civilizations. With your guide, enter the stone galleries beneath the temple to see the Lanzón monolith, then admire the carved tenon heads at the National Chavín Museum.
Day 12
Descend from the Andes to the coast and stop at the Sacred City of Caral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest known city in the Americas, built some 5,000 years ago. Walk among its pyramids and sunken circular plazas with your guide before continuing south to Lima.
Day 13
A free day in Lima. Explore the historic center and the San Francisco Monastery, visit the Larco Museum and its pre-Columbian treasures, walk the malecón to bohemian Barranco or treat yourself to a tasting menu at one of the city’s celebrated restaurants.
Day 14
Travel south to Paracas and board a boat to the Ballestas Islands, passing the giant Candelabra geoglyph, to see sea lions, Humboldt penguins and thousands of seabirds. Continue to the Huacachina Oasis, a lagoon framed by towering dunes, then carry on to Nazca, land of the mysterious lines.
Day 15
Take off on a light aircraft over the desert to see the hummingbird, the monkey and the other giant figures of the Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then journey south through desert valleys and along coastal cliffs to Arequipa, the elegant “White City” built of volcanic sillar stone.
Day 16
A free day in Arequipa. Wander the colorful streets of the Santa Catalina Monastery, a city within the city, admire El Misti volcano from the Yanahuara viewpoint, or visit the Museo Santuarios Andinos, home of the Inca ice maiden “Juanita”.
Day 17
Cross the high plateau through the Salinas y Aguada Blanca reserve, where wild vicuñas graze, to the Patapampa viewpoint, surrounded by volcanoes. Descend into the Colca Valley, where women still wear embroidered hats that tell which village they come from, and end the day soaking in natural hot springs.
Day 18
Set out early for the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint, perched above one of the deepest canyons in the world, to watch the majestic Andean condors ride the morning thermals. On the way back, visit the colonial churches and villages of Maca and Yanque.
Day 19
A scenic journey across the altiplano, past high-altitude lagoons, volcanic peaks and herds of llamas and alpacas, to Puno, the folkloric capital of Peru, on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
Day 20
Sail across Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, to the Uros Floating Islands, built entirely of totora reeds by the families who live on them. Continue to Taquile Island, known for its textile tradition, for a walk along its stone paths and lunch with views of the Bolivian Andes.
Day 21
Travel from Lake Titicaca to Cusco along the Route of the Sun, crossing La Raya Pass at over 4,300 m and visiting the Pucará museum, the great Inca temple of Raqchi and the church of Andahuaylillas, known as the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas”.
Day 22
Board the train through the Sacred Valley, following the Urubamba River as the landscape turns from Andean fields to cloud forest. Arrive in Aguas Calientes, at the foot of Machu Picchu, and spend a relaxed afternoon in this mountain town.
Day 23
Take an early bus up to Machu Picchu and discover the Inca citadel with your guide: its temples, terraces and the Intihuatana stone, set between towering green peaks. After the tour, return to Aguas Calientes and board the panoramic train back to Cusco.
Day 24
Transfer to Cusco airport for your morning flight to Lima, where you connect with your international flight home. End of services.
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