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Day 1 – London/Lima
Fly London to Lima with Iberian on an overnight fl ight via Madrid.
Day 2 – Lima
On arrival we transfer to the Melia Lima to rest. After lunch we visit Plaza Mayor and the Archaeological Museum which gives a very good understanding for the cultures we will soon be exploring in the fi eld and has many very fi ne pieces. (LD)
Day 3 – Sipan
Fly to Chiclayo and transfer to the Gran Hotel. Today we explore the huge pyramid complex of Tucume and the world famous tomb of the Golden Lord of Sipan, carefully cleaned and restored to the minutest detail. (BLD) |
Day 4 – Chachapoyas
Today we transfer to Chachapoyas and a night at the Casona Monsante Hostel. (BLD)
Day 5 – Kuelap
A full day visit to the amazing mountain platform fortress of Kuelap with hundreds of stone houses spread over several levels built by the Chachapoyas culture that held sway here before the Incas. We overnight at the El Chillo Hostel. (BLD)
Day 6 – Revash
An unforgettable highlight of our trip today as we take local guides and mules for the track to Revash, site of the cliff set and colourful funeral huts of the Chachapoyas. We continue to Jalca Grande and thence to Leymebamba and a night at the Casona Hostel. (BLD)
Day 7 – Leymebamba
We start another amazing day with a tour of the Centro Mallqui where the mummies of the cloud people are exhibited. A stunning journey through gorges and mountain passes takes us to the little town of Calendin and a night at the Calendin Hostel. (BLD)
Day 8 – Cajamarca
Today our adventure continues with a visit to Otuzco, the ancient cemetery of Cajamarca where niches are cut all over the cliffs so the dead could be honoured. After a city tour we take a night at the Laguna Seca Hotel. (BLD)
Day 9 – El Brujo
We head for El Brujo to investigate the fascinating pyramid temples of the vibrant Moche culture and continue to Trujillo and a well deserved night at the very comfortable Libertador Plaza Mayor. (BLD)
Day 10 – Chan Chan
Today we visit one of the world’s major archaeological sites as we explore the largest pre Columbian site in the Americas, Chan Chan of the Chimu culture, a vast and beautifully decorated mud brick city. We then fl y back to Lima to overnight. (B)
Day 11 – Cuzco
We fl y to Cuzco and check-in to the fabulous Casa Andina Hotel, a colonial gem in the heart of the city. Cuzco must vie as one of the world’s most beautiful cities and this afternoon we will tour Coricancha, the court of gold, where the Inca stonework (once covered in gold) melds into the convent built on its foundations. We stroll down bustling Inca streets to the Plaza de Armas and the great cathedral. (B)
Day 12 – Inti Raymi
A spectacular day at the authentic Inca solstice festival of Inti Raymi held at the massive ruins of Sacsayhuaman, an unforgettable celebration, and later to the delightful shrine of Tambomachay close by the city. (B) |
Day 13 – Machu Picchu
This morning we board the train up to Aguas Caliente, an unforgettable ascent, and then take minibuses to Machu Picchu. Rightly voted one of the “new” seven wonders of the world the ruins of the lost city of Machu Picchu are beyond mere words. We will explore the stupendous site with a local guide. We have chosen to spend the night at the Inkaterra Pueblo boutique hotel, considered one of the best 500 in the world so we can return to the site in the morning. (BD)
Day 14 – Machu Picchu
After breakfast we return to the vast and overwhelming lost city and take free time to wander among the ruins at will. In the afternoon we leave by train and alight at Ollantaytambo to explore the massive stone terraces of this ancient Inca town before driving down from the sacred valley to our beautiful hotel the Casa Andina in Cuzco for a fi nal night. (B)
Day 15 – Lima
Today we bid farewell to Cuzco and fl y back to Lima and the comfortable Melia hotel for our fi nal night and a farewell dinner. (BD)
Day 16 – Pachacamac
A fi nal and very real highlight of this amazing itinerary as Dr Owens takes us to Pachacamac, where he worked for several seasons among the many temples and tombs of this Huari site that became a religious site under the Incas. A fi tting end to an extraordinary tour. We proceed to the airport and our Iberian flight via Madrid to London, arriving the next day. (B)
Expert: Lawrence Owens is a widely published and experienced archaeologist who has worked for several seasons in Peru. |