The most famous of all of Peru’s all-singing, all-dancing religious rituals – la fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen, in Paucartambo - this is a trip into the heart of Peru's ancient culture and customs.

We start with a week of action, scenery and history, taking in gorgeous, historic Cusco before hiking and biking our way to Machu Picchu via ziplines and hot springs! Then we head to Paucartambo for days of non-stop music, parades, games, dances, and fireworks, along with an unforgettable sunrise at Tres Cruces – a hallucinogenic optical illusion that’s worth staying up all night for.

Finally we head for Lampa and Lake Titicaca where we get up close and personal with ancient, recent and living history. Thanks to the way Paucartambo dates fall in 2012, this trip really does have it all!

Itinerary

Day 1. Arrive, explore Cusco

We’ll meet at 1pm and head off for a traditional Peruvian Sunday lunch at a local favourite restaurant. Lunch is traditionally the main meal of the day here, and Sunday’s is the high point of the week. We’ll leave the afternoon fairly flexible – to get to know Cusco with or without your guide, shop, wander around, or whatever. We make sure there’s time today to acclimatise (or sleep off lunch!), but we’re also here to show you the sights, or help with whatever you need to do.

• Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in Cusco
• (L,D)

Day 2. Explore the Sacred Valley

The sunny, photogenic floodplain between Pisac and Ollantaytambo in the valley of the Rio Vilcanota is known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You’ll soon see why the Incas rated the Valley so highly – its eternally spring-like climate and gorgeous scenery made it a popular weekend getaway for Cusco’s aristocracy. This area once supported a large population whose industry and innovation helped feed an empire, and its history of intensive cultivation is evident everywhere in agricultural terracing and complex, still-working irrigation systems. Massive hilltop forts commanding views of valleys and passes for miles around underline the Valley’s strategic importance as the main granary and orchard of the Inca Empire.

Our first port of call is Awanakancha, an indigenous owned and run weaving demonstration and Andean camelid education centre, where we have the chance to get up close and personal with friendly alpacas, llamas and vicuñas. Next is Pisac, where we’ll hike through the area’s largest military ruin - a massive and intricate series of bristling fortifications and protective terracing – into Pisac. The town is full of charm, with cobbled streets, carved stone buildings, and hidden courtyards where irresistible, piping hot empanadas (pastries) emerge from wood-fired ovens.

After some time to explore or shop at Pisac’s famous craft market - the largest in the region -we’ll take a scenic drive through the Sacred Valley, past tiny villages, flourishing corn and maize crops, and incredible views of steep, terraced hillsides and the not-so-distant snowcapped peaks of the high Andes.

Our destination for the night is tiny, charming Ollantaytambo. Said to be the most perfectly preserved of all Inca towns, it's a must on any trip to Peru, with atmospheric cobbled alleyways and elaborately carved stone irrigation systems. It’s all presided over by a spectacular, llama-shaped ruin is the perfect viewpoint from which to watch the sun set and the stars come out over the Sacred Valley.

• Accommodation: Cosy hotel in Ollantaytambo
• (B,L,D)

• OPTION A: INCA JUNGLE TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU

  Day 3. Chincher, Moray and Salineras - three incredible sites

  Chinchero is our first stop today. This town is renowned for its weavers, impressive terraced Inca ruin, and church – our pick for the area’s most charming.
  
  Next we’ll head for the massive, mysterious amphitheatres of Moray. Controversy rages as to their purpose (the Incas left no written records) but best guess is that it was an agricultural laboratory where they tried out different crops at different altitudes and angles to the sun. Whatever it was, it’s an impressive sight.
  
  The scenery here looking down on the verdant Sacred Valley is even better and we’ll stroll (2 hours) through it to the spectacular, surreal, Salineras saltpans. A still-working ancient salt factory that’s as beautiful as it is fascinating, with a patchwork of coloured pools twinkling under the sun, we think it’s the most amazing and underrated sight in the Cusco region.
  
  Next we’ll head for the massive, mysterious amphitheatres of Moray. Controversy rages as to their purpose (the Incas left no written records) but best guess is that it was an agricultural laboratory where they tried out different crops at different altitudes and angles to the sun. Whatever it was, it’s an impressive sight.
  
  The scenery here looking down on the verdant Sacred Valley is even better and we’ll stroll (2 hours) or bike (1 hour) through it to the spectacular, surreal, Salineras saltpans. A still-working ancient salt factory that’s as beautiful as it is fascinating, with a patchwork of coloured pools twinkling under the sun, we think it’s the most amazing and underrated sight in the Cusco region

  • Accommodation: Cosy hotel in Ollantaytambo
  • (B,L,D)

  Day 4. Bike down into the Amazon Basin!

  This morning we drive up to Abra Malaga, one of the highest points on the trip at 4,350 metres, and from here descend into the Amazon basin on bikes, losing about 1,300 metres of altitude over up to 71km of road (it’s up to you how much you ride!). The scenery is different from anything we’ve seen before as we descend into the rainforest, and there are lots of photo opportunities along the way as the road snakes down through ever lusher vegetation. There are a few sections of optional single track along the way, or you can stick to the road which is sealed for the first 20km and gravel thereafter.
  
  It's not hard to see why this ride is one of Peru's classics, and often favourably compared to Bolivia's infamous ‘Death Road’. It's pure fun - a long, looping descent through some of the most spectacular landscape you'll ever see. By the time we get to Santa Teresa, at 1,900 metres, we’re in high jungle - a whole different world!

  • Accommodation: Rustic eco-lodge outside sleepy Santa Teresa
  • (B,L,D)

  Day 5. Jungle adventures and train to Machu Picchu

  This morning we’ll experience Cola de Mono, South America’s highest zipline (flying fox). After being harnessed up, kitted out and fully briefed, we’ll each whizz across six separate sections of line strung across the precipitous Sacsara Valley, a narrow fold in the Andes between Santa Teresa and Machu Picchu. The scenery is spectacular and the ride surprisingly serene; you won’t forget this experience in a hurry.
  
  There’ll also be time today for soaking in the glorious Cocalmayo natural hot pools – natural thermal springs beside a raging river, the perfect place to soak away any aches and pains!
  
  If you’re keen and the current train timetable permits, there’s the possibility of the taxing but incredibly rewarding, little-known hike to Llactapata, a recently discovered Inca ruin that nestles into a jungle hilltop. The five-hour hike includes stunning views of precipitous jungle hillsides and sinuous river valleys, and even a few glimpses of Machu Picchu to whet our appetites for tomorrow. Let your guide know if you’re interested in doing this hike and we’ll organize transport and a guide for you.
  
  Later today we’ll take a short train ride to Machu Picchu Pueblo (town), also known as Aguas Calientes, where we’ll have dinner at Indio Feliz – a fancy, French restaurant whose incredibly yummy food is world famous in Peru. Then it’s off for an early night – we’ll be at Machu Picchu in time for sunrise tomorrow!

  • Accommodation: Family-run hostal in Aguas Calientes
  • (B,L,D)

• OPTION B: CLASSIC INCA TRAIL HIKE TO MACHU PICCHU

  Day 3. Hike to Wayllabamba

  Jungle trail (Option A) participants will hike or catch the bus to Machu Picchu, and Inca Trail (Option B) hikers will set out by 6am to hike there, so we can all meet up in time for breakfast and spend the rest of the day exploring the words-fail-me glory that is Machu Picchu – one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. We’ll have a guided tour (a good one, with no numbers on sticks, we promise), plus plenty of time to explore on our own or climb for breathtaking views up one or more stunning nearby peaks: Huayna Picchu, Putucusi or Machu Picchu mountain itself. Later we’ll return by scenic train to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley.

  • Accommodation: Luxury camping on the Inca Trail
  • (B,L,D)

  Day 4. Wayllabamba to Pacaymayo

  Today we spend most of the day climbing to the highest point in the trek, Dead Woman’s Pass (Warmiwaynusca in Quechua). We’ll ascend 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) over 8 km (5 miles), initially past small villages and farmland, then through sub tropical forest, and eventually above the treeline to Dead Womans Pass at 4,200 metres (13,780 feet). From here it’s a steep 600 metres (1,980 feet) descent over 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) through humid forest to the evening campsite of Pacaymayo, and one of the best views in the Andes.
  
  Walking – 11 kilometres (6.8 miles)
  Minimum Altitude – 3,100 metres (10,000 feet)
  Maximum Altitude – 4,200 metres (13,780 feet)
  Altitude of Camp – 3,600 metres (11,810 feet)

  • Accommodation: Luxury camping on the Inca Trail
  • (B,L,D)

  Day 5. Pacaymayo to Wiñay Wayna

  Only 45 minutes into today’s hike, we come to the first of today’s spectacular ruins: Runkurakay, the beginnings of the original royal Inca trail. From here it’s a stiff ascent of an hour or so to the second mountain pass at 3,900 metres (12,800 feet), which offers panoramic views of the spectacular, snow-covered Vilcabamba mountain range. This pass marks the watershed of the Andes – from here on we’re descending into the Amazon, and you’ll notice an immediate change to lusher, more ‘jungly’ vegetation. The next stop is Sayacmarca, one of the most beautiful ruins on the Inca trail. After lunch we trek through some of the most stunning scenery in Peru, through cloudforest, orchids and hummingbirds with mountains on all sides. From the other-worldly ruin of Phuyupatamarca we have three hours of steep downhill into the forest to Wiñay Wayna and our camp for the evening.
  
  Walking – 12 kilometres or 10.5 miles
  Minimum Altitude – 2,670 metres, 8,760 feet
  Maximum Altitude – 3,900 metres, 12,800 feet
  Altitude of Camp – 2,670 metres, 8,760 feet

  • Accommodation: Luxury camping on the Inca Trail
  • (B,L,D)

Day 6. Machu Picchu and return to Cusco

Jungle trail (Option A) participants will hike or catch the bus to Machu Picchu, and Inca Trail (Option B) hikers will set out by 6am to hike there, so we can all spend the day exploring the words-fail-me glory that is Machu Picchu – one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. We’ll have a guided tour (a good one, with no numbers on sticks, we promise), plus plenty of time to explore on our own or climb for breathtaking views up one or more stunning nearby peaks: Huayna Picchu, Putucusi or Machu Picchu mountain itself. Later we’ll return by scenic train to Cusco.

• Accommodation: Back at our comfy hotel base in Cusco
• (B,L,D)

Day 7. Free day in the belly-button of the world - Cusco!

The oldest continuously inhabited city in the Americas and its undisputed archaeological capital, Cusco (sometimes known as Cuzco, or in the local Quechua language as Q’osq’o) is a town whose attractions run into the thousands. It boasts enough museums, churches, and ruins to make your head spin. Or if you feeling like a little retail therapy, Cusco offers everything from folksy artesanias of every possible kind, through indigenous markets selling potatoes by the sack and frogs by the bucket, to exquisite handcrafted jewellery and avant garde fashion. It’s also perfect for just wandering – through ancient, llama-width cobbled alleyways that open up into charming plazoletas (little plazas), and there are stunning cityscapes and inviting cafés at every turn.

If you’re in the mood for an organised activity, there are plenty of tours and outdoor activities on offer - whatever you’re in the mood for today, we’ll get you sorted!

• Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in Cusco
• (B)

Day 8. To Paucartambo!

Today a three hour drive brings us to tiny, timeless Paucartambo, a charming small town that comes to life once a year for one of the world’s most heavily attended ‘religious’ festivals, la Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen. Here we’ll find plenty to occupy us! Apart from constant parades choking the streets with swirling song and dance, there are sideshow games, fortune-telling animals, and stalls selling everything from food and drink to ingredients for spells and hardware, and the lethal local brew, chicha (corn beer).

Come nightfall, we’ll take up a strategic position to view a spectacular fireworks show.

• Accommodation: Basic shared accommodations, Paucartambom
• (B,L,D)

Day 9. Central day of Paucartambo party

One of the biggest manifestations of Catholic faith in the world since its inception in colonial times, Paucartambo’s three day Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen is one of the world’s biggest and best street parties, and attracts tens of thousands of (overwhelmingly Peruvian) tourists each year. The almost-constant parade going on in the streets is made of different comparsas – groups of devotees - from all over the country, each displaying the music, dance and costumes of a specific personage. The Doctorcitos (Little doctors), Saqra (devils), the Quyacha (little queens), are some of the most beloved, and each has a role in the ritualistic drama played out in the central parade in the Plaza de Armas. In many cases, the Quechua names and mountain-imp costumes give away origins that are far older than the belief in the Virgin Mary that was introduced to the Andes 500 years ago.

Tonight we embark on a special mission - a late-night car ride to Tres Cruces, a couple of hours away down a bone-shaking road.

Tres Cruces sits on the very lip of the eastern slope of the Andes, so you look down from it into the Amazonia. Sunrise here is unique in the world. The sun rises out of the frothing cloudy bowl where all the moisture of the Amazon rainforest gets trapped against the side of the Andes, and the resulting humidity makes for spectacular optical illusions which vary every day; the sun variously trembles, wheels and spits, and sometimes produces all kinds of different colours. It’s traditional for pilgrims to Paucartambo to make the mission out here, so for these two nights of the year, thousands of people share this amazing experience. A hearty breakfast and a few hours sleep await us back in Paucartambo, before we head for Cusco.

• Accommodation: Basic shared accommodations, Paucartambom
• (B,L,D)

Day 10. To Lampa

The last day of Paucartambo’s fiesta is its most structured and most unusual. Party-goers crowd the cobbled streets and parade into the Paucartambo cemetery. Now is the time to honour those that have gone before us with endless singing, dancing and drinking - it's truly a sight to behold.

This afternoon we'll head off into the Altiplano towards Lake Titicaca. Along the way we’ll stop at the Marangani natural hot springs, one of the most surreal stops on our entire trip and a popular local hangout. Steaming sulfurous streams link five pools against a background of sweeping plains and snowcapped peaks: it’s a sight and sensation you won’t soon forget.

We'll spend the night in sleepy, pink-tinged Lampa - an off-the-beaten track tret that's one of our favourite towns in Peru!

• Accommodation: Casa Romero, Lampa
• (B,L,D)

Day 11. Lampa and Puno

In colonial days a thriving metropolis, Lampa is now a forgotten gem where llamas wander through the main square, past pink stone buildings and the most amazing church we’ve ever had the privilege to visit. Among many other marvels, it houses a collection of hundreds of skulls and skeletons, artistically arranged in a marble crypt – it just has to be seen to be believed and was the most awe-inspiring thing we discovered on our research for Lonely Planet Peru 2010.

Next we’re headed for Puno, a hectic port town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. We’ll spend the afternoon soaking up some culture – such as the Museo Carlos Dreyer, which hosts one of Peru’s best archaeological collections, and the Steamship SS Yavari, which was brought in pieces by llama from Lima in 1862. Puno is also great for wandering, with several scenic lookouts, bustling markets, cool cafés for people watching, and plenty of shopping. This evening we’ll enjoy the benefits of civilisation with a fabulous dinner – Puno is home to a couple of first-rate novo-andino restaurants, and tonight we’ll enjoy cutting-edge fusion treats like greek-style alpaca and smoked trout in vodka sauce.

• Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in Puno
• (B,L,D)

Day 12. Textiles, totora and trout on Lake Titicaca!

For the next two days we'll explore the islands of Lake Titicaca. First, the well-known oddity of the Uros Islands: better known as the Floating Islands, the islands are entirely manmade, woven of totora reeds (like Thor Heyerdahl used to construct the Kon Tiki). It’s said the Uros people took to the lake in this unusual way to escape waves of conquerors, including the Incas. These days, the islands can feel like a rather commercial experience, so our sojourn here will be brief - long enough to learn a bit about the soggy, reed-based life of the inhabitants, take a ride in a dragon-headed reed boat, and bounce up and down a bit on the intriguingly spongy ‘ground’.

Then we’ll head across the lake to Amantani Island, where we'll spend the night. Our hosts, members of the indigenous Quechua community, will meet us at the lake's edge and take us home for a homecooked lunch. The diet here is almost entirely vegetarian, and extremely carb-heavy (there’s a very good chance you’ll be served macaroni with potatoes for your main course), but the sopa de quinua (quinoa soup) that comes with every meal is to die for.

We’ll work off lunch with a game of soccer against the locals. We’re at close to 4000m here – you’ll feel the sprints, and we’ll inevitably lose the game.

Then we'll hike up to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) temple at the island’s summit, in time to take in a gorgeous sunset over the rippling water, mountainous islands, and crinkly shoreline of Lake Titicaca.

After dark we'll return to our family homes. There are no cars or roads on Amantani, and even dogs are forbidden, so the silence after nightfall is complete: perfect for a fantastic night’s sleep, and for viewing a sky that’s nearly always clear and packed with stars. This must be one of the most peaceful places on Earth.

• Accommodation: Guestroom in family home, Amantani Island
• (B,L,D)

Day 13. Taquile and Puno

After breakfast with our hosts we chug across the lake to Taquile, perhaps the most beautiful of the islands of Lake Titicaca, with an inviting Mediterranean climate, steep green hillsides, and stunning views across the lake to the snowcapped peaks of Bolivia to the east. We’ll explore the pre-Inca ruins and tiny towns along the peaceful pathways of the island. Taquile is famous for its textiles; we’ll see them on the people, learn about their significance, and have the opportunity to buy them in the island’s co-operative shop.

We’ll return to Puno in time for some last-minute shopping before a memorable farewell dinner.

• Accommodation: Puno hotel
• (B,L,D)

Day 14. Departure Day

We’ll get you to Juliaca airport in time for your flight out today.

If you’re staying on in Puno, we’re delighted to help out with suggestions and assistance for the rest of your time here. (B,L)

GOT MORE TIME IN PERU? We can help arrange all manner of activities to keep you entertained – from volunteering at a local school to a crash-course in Spanish or a visit to the lower jungle – the options are almost as endless as they are rewarding. . For instance, if you’ve chosen the “Inca Jungle Trail” option on your trip, after the trip you could add on hiking the classic Inca Trail (be sure to chat with us before the trip if you’re considering this, as you need to book as early as possible), another trek, or even a trip to the jungle or Arequipa’s Colca Canyon. Something else tickle your fancy? Let us know, and we’ll look into it for you!

PAUCARTAMBO
Paucartambo is a small, rural Peruvian town where choice is limited and hygiene standards are not the same as you are used to.
We’ll have breakfast each day at our accommodation, and lunch and dinner will be eaten in local restaurants and stalls.
Your guide is there to make the best possible food choices for you and you are more likely to be upset by the bothered of some of the food on offer (sheep stomach lining, cow udder etc) than hygiene issues.
Food at this event is suitable for people who consider themselves adventurous. Vegetarians will face limited choice, and should bring extra fruit and snacks.
We provide water with meals. Bottled water is readily available to buy in between times.

• (B,L)

Included

• all meals (B, L, D) except as specified
• all accommodation and activities specified in itinerary
• full Boleto Turistico de Cusco
• all guiding services during the trip

Not included

• extra cost for Inca Trail Option B
• drinks apart from water at meals
• international flights and transfers (ask us for help with making arrangements)

• All Peru Tours
• All Tour Dates