Peru Overland, Italian-speaking guide

Arrive at Lima Airport. A transport service and a guide will pick you up from the airport at the scheduled time to transfer you to your hotel in Lima. The Peruvian capital is a modern metropolis full of history, currently undergoing an exciting process of cultural and economic changes.

Overnight in Lima

In the morning after breakfast, at approximately 8 am, you will be picked up at the hotel to start city center tour. We will start from Plaza Mayor, where Lima was founded, first as "The city of the Kings" in 1535 and then as the capital of the Republic of Peru, in 1821, the year of the country's independence. Visit the Presidential Palace, the Archbishopric and the Cathedral of Lima. Later, the Aliaga house, an ancient viceroyalty house handed over by Francisco Pizarro to one of his captains (Jerònimo de Aliaga), after the city was founded. Continue to the district of Pueblo Libre with a visit to the Larco Museum, founded by Rafael Larco Hoyle in 1926; the museum is located inside a viceroy's mansion built on a pre-Columbian pyramid of the VII century. One can find the most complete pre-Hispanic collection of gold and silver artefacts as well as erotic objects. After the 4-hour visit you will have free time to buy lunch to take and enjoy during the trip to Paracas. Transfer to the bus station and depart by bus to Paracas at around 1 pm. After 4 hours of travel, we will arrive at the selected hotel in Paracas.

Overnight in Paracas

Early in the morning, breakfast at the hotel. The guide will wait for you at the reception at 8 am to go to the pier located just a few minutes walk from the hotel to visit the Ballestas Islands, also called Galapagos of Peru, where you can admire, among others, the Peruvian boobies colony with blue legs and sea lions. At approximately 11 am, transfer to the bus station and depart by bus to Nazca. Upon arrival at around 3 pm, a private transfer will take you to the selected hotel.

Overnight in Nazca

Breakfast and morning at leisure where you can rest or join the optional excursion of the Nazca Lines Overflight for half hour (The departure time for the overflight is very variable and will depend on weather factors, pick-up time at the hotel and departure from the overflight will be reconfirmed on the previous day). A monkey, a spider, a condor, all very large, can be seen from the sky, so you can try to decipher the mystery. If the weather conditions or airspace permit, fly over the recent findings in Palpa, as well. After flying over these impressive mountains, that host marine fossils up to 150 million years old you will be transferred to the bus station to take the bus to Arequipa at about 2 pm. During the trip there will be a stop so you can enjoy lunch on your own. Upon arrival in Arequipa at 11 pm, you will be welcomed by Italian speaking staff and transferred by private vehicle to the chosen hotel. 

Overnight in Arequipa

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and morning at leisure. At 2 pm, begin the 4-hours city tour. The tour will begin in the main square, the Plaza de Armas, where you will find the elegant, neo-Renaissance Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa and the sensational Santa Catalina Monastery. The monastery, founded in the 16th century, was almost entirely self-sufficient and it consisted of accommodation, cloisters, squares, kitchens; it was a walled community, tucked away from prying eyes and the influence of the outside world. The families of nuns paid large sums of money for their daughters to join the convent, thus increasing the wealth and prestige of the Monastery. Nowadays, strolling through its colourful streets is like a step back in time, giving us an insight into colonial Peru. Continue on to the Church of the Company, perhaps Peru’s finest example of Baroque architecture. Its intricately carved façade, the sacristy and main cloister are particularly beautiful. To finish the tour, visit the neighbourhoods of Yanahuara and Carmen Alto to enjoy magnificent views of the Misti volcano rising above the city. Return to your hotel in Arequipa at approximately 6 pm.

Overnight in Arequipa.

After breakfast at the hotel and at 8 am, a private transfer will take you to the bus station. Depart by bus to Puno at 8.30 am, for a journey of about 5 hours, through spectacular areas characterized by plateaus rich in lagoons inhabited by a remarkable variety of Andean volatiles. Arrive in Puno at 2 pm, to warm welcome by Italian speaking staff and transfer by private vehicle to the chosen hotel.

Overnight in Puno

After breakfast at the hotel, you will meet with guide at 7 am and travel to the port of Puno where a boat will be waiting to take you to the beautiful Uros Islands for 7 hours tour. The Uros are an indigenous people of Peru that live on a series of man-made islands, created entirely from the buoyant totora reeds that grow abundantly in the shallows of the lake. The islands are composed of layers of woven totora, which are constantly replenished from the top as they rot from the bottom. The Uros people also use reeds to construct their homes, so cooking is done outdoors to avoid possible fires! After visiting this fascinating island for an hour and a half, sail to Taquile, a small slice of heaven that once belonged to the Inca Empire and whose residents speak Quechua. Look around and you will notice traces of its Incan past in the ruins that still exist around the island. After a brief introduction, the local community will give you an insight into their customs and traditions with a cultural demonstration. Enjoy this island for 3 hours until lunchtime. Enjoy lunch on the island before the return trip to Puno at 3.30 pm. Rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Puno

After breakfast at the hotel, at 6.20 am, you will be transferred to the bus station, where a representative will help you catch your bus to Cusco, at around 7 am. On the way, you’ll make a number of interesting stops. The first is the town of Pucara and the Pucara Lithic Museum. This was the first urban settlement on Lake Titicaca, established between 100 and 300 A.D. After a brief break at La Raya, the highest point of the trip between Puno and Cusco, at the dizzying altitude of 4,313 metres above sea level, the bus stops at Sicuani, where lunch is served at 12.30 pm. We then head on to Racchi, home to the Wiracocha Temple, an Inca site built in honour of a powerful Andean god. The rectangular construction boasts thatched rooftops 20 metres above the ground; these are thought to be the highest in the Inca Empire. Later, after a journey of 1 hour, we will visit for almost 1 hour Andahuaylillas, a town located around 40 kilometres away from Cusco. The main attraction here is the local Church, known as the "Sistine Chapel of America" owing to the high quality of art found inside. The church was built during the 16th century on top of Wari remains. Afterwards, a last 40 kilometre drive gets you to Cusco, today’s destination. At 5 pm, transfer to your selected hotel.

Overnight in Cusco

After breakfast, at approximately 8.30 am we depart for a walking tour (with a private Italian-speaking guide) of the beautiful city of Cusco, which was the capital of the Inca Empire (15th century), through the Plaza Regocijo, the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, the monastery of Santo Domingo, the legendary Korikancha temple and the old city. Then we will visit the archaeological sites of Kenko, Puca Pucara and the extraordinary fortress of Sacsayhuaman, where we can enjoy an extraordinary view of the city of Cusco. Return to the hotel at 1.30 pm. Rest of day at leisure.

Overnight in Cusco

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Chinchero at 7.30 am. A historical and artisan center of Inca origin in the Cusqueña region, where archaeological remains are preserved and one of the first Catholic churches dating back to the 17th century was built. Chinchero, located at 3762 meters, offers a privileged view of the Sacred Valley. Then, transfer to Yucay and visit the Living Museum (Center for the interpretation of Andean traditions), where it will be possible to watch the historical re-enactment of the Inca's traditions through the processing of fabrics, ceramics, silver and "adobe" (muddy clay, sand and straw mixture). Visitors will also have the opportunity to observe llamas and alpacas living at the Center. Continue to Ollantaytambo with a stop in Raqchi to appreciate the Temple of Wiracocha, great deity creator of Inca mythology. Arrive in Ollantaytambo at 1 pm for lunch in a local restaurant which, in a welcoming atmosphere, guarantees exclusive attention and service. In the afternoon at 2.30 pm, visit the village and the imposing fortress of the same name built on the mountain. Then, depart by train to Aguas Calientes. Arrive in Aguas Calientes and walk a few minutes to the selected hotel.

Overnight in Aguas Calientes

Have a delicious breakfast at the hotel you will meet with our guide at 6 am and then board a coach for a 25-minute ride to Machu Picchu. The ‘Lost City of the Incas' is believed to have been built in the 1450s by Inca emperor Pachacuti as a holiday retreat, yet within a century the city would be abandoned following the Spanish conquest. The Spaniards never found it, so it was spared the destruction they brought on other Inca sites. Instead, it was slowly swallowed up by the jungle and hidden from harm. A 2-hours guided tour explains the origins behind this awe-inspiring citadel and its most prominent landmarks such as the monumental Main Square, the Royal Quarters, and the Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Towers, the Sacred Sun Dial and the Burial Grounds. Return to Aguas Calientes for a tasty lunch at the famous Café Inkaterra, a beautiful thatched-roof restaurant hemmed in between the railway and a mountain. After lunch, we will walk a few minutes to Aguas Calientes station to take the train back to Ollanta station, from where you will be taken to your hotel in Cusco. Arrival in Cusco at approximately 5 pm.

Overnight in Cusco

After breakfast, enjoy a pleasant transfer from the selected hotel to the airport. A representative will assist you along the way.