Peru & Bolivia: The Spirit of the Andes

Day 1: Welcome to Lima!

Welcome to Lima, dubbed Ciudad de los Reyes, or City of Kings, by its founder, Francisco Pizarro, in the 1530s.

Having made it halfway across the world, you’ll be pleased to see the smiling face of one of our team on landing. You’ll  be whisked away to your centrally-located hotel, where you’ll have a chance to recharge before dinner.

If you thought your airport welcome couldn’t be any better, think again! Gathered together with your guide as team Magnificent Explorers for the first time, you’ll dine in style at an acclaimed restaurant overlooking pre-Incan ruins. By night’s end, you’ll have a bunch of new friends and know exactly why Lima is considered the gastronomic capital of South America!

Accommodation: Antigua Miraflores Boutique Hotel (or similar), Lima – Peru
Included: Dinner

Day 2: Lima, Peru

The foodie theme that kicked off last night continues on your first full day in Lima. You’ll delve into a tourist-free neighbourhood in search of the ingredients you’ll need for a cooking class with a difference.

Taking place in the genuine home of a local mother, she’ll pass on her favourite family recipes, from national dish ceviche (marinated fish) and potato-based dish causa limeña to the purple corn drink typical of Lima called chicha morada.

If your stomach is rumbling, don’t worry. You get to tuck into everything you’ve prepared – and enjoy a pisco sour on the side too!

But if that wasn’t enough, next you’ll head to Lima’s historic downtown neighbourhood to walk off those lunchtime kilos as you explore around the city’s grand manor houses and churches with your guide within the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ending at Alameda Chabuca Granda Park, try some snacks sold from women-run food trucks that help preserve local food traditions while supporting family livelihoods.

Accommodation: Antigua Miraflores Boutique Hotel (or similar), Lima – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Snack

Day 3: The Amazon Rainforest

Day 3 sees you switch climates as well as landscapes as you take a short flight to Puerto Maldonado, gateway of the humid Amazon.

Road and river trips follow, cruising up the Tambopata River for roughly two hours to reach your remote eco-lodge stay. Waiting for you is your local, specialist guide who knows both the rainforest and river like the back of their hand. 

They will take you on a jungle walk that’s sure to reveal a huge array of animal and plant species found in the rainforest – around one tenth of all those on Earth – from orchids and butterflies to macaws and wild pigs.

You’ll then have the chance to slip into jungle living. There’s no WI-FI, limited electricity and unheated showers, but boy is it worth it to be this embedded within the rainforest!

Accommodation: Explorer Inn Lodge (or similar), Tambopata National Reserve, Madre de Dios – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 4: Lake Cocococha

Don’t worry about setting an alarm, you’re sure to wake to birdsong and chatting howler monkeys in time to follow your guide through the jungle to Lake Cocococha.

Along the way, you’ll pass through bamboo, floodplain and upland forest, where a single hectare is thought to contain more tree species than all those found in Europe!

There’s also plenty of birdlife to keep an eye out for, whether that’s tanager or woodpecker. But never forget the main aim of your hike to Lake Cocococha is to encounter its most famous residents – the Amazon giant river otter.

After returning to your lodge, you’ll swap the forest floor for the tree canopy thanks to a purpose-built tower rising 42 metres, which doubles as a romantic spot to enjoy the sunset.

But your day’s Amazon adventure doesn’t end there, with a night walk on the cards in search of all manner of nocturnal fauna, from armadillo to the even more bizarre-looking great potoo bird.

Accommodation: Explorer Inn Lodge (or similar), Tambopata National Reserve, Madre de Dios – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 5:  Chuncho Clay Lick

Another early wake-up call you say? No matter! You’re all but guaranteed to find it worthwhile having reached Chuncho clay lick in good time to witness the morning rush hour at the largest macaw clay lick on Earth. It’s part breakfast, part bird spa and part social event and not to be missed!

Once these colourful birds depart, you’ll head back to your eco-lodge and enjoy your own – clay free – breakfast. You’ll then head to a local farm, to learn about traditional growing methods before continuing on to Chica Lagoon on the trail of more of the Amazon’s amazing bird species.

Your time in the Amazon wraps up with a further night walk, so be sure to soak up every last moment –  you’ll be departing for Cusco tomorrow morning.

Accommodation: Explorer Inn Lodge (or similar), Tambopata National Reserve, Madre de Dios – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 6: Cusco

Swap the steamy Amazon for the airy highlands today, to reach Peru’s ancient capital, Cusco, the primary city of the Incan Empire. Be prepared, though, you’re about to experience a major shift in altitude as you fly from sea level to 3,400 metres in elevation in just 50 minutes in the air. Breathtaking indeed!

Your job will be to stay hydrated, while your guide ensures the pace is just right for acclimatisation. That sounds like a great excuse to relax a little, too!

Come evening, you’ll head to a restaurant supporting young, single mothers while dishing up some seriously yummy eats.

Accommodation: Nodo Garcilaso (or similar), Cusco – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

So, what exactly is coca?

Peru is famous for coca and you’ll see it everywhere in the Andes region of South America as a remedy for everything from altitude sickness to asthma. Yes, this is technically the base ingredient for both Coca-Cola and cocaine, but it’s so much more than its undeserved status as an illicit drug and sugary soda. Coca has been used medicinally for thousands of years and is sacred to the Quechua people. Used in ceremonies and rituals, residue of the leaves has even been found on the lips of mummies, sacrificed long ago by the Incas. Locals typically roll the leaves into a ball and chew on them to release their restorative properties. All this to say, coca can be a wonderful aid to whatever ails you.

Day 7: History of the Incas

Settle in for a crash course in Incan history today as you uncover some of their most important sites in and around Cusco.

Begin on the outskirts of Cusco at Sacsayhuamán, a 15th century citadel, built in Machu Picchu style with enormous stone blocks weighing up to 100 tonnes each that fit together so perfectly they didn’t even need mortar. You’ll marvel at the Incas’ engineering prowess long after you’ve left Sacsayhuamán for your appointment with your shaman.

That’s right, we said shaman! This female spiritual healer will guide you through an authentic ceremony that will get you in exactly the right frame of mind for a guided walk through the streets of Cusco’s historic centre. With the help of your guide, you’ll learn an incredible amount about the city’s major attractions, from Coricancha Temple to the Basilica Menor de la Merced.

Accommodation: Nodo Garcilaso (or similar), Cusco – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: San Blas neighbourhood

With more than a week on the ground in Peru, we reckon you’ve earned a relaxed morning. Enjoy a peaceful breakfast at the hotel before regrouping in the afternoon for a guided walk of Cusco’s San Blas neighbourhood, which has long been celebrated for its bohemian vibes. Its white-washed, terracotta-tiled buildings are still home to a community of artists, musicians and traditional artisans.

We’re sure you know the famous tune, “El Condor Pasa”, originally composed by a Peruvian and decades later ‘remade’ by Simon and Garfunkel. Is it possible this evocative melody piqued your interest in this trip? We wouldn’t blame you! The almost mystical instruments you’re hearing are zampoña, a member of the flute family. You’ll visit a local musician’s home where you can play traditional Peruvian instruments and even try your hand at making these traditional panpipes.

End the day with a folklore dinner show that’s all but guaranteed to both feature the zampoña and get your feet tapping to the beat!

Accommodation: Nodo Garcilaso (or similar), Cusco – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9: Sacred Valley of the Incas

Day 9 promises to be another spectacular day, revealing local customs that go back centuries. First thing, you’ll make your way to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Urubamba River that flows through it was believed by the Incans to mirror the Milky Way. Peer up into the hills to see the terraced farms and sheer valley walls that protect the locals to this day.

This legendary part of Peru has been both a fertile farmland and a creative haven for centuries. And to prove it you’ll next visit an authentic Andean community, where you’ll learn expert tips on dying and weaving llama wool for Andean handicrafts from women who support their families this way.

You’ll follow this up by helping to prepare an authentic pachamanca feast, which uses heated stones to cook home-grown ingredients from potatoes to guinea pigs (though they’ll be chicken and other dishes too!).

Accommodation: Taypikala Valle Sagrado Deluxe Hotel (or similar), Yucay – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 10: Aguas Calientes

Reconnect with the Sacred Valley’s Urubamba River as you head to the town of Ollantaytambo by road. Ultimately, your destination here is the train station, in order to catch the Inca Rail service to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu. Before that, though, Ollantaytambo has its own Incan ruins, so it’d be a shame to miss out on seeing those too!

Nab a window seat if you can, because the one-hour 45-minute journey is considered one of the most wow-inducing train journeys in the world! You’ll watch as the Sacred Valley slips past in all its glory before you ascend high into the dense cloud forest that helped shield Machu Picchu from prying eyes for centuries.

In the meantime, Aguas Calientes offers an intriguing insight into modern Peru. With your free afternoon, it’s well worth checking out the local market, whose stalls are decked out with Andean clothing, curios and other souvenirs that might just tempt you to part with a sol or two.

Accommodation: Hatun Inti Boutique Hotel (or similar), Aguas Calientes – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 11: Machu Picchu

There’ll be no need for an alarm this morning, given the inevitable excitement of making your bucket list journey to Machu Picchu a reality.

You’ll arrive by shuttle bus, saving your energy for enjoying the ruins themselves rather than climbing up the steps of the Inca Trail. That has another adventure written all over it!

Visiting Machu Picchu is surreal. It’s beautiful, but popular. However, it’s always possible to find a quiet space for a moment to close your eyes and imagine yourself in the bustling city that Machu Picchu once was. For everything else you need to know, your guide will be on hand.

Having seen one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, you can chat about your experiences over lunch back in Aguas Calientes, before making the return trip along the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Cusco on Inca Rail’s Voyager train service.

Accommodation: Munay Wasi Hotel (or similar), Cusco – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 12: Cusco

With Machu Picchu still fresh in your mind, we’ve left day 12 free of organised activities so you can relax, reflect and – let’s face it – go venture back out onto the cobblestone streets of Cusco to take advantage of the Boleto Touristico tourist card you’ll be given.

The Boleto Touristico offers access to 16 museums, churches and archaeological sites within the city, to help ensure you’re full to brimming with Peruvian history! Whatever you decide to do, be sure to sleep in and get some much-needed rest. Tomorrow sees you undertake a long drive deeper into the Andes Mountains!

Accommodation: Munay Wasi Hotel (or similar), Cusco – Peru
Included: Breakfast

Day 13: Lake Titicaca

Slip on your comfiest clothing because it’s an epic 10-hour road trip through the Andes from Cusco to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake! 

The 400-kilometre journey gives you plenty of time to share in the stunning mountain scenery that wraps itself around you, before you hit the rolling landscapes of the Andean Plains, home to alpacas and vicuñas (relatives of the llama). There’ll be plenty of stops for photos, plus lunch in a local restaurant, should you be worried about chances to stretch your legs.

On reaching the lakeshore, you’ll have made it to the highest point of the trip at 3,812 metres. To get a feel for local life at these altitudes, you’ll enjoy a cultural exchange few get to have – which makes it easier to look past the lack of showers and the basic drop-toilet  – when you spend a night with a family in their humble mud-brick home in a traditional lakeside community. 

Accommodation: Homestay with a Llachon Community (or similar), Lake Titicaca – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 14: Puno, Lake Titicaca

It will be hugs all round as you say goodbye to your hosts and set off across Lake Titicaca by boat. However, the authentic experiences aren’t over just yet!

As you drift across the lake’s serene waters, you’ll visit the floating manmade islands of the Titinos people. Made entirely from growing totora reeds, you’ll see for yourself that these islands are sturdy enough to stroll around. They originated as a means of the Titinos protecting themselves against their neighbours.

You’ll then sail on to Taquile Island, an island of over 2,000 souls. The people here are skilled weavers and happen to be some of the friendliest people you could ever meet, something you’re sure to agree with as you tuck into lunch with another family who lives in the centre of the lake. 

Accommodation: La Hacienda Plaza de Armas Hotel (or similar), Puno – Peru
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 15: La Paz, Bolivia

Welcome to Bolivia! 

After two weeks in Peru, it’ll be time to see the Bolivian side of the Andes. So today you’ll make your way to the highest capital city in the world, La Paz, sitting at almost 3,650 metres.

It’ll be another adventurous day of transportation as you navigate both border formalities and winding switchback roads. 

You’ll pass across the border between the two countries on foot. There’s no need to fret, however – your Peruvian guide will be by your side until, voila! You’re safely in the hands of your Bolivian guide and driver on the other side, ready to be whisked to Bolivia’s administrative capital, home to the president and parliament.

Accommodation: Illampu Art Boutique Hotel (or similar), La Paz – Bolivia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

A Bolivian fashion statement

Curious why Bolivian women have incorporated the stoic-looking bowler hat, aka the cholitas, into their wardrobe? First brought to Bolivia by British rail workers, the bowler hat began to take root in Bolivian fashion sometime in the 1920s. Legend has it that a shipment of strangely small bowler hats arrived one day. Rather than have them go to waste, sellers began to market the woollen headgear to local women. The rest, as they say, is history! Today, you’ll see many Bolivian ladies rocking these cholitas to complement their traditional, colourful multi-layered skirts. 

Day 16: Salar de Uyuni

Day 16 begins with a short, domestic flight to the small town of Uyuni – your base for exploring this alien landscape of salt flats covering more than 10,000 square kilometres – the largest anywhere in the world!

On arrival, you’ll jump into 4WDs to navigate the barren Bolivian Altiplano. There’s several stops that tell the story of the Salar, from a cemetery of historic steam trains once used to transport minerals to the coast, to uncovering the surprisingly intricate process of making table salt at Colchani.

The most impressive stop? It’s got to be Incahuasi Island, offering up 360-degree panoramic views and a surreal cacti forest, all surrounded by stark, white salt flats as far as the eye can see. 

Dinner tonight is at your hotel, made entirely of salt! Don’t believe us? Take a secret lick of the walls; you wouldn’t be the first!

Accommodation: Luna Salada Hotel (or similar), Uyuni – Bolivia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 17: Caves and volcanoes

Today the Salar de Uyuni is as tranquil as it gets, but way back in the Pleistocene (up to 12,000 years ago) the region rumbled and shook with volcanic eruptions.

Your first stop of the day will be at some of the resulting natural caverns – Chiquini and Coquesa caves – where you’ll see pre-Incan mummies laid to rest hundreds of years ago perfectly preserved by the dry, briny air.

You’ll then have the chance to take in views of the salt flats from the base of Tunupa Volcano as you wave goodbye to this otherworldly landscape and the sun slips below the horizon. 

Accommodation: Luna Salada Hotel (or similar), Uyuni – Bolivia
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 18: La Paz

You and your Explorers crew will head back to La Paz via a short, one-hour morning flight. 

Once in the highest capital in the world, you’ll drop your bags before hitting the streets. The heady heights of Killi Killi viewpoint is where you’ll capture the city as a whole. You’ll then wander the historic heart of La Paz, stopping by sights including the prominent buildings of Plaza Murillo, the city’s main square.

Follow this up with a trip to the Valley of the Moon, home to natural geological formations made by the erosion of the winds and heavy rains over centuries, creating an attractive lunar landscape.

Back in the centre of La Paz, drop by the Mercado de las Brujas (Witches’ Market), a place full of talismanic objects and llama foetuses alongside way more tempting local textiles that we’re sure you’ll agree would look fab back home.

Accommodation: Illampu Art Boutique Hotel (or similar), La Paz – Bolivia
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 19: Tiwanaku Archaeological Site and Museum

It may be your last full day in Bolivia, but the adventure hasn’t ended yet. You’ll travel across the Altiplano, one of the world’s largest high plains, to the ancient archaeological site of Tiwanaku, one of the most important pre-Columbian civilisations in South America.

Doesn’t ring a bell?  This remarkable site was the centre of this great civilisation that mysteriously declined around 1200 AD and was hardly heard of since.

You’ll tour the sprawling archaeological complex, featuring temples, ceremonial courtyards, terraced pyramids, monolithic-like stone statues and intricately carved gateways. The highlight? The iconic Puerta del Sol (Gateway of the Sun), one of the most recognisable and significant monuments of Tiwanaku culture.

Gather for a special farewell dinner with your Explorer crew tonight. Traditional Bolivian cuisine,  colourful folk dances and cheers to a great adventure with your new friends are all on the menu!

Accommodation: Illampu Art Boutique Hotel (or similar), La Paz – Bolivia
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 20: Farewell, amigos!

It’s time to pack your bags one last time, say tearful goodbyes, swap details and watch Bolivia disappear out the plane window. The last 20 days will have gone by in a flash!

Included: Breakfast