Andes Tours: Peru

The City of the Kings, Lima, will be your point of arrival and departure from Jorge Chavez Airport. While there, take the time to enjoy all the many facets of this historical city. Make the most of Lima by visiting small museums, such as the exquisite textile collection in Museo Amano, and the Pachacamac Sanctuary. For a real treat, explore the gourmet cuisine of the city - a mix of ancient Inca, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and African influences- in trendy and old style restaurants.

Fly to Cusco. After 4 days Trekking the Inca Trail, take the train from Cusco to Puno to admire the breathtaking 4,000 m resplendence of Lake Titicaca. There you can take a cruise to the Uros floating islands and Taquile island.

The reserve MANU NATIONAL PARK covers the entire watershed of the Manu River, running across an extraordinary range of altitudes, running from 4,300 m. above sea level in the high Andean plain down to 200 meters in the Amazon Basin. The area is home to dozens of tribes: Mahuaca, Huachipaire, Machiguenga, Piro, Yora, and Yaminahua- as well as others that have yet to make contact with the outside world. The park is also a haven for more than 20,000 plant varieties, 1,200 butterfly species, 1,000 bird species, 200 species of mammals and an unknown quantity of reptiles, amphibians and insects. There are wide varieties of tropical habitats with endemic species of plants and animals.

Photo: The Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum, where the remains of the Lord of Sipán as well as around 800 pieces of gold and copper ornaments and textiles are on exhibit since the official opening in November 8, 2002. On three floors are displayed not only the jewels and the remains of the Lord of Sipán but also replicas of the tombs found in Huaca Rajada. In the rear of the Museum, the descendants of the Moche culture can be seen while they work with the same materials and the same techniques as their ancestors.

Photo: Sunday in Ollantaytambo, Peru. Urubamba the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Pisac Market. Visit the village of Pisac, founded during Colonial times, set at the foot of a hill crowned by the remains of an Inca city. Tue., Thu. and Sun. in the main square, Indians barter their products and artisans from all over the area sell their woven alpaca wool blankets and ponchos, engraved gourds, antique reproductions, jewellery, etc. On Sundays it is also the meeting place for Mayors from all the villages in the region, dressed in their traditional costumes to attend morning mass. After lunch visit to Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town which is still inhabited, and explore the ruins which tower above it. Accommodation in selected hotel in Sacred Valley.

Photo: Machu Picchu. From Aguas Calientes take the Minibus up to the ruins and guided visit of Machu Picchu, which is totally built of stone blocks, fitted with masterful precision. This fabulous city has houses, temples, warehouses, a large central square, all connected by narrow roads and steps, and is surrounded by terraces cut into the mountain side which were used for agriculture. Lunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge.

Until very recently, few people were aware of the enchanted tropical forests of the Candamo Reserve in the southerly department of Puno. This jungle eco-systems is hydrologicaly connected and fed by the profoundly blue, quiet, and icy waters of L ake Titicaca, the deepest mountain lake in the world. The rainforest is hidden away and its many splendors are kept a mystery to most. From Iquitos take a 4 day cruise in Amazon River.

From Cusco take a short flight to Manú Rainforest, a nature lover's paradise; be prepared for your ultimate adventure in Tambopata reserva amazonica, you will encounter the wilderness as you have never experienced it before. This vast and untarnished jungle is the most diverse spot on earth, and has been declared by UNESCO a Natural Patrimony of Humanity.

Causa limeña, made with yellow potatos and fish salad
Peruvian cuisine

This is the ideal time to pack your light gear, leave the concrete jungle and get ready to enjoy the sunny lands of the Andes

Visit Arequipa, built in colonial times with white volcanic stone, where you will find the Valley of the Volcanoes and one of the deepest canyons in the world, the Colca Canyon. On the coast, plan to fly in a small plane to admire the Nazca Lines and stay for a night in Paracas. The next morning in a motor boat visit the Ballestas

How about taking an adventurous journey to discover Peru's best kept secret: the magnificent pre-Inca ruins of Kuelap in Chachapoyas.

Fly to Trujillo where you will walk in the labyrinth of the largest adobe city of its time: the fabulous pre-Columbian Chan Chan. Get ready for your encounter with the latest discoveries of Sipan and the Pyramid of El Brujo From there continue in the North Coast where you will find some of the most beautiful and deserted sand beaches in the world. Enjoy fresh lobster for only a few dollars. Follow in the footsteps of Hemingway and experience deep sea fishing in the dark blue waters here.