Southern Cross

Detailed Itinerary

Day One – Begin your Peru Holidays

Your Peru holidays will begin today with your arrival in Lima. We will meet you at the airport and drive you to your hotel in the stylish Miraflores area of the city for you to check in. Depending on your arrival time, you may just want to rest, but if you’re feeling up to it then we’d highly recommend taking a walk around the lovely Parque Kennedy and perhaps to one of our recommended restaurants to sample some of Lima’s world-famous cuisine.

Day Two – Travel to Paracas

After a relaxing breakfast and free morning we will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the coach station, where you will catch a coach down the Pan-American Highway to the beautiful Paracas peninsula. We will of course be waiting for you when you arrive and take you to your beachfront hotel where you’ll have a free evening, and of course, it's only polite to try the famous local brandy! (B)

Day Three – Tour of the Ballestas Islands

The Ballestas Islands, or the ‘Baby Galapagos’ are waiting for you this morning. We will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the harbour for your boat trip where you’ll be able to see loads of birds and sealife including flamingos, sea-lions and dolphins so don’t forget your binoculars! In the afternoon you will have a short journey further down the Pan-American to the town of desert town of Nazca. (B)

Day Four – Flight over the Nazca Lines

An early start today as we take you to the airstip for your flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines. Experienced and knowledgeable pilots will make sure you get the most out of this intriguing spectacle. In the afternoon you will return to Nazca to catch a coach up into the foothills of the Andes and the White City of Arequipa, where you will arrive in the late evening. (B)

Day Five - Arequipa: The White City

Probably the most beautiful city in Peru, a kind of Seville at the foot of the El Misti volcano is where you’ll spend today! The fantastic sights of Arequipa, such as the monastery of Santa Catalina, are just begging to be seen. You will have the whole of the day free so plenty of time to relax in the city’s famously laid-back atmosphere when you’ve finished exploring. (B)

Day Six - Free Day in Arequipa

We've given you a free day in Arequipa because we know that people never want to leave! It really is such a lovely place to wander or you might want to take a walk up to the Yanahuara mirador for that perfect photo of El Misti or check out the local markets. (B)

Day Seven - Colca Canyon

After breakfast we’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you on a on a guided tour of Colca Canyon. The Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon and hosts some wonderful natural hot springs and a huge variety of wildlife and birds so you’ll be able to enjoy some spectacular sights on your journey through to Chivay, a small town right in the middle of the Canyon where you’ll be staying tonight. (B/L/D)

Day Eight - Second Day in Colca Canyon

A bright and early start this morning, as your guide takes you to the 'Cruz del Condor', opposite the nesting-sites of the famous Andean Condors. We'll arrive in plenty of time to see these majestic birds launch themselves into the Canyon as they set out on their day's hunt, all of this before you’ve had breakfast! After spending more time in the Canyon, we will drive onwards and upwards to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The altitude is pretty high here (3,800m) so it’s a good idea to take things easy – maybe try a cup of coca tea. A stroll by the lake as you head out to dinner is something you might like to think of doing this evening. (B)

Day Nine – Lake Titicaca

You will enjoy a full day on Lake Titicaca today. We will pick you up after breakfast for your day on the Lake. After visiting the floating reed islands you will stop on the ‘real’ island of Taquile to visit the Inca ruins and have lunch. The lake has been a focal point for many Andean cultures and as you experience the tranquillity you’ll begin to understand why. (B/L)

Day Ten - Travel to Cusco

We will head to the coach station this morning for your journey to Cusco, the ancient Inca capital. Your guide on your coach will be on hand to answer any questions you might have and you’ll stop at the Inca temple of Wiracocha, the Stone Museum at Pucara, and the road's highpoint at La Raya. The coach also stops at Sicuani for your buffet lunch which is included. We will be there to meet you when you arrive in Cusco and take to your hotel just off the main square. (B/L)

Day Eleven - City Tour of Cusco

We’ve given you a full free day today to relax in the Andes. The local markets are excellent for those all-important souvenirs or the bohemian district of San Blas has an extensive choice of art and jewellery on offer if that’s more your thing. Of course, we can arrange another activity for today, or you could just sit back in one of Cusco’s many cafes, enjoy a coca tea and watch the world go by... (B)

Day Twelve - Into the Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley of the Urubamba awaits you today as we journey further into the Andes for a full day tour of this peaceful and scenic valley. You will visit many Inca sites today including the village of Pisac (and its famous market) and the stunning temple-fortress of Ollantaytambo, as well as the royal site of Chinchero with its unique colonial church. Your guide will be on hand with all the information you will need to start understanding the spirit of the Incas. After your tour you will be taken to your hotel in the valley for a peaceful night’s sleep in this tranquil setting. (B/L)

Day Thirteen - Machu Picchu

Today’s the one you’ve been waiting for... We will pick you up early in the morning and take you to the train station in Ollantaytambo for your train journey up to Machu Picchu. We’ll give you a full guided tour of the site and then leave you to explore the nooks and crannies yourself. Although you’ll never forget your day here or your first glimpse of the breathtaking lost Inca city make sure you remember your camera as we can guarantee you’ll want to show these photos off! When you’re ready you’ll take the bus back down through the cloud forest to the foot of the mountain in time to catch your train back to Cusco. (B)

Day Fourteen - Free time in Cusco and Lima

After a free morning in Cusco to relax we will pick you up and take you to the airport for your flight back to Lima. We will take you back to your hotel in Miraflores, and we definitely recommend to try one of Lima’s growing number of world-famous restaurants. (B)

Day Fifteen – Last Day of Your Peru Holidays

We have left the last day of your Peru holidays free to make sure we can accommodate any international flight time and get you to the airport in plenty of time for your journey home. If you don’t depart until the evening we can organise some extra sightseeing for you and we always make sure you keep your hotel room until you leave for the airport so you can leave your packing until the very last minute if you so desire! (B)

What's Included?

The standard price for our "Southern Cross" Peru holidays is £2395 per person, which is based on two sharing a double or twin room in our standard hotels.

That price includes all your accommodation, internal transport, transfers, tours, guides and entrance fees. It also includes all your meals in Colca Canyon, lunches in the Sacred Valley, on Lake Titicaca and on the journey from Puno to Cusco, plus breakfast every day.

We don't have any "local payments" or sneaky charges: everything you have read about on this itinerary is included in that price. And because everything we do is tailor-made, we don't have fixed departure dates or minimum numbers for our trips. Outside of national holidays or other special events, this price is valid for the whole of 2020.

International flights

So with the exception of a few meals, everything on your holiday is included. What we don't include as standard is your international flights, because with these you have a huge range of options depending on the date you want to travel, the route you want to fly, and your preferred departure airport in the UK.

We aren't tied to any particular airline, and we will be delighted to discuss all options with you, or you can even book the flights yourself if you prefer: it's totally up to you.