Coming soon 2009 calendar of trips

Prices:
“Adventure with Comfort:”

“Real and Adventurous:”

Day 1 to 15
Interactive Spanish course and homestay with Peruvian families in Huancayo. Lessons will be for 4 hours per day. During the week, excursions will be organized in order for you to explore the numerous craft villages, archaeological sites, traditional restaurants and markets of the Mantaro Valley.

Day 16
Departure from Huancayo to Lima by bus. On arrival in Lima we will go to the hotel to have a rest. Later we can go to a nice restaurant to enjoy a live show with folkloric music.

Day 17
We depart for Cusco at 7 a.m. by plane and after a short 1-hour flight we are in the archaeological capital of South America. We’ll go to your hotel and get organized for a day's walk around Cusco. We may visit some craft galleries and relax in a peña (a restaurant with live music).

Day 18
We go for a pleasant walk around the archaeological park of Sacsayhuaman from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We will see several archaeological sites which will help us understand the religion, habits and culture of the INCAS. You will have the evening free to relax or visit one of the fun places in Cusco.

THE INCA TRAIL

Day 19
We start early with a bus trip to Ollantaytambo to start the famous INCA TRAIL.

We have a long walk on this first day, but the path is not steep and we will be able to enjoy the scenery and our stops for lunch and snacks. In the afternoon we will arrive at the little village of Huayllabamba, where we camp.

Day 20
Another early start. This is considered to be the hardest day because of the steep walk to the first Pass Warmihuañusca  4100 mts. But don’t worry, as we will have plenty of time to enjoy the climb. We will camp at Sayacmarca, an interesting archaeological site in an amazing location.

Day 21
We can sleep in this morning -- Machu Picchu is getting closer and the Inca Trail winds around a perfect stone-paved road with stairs beautifully cut into the rock. There are many different microclimates -- cloud forest, grasslands, high-jungle vegetation, orchids and birds are everywhere along the trail. We’ll spend the night at Wiñay Wayña, which is very close to Machu Picchu.

Day 22
Starting early, we will walk for 2 hours to get to the Inti Punku (Sun Gate), where we will enjoy our first view of Machu Picchu -- an incredible sight. We will enjoy the pleasure of being the first of the day to arrive in this magnificent city, before the many other tourists that arrive from Cusco by train. We’ll spend the whole day enjoying this marvelous place. We can recover from the hike in the evening in the hot mineral baths at Aguas Calientes.

Day 23
We take the local train back to Cusco, a 6-hour cultural and scenic journey. In the afternoon you can rest, do laundry, or mail letters. To say farewell to Cusco we can have a good dinner with great regional music.

Day 24
We fly to Puerto Maldonado at 8:00 a.m. On arrival, we will go straight to our boat and travel down the Madre de Dios River for a couple of hours. We land and walk to a beautiful lake located an hour and a half from the main river. We celebrate our arrival with a typical jungle lunch. In the afternoon you can swim or paddle dugout canoes around the lake to see the beautiful birds, macaws, herons, eagles, ducks, tortoises, alligators, etc.

Day 25
Today we take a walk into the jungle. The jungle is full of life everywhere so there is always something to see, a bit of adventure and a chance for some fun. After lunch we can do some fishing and swimming. There are a lot of different kinds of fish - including hungry piranhas that we could eat for dinner. After dinner we could go for an adventure to catch a few alligators ... Nothing dangerous, just fun! After we have a good look at them, we let them go free.

Day 26
The boat picks us up early and we travel back to Puerto Maldonado. We catch the plane back to Cusco, arriving about midday. The afternoon is for resting, laundry or writing letters. To finish the day we can go to the Kamikaze Disco Bar for a good time!

Day 27
We leave for Puno by train. This is a long journey, with spectacular views of the mountains and altiplano -- llamas, alpacas and small villages. We arrive in Puno at 8:00 p.m. ready for a hot shower and a good meal.

Day 28
We have breakfast at 7:00 a.m. then leave for the port on Lake Titicaca, where we will take a boat to the island of Taquile. We'll have a chance to visit the floating islands on the way before arriving at Taquile around midday. We enter the island by climbing a long flight of stairs to enjoy the view before we have lunch. Afterwards we visit the house of friends and have the afternoon free to wander around the island. The people of Taquile have a distinctive lifestyle, including a strong weaving tradition. We’ll spend the night here.

Day 29
After breakfast a demonstration of backstrap weaving will be organized so you can understand and appreciate the art of the crafts they weave. We leave Taquile after lunch and arrive back in Puno in the evening.

Day 30
We take the plane from Juliaca to Lima at 11 a.m. After the hour-long flight we can have a good lunch in Lima, then do our last minute shopping in the Mercado Indio, which is a group of galleries with lots of handicrafts from all over Peru. For a good-bye dinner we’ll go to one of the finest restaurants in Lima - we deserve it!

Whether you are planning a short or a long visit, WE HOPE YOUR STAY WILL BE A MEMORABLE & ENJOYABLE ONE!!!

TOUR MEMBERS & GUIDE

• Your guide on this tour will be Lucho Hurtado, with the help of local assistants along the way. This Trip is “Adventure with Comfort”.

• We stay in good hotels during the trip (hot water, clean and safe) or well-recommended Backpacking accommodation

• When staying in or passing through towns, we can try the local cuisine in good restaurants. On the Inca Trail, in the jungle, and on the island of Taquile our cooks will prepare the food.

• The climate varies from hot, humid jungle, to dry cold nights in the Andes. In the Amazon, the daytime temperature varies from 25-35°C with occasional showers, while at night the average is 12-15°C. In the mountains during the day the temperature is 18-22°C and in the nights it can go down to 0°C.

• 1 Back pack
• 1 Sleeping bag
• Toiletries
• Flashlight
  
• Insect repellent & sunscreen
• 1 Small daypack
• 1 Water bottle
• 1 Small first aid kit, if you require special medicine, please bring it with you
• Rain jacket
• 1 Pair trekking boots
• 1 Pair light-weight shoes
• 1 Camara & film 

HEALTH & VACCINATIONS

• With a tour of this capacity, all members should be in good health. We recommend that you are vaccinated against Yellow Fever, Typhoid & Hepatitis. Bring your own medicine for minor illnesses (i.e. diarrhea, headaches). If you have a contagious illness please report it to us.  

PERSONAL EXPENSES:

• You will need money for your meals in towns and cities, for handicrafts, souvenirs, etc. We recommend that you bring some extra cash instead of travelers cheques, which receive a lower rate of exchange.
  

THE PRICE INCLUDES:

• Interactive Spanish Course with Homestay for 2 weeks.
• Guide for 15 days
• Reception and transfer from airport
• Accommodation
• Welcome and Farewell dinners
• Transport (bus, train, and boat)
• Internal flights in Perú
• Food during treks
• Tents & cooking equipment
• Tourist tickets for museums and archaeological sites  

IT DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• Meals in towns, cities, trains
• Soft drinks or alcoholic drinks
• Cigarettes
• Toiletries
• Souvenirs, tips, gifts
• Arranging visas
• Laundry
• Vaccinations
• Personal equipment
• Travel Insurance of any kind
• Airport taxes for International flights  

RESERVATIONS: 

• Reservations should be made at a minimum of 30 days in advance. Preferably 8 weeks in advance, with full payment.