Panoramic Peru: 15-day Tour with Return Flights + FREE SINGLE SUPPLEMENT!

DAY 1: FLY TO LIMA
Fly to Peru's historic capital Lima, arriving the same day. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure before an evening welcome dinner where you will have your first taste of Peruvian cuisine.

• Included Meals: Dinner

DAY 2: LIMA CITY TOUR

Originally named the 'City of Kings', you will enjoy a tour of Peru's capital today. Start the morning with a stroll through the colourful fruit market, tasting tropical juices along the way, before heading to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic centre to admire its colonial magnificence. Later, visit the ancient ceremonial centre called Huaca Pucllana an archaeological centre. Later this afternoon head on a walking tour to Barranco followed by a culinary highlight of Pisco tasting and dinner.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 3: SACRED VALLEY
Fly to Cusco. Transfer to the famous Sacred Valley of the Incas home to Incan citadels and beautiful landscapes. Stop at a small and scenic town otherwise hidden in the Peruvian Andes, to learn from a member of the local families all the intricacies of traditional iconography. At the end of the tour, transfer to your hotel in Sacred Valley.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 4: OLLANTAYTAMBO

Begin in the charming town of Pisac, visit the colourful market to mingle with the locals and browse the plentiful Peruvian handicrafts. After tour the Potato Park to learn about the unique process of potato cultivation, and see the beautiful flora and fauna of Peru! Travel to the Chawaytire community and have a tasty lunch made from local products and the native potatoes. After lunch visit Ollantaytambo to see the well preserved Incan houses and explore the old fortress.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 5: TRAIN TO MACHU PICCHU

From Ollantaytambo, board the panoramic Vistadome train to travel through the mountainous landscapes to the small town of Aguas Calientes. From here, you will ascend to the magnificent ancient city of Machu Picchu. Long abandoned by the Inca, Machu Picchu came to international attention when it was stumbled upon by Hiram Bingham in 1911. It is now one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 6: MACHU PICCHU
Enjoy the morning at leisure to explore the small town of Aguas Calientes, visit the thermal baths for a relaxing soak or purchase a second entrance to visit Machu Picchu again. In the afternoon take the train back to Poroy and transfer to Cusco.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 7: DISCOVER CUSCO

Home to an incredible Incan legacy, Cusco has some of the richest heritage in Latin America and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour will include visits to the Plaza de Armas, once the heart of the Incan capital of Huacaypata, and Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun. Head just out of town to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman and Puka Pukara, the 'Red Fortress'. This afternoon there is the option to take part in a chocolate-making tour.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 8: TRAIN TO PUNO

Travel from Cusco to Puno, journeying through the spectacular Peruvian highlands on board a train that offers four dining cars, a bar car and an observation car. Along the way you will enjoy a gourmet lunch prepared with exquisite Andean ingredients and there will be music and dance shows on board.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 9: LAKE TITICACA
Journey by boat across Lake Titicaca to the floating islands of Uros, which are constructed entirely from reeds. Spend some time exploring and meeting the local Uros people before continuing to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Taquile. Once a stronghold of the Inca, you'll find wonderful textiles here. After your tour of the island, head back to Puno.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 10: COLCA CANYON

Today start early to travel towards Chivay village, passing through Lagunillas and Tocra along the way. Keep your eyes peeled for flamingos, Andean ducks and llamas. Reach Pata Pampa at 4,820 metres altitude, where you can admire the volcanoes of Ampato, Sabancaya, Hualca-Hualca and Mismi (the source of the Amazon River), as well as views of the Cordillera Chila. Once in Chivay, enjoy the view of the terraces of the Colca Valley before bathing in the natural hot springs.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 11: TRAVEL TO AREQUIPA

Depart Colca and travel to Arequipa. En route, head to Condor Cross where the views of the Colca Canyon are breathtaking – keep an eye out for a condor or two gliding on the thermals. You'll also visit several of the valley's villages and viewpoints. On arrival, the rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 12: EXPLORE AREQUIPA
Peru's spectacularly situated second city is surrounded by volcanoes and boasts beautiful colonial architecture. Start the day exploring the city at the Carmen Alto viewpoint before visiting Yanahuara Quarter and admiring the UNESCO-listed Plaza de Armas and the Monastery of Santa Catalina. Continue to San Camilo market to buy ingredients which, with the help of a local family, you will use to cook a local dish before sitting down to enjoy lunch together. Catch a flight back to Lima, with a farewell dinner this evening.

• Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAYS 13-15: DEPART LIMA FOR AUSTRALIA
Fly to Australia, arriving home two days later due to crossing the International Date Line once again.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Please note prices are subject to availability at time of booking or until sold out and may change without notice. The prices below include airline fuel surcharges and taxes which are subject to change.

Book by 28 February 2022 to secure a SOLO departure - single supplement FREE

Select from the following departures:

• 21 August 2022 - from $8,080 - Single Traveller
• 16 September 2022 - from $8,080 - Single Traveller
• 18 November 2022 - from $8,080 - Single Traveller

Flexible Booking terms:   Secure your tour with just a $99pp deposit per tour . No more to pay until 75 days before departure . Unlimited changes until 75 days prior  

To find out more about this immersive tour of Japan contact our experienced travel team on 1300 414 198

Your accommodation is selected for convenience of location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to rainforest lodges. Hotels are generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note that there is no international classification system for hotels and differences in facilities and quality may exist between Australia and Peru.

All group tour hotels have private bathroom facilities and air conditioning where needed. If you experience any difficulty, please speak to your National Escort.

Tipping:

Customary tipping amount of approximately AU$174 is paid locally in Peru.

Visas:

Australian passport holders currently do not require a visa to enter Peru. You will need a minimum of 6 months validity from your return date on your passport to travel. Keep up to date with the latest visa requirements atwww.smartraveller.gov.au

Fitness Requirements:

The fitness level required for this tour is a level 2 - a reasonable level of fitness is required but it’s more about spending time on your feet rather than covering large distances. You’ll be getting on and off coaches and boats, walking around the sights and climbing some steps.

• There will be sightseeing on foot for both short and extended periods of time. Cusco sits at 3,400 metres above sea level – activity at these altitudes will be a an easy pace.
• Sightseeing will involve climbing quite a number of steps, often without handrails

Climate:

Peru’s climate is heavily influenced by its geography. The desert coast is very hot between December and March and cooler and misty from April to November. In the Andes, the seasons are more recognisable with a rainy season from December to March, and a dry period from June to September.

Altitude:

On this tour you will be spending several nights at altitude – in Cusco at 3,400 metres, in Puno at 3,830 metres. You will also stop briefly at La Raya Pass between Cusco and Puno, which is 4,335 metres. At these sort of altitudes, Altitude Sickness is a risk. Symptoms may include dizziness, fatigue, nausea and shortness of breath. It is recommended that travellers utilise their first day in high-altitude destinations to acclimatise. To help you acclimatise, we have designed our tours to be at a slower pace with more convenience stops and more free time, during the first few days. Staying hydrated, eating light meals and following a very light schedule will all help. We recommend that any symptoms that are unusual should be brought to the attention of your guide. Your guide will be extremely well-trained in dealing with its effects – taking it easy and taking some time to acclimatise are the best ways to prevent and combat it. Serious cases (meaning that you must descend immediately) are rare. The itinerary makes sure that your time at these heights is as relaxed and easy as possible.

There are no specific factors, such as age or fitness, that can cause you to suffer from. Altitude Sickness can affect anyone at any time and symptoms may vary. In some instances, a short spell on oxygen can help enormously. All the hotels that have been selected for this tour provide oxygen free of charge, please ask to use this. There is medication - that can help treat and prevent symptoms. Consult a doctor before taking any of these medications, before engaging in strenuous activity at high altitude and regarding any necessary vaccinations in plenty of time before travelling.

Coaches:

Coaches with air conditioning are used on our group tours for city short excursions to the countryside and longer transfers between destinations. Roads in Peru have generally been improved over recent years, but please be aware traffic and/or weather conditions may extend driving times. There may be sections of road where the surface may be comparatively bumpy but our drivers will do their utmost to lessen the impact.

Planes:

Internal flights are based on economy class, with reputable airlines. Within Latin America flights are often changed multiple times before departure, both timings and flight numbers. The utmost care will be taken to ensure that your final documents will have the latest information, however your local guide will confirm this in destination. Boarding passes can be collected directly at the airport. The flights booked as part of your itinerary will always reflect the best timings to suit the touring itinerary, with direct flights wherever possible, however due to limited schedules some flights may require a fairly early departure or late arrival.

Group Size:

Most of our groups consist of 10 travellers or more and will be accompanied by a National Escort. There will usually be no more than 28 travellers in each group. All departures are guaranteed to operate with a minimum of 8 travellers booked. For groups with fewer than 10 travellers,departures will operate with local guides.

Tipping:

Tipping while on holiday is common in most parts of the world and Latin America is no exception. You will be provided suggested tipping amounts with your final documents for your convenience, however tipping is entirely at your own discretion.

Luggage:

All travellers are limited to two items of luggage each, a suitcase with a maximum weight of 20kg and one piece of hand luggage with a maximum weight of five kilograms. It is essential that your luggage is lockable. Please note that authorities will only allow bottles onto the aircraft if they have been checked in as main baggage.Bottles in hand luggage may be confiscated. Please note luggage restrictions apply when travelling to Machu Picchu by Rail - please check your final documents for details.

Clothing:

On this tour, you will be travelling through various regions of Peru with quite diverse climates especially in Cuzco, where all four seasons can be experienced in one day. It is recommended to bring lots of layers - including the following: T Shirts made of breathable materials, hiking trousers (with the option to turn into shorts), a fleece jacket for colder parts and the evenings, a waterproof Jacket as shell layer or a light rain jacket, a scarf and hat and warm socks. A small backpack that fits into your main hand luggage to carry your daily essentials should also be taken.