| Day 1: Journey to the Colca Valley. Accommodation in a village in the Colca Valley |
daily program |
| Early in the morning, your journey will take you to the Colca Valley. The trip will take about five hours, but you will drive through a magnificent pampa grass landscape, where vicuñas, a rare member of the llama family, are often spotted. There are four different members in this family. Llamas and alpacas were tamed by men about 6300 years ago, but vicuñas and guanaco’s remained wild. In the Inca Empire, the fine, soft wool of the vicuñas was reserved for the King only. Anyone else caught clad in this wool would pay with his life. Don’t forget to pack binoculars! Your journey will take you through a rustic landscape that reminds one of the earth’s origins. Upon arrival, you will have the chance to indulge in a bath in the local hotsprings. |
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| Day 2: The Condor cross-journey to Arequipa. Accommodation in Arequipa |
daily program |
| Early in the morning, the coach will drive you to the Condor Cross, from where you can gaze into the enormous canyon, considered the deepest in the world. Here, you’ll want to take plenty of photos of the majestic flight of the condors. They often fly out of the crevices in the early hours, when the wind starts to warm up, and slowly circle higher and higher until they reach a height of several thousand meters. It’s just nice to enjoy the vast landscape of this place. We will stop at several lookouts on the way the Arequipa. The landscape is characterized by widespread cultivation terraces, that existed long before the Inca, (Collaguas and Cabanas-cultures) and are still used by farmers today. Along the way, you’ll also see some typical villages. We will drive into Arequipa in the late afternoon. Peru’s second largest city is built almost entirely out of white volcanic sillar stone. It is therefore also known as ‘the white city’. The city lies in an enchanting oasis in between the Coast and the highlands, surrounded by three volcanoes. |
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| Day 3: City tour in Arequipa. Accommodation in Arequipa |
daily program |
| Today, we invite you on a city tour.The city is full of colonial buildings, like the Cathedral and the Jesuit Church La Compañia. In 2000, UNESCO declared the city a World Heritage site on account of the Spanish influence in architecture. The most famous example of 16th Century architecture is the Santa Catalina monastery. Its narrow streets and courtyards make it feel like ‘a city within a city’. Your tour guide will let you in on the secrets of ancient times the monastery holds. In the afternoon, you’ll have a chance to explore this splendid city at your own pace. You can stroll through the charming alleys, or visit mummy Juanita in the Santuarios Andinos museum. |
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| Day 4: Flight home (optional: visit of a museum in Lima) |
daily program |
| Transfer to the Arequipa airport, from where you will fly to Lima. In the afternoon, you can visit the Larco Herrera Museum (optional). The museum, founded by Peruvian architect Rafael Larco Hoyle en 1926, provides an excellent overview of 3000 years of pre-Columbian history. The museum is located in an 18th century Palace of the vice king surrounded by beautiful gardens. It features the finest gold and silver collection from ancient Peru and a famous erotic archaeological collection. It is also one of the few museums in the world where 45.000 archeological relics are exhibited and one of the most visited tourist attractions in Peru. |
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