Day 1: Monday, October 4 U.S.A. • Lima, Peru
We'll depart
Salt Lake City on Delta Airlines #235 at 9:50 a.m. and arrive in Lima at 10:50
p.m. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to our hotel, the
Thunderbird Las Americas Hotel, where you will stay for two nights. This hotel
is located a short distance from the Pacific Ocean if you desire to walk
there.
Day 2: Tuesday, October 5 Lima
You'll take a morning
city tour of Colonial Lima, including the cathedral where Francisco Pizarro is
buried and the catacombs which were used as Lima's cemetery until 1810.
They still house thousands of skulls and bones, all sorted according to
type. The underground tunnels also include a number of wells where bodies
were stacked to decompose until the bones could be placed elsewhere. In
the afternoon, you will visit the Missionary Training Center in La Molina and
afterward enjoy a session at the Lima Temple. (B, D)
Day 3: Wednesday, October 6 Lima • Pisco
In the morning
you'll depart for Pisco on the coast. En route you will visit Pachacamac,
the ruins of an ancient Indian civilization that existed centuries before the
time of the Incas. Dinner and overnight accommodations—Double Tree Guest
Suites by Hilton Paracas, located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. (B, D)
Day 4: Thursday, October 7 Pisco • Nazca
Today you will
board a boat that will take you to the Ballestas Islands, where thousands
of species of birds and marine animals live. SPECIAL NOTE: This is similar
to a Galápagos Islands experience. Disembarking in the islands is not
permitted, but the boats arrive right up to the banks of the islands, from where
you will be able to appreciate this marvel of nature and the marine
wildlife. The sea lions will probably come near the boat, or you might be
able to see many penguins in the water. Upon returning from the islands,
you will transfer by bus to the city of Nazca. Arriving in Nazca, we'll
visit two sites built by these people, including the Chauchilla Cemetery, which
is an extensive valley of tombs from the Inca-Chincha period (A.D. 1000-1400).
It is a necropolis rather than a mere cemetery: thousands of graves have been
uncovered in the area. Later we will visit the Cantalloc Aqueduct very
well-preserved stone aqueducts, part of a sophisticated subterranean system
constructed by the Nazca to irrigate the fields in the pampas. The canals, many
S-shaped to slow the flow of water, still function and are used by local
farmers. Dinner is at a very typical restaurant en Nazca, el Porton which is
about a block from our hotel and Andean in nature. Overnight
accommodations—Casa Andina Hotel. (B, D)
Day 5: Friday, October 8 Nazca • Lima
Today you will
leave the hotel early for your 35-45-minute flight over the Nazca Lines.
This affords you many spectacular views of ancient figures created in the desert
by these early people. Currently, there is no sure explanation as to how
or why these figures were made. With the naked eye from the plane
window, you'll have a bird's-eye view of many of these famous and amazing
figures. Following the flyover, you'll return to Lima. Dinner and
overnight accomodations—Thunderbird Las Americas Hotel. (B, D)
Day 6: Saturday, October 9 Lima- Puno
In the morning we
will fly to Puno, which is on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Upon
arrival we will check in to the Hotel Libertador for two nights. In the
afternoon, you will visit the Inca and pre-Inca graveyard of Sillustani,
beautifully set on a peninsula in Lake Umayo surrounded by the stark
altiplano. (B, D)
Day 7: Sunday, October 10 Puno • Lake Titicaca
The
morning is at your leisure to enjoy church services with members in Puno.
In the afternoon we will visit the floating islands of the Uros Indians located
on Lake Titicaca. Several members of the Church live on one of the islands
you will visit. (B, D)
Day 8: Monday, October 11 Puno • Cuzco
This
morning you will depart by private bus for Cuzco, visiting en route significant
ruins of other ancient civilizations such as Pukara, Andahuaylillas, and Raqchi
as well as the Temple of Viracocha. You will arrive this evening in Cuzco,
where you will check in to your five star luxury Hotel, the Libertador for
two nights. (B, L, D)
Day 9: Tuesday, October 12 Cuzco
You will take a morning
walking tour of downtown Cuzco, the famous capital of the Inca Empire, visiting
the Cathedral and Coricancha, the ancient Incan temple of the Sun. In the
afternoon we will visit nearby archaeological sites around Cuzco, which include
Sacsahuaman, Qenqo, Pukapukara and Tambomachay . Tonight's dinner will be
a special treat for you as it will include a special presentation of Andean
music typical of Peru. They will also present dances from the coast, the
mountains and the jungle. (B, D)
Day 10: Wednesday, October 13 Cuzco • Sacred Valley
You will
enjoy a full-day tour of the Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo. Lunch will be
served at El Alambra Restaurant in Urubamba. After viewing the Inca ruins
at Ollantaytambo, we will take an afternoon train ride on the Vista dome to
Machu Picchu. Overnight accommodations—Machu Picchu Inn. (B, L)
Day 11: Thursday, October 14 Machu Picchu
In the morning we
will take a 20-minute bus ride to the Citadel of Machu Picchu, where you will
enjoy a half-day tour, with some time to look around on your own. In the
afternoon we return to Cuzco. Dinner and overnight accommodations—Hotel
Libertador. (B, D)
Day 12: Friday, Oct. 15 Cuzco • Lima OR Cuzco •
Iquitos
The morning will be free for your own pursuits, followed by an
afternoon transfer to the airport. Upon arrival in Lima, you will be met
and transferred to the local Indian market. Here you will be able to find
native crafts if you have not already purchased the desired souvenirs.
After dinner, you will return to the international airport for your flight
home. (B) If you have chosen the Amazon Rain Forest option, you will
remain in the airport until our flight to Iquitos.
OPTIONAL AMAZON RAIN FOREST TOUR—3 DAYS, 2
NIGHTS
Day 12: Friday, October 15
Following reception at the
airport, we will transfer to the Explorama dock for a 25-mile journey down the
Amazon River to Ceiba Tops. Here private rooms with air conditioning and
hot water provide all of the comforts of home. After dinner there may be local
flute or guitar music at the El Toucan Bar, or the guides are always ready to
relate some of the many legends of the Amazon forest. Dinner and overnight
accommodations at one of the finest lodges in the Amazon Jungle— Ceiba Tops.
Day 13: Saturday, October 16 Ceiba Tops
We'll take a morning
boat ride, spotting for dolphins, to visit a small village of Yagua Indians
where your guide will explain the Yagua Indian culture and how it was affected
by the arrival of Europeans and the passing of time. There will also be an
opportunity to see some of the local crafts and a demonstration of the blowgun,
which some of the Yagua elders still use for hunting. We'll take an afternoon
walking excursion to the neighboring town of Indiana. Originally a Franciscan
mission, Indiana has grown into a large river community with its own market,
high school, and small hospital. (B, L, D overnight Ceiba Tops)
Day 14: Sunday, October 17 Ceiba Tops • Canopy Walkway • Ceiba
Tops
We'll make an early-morning departure from Ceiba Tops by boat to the
narrow motorcar crossing connecting the Amazon and Napo Rivers continuing by
boat, we will arrive at the Explor-Napo Lodge for breakfast. We'll hike to the
spectacular Canopy Walkway, spanning over 500 meters (one-third of a mile),
connected by tree platforms, and reaching a height of over 35 meters (115 feet)
but accessible without any type of climbing skill or equipment. After lunch,
we'll visit the “ReNuPeRu” Ethnobotanical Garden where over 240 medicinal plants
are cultivated by a local shaman who will explain the nature of Amazonian
natural healing and the uses of some of the plants. We'll return to Ceiba Tops
in time to enjoy the pool or hammocks before dinner. Overnight Ceiba Tops. (B,
L, D)
Day 15: Monday, October 18 Ceiba Tops • Iquitos • Lima •
USA
You have a choice of a morning walk or a boating excursion to further
enjoy the rain forest and Amazon River, or time to relax by the pool until
departure time. In the afternoon we will transfer to Iquitos and the
airport. You will return to the international airport for your flight
home. Upon arriving in Lima you will have time to visit the Indian market
for any last-minute purchases before dinner and our flight home. (B, L)
(itinerary is subject to
change)
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