San Francisco Church - Promperu / Magalí del Solar
Colca Valley - Enigma / Silvia Rico
Sea Kayak - Lake Titicaca - Enigma
Alpacas - Mallkini Ranch - Enigma
Horseback riding - Mallkini Ranch - Enigma / Silvia Rico
Mountain Biking in the Sacred Valley - Enigma
Raft - Urubamba River - Enigma
Inca Trail to Machupicchu - Enigma / Silvia Rico
Machupicchu - Enigma / Silvia Rico
Peru Multiactivity - Bike - Kayak - Ride - Raft - Hike
17 days / 16 nights
(ACMITMA17)
Lima - Arequipa - Puno - Mallkini
Alpaca Ranch - Cusco
- Sacred Valley - Short Inca trail to Machupicchu - Lima
Mountain bike in the Colca Canyon and the Sacred Valley, sea kayak Lake Titicaca, ride a horse in the biggest private alpaca ranch in Peru spend a fun day rafting the Urubamba River and finally hike the Inca Trail to Machupicchu, the magnificent Inca citadel. A full multi-sport program for active travelers covering the main highlights of Southern Peru.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Lima
You are met upon arrival and transferred to your hotel.
Day 2 Lima
Today we embark upon a full day guided tour of Lima, visiting
the historical center, the Plaza de Armas and the San Francisco Monastery.
Lunch at Restaurant Malabar where Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, one of the
most renowned chefs in the country, will delight us with some of the
finest examples of the new Peruvian gourmet cuisine. In the afternoon,
we visit the impressive and world-famous Gold Museum, including one of
the largest collections of gold pieces beloging to ancient cultures of
Peru, as well as fine examples of textiles and weapons.
B, L
Day 3 Lima - Arequipa
This morning we fly to Arequipa, where we
check in to our chosen hotel upon arrival. The afternoon is devoted to
exploring Arequipa, also known as “the White City” due to
the predominance of the white volcanic rock called “sillar” used
in its buildings. We start our visit in the beautiful Santa Catalina
convent, founded in 1580, and located in the historical center of Arequipa,
including houses for the nuns, cloisters, narrow streets, kitchens, old
ovens and laundry areas that are magnificently maintained. From here
we continue to visit the impressive mummy Juanita, a young Inca girl
sacrificed as an offering to the Gods in Inca times, found only about
10 years ago in the Ampato volcano after the eternal snows of the glaciers
were shaken by an earthquake. We follow to the Compañía
Church, built by the Jesuit Order, with a beautiful mestizo baroque style
façade, an impressive cupola and a famous cloister. We end our
visit at the residential districts of Yanahuara and Chilina, offering
spectacular views of the Misti volcano in the late afternoon, before
returning to the hotel.
B
Day 4 Arequipa - Colca Canyon (Mountain Biking)
This first drive
takes us through the National Reserve of Aguada Blanca, the natural habitat
of vicuñas, from where we will have impressive views of the chain
of volcanoes around Arequipa. The road descends towards the opening of
the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest in the world. The journey takes
approximately 3 and ¾ hours, before we arrive at the start of
our bike ride. The trail we will be following by bike was constructed
in pre- colonial times and offers unique views of the high part of the
Canyon, surrounded by beautiful landscapes, and local people working
their lands using agricultural methods practiced by their ancestors.
We have a picnic lunch and spend the afternoon riding towards the hot
springs where we can enjoy a restorative soak. Afterwards we have a transfer
to our chosen hotel. Dinner and overnight.
B, L
| Max. Elevation: | 4000m (13120ft) |
| Min. Elevation: | 3200m (10496ft) |
| Difficulty level: | 3 |
| Average riding distance: | 10 km |
| Estimated riding time: | 3 hours |
Day 5 Colca Canyon (Mountain Biking)
Beautiful excursion along the right-hand
ridge of the Colca valley, in which we can appreciate its natural beauty,
communities with typical architecture such as Coporaque, Yanque, Ichupampa,
Lari and Maca, charming colonial churches, hundreds of agricultural terraces
built in pre-hispanic times and fabulous views of the volcanoes. Picnic
at lunch time. Once we arrive in the Lari area we begin our downhill
ride to the base of the valley where our transport is waiting for us.
Drive back to our hotel. Dinner and overnight.
B, L
| Max. Elevation: | 3200m (10496ft) |
| Min. Elevation: | 3200m (10496ft) |
| Difficulty level: | 3 |
| Average riding distance: | 40 km |
| Estimated riding time: | 4 hours |
Day 6 Colca Canyon - Sillustani - Puno
Drive into the deep part
of the Canyon. We take a short walk to get to the Cruz de Tapay, where
we can appreciate the impressive mouth of the Canyon and Condors in flight.
At approximately 9am we begin our overland trip towards Puno. The first
part of the journey is on a dirt road until we reach the paved road that
connects Arequipa with Puno. From here, we continue towards Lake Titicaca,
stopping at the Chullpas de Sillustani, an archeological area only 34
km (21 miles) from the city of Puno and one of the most important necropolis
in the world. Built by the Collas, the chullpas are gigantic funerary
monuments, which stand at 4,000m (13,123 ft), in a plain surrounded by
the beautiful Umayo Lake. Upon arrival in Puno, we check in to our chosen
hotel.
B, L (box-lunch)
Day 7 Puno - Llachón - Taquile (Sea Kayak)
We leave Puno
early, and take the road to Llachon at Illpa. Here we continue along
the peninsula of Capachica. The road follows the shore of the lake at
this point and we pass two communities before arriving at the village
of Llachon, our embarkation point. After a briefing we are given the
appropriate safety equipment and embark on our three to four hour sea-kayak
adventure. Paddling first along the coast of the peninsula, after an
hour we cross the lake towards the island of Taquile. On arrival we disembark,
store our kayaks on shore and spend the rest of the day after lunch exploring
the island. We are accommodated at a rural lodge where we spend the night,
overlooking the lake with beautiful views of the magnificent Cordillera
Real on the Bolivian side of the lake.
B, L, D
Day 8 Taquile - Llachón (Sea Kayak) - Mallkini Alpaca Ranch
Today we explore the island´s coast by kayak and then head
across the open water again returning to our starting point. Hopefully
with the prevailing wind behind us we will complete this leg of the journey
faster. On arrival, lunch at Llachón before continuing our overland
trip through remote dirt tracks towards Mallkini, the biggest alpaca
ranch in Peru. This very cozy private hacienda essentially dedicated
to the rearing of alpacas enjoys a privileged location amidst a vast
altiplano or high plateau area over 4000 metres above sea level (13,120ft).
Once we have settled in, we enjoy a relaxing sunset while we find the
time to plan our activities for the next day. The lonely and peaceful
landscapes amaze us with their breathtaking beauty, silence and peace.
At night we enjoy a delicious dinner and have the chance to gather around
a nice warm fire or gaze at the especially stunning starry sky that this
remote location enjoys.
B, L, D
Day 9 Mallkini Alpaca Ranch (horseback riding)
The recommendation for
today is that we get up very early to watch the sunrise over the “altiplano”.
After a delicious breakfast we can go in our 4x4 to the boundaries of
the hacienda to watch and learn about the running of the farm and the
breeding of alpacas. After lunch and a well-deserved rest we can horse
ride to a small lake, where we enjoy the spectacular views of the light
at sunset.
B, L, D
Day 10 Mallkini - Cusco
After breakfast, we depart by road towards Cusco,
enjoying the magnificent scenery, first dominated by “pampas” or
plains, where llamas and alpacas can be spotted, and then by the mighty
Andean mountains, as we approach Cusco city. Arrival and accommodation
at our chosen hotel.
B, L
Day 11 Cusco Mountain Biking - Nearby Ruins
In the morning we
explore the city, starting our visit in the Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha),
whose walls used to be covered with sheets of gold during the Inca Empire,
and then became an important convent with the Spanish colonization. We
then continue with a visit to the Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas, which
houses some of the most important examples of the famous Cusco school
of painting. We conclude our tour in the bohemian quarter of San Blas,
home to the workshops and stores of the most renowned artisans in Cusco,
including Mendivil and Merida. In the afternoon we explore the nearby
ruins of Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, the Moon Temple, Pucapucara and
Tambomachay on mountain bike. We start from Tambomachay, about 15 minutes
by road from Cusco, and combine visiting the Inca archaeological sites
with the fun downhill and short uphill single tracks which connect them.
B
| Max. Elevation: | 3800m (12460ft) |
| Min. Elevation: | 3400m (11150ft) |
| Difficulty level: | 2 - 3 |
| Average riding distance: | 10 km |
| Estimated riding time: | 5 hours |
Day 12 Cusco River Rafting - Urubamba River
A fun day out for any one looking for an alternative adventure to a beautiful section of the Urubamba river. Rafting is a fun sport, suitable for pretty much any one - no experience is needed to take part in the great day out. The section we run is usually the class III-IV Chuquicahauna section, above Cusco, where the river is cleaner and more fun. It takes one and a half hours to drive to the river. On arrival we will inflate the rafts and following a full safety briefing and instruction in the art of White-water rafting, we set off for approx two hours of fun white-water rafting. The river starts gently with time to practice the manoeuvres required, then builds up with more fun rapids through a beautiful canyon where we will hopefully see torrents ducks and views of the surrounding peaks. After approximately two hours of rafting, we reach our take out point and enjoy a full picnic lunch before returning to Cusco mid to late afternoon. B, L
Day 13 Sacred Valley Mountain Biking - Maras and Moray
An extremely
versatile route, offering excitement, culture and spectacular scenery.
Suitable for all types of cyclist, from beginners to the most experienced.
On this route, situated less than an hour away from Cusco, we visit the
ruins of Chinchero, the impressive terraces of Moray (an ancient Inca
agricultural experimentation area) and the Maras Salt Pans. A combination
of defined paths and narrow trails which pass through the agricultural
fields, offer the cyclist the chance to feel the freedom of the great
outdoors and to enjoy a day of excitement on the downhills, together
with the satisfying sensation of exercising on the flat ground and the
gentle uphills. Impressive views of the Vilcanota mountain range accompany
us throughout the journey. Overnight at the Sacred Valley.
B, L
| Max. Elevation: | 3740m (12270ft) |
| Min. Elevation: | 2890m (9480ft) |
| Difficulty level: | 2 - 3 |
| Average riding distance: | 35 km |
| Estimated riding time: | 4 hours |
Day 14 Sacred Valley
Today we visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas,
starting with Pisaq, where we visit its archaeological site and its colorful
market. Lunch at Casa Hacienda Orihuela, a private residence with an
impressive collection of Inca and colonial art and artifacts, where the
Lambarri-Orihuela family will be our hosts. In the afternoon, we visit
Ollantaytambo, a still-thriving Inca village set below an ancient Inca
fortress and temple with stunning views over the valley that makes us
feel as if we have stepped back into the 15th century. Overnight in the
Sacred Valley.
B, L
Day 15 Short Inca Trail to Machupicchu
Early departure and drive to
Ollantaytambo train station to board the train that will take us to km.104
km on the Cusco - Machupicchu railroad, the starting point for
the short Inca Trail trek. We start visiting the Chachabamba archaeological
complex (2150m/7052ft), located very close to the control point, to then
embark upon an 8 km ascending trail, which after four hours takes us
to the archaeological complex of Wiñaywayna (2650m/8692ft). This
is an impressive complex made up of an agricultural center with numerous
terraces, a religious sector and an urban sector. On the way up we will
have magnificent views of the Urubamba River valley and the Choquesuysuy
archaeological complex located on the other side of the river, and also
of a beautiful waterfall located just a few minutes away from Wiñaywayna.
We then go on and climb to Intipunku, or The Sun Gate. This will take
an hour of hiking along a trail of flat stones on the edges of cliffs
in highland jungle. From this fabulous spot, we may contemplate the sacred
citadel of Machupicchu. From Intipunku we descend to Machupicchu and
then by bus to Aguas Calientes. We are then accommodated at the selected
hotel/hostel.
L (box-lunch)
| Total distance: | 13 km (8,08 miles) |
| Estimated walking time: | 6-7 hours |
| Maximum altitude point: | 2,650 m (8,692 ft) |
| Machupicchu altitude: | 2,400 m (7,872 ft) |
Day 16 Machupicchu - Cusco
We wake up early and board a bus, which will take us up to Machupicchu where we begin a complete guided tour of the Inca citadel that will take approximately two hours. You will then have free time to walk around, climb the Huaynapicchu Mountain, where one can experience spectacular views of all of Machupicchu, the valleys and mountains that surround it, or visit the Temple of the Moon and the fabulous Inca Bridge. In the afternoon, we meet in the town of Aguas Calientes where, if you like, you can visit and relax in its hot springs. From here we take the train back to the city of Cusco, where we arrive after nightfall. B
Day 17 Cusco - Lima
Transfer to the airport for a morning flight
to Lima. Continuation of your journey home or connection with another
extension.
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Highlights |
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Recommended for |
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Difficulty degree of this program |
Challenging |
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Rates 2008 |
This customized tour is available from (*):
(*) Price based on a party of four, double accommodation, 3* hotels (**) This price is subject to change without prior notice by airline companies. We strongly suggest that you make your booking in advance so that the quoted price can be guaranteed
Please check Our Hotel Selection in the Travel Services section of this website for a detailed description of our recommended hotels. However, since the price per person depends on various factors (date of your visit to Peru, number of people in your party, hotel category requested, type of service preferred, among others), please contact us or go to the Booking Online section of this website for a detailed program design and pricing of your tour. A travel consultant will contact you within a maximum of two working days. |
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Departure Dates |
All our programs are customized; departure dates are fully adapted to your request. However, all Inca Trail departures will be subject to space availability. |
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What Is Included |
Mountain Biking
Urubamba River Rafting
Short Inca Trail
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What Is Not Included |
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What we recommend that you bring |
Sea Kayak / River Rafting
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Optional Services |
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Tips |
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Booking Online |
If you would like to make a reservation for this program, please go directly to the Booking Online section of this website. |
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Other Useful Information |
Appropriate clothing along the Inca TrailHiking pants and T-shirts are commonly used during the day, complemented by a sweater or fleece and waterproof jackets if cloudy or rainy. It is very convenient to have light raingear available in the daypack (rain poncho or jacket and/or rain pants) as the weather changes easily and rains can suddenly occur. At night, warm clothing is required in Aguas Calientes and Machupicchu, although the temperature is usually warmer than in Cusco due to the lower altitude. The rest of necessary implements are included in the “What we recommend that you bring” list. For more information on the Inca Trail itinerary and details pls visit the ENIGMA Adventure Tour Operator website at www.enigmaperu.com. (al hacer click ir a la web de Enigma en la presentación de Treks & Expeditions donde se ve el Inca Trail arriba) ClimateCusco’s climate is divided into two differentiated seasons: the rainy season, from November to April (the heaviest rainfalls occurring usually between January - March); and the dry season, from May to October. The dry season is colder, so temperatures can drop to below 0 degrees at night. Along the Inca Trail, temperatures range from 15-20ºC during the day if it’s sunny, to 05-10ºC if cloudy or rainy. At Machupicchu and Aguas Calientes, at lower altitude, temperatures are usually warmer though warm clothes are still recommended at night. INCA TRAIL - Important NoticeAccording to the Resolution #002-2004-UGM-CD, published in El Peruano on Nov 12, 2004, modifying chapter III of the Inca Trail Regulation which refers to Inca Trail space bookings, bookings will only be guaranteed by the governmental institutions when providing full names, nationalities and passport numbers of passengers, and when having paid the full amount of passengers’ and agency staff’s (chef and team of porters) entrance fees. THEREFORE:
VERY IMPORTANT:
The exact information provided by you will be submitted to the governmental institution in charge of regulating the access to the Inca Trail and will be included in the official permit to enter the Inca Trail on the requested date. Should there be any change in the above-mentioned data (ie. new passport number), we kindly request you to inform the Reservation Department at ENIGMA via email as soon as possible and no later than 30 days prior to the Inca Trail departure date. The government reserves the right not to allow the entry to any visitor whose data are not the exact ones as those in the official permit. ENIGMA Adventure Tour Operator declines any responsibility for a no entry in case the passenger information has changed without prior notice to us in due time. RIVER RAFTING - Important Notice
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Customize Your Itinerary 
ENIGMA can create a unique, custom-designed independent itinerary that is fully adapted to your needs, whether you travel solo, with family and friends, or as a group. Please click here to let us know what you are interested in adding or excluding to customize a selected itinerary or to design a completely new program just for you. A travel consultant will contact you within a maximum of two working days.
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