Journeys: Treasures of Peru & Bolivia

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.
Get ready for a very busy tour exploring the best of Peru in a week. We recommend booking a pre-night in Lima (in particular if your flight arrives into Lima in the evening) to recover from international flights and rest up before the excitement.

Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting: The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your CEO will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.

: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Board an early flight to Cusco, once the capital of the Inca empire, then drive to Urubamba through the scenic Sacred Valley. Explore the terraced salt pans of Maras, which have been used for salt extraction since pre-Inca times, and tour the Inca site of Moray—believed to have been an agricultural laboratory where priests would test soils and crops. Later, we’ll enjoy a meal of local specialities, prepared in a pachamanca, or underground stone oven.

Moray Ruins Guided Tour: Explore the ancient site of Moray, which archeologists believe was used to conduct agricultural experiments. Walk down through the great circular terraces and notice how the temperature shifts with the depth – sometimes as much as 15°C (27°F)!

: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST, DINNER

Continue exploring the Sacred Valley with a visit to the G Adventures–supported Parque de la Papa, or Potato Park, a rural Andean community working to preserve hundreds of varieties of native potato. During this exclusive experience, you'll walk through the park with a local guide to learn about potato cultivation, traditional weaving, and the importance of both these practices to Andean culture. We’ll also tour the fascinating Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo and Pisac and enjoy a meal at the G Adventures–supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosqo.

Traditional Andean Experience: In Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Inca, six communities of approximately 6000 indigenous people are working together to preserve over 700 species of potato – a cornerstone of life here. As part of an experience exclusive to National Geographic Journeys travellers – and part of our G Adventures for Good program – visit this area, named “Parque de la Papa” (“Potato Park”), to learn about life in an Andean agricultural community. Walk through the park here with a local guide, dropping by the seed bank (which has direct ties to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway) and then head out to the fields to watch the planting or harvesting process, depending on the season. After, enjoy some of the delicious varieties of potato and visit the small stone hut where traditional weaving takes place. Learn about the natural dyeing process and witness alpaca wool strands being transformed into beautiful textiles through a centuries-old backstrap weaving style. Your visit to this special community means this local enterprise can continue earning an income that supports their development and conservation goals.

: Times includes all stops and visits enroute through the Sacred Valley.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST, LUNCH

Catch an early transfer to the Ollantaytambo station and board a train to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu. Ride through lush Andean scenery, enjoying breathtaking views of ancient ruins and everyday life. Settle into your hotel in Aguas Calientes, and choose from a variety of optional activities: take a relaxing soak in the local hot springs, visit a beautiful botanical garden, or wander the handicraft stalls in town as you prepare for an early start the following day to go up to Machu Picchu.

: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST

This morning, embark on a guided tour of Machu Picchu—the 15th-century Inca citadel famously introduced to the world by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in the April 1913 issue of National Geographic magazine. After being taken through the temples and terraces of this awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage site, return to Cusco by train.

Machu Picchu Guided Tour: Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST

Spend the day exploring charming Cusco. Opt to visit Plaza de Armas, the historic main square; the 15th-century Sacsayhuaman fortress; or some of the city’s museums and ornate churches. This evening, we’ll head to the Cusco Planetarium to learn about the importance of astronomy to the ancient Inca and, weather permitting, look out at the glittering, starry sky through telescopes.
Please remember that star gazing is completely weather dependent and sometimes there can be cloudy skies.

Cusco Planetarium: Look to the night sky for a different view of the city. Explore the Cusco Planetarium surrounded by the serene nature of the Llaullipata Ecological Reserve. Enjoy a presentation on the southern sky, contemporary astronomy, and the ancient Incas’ relationship with the cosmos. Check out the on-site museum and use the telescopes to admire the stars (weather-permitting).

Free Time: Take in the sights on horseback or rent a motorbike for a more thrilling ride. Looking to learn more about Cusco? Head to one of the many museums in the city.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST

Fly back to Lima. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure in the Peruvian capital. Visit the San Francisco Monastery, part of Lima’s World Heritage-listed historic center, and descend into its famed catacombs. Wander across Plaza Mayor, the city’s oldest public square, and enjoy Peruvian tapas and a tasting of pisco sours before returning to your hotel.

: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST

Fly to Juliaca this morning and travel across the Bolivian border to Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca. En route the group will stop at the Luquina Chico Community, taking in the sweeping views of the lake and its islands. Join a local family for a delicious lunch in their home, where you’ll experience a personal perspective of everyday life in rural Peru. You’ll also learn about Inca culture, Quechua language and meet other local families. Continue on to Copacabana for a Chief Experience Officer-led walk through town before enjoying dinner and the rest of the evening on your own.

Lake Titicaca Community Home Lunch: Visit the Luquina Chico community on the shores of beautiful Lake Titicaca and take in sweeping views of the lake and its islands. During lunch in the home of a local family, get a personal view of everyday life in rural Peru.

: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST, LUNCH

The day begins with a boat tour of Isla del Sol—known as the birthplace of the sun and the Inca bloodline. On the island, you’ll explore Inca ruins, learn traditional weaving techniques and take in some of Lake Titicaca’s most stunning vistas. Afterwards, take a boat ride back to Copacabana and continue to La Paz.

Tour to Isla del Sol: Enjoy a day trip to one of the most sacred islands in South America—Bolivia's Isla del Sol—and explore the said birthplace of the Inca bloodline and the sun. Wander the ruins, witness ancient weaving techniques, and breathe in the fresh air while looking out over the panoramic views of Lake Titicaca.

: Climb aboard and get your float on.

Meal plan: LUNCH

Catch a flight to charming Sucre, then enjoy an orientation walk around the main square. This afternoon, relax at a local café, explore on your own, or opt to take an immersive tour of Sucre with a local expert that focuses on the city’s stunning colonial architecture and historic sites, best viewed from the ubiquitous rooftop terraces.

Sucre Orientation Walk: Enjoy a walk with your CEO around Sucres's centre and main square. For more in-depth information, a specialized guided tour is offered on option this afternoon..

: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Free Time: Enjoy free time to explore, relax at a cafe or take a specialized walking tour.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST

Enjoy free time this morning before travelling into the southern highlands to our historic hacienda. Surrounded by lush agricultural fields and rolling hills, this working farm offers unique opportunities for cultural exchanges with the resident family. Get a glimpse into daily life here while lending a hand at the dairy and in the fields, and step back in time during visits to the property’s private rooms, chapel, and museum. Cap off your experience with an authentic farm-to-table dinner featuring an array of local specialities.

Bolivian Hacienda Experience: Down a winding dirt road, snaking through the stunning Southern Highlands we find our remote Hacienda. Surrounded by lush farmlands, rivers and rolling hills, this historic “working” farm offers a unique cultural interaction with a welcoming local family. Dating back to the 1500s, we step back in time with visits to private museum rooms, the chapel and library. Also, immerse ourselves into the hacienda’s daily life including demonstrations at the dairy and a visit to the fields, Finish with an authentic farm-to-table dinner featuring local specialities from the area.

: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Free Time: Make the most of your time in this beautiful city.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST, DINNER

Make the short drive to the centre of Potosí and enjoy a guided tour of the Casa Nacional de la Moneda, the old silver mint and now a museum dedicated to Bolivian art and history. Take a scenic drive to Uyuni, gateway to the world's largest salt flat. Learn about the industrialization of salt and the geographical history of the region while driving across this mirror-like landscape.

Casa de la Moneda : Learn about the first global currency at this renowned National Mint museum.

: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER

Journey deeper into the salt pans to explore their varied geographical features. Along the way, stop for a visit to the small community of Coquesa, located at the base of the Tunupa Volcano on the edge of the Salar. After this, have lunch on the salt flat before continuing our exploration of the desert and its pans. Cap off the day with a sunset picnic on the salt flats before returning to the hotel.

Bolivian Salt Flats Experience: Accompanied by a local expert guide explore the stunning landscape of the Bolivian Salt Flats by 4x4. Enter a landscape unlike anything you've ever seen as we drive across (or around) the world's largest salt flat; the piercing blue sky contrasts against the blinding white of the flat salt beds.

: Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER

Catch a flight to La Paz and enjoy free time to explore before joining the group for an optional dinner.

: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Free Time: Enjoy some time to explore on your own.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST

Awake in lofty La Paz, the highest capital city in the world. Spend the morning at leisure, or opt to take an excursion to see the stunning maze of canyons and spires in the Valley of the Moon. This afternoon, set out by foot, van, and cable car to discover this sky-high city with your guide. Explore vibrant squares, historical landmarks, and lively markets, learning about the balance of old and new along the way. In the evening, enjoy an interactive culinary experience at a popular local restaurant, including demonstrations on how traditional foods such as quinoa are integrated into modern fusion dishes. With a local chef as our guide, we’ll sample a variety of dishes and discuss the growing popularity of La Paz as a culinary destination.

La Paz City Tour: Explore the city on a guided tour. Check out stunning cathedrals, impressive museums, and lively markets, learning more about the history of this fascinating city. Look for majestic Mt Illimani in the background.

Free Time: Enjoy the morning to explore on your own or opt to take a Moon Valley tour.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST, DINNER

Depart at any time.

Meal plan: BREAKFAST