DAY 1:

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT – SANTIAGO DE CHILE (Private Van).

Welcome by one of our guides. Transfer and installation in your hostel. Over a hot drink, our guide you will do a summary of your trip and will be on your disposal to give an answer to all your questions.

Free evening.

DAY 2:

SANTIAGO – CHIU CHIU – LASANA – CASPANA – CALAMA. (Plane, Private Van).

In the morning, departure for a flight to San Pedro de Atacama, arrival in Calama and lunch. Departure in a private van to Chui Chui Oasis where you could discover the oldest Chilean church, built in the XVI century.

The population of this area comes from an important crossbreeding and lives mainly on agriculture. We will continue our route to Pukara de Lasana, from Pré-Inca period, then you will go the Caspana village, local village in the middle of the desert where you could discover its typical houses and will spend a moment with the inhabitants whose will teach you their traditions, dating from Spanish period.

At the end of the journey, return to Calama.

Note:

• 195 Kms of race.
• 4-hour tour.

DAY 3:

CALAMA – SAN PEDRO – MOON VALLEY. (Private Van).

Departure at 8 Am to San Pedro de Atacama. Upon your arrival, installation in your hostel.

Visit of the village and archaeological museum of Père le Peige. During the afternoon, we will go to the Death Valley. Walk through surprising dunes and mountains.

At the end of the journey, you could show the sunset, with its terra cota colours, on these uneven relieves.

Astronomical tour, approximately 3 hours, and return to San Pedro.

Note:

96 Kms of race, approximately 1H15.

DAY 4:

SALAR D‘ATACAMA – TOCONAO – RESERVE LOS FLAMENCOS – SAN PEDRO (Private Van).

In the morning, departure to visit Salar de Atacama, one of the most important salt deposit in this area. Visit of the “Los Flamencos” national reserve, and discovery of the Chaxas Lagoon and its ecosystem.

Lunch.

Visit of the Toconao village, was built in the middle of the Atacama desert, with typical volcanic rocks come from Lyparita area.

Return to San Pedro during the afternoon, free end of journey.

Note:

• 200 Kms of race and road.
• 6-hour tour.

DAY 5:

SAN PEDRO – HITO CAJON – COLORADA and VERDE LAGOONS. (Private Van).

Early in the morning, we will leave Chile to cross the Hito Cajon border, 4500 mts high, to arrive in Bolivia. At the border, our Bolivian team will wait for us, with 4×4 van.

During this day you could discover lots of different and surprising locations.

The Blanca lagoon, the Verde lagoon where, according to the weather, we could observe the colours changes thanks to the wind and the mineral dust coming from the lagoon bottom.

We will continue our route to the North and we will arrive in the Polkes lagoon where the landscape is a perfect natural show.

Rest moment in the thermal waters, 38°C, and then we will go to Sol de Mañana geysers where we could appreciate the hot mud fumaroles.

Arrival at the Laguna Colorada (4200mts) well-known for the red colour of its waters, due to artemia and plankton, micro-organisms, which live in these waters. Unique and emotional moment.

Then you will continue your route to the Siloli desert to arrive in Ojo de Perdiz, where there is your hostel.

Note:

70 Kms of road. (1H00). / 148kms of difficult race, hard moment : 6-hour road.

DAY 6:

LAGUNA COLORADA – SAN JUAN. (Private Van).

We will go to the North through wonderful landscapes of the Siloli desert, with its famous “rock tree” where sometime there are viscachas. Then we will follow the Chilean border through the “Jewel Road” : lagunas Ramaditas, Honda, Ch’arkota, Hedionda and Cañapa, sanctuaries of 3 pink flamingos varieties. Stop in the Ollagüe volcano’s mirador.

This volcano (5865 m of high) is still active and shelters one of the highest sulphur mines all over the world. Then, we will go down from 4200m to 3600 m of high. We will cross the little Salar de Chiguana, in the bottom of the Tomasamil volcano (5900m of high) before to join the San Juan village, where you could see the impressive mummies of “Lipez Lords” (1200 B.C) and its museum.

Note:

195 kms of difficult race, hard moment : 8-hour road.

DAY 7:

SAN JUAN – SALAR D‘UYUNI – COLCHANI. (Private Van).

During this day, we will visit the Salar desert, known as the largest salt desert in the world with 10600 Km² and 3650 m of high.

The feeling is unique : the horizon doesn’t have more limits and the vastness invites to silence. Then we will do a stop in the “Pescado Island” or Fish Island, in the middle of Salar.

This island has volcanic origins and covered with stromatolithes and giant cacti. Then we will go on Incahuasi Island, with its giant cacti before to go back to Uyuni.

During the return, stop and visit of salt hostels closed from November 2001. And we will end our journey with the Colchani salt exploitation. Installation at your hostel.

Note:

• 270 kms.
• 8-hour tour.

DAY 8:

COLCHANI – UYUNI – POTOSI. (4X4 car).

Towards 10 Am, in a 4×4 private car. We will cross all the Frailes Cordillera to join the imperial city of Potosi. Free end of the journey.

Our advices : visit of the Santa Teresa, or a walk through colored colonial houses with their hood balconies, which will show you a rich past.

The wonderful cathedral is located in the town center. And you could rest you on the main place.

Note:

• 250 kms of race.
• 7-hour tour.

DAY 9:

POTOSI CITY VISIT – SUCRE. (Private van).

Day devoted to the city discovery, a Unesco site.

Towards 9 Am, departure for Cerro Rico mines visit where we could meet miners in their daily environment.

Then we will visit an historic monument, the Casa de la Moneda, a real testimony of Spanish atrocities did during the XVI and XVII centuries. The most important part of metal work was made manly by slaves come from Africa, while mines was exploited by local people who had a shorter life than the others. Spanish people struck the crown money until the XIX century.

Lunch in Potosi, and departure at the beginning of afternoon in a private van to join the Sucre city. We will leave the high plateaus to go down in the Chuquisaca valley.

We will cross the Rio Pilcomayo through the Sucre bridge which has an anachronistic architecture (far away to the South, Rio is a natural border between Argentina and Paraguay), before to join Sucre where we will arrive at the end of this journey.

Note:

160 kms of road. 4-hour tour.

Note:

Casa de la Moneda is closed on Monday and Sunday afternoon.

DAY 10:

SUCRE – CITY VISIT.

During the morning, we will visit the Bolivian White City, constitutional capital. This Unesco site keeps its surprising historic relics in a very nice and peaceful environment. In these visits : Main Place and external views of the Cathedral, the prefectural palace formerly the governmental Palace when Sucre was the administrative city until the XIX century. Visit of the convent and the “La Recoleta” point of view, Asur textile museum, San Francisco church and others. Lunch included. Free afternoon and evening.

DAY 11:

SUCRE – LA PAZ. (Plane).

Transfer to the airport for your flight to La Paz. Lunch and visit in the Moon valley, named like that for the fairy chimneys aspect and others filiform pitons. Location tour of the highest capital all around the world (3700m). Visit market of wishes and the San Francisco church. Installation in your hostel.

DAY 12:

LA PAZ – TIWANAKU – PUERTO KARINA. (Private Van).

In the morning, departure in a private van to cross the border between Bolivia and Peru. During our trip, we will do a stop in Tiwanaku, the most important archeological site of Bolivia. Visit of the museum’s collections.

Then we will continue our route, and to the border, our Peruvian team will wait for you and will drive you to the Karina peninsula.

Upon your arrival, welcome and installation in your families. They will present you their daily activities : traditional cheese production, farming, agriculture. Lunch with your family.

In the afternoon, with small traditional sailboat we will visit the “Arku Punku” and we could do a training of their kind of fishing.

Dinner with your family, typical evening over a campfire, dance and music.

Environment,

You will be transported 100 years in the past. This only moment will give you the opportunity to think about you, to appreciate and to put into perspective your daily life. An important moment of sharing and humility.

Note:

Rooms with a very rough comfort but clean

DAY 13:

PUERTO KARINA – TAQUILE – HUAYLLANO – UROS – PUNO. (Private Boat).

Breakfast with the family, around 08h00 departure on a motorboat to join the Huayllano community, welcome by the Taquile families. Small walk and visit of the island. The community will teach us its ancestral customs (agriculture, weaving, natural medicine).

Typical lunch. At the beginning of the afternoon, we will go down the 527 steps of the island to join our boat in direction of waterborne Uros islands. Created in the XIII century by the Uros to escape from the Incas. Return to Puno and arrival at 5 Pm. Installation in your hostel.

DAY 14:

PUNO – CUSCO. (Bus Line).

In the morning, departure from the coach station for your Inka Express bus. During the day you will realize several stops as in the archeological site of Pukara, where we will discover the rest of the altiplano’s first civilization. Much more anterior than the Incas. We will go then to the Raya pass, which note the end of the Altiplano and the birth of inter-Andean valley, in which one the Inca’s civilization will develop it.

We will have a break around midday to a buffet lunch in an agreeable restaurant. And we will go to the Viracocha Inca temple and to the Andahuaylillas’ village, where there is the “Sixtine Chapel”. We will get to Cusco at the end of the afternoon where we will install at our hotel, with your guide from Cusco.

Option:

1st class East Express Andean Explorer Train, one the most beautiful train in the world : 10 unforgettable hours.

DAY 15:

CUSCO – CITY VISIT. (Private Van).

«God’s Gift to Mankind » en Quechua. Cusco has been the “Tawantinsuyu” Inca Empire capital. The legend tells the city was build during the XI or XII century by Manco Capac and Mama Oqllo after birth in the Titicaca Lake.

Free morning. At the beginning of the afternoon, discovery of Cusco and its sites. We will join the 4 Incas ruins : Tambomachay – Q’enko – Pukapucara – Sacsayhuaman

In the end of afternoon, return to Cusco in order to discover the traditionnal district of « San Blas».

DAY 16:

CUSCO – PISAC – OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES. (Private Van/Train).

In the morning, departure in a private car to the Pisac Village, strategic place for Incas to control the valley. Sunday, market day for neighbour communities. It’s more than one thousands colours which allow us to expose local products and the art diversity.

Free lunch.

We will continue our route to the typical village named Ollantaytambo in honour of “Cacique Ollanta”. According to oral tradition, this “Cacique” was in love of a princess, daughter of the Inca Pachacutec. Visit of the stronghold.

Towards 4 Pm, you will join the railway station for your train to Aguascalientes, just located in the bottom of Machu Picchu. Welcome and installation in your hostel.

DAY 17:

MACHU PICCHU – OLLANTAYTAMBO. (Train/Private Van).

Early in the morning, departure to join the citadel, possibility to go to the Sun Door in order to survey the Machu Picchu with the first sun lights. This third wonder of the world, found in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, American anthropologist, reaching 2400 high meters, will appear just front of you and will let you reflexive.

A site within an extraordinary beauty, in a tropical environment shows the apogee of the Inca Empire. The Machu Picchu will surprise you by its terraces, walls and impressive ramps in a natural setting.

Free dinner, and in the best moment we will go back to Aguacalientes railway station to Ollantaytambo. Welcome and installation in your hostel.

DAY 18:

OLLANTAYTAMBO – MORAY – MARAS – CHINCHERO – CUSCO. (Private Van).

Early in the morning, we will follow our road to go to the surprising « Salines de Maras » salt water sources which have been flowed for centuries and still unexploited by the local population who rent one or several parcels.

From this place, we will discover Moray, Amphitheatre composed by several terraces disposed on concentric circles. In fact, it was an Inca agricultural research centre where was practiced cultural experience. Each terrace creates a microclimate where it’s possible to cultivate more than 250 plant’s varieties.

The Chinchero village based in Cusco campaign was entirely built, like Ollantaytambo, in Inca bases. To “Tupac Yupanqui” could repose himself during his displacement. It’s one of the rare villages who still own today, Incas traces. Its Church or all these terraces are the proof. Return to Cusco.

Installation at your hostel.

DAY 19:

CUSCO – FREE DAY.

Free day. In the morning, opportunity to visit the Cusco market with its thousands and one colours, and its typical products. You could taste our wonderful juices or approach our Emolienteros present around the corners, who will prepare to you an extract of natural plants or Kinois.

With your visit accesses you could visit the cathedral and the Sun temple.

Use this moment to do your last purchases with our artisans who will welcome you with a great attention.

Free evening.

DAY 20:

CUSCO – LIMA – INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT. (Jorge Chavez International Airport).

In a good moment, with your guide, departure to the Peruvian capital, Lima. Welcome by our Novalys representative and direct link to your international flight.

THE STAY INCLUDES :

THE STAY DOES NOT INCLUDE :