Lima<- ->La Paz

Visiting: Bolivia, Peru

Lima<- ->La Paz

This three week trip is a natural alternative to our Lima to Cusco trip. It includes all the Peru-must-do’s (Paracas National Park and Ballestas islands, the Nazca Lines, Colca Canyon, Arequipa, Machu Picchu), but you’ll also overland across the high plains of the Altiplano, the most extensive area of high plateau outside of Tibet. It’s an awesome landscape and yet one that is experienced by far fewer tourists than north Bolivia’s biggest attraction: Lake Titicaca. As well as being South America’s highest (and by volume, largest) navigable lake, the lake is home to the Uros people who live on tiny floating islands made of reeds. We visit them by boat and on a later day, can visit the lake’s Isla del Sol, near Copacabana, from which the indigenous people still believe the sun was born. The trip ends in Bolivia’s capital, La Paz.

Border information: If you are starting in Lima, enter Peru at Lima Airport.

Day free to explore Lima, with a group meeting at 18:00 hrs. We stay in a good quality hotel in the centre of the city.

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We have a very early start and head south and out of Lima to begin a 270kms drive to Paracas. There we board a boat trip to the Ballestas Islands to view wildlife before returning to Paracas to explore the national park. We will bush camp either in Paracas National Park or in Huacachina for optional sand boarding and dune buggying

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In the morning we will have a chance to stock up on supplies before driving approximately 200kms to Nazca where we camp. En route we have the chance to glimpse the Nazca lines from a viewing platform

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In the morning there is an optional flight over the mysterious Nazca lines and an included visit to Chauchilla cemetery. In the afternoon there is a 270kms drive to Puerto Inca for an overnight stay at a beach camp site

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380kms drive day takes us to altitude and to the ‘white city’ of Arequipa where we overnight in a good quality hotel

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Free day to explore the colonial city of Arequipa

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Time in Arequipa to explore further in the morning. Then drive 150 km drive to Chivay with an optional visit to thermal springs. Overnight in a hotel at Chivay.

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Short driving day to visit the spectacular Colca Canyon to view condors and also local communities. Overnight in the same hotel at Chivay.

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Drive day to Raqchi and stay overnight in local homestay. We stay in traditional family houses with clean but basic facilities. Whilst we are there we enjoy some of the ceremonial aspects of village life as well as much singing and dancing. This is a great local experience.

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In the morning we visit the ruins at Raqchi and also a local artisan centre. In the afternoon we drive 160kms drive to Cusco. Overnight in a lovely colonial hotel

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Border information: If you are starting in Cusco, enter Peru at Cusco Airport.

Group meeting at 10:00 hrs to plan the following day's trekking with the rest of the day free to enjoy Cusco. We stay in a good quality colonial hotel in Cusco.

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Trekking in the Andes. We will have a tour of the sacred valley and either begin the community trek or the classic trek to the world heritage site of Machu Picchu. The nights are spent camping.

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Trekking in the Andes. We will have a tour of the sacred valley and either begin the community trek or the classic trek to the world heritage site of Machu Picchu. The nights are spent camping.

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Trekking in the Andes. We will have a tour of the sacred valley and either begin the community trek or the classic trek to the world heritage site of Machu Picchu. The nights are spent camping.

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Trekking in the Andes. We will have a tour of the sacred valley and either begin the community trek or the classic trek to the world heritage site of Machu Picchu. The nights are spent camping.

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Visit to Machu Picchu one of the world's most iconic sights. We'll have a guided tour with a local expert and plenty of time on site before catching the train back to Cusco.

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Relax after the trek with optional activities available such as white water rafting. Overnight in the same colonial hotel.

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In the morning we have a 440kms drive to Puno. We will visit the Sillustani ruins and museum en route and overnight in hotel

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Border information: Exit Peru at Desguadero, enter Bolivia at Copacabana.

We head out on a boat on Lake Titicaca to the floating reed islands of Uros before a 200kms drive takes us across the Bolivian border to the lakeside town of Copacabana where we overnight in a hotel

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Today is a non-driving day with an all day visit to Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca. We return in the evening to Copacabana to overnight in the same hotel

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A 160kms drive brings us to La Paz, Bolivia’s capital where we have time to explore the city and do optional activities. Overnight good quality colonial hotel in central La Paz

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Free time to explore La Paz or do activities such as downhill mountain biking.

Border information: If you are leaving in La Paz, exit Bolivia at La Paz Airport.

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@variation

Key: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner