The Andean Pearls: Bolivia-Peru

Private vehicle transfer to Lima airport. Lima - Arequipa flight. Your driver will take you to your hotel.

Free lunch.

Afternoon dedicated to a tour of the white city, heading to the Plaza de Armas, the heart of the city. Visit of the Company of Jesus, the Yanahuara district, the Yanahuara and Carmen Alto viewpoints and the Santa Catalina convent, one of the must-sees in Arequipa.

You are heading to Chivay, in the Colca Valley. On the way, visit the Chachani volcano and observe vicuñas in the Salinas y Aguada Blanca reserve. Enjoy the lunar landscapes, particularly at the Pata Pampa pass at 4900m altitude. You descend into the valley towards Chivay, surrounded by high mountains. Optionally, you can enjoy the hot thermal springs (entrance fee of approximately 6 USD not included).

Lunch is on your own.

Route towards the Condor's Cross, a strategic location to observe the landscape and the flight of the majestic condors. It should be noted that the depth of the Colca Canyon reaches 3000 meters in some places. Also discover typical small villages such as Maca.

Free lunch.

In the afternoon, drive to Puno (6 hours of travel), through the wild landscapes of the Andean altiplano. Hotel check-in.

Departure by private vehicle towards the border between Peru and Bolivie.

Meeting in Desaguadero with your Bolivian guide. Departure towards the Tiwanaku site located 71 kilometers from the city of La Paz. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, this was the major civilization of the central Andes between the 5th and 11th centuries. You will find there in particular the Akapana pyramid, the famous Gate of the Sun, the Kalasasaya temple and the "Benett" and "Ponce" monoliths. Visit the small museum before having lunch on site.

Lunch on your own.

In the afternoon, you travel to the city of La Paz. Hotel check-in.

Private vehicle transfer to El Alto airport for our La Paz - Sucre flight (variable schedules). Welcome by our driver at Alcantari airport and hotel check-in.

In the afternoon, meeting with our guide to visit the city with four names (Charcas, Chuquisaca, la Plata and Sucre, its most commonly used name). Sucre, the white city, inscribed by Unesco as a world heritage site, is in itself an open-air museum of what life was like during the colonial era. We visit the 25 de Mayo square, the Simon Bolivar park, the Recoleta convent, the ethnographic textile museum (ASUR) and the unmissable Casa de la Libertad (closed Sunday afternoon and Monday).

Departure at 8am from the hotel to reach the imperial city of Potosí where we arrive late morning.

At 2pm, meeting with our guide at our hotel to discover the Casa de la Moneda, a museum that traces the history of the city through silver coins that were produced there during Spanish times.

A little anecdote: the mask of the main patio was sculpted in 1850 by the French Eugenio Martínez Mulón. For some, it represents Diego Hualpa, the native who, according to legend, would have discovered the vein of Cerro Rico. For others, it symbolizes Bacchus, the Greek god of wine and abundance. This, because of the grape bunches on his head.

If time permits, discovery of the city center.

In the morning, meet with our guide at 9am at our hotel. First, we go to the miners' market to buy coca leaves, cigarettes and alcohol that we will give to the miners. Then we start the actual visit to the Cerro Rico Mines where the world's largest silver deposit was located (reduced activity on Saturdays and Mondays, no visits possible on Sundays).

Return to downtown at the end of the morning.

Free lunch and departure by private vehicle to the city of Uyuni.

4x4 vehicle expedition. To start, we visit the Train Cemetery located on the outskirts of the city. Most of the trains in this cemetery date back to the early 20th century and were imported from England to transport ore to Chile. Crossing of San Cristobal, a village that was relocated following the arrival of a mining company. Discovery of the Valley of Rocks where erosion has created strange shapes several meters high. Some more notable than others, we can try to spot the resemblances! One of the rocks may have the shape of a football World Cup trophy or a camel.

Dinner and night at the Mallku Cueva ecolodge.

Our 4x4 expedition for the day will take us to discover the most beautiful Lagunas in the region. Journey to the Polques hot springs (4,000 m) where we have the opportunity to bathe with beautiful views of the Laguna Chalviri. Along the way, discovery of the famous "Dali Desert" with its supernatural landscapes in light ochre tones. Finally, we reach the Laguna Blanca and especially the Laguna Verde (4,300 m) with its emerald color and the Licancabur volcano as a backdrop. We return by the same route before stopping at the "Sol de Mañana" site (4,850 m alt.), an area characterized by numerous geysers, fumaroles and mud pools. Arrival at the Laguna Colorada which welcomes many colonies of pink flamingos parading before our eyes.

Arrival at the Desert Hotel in late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay.

Head north along the Route des joyaux, a series of several magnificent lagoons (Honda, Ch'arkota, Hedionda and Cañapa) some of which are home to colonies of pink flamingos. This is the perfect time for a selfie with a flamingo! A short break is needed to admire the Ollaguë and Tomasamil volcanoes. We reach the Salar de Chiguana which closes out this beautiful day.

Arrival at the Tayka de Piedra hotel in late afternoon. Dinner and overnight.

We're heading today to the mythical Salar d'Uyuni.

On the way, visit to the small Galaxies Cave, a quite unique place… The Sayar d'Uyuni is for many the most beautiful salt desert in the world. Crossing this immense immaculate surface, one of the most striking experiences of this trip that we will remember for a long time. This paradise on earth with its infinitely white landscape is simply magical. An island in a sea of salt, the Incahuasi Island or Casa del Inca, is amazing with its many cacti so tall that they seem to touch the sky.

Dinner and night in a lodge. Sunset over the Salar.

Morning departure to reach the neighboring village of Coquesa, located at the foot of the Tunupa volcano. Discovery of the pre-Columbian mummy site dating back approximately 700 years after Christ. Progressive and peaceful hike to the viewpoint (approximately 02h00 of climbing). Splendid view of the volcano crater as well as the Salar d'Uyuni. Descent by the same path in approximately 1 hour.

Crossing the Salar d'Uyuni to reach the airport.

Flight Uyuni - La Paz (variable schedules). Welcome by our driver at El Alto airport, transfer and hotel check-in.

Departure for El Alto airport. La Paz – Cusco flight.

Arrival at Cusco airport and transfer to your hotel. Free day to discover one of the most fascinating cities in the Peruvian highlands. Night at the hotel.

After breakfast, drive to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a place with pleasant climate and fertile soils that the Incas knew how to benefit from. Discovery of Awanacancha, a high-quality textile craft center while observing women weaving. Visit to the small museum of alpaca wool textile manufacturing and opportunity to approach different camelids (llamas, alpacas, vicuñas) found on the site and which are the basis of all Andean textiles.

Departure towards the archaeological site of Pisac for the visit of its artisanal market and its archaeological site, considered the most important after that of Machu Picchu and which overlooks the Sacred Valley.

Finally, the last visit will be to Ollantaytambo to discover the ancient Inca fortress.

Late afternoon, drive to Aguas Calientes, the small town at the foot of Machu Picchu by taking the famous Andes train that winds through the mountain. Hotel check-in in Aguas Calientes.

Shuttle to the entrance of the site and guided tour (times to be confirmed at the time of booking) of the famous Inca city, Peru's premier tourist attraction, with its agricultural sectors, urban sectors and incredible mountain-side constructions. Enjoy half an hour of free time to experience the magic of the Machu Picchu site.

In the afternoon, departure for Aguas Calientes; arrival in the evening (Aguas Calientes-Ollantaytambo train). Night at the hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Route towards Moray, an incredible site with its circular terraces that would have served as an agricultural experimentation center.

Then, discovery of the Maras Salt Ponds, a true natural curiosity in the heart of the mountains which count more than 3000 basins on hillsides.

Take advantage of the short journey to the village of Chinchero and visit its baroque church. In the late afternoon, return towards Cusco.

Transfer to Cusco airport. Cusco-Lima flight. Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

In the afternoon, visit the capital of Peru, the central and colonial part, the Plaza Mayor, the cathedral San Francisco and its catacombs, as well as the modern part with its residential neighborhoods on the Pacific coast.