» Trans Patagonia
Desert to Jungle - 21 days
Peru has the adventurous 4x4-driver a lot to offer. Eventually too much for one tour. The diversity of roads, nature and culture is enormous. That's why we start our standard-tours in the desert and then over the high Andes to the amazonian rainforest. So you can experience the many climate-zones of Peru. And off course we won't forget the cultural history of this beautiful country. During our tours you will meet the local population, see the Inca-culture, but also other old civilizations who lived in South-America and the Spanish colonial heritage.
This 'Desert to Jungle'-tour will visit the Nasca-lines, Lake Titicaca and off course Machu Picchu!
| Departure-date(s): | - Daily |
Price pp: |
$ |
Kilometers: |
3300 |
Road-surface: |
Asphalt and Gravel |
Included: |
Not Included : |
|---|---|
| Flight Lima-Arequipa vv | Intercontinental flight to Lima vv |
| Fine middle-class hotels with private shower and toilet, continental breakfast included | Fuel and tolls |
| Car-rent, with unlimited mileage | All entrance-fees for museums and parks |
| All transfers | Additional insurance |
| Train- and bus-tickets to Machu Picchu | All lunches and dinners |
| Airport-taxes | |
| Personal expenses |
Full description:
Day 1, 2 en 3 --- Arrival in Lima and Arequipa
The first day you will arrive in Lima, the sizzling capital of Peru. The next day you take your flight to Arequipa, our hometown. Here we will brief you about your tour.
The rest of the day and the next you can stroll the streets of Arequipa and visit the famous Plaza de Armas and museums in the white city.
Day 4 --- Colca Canyon
We start our 4x4 and our tour. Up ahead to the Colca Canyon, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in Arizona (USA) and one of the best places on earth to see the Andean Condor in the wild.
Tarmac and dirt-roads will be be our part this day. Over mountain-passes of 4.910 meters high with beautiful views on the great eight volcanoes of Arequipa. Accompanied by thousands lama's, alpaca's and vicuña's. In the evening we can relax in the hotsprings of Chivay, a little village in the Colca Canyon.
Day 5 --- Camana
Further we go into the canyon and stop at the "Cruz del Condor", to see the condors. Wirh a little luck they fly just meters over your head. Through 'frozen in time'-villages, slowly we descend back to sea-level and sleep near the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the town of Camana.
Day 6 --- Nasca
We follow the PanAmerican Highway northbound, leaving the mountains behind us. The next 500 kilometers like 'Dakar' through the desert to Nasca, a little village worldfamous for her Nasca-lines. These lines are drawn by the Nasca-people from B.C. until 1150 A.C. These mysterious drawings on the ground can only be seen from a Cessna-plane.
Also in Nasca are the Inca-aquaducts and the pre-Inca burielgrounds of Chauchilla.
Day 7 --- Daytrip Pisco
In the morning time to enjoy Nasca and maybe we need the extra posibility to fly over the Nasca-lines. Late in the morning we leave to Pisco.
Day 8 --- Islas Ballestas and Paracas National Reserve
An early 'rise and shine', because we have to take the early speedboat to the Ballestas Islands. These islands are called "the Poor-man's Galapagos-islands". Lots of marine-life to see here. Millions of sea-birds, sea-lions and sometimes even whales!
Next with our 4x4 through the desert to Paracas National Reserve. This is heaven for every 4x4-driver, because this desert has a rockbottom surface. Over the PanAmerican Highway to the most beautiful oasis of both Americas: Huacachina! A real movie-like oasis. here you can go sandboarding and/or rent a buggy. It's better than... a real rollercoaster!
Day 9 and 10 --- Huacachina-Puquio-Abancay
From Huacachina it is just a small distance back to Nasca. Behind Nasca the mighty Andes brings us to more than 4.200 meters, where we will meet the lama's and vicuñas. We stay the night in touristless Puquio, a beautifull little village in the high Andes with a very attractive Plaza de Armas (main-square).
The next day over the Andes and descend to a warm and green climate: Abancay.
Day 11 and 12--- Abancay-Cusco
After breakfast and enough of ascending an descending we will arrive in one of the most beautiful cities of South-America: Cusco. The ancient capital of the Inca's. We enter Cusco on the Avenida del Sol (Avenue of the Sun), the most important god of the Inca's. The afternoon and the next day is to discover Cusco with all its little streets, Plaza de Armas, cathedral, local markets, ruins of Sacsayhuaman, etc., etc. And in the evening you can explore the nightlife in Cusco.
Day 13 --- Sacred Valley of the Inca's
Daytrip in our 4x4 to the "Sacred Valley of the Inca's". From Cusco to Ollantaytambo we will visit Moray and Salineras, both very special Inca places. In Ollantaytambo we will visit the Inca-ruins.
Day 14 --- Machu Picchu
An early 'rise and shine', because we will leave with the VistaDome-train to Aguas Calientes.
This train-ride of almost 4 hours will take you through the high Andes along the Amazone-river to The Lost City of the Inca´s, Machu Picchu.
In the middle of the jungle you will visit one of the most significant ruins of the Inca's. Late in the afternoon you will return to Ollantaytambo by train.
Day 15 en 16 --- The Jungle
Two wonderful days off-road with first a high mountainpass of 4.750 meters high and then down to the jungle.
We sleep in the hot and humid environment of Quillabamba, and the next day to Lares, a chilly village on 3.000 meters. Here too are hotsprings.
From Lares once more over the mighty Andes, through the Sacred Valley to Siciuani.
Day 17 --- Puno
A long but easy trip today to the city on the shoreline of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake on earth. Over 3.800 meters high in the Andes.
Along the way you can visit ancient burielgrounds of the Inca's and Pre-Inca's in Sillustani, with fantastic views.
Day 18 --- Lake Titicaca
We will visit the floating islands of the Uros indians. This people lives for hundreds of years on the reet-islands. The build everything out of reet, houses, boats and schools. After the Uros-islands you go further to Taquile-island. Here you will meet with the locals.
Day 19 --- Arequipa
An early 'rise & shine'. We have to cross several mountain-peaks in the Andes. Magnificent views on volcanoes, lama's and snowy peaks. The last kilometers we pass the El Misti and Chanchani volcanoes, before we arrive in Arequipa, our hometown. In the evening we'll enjoy a cold beer and a alpaca-steak in one of the many restaurants and bars in the centre of Arequipa.
Day 20 --- Transfer to the airport
In the afternoon we will bring you to the airport in Arequipa for your flight to Lima. In Lima you take your connecting flight home.
Day 21 --- Arrival
Arrival 'back home'.
