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Bowler hats, Incas and Indians
If you're thinking of combining Bolivia and Peru and have four weeks to spend away, then this best of Bolivia itinerary is the one for you. From the bowler hats of Bolivia, you'll travel to Lake Titicaca and finally the Inca ruins of Peru. With this independent best of Bolivia and Peru trip, you'll follow the trails of South America right into the heart of the continent. You'll enjoy an easy start in the sub-tropical lowlands of Bolivia at 400m altitude. From Sucre, you'll travel to Uyuni for a thrilling 4x4 jeep expedition along salt pans, coloured lagoons, rugged mountain peaks, hot springs and active volcanoes. From La Paz, you'll follow the banks of Lake Titicaca into Peru. You’ll go on a boat trip across the lake and stay the night with an Indian family on one of the islands. Finally you’ll travel to Cuzco, the starting point of your two-day trek into the Andes to Machu Picchu. You’ll spend the last two days of your Peru and Bolivia holiday in the Sacred Valley. |
| Duration | 24 days / 23 nights, departure daily |
Accommodation |
22 nights incl. breakfast. 1 overnight bus. Shared facilities on the 3d/2n Uyuni jeep tour. Comfort level mainly 3 (see accommodation) |
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Price |
£1495 per person - based on 2 people sharing, including flights Santa Cruz - Sucre and Cuzco - Lima |
Includes |
Transport and accommodation. Excursions; 3d/2n jeep tour Uyuni (full board), Titicaca (Amantani full board), Inca Trail (full board, entrance fee Machu Picchu US$45 p.p.) |
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Transport |
All intercity transport by plane, bus, train or private car except Ollanta - Cuzco. Transfers as described. |
Excludes |
International flight, entrance fee Isla de Pescadores (US$1 p.p.), (Avaroa US$4 p.p.) and airport taxes, other meals (Titicaca - Taquile lunch) and excursions |
Day 1: Santa Cruz (Bolivia) arrivalToday you’ll be arriving in Santa Cruz, the perfect place to start your Peru and Bolivia holiday because you’re not flying in to a high altitude. The flight to Santa Cruz is quite a long flight which is why we recommend spending the first two nights of your itinerary in Santa Cruz or Samaipata to recover from your jet lag, and prepare yourself to see the best of Bolivia and Peru in the followings weeks.Santa Cruz is a relaxed, cosmopolitan city with a pleasant subtropical climate. Arriving at Santa Cruz airport, it’s nice to know you’ll be met in the arrivals hall by a local representative and transferred directly to your hotel. You probably won’t feel like doing much on the first day of your best of Bolivia and Peru itinerary so, apart from checking in to your hotel, we’ve got nothing planned for you today. Whether you want to head out to explore the city or hang around the hotel and take a nap, it’s all up to you. |
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You’ll be staying in a comfortable middle-class hotel in the heart of the historical and commercial centre. Your room has a private bathroom, A/C, TV, phone and minibar. Some rooms have a balcony. The hotel has a very friendly atmosphere and the owner is extremely welcoming. If you’re itching to get your first taste of Bolivia, most of the sights of Santa Cruz are within walking distance. On the central plaza you’ll find a huge cathedral and further up is the Museo Etno Folkorico and the El Arenal city park. The Los Pozos market is a great place to browse around for souvenirs. In the evening, find a seat on one of the shady benches and just soak up the local atmosphere of the first night on your Peru and Bolivia holiday. |
Day 2: Santa Cruz- SamaipataIt’s a relaxed start to the next day of your Peru and Bolivia holiday; within two hours you’ll find yourself in the middle of the Bolivian countryside. You’ll be staying in the friendly village of Samaipata on a traditional country estate (finca). The estate covers over 14 acres and lies at 1650m altitude with sweeping views across the surrounding hills and valleys. There’s lots to do around Samaipata and it’s a pleasant place to slowly adjust to the altitude.The finca estate, where you'll be staying on day 2 of your best of Bolivia itinerary, has several organic herb, flower and vegetable gardens, and also has several unusual indigenous trees and plants. Many rooms at the finca have a private veranda and hammock and a panoramic view across the valley. There’s a small garden café in the grounds open to guests and visitors. Try the fresh pomegranate juice or rhubarb or mango pancakes…delicious. |
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Day 3: Samaipata and surrounding areaDay three of your best of Bolivia trip is for you to spend as you please. You can stay in the village or head out into the countryside. Just ask at reception for information on what to see and do. Samaipata has a nice plaza and a typical Bolivian market where you’re sure to find a couple of nice souvenirs.We can suggest three activities outside Samaipata on your Bolivia trip. El Fuerte is a ceremonial pre-Inca ruin in a remote but very scenic location in the hills. The ruin has some unusual carved signs of snakes and pumas; Las Cuevas, a small nature park with three waterfalls where you can swim in the natural pools and finally Amboro National Park which is home to over 90 species of birds including hummingbirds, parrots, toucans and condors. There are marked trails throughout the parks and you can unleash the Tarzan in you by swinging on the lianas, eat your lunch perched on a tree branch, walk through a giant fern forest under bromeliads and orchids or go horse-riding along the jungle rivers. |
Day 4: Samaipata - Santa Cruz - SucreTo spare you a 16 hour drive along a very bumpy road you'll be picked up at the finca and transferred back to Santa Cruz where you'll take a domestic flight to Sucre, the official capital of Bolivia. On arrival at the airport, you'll be transferred directly to your hotel. Due to its relatively low altitude at 2800m and set in a sheltered valley, this friendly colonial university town has a wonderful mild climate all year round. Sucre is also known as the “White city of the Americas” thanks to the many white buildings throughout the city. There are several interesting museums, a lively main plaza, and plenty of shops and restaurants. Don’t be fooled by the old-fashioned, colonial look and feel of the houses and churches here; Sucre has a very young and energetic atmosphere. You’ll find plenty of lively student bars here so you’re guaranteed a good night out on Day Four of your Bolivia trip. |
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Day 5: SucreStart day Five of your best of Bolivia tour with a relaxed walk through the town. Most of Sucre’s sights are within walking distance. Churches and cathedrals have “flexible opening hours” so you might not be able to go in just when you want. The textile museum and children’s museum Tanga Tanga are worth a visit and at the top of the hill you’ll find the Recoleta Franciscan monastery where you can take a guided tour through the serene courtyards, pretty gardens and chapels and a 1400 year old cedar tree.There are several half-day or whole day trails available through the hills around Sucre, the most popular being the “Dino Truck”. On the tour you’ll visit a wall of dinosaur footprints believed to be over 60-85 million years old which is pretty amazing. If you happen to be in Sucre on a Sunday you can’t avoid the market at Tarabuco, the most authentic market in the whole of South America, and one of the best in Bolivia. From Sucre it's 1 1/2 hours by local bus (can be booked at hotel reception) across a dusty road to Tarabuco. Indians in their traditional dress flock here from across the region to trade their goods in the market place. It’s a busy place and like every market it’s wise to keep your eye on your wallet and camera. Not many tourists visit here so you’ll certainly stand out among the locals. This is the real Bolivia. |
Day 6: Sucre - PotosíOn day six of your Peru and Bolivia holiday, you’ll be picked up at the hotel in the morning for the bus transfer from Sucre to Potosi. The beautiful views, the excellent road and the cheerful Bolivian music on the bus make it a very pleasant journey and, before you know it, you’ll arrive in Potosi three hours later. Take a taxi from the bus station to the hotel where you can grab a bite to eat before heading out to explore the town in the afternoon. You’ll be staying in a residencia at the edge of the centre, close to the Cerro Rico mountain. The guesthouse has a personal atmosphere and very friendly staff. The rooms are squeaky clean with thick blankets on the beds and, most importantly, central heating! |
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Potosi was founded in 1545 when large quantities of silver were discovered in the Cerro Rico. The city has been at the centre of the silver mining industry for over four centuries and, even today, everything in Potosi is focused on the mine. You'll have the rest of the afternoon to acclimatise and explore the little streets and markets. This is still a very authentic Bolivian town and the locals seem quite unphased by tourists. If you're not claustrophobic, pay a visit to the Cerro Rico mines in the afternoon. First of all, you can do a spot of window shopping on the miner’s market. The Cerro Rico is a cooperative mine, employing over 10,000 miners toiling away beneath the mountain. They're very grateful for a small gift from the market, like a bunch of coca leaves. Chewing on the leaves gives them the energy boost they need and it suppresses their hunger. The conditions in the mine are extremely dire, to put it mildly. Everywhere in the mine you'll pass wooden 'El Tio's', an effigy of the devil who, according to Bolivian superstition is the ruler of all mineral sources. To appease the devil the miners place offerings of alcohol, coca and cigarettes and his horns are drenched in alcohol and set alight. If you're visiting the mines, wear your oldest clothes and remember there's no ventilation in the mines. |
Day 7: Potosi - UyuniAround 11am on day 7 of your Peru and Bolivia holiday, you'll make your own way to Potosi bus station to catch the local bus to Uyuni. The trip takes about 6 hours and the road conditions are quite poor. Make sure you bring some snacks or buy something at one one of the village stops on the way.At around 5pm, the bus pulls into Uyuni and the next stop on your best of Bolivia holiday. Theres not too much to get excited about here; compared to Sucre and Potosi, with all their lively Bolivian charm, this village is pretty gloomy. Walk from the bus station to your hotel (5 minutes) you can spend the rest of the day checking your email, doing your laundry and packing a small backpack for tomorrow’s jeep expedition (you can leave the rest of your bags at the hotel). Later on pay a visit to the train cemetery on the outskirts of the village. It’s particularly scenic around sunset. The vision of rusty steam engines against an electric blue sky and the red soil is very surreal. |
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Day 8: Uyuni - San JuanOn day eight of your Bolivia trip, you can check out of your hotel after breakfast and, because you'll be coming back at the end of your Salar tour, you can leave some of your baggage in storage here. Around 9.20am, you'll be picked up by your Spanish-speaking driver and 4x4 and you'll set off to the Salar de Uyuni salt plains. First you'll stop off at the salt mine village Colchani where you can see how the salt extracted from the plains is utilised. From here it's another 15 minutes to the salt flats.The flats were formed when the lake dried up and they now cover an area of 10.582 km², half the size of Wales. The salts and minerals couldn’t flow away and dried up in the lake, leaving an immense white and completely flat expanse. The lake is literally dazzling, even with sunglasses and a sun cap the brightness of the sun reflecting on the white plain makes your eyes water. |
| If you’re wearing your sun glasses, you can make out the snowy peaks of the Andes volcanoes on the horizon. After another hour across the salty 'no man’s land' you’ll arrive at your hotel in San Juan. At the end of the morning you’ll drive on to the Isla de las Pescadores, a rocky outcrop covered in giant cacti slap bang in the middle of the Salar. As the guide prepares a picnic lunch for you, take a look around and enjoy the panoramic views across the flats, another real highlight on your Peru Bolivia itinerary. |
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Day 9: San Juan - Laguna ColoradaThe following day, you’ll drive on to Salar de Chiguana, another salt plain considerably smaller than Salar de Uyuni but with beautiful broad views across the snow-covered Ollague, just across the Chilean border. After a short stop at the border checkpoint, you’ll pass a couple of lagoons home to various species of flamingo. How these fragile birds balancing on their thin twiggy legs can possibly survive in the icy winds and cold, no-one knows.After about 70km you’ll reach the Arbol de Piedra, or stone tree which is part of the landscape that inspired surrealist Salvador Dali. It’s a nice place to stop for lunch and have a look around the eroded rock formations. |
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After lunch, it’s another 4 hours’ drive across the rugged southern landscape of southern Bolivia to the Laguna Colorada where you'll arrive around 4pm for the next stop on your best of Bolivia tour. The view here is phenomenal; a huge pink swarm of thousands of flamingos wading through the crimson coloured water looking for algae and plankton. As the sun sets, the sky is filled with millions of stars. This mineral-rich lagoon lies at 4300m, so temperatures drop below freezing at night. It can also be very windy here. Your accommodation is basic (no running water) but the amazing views here make up for everything. |
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Day 10: Laguna Verde - Laguna Blanca - UyuniYou’ll be up before dawn (5am!) to get to the geysers of Sol de Mañana (4850m) this morning. It’s freezing cold at this time of day so be quick to jump into the warm jeep. As you make your way to the geysers, the sun slowly rises over the unearthly lunar landscape. The geysers of Sol de Mañana only erupt early in the morning, until about 8am. The rest of the day they just bubble and let off the occasional cloud of steam which isn’t quite as spectacular.On this freezing morning, make sure you have some breakfast because you’ll feel a lot less cold with a full stomach. Luckily, though, you can warm up in the blissful hot springs. You’re still at 4200m altitude but it’s a lot less windy and chilly here. Slide into the soothing 30C water against a backdrop of endless salt plains and Andes mountains. Emerging from the water looking like a shrivelled prune you’ll feel positively warm and reborn, another great highlight of your best of Bolivia trip. |
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After your morning bath, it’s time to jump back into the jeep and continue towards the southern tip of Bolivia. Around 11am you’ll reach an altitude of 5000m close to the Chilean border. |
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Before lunch you’ll travel back to Laguna Colorada. You’ll stop for lunch on the banks of the other side of the lake overlooking the feeding flamingos. The final couple of hours of your jeep expedition will take you past the Rocks of Salvador Dali and the Valle de Rocas. You might spot the odd vizcacha, a type of Andean rabbit. In the late afternoon, you’ll see Uyuni appear on the horizon but, first you’ll pay a visit to the train cemetery. The tour ends around 6pm back in Uyuni. |
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Day 11: Uyuni - La PazOn day eleven of your Peru Bolivia holiday, you have time to do as you please. Have a lie-in, send some emails or catch up on your travel journal before you board the overnight bus to La Paz. It can get pretty cold at night and the seats don't recline so prepare for a pretty uncomfortable ride. Bring a warm sweater, a pillow and a couple of snacks for the journey. |
Day 12: La PazHaving left Uyuni around 8pm last night, you’ll arrive in La Paz early in the morning at 6.30am (if you’ve taken the 11.30pm bus you’ll arrive around 10am). La Paz lies in a bowl in a steep canyon at 4000m, surrounded by the snowy peaks of the Andes that protect the city from the fierce Altiplano winds. The sunny weather, the typical bowler hats in the streets, colonial churches and colourful Indian markets; this is Bolivia as we know it. From the bus station, simply take a taxi to your hotel where you'll be staying tonight on your Bolivia holiday. Seeing as we never know exactly what time the bus arrives, it’s easier to arrange your transfer yourself. |
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You’ll be staying in a colonial hosteria in the city centre within walking distance of the Witch Market and the central San Francisco cathedral. The rooms have a private bathroom, phone, heating and extra blankets. Most of the rooms look out onto the inner courtyards with lots of plants and benches and there’s a restaurant where you can start the day with a hearty breakfast or recharge your batteries with a cup of coca tea. You can leave your valuables at reception. The hotel also has a laundry service and theres internet and a cash machine nearby. If you would like a little excursion at this point of your best of Bolivia holiday, you can ask at reception for interesting walking routes through the city. The centre is quite compact and easy to find your way around, but remember there’s little point studying a map to see how far it is to walk; it won’t tell you how steep the streets are… |
Day 13: La PazWhen you’re heading out into the city it’s best to wear layers; a t-shirt and a sweater and an extra sweater or jacket for the cold. Because of the altitude, the sun’s very bright here, but the temperature drops rapidly the second the sun disappears behind a cloud. La Paz has plenty of noteworthy museums like the Coca Museum, several picturesque squares filled with locals in bowler hats and wide skirts and lots of street markets. Make sure you see the witch market where, besides lama-wool sweaters, lama rugs and fetching knitted hats with lama motives, you can also find lama foetuses and other bizarre items used for sacred rituals. A great place to buy a souvenir from your best of Boliva trip! |
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There are several interesting hiking trails and excursions in the La Paz area, ranging from very relaxing to very challenging. The Tiwanaku ruins lie 70 km from La Paz towards Lake Titicaca. It’s believed to be the central ceremonial complex of the Tiwanaku, a pre-Inca civilization, in the heart of the Trans-Andes trade route. You can easily arrange to add this day trip to your Peru and Bolivia trip. Just speak with one of the many travel agents in the centre or at your hotel reception. The Valle de la Luna (moon valley) is more or less on the outskirts of La Paz and easy to get to by taxi. It’s a fascinating nature reserve where you can walk among bizarre lunar-like eroded rock formations. |
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Chacaltaya (35km from La Paz) is the world’s highest ski run at stratospheric altitude of 5230m. Well, it’s not officially a ski run anymore because you can’t actually ski there (poor maintenance) but you can walk to the top for a magnificent view towards Lake Titicaca to one side and an infinite expanse of snow-capped mountains, including Bolivia’s highest mountain the Illimani (6400m) to the other. The walk from the ski hut to the top was just 70m, but it took us 50 minutes there and back! The ski hut is still open, so pop in for an invigorating cup of coca tea on your way back. The views are phenomenal and a real highlight of your best of Bolivia tour. Another interesting outdoor challenge is a downhill mountain bike ride from La Paz to Coroico; a 4-hour adrenaline rush beginning high up in the eternal snow of the Andes and dropping 2000m in altitude to the tropical palm trees of Coroico. As you can see, there is plenty to do in La Paz so if you'd like to extend your stay here with an extra day on your Peru and Bolivia holiday, just let us know. |
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Day 14: La Paz - Puno (Peru)On day fourteen of your Peru and Bolivia itinerary, make your own way to La Paz bus station in the morning where you'll catch the direct bus to Copacabana (4 hours). Not long after you've left La Paz, you'll catch your first glimpse of Lake Titicaca, 45km wide and over 175km long. About 2 hours into the trip the bus needs to cross the water. There's no bridge so the bus is put on a ferry that looks more like a raft and the passengers are transferred into little boats and ferried across to the other side, where you'll hop back onto the bus and continue your journey to Titicaca. In Copacabana, the bus will stop for a couple of hours so you can stretch your legs and have some lunch. How does a meal of fresh fish directly from the lake, washed down with a papaya shake sound? Copacabana is a fun little town so if you'd like to hang around here a bit longer just let us know on your Quote Request Form and we'll book an overnight stay for you. |
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After your lunch stop, you’ll climb back into the bus around 2pm and 20 minutes later you’ll arrive at the Bolivian-Peruvian border. At the Bolivian check-post leave the bus to have your passport stamped and then cross the bridge on foot into Peru, where you’ll find a Peruvian bus waiting to take you to Puno. Total travel time from Copacabana to Puno including border stop is 3 ½ hours. Entering Puno, the fresh atmosphere of the city immediately hits you. Puno is a popular university town with lots of festivals, markets, restaurants and bars, but it’s also incredibly cosy. Instead of cars, you’ll see mainly horse carts and rickshaws that would look more at home in Asia instead of a high-altitude Peruvian student town. You’ll be dropped off at Puno bus station where you can take a rickshaw or moped-taxi to your cosy posada just two blocks from the central plaza. This is where you'll be staying on night fourteen of your best of Bolivia and Peru holiday. |
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Day 15: Titicaca excursion Puno - Uros - AmantaniOn day fifteen of your Bolivia and Peru trip, you’ll be picked up at your hotel in the morning for the short drive to the busy harbour of Puno (pack a small daypack and leave the rest of your baggage at the hotel). Around 8am, you’ll board the boat with your fellow passengers and sail out onto the wide open lake. You’ll need to wear a life jacket – well, at least until you’re out of sight of the harbour… The boat goes quite fast so it can get quite chilly in the wind, even though it’s nice and sunny, so bring a hat and gloves if you have them and don't forget your sunscreen. |
| According to local legend, Lake Titicaca was the location of the lost city of Atlantis, the birthplace of our civilization and as you sail across the lake, the mountains and sky reflecting in the deep blue water, you can understand why. After about an hour, the boat will moor at the floating reed islands of Uros, and the next stop on your Peru Bolivia itinerary. The islands are entirely made of totara reed. As the bottom layer slowly rots away, the reed requires permanent maintenance which is why the inhabitants continuously need to add new layers of reed to the top layer. Houses, boats, watchtowers, the school, it's all made from reed. You can take a short trip on a traditional reed raft to one of the neighbouring islands, steered by a man with a long wooden pole. |
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After about an hour, you'll board the boat again and set off for Amantani where you'll be staying for this night of your best of Peru and Bolivia tour. Based on a fair and impartial system, you’ll be placed with one of the island families. The proceeds of your stay all go towards the development of the island, for example to buy school supplies or farming tools. Usually, you’ll be staying in a small clay hut with a straw mattress and a couple of warm blankets. Around sunset, you’ll go on a walk across the island with a local guide. At the top of a nearby hill, there’s a small Inca ritual site with beautiful views across the island and the lake. A small gift for your hosts is greatly appreciated, like soap, crayons and paper or a toothbrush and toothpaste. |
Day 16: Amantani - Taquile - PunoAfter breakfast, it's time to say goodbye to your hosts as you continue your Peru trip and head down the long flight of steps to the jetty. As the boat sails off around 8am, you can see the sun coming up across Lake Titicaca. An hour later, you'll step ashore in Taquile, but it's another 45 minutes uphill to the village square. Like Amantani, there are no roads or cars on Taquile. Supplies are shipped in from Puno every day but this island is much steeper than Amantani which means the islanders have to carry the heavy goods up hundreds of steps to the village. If, like us, you get exhausted just watching them, then take a rest in the village square with a cup of muña tea.The square isn't just a meeting place for the local villagers, it also serves as a football field and public assembly room. The locals, in their brightly coloured traditional dress, look at you with equal bemusement as you observe their rather unusual knitting habits. Later that morning, you'll take a walk across the fields to a small Inca ruin and enjoy a fresh fish lunch on the other side of the island. With the sun setting across the water, you'll sail back from Taquile to Puno, where you'll be dropped off at your hotel 3 hours later. In the evening, try the local speciality Pollo a la Plancha at one of the many chicken restaurants of Puno, a great end to another day of your Peru and Bolivia holiday. |
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Day 17: Puno - CuzcoAfter a good night's sleep and a substantial breakfast, you'll make your own way (by rickshaw if you haven't tried it yet?) to the bus station. There are several ways to get from Puno to Cuzco, but we've booked the comfortable express bus for you. The trip takes about 6 hours, a lot quicker than the more expensive tourist bus which makes several stops on the way where people will try to sell you local souvenirs. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays there's also a train connection but it's unreliable as the train is cancelled if there aren't enough reservations and the journey takes 4 hours longer than the express bus. If you take the 9am bus you'll arrive in Cuzco around 3pm, the next stop on your Peru and Bolivia holiday. When you get there, simply take a taxi from the bus station to your hotel. |
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Your hotel (posada) is located in the artists' district San Blas, five minutes by taxi up a steep hill from the Plaza de Armas. The posada is a small mid-class guesthouse with a garden, several patios and a cosy breakfast room. Your modern room is squeaky clean and has a private bathroom with shower and toilet. We picked this hotel for your Peru holiday, primarily for its great atmosphere. The sights of Cuzco around the Plaza de Armas are about 10 minutes’ walk downhill from your hotel. When you decide to head back to your hotel, spare yourself the climb and just take a taxi. Remember, the city is at 3300m altitude! |
Day 18: CuzcoSan Blas is more residential and authentic than the touristy centre. The narrow streets that barely fit a small Daewoo taxi suddenly open up to a wonderful view across the city and the surrounding mountains. You’ll find lots of bars and restaurants in the area and, because the streets are so tiny, you won’t be bothered by roaring traffic. The Plaza de Armas is the beating heart of Cuzco and reputedly one of the prettiest squares in the whole of Peru. The little streets around the square are full of interesting shops and restaurants, a really lovely way to spend Day Eighteen of your best of Peru trip. |
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Day 19: Cuzco - Winay Wayna (Inca Trail)In the morning, leave whatever you won't be needing for the next four days at your hotel reception for storage. You'll be dropped off at Cuzco station where your train leaves at 7.30am for the next section of your Peru Bolivia itinerary - the Inca trail. The train runs on a rack railway to get itself up the steep gradient, going backwards and forwards to pull itself uphill. As soon as it leaves Cuzco, the train starts to wind its way up into the mountains at a snail’s pace. Three hours later, around 11am, you’ll arrive at post 104, the starting point of this two-day ‘Camino Real’ trail. Tell the train driver where you want to get off because there’s no station here and it’s not an official stop. Your guide will make sure everyone's at the door ready to jump off the train the moment it stops. You have about 1 minute to get off before it starts moving again. |
| After a quick briefing by your guide, your trek to Machu Picchu is about to begin. Setting off at 2300m altitude, you’ll cross a footbridge across the Urubamba river. It’s an easy start even for novice trekkers. Today's trek takes about 4 hours, climbing up the endless steps of the former Inca trading route from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, passing several small ruins that were once resting points on the route. Around 1pm you'll stop for lunch and as you eat your packed lunch and look out across the Andes you'll realise why the Inca city remained hidden until it was discovered by accident in 1911. Surrounded by the towering mountains and endless green valleys you feel rather small by comparison. The views are a true highlight of your best of Bolivia and Peru holiday. |
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After lunch, your guide will show you around the ruins of Winay Wayna before continuing on for the last couple of miles to the ‘Sun Gate’ Inti Punco where you suddenly catch your first glimpse of Machu Picchu. No matter how many pictures you’ve seen it in magazine, it’s even more beautiful in real life! From the viewpoint, it’s another hour downhill to the entrance to the Machu Picchu. However, the sun is already low in the sky and now’s not the best time to do the whole background talk on the ruins. Instead, your guide will probably hang back a little to let everyone enjoy their first impressions of the majestic ruins. After a while, you’ll head on down to the entrance of the ruins, where you’ll find the bus waiting to take you to Aguas Calientes. After a tiring day on your Peru and Bolivia trip, crawl into the soft comfy bed in your small posada in the centre of town. |
Day 20: Winay Wayna - Machu Picchu - OllantaytamboYou'll be up at the crack of dawn to walk the couple of miles up to the Sun Gate Inti Punco. Seeing Machu Picchu at sunrise, as the mist slowly rises to reveal the ruins, is truly an unforgettable experience and a real highlight of your Peru Bolivia itinerary. Visiting the ruins this early in the day means you can see them in relative quiet before the crowds of tourists arrive. From the viewpoint, you'll walk down to Machu Picchu and, after you’ve handed in your backpack at the entrance, your guide will take you on a two-hour tour past the ruins.Wandering among the remains of what must have been a thriving city you get a good idea of the daily life in this remote Inca complex. The terraces, temples and houses really show you how sophisticated the Incas were for their time. Still, the history, purpose and eventual decline of Machu Picchu remains a mystery. Scientists and archaeologists maintain different theories on its role in the Inca Empire, none of which have ever been proven. |
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Whatever happened here that eventually turned the city into a deserted ruin we'll probably never know. Fact remains that the Spaniards never found the city in their conquest of the Latin American continent and, it wasn't until 1911 when archaeologist Hiram Bingham stumbled upon the ruins completely by accident, that Machu Picchu was finally revealed to the outside world. After the guided tour there's plenty of time to wander among the endless basalt walls on your own. When you can tear yourself away from the ruins, pick up your rucksack at the entrance where you’ll find the bus waiting to take you to Aguas Calientes where you can reflect upon the best of your Boliva and Peru tour so far. Everyone visiting Machu Picchu has to pass through this small town, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. It's a fun little town even though it's swarming with tourists on their way to (or back from) Machu Picchu. Along the train tracks you'll find several souvenir stalls and plenty of places to grab a quick bite to eat before boarding the train to Cuzco at 3.30pm. |
| The train pulls into Ollanta(ytambo) around 5.30pm. Most travellers will stay on the train and continue on to Cuzco but this traditional Peruvian village is your final destination for Day Twenty of your best of Bolivia and Peru holiday. From the station it's a 10 minute walk to the village. Ollanta lies in the Sacred Valley, halfway between Aguas Calientes and Pisac. The valley gets its name from the many sacred Inca sites found in the area. Most tourists only stop here briefly to visit the fort at Ollanta before travelling on to their next destination, but we can assure you the sleepy atmosphere of this town is what makes it so charming. Along the road into the village you'll find your basic but very charming posada with flower garden where you'll be staying tonight. The owner, Doña Julia will be happy to prepare you a sauna with fresh eucalyptus scent. |
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Day 21: Ollantaytambo - UrubambaOn day twenty one of your Peru trip, you'll head up to the Inca fort early in the morning, for a wonderful view across mountains, terraces and the village as it slowly wakes up. The fort is the only citadel in the area where the Incas managed to fend off the Spaniards by riddling them with arrows. Once you’re done exploring the fort, head back to the village to see the unique courtyards. The original layout, as designed by the Incas, has remained intact: the village is divided into blocks, each with its own entrance to a central courtyard with houses on all sides. |
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The countryside around Ollanta is particularly scenic. One of the best ways to see the area is on horseback. The horses are very tame and are happy walking past waterfalls, llamas and parades. If you would like to add this experience to your best of Bolivia holiday, you can book a two-hour horse ride for around US$7 at the hotel reception. Later in the afternoon, make your way to Urubamba for the next stop on your best of Bolivia. In the central square of Ollanta you’ll find several ‘collectivos’, minibuses that leave once they have enough passengers. It’s a fun way to travel with the locals. The road follows the banks of the Urubamba river and on the right you can catch a glimpse of the Las Salinas salt pans. The 20 minute drive to Urubamba costs around US$1,- per person. At Urubamba bus station, take another taxi (4 sol for a 5-minute drive) to your accommodation. |
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Tonight you’ll be staying in a converted 16th Century Franciscan monastery just outside the village, surrounded on all sides by snow-capped mountain peaks. The 30 comfortable colonial-style rooms have a private bathroom with shower/toilet, TV and air-conditioning. The monastery has a small chapel, several peaceful courtyards and a real clock tower (which luckily for your sleep is no longer in use) and there's a cosy fireplace in the dining room. The atmosphere here is extremely relaxing and its a lovely place to reflect on your Peru and Bolivia adventures so far. In the evening, head to restaurant Los Geranios in the village to try the Rocoto Relleno, a local specialty of peppers filled with minced beef and vegetables. Washed down with an Inca Kola you’ll feel like a proper local. |
Day 22: Urubamba - (Pisac) - CuzcoOn day 22 of your Peru holiday you've got all day to yourself to explore the area. Urubamba is a good base for various outdoor activities in the Sacred Valley or, if that sounds way too tiring, just hang around the monastery and take it easy. Many travellers plan a cycling or rafting trip from Urubamba before travelling on to Cuzco, but you head for Pisac as another stop on your Peru and Bolivia tour (on the way to Cuzco). It's about an hour by collectivo or local bus. The ruins at Pisac rival Machu Picchu and are open daily and easy to get to. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays there's a busy market with lots of stalls selling clothing, pottery, jewellery and various other crafts. There’s also a market on the other days, though it's a lot smaller.At the end of the day, arrange your own transport to Cuzco. Collectivos and local buses leave Urubamba for Cuzco via Chincheros until 6pm. The trip takes about 1 ½ hours so you’ll be back in Cuzco after dark. From Cuzco bus station take a taxi back to your hotel in San Blas. |
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What to bring on your four day Peru trek: (you can
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Day 23: CuzcoCuzco is alive and kicking 24 hours a day so you certainly won't get bored here. If you'd rather enjoy some peace and quiet, take a walk through the little streets of San Blas or chill out in your hammock at the posada and savour that Latino mañana feeling... |
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Day 24: Cuzco - Lima - departureOn the last day of your Peru and Bolivia holiday, depending on your flight departure time, make your way from your San Blas posada to Cuzco airport. The flight to Lima takes just 1 hour and you'll probably have a long stopover before your flight back to the UK. If you'd rather see a bit more of Lima rather than hanging around at the airport all day, we can arrange a last day Peru tour for you. Just let us know on your booking form.You'll be picked up at the airport and taken to one of the best arts and crafts markets in Lima where you can wander among the stalls filled with ceramic pots and bowls, hand-woven blankets, lama slippers, tacky fridge magnets and whatever else takes your fancy. At the end of the day you'll be picked up again at Larcomar, a large modern shopping mall directly on the beach. Enjoy your last Pisco sour and Peruvian sunset before it's time to say adios Peru and board the plane back home. |
Best of Bolivia - Accommodation (Click to enlarge)
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