Puno, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machupicchu
7 days/6 Nights

DAY-1: CUSCO – PUNO
Day-1 is dedicated to getting us from Cusco to Puno. This is a 9-hour guided bus ride and along the way we make 4 mini-tours including Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, La Raya, and Pukara. We depart Cusco around 8:00am and arrive in Puno at 5:00pm.

When we arrive in Puno, we’ll check into hour hotel for the night, and have a chance to look around the city of Puno.

DAY 2: PUNO - UROS ISLAND & AMANTANI ISLAND
Our guide will meet us at the hotel and give us a brief orientation about the tour. The tour begins with an amazing cruise over Lake Titicaca, and we’ll enjoy the refreshing landscape and see animals and plants that live in and around the Lake. After about 40 minutes on the water, we’ll arrive at Uros Island. Uros Island is unique because it is made entirely of reeds that grow on the edge of the Lake and its people’s customs and traditions remain unchanged since Incan times.

After our visit to Uros Island, we’ll make our way over to Amantani Island where we’ll share lunch with a traditional family and then enjoy a trek around Amantani. That evening, we’ll spend the night on the Island in a traditional family-stay.

DAY-3: TAQUILE ISLAND – PUNO - CUSCO
After breakfast and a farewell to our host family, we’ll depart for Taquile Island. Taquile is another traditional Titicaca island where time seems to have stood still; here we will also visit some pre–Incan archeological sites. After lunch we’ll take the boat back to the port of Puno.

In Puno, we’ll board the bus to return to Cusco.

Note that a number of departure options from Puno are possible, including buses and flights to Lima and Arequipa if you are not returning to Cusco.

DAY 4: CUSCO
Our first day in Cusco is a rest day. This will give us time to relax after our bus ride from Puno and will give us a little extra time to enjoy the shopping, restaurants and nightlife in Cusco.

DAY 5: CUSCO CITY TOUR
This excursion includes the best highlights of Cusco – “the navel of the world” and the center of the ancient Inca Empire. We will visit Q’oricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun and then tour Cusco’s Cathedral, a 16th century church filled with original artwork and an amazing main altar made of silver. After that we’ll tour the four primary ruins surrounding Cusco, including Sacsaywaman, Q’enko, Tambomachay and Puka Pukara. As part of the tour you will receive the “Tourist Ticket” which can be used in your free time to visit a number of museums and other attractions in and around Cusco.

DAY 6: SACRED VALLEY & OVERNIGHT IN MACHUPICCHU
We’ll take a beautiful tour of the ancient agricultural center of the Incas. We’ll travel by bus from Cusco down into the lush, green Sacred Valley. Along the way, we’ll stop at a traditional Peruvian arts center and private zoo where we’ll see firsthand Peru’s ancient weaving traditions and be able to feed and pet highland animals like alpaca and vicuña up-close. We’ll then travel down to the village of Pisac where we’ll take a tour of the ancient archeological complex, followed by the famous Pisac market. We’ll continue our journey through the Valley, stopping for lunch in the city of Urubamba – known as the ‘Pearl of the Vilcanota.’ Finally, we’ll drive right to the end of the Valley to the tiny village of Ollantaytambo, and take a brief tour of the ruins in this little fortress town; and then make our way to the Ollantaytambo train station for our train ride to Aguas Calientes – the village is right on the edge of the Ama¬zon Rainforest and literally at the foot of the mystical Machupicchu Mountain.

We’ll arrive in Aguas Calientes around 4:30pm – at the foot of Machupicchu – and check into our hotel and have the evening to walk around the village, enjoy dinner in one of the many restaurants, and take a soak in the local hot springs.

DAY 7: MACHUPICCHU
On Day-6, we’ll wake up early and enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Then we’ll take the 20-minute bus ride up to the sanctuary-city of Macupicchu. We’ll begin our tour at the Inca Guard House to watch the sunrise over Machupicchu. We’ll then enjoy a 2-hour guided visit of the ancient ruins. At the end of the tour, there’ll be time for adventure seekers who want to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu – the pointy mountain overlooking Machupicchu; or you can hike to Inti Punktu (‘Sun Gate’) which is the last point on the Inca Trail; there’s also a hike to the Temple of the Moon; or you can go back down to Aguas Calients to do some shopping and relax in the hot springs.

We’ll take the train back to Cusco around 3:30pm and arrive in Cusco at 7:30pm.

Dates and Price

Price: US$899 ONLY for Global Crossroad Volunteer
Dates: To be determined by In-country coordinator (most likely at the end or middle of participant’s respective volunteer program)

INCLUDES

• Round-trip bus to/from Cusco and Puno
• Round-trip boat to/from Puno and Lake Titicaca islands
• Transfer Cusco hotel to Cusco train station
• Round-trip train to/from Cusco and Machupicchu
• Round-trip bus to/from Machupicchu and Aguas Calientes
• All entrance fees
• English speaking guide
• Hotel and Family-stay in Puno, and hotel in Cusco and Machupicchu
• Some meals (Please see itinerary)

NOT INCLUDED

• Gratuities
• Items for personal consumption (i.e. water, snacks, etc.)
• Hotel after returning from Machupicchu (Night-7)

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Water and snacks
• Video or photo camera
• Sun block, hat, and sunglasses
• Mosquito repellent
• Swimsuit and towel