Proposed Itinerary
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. Exact departure and arrival times will be announced one week before the journey starts.
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
You will be picked up from the hotel and will be brought to the small harbor of Puno where your trip on the Lake Titicaca starts. 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 overnight bus to return to Cusco.
DAY 4: CUSCO
Early in the morning you will arrive in Cusco. You will stay overnight at hostel in Cusco. It is a very nice and cozy place in the wonderful city centre of 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 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. We'll 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 Amazon Rainforest and literally at the foot of the mystical Machupicchu Mountain.
We'll arrive in Aguas Calientes in the early evening – at the foot of Machupicchu – and check into our hostel 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 hostel. 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 (needs to be booked in adnvance and costs 10 US$ extra) – 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.
Dates and Price
Price:
US$1,173.00 ONLY for Global Crossroad Volunteer
Dates:
To be determined by In-country coordinator (most likely at the end or middle of participant's respective volunteer program)
Included
- Tour Guide
- Touristic transportation
- 6 nights accommodation (Hostel single room)
- Entrance tickets to Machupicchu, Cathedral Cusco, Q'oricancha and touristic ticket
- Transportation back to Cusco from Aguas Calientes
Not Included
- Entrance to Huaynapicchu (can be booked in advance with an extra payment of 10 US$)
- Tips for drivers and guides
- Breakfast on day 1
- Dinner in Puno on day 4
- Lunch and dinner in Aguas Calientes
- Extra drinks
Recommendations
- Water and snacks
- Video or photo camera
- Sun block, hat, and sunglasses
- Mosquito repellent
- Swimsuit and towel