Machu Picchu Peru

Today, we begin our big trip to Peru. We arrive in Lima, which can be reached via Madrid, Paris, or Amsterdam. Our team will fly from Lviv with a stopover in Madrid. On the first day, everyone will have plenty of time to walk around the city and get to know each other. We will start our exploration of Lima by walking through the historic center of the capital and the main square of Plaza Mayor, then see a fantastic fountain show with classical music in the Parque de la Reserva. We'll walk to the Pacific coast and sit on the beach listening to the sound of the waves.

The next city we will visit in Peru is Paracas. This city is popular, first of all, because it is a national reserve for marine life. You can see sea lions, seals, albatrosses, condors, and other animals on the beaches and bays. There are also incredible views. In this place, the desert meets the ocean, and the coast looks very beautiful. The beaches in Paracas are famous as the most beautiful in Peru, so we have to see for ourselves.

Of course, that's not all. Today, we are sailing to the Ballestas Islands to visit the penguins. The entire island is a large nature reserve haven for Humboldt penguins, various species of seals, and sea lions. We will have plenty of time to walk around the island and see its inhabitants.

Peru is one of the most interesting countries in the world to visit. It has everything: the majestic Andes Mountains, mysterious Inca monuments, including one of the seven modern wonders of the world - Machu Picchu, the dangerous Amazon River, colored mountains that resemble a rainbow, and an endless desert. We will explore the edge of the Atacama Desert. In the morning we drive to the Huacachina oasis, where we will spend the whole day and the night. This oasis is located in the middle of huge dunes, and we will be able to feel like the characters from the movie Dune. On this day, we will have a buggy tour on the bed. We can drive through the dunes, test our sandboarding skills, and ride down the dunes with a breeze. In the evening, we can watch one of the most beautiful sunsets and see an incredibly bright starry sky.

We have probably heard of the mysterious Nazca lines or movies about Indiana Jones, who explored these mysterious drawings. In the morning, we drive to a small airport in the Nazca Valley, board a sightseeing plane, and take off. The Nazca paintings must be viewed from the sky because they are so large-scale that it is impossible to see the full picture from the ground. When you see this miracle, you will ask yourself, “Well, whose hands did this?” Perhaps it was not done by earthlings. Who knows...

We return to Lima from the desert and check into a hotel. Tomorrow, we are going to Cusco.

The distances between cities in Peru are considerable, so we will use domestic airlines to save some time and effort. So, in the morning, we fly from Lima to Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire. We will be there at 8 am, immediately going to the hotel to leave our things and rush into the city to see the incredible culture that has survived since the 15th century. We will spend two days in Cusco and its surroundings, it is necessary to acclimatize our bodies, because the city is located at an altitude of 3400 meters, and ahead of us we have a trekking to a mountain with a height of 5036 meters - Vinicunca. But all this will be later. Today, we will walk along the city's main square, Plaza de Armas, visit the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuamán, and walk along the streets and viewpoints. In the evening, we will taste national cuisine at local restaurants.

Today, we continue our program in Cusco. The city is quite large, and there are a lot of ancient monuments, temples, fortresses, and various archaeological sites; this city is one huge museum. However, in the afternoon we planned to show you another ancient city of Pisa. This city is located 40 km from Cusco in the sacred valley of the Incas. This city was special and sacred for the Incas and remains so for Peruvians to this day. Nowadays, there is a long staircase that impresses me with its size. It seems that it was made for giants. The stairs lead from the village to the mountains, up to the temple of the sun. The place is very beautiful and striking in its energy, and there's no need to talk about the views.

After a walk around the city, we return to Cusco, where everyone will have a free shopping and research program.

We spent two acclimatization days in Cusco, so now we can move on. We are going deep into the sacred Inca Valley along the Urubamba River, up to the town of Ollantaytambo. This town offers magical views of the snow-capped Andes and the entire Urubamba Valley. Today's road is very short - only 79 km, but there will be so many interesting things around that we will often make stops. One of the main locations will be the ancient salt mines in the village of Maras, it's hard to believe, but these mines are still working today. Of course, we will not miss the famous Colosseum in the Moray region, archaeologists found it quite recently, only in 1932. What can I say, Peru is full of mysteries still being solved today.

We will spend the night in a guesthouse in Ollantaytambo. In the evening, we will walk the streets of the old town and rest because tomorrow we start trekking to the Sun Gate of the Andes.

From the city of Ollantaytambo, we will start a one-day trek along the Inca trail to the temple of the sun. This shrine was built in the mountains at an altitude of 4000 meters so that the first rays of the sun illuminated the temple gates. Here, the Andes will open up in all their glory, with 360-degree views and mountains and ice caps all around.

We will walk the route with small backpacks, walking slowly, making a snack, and having a small photo session on the way because there will be plenty of photo zones. At the top, we will rest and see how beautiful Peru is.

The culmination of our journey, today we will see one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the lost city of Machu Picchu. In the morning, we take the train and head to the foot of Machu Picchu to the village of Aguas Calientes. We will spend the night in this village, so we can spend the whole day walking around Machu Picchu and exploring this unique Inca monument. Of course, it is impossible to ignore llamas and alpacas - they are fabulous creatures, they are as cute as cats and extremely kind and open to people. Everyone should have a photo with a llama and an alpaca.

It is quite difficult to see all the buildings of Machu Picchu, so we will climb the mountain of Wayna Picchu, which overlooks the entire valley. At sunset, we will return to Aguas Calientes and walk the streets of this village. For dinner, we will go to a cozy restaurant to celebrate this incredible day.

It would be a terrible crime to visit the lost city and not see it from all sides, so we are trekking to Mount Machu Picchu (3061 meters), which is opposite Mount Wayna Picchu. We will again be able to see the sights, houses, temples, and streets of Machu Picchu from a height, but this time from a different perspective. After all, the lost city of the Incas deservedly became one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We still have time to admire this beauty, then take the train and return to Cusco.

The Rainbow Mountains of Peru are another miracle that impresses with their uniqueness. Just imagine the mountains shimmering with the seven colors of the rainbow—and this is not a metaphor. The relief of the mountains is marked with lines of different colors that gather into a huge rainbow. So we go trekking to see it with our own eyes.

We are going to Mount Vinicunca (5200 meters). The trekking will take place radially with small backpacks, which will contain only a snack and a bottle of water. At the top, we'll cook ourselves some borscht; for this purpose, we'll take a jetpack. Just imagine this picture: you are sitting on the top of Mount Vinicunca, looking at the Rainbow Mountains of the Andes and eating borscht. Isn't it a dream?

The route is circular, so we will walk between passes and lakes without strong elevation changes. In the evening, we will find a good place to watch the sunset over the colorful Rainbow Mountains.

In the morning, we will move to the city of Puno, which is built on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and we will come here for its sake. The lake is huge and is located on the territory of two countries - Peru and Bolivia. First, the lake is known to the Uros tribes, who live on artificial floating islands. So today, we are renting a boat and sailing to visit the Uros tribe. They are very open and kind people, there are no crimes, and they live like one big family and help each other. They hospitably meet tourists and take them in. We will stay overnight on one of these islands.

As mentioned, Lake Titicaca is huge, and there is a lot to see here. Today, we will take a boat trip around the lake and explore two islands - Taquile and Amantani. To get there, you need to sail for about two hours, and this voyage will be very interesting. On the islands, everyone will have a free program: you can swim and sunbathe on the beach or climb Mount Mulsina Pata and see the island and lake from an altitude of 4000 meters.

We will meet the sunset by sailing on Lake Titicaca back to Puno, where we will spend the night.

Today, we are returning to Peru's capital, Lima. To avoid crossing the entire country by bus, we will take a domestic flight, departing from Juliaca airport and arriving in Lima in an hour. Today, the group will have a free program. We recommend that you walk around the local market and buy some souvenirs for your family. Handmade products look especially good.

In the evening, we will meet our friendly team in a restaurant and celebrate the end of our Peruvian adventure with a glass of wine.

Yes, our adventure has ended, but don't be sad. We will meet again and travel to new places.

In the morning, we are going to the airport and flying home. The GRA team will get there via Madrid, and from there, we will fly to Lviv, Kyiv, or other cities.