Highlights
- Marvel at the masterful Incan masonry at Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu
- Ride a cable car over the expansive city of La Paz
- Explore the sublime Salar de Uyuni
Imagine a journey that takes you through a miraculous spectrum of landscapes and destinations, a trip that features the highlights of two contrasting countries whose emerging popularity and increasing accessibility have made such an experience possible. We have hand-selected the best accommodations, guides and regions of Peru and Bolivia to create this perfectly-paced Extraordinary Peru & Bolivia itinerary. Bolivia’s relative rusticity as a travel destination is offset by the incredible rewards of its magical landscapes ideal for the seasoned traveller with a sense of adventure. Combine an in-depth examination of each of the destinations with expert guiding while you travel through the beautiful and diverse natural landscapes that are often glanced over.
Daily Summary 14 Days / 13 Nights
- Day 1
LimaView on map
Arrival to Peru
An English-speaking Aracari representative will be expecting you from your international arrival, will greet you and give you your customized welcome pack with a booklet of your trip itinerary and other useful information before whisking you off to your hotel, assisting you with all check-in procedures.
Accommodation options
- Day 2
LimaView on map
INTO THE PAST CITY TOUR & URBAN EATS FOOD TOUR
Having exploded onto the global food scene, Peru is now widely regarded as one of the world’s principal food travel destinations. Home to colorful dishes inspired by the country’s dramatically diverse geography, rich ethnic make-up and long culinary history, take a sampling tour to savor some of the flavours that have helped put Peru on the world food map. Visiting a local market, traditional bodegas and artisan eateries that collectively showcase some of the best of Peru’s produce, discover new ingredients and learn more about Lima’s trailblazing gastronomic status by tasting a sample of the extraordinary variety of foods Peru offers.
In the afternoon visit downtown Lima. Begin to unravel Lima's multifaceted history and discover the complex past of this fascinating city. Visit the colonial area of Lima, featuring the Cathedral, the Convent of Santo Domingo, and the Main Square with its beautiful baroque style buildings. You will also have a chance to visit Casa Aliaga, reportedly the oldest home on the Continent and still family-owned after 17 generations.
Accommodation options- Day 3
Lima – Sacred ValleyView on map
VISIT PISAC MARKET AND RUINS
Fly from Lima to Cusco and drive to the Sacred Valley. En route stop at Awanacancha rnch to meet the different camelids that live in the Andes such as llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and guanacos. Visit Pisac market and ruins. With Inca masonry of superlative quality, the stunning terracing at Pisac follows the contours of the mountain. The views of the valley will leave you in awe.
Accommodation options
- Day 4
Sacred ValleyView on map
SACRED VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS - OLLANTAYTAMBO, MARAS & MORAY
Today visit the fabulous town of Ollantaytambo and its ruins. It was here that one of the greatest battles of the Conquest was fought, and one of the few where the Incas defeated the Spaniards. Afterwards visit Hacienda Huayoccari for a three-course lunch in this traditional hacienda, owned and lived-in by one of the oldest land-owning families in Cusco. Here you can browse their private collection of folk art and ancient artifacts.
In the afternoon visit Maras salt pans. This site consists of a huge number of watered terraces that collect salt by evaporation from the saline waters that gush from an underground stream. Built in a similar way to agricultural terraces seen throughout the Andes, the Salinas of Maras have been in use since pre-Columbian times. Nearby Maras lie the enigmatic Inca terraces of Moray, which were likely used for agricultural experimentation.
Accommodation options- Day 5
Sacred Valley - Machu PicchuView on map
Vistadome Train to Machu Picchu
Today take the scenic Vistadome train to Machu Picchu. The journey from Ollantaytambo is approximately 1.5 hours. Upon your arrival to Aguas Calientes you will then board a a bus to the ruins. The main destination on many travellers’ lists, the ‘lost city of the Incas’ is a man-made marvel that has become a symbol for the ingenuity and prosperity of one of the most expansive empires in Latin American history.
Accommodation options
- Day 6
Machu Picchu – CuscoView on map
Visit Machu Picchu
This morning return to the ruins with your guide. Optionally hike to the Sun Gate, Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, offering spectacular panoramic views. Following your visit, take the bus back to the town of Aguas Calientes and board the Vistadome train. Transfer to your hotel in Cusco.
Accommodation options0
- Day 7
CuscoView on map
In and Around Cusco & Private BBQ Lunch
Since its narrow alleyways were originally designed by the Incas as a city for walking, start your exploration of Cusco on foot. Begin at the Plaza de Armas, the Main Square, which is marked by the exquisite Spanish Colonial architecture and ornamentation imposed by Spanish colonists to exert religious and political influence. Underneath it all, however, you can clearly see remnants of Inca Cusco in the solid stonework. Visit Koricancha, the most sumptuous “Sun Temple” in the Inca Empire, and the breathtaking Cathedral, a repository for Cusco’s colonial art, as well as many other important archaeological relics and artifacts. You will also stop by the colourful San Pedro market and pass through the charming neighborhood of San Blas. Next, visit Sacsayhuaman, an Inca citadel atop a hill, on the outskirts of the city. Not only are the imposing terraces of masterful stonework a sight to behold, but the vistas overlooking the sienna rooftops of Cusco provide a whole new perspective to the city you traversed.
Following the visit, from atop an Inca wall, enjoy panoramic views of Cusco during a private BBQ with your own dedicated cook. Sample a variety of local meats – including alpaca – accompanied by fresh, leafy salads from the on-site vegetable garden for hearty, home-cooking at its best.
Accommodation options- Day 8
Cusco – La PazView on map
La Paz
Today, an Aracari representative will pick you up from your hotel and accompany you to the aiport for your flight to La Paz, Bolivia. Upon arrival, you will be greeted and transfer to your hotel.
Accommodation options
- Day 9
La PazView on map
City Highlights of La Paz
La Paz is a city where indigenous, colonial, and modern customs all meet all under the watch of the majestic Illimani mountain. Explore the downtown colonial city center in the morning where you can peruse the Witch's Market, visit the impressive Museum of Ethnography and Folklore and ride the cable-car public transport system for panoramic views of the city. You'll get a chance to stop and sample salteñas, a Bolivian specialty snack.
Enjoy lunch at Ali Pacha, serving up a gourmet plant-based menu that champions micro-producers from around Bolivia. In the afternoon, choose from more of the city's highlights depending on your interests. The most popular option is to drive to the surreal Moon Valley on the city's outskirts. A series of polychromatic clay formations, this natural maze of canyons and spires in hues of beige, red and purple is a unique sight.
Alternatively, in the city center, you can visit Salar Galería featuring work by Gastón Ugalde, Bolivia’s most celebrated living artist. Ugalde is referred to by critics as the ‘Andean Warhol’. Or ride the cable car to El Alto district to tour the colorful and flamboyant Cholets buildings in this neighborhood built by famed artchitect Freddy Mamani. Beer-lovers will enjoy the option to visit a craft brewery which produces beers using Bolivian ingredients. A tour of the production facilities is rounded off with sampling the craft beer. Visiting La Paz with an expert guide, your visits will be tailored to your interests.
Accommodation options- Day 10
La Paz - Lake TiticacaView on map
VISIT LAKE TITICACA AND OPTIONALLY TIWANAKU RUINS
Leave La Paz for the tranquility of Lake Titicaca by road. En route, visit a traditional totora reed boat workshop. These boats are made by the younger generation of the Limachi family, who built the original reed boat used by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdhal for his Kon-Tiki raft expedition across the Pacific Ocean. Alternatively, drive to Lake Titicaca via Tiwanaku archaelogical ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage site belonging to one of the most important pre-Inca civilizations.
Arrive in Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Copacabana is a popular religious pilgrimage site and home to a 16th-century Cathedral. Here you will embark on your speedboat ride across tohe deep blue waters of the lake to the Sun Island. Enjoy a local lunch featuring Apthapi, a traditional Bolivian meal for travelers. Enjoy the scenery from the Sun Island, optionally hiking to Pilkocaina temple of the southern tip, before reaching your accommodation for the night.
Accommodation options
- Day 11
Lake TiticacaView on map
VISIT THE SUN AND MOON ISLANDS
Waking up on Lake Titicaca, hike to the village of Yumani after breakfast, passing typical agricultural terraces along the way. Descend the “Grand Stairs” - over 200 steps built by the Incas - and taste the water of the Sacred Fountain, believed to provide eternal youth and happiness. After lunch on Sun Island, cruise by private boat to nearby Moon Island. Like on the Sun Island, pre-Incan civilizations constructed sites here that the Incas later added to. Visit the notable Sacred Temple of the Virgins of the Sun, Iñak Uyu; young women were housed on this island to keep an eternal sacred fire lit.
Afterwards, take a boat ride back to Copacabana and return to La Paz by road. In the evening dine at Bolivia's best restaurant, Gustu. Its founder, Claus Meyer, is the Danish chef behind Denmark's acclaimed two-Michelin star restaurant, Noma.
Accommodation options- Day 12
La Paz - UyuniView on map
FLY FROM LA PAZ TO UYUNI SALT FLATS
Today you will visit the largest salt flat on the earth, Uyuni. A private transfer will take you to the airport in the morning for your short domestic flight. Your guide will be ready to welcome you to Uyuni to explore the salt flats by 4x4.
The largest salt flat on Earth, Salar de Uyuni affords visitors stunning scenery unmatched anywhere else in the world. Covering 12,000 square kilometers (4,633 square miles) of the Bolivian Altiplano, the vast salt flats are an awe-inspiring natural phenomenon and highly photogenic at any time of year. In the dry season, surreal pentagons of bright white crystalline salt form, while in rainy season the salt flats see a layer of water develop which acts as a natural mirror, reflecting the sky for a fantastic, other-worldly visual display. Enjoy a pop-up picnic lunch on the salt flats during your day's excursion. During your trip to Uyuni you will also have a chance to visit the so-called 'cemetery of trains', which is both eerie and highly photogenic, and Colchani village to see the salt processing production carried out here. In the dry season, you can cross the Salar to a cacti-studded island for panoramic views of the salt flats.
In Uyuni, you can either stay in a memorable hotel made entirely from bricks of salt, or upgrade to a deluxe airstream camper located on the Salar's northern shores. There are a total of three campers on the Salar, each kitted out with a private bathroom with hot shower, heating and mini-bar. A dedicated chef rustles up gourmet food and cocktails.
Accommodation options
- Day 13
UyuniView on map
FULL DAY EXPLORING UYUNI SALT FLATS
Continue your exploration of the beautiful salt flats today. In the dry season you’ll traverse more of the Salar, heading north to the village of Coquesa where you can see the massive Thunupa Volcano rising up in front of you at an elevation of 5,321 m (17,457 ft). In the rainy season, photograph the stunning small lagoons outside the Salar including Laguna Hedionda and Laguna Negra. These are home to bright pink flamingos and other-worldly landscapes. Lunch is included.
In the evening optionally star-gaze with an astonomist guide. Thanks to the remote location, unobstructed expanse and lack of light pollution, Uyuni is one of the most spectacular places to gaze at the night sky.
Accommodation options- Day 14
Uyuni - La PazView on map
International Departure
Your guide will accompany you to the airport. An Aracari representative will meet you in La Paz to assist you with all check-in procedures and escort you to the departure area for your international flight departure.
Aracari specializes in tailormade travel. Here are just some of our further trip suggestions. Contact us for more bespoke ideas to inspire your travels.
Featured Destinations
Journey pricing as of 2024
Basic Pricing - US$8,850 per person
This is a sample journey and can be tailored to your interests and travel style.
- Based on two people travelling together in double or twin occupancy
- Price is per person for this full 14-day itinerary
- Discounted children's rates on request
What's Included?
This journey is based on two people travelling together in double or twin occupancy, excluding flights (international and domestic).
- Includes all specified services in the journey description
- All transfers and entrance fees
- A welcome pack on arrival including: a pre-loaded cell phone to contact your travel consultant at any time, a printed booklet packed with insider tips alongside your detailed journey and up-to-date recommendations on dining and shopping
- Hand-selected English-speaking guides
- Specialist guides (where noted)
- 24-hour support from our locally based team
- 13 nights in a hand-picked and personally tested selection of Peru and Bolivia’s finest hotels
What's not Included?
- Domestic flights (quoted separately).
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Tips.
- Travel Insurance.
- International Flights and airport taxes.
- Neither personal expenses nor any other service not specified in the itinerary.
Extraordinary Peru & BoliviaThrough a miraculous spectrum of landscapes - Day 2
