Peru | Peru, Land of the Incas
Women Only Tour
In Peru, you will be awestruck by Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. These are truly the most inspiring and most beautiful sights. You will learn of the history and archaeology of the ancient cultures, discover the techniques and designs of the ceramics and weaving. One of the highlights of this trip is a 2 day Misminay Indian Community trek through spectacular scenery surrounded by mountains to arrive at 3,700m altitude to the village.
Another highlight of this adventure is the 4 days spent at a gorgeous Eco Lodge in the Amazon jungle, followed by an amazing journey over the ancient, mysterious markings of the Nazca Lines. This adventure will be completed with a boat ride to the Ballestas Islands which is home to large guano birds, sea lions and the endangered Humboldt penguin.
| Duration: | 16 Days |
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| Tour Code: | ITW533 |
| Trip Style: | Moderate - 3 star |
| Departure Dates: | 10 Oct 2013 |
| Price: | From $3,370 |
| Places you'll visit: |
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Ideal for Solo Travellers
Especially designed for women by women, with small group sizes in mind. Every detail of your trip is arranged, while you have an amazing adventure and make enduring friendships. In good company with like-minded women you can be yourself - enjoy the freedom to do what you want, when you want. There's no pressure or competiteness, but plenty of encouragement.
Trip Details
Day 1 - Lima
Arrive in Lima. Reception at the airport and transfer to your hotel Check in for the group.
Overnight in Lima at the Posada del Inca Miraflores.
Day 2 - Lima
This morning you will have a chance to explore Lima and enjoy some shopping time in beautiful Miraflores. In the afternoon you will be picked up from your hotel around 2pm for a city tour by private bus.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Lima at the Posada del Inca Miraflores.
Day 3 - Lima / Cusco
After breakfast transfer to the airport to board your flight to Cusco Reception and transfer to the Hotel. Leisure time to enjoy the atmosphere of the city.
CITY TOUR & NEARBY RUINS - A Tour this afternoon of this amazing colonial city which has been built on the foundations of Inca palaces. You will visit the "Koricancha" or Temple of the Sun where you can appreciate the incredible masonry of the Incas, the Plaza de Armas (Main Square) and the Cathedral with its carved woodworks, altars and paintings. Continue with a drive to the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, a colossal monument overlooking Cusco; to the underground cave and temple of Kenko, and to Tambomachay, known as the Bath of the Incas.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner included
Overnight in Sonesta Cusco
Day 4 - Sacred Valley
THE SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS The Sacred Valley of the Incas, northeast of Cusco, is formed by the Urubamba River and is one of the most interesting places in Peru. Among its attractions we have: OLLANTAYTAMBO FORTRESS - Visit the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the Americas, the town of Ollantaytambo with its imposing Inca fortress. It was here that Manco Inca defeated the Spanish in 1538 before fleeing to the mountains of Vilcabamba. You will climb the steep stone steps up to the fortress (around 260 steps) and can admire the huge Monoliths that form the Temple of the Sun and the view down the valley.
CHINCHERO - Located 35 km. (22 miles) northwest of Cusco, the town of Chinchero lies on the foundations of an important Inca site built in the late 1400s. Brightly dressed, the people of Chinchero gather in the main plaza to barter foodstuffs and offer visitors an array of crafts from the Cusco region against a scenery of breathtaking beauty.
TEXTILE DEMONSTRATION - This demonstration lasts approximately an hour and a half and you will be able to enjoy the presentation of some experts weavers from different places dressed with their typical clothing. They will explain step by step the elaboration process and finally they will show you the final product.
HACIENDA HUAYOCCARI - One of the best farm houses located at the top of a hill from where one can observe the fields of cultivation and part of the Sacred Valley with magnificent scenery. It belongs to the Lambarry family whose father was major of the city of Cusco. The farm produces one of the best corns in Peru the "White quality" famous for its big grains and exported worldwide. Part of the residence is colonial style and the living room is one of the nicest and beautiful for its decoration, it possesses paintings and very important handmade works of craft.
Meals: Breakfast and buffet Lunch at Huayoccari Farm
Overnight at the hotel - Sonesta Posada del Inca Yucay
Day 5 - Misminay Indian Community Trek
9:00am departure from the hotel to Chequerec Community a typical Andean village. At this point we start our trek trough narrow paths traditionally used by the Indians many centuries ago. On the way we will pass trough the magnificent green and brown coloured fields and beautiful scenery. During our journey, we will appreciate small indigenous villages, cultivation fields, peasants working, curious children and a variety of animals as well as a varied flora.
This walk is an opportunity to discover a different pace and be in contact with the natural atmosphere of the Andes and its people. After some hours of walk finally we will arrive at the Indian Community of Misminay. At 3,700 m. altitude its location is spectacular, like a natural balcony from where you can look at the splendid landscape and the snow capped mountains hich surrounds the sacred Valley. This view certainly astounds and leaves a deep impression on all those who visit this place.
We will be received by the people of the village, and welcomed with a typical sweet spearmint tea, this agreeable herb is edible and medicinal for the local people .It has fabulous therapeutic properties and is also used in salads or added to cooked foods. Families live together in tiny, one or two room adobe homes, raising guinea pigs, cows and sheep. Fathers work as porters for hikers during the dry season and tend crops of potatoes, corn, beans and quinoa during the wet months, while mothers watch the herds, take care of the household and raise their children. Women also weave, producing the family's colorful ponchos, chullos, skirts, shawls and other items, on their backstrap looms. Lunch at the community.
After lunch we will have a demonstration of weavings made by the women of the community. They will show us traditional and ancestral techniques.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner in the community meeting room
Accommodation with the local community - you will have a wonderful experience!!
Day 5 - Misminay / Moray / Sacred Valley
After breakfast we will a have a nice trek down hill through the fields and reach the famous site of MORAY - a very unique archaeological site in the region. These are enormous natural depressions or hollows in the grounds surface that Inkas used for constructing irrigated farming terraces. This was an important center of domestication, acclimatisation and hybridisation of wild vegetable species that were modified or adapted for human consumption.
In the afternoon we will return to our hotel in the Sacred Valley. VISIT TO THE SEMINARIO CERAMIC STUDIO - The Seminario Ceramic Studio has been dedicated to the discovery of techniquies and designs from ancient Peruvian cultures. The images that emerge are the result of the patient work of following the tradition of pre-Colombian pottery, an ambitious task which Pablo Seminario got underway 20 years ago and which he continues to develop together with his wife Marilú.
Today, one comes across the Seminarios' pottery in countless venues and homes in Cuzco, however some 90% of their work is exported, and their pieces are now found all over the world. Researchers have visited Urubamba to study their work, and the Seminarios' pieces constantly appear in magazines on decoration and art in several countries. Pablo Seminario himself will give you a tour and show you each step of the process of the creation of his work. You will have the opportunity to purchase Seminario products.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Overnight at the hotel - Sonesta Posada del Inca Yucay.
Day 7 - Machu Picchu
After breakfast transfer to the Ollanta Station to take your train to Machu Picchu On arrival at Aguas Caliented Town, you will be transported by bus to the top of the mountain top and citadel of Machu-Picchu. One of the most renowned examples of Inca architecture, Machu-Picchu is believed to have been built in the mid 15th century by the Inca Pachacutec. Surrounded by lush cloud forest, the citadel perches on a mist-shrouded mountaintop. Lost in history, it was not discovered until 1911 by the American explorer Hiram Bingham.
You can walk up to the spectacular Sun Gate (INTIPUNKA) where the view will take your breath away. You will also have the option to climb the towering Huayna Picchu which is the pinnacle peak and look down upon the Citadel of Machu Picchu. The sense of achievment and the classic view into the lost citadel will be a unique experience. Everything about Machu Picchu makes you marvel that it ever came to exist. The lost city of the Incas is built on a saddle-shaped ridge slung between two giant peaks. Near vertical slopes drop away on either side, down to a massive bend in the Urubamba River. Machu Picchu was hidden by jungle since the 16th century until it was rediscovered in 1911. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Overnight in Aguas Calientes - Hatuchay Tower
Day 8 - Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu
After an early breakfast we will take the bus to the Citadel of Machu Picchu to watch the sunrise. This is a truly spectacular sight as the suns ray begin to encompass the mountain. An archeological guided tour of the Citadel will detail the history of the people who lived here. This is a fascinating insight into the culture of the Inca people. The day will provide plenty of time to wander the ruins at your own pace and enjoy the peace and tranquility it offers. Transfer to the station and take the train to Cusco. Arrival in Ollanta Station. From here we take a bus to Cusco (1hr 20 mins).
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Overnight at the hotel - Sonesta Cusco
Day 9 - Cusco
Today is a day of leisure and shopping. There are many bargains to be had in Cusco, from beautiful silver jewelry to gorgeous woolen garments. Here you will find something really special and unique. This evening we will enjoy a Folklore Show and dinner at Don Antonio restaurant. It offers a buffet style dinner with both international and local cuisine along with fabulous Peruvian music and dances.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Overnight at the hotel - Sonesta Cusco
Day 9 - Cusco to Puerto Maldonado
After breakfast transfer from your hotel in order to take your flight to Puerto Maldonado After a short flight from Cusco we will arrive at Puerto Maldonado where we will be met at the airport and driven a short 10 minutes to the headquarters. Arrival and reception by our local guide. While enjoying your first taste of the forest in beautiful gardens you will be asked you to pack only the necessary gear for your next few days, and leave the rest at the safe deposit. This helps to keep the boats and cargo light.
Puerto Maldonado to Tambopata River Port. Skirting Puerto Maldonado, we drive 20 kilometers to the Tambopata River Port , entering the Native Community of Infierno. The port is a communal business. Boxed lunch provided Tambopata River Port to Posada Amazonas. The forty five minute boat ride from the Tambopata Port to Posada Amazonas will take us into the Community´s Primary Forest Private Reserve. Orientation. Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips.
Canopy tower: A twenty minute walk from Posada Amazonas leads to the 30 metre scaffolding canopy tower. A bannistered staircase running through the middle provides safe access to the platforms above. From atop you obtain spectacular views of the vast expanses of standing forest cut by the Tambopata River winding through the middle. Now and then toucans, parrots or macaws are seen flying against the horizon, or mixed species canopy flocks land in the treetop next to you. After dinner there is an Ecotourism Lecture - a nightly presentation on the Infierno ecotourism project from a staff member.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight at Posada Amazonas
Day 11 - Puerto Maldonado
Tres Chimbadas Oxbow Lake is thirty minutes by boat and forty five minutes hiking from Posada Amazonas. Once there you will paddle around the lake in a catamaran, searching for the resident family of nine giant river otters (seen by 60% of our lake visitors) and other lakeside wildlife such as caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers.
After lunch an Ethnobotanical Tour. A twenty minute boat ride downriver leads you to a trail designed by the staff of the Centro Ñape. The Centro Ñape is a communal organization that produces medicines out of forest plants and administers them to patients who choose their little clinic. They have produced a trail which explains the different medicinal (and other) uses of selected plants.
Following dinner we do a night walk. You will have the option of hiking out at night, when most of the mammals are active but rarely seen. Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight at Posada Amazonas.
Day 12 - Puerto Maldonado
After breakfast we visit a Parrot clay lick. This clay lick is only a twenty minute walk from Posada Amazonas. From a blind located about twenty meters away you will see dozens of parrots and parakeets descend on most clear mornings to ingest the clay on a river bank. Species such as Mealy and Yellow- headed Amazon, Blue-headed Parrot and Dusky headed Parakeet descend at this clay lick. The clay lick is active at dawn, during the late mornings and mid-afternoons.
Ceiba Trail Hike. We leave from the lobby at Posada Amazonas and embark on a two hour hike crowned by the largest tree in the vicinity: a giant ceiba tree. During the hike we will focus on the natural history of the rain forest and its principal taxonomic groups.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight at Posada Amazonas
Day 13 - Puerto Maldonado to Lima
After breakfast transfer to the airport to take your flight to Lima. Arrival in Lima. Reception and transfer to your hotel Time to relax and reflect on the past few days in the jungle.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Lima at the San Agustin Exclusive.
Day 14 - Ica / Nazca Lines
After breakfast transfer by private bus to Ica, approximately 4 hours. Ica is a beautiful area along the southern Peruvian coast, famous for its Paracas Reserve, Ballestas Islands as well as for its wines and colonial mansions. Important cultures developed in this area.
OVERFLIGHT NAZCA LINES - You will enjoy a fascinating flight over the Nazca Lines. Mysterious markings on the sand spread over an area of 350 square kilometres. These lines feature several animals such as the spider, monkey, the dog, lizard, the humming bird and the condor among others. The size of these markings range from 15 to 300 metres each with a depth of around 30 centimetres. According to Dr Maria Reiche, who has spent most of her life studying these lines, this is the largest astronomical calendar of the world. It is a true marvel to see. (Duration of the overflight from Ica is 1 hour 20 mins)
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Overnight at Las Dunas Hotel
Day 15 - Ica to Lima
BALLESTAS ISLANDS These rock formations are home to an important maritime fauna, in particular, large Guano birds like the Guanay, Booby and Tendril, as well as some types of endangered Humboldt penguins. Other mammals include large numbers of sea lions. These islands can be reached in 2 hours from the dock in Paracas. On the way to the islands you will also see the mysteriously drawn "candlestick" etched on the desert face. Transfer back to Lima.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Overnight at the Posada del Inca Miraflores
Day 16 - Lima
After breakfast transport to Lima airport to take your international flight with memories of your wonderful experience in Peru.
Meals: Breakfast
Inclusions
- Accommodation: Hotels / Logdes (14 nights), community village (1 night)
- Meals included as detailed on the itinerary
- Overflight of the Nazca Lines from Ica
- Internal Flights
- Access to country specific pre-departure information
- Operation of the above itinerary
- Local, experienced tour guides to accompany the group
- Transport by plane, minibus, train, walking, boat as outlined in itinerary
What's Not Included
- Tips
- Travel insurance (compulsory)
Terms & Conditions
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For more information, availability and pricing and options, please contact our expert travel specialists at Inspired Travel Worldwide on (02) 9449 8598 or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.
