FULL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

July 8, Sunday – Arrival in Lima

A private transport and a representative pick you up from the airport and take you to the Hotel. No activities are scheduled for this day.

July 9, Monday – Lima – Maximo Laura – Amano Museum

In the morning you will visit Maximo Laura’s workshop. Laura is a weaver from Ayacucho, who has become world famous thanks to his unique murals. Today he manages a considerably large team of artists. In order to visit his workshop, we will take you to a remote neighborhood, where people from different parts of the Andes have been migrating during the past 30 years. Then we make our way back to Miraflores. If there is some time left, you will be able to visit one or two art shops. Lunch time will be the right moment to taste one of the most innovative cuisines in Lima, an extraordinary fusion between typical Peruvian flavors and the delicate Japanese influence. In the afternoon, visit the Amano museum, which houses the most impressive pre-Columbian existing textiles; some of them being only tiny little fragments, collected by Mr. Amano during his explorations, mainly in the territory controlled by the Chancay civilazation. Then you will have a dinner at a delightful local house in a traditional “limeño” neighborhood. The presence of a pre-Columbian textile expert and art collector will give you the chance to learn more about this extremely rich Peruvian tradition.

July 10, Tuesday – Lima – Arequipa – Knitting Workshop

In the morning our transport takes you to the airport to take your flight to Arequipa. Arequipa is a colonial city known as the ‘white city’ because it’s historical downtown was built using a volcanic stone known as ‘sillar’. Light lunch at the hotel (on your own). Remember that digestion in higher altitude is slower than at sea level, so having a big meal on arrival to Arequipa would not be advisable. In the afternoon you visit the Santa Catalina Monastery, a 400-year old citadel, which still preserves a vivid colonial environment in its cloisters and cells, as well as a collection of valuable paintings and frescos from the Cusqueño Art School. After this you will have some free time to rest, walk the city on your own or join Helen for an informal knitting workshop (at the hotel). At night you have a reservation for dinner at an excellent gourmet restaurant, offering beautiful views to the City.

July 11, Wednesday – Arequipa – Alpaca Fiber Factories

Due to its location, on moderate altitude and at the same time not far from the huge former Alpaca “Haciendas”, together with the initiative of English, Swiss and Peruvian entrepreneurs, who arrived in the City during the early nineteenth hundreds, Alpaca industry became one of the most, if not the most important economic activity during the 20th century. A member of the Michell Group, today’s leading alpaca producer and exporter in the world, meets you for a visit to their fabric, where the Alpaca fiber is processed from the beginning to the end. Knowing that this company has more than 75 years of know-how in processing alpaca, you will want to pay attention to every little detail of the process. You are able to see how the Alpaca fiber is brought in trucks from the far highlands and stored in big bags. From this point, you see how the fiber is hand-sorted, scoured, combed, spinned, dyed and packed ready for sell or for clothe manufacturing. Every step will be properly explained by the expert, who will also absolve all of your questions and doubts. Right after this visit you have the chance to continue visiting another factory where the final product is processed, or just drive to “Mundo Alpaca”, where you find the time to see a variety of Andean Cameloids, appreciate the museum showing old machines and photographs, and visit the Sol Alpaca shop. Beyond the interest of “Mundo Alpaca” as an Alpaca center itself, it is worth mentioning that it is located in the heart of San Lazaro neighborhood, where according to tradition, Arequipa was originally founded. Lunch at one of the best typical restaurants in Arequipa, enjoying the traditional local food. Afternoon knitting workshop with Helen at which once was Frank W. Michell house, being now owned by his family.

July 12, Thursday – Arequipa - Puno

In the morning, your private transport picks you up from the hotel to start the 6 hour drive to Puno City, beautifully located at Titicaca Lake’s shore. This long drive will take you through the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve, home to one of the biggest Vicuña populations in Peru. After arriving in Puno, you have free time to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities. Dinner will be served at the hotel´s restaurant.

July 13, Friday – Titicaca Lake – Uros, Taquile and Suasi Islands

Your transport picks you up from the hotel to take you to the Titicaca Lake’s Pier. There you board the boat and begin the navigation heading towards the Uros Islands, small floating reed-islands. There you will be able to have a glimpse of the traditional life of the Uros inhabitants. After this stop you continue the way towards the Taquile Island. Unlike the rest of the boats, ours goes to the opposite site of the Island, where you find fewer visitors than in the other areas. This is a brief stop, because you need to continue for about 1 and a-half hour navigation to the private island of Suasi. This island will allow you to enjoy the nature of the lake at its most. On arrival you will have lunch at the lake’s shore, and then you have time to canoe, hike or just seat in front of the lake and enjoy the views. Sunset is magic in this island. At night you may want to have a cocktail and enjoy dinner in the stone-made bar of this wonderful eco-lodge. All meals are included.

July 14, Saturday – Suasi Island

Free day to relax in Suasi Island. This is the perfect time to disconnect from civilization and enjoy a state of profound contact with nature. Canoeing and hiking are a few of the possible activities in this area. You will of course find time to continue knitting with Helen.

July 15, Sunday – Suasi – Puno

You have a free morning in Suasi. Before noon, you board the boat that will take you back to Puno in about 3 hours. You spend the night in Puno.

July 16, Monday – Puno – Cusco

Early in the morning, a private transport and guide picks you up from the hotel to start the full-day trip to Cusco. On the way you will visit the Sillustani Inca archaeological site; amazing funerary-towers, built using huge and perfectly carved stones. On the way, you will also find the chance to stop at La Raya Mountain Pass. Then you will stop at the Wiraqocha temple in Raqchi, admiring the extremely tall walls made of adobe and stone. Finally you will visit the Andahuaylillas colonial town, with its beautiful baroque church, considered by some people as the Sistine Chapel of America. You will arrive in Cusco at about 6 in the afternoon.

July 17, Tuesday – Weaving workshop in Cusco – Walking City tour

During the morning you will have a hands-on session to learn some of the techniques that you have been discovering during the previous days. You will specifically learn the “wrist” weaving style. Cusco is definitely a one-in-a-kind city, where the magnificent Inca past, the colonial tradition and the cosmopolitan present mix in a very special way. After enjoying lunch at a local restaurant, you have some free time to relax. In the afternoon, your guide meets you at your hotel and takes you visit the most representative sites of the City, which gives you the chance to appreciate, in a very specific way, the complexity of the Peruvian history. You will visit the Santo Domingo Convent, once the Sacred temple of the Sun, also known as the Qoricancha, which inner walls were, according to the chronicles, once completely covered in gold, housing natural-sized gold statues. Then you will visit the San Pedro Market, Cusco's main market, where you will be able to experience the real Cusco and its people’s customs, or either walk along the San Blas traditional neighborhood, which narrow streets resemble the charm of ancient towns in southern Spain.

July 18, Wednesday – Chinchero – Maras & Moray

The day starts with a short drive to Chinchero, a small Andean town located half-way between the Sacred Valley and Cusco. Beyond its Inca origins and its picturesque streets, Chinchero is very much known for the extraordinary textile art developed by its inhabitants. Here you have the time to appreciate how this people are devoted to recover some of the extraordinary techniques used by their ancestors. A Picnic Lunch will be enjoyed at a spectacular location. The quality of food, accompanied by a good wine, and a first class service as part of a natural setting, make this option a really lovely experience. Then you continue to Moray, an important site used for agricultural experimentation purposes during Inca times. Not far away, the Maras town is the starting point of the hike towards the Maras Salt Pans. This walk allows you to enjoy wonderful views to the mountain range in the opposite side of the Valley. Once in the salt mines, you are able to walk through the white terraces and observe the local people while working as they have been doing it since centuries ago. You may continue walking to the Sacred Valley, where our transport is waiting to take you to the hotel.

July 19, Thursday – Amaru community - Ollantaytambo

This morning your guide and transport take you visit an authentic Quechua Andean Community, where you will be welcomed by a few community members; they will invite you to participate in their daily activities. Knitting and agriculture are two of the most important skills performed by this community, so you will have the chance to walk through the field crops, learning not only about the native products, but also about the different plants used to dye their textiles. Then you will learn about the entire dyeing and knitting process, having the chance to put hands on the different activities. Lunch takes place at a private hacienda housing a very interesting collection of pre-Columbian and Colonial art. The hacienda offers spectacular views, the perfect place to relax and enjoy the peacefulness of the Valley. Afternoon visit to Ollantaytambo, a still living Inca village set below ancient ruins retaining the stonework, narrow streets, and family courtyards of pre-Columbian times. Much of the Inca history in Peru was destroyed by the Spanish, but Ollantaytambo is an important ceremonial site and scene of a few battles between the Incas and the Spanish conquerors. Here you will also have the chance to walk the Inca-Ruins uphill steps; this is a steep ascent, offering great views to the valley as a final reward to the effort.

July 20, Friday - Ollantaytambo – Machupicchu

Early in the morning, your transport drives you to Ollantaytambo, to board your train to Aguas Calientes Town. The journey is almost two-hour long. Once in Aguas Calientes, your guide leads you to the bus-station, to take the 25 minute bus ride up to the archaeological site. The Incas worshiped nature, and built many of their structures in harmony with the dramatic landscape. Your guide will take you through the lost citadel, explaining the different theories surrounding each section. After the guided visit, you may still want to walk the citadel on your own, or perhaps go for a hike towards Inti Punku or the Sun Gate, the point from where Inca Trail hikers are able to watch Machu Picchu for the first time from above. Whenever you are ready, you can take the bus back to Aguas Calientes. The Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel is located in the town’s outskirts; this is a quite unique property, which not only has a beautiful infrastructure, built in harmony with nature, but amazing jungle-like gardens where you will find orchids, tea plantations, exotic birds (especially hummingbirds) and other charming surprises. This hotel is the perfect complement to actually enjoy the full Machu Picchu experience.

July 21, Saturday – Aguas Calientes – Cusco

No activities are planned for this morning. You may visit Machu Picchu for a second time on your own (bus tickets and entrance fees are not included for the second visit), or enjoy the hotel gardens and facilities. Be aware that Aguas Calientes is located in a region known as the Jungle “eyebrow”, offering a charming mixture of exuberant vegetation and steep mountains. Early in the afternoon you board the train back to Ollantaytambo, where your private transport is waiting to drive you back to Cusco. Dinner will be enjoyed at one of the best restaurants in town.

July 22, Sunday – Cusco - Lima

In the morning your transport picks you up from your hotel and takes you to the airport to board your flight to Lima. Once in Lima, your transport will wait for you to go for final shopping. Finally you are driven back to the airport to board your international flight.

AVAILABLE EXTENSION: NORTHERN PERU (Chiclayo – Trujillo)

July 22, Sunday – Lima - Chiclayo

On arrival from Cusco, you connect directly with the next flight to Chiclayo, where a transport and representative will be waiting to take you to the hotel.

July 23, Monday – Chiclayo - Pacora - Tumbas Reales Museum – Craft villages

You start your day visiting Pacora, a mainly agricultural community, where “loche” squash, one of the most important ingredients of traditional northern food, and native cotton are the most priced products. During this morning you will appreciate, how native/organic cotton is used in its natural colors as it has been used for thousands of years to dress ancient Peruvians, including the mighty Moche royalty and priests. Lunch will be enjoyed at a local restaurant, to then continue your tour, visiting one of Latin America’s most spectacular museums, the “Tumbas Reales de Sipan”, named after the world-famous burial Chambers discovered beneath the ancient adobe pyramids. The three-story, six-million-dollar museum contains by far the greatest intact discovery of gold artifacts in the Americas. It is shaped like the pre-Columbian pyramid under which Peruvian archaeologists discovered this amazing tomb in 1987. The museum is also a mausoleum, as the Lord of Sipan’s remains, as well as those of two other excavated figures – an ancestor of the lord and a high priest – are placed in a wooden coffin. The skeletons, surrounded by ceramics found in their tombs, are softly lit and visible to the public. Finally, visit the craft villages of the museum, a place where you can find a variety of textile work by the community, they can be seen working on the loom and other utensils used for generations for the development of their work in cloth.

July 24, Tuesday – Chiclayo – Trujillo – “ El Brujo” Complex – Huanchaco – Chan Chan

Early in the morning, your private transport collects you from the hotel to start the journey towards Trujillo. After approximately 2 hours drive, you take a deviation from the main road, to find what is known as “El Brujo” (the sorcerer) archaeological complex. Located 34 Km north of Trujillo in the Chicama Valley, this pyramid rises about 98 feet above the surrounding desert and covers an area of roughly 330 by 330 feet. It was built with tens of thousands of adobe bricks. Its walls are covered with polychromatic paintings, illustrating war, gods, sacrifices as well as daily life activities like fishing or hunting. Just some years ago, a well preserved tattooed mummy of a young woman, belonging to the Moche Royalty, was discovered deep inside El Brujo pyramid. She has been called “Lady of Cao” and is being exhibited in the small but spectacular museum located just beside the archaeological site. After this visit, you continue driving towards Huanchaco town, located just in front of the sea, and only a few minutes away from Trujillo. In Huanchaco you can watch the local fishermen on their traditional “Totora Horses” or reed boats, used by locals as single-person fishing boats; surfing on them seems to be quite fun too. You enjoy lunch at a charming restaurant in front of the sea. The final visit of the day will be Chan-Chan. This urban center is the largest pre-Columbian adobe city in America. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Chan-Chan was the capital of the Chimu kingdom. Archaeologists estimate that this complex housed more than 100 thousand people. Its enormous walls are profusely decorated by geometric figures, animals and mythological beings.

July 25, Wednesday – Trujillo – Lima - Out

In the morning your transport picks you up from your hotel and takes you to the airport to board your flight to Lima. Once in Lima, your transport will wait for you to go for final shopping. Finally you are driven back to the airport to board your international flight.