8-Nights Essential Southern Peru: Arequipa, Colca & Titicaca - Active & Adventure, Private Guided Experiences, Arts & Culture from $2,673

Day 1: Arrive in Lima

Transfer: Jorge Chavez Lima International Airportto Lima - Miraflores

Hotel: Casa Andina Premium Miraflores (4 Star Rating)

Casa Andina Premium Miraflores is strategically located in the heart of Miraflores, surrounded by excellent restaurants and boutiques in the city of Lima. Its unmistakable local touch showcases valuable colonial antiques and an exquisite collection of contemporary art decorating the rooms and common areas of the hotels. The hotel includes a breakfast buffet, a varied menu with gourmet dishes at Alma Restaurante & Bar, and healthy options at Sama Healthy Express. The hotel also offers room service and has a gym, sauna, spa and swimming pool.

Today you will learn about the two characters of Lima: the modern one, reflected in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro; and the historic one, encapsulated in its historic center declared a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Along the tour through different districts of the city, you will see how the old and the modern coexist in buildings such as the Museum of Italian Art, Palace of Justice, Museum of Lima, Plaza San Martín, among others. With your private guide leading the way, you'll explore the center of Lima on foot, with the Main Square as the focal point: a beautiful colonial square worthy of photographs, surrounded by emblematic buildings such as the Government Palace, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace. You will also have the opportunity to enter one of the most iconic ecclesiastical spaces in Lima, the Convent of Santo Domingo, also declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and where the relics of three Peruvian saints are found: Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martín de Porres and San Juan Macías. The tour would not be complete without a visit to the Rafael Larco Herrera Museum, one of the most important in the country, exhibiting a valuable collection of almost 45,000 pieces of pre-Hispanic cultures, especially the Mochicas. Marvel at the quality of its pieces of jewelry, textiles and its enigmatic erotic room, dedicated to ceramics alluding to fertility, and after exploring the museum, you will be returned to your hotel.

Tonight, set out to discover some of the best gastronomy that Lima has on offer. Arranged to coincide with your preferred dining time, reservations will be made with the restaurant of your choice (subject to availability). To take you to and from the restaurant, private transfers will be arranged. Host to some of the world's finest dining, as well as an incredible range of exceptional venues ranging from extravagant to humble, Lima has no shortage of top-notch dining options. Our top recommendations include Maido, Mayta, Cala, Astrid y Gaston, and Nanka. If you have a specific dining option in mind, please speak with your Destination Specialist. Please note, your food and drinks are not included and are to be paid for on-site.

Transfer: Lima - Miraflores to Jorge Chavez Lima International Airport

Transfer: Arequipa Airportto Arequipa

Hotel: Casa Andina Premium Arequipa (4 Star Rating)

On a quiet street in the heart of Arequipa's historic district, the hotel is just steps from the entrance of the famed Santa Catalina Convent and only 3 blocks from the Plaza de Armas. In the midst of Arequipa's top restaurants, sights, and shopping, the hotel is only 15 minutes by taxi from Arequipa's Rodriguez Ballon airport and 10 minutes from the bus station.

Restored to its original grandeur, this storied sillar (white volcanic stone) colonial mansion is one of the finest hotels in Arequipa's historic center - and is as much a living museum as it is a hotel. The hotel features high vaulted ceilings, two ample colonial courtyards, and an elegant gourmet restaurant.

Explore the heart of Arequipa and enjoy the city's best views with a private guide leading the way. The Yanahuara and Carmen Alto viewpoints are unmissable stops on today's route, from which you can appreciate the fantastic landscape of the countryside and the city at the foot of the imposing Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu volcanoes. You will visit the historic center and the beautiful Main Square, where the city was founded in 1540. The buildings in Arequipa are built in ashlar, and this white volcanic stone is why Arequipa is known as the "White City". Standing out in the city are the many arching portals and the imposing Cathedral, widely recognized for its neo-Renaissance style and Gothic influences. Later, visit other churches such as the Company of Jesus and walk through streets that reflect the colonial history of the past, such as San Francisco and Santo Domingo streets. The walk ends in one of the most iconic places in the city: the fabulous Monastery of Santa Catalina. Here you will enter the cloisters, walk through its narrow corridors of intense colors, and admire its internal plazas, considered colonial architectural treasures, as well as rooms that house beautiful canvases from the Cusco School, rich with indigenous and Spanish motifs. After visiting the Santa Catalina Convent, you will be returned to your hotel.

Driving out of Arequipa, you will enjoy spectacular views of the mountains surrounding the city before climbing high into the Andes and descending into the amazing Colca Canyon.

The Colca Canyon is one of the world's deepest canyons and is home to Condors and a fascinating local culture, totally different from any other place you will visit on this trip.

Hotel: Colca Lodge (4 Star Rating)

Built completely of stone, mud bricks, and thatch roofs, Colca Lodge is located in the heart of the Valley, next to the Colca River in the midst of ancestral farming terraces. With a particular architectural style inspired by ancient Inca buildings, Colca Lodge has been able to combine its attractive rustic style with total comfort without damaging the surrounding environment.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

The private guide and minibus are at your disposal for the day. An early morning drive to Cruz del Condor is recommended in search of one of the world's largest birds, the condor, who nests in the cliffs of one of the world's deepest canyons (approximately 3400 metres deep).

Hotel: Colca Lodge (4 Star Rating)

Built completely of stone, mud bricks, and thatch roofs, Colca Lodge is located in the heart of the Valley, next to the Colca River in the midst of ancestral farming terraces. With a particular architectural style inspired by ancient Inca buildings, Colca Lodge has been able to combine its attractive rustic style with total comfort without damaging the surrounding environment.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

You will enjoy a spectacular drive through the high Andes, passing beautiful lakes and huge vistas, as you travel on a newly asphalted road to Juliaca, and on to your destination of Puno. En route, you will pay a visit to the Silustani Ruins, whose fascinating circular burial chambers predate the Incas. The amazing stone work of this early civilization was obviously a strong influence on the famous Inca stone masons. In Puno, check into your hotel and explore this interesting town.

Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

Hotel: Sonesta Posadas Del Inca Puno (4 Star Rating)

Located on the scenic shores of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, the Sonesta hotel combines the best in Peruvian hospitality with spectacular views. Only 5 kilometers from Puno's Main Square, the Sonesta on Lake Titicaca offers easy access to all tourist activities and attractions, including the fascinating floating reed islands of the Uros people, Taquile Island, and the Chullpas of Sillustani.

Lake Titicaca is home to unique communities, cultures and traditions. The Uros are a people who have lived on the floating islands of the lake for more than 3,000 years, and their ancestral practices were declared the Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2013. They have developed the ability to live among the reeds and have adapted to the environment, using this aquatic plant to build their rafts and houses. Its inhabitants will be your guides, explaining about the formation of the islands, the way of life on the islands and the creation of their traditional fabrics using reeds. In Taquile, you will witness another unique lifestyle of Lake Titicaca. As you hike to the top of the island, you can see different types of crops with the lake and the Illimani Mountain range in the background, a fascinating combination of green and blue. The residents of Taquile are known for their textile technique (named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO), where each color and design captured on the fabric has a special meaning, permitting social coexistence. After touring the island and connecting with its customs, you will share a moment with the community amidst dances and traditional music, then be returned to back to Puno by speed boat before being transferred to your hotel.

Transfer: Puno to Juliaca Airport