13 Days Lima, Ica, Ballestas Island Cruise, Cuzco, Pisac, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Julliaca, Puno, Huatajata, La Paz

Day 1 Fri: Depart North America / Lima
Your journey begins as you board your overnight flight to Lima, Peru. Upon arrival, you are met and transferred to your hotel.

Day 2 Sat: Lima – City Tour & Larco Herrera Museum
After a leisurely morning, embark on your tour of Lima. Your local expert focuses on the city’s colonial heritage during a walking tour. Start at the Plaza de Armas to see the Government Palace and visit the Cathedral, where the
skeleton of Francisco Pizarro is sealed in a wooden coffin. From there, stroll to the venerable San Francisco Monastery with its splendid 17th-century cloister murals. Next, stop at Lima’s famous Herrera Museum. This evening,
enjoy a welcome dinner at a La Rosa Nautica Restaurant. (BD)

Day 3 Sun: Lima / Ica – Nazca Lines
Enjoy a scenic drive south along the Pan American Highway to the town of Ica, the wine capital of Peru. Have your cameras handy this afternoon as you board your aircraft for a flight over the Nazca Plains. Your pilot will point
out the famous, mysterious markings known as the Nazca Lines—a series of drawings of animals and geometric figures etched into the parched soil, some of which are up to 1,000 feet in length. The most accepted of the various
theories regarding these amazing artifacts belongs to German mathematician Maria Reiche, who dubbed the land as the “astronomical calendar” of the ancient Peruvians. Dinner this evening is at your hotel. (BD)

Day 4 Mon: Ica / Ballestas Island Cruise / Lima
Head north to the Bay of Paracas. Cruise out to the Ballestas Islands, which are inhabited by a wide variety of sea mammals and exotic birds, including boobies, sea lions and Humbolt penguins. The huge Candelabro, a
candelabra-shaped etching on the Paracas cliffside, can also be seen as you cruise back to shore. Re-board your coach and arrive in Lima by late afternoon. Overnight at your hotel. (BD)

Day 5 Tue: Lima / Cuzco - Pisac
Depart for Cuzco by flight this morning. Upon arrival, proceed to the fortress village of Pisac, an old mountain village whose buildings reflect the brilliant precision of Inca stonemasonry. Today is market day! You will have free time
in the town center to browse the many colorful stalls. Overnight in Sacred Valley. (BLD)

Day 6 Wed: Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu
Board your train this morning for a short journey into the lush Urubamba Valley. Then transfer to a motor coach for the ascent to legendary Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas,” situated high above the steep valley
overlaid with dense tropical jungle. Your local guide will bring you closer to the lives and mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures built by the pre-Columbian masters of this sacred land. (BL)

Day 7 Thu: Machu Picchu / Cuzco
Enjoy the tranquility of the morning before you take some free time to wander the ruins at your own pace and inhale the magic that is Machu Picchu. After lunch, return to Cuzco in the late afternoon. (BL)

Day 8 Fri: Cuzco - City Tour
Today learn more about the Incas and their futile struggle with the invading Spaniards. Visit the imposing Cathedral, the Santo Domingo Monastery, the nearby Inca baths of Tambomachay and the semi-circular Kenko
Amphitheater, with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages. See the ancient site of Puca Pucara before reaching the Temple of Sacsayhuaman, “House of the Sun,” perched on a hillside overlooking Cuzco. It still remains
unfathomable how and when this fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons—was built. (BD)

Day 9 Sat: Cuzco / Julliaca / Puno
Depart Cuzco by flight for Julliaca. Upon arrival, drive to Puno. The rest of the day is at leisure. (B)

Day 10 Sun: Puno / Copacabana / Huatajata by Hydrofoil Cruise
Board a sleek hydrofoil and head east to Huatajata, located on the most panoramic shore of the sacred lake. Stop en route to visit Copacabana. Later, visit some of the fascinating museums and exhibits of your resort. Visit the
new Andean Eco Village to learn about the different styles of life on the plateau, including the artisans, fishing villages and the Uru Chipayas Mud Igloos. Meet one of the builders of the RA II vessel used for the late Thor
Heyerdahl’s epic journeys. After dinner, visit the unique on-site living museum of natural medicine doctors, the Kallawayas. (BD)

Day 11 Mon: Huatajata / Tiwanaku Ruins / La Paz City Tour
Today visit the Tiwanaku Ruins, once the site of an impressive imperial capital. Discovered in AD 1200, this deserted city inspired the Incas with its advanced agricultural and architectural techniques. Visit the Kallawaya
compound, the subterranean temple of Kontiki and the Sun Gate. Drive from here to Lake Titicaca. Situated at 12,500 feet above seal level, this vast inland sea is the world’s highest navigable lake. This afternoon, get acquainted
with La Paz during a city tour, which includes visits to the National Museum of Archeology, the colorful Indian market and the witch doctor’s market. Then enjoy some free time to wander the narrow streets packed with tiny
stores and local treasures. (B)

Day 12 Tue: Huatajata / Julliaca / Lima
Today, drive to Julliaca airport to board your flight through Lima to home. (B)

Day 13 Wed: Arrive North America
Arrive home with a new appreciation of the fascinating culture and unique heritage revealed by your tour of Inca Mysteries.
Note: Maximum elevation on tour: 13,000 ft.

Extend your tour with a Galapagos Islands Cruise.