Day 1

Pick-up at airport and transfer to Minka Wasy, lodging at Minka headquarters in Lima.

 

Day 2

After breakfast, a MINKA FAIR TRADE representative will present the association, born in 1978, which represents a net of producers’ organizations.

During this presentation, we’ll hear about fair-trade business and its impact on the community, problems in the Southern Hemisphere, the relationship between fair-trade business and ethical tourism, and the ways in which the annual funds are distributed among the communities. Transfer from Minka Wasy to the airport. Flight Lima-Cusco. Pick-up at the airport. Free day to allow your body to get used to the altitude (3,300 m/10,890 ft above sea level). Around 7 p.m., we’ll meet with a PeruEtico representative, who will explain the work that the travel agency does to support Children’s Homes in Peru. Night in Cusco in hotel.

 

Day 3

Around 9:30 a.m., after breakfast, trip via private transportation to San Pedro Market, where we’ll be surrounded by Andean tastes, colors and smells. This is a real glimpse into local life and is thus the perfect starting point for a visit to Cusco. Next, we’ll go visit the Incan ruins on the outskirts of the city: Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay.

In the afternoon, we’ll take a walk through the center of town and visit the neighborhood of San Blas, with its aromatic alleys and local artists’ workshops. In the Coca Shop, our friend Kristo (Italo-Peruvian) will tell us about coca’s alternative properties and how it can be used to make various products (infusions, chocolate, cakes, ice-creams, etc.).

Welcome dinner in the Osteria della Piccola Locanda. Night in hotel.

 

Day 4

At 8 a.m., we’ll head back into the Sacred Valley of the Incas, to Intihuatana, about an hour from Pisaq. There, in the communities Cuyo Grande and Cuyo Chico, live a hundred indigenous farming families, who dedicate themselves to agriculture, handicrafts and Andean plant extracts. They’re particularly well-known for working with clay. Because the community members follow a system of rotation in the tourist visits, we may sleep in Cuyo Grande or Cuyo Chico, in a local family’s home.

 

Day 5

Departure at 8 a.m. to go to Pisaq, with its ruins and famous market. Free afternoon in Cusco. At 7 p.m., meeting with our guide for the trek. Night in hotel.

 

Days  6, 7, 8, 9

Trek: Inca Trail, Lares Trek or Choquequirao. The Inca Trail is only open to 350 travelers a day (who must reserve far in advance). If the trail is already full during the period you wish to travel, you can choose between the Lares Trek (which lasts 4 days and finishes with a visit to Machu Picchu) and Choquequirao (four times bigger than Machu Picchu, but only 30% excavated, surrounded by a tropical forest, destined to replace Machu Picchu as Peru’s major wonder, still undiscovered by mass tourism).

On the last day, back to Cusco. Night in hotel.

 

Day 10

Train or public bus option: Early departure to get the train to Puno, which only leaves on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. If the train isn’t an option, we’ll take the First Class tourist bus. The train leaves at 8 a.m., the bus at 7:30 a.m. Both means of transportation will make a series of stops along the way.

Private minibus option: After breakfast, around 9:30 a.m., we’ll start our journey towards Puno. We can make stops when we like along the way. Lunch in Sicuani (not included).

Upon arrival in Puno, meeting in our hotel with a member of the Huayllano community. Night in hotel.

 

Days 11 and 12

Early wake-up call and breakfast. At 7:30 a.m., the Huayllano community representative will come pick us up at the hotel. From there, we’ll go to the harbor and get in a boat (of a kind used by Taquile locals) to explore Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world.

First, we’ll visit the floating Uros Islands, north of Puno bay. Next, we’ll head to Taquile, the lake’s biggest island, and dock on the north side of the island. From there, we’ll go to the small harbor of Huayllano. The Huayllano families will show us the island’s ancestral traditions; as their guests, we’ll eat their typical dishes and, for a night, live like locals.

In the evening, we’ll have dinner with our host family and watch a typical dance. Night in the host family’s home.

The next day, after breakfast, we’ll have time to explore the bay’s surroundings, the beach and some archeological ruins. Then, we’ll walk to Taquile town, where we’ll have lunch. Eventually, we’ll walk down to the harbor and return to Puno, arriving around 6 p.m. Night in hotel.

 

Day 13

A member of one of the Collasuyo communities will come pick us up at the hotel and take us to the altiplano near Juliaca, at an altitude of 3,800 meters (12,540 ft). Collasuyo is home to more than 500 indigenous, rural families, who are experts in the transformation of alpaca fiber. We’ll eat, talk and dance with them, and they’ll take us through the process of working the alpaca fiber, from its selection to the final product: beautiful, warm sweaters. Night in Puno hotel.

 

Day 14

Public bus option: Free morning in Puno. Departure at 2 p.m. and arrival in Arequipa around 7 p.m. Pick-up at the bus terminal and night in hotel.

Private minibus option: Morning departure; arrival in Arequipa after approximately 4 hours. Free afternoon. Night in hotel.

 

Days 15 and 16

Around 7 a.m., after a hearty breakfast, we’ll set off for the Colca Canyon, one of the most enthralling places in Peru. During the 4 hour ride, we’ll cross the magnificent altiplano at altitudes above 4,500 meters (14,850 ft), admiring its wonderful views and its animals (alpacas, llamas, vicunas, guanacos, vizcachas, etc.). In the afternoon, we’ll bathe in the valley’s renowned hot springs. Night in hotel.

The next day, we’ll leave at dawn to get to the Mirador de la Cruz del Cóndor, a perfect viewpoint for observing these majestic birds, who will fly close by us. Then, we’ll start the return journey to Arequipa, stopping in some of the valley’s villages along the way. Arrival in Arequipa around 6 p.m. Late evening flight Arequipa-Lima. Pick-up at airport and night at Minka Wasy.

 

Day 17

Final meeting with a Minka representative. You’ll be able to tell us what you thought of your travel experience and your interaction with the producers’ communities. Depending on the time of your flight, you can take tours of Lima, through both the colonial and modern neighborhoods. Transfer Minka Wasy-airport. Flight out of Lima.

 

 

 

 

 

If the length of your vacation isn’t the same as the length of our tour, write us! Together, we’ll draw up an itinerary that suits you. Remember that our tours don’t have fixed departure dates; you decide when to travel!

 

Please note the following:

Private tours: Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Lares and Choquequirao Treks, Lake Titicaca, Lima.

Tours with other travelers: Inca Trail, Colca Canyon.

At 7 p.m. on the night before the trek, in your hotel in Cusco, you’ll have a briefing with a PeruEtico representative and your guide for the trek.

PeruEtico doesn’t organize the trek directly. We work with a serious, professional agency that respects both the environment and the wage and working conditions of its employees.

Minka Wasy has twin, triple and quadruple rooms, with a shared bathroom. The rooms are at the Minka Fair Trade headquarters in Lima’s central, modern neighborhood of San Isidro. We’ll be able to see the exportation of fair-trade products close-up!

On Taquile and in Cuyo Grande/Chico, the houses are very simple and the services basic.

The project contribution goes to MINKA FAIR TRADE, which will divide all funds at the end of the year among the producers’ communities, according to needs and requests.

All fair-trade tours guarantee the publication of the “transparent price,” that is, the communities’ net earnings from tourist services. Click here for details.

 

This tour includes:

Flights: Lima-Cusco and Arequipa-Lima (economy class).

All transfers airport-hotel and vice versa.

All bus and train trips listed in the itinerary.

When applicable, lodging in a family-run, three-star hotel, in double or twin rooms with a private bathroom and breakfast included.

One night on Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca in a Huayllano family home.

One night in Cuyo Grande or Cuyo Chico, near Pisaq, in a community family’s home.

All meals during the two days on Taquile and the visit to Cuyo Grande/Chico.

Two nights at Minka Wasy in Lima.

Lunch in Collasuyo.

All excursions listed in the itinerary, with a Spanish and English-speaking guide.

All meals during the trek.

Camping equipment during the trek (including a sleeping pad).

Entrance fees for museums and archeological sites during guided visits (except those included in the BTC (Boleto Turistico del Cusco – Cusco Tourism Ticket): Cusco, Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Tipon and Pikillaqta).

Private minibus option: private minibus with driver Cusco-Puno and Puno-Arequipa.

Public bus option: fully-equipped public bus Cusco-Puno and Puno-Arequipa.

 

This tour does not include:

International flight to and from Peru.

Project contribution (US$120 per person). The contributions will be given in full to MINKA FAIR TRADE. For more information, please go to the PeruEtico Italia Association website.

Travel insurance policy (mandatory) that covers: medical, baggage, ground transport, flight.

Airport taxes (around US$6 for domestic flights, around US$25 for international flights).

Sleeping bag for the trek.

Lunches and dinners (except those specifically listed above).

Lunch in Lima the second day.

Entrance fees for archeological sites along the Cusco-Puno route.

BTC (Boleto Turistico del Cusco – Cusco Tourism Ticket).

Lima city tour on last day.

 

Suggested packing list:

Both light and heavy clothing

Windbreaker

Rain jacket

Hiking boots

Sleeping bag

Swimming suit

Insect repellent

Sunscreen

Sunglasses

US Dollars (best conversion rates into Nuevo Soles)