Ethical U-Turn 16 days
From one end of Peru to the other. We’ll reach Cusco from the south, allowing our body to adapt to the altidude slowly. From Lima, we’ll travel to the Paracas natural reserve and to the wonderful Ballestas Islands, then to the mysterious lines of Nasca, Arequipa and Colca Canyon, Puno and the astonishing Titicaca Lake and finally reaching Cusco, the ancient Inca’s capital, Machu Picchu, the lost city and the mythical Sacred Valley.
We’ll tell you all about Quechua and Aimara world, without omitting to tell you the problems of this world through the visit of the children’s families that are supported by the “project fee”, such as Ceprof in Lima, Mosoq Runa in Urubamba and Centro Integral San Sebastian in Cusco.
Departure date at your choice… all year long!!
1º day: Arrival in Lima
Flight to Lima. Pick-up at airport and transfer to the CEPROF Project. Dinner (if your flight gets in before 7 p.m.) and overnight at CEPROF, a Home for girls, ages 6 to 18, who have been abandoned or who are in physical and psychological danger.
2º day: From Lima to Paracas
In the morning visit to Ceprof Project. In the afternoon , transfer by bus from Lima to Paracas. Arrival in Paracas in about 3 hours. Pick up and night in hotel.
3º day: Ballestas Islands
After breakfast, at 7.30 a.m. we’ll got Paracas harbor, where we’ll board a motorboat that will take us to the Ballestas Islands. During the trip, we’ll see: the Humboldt’s penguins, sea lions, seals and many types of aquatic birds. At the end of the trip, we’ll go the Paracas Museum and we’ll have a wonderful walk in the nature reserve, where we can admire wonderful landscapes and its animals in their natural habitat. In the afternoon, transfer by bus from Paracas to Nasca. Pick up and night in hotel.
Note > for whom is not interested to visit Nasca, it’s possible to go directly from Paracas to Arequipa, in order to save one day travel.
4º day: The mysterious Nazca Lines
Free day. We suggest you try one of these optional activities: fly over Nasca lines with a light plane (needs to be booked at least 10 days in advance); go to an observatory near the Pan-American highway where you can observe a few figures; visit the Cantalloc Aqueduct, 2km from Nasca or visit the archeological site of Cahuachi at a distance of 30km.
At 10.30 p.m. we’ll take a high quality bus (with heating, air conditioning, chemical toilet, DVDs, service on board) and we’ll reach Arequipa (9 hours) on the morning of the next day. Pick up at the bus station and transfer to the hotel in Arequipa.
5º day: Arequipa, the White City
Whole free day in Arequipa, the “white city”. Don’t miss the Saint Catalina Convent, the Museum of Juanita Mummy and the delicious traditional meal of the local cuisine. Night in hotel.
6º day: Canyon and spa
After breakfast (around 7.30 a.m.) we’ll go to the Colca Canyon with other tourists (10 or 17 people bus). During a four hour trip we’ll travel through the plateau’s immense landscapes. We’ll admire alpacas, lamas, vicunas, guanacos, vizcachas and son on. In the afternoon we’ll arrive in hotel and those who want, can bathe in the renowned hot springs of the valley.
7º day: The Condor of the Andes
Departure at dawn to reach the Mirador de la Cruz del Condor, a perfect viewpoint for observing this magnificent Andean bird, which will fly close to us. In the early afternoon transfer by bus from Chivay to Puno. Arrival in the evening. Night in hotel.
8º day: Titicaca lake
Early wake-up call and breakfast. At 7:30 a.m.a Peru Etico person in charge will come and pick you up at the hotel and we’ll go to the harbor where will board a boat exploring the Titicaca Lake, 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 real “comuneros”.
In the evening, we’ll have dinner with our host family. Night in the host family’s home.
9º day: Taquile Island
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. After lunch, we’ll walk down to the harbor and return to Puno, arriving around 6 p.m. Night in hotel.
10º day: The highlands road to Cusco
We’ll come to pick you up at 7 a.m. and start our trip to reach the city of Puno. The tourist bus (with heating, air conditioning, chemical toilet, DVDs, service on board and buffet lunch in Sicuani included) will make a series of stops along the way: Andahuaylilla, Rajchi and Pukara. Pick up at the bus station and night in hotel.
11º day: City Tour of Cusco
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 Cusco: Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay.
For lunch, we’ll go to San Sebastian, where we’ll eat with the children and teenagers of the Centre, a wonderful project that supports differently-abled children.
In the afternoon, we will go back into town, and we’ll take you to visit one of these places, that you can choose among (entrance fees not included): the Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas; the beautiful MAP (Museum of Pre-Columbian Art); Qoricancha or the Temple of the Sun; the suggestive distric of San Blas with the Coca Shop (where they legally use coca leaves to produce alternative products such as infusions, chocolates, cakes, ice creams and so on); a handicraft market where you can buy presents. Night in Hotel.
12º day: Sacred Valley of the Incas
Around 8.30 am, with private transport, we’ll go and discover one of the most beautiful and magic place of Peru, the mythical Sacred Valley. We’ll visit: Chincheros and the Rainbow Temple; Moray, ancient wonderful Inca biological laboratory and Maras with its impressive salt mines (still open nowdays) and landscapes that will let us speechless. Successively we’ll head for Urumbamba where the children of Mosoq Runa will be waiting for us for lunch. Ada will explain all about the project, the childrens, the laboratories and the new ideas, it will be an unforgettable afternoon. In the evening, train to Aguas Calientes to start your Machu Picchu adventure. Night in hotel.
13º day: Machu Picchu
At dawn, we’ll live the ultimate dream: taking the bus from Aguas Calientes and entering Machu Picchu, the “lost city.” If you are feeling particularly energetic, you can also hike to the summit of Wayna Picchu. In the afternoon, we’ll take the train and a bus (from Ollantaytambo or from Poroy) back to Cusco. Night in hotel.
14º day: Do-It-Yourself Day in Cusco
Whole day free, you can have a walk in Cusco or visit the near village of Pisaq with its Incan ruins and the handicraft market. Night in hotel.
15º day: Return to Lima
Free morning. In the early afternoon flight Cusco-Lima. Transfer from the airport to Ceprof Project. Dinner and night in Ceprof.
16º day: Departure and / or City Tours of Lima
Transfer to the airport. Intercontinental flight.
If the intercontinental flight in the evening, you should spend the day with our City Tour, where we will take you to discover Lima, with its more authentic and special aspects.
Prices
- 2 persons: 2340.00 US$
- 3 persons: 2280.00 US$
- 4/6 persons: 2210.00 US$
Prices are per person and are expressed in U.S. dollars.
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:
Transfer from city to city by high quality bus: toilet on board, heating, air conditioning and very reclining armchairs. If you prefer to travel by private car or minibus, please contact us to know the cost at: info@peruetico.com
During visits to the Children’s Homes, we are guests. Please always ask permission to take photographs. In addition, it is expressly forbidden to give gifts or candy to the children. All donations can be given directly to the project director or representative.
In order to respect the peace and the normal course of the activities of the children families, the agency has the right to collect all the tourists that travel in the same period, in the Cusco area.
On Saturday and Sunday San Sebastian and Mosoq Runa are closed and it's not posible to visit them. In this case, the itinerary will be modified so as to guarantee a visit to the project (by pushing ahead the visit to Machu Picchu).
Private tours: Cusco area, Titicaca Lake, Nasca, Paracas natural reserve, Lima.
Tours shared with other tourists: Colca Canyon, Ballestas Islands.
During the flight over the Nazca lines, the plane will tilt and circle so that you can see the designs. We don’t recommend this to people who have a fear of flying. It’s quite normal to feel a little sick afterwards!
From July to September, flights over the Nazca lines are sometimes cancelled because of low visibility due to the fog.
On Taquile, the houses are very simple and the services basic. The rooms are pretty and welcoming, and don’t worry about the cold; your hosts will provide blankets.
The project contribution will go to the Association PeruEtico Italia and the social inclusion projects scheduled for the current year. You will directly be supporting the San Sebastian Center, Mosoq Runa through the lunches and CEPROF through the dinner and the nights you spend there.
From your arrival in Peru onward, any additional cost due to variation of the program will be charged (net cost plus agency fee).
Included
- Flight Cusco-Lima (economy class).
- All transfers airport-hotel and vice versa.
- All transfer by bus, train included in the program.
- Lodging in selected hotel, guest-house, B&B and hostel, mostly family-run, in double or twin rooms with a private bathroom and breakfast included, where the traveler will find all the support that needs.
- Two nights at CEPROF (22 beds divided into 6 rooms with both private and shared bathrooms).
- Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu (only one way).
- One night on Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca in a Huayllano family home.
- All meals during the two days on Taquile.
- Lunch in Sicuani during the trip from Cusco to Puno.
- Dinner at CEPROF upon arrival in Lima (if your flight gets in before 7 p.m.) and coming back from Arequipa.
- Tours and excursion that are in the program with an english-spanish guide.
- Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu, Uros and Taquile.
- Fully equipped bus from Lima to Paracas, Paracas to Nasca, Nasca to Arequipa, Chivay to Puno and Puno to Cusco.
Not included
- International flight to and from Peru.
- Project contribution (75 dollars per person).
- Travel insurance policy (mandatory) that covers: emergency assistance, medical, baggage, ground transport, flight.
- Lunches and dinners (except those specifically listed above).
- Private guide in English at Machu Picchu.
- Entrance ticket: BTC ( Cusco Tourism Ticket) 130 soles
- archeological sites on the way from Cusco to Puno 21 soles
- Colca Canion 70 soles.
- Flight over Nasca lines by a light plane.
- Lunches at the San Sebastian and MosoqRuna. Each lunch costs 50 soles per person.
- Lima city tour with private driver at your disposal during the last day.
Bring
- Both light and heavy clothing
- Windbreaker
- Hiking boots
- Swimming suit
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- US Dollars (Euro has a worse exchange rate)
- CodECC016
- Lenght16 days
- RouteNasca - Arequipa - Puno - Cusco
Ethical ranking How much ethical and responsible is this tour?
High
Project fee
75 USD per person to deposit in loco for the Association PeruEtico Italia and the social inclusion projects scheduled for the current year.
Projects and other social associations visited during the tour
Ceprof, Lima
Centro Integral San Sebastian, Cusco
Mosoq Runa, Urubamba
Huayllano's community, Taquile
Ecology
Always walk when possible
Eat typical local food (0km)
Low-energy and water consumption accomodations.
Local economy promotion
Local guides and cultural mediators
Lodging and restaurants in local structures.
Culture
Rediscovery and enhancement of local and popular legends and stories
Real knowledge of the visited country and enhancement of cultural diversities
Accomodation at local community (Taquile)
Public means, to promote a direct contact with the local population.
Economical equity
Fair and equitable working and salary conditions for all our collaborators.