PERU – BOLIVIA

Today we have an early departure from the hotel to the town of Huacachina – the only desert oasis in South America. We will spend about 4 hours on the road. After arriving, we will have 2 hours to ride on buggies and sandboard on the highest sand dunes.

We will spend the second half of the day relaxing by the pool at our modern villa in the middle of the desert. On the way there, we will definitely stop at a market for Chilean wine and snacks to go with it.

We have breakfast and head to the waterfront of the Pacific Ocean, to the town of Paracas. Here we will transfer to a boat and set off to see the penguins and sea lions on the Ballestas Islands. Along the way, on the coast, we will see a huge petroglyph in the shape of a trident. Many find this place reminiscent of the Galapagos Islands.

Upon our return, we get into cars and head to the oldest winery in South America. First, we have lunch at a local restaurant, and then we stroll around the area with a guide and taste wine.

Closer to evening, we return to relax and drink wine by the pool at our villa.

Today we will spend the day on the road, as we need to move from the desert coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the depths of the Andean peaks. Specifically, to the ancient capital of the Inca Empire – the city of Cusco.

Our day will start with a trip to the capital, which is about 300 km away. If there is time, we will stop at one of the restaurants on the Miraflores waterfront for lunch. If there is heavy traffic on the way, we will return the cars and have a snack at the airport. After that, we will fly to Cusco (elevation 3400 m).

We will check into the hotel and rest after a long day.

This morning, an individual transfer will meet us near the hotel. We will go to see the Inca terraces in the town of Moray. They are designed in the form of circles and reach a depth of 30 meters. Ancient tribes used them for agriculture. After that, we will move to the salt mines of Maras located on the mountainside. The complex consists of a cascade of specially created well-terraces, averaging 5 m² in area. According to some data, salt extraction was carried out even in pre-Inca times.

Closer to lunch, we will move to the town of Ollantaytambo, where we can have lunch, and after that, we will board the panoramic train and head to the foot of the legendary Machu Picchu.

We settle into a cozy hotel and relax.

We will have breakfast and leave for Machu Picchu, where we will spend 2.5 hours among the legendary ruins with a local guide. We will also have free time to stroll through the local terraces and take photos.

After lunch, we will again board the train and return to Cusco, where we will check into the hotel and go for a tasting of alpaca meat steaks! If we have the energy, we can take a walk through the evening city (let's not forget about the altitude of 3400 m).

Tomorrow we have a real adventure planned – the colorful mountains of Vinicunca. But there is one nuance – we will have to climb to an altitude of 5000m! And without acclimatization, it is very difficult to do, so we will spend today at an altitude of 3400m in Cusco.

Today we have a free day. We can stroll around the city, run through the souvenir markets, or just relax at the hotel before tomorrow's ascent.

Today will probably be one of the most challenging yet most impressive days of our journey – we will see the Rainbow Mountains, but for that, we will have to climb to an altitude of over 5,000 m!

Departure from the hotel is scheduled for 4 a.m. After that, we will drive for a few hours to the village of Kusipata, where we will have breakfast. After breakfast, we will drive for another hour to the starting point of the trek, at an altitude of 4,850 meters. From there, we will begin a 3.5-kilometer hike to the summit.

During the hike, we may encounter wild alpacas, llamas, and vicuñas. Upon reaching the summit at an altitude of 5,010 meters, we will see the mountains in all their glory. We will have enough free time to enjoy this natural wonder, after which we will begin our descent and return to Kusipata, where we have lunch planned. After that, we will transfer to the hotel.

* If desired, during the hike, you can arrange with locals to be taken up on a horse. This is paid for additionally on-site.

** If you are not sure you can reach the Rainbow Mountains, you can spend this day in Cusco.

We have breakfast and head to the airport. Today we have a flight planned to Bolivia, or more precisely, to the city of La Paz (altitude 3000-4000 m).

We check into the hotel and go to explore the city. The most famous location here is the witch market, but objectively, it's more of an ordinary souvenir market with good marketing, so we don't stay there long and go for a ride on the cable car. The thing is, La Paz has an elevation difference of up to 1 km and regular public transport is not very relevant here, so the cable car system is very well developed. Its main appeal for tourists is that you can see the entire city from above!

Early flight to Uyuni. After arrival, we will transfer to jeeps and head out to explore the salt flat and its surroundings.

Today we will visit the train graveyard, where you can see the remains of 19th-century steam locomotives, we will visit the salt hotel for lunch, then we will go to Incahuasi Island, which is covered with cacti and located in the middle of the salt flat. In the middle of the salt desert, we will have a photo and video session at sunset, after which we will head to spend the night at the salt hotel.

Today we will have a very busy day. In 9 hours we will cover 350 km, at altitudes from 3660 to 5000 meters!

We will visit: the Chiguana desert, the Olyage viewpoint, and the lagoons: Cañapa, Hedionda, Ch'arkota, Honda, and Colorado. We will cross the Siloli desert, visit the stone tree, and see 3 species of flamingos.

For the night, we will stop at a typical basic hotel for this region on the shore of the Colorado lagoon! Here we have dinner and breakfast included.

We will leave before sunrise to meet it at the geyser and fumarole field. After that, we will go swimming in the thermal springs in the middle of the desert at an altitude of 5000m (there are changing rooms and showers)!

After swimming, we will get back into our SUVs and drive through the Salvador Dalí desert to the Verde Lagoon, which got its color from the concentration of lead. Interesting fact: at this place, the borders of 3 countries – Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia – intersect!

After that, we will start our return journey to Uyuni. We will pass through the town of San Cristóbal, where we will have lunch, see the colonial church, the Valley of Rocks, the petrified lava, and the Catala Canyon. We will observe flocks of llamas and birds. Closer to the evening, we will arrive in Uyuni.

We will have dinner and relax at the hotel.

Early flight to La Paz and departure home.