We head to two authentic countries where the locals have preserved the culture of pre-Columbian America.
We arrive in Lima, check into a hotel in the Miraflores area. We are located in the very epicenter of the stormy metropolitan life. Lima is home to a third of Peru's population - 9 million people! After a short rest we will take a walk in the Miraflores district, where modern hotels stand side by side with luxurious restaurants. And suddenly we stumble upon an island of history - the pyramid of Huaca Pucllana, which the ancient Incas built here more than two thousand years ago! Archaeologists continue to dig it brick by brick from oblivion...
In the morning we will walk through the historic center, admiring the grandiose Cathedral, the mayor's office and the Archbishop's Palace. Next, we will discover the unusual colorful houses of the bohemian Barranco district. And here we will also learn the basics of salsa - the most popular local dance! This day will end with magical views. Imagine sunset and the endless expanses of the Pacific Ocean...
In the morning go to the airport and fly to Cusco. We check into a hotel in the center of the ancient capital of the Inca empire, which is located at an altitude of 3400 meters above sea level.
After some rest, let`s walk along the narrow streets, admiring houses with unusual balconies and Christian cathedrals built by the Spaniards on the foundations of the Inca temples...
Today we will see the ingenious inventions of the Incas - the Moray terraces, where food was grown and the Maras salt terraces, where the salt was evaporated. In about an hour we will reach the Moray terraces, which are arranged in the form of an amphitheater 30 meters deep. At each level, the Incas grew different plants, and the temperature difference between the highest and the lowest step is 15 degrees! Water was supplied to each level.
The Maras salt terraces are also well thought out. A huge hill here is divided into thousands of small pools, in which salt from the water of an underground source is evaporated. The traditions of the Incas are alive - the locals continue to extract salt here in the same way!
After lunch we take the train and in two hours reach the last capital of the Incas - the town of Ollantaytambo. We check into a hotel. In 1536, Spanish colonists captured Cusco and the Inca ruler Manco Inca Yupanqui fled to Ollantaytambo. From the fortress, which we will explore, he won several crushing battles against the conquerors. But soon this capital fell, and the ruler fled to the mountains... We will walk around the bazaar and look at the unusual doors in the form of a trapezoid - they have been made here since the time of the Incas.
This trip is of easy physical grade. It includes short trips, one overnight bus ride and one long 8-hour ride. We will also take three domestic flights, go boating and walk a lot in cities and in nature. We will be visiting places at an altitude of about 5000 meters above sea level and people prone to altitude sickness may feel discomfort. Accommodation in rooms for two in tourist class hotels and guesthouses.
