Southern Discovery: Arequipa, Colca Canyon & Titilaka

The original, 5-story Casa Andina hotel in Lima, located in a safe, tranquil residential neighborhood of Miraflores. Wholly remodeled in 2008, it's great for independent travelers, with warm and relaxing public rooms, including a club inspired lobby with leather couches and chairs, and interior patio.

While Miraflores is a traditional, residential neighborhood, it has also become the most fashionable, upscale district of Peru's cosmopolitan capital, renowned for its dynamic nightlife and gastronomic scene.

You will be picked up from your hotel in the morning. The city tour begins with a visit to the Plaza des Armas, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Plaza is lined along two sides with shops: Portal de Escribanos and Portal de Botoneros. In the centre of the Plaza is a bronze fountain dating from 1560. The plaza is also home to the Cathedral, with its splendidly carved stalls, silver-covered altars surrounded by fine woodwork, and mosaic walls bearing the coats of arms of Lima and Pizarro. Continue to the San Domingo Convent. You will also see the old colonial streets in the centre of the city. Conclude your tour with the visit to the Larco Herra Museum, famous for its collection of Pre-Columbian art.

Lima was once the gateway for Spanish Colonial expansion, the "door" that which Inca gold and silver left the "New World" and supplies entered. To this day, this rich past can be seen at almost every turn but Liam and Peru has grown and evolved and may do not know, or appreciate that Lima is now a very "funky", trendy and switched on modern city. Art galleries, cafes, beach life, word renowned restaurants and buzzing nightlife make Lima not just a historical stop but a modern cultural experience.
Urban Lima is designed to get you out, into and around the streets of Lima as well as the many restaurants, markets cafes as you absorb modern life in Peru's capital. Be a "local - Liman" for a few days.

Arequipa's largest hotel - The Casa Andina Classic Arequipa is an excellent value and it is just 2 blocks from top sights. The hotel features large sunny terraces with views of El Misti volcano. The hotel offers 104 comfortable rooms.

Your half day sightseeing of this beautiful city, placed on the World Cultural Heritage list by UNESCO, features Mixed Baroque churches and mansions from the colonial period like the Monastery of Santa Catalina. The Main Square is bordered by various arched walkways and the Cathedral, it showcase a beautiful bronze fountain of three plates crowned by the figure of a sixteenth century soldier. Around the square, you see three granite portals with brick and lime bases.
In the heart of the white city of Arequipa lies Peru's most important religious building. The Santa Catalina Convent is called "a city within a city", a Spanish city in miniature with stone streets, beautiful patios, and plaza, it is a masterpiece of colonial architecture, and houses some of the finest examples of Spanish American religious art. Since 1970 visitors have been able to stroll through the streets and cloisters that during colonial times were the refuge of female nobility who had decided to isolate from the world and dedicate entirely to prayer.

Driving out of Arequipa, you will enjoy spectacular views of the mountains surrounding the city before climbing high into the Andes and descending into the amazing Colca Canyon.

The Colca Canyon is one of the world's deepest canyons and is home to Condors and a fascinating local culture, totally different from any other place you will visit on this trip.

The private guide and minibus are at your disposal for the day. An early morning drive to Cruz del Condor is recommended in search of one of the world's largest birds, the condor, who nests in the cliffs of one of the world's deepest canyons (approximately 3400 metres deep).

You will enjoy a spectacular drive through the high Andes, passing beautiful lakes and huge vistas, as you travel on a newly asphalted road to Juliaca, and on to your destination of Puno. En route, you can pay a visit to the Silustani Ruins, whose fascinating circular burial chambers predate the Incas. The amazing stone work of this early civilization was obviously a strong influence on the famous Inca stone masons. In Puno, check into your hotel and explore this interesting town.

Located on the scenic shores of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, the Sonesta hotel combines the best in Peruvian hospitality with spectacular views. Only 5 kilometres from Puno's Main Square, the Sonesta on Lake Titicaca offers easy access to all tourist activities and attractions, including the fascinating floating reed islands of the Uros people, Taquile Island and the Chullpas of Sillustani.

A full day trip visiting the Reed Islands using fast boats, ensuring you utilize your time and see all the sights. Choice of island visited -- Amantani or Taquille Island - is based on visitors on the day but both Amantani or Taquile Island offer the same experience.

Located between Bolivia and Peru, Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America and the highest navigable lake in the world. It is situated at over 3800 meters above sea level. The reed islands dotting Titicaca's surface are the Uros floating islands made of reed and named after the Indians who inhabited them. Legend has it the Uro Indians had black blood that helped them survive the frigid nights on the water and safeguarded them from drowning.

On Lake Titicaca, one ancient people, the Uros, live on islands made of living reeds that float around the lake. The Uros people have been living on the lake for hundreds of years--they were forced to take up residence on the floating islands when the Incas expanded onto their land. In the shadow of the Andes, on the world's highest navigable lake, they make their living from fishing and from selling their reed handicrafts to tourists. A morning excursion on the Reed Islands will introduce you to the culture and practices of the Uro people.

Afterwards, travel by boat across Lake Titicaca to Taquile or Amantani Island. The 26- mile (38-km), 4 hour (slow boat -- fast boat is 2.5 hours -- times are approximates) and dearth of infrastructure (electricity, running water, automobiles) has kept the island of some 3,600 Quechua-speaking people somewhat isolated from Titicaca's tourist industry. The hike to the hilltop will reward you with fantastic views of the lake and its surrounding mountains. Although the hike isn't technically difficult, it is long (1hr) and over uneven ground. Your boat waits in case you decide you would prefer not to go all the way to the top. Afterwards, return to your hotel in Puno.