Journeys: Across the Andes From Peru to Chile

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your Expedition Leader will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.

Private transfer to the Lima airport to catch a flight to Cusco.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Times includes all stops and visits enroute through the Sacred Valley.

Including stops and visits.

Explore the ancient site of Moray, which archeologists believe was used to conduct agricultural experiments. Walk down through the great circular terraces and notice how the temperature shifts with the depth – sometimes as much as 15°C (27°F)!

Visit the pre-Incan salt pans of Las Salineras – still in use today. Marvel at the terraced pools set amongst the beauty of the Sacred Valley.

The thousand-year-old tradition of pachamanca is typically prepared in an underground oven using hot stones, earth, and aromatic herbs. For this experience, you will enjoy pachamanca a la olla, a variation prepared in a pot. Using the same local ingredients and seasonings, meats such as lamb, pork, chicken, or guinea pig are slow-cooked with vegetables to recreate the rich, earthy flavors of the original method. Savour this traditional meal, prepared by an experienced chef.

Times includes all stops and visits enroute through the Sacred Valley.

Including stops and visits.

In Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Inca, six communities of approximately 6000 indigenous people are working together to preserve over 700 species of potato – a cornerstone of life here. As part of an experience exclusive to National Geographic Journeys travellers – and part of our G Adventures for Good program – visit this area, named “Parque de la Papa” (“Potato Park”), to learn about life in an Andean agricultural community. Walk through the park here with a local guide, dropping by the seed bank (which has direct ties to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway) and then head out to the fields to watch the planting or harvesting process, depending on the season. After, enjoy some of the delicious varieties of potato and visit the small stone hut where traditional weaving takes place. Learn about the natural dyeing process and witness alpaca wool strands being transformed into beautiful textiles through a centuries-old backstrap weaving style. Your visit to this special community means this local enterprise can continue earning an income that supports their development and conservation goals.

Parque de la Papa (meaning "Potato Park") serves two important purposes for the community of Pampallacta: the preservation of agricultural biodiversity and economic opportunity. National Geographic Journeys travellers visit the park to learn about life in a rural agricultural Andean community and take a tour of the seed conservation program, which is preserving heritage potato species. They also learn about traditional planting, harvesting and indigenous weaving practices. With G Adventures' support, the community is able to create jobs in the area and invest in local businesses, which helps the community preserve their culture.

Tour the fascinating hilltop citadel of Pisac, an Incan ruin with plunging gorges, a ceremonial centre, and winding agriculture terracing that's still in use today. Be captivated by this truly amazing site sitting amid sweeping green valleys and mountain peaks. Explore the back of the site to see a pocketed cliff across Kitamayo Gorge, which once contained hundreds of Inca tombs.

Contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families in the Sacred Valley, by eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, to become a successful farm-to-table program that boosts the local economy and several spin-off microenterprises.

Tour the town and fortress of Ollantaytambo with a local guide. Take a step back in time at this Inca archaeological site; it still shows signs of its former glory, including agricultural terraces, a Temple Hill, and storehouses. Learn how the area, overlooking the Urubamba River Valley, was an important stronghold during warfare between the Spanish and Incas.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Enjoy a scenic train ride through the Sacred Vally and along the Urubamba river to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu.

Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Take in the sights on horseback or rent a motorbike for a more thrilling ride. Looking to learn more about Cusco? Head to one of the many museums in the city.

Look to the night sky for a different view of the city. Explore the Cusco Planetarium surrounded by the serene nature of the Llaullipata Ecological Reserve. Enjoy a presentation on the southern sky, contemporary astronomy, and the ancient Incas’ relationship with the cosmos. Check out the on-site museum and use the telescopes to admire the stars (weather-permitting).

Fly south from Cusco south across the Andes and past Lake Titicaca into Bolivia, to the city of La Paz.

You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.

Head out from the hotel with your Expedition Leader on foot to explore the bustling nearby area. Pass by busy shops and stroll through the witches market, witnessing the deep indigenous traditions that are ever-present in daily life in Bolivia. Continue through picturesque cobblestone streets past San Francisco Church to Plaza Murillo.

Explore the lunar landscape of the Valley of the Moon and see the breathtaking, otherworldly landscape formed by the thousands of years of erosion. Rather than a traditional valley, it is a mesmerizing maze of towering stalagmites, rugged canyons, and sharp spires that closely resemble a lunar terrain. Visitors can explore this unique geological formation via well-maintained walking trails and suspension bridges, which offer stunning panoramic views of the surreal, beige and reddish clay structures set against the backdrop of the dramatic Andean sky and the towering Illimani Mountain in the distance.

Get out and explore the vibrant and diverse energy of sky-high La Paz. Bustling markets, bohemian neighbourhoods with street art, trendy cafes and restaurants await.

You may be a seasoned pro at group travel by now, but there will likely be some new travellers joining the group. Sit in on the welcome meeting to meet the newest members of your group and learn about the next leg of your tour.

Head out with a local guide this morning to discover the sky-high city of La Paz by foot, van and cable car. Explore vibrant squares, historical landmarks, and bustling artisan markets as you learn about the fascinating balance of ancient Andean traditions and modern life.

Enjoy a free afternoon to explore La Paz at your own pace.

Delve into Bolivia's evolving culinary scene during an interactive tasting experience at a celebrated La Paz restaurant. Alongside a local chef, discover how traditional Andean staples like quinoa are reimagined into modern fusion cuisine, and sample the innovative dishes driving the city's emergence as a foodie destination.

Transfer from your hotel to El Alto Airport to catch a flight to Uyuni.

Fly south to Uyuni, touching down on the high-altitude plains of the Bolivian Altiplano at the edge of the salt flats.

Set out across the vast Salar de Uyuni, beginning with a stop at the historic Train Cemetery before continuing to the indigenous community of Colchani to observe traditional methods of salt processing. Venture deeper into the endless white desert to witness unique geological features like bubbling "ojos de sal" and geometric salt extraction mounds, culminating with a visit to the region's very first salt hotel, now preserved as a museum.

Pause your exploration to enjoy a freshly prepared picnic lunch set directly upon the blindingly white, seemingly endless expanse of the world's largest salt flat.

Venture back onto the salt crust as evening approaches to witness a dramatic Andean sunset. Watch as the fading light transforms the stark landscape, painting the unbroken horizon in vivid shades of pink and orange.

Spend 2 days on a 4x4 journey through the dramatic Altiplano, traversing a high-altitude landscape of towering volcanoes, mineral-rich lagoons, and wind-sculpted plains.

Visit the Jukil Community to gain authentic insight into traditional Altiplano life and the region's enduring agricultural heritage. Connect with local residents over a freshly prepared lunch highlighting regional Andean ingredients.

Set out early to continue your overland expedition through the striking, high-altitude terrain of the Bolivian Altiplano. Navigate the wind-sculpted geological formations of the Valley of Rocks, including the iconic Arbol de Piedra, before encountering a series of vibrant, mineral-rich lakes such as the crimson Laguna Colorada and the striking Laguna Verde. Pause for lunch near the Polques hot springs, taking in a rugged landscape defined by steaming geysers, towering volcanoes, and the surreal expanses of the high desert wilderness.

Descend from the high altitude desert and cross the border into Chile on the way to the town of San Pedro de Atacama.

Enjoy a free day to relax or navigate the sun-baked streets of San Pedro de Atacama at your own pace. For those wishing to venture into the surrounding desert, choose from several optional half-day excursions.

Depart in the late afternoon for Valle de la Luna, navigating salt-carved canyons, dried lakes, and towering sand dunes. As dusk nears, gather at the Piedra del Coyote, perched high above the Kari Gorge, to watch the fading sunlight cast deep shadows and intense colours across the volcano horizon.

Drive from San Pedro de Atacama to the airport in Calama to catch a flight to Santiago.

Fly south along the spine of the Andes, watching the fractured canyons of the Atacama Desert slowly give way to the fertile central valleys before descending into Chile's capital, Santiago.

Transfer from the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport to your hotel.

Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.