Journeys: Across the Andes From Peru to Chile

Journeys: Across the Andes From Peru to Chile

• Trip code: 466X059
• Dauer: 15
• Stil: National Geographic Journeys

Embark on a grand journey through South America's high-altitude heartland, where mountain traditions endure against dramatic Andean backdrops. Cross the vast, surreal expanse of the Uyuni salt flats, share home-cooked meals featuring native regional grains, and explore historic Inca ruins alongside local hosts. From misty valleys to wild volcanic plateaus, uncover a land defined by ancient traditions and unforgettable horizons.

Übersicht

Checklist

Cold Weather:
• Long-sleeved shirts or sweater
• Scarf
• Warm gloves
• Warm hat
• Warm layers
• Warm waterproof jacket

Documents:
• Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)
• Insurance info (required) (With photocopies)
• Passport (required) (With photocopies)
• Vouchers and pre-departure information (required)
• Visas or vaccination certificates (With photocopies)

Essentials:
• Footwear (required) (Closed toe suggested)
• Toiletries (required) (Shampoo, bodywash, soap, etc.)
• Binoculars (optional)
• Camera (With extra memory cards and batteries)
• Cash, credit and debit cards
• Day pack (Used for daily excursions or short overnights)
• Ear plugs
• First-aid kit (should contain lip balm with sunscreen, sunscreen, whistle, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, bandaids/plasters, tape, anti-histamines, antibacterial gel/wipes, antiseptic cream, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, rehydration powder, water purification tablets or drops, insect repellent, sewing kit, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
• Flashlight/torch (Headlamps are ideal)
• Fleece top/sweater
• Hat
• Headphones (Noise-cancelling recommended)
• Locks for bags
• Long pants/jeans
• Moneybelt
• Outlet adapter
• Personal entertainment (Reading and writing materials, cards, music player, etc.)
• Reusable water bottle
• Shirts/t-shirts
• Sleepwear
• Small travel towel
• Sunglasses
• Swimwear
• Watch and alarm clock
• Waterproof backpack cover
• Windproof rain jacket

Health & Safety:
• Face masks (Clients will be only be required to wear a face mask where it is mandated by local regulations.)
• Hand sanitizer
• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)

Warm Weather:
• Sandals/flip-flops
• Shorts/skirts (Longer shorts/skirts are recommended)
• Sturdy water shoes/sandals
• Sun hat/bandana
• Swimwear

Meal Budget

Plane USD440-575 für nicht inbegriffene Mahlzeiten ein

Optional Activities

Lima
- Stadttour durch Lima (40USD pro Person)
- Kochkurs in Lima (4 Stunden)

Aguas Calientes
- Schmetterlingshaus
- Besuch der Mandor Gardens
- Thermalquellenbesuch (6USD pro Person)

Inca Trail
- Genehmigungsantrag für die eintägige Wanderung auf dem Inka Trail

Cusco
- Besuch im Archäologischen Museum (10PEN pro Person)
- Kochkurs in Cusco
- Stadtführung in Cusco (45PEN pro Person)

San Pedro de Atacama
- Archaeological Tour
- El Tatio Geysers
- Atacama Bike Tour

Start / Finish

Lima nach Santiago

What's Included

Dein Journeys-Highlight-Moment: Traditionelle Anden-Erfahrung, Urubamba
Dein Journeys-Highlight-Moment: Planetarium in Cusco, Cusco
Dein Journeys-Highlight-Moment: La Paz Culinary Experience, La Paz
Dein G-for-Good-Moment: Parque de la Papa (Kartoffelpark), Pisac
Dein G-for-Good-Moment: Parwa Community Restaurant im Heiligen Tal, Lamay
Dein G-for-Good-Moment: Jukil Community Visit, Santiago de Agencha
Dein Foodie-Moment: Traditionelles Pachamanca-Abendessen, Urubamba
Dein Discover-Moment: Cusco
Dein Discover-Moment: San Pedro de Atacama. Arrival transfer. Two-day Sacred Valley tour including Ollantaytambo, Moray, and Pisac ruins and pre-Inca salt pans. Traditional pachamanca-style dinner. Scenic train and guided tour of Machu Picchu. International flight from Cusco to La Paz. Orientation walk in La Paz. Visit La Paz's Valley of the Moon. La Paz city tour. Excursions to the Uyuni Salt Flats. Picnic lunch experience on the salt flats. 2-day 4x4 excursion across the high altiplano desert from Bolivia to Chile. Sunset visit of the Valley of the Moon. Internal flights. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

Accommodation

Hotels (14 nts)

Group Leader

National Geographic Expedition Leader throughout, local guides

Group Size Notes

Max 16, Avg 12

Highlights

Have lunch at a G Adventures-supported community restaurant in the Sacred Valley. Visit the “Parque de la Papa” (“Potato Park”) community with a local guide for immersive time observing agricultural, weaving, and cultural traditions. Explore Machu Picchu with an expert guide to uncover its secrets. Visit the Cusco Planetarium to gaze up at the southern sky and learn about the ancient Incas’ relationship with the cosmos. Set out with a local guide to see La Paz's vibrant markets and historic plazas by cable car and on foot, Join a local chef to transform traditional ingredients like quinoa into modern dishes shaping the city's food scene, Drive onto the world's largest salt flats to watch salt being harvested by hand and share a meal out on the open flats, Traverse high-altitude desert by 4x4, passing colourful lagoons, volcanoes, and remote communities along the route

Introduction

Embark on a grand journey through South America's high-altitude heartland, where mountain traditions endure against dramatic Andean backdrops. Cross the vast, surreal expanse of the Uyuni salt flats, share home-cooked meals featuring native regional grains, and explore historic Inca ruins alongside local hosts. From misty valleys to wild volcanic plateaus, uncover a land defined by ancient traditions and unforgettable horizons

Transport

Private vehicle, train, plane, 4x4, walking

Internationale Flüge

No, international flights are generally not included in the price of your tour.

However, on some combo tours travelling between two different countries, international flights are included as part of the itinerary and price of the tour. Please speak to your GCO or booking agent for further details.

In addition, check-in times and baggage allowances/restrictions vary by airline and can change at any time. For the most up-to-date information for your flight, please contact your airline. We recommend checking in online in advance to avoid potential delays at the airport

Meals Included

14 Frühstück, 4 Mittagessen, 3 Abendessen

Minimum Age

Um ohne Begleitperson mit G Adventures zu reisen, musst du mindestens 18 Jahre alt sein. Das Mindestalter für Kinder in Begleitung eines Erziehungsberechtigten (über 21) beträgt 12 Jahre

Itinerary

Day 1 Lima

Ankunft zu jeder Zeit möglich. Ankunftstransfer inklusive

Day 2 Lima/Urubamba

Board an early flight to Cusco, once the capital of the Inca empire, then drive to Urubamba through the scenic Sacred Valley. Explore the terraced salt pans of Maras, which have been used for salt extraction since pre-Inca times, and tour the Inca site of Moray—believed to have been an agricultural laboratory where priests would test soils and crops. Later, we’ll enjoy a meal of local specialities, prepared by chefs in this region for a millennium

Day 3 Urubamba

Die Erkundung des Heiligen Tals geht weiter. Besuche den „Parque de la Papa“ („Kartoffelpark“), ein exklusives Erlebnis im Rahmen von National Geographic Journeys und Teil von G Adventures for Good. Spaziere mit einem lokalen Guide durch diese ländliche Gemeinschaft und erfahre mehr über den Kartoffelanbau und das Weben und wie wichtig beide für die Kultur in den Anden sind. Erkunde die Ruinen von Ollantaytambo und Pisac und besuche zum Mittagessen das G Adventures Sacred Valley Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco

Day 4 Urubamba/Aguas Calientes

Frühe Fahrt nach Ollantaytambo, und anschließend malerische Zugfahrt nach Aguas Calientes mit Option den Markt zu besuchen

Day 5 Aguas Calientes/Cusco

Genieße eine geführte Tour durch Machu Picchu – die im 15. Jahrhundert gebauten Zitadelle der Inka, die der Archäologe Hiram Bingham der Welt in der April 1913 Ausgabe der National Geographic Magazine bekannt machte. Wandere durch die Tempeln und Terrassen dieser atemberaubenden UNESCO Welterbestätte und fahre danach zurück nach Cusco

Day 6 Cusco

Erkunde in Cusco die historischen Straßen, Museen und Märkte. Optional kannst du Wildwasserraften, reiten oder mit dem Mountainbike fahren. Abends kannst du den Nachthimmel über der Stadt im Planetarium von Cusco aus ganz neuer Perspektive erleben. Genieße eine Präsentation über den südlichen Himmel, zeitgenössische Astronomie und die Beziehung der alten Inkas zum Kosmos. Sieh dir das Museum hier an und bewundere den Sternenhimmel durch die Teleskope

Day 7 Cusco/La Paz

Bid farewell to Peru on a flight across the high Altiplano into Bolivia. As your plane approaches El Alto, look out over snow-capped Andean peaks and sprawling plains perched nearly four thousand metres above sea level. After touching down, wind your way downward from the edge of the plateau into the dramatic geological bowl that holds La Paz, where brick houses cling to canyon walls and cable cars drift across the sky. Head to your hotel in the city centre and take time to settle in. Take an orientation walk with your Expedition Leader to get your bearings before a quiet evening on your own terms

Day 8 La Paz

Leave the bustle of La Paz behind for a quick forty-minute drive that feels like traveling to another planet. Arriving at Moon Valley, step directly into a quiet, dramatic landscape where thousands of years of erosion have carved clay spires, tall towers, and deep craters into the earth. Follow your guide along winding scenic trails, feeling the crunch of dry clay beneath your boots as you learn about the complex geology and indigenous legends that give this canyon its soul. Back in the city, enjoy a free afternoon before gathering in the evening with your Expedition Leader and any new companions joining the next leg of the adventure

Day 9 La Paz

Set out on foot, by van, and on the city's famous aerial cable cars to explore La Paz alongside a local guide. Gliding over the colourful rooftops, watch the city's unique geography unfold below before stepping into lively plazas and traditional markets brimming with textiles and regional herbs. The afternoon is yours to explore independent art galleries or relax at a café. Later, gather at a popular restaurant for an interactive culinary experience. Guided by a local chef, discover how ancestral foods like quinoa are woven into contemporary dishes, sampling a tasting menu while discussing La Paz's rise as a culinary destination

Day 10 La Paz/Uyuni

Board an early morning flight from La Paz to Uyuni, landing near the vast, open plains of the high Altiplano. Head straight onto the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat on Earth, where the white horizon stretches endlessly under the blue sky. Learn how salt is harvested using age-old techniques, then gather for a picnic lunch set directly on the blindingly white expanse. Check into your hotel in the early afternoon to rest and settle in. As evening approaches, take a brief drive back out onto the flats to watch the sky shift through shades of pink and orange as the light fades into evening

Day 11 Uyuni/High Altiplano Desert

Climb into 4x4 vehicles to begin a two-day journey across the mountain desert, where towering volcanoes and sculpted rock formations frame the horizon. Stop at the Jukil community, a G Adventures-supported project, to share a meal and learn about daily life in this remote environment. Continue through dramatic landscapes, pausing at viewpoints near San Juan, the Chiguana salt flat, the snow-draped Ollague volcano, and Laguna Cañapa. Keep an eye out for high-altitude wildlife and flamingos gathering along the shores of mineral-rich lakes. Arrive by late afternoon at your lodge set right beside Laguna Hedionda, settling in for a dinner surrounded by the stillness of the high plateau

Day 12 High Altiplano Desert/San Pedro de Atacama

Resume your 4x4 crossing through the desert, navigating through the surreal sandstone formations of the Valley of the Rocks and stopping to marvel at the Árbol de Piedra, a stone tree carved by centuries of wind. Enjoy lunch together, then continue past multi-coloured lakes, including the bright red waters of Laguna Colorada, before driving through steaming geyser fields and natural hot springs. Near the foot of the towering Licancabur Volcano and the emerald waters of Laguna Verde, cross the border into Chile. Descend into the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama, where the warm desert air welcomes you for a free evening to dine at your leisure

Day 13 San Pedro de Atacama

Spend a free day in San Pedro de Atacama at your own pace. Choose to rent a bicycle to ride through nearby desert canyons, visit local archaeological ruins, or relax under the trees in the town plaza. In the late afternoon, gather to travel into the Valle de la Luna. Walk across rippled sand dunes and sculpted salt caverns as the afternoon light transforms the Valley of the Moon into deep shades of red and gold. Find a quiet vantage point to watch the sun dip below the horizon, casting the Andes in brilliant light before returning to town for the evening

Day 14 San Pedro de Atacama/Santiago

Travel to Calama for a morning flight to Chile's bustling capital, Santiago. Upon landing, see some of the sights on the way to the hotel, taking in the contrast of historical plazas, leafy neighbourhoods, and the dramatic backdrop of the snow-topped Andes mountains rising just beyond the city limits. Take a bit of downtime at the hotel or explore the surrounding area before joining your group in the evening for an optional dinner to toast the unforgettable landscapes and shared moments of the trip

Day 15 Santiago

Depart at any time

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Lima

Mach dich für eine Bustour bereit, auf der du das Beste, das Peru zu bieten hat, in einer Woche erkundest. Wir empfehlen, eine zusätzliche Übernachtung in Lima vor Beginn des Trips zu buchen (insbesondere, wenn dein Flug am Abend in Lima ankommt), damit du dich von der internationalen Flugreise erholen kannst, bevor unser aufregendes Abenteuer startet. Beachte bitte: Das Culinary Theme Pack beinhaltet keinen zusätzlichen Aufenthalt in Lima und wir empfehlen dir dringend, auch eine Übernachtung vor Beginn der Reise zu buchen. Du wirst um ca. 9:30 Uhr von deinem Hotel abgeholt und zu einem lokalen Markt und zu einem Restaurant gebracht, wo du ein traditionelles peruanisches Essen kochst und dir dann natürlich auch schmecken lässt. Rückkehr ins Hotel gegen 13 Uhr.

Warmwasser und Strom können in Peru öfter mal ausfallen (selbst in besseren Hotels und Privathaushalten). Wir bitten um Verständnis, dass wir darauf keinen Einfluss haben

Day 2 Lima/Urubamba

An einigen Tagen auf dieser Reise geht es sehr früh los, damit wir unsere Woche in Peru optimal ausnutzen und so viel wie möglich von diesem fantastischen Land sehen können

Day 3 Urubamba

Day 4 Urubamba/Aguas Calientes

Denk bitte daran, dass die Stadt einiges zu bieten hat, die Infrastruktur aufgrund der abgeschiedenen Lage jedoch gelegentlich einfacher sein kann als vielleicht erwartet. Als einzige Option für Besucher von Machu Picchu ist die Stadt ziemlich rasch und ohne viel Planung gewachsen, und die Servicequalität entspricht unter Umständen nicht ganz dem, was man von anderen Landesteilen gewohnt ist

Day 5 Aguas Calientes/Cusco

Day 6 Cusco

Please remember that star gazing is completely weather dependent and sometimes there can be cloudy skies. Please note: if you pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. Return back to your hotel around 16:00

Day 7 Cusco/La Paz

Day 8 La Paz

Day 9 La Paz

Day 10 La Paz/Uyuni

Day 11 Uyuni/High Altiplano Desert

Day 12 High Altiplano Desert/San Pedro de Atacama

Day 13 San Pedro de Atacama

Day 14 San Pedro de Atacama/Santiago

Day 15 Santiago