Peru Inca

Day 1 - Departure  to Arequipa
The time and day of departure depends on from where you will be flying to Peru. Most people will be leaving the day before arrival.

Day 2 - Arrival Arequipa
Depending on your flight you will arrive in Arequipa early in the morning. At the airport you will be welcomed by your tour guide or a representative of Motor Trails and brought to the hotel. At the hotel you will receive a briefing about the trip.The rest of the day you are free to explore the city and get used to the altitude (2350m).

Arequipa is a beautiful colonial city with many patios, large squares and the centuries old Santa Catalina monastery. Worth a visit is the Museum of Arequipa, which includes "Juanita". In 1995, close to the top of the Ampato volcano at an altitude of 6000 meters, the frozen body of a young Inca girl was found, later called "Juanita". She was sacrificed to the gods 500 years ago. Her body is exceptionally well preserved. Later in the vicinity of Juanita, other frozen bodies are discovered.

Day 3- Arequipa - Colca Canyon
The first part of our first day on the bike will be over a perfectly paved road. In order to reach Colca Canyon the road goes up into the Andes through a continuously changing landscape. We climb up to a pass of 4910 meters. An impressive, but barren landscape far above the tree line. From the pass you have a panoramic view over eight surrounding volcanoes. Because of the view the pass is called "Mirador de los Andes" (the view of the Andes).

At Chivay we turn off and the road turns into the gravel. We ride about 40 km to the Colca Canyon, our final destination today. On the way we will ride through traditional Inca villages and see you see many llamas along the road. The Colca Canyon is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. It is the second deepest valley in the world.

Day 4 - Colca Canyon – Atico
In the early morning we first go to the view point "Cruz del Cóndor"; the place where you can see the majestic Andescondor with a wingspan of 3 meters slowly the rising from the depths of the Colca canyon using nothing but thermal aerodynamics. An impressive spectacle! After this spectacle we descend to the coast. We ride through a huge variety landscapes. From the high Andes, well above the tree line we drive through the green center lower parts of the Andes to the warm desert area along the coast. About a third of the route is not sealed. At the end of the afternoon we arrive at the coastal town of Atico, where we spend the night.

Day 5 - Atico - Nasca
After yesterday's the long ride, today will be an easy day to Nasca. We drive most of the day along the coast through the driest parts of the country. This part of the tour evokes a strong "Paris-Dakar" feeling, the emptiness, the infinite sands. This is the area of Peru that shows the greatest contrast in its climate. It is the driest place on earth, where in some parts they didn't have a rainy day for at least 500 years.

In this desert you will find the famous, ancient Nasca lines. Some of these mysterious lines go straight for more than 10 kilometers, and others are shaped in gigantic contours of animals. You can see some of these lines from a lookout tower, but given the enormous size of these lines, the most beautiful sight is from an airplane. If weather permits, you can make a flight after arrival in the village of Nasca. However, it is usually better to make the flight as early as possible in the morning when the skies are clearer.

Day 6 - Nasca - Chalhuanca
In the morning it is possible to take a flight to see the Nasca Lines, before we get on our bikes and return to the mighty Andes. Todays trip is one of the great roads for motorcycles in South America. If you've ever did the "Dragon's tail " in the US, well, this is the same ... but for hundreds of kilometers! The moment we start climbing it becomes greener right away. During our ride, we regularly see lamas, alpaca and vicuñas. We pass the idyllic mountain village of Puquio. After Puquio we go higher into the Andes. After a pass of 4,200 meters we descend to Chalhuanca, beautifully situated between mountains in a lush green valley.

Day 7 - Chalhuanca - Cusco
This day again a beautiful mountain route with many ascends and desends and of course with many curves. Via the town of Abancay we arrive at the beautiful city of Cuzco, the former capital of the Incas.

Day 8 - Cusco - stay
Today you have time to walk around this historical city, along the many markets, colonial buildings and small alleys. In the colonial center you still find parts of the old Inca city. Large pieces of wall of ancient Inca temples and palaces have been preserved and are now part of the houses and churches built by the Spaniards. This way you can clearly see how unique the Inca architecture is. Also city plan of the old center has remained the same since the Inca era.

Just outside of the city you will find the very well preserved Inca fort Sacsayhuaman. Here you will see the Inca's unique building craftsmanship at its best. From this fort you also have a beautiful view over Cuzco. You can easily reach Sacsayhuaman using your own motorbike or by taxi. During the evening in Cuzco you can enjoy a large variety of restaurants, cafés, pubs and nightclubs.

Day 9 - Cusco - Ollantaytambo
Today a short trip to Ollantaytambo. We ride from Cuzco through the "Sacred Valley of the Incas" We will visit some Inca ruins on our way. Ollantaytambo itself was the last important Inca stronghold that stood against the invasion of the Spaniards. It remained well preserved. Ollantaytambo is situated at a lower altitude than Cuzco. The climate is warmer and more humid. The town located in the transition area between the Amazon and the  high Andes.

Day 10 - Ollantytambo - visit Machu Picchu
Although you will not be on your bike today, visiting Machu Picchu is definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Early in the morning you get on the train. This train follows spectacular mountain gorges and goes through a narrow valley along the beginning of the Amazon river towards Aquas Calientes. This small town is situated at the foot of the mountain of Machu Picchu, and is only accessible by train through the jungle. With a special bus, it is a steep drive up from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu is the old lost Inca city in the middle of the jungle. The most beautiful and best kept reminder of the Inca's civilization. The Spaniards have never found her. Many ruins have been rebuilt but why this city is located here, and why it has been deserted befor the Spanish invasion remains a great mystery. Wander around and hear the different theories told a local guides. If you are not afraid of heights, take a steep walk to the top of the nearby mountain peak behind the city for a beautiful overall view.

Day 11 - Ollantaytambo - Quince Mil
Today back on the bike for another highlight of this tour: a spectacular downhill ride from the Andes mountains into the Amazon jungle. It will probably be one of the best rides you've ever done. Quince Mil is a typical tropical Amazon village, with a completely different atmosphere than the towns in the highlands or at the Peruvian coast. We stay in a small family hotel in the jungle, with a relaxed atmosphere.

Day 12 - Quince Mil - Juliaca
Another great riding day, but this time back to the mighty Andes. The first 100 kilometers is partly through jungle and is still rather flat.  But then the climb begins as if you have to climb a wall with your bike. The views are magnificent. We will have a (lunch) stop in Macusani, which is situated at an altitude of 4350 meters; a climb of almost 4km!  After Macusani there is a small descend whenwe cross the Altiplano, the Andes highlands, to Juliaca. Here we will spend the night.

Day 13 - Juliaca - Puno
Today, a short ride to Puno. The city is located on the shores of Lake Titicaca. On the way we will visit the rather unique and ancient burial towers at the pre-Incan cemetery of Sillustani. At lunchtime we arrive in Puno. In the afternoon we can take a boat trip on the lake and visit the "Floating Islands of the Uros". On these islands, which are no more than huge floating layers of reeds, the oldest inhabitants of South America live. They build small villages of houses made of reed. There is an option to travel further to the island of Taquille. With an altitude of 3800m, lakeTiticaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. If you prefer to ride your bike, you can  make a trip along the lake.

Day 14 - Puno - Arequipa
Our last day on our bikes. The first part is over the Altiplano. When leaving the Atliplano we ride through the lower mountains of the Andes towards Arequipa; back to the city where our tour also started.

Day 15 - Arequipa - Departure
You still might have some time in the morning to have a last stroll through the old city center and buy the latest souvenirs, before you will be brought to the airport.

Day 16 - Arrival at home destination
Depending on where your home destination is, but is most cases you will be arriving the day after you left Arequipa.