Compare Southern Divide by G Adventures vs Chile Bolivia and Peru by Mercury Holidays

Day 1 Lima

Arrive at any time.

There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting.

If you booked the Lima Cooking Class it does not include extra time in Lima and we highly recommend booking pre-trip accommodation. You will be picked up from your hotel at approx 10:00 (10:30 from Aug-Dec) and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return back to your hotel around 13:00. Please note that hot water shortages and power outages can be fairly common in Latin America (even in upgraded hotels and private homes). We appreciate your patience and understanding that these occurrences are outside of our control.

Day 2 Lima/Cusco

Hop a flight to Cusco. Enjoy a free day for shopping and exploring the city. Choose to pre-book an optional Cusco Cooking Class. Opt for a city tour.

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco. Spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring this fascinating city, and getting used to the altitude.

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 3 Cusco

Spend a full day enjoying optional activities in the area.

Opt to visit and hike the famed Rainbow Mountain, pre-book on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

Day 4 Cusco/Ollantaytambo

Stop at the G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar).

Travel through the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting a G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op. Meet the women and learn about traditional weaving and dyeing used in the Ccaccaccollo community. Opt to pick up some handmade souvenirs and textiles directly from the women who made them. Have lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn about the G Adventures for Good project and eat a delicious buffet-style lunch. Proceeds of this meal go directly back to the remote community.

Day 5 Ollantaytambo/Aguas Calientes

Catch the scenic train to Aguas Calientes. Opt to visit the local hot springs or shop in the local market.

Board a morning train that winds through the spectacular Sacred Valley to the end of the line: the village of Aguas Calientes, a frontier town nestled in the hills beneath Machu Picchu. Take advantage of the opportunity to visit the butterfly house, botanical gardens or hot springs. Opt for a day hike to Mandor Gardens to see orchids and a waterfall, enjoying the lush, green scenery en route.

Day 6 Aguas Calientes/Cusco

Enjoy a guided tour of Machu Picchu before returning to Cusco in the evening.

Rise early to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu with your guide. Enjoy a guided visit of the ruins then take a train back to Cusco.

Day 7 Cusco

Use a free day to explore more of Cusco or relax.

Day 8 Cusco/Puno

Travel day by bus from Cusco to Puno. Spend some time on arrival wandering the small city.

Travel through the high Altiplano region from Cusco to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Titicaca is also the largest lake in the world above 3800m, and the views from both Amantaní and Taquile Islands are stunning. The trip takes the better part of the day, with stark, beautiful scenery en route.

Day 9 Puno

Enjoy a guided tour of Lake Titicaca including a visit to Uros and Taquile islands.

Head out by boat across Lake Titicaca. Visit the community on the Taquile Islands and enjoy a local lunch with spectacular views. Visit the floating islands of Uros before returning to Puno. Opt to visit to Sillustani burial site.

Day 10 Puno/La Paz

Travel by bus and cross the border into Bolivia, arriving in La Paz.

Enjoy the full-day drive around the lake and through the altiplano to La Paz. Bolivia is filled with spectacular views of the countryside. La Paz is at nearly 4000m (13,120ft) above sea level, so be prepared for cool evenings and mornings.

Day 11 La Paz

Enjoy a free day in La Paz. Opt to visit the Witches' Market, the city's museums or the Valley of the Moon.

Explore the city’s many fine museums or its historic structures, like the Iglesia de San Francisco. The city is also renowned for its many markets, including the Mercado de Hechicería (Witches’ Market). With streets lined with market stalls and vendors, the pace on the street and the vibrant atmosphere is an incredible experience. To the south of the city is the Valley of the Moon, with crater-like formations made of sand. Thrill seekers can pre book a Death Road mountain biking adventure.

Day 12 La Paz/Sucre

Fly to Sucre and explore this beautiful colonial city.

Optional activities include mountain biking, hiking, and searching for dinosaur footprints.

Day 13 Sucre

Free time to explore the city, the former capital of Bolivia. For more active options opt to go hiking in the surrounding area or mountain biking.

Day 14 Sucre/Potosí

Travel by bus to Potosí and get a view of the mountain Cerro Rico looming over the city.

Day 15 Potosí/Uyuni

Travel through the Bolivian landscape to the town of Uyuni, the jumping off point for the three day 4x4 excursion to the Salar de Uyuni.

During the rainy season the locations visited may change due to some routes being covered by water.

Day 16 Uyuni/Salt Flats and Desert Crossing

Enjoy a three-day 4x4 excursion to the Salar de Uyuni and surrounding desert altiplano with spectacular scenery. Today you will be heading into the Salar de Uyuni. Our groups like to get creative with photography, as the endless white of the salt flats creates some great depth illusions that are fun to play with in photos. Last stop for the evening is a G Adventures-supported community lodge in a traditional agricultural village in the heart of a desert oasis.

Day 17 Salt Flats and Desert Crossing

Explore the desert altiplano on a 4x4 excursion. Admire the spectacular scenery while passing red and blue lagoons and interesting rock formations along the route. Spot wild llamas, alpacas and even flamingos deep within the desert.

Day 18 Salt Flats and Desert Crossing/San Pedro de Atacama

Rise early to cover more ground of the unique landscape of the Salar de Uyuni. Continue to see incredible scenery, including volcanoes, salt lakes and geysers. Travel to the border and descend by bus to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. It's a long but scenic drive.

From the high Bolivian altiplano descend almost 2000m to the edge of the Atacama Desert, arriving at the small desert oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, just across the Chilean border. Said to be one of the driest places on the planet, this little town is an oasis in an otherwise barren, dry landscape.

Day 19 San Pedro de Atacama

Enjoy an Included excursion to the Valley of the Moon. In San Pedro, opt to go sandboarding or mountain biking.

Enjoy an included excursion to the Valley of the Moon to learn about and appreciate the beautiful uniqueness of the landscape. There are plenty of optional excursions in San Pedro de Atacama, including biking, exploring nearby ruins, and horseback riding. Despite its size, San Pedro offers some great restaurants as well as numerous handicrafts and artisan stores for those looking for souvenirs.

Day 20 San Pedro de Atacama/Santiago

Drive to Calama and fly to Santiago, a vibrant capital city.

From the nearby city of Calama, fly to Santiago, the capital of Chile. The city is surrounded by mountains, and there are both internationally recognized vineyards and Andean ski resorts within a couple of hours from the city centre. Explore the city’s many museums and parks and visit the vibrant neighbourhood of Bellavista with its handicrafts, trendy cafés, and San Cristobal Hill with its views of the city and the surrounding area.

Day 21 Santiago

Depart at any time.

Day 1: UK to Santiago

Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight to Santiago in Chile.

Day 2: Santiago

On arrival, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy today at leisure.

Day 3: Santiago

Following breakfast your guide will take you on a half day city tour of Santiago, visiting the main attractions of this charming capital city. Beginning at the Government Palace, you will then continue to the main square 'Plaza de Armas', known as the heart and soul of Santiago and the centerpiece of the city's grid pattern layout. Next stroll around Santa Lucia Hill, a beautifully landscaped park where back in 1833 Charles Darwin once proclaimed that the view from here is 'certainly most striking'. Finish your tour with visits to the exclusive residential neighborhoods of Vitacura and Las Condes, then return to your hotel for some time to rest and relax.

Breakfast

Day 4: Santiago to San Pedro de Atacama

This morning you will be transferred to Santiago airport for your flight to Calama, a city in northern Chile's Atacama Desert. Considered to be the archaeological capital of Chile as well as the center of Atacama culture, San Pedro's people once roamed this vast expanse of desert which is thought to be the driest place on planet Earth.

Breakfast

Day 5: San Pedro de Atacama

An early start takes you to the Tatio Geysers, situated on the highest geothermal field, some 4,300 meters above sea level in the Andean mountain range. Ringed by volcanoes, over 80 gurgling geysers shoot steam fumaroles reaching 50 meters in height of multiple vibrant colors; a dazzling spectacle to behold. Admire the varied fauna, such as the vicuna, the smallest of the six species of camelid which has adapted itself to survive in the extreme and inhospitable climate of the Andes. In the evening your group will travel to Valle de la Luna to watch the sun set from this exquisite viewing point.

Breakfast

Day 6: San Pedro to Ojo de Perdiz

After breakfast, you will begin your journey to the Bolivian Salt Flats via 4x4 jeeps to experience a full day tour of this incredible landscape. The first stop will be at the emerald Green Lagoon in the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve whose color is caused by the moving sediments containing copper minerals. Then continue to the hot springs of Polques where you will have the chance to bathe before carrying on to the geysers of Sol de Manana to marvel at the pools of boiling mud emitting pressurized steam.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7: Ojo de Perdiz to Uyuni Salt Flats

Leaving your hotel after breakfast, your tour will continue to a chain of beautiful lagoons home to three different kinds of flamingo whose pink feet and feathers are a result of the active red algae which reacts with the sun's radiation. Lunch will be served outdoors on the shores of the lagoon before continuing your journey across the salt flats on to your unique accommodation for the night - a hotel built entirely of salt blocks!

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8: Uyuni Salt Flats

This morning journey to Isla Incahuasi, one of the main destinations within Uyuni Salt Flats. It was once a real island before the prehistoric lakes dried up, leaving a hilly outpost covered in hundreds of tall cacti growing haphazardly out of the ragged surface. Reach the top of the island and find your camera to take a panoramic shot of the 360-degree views over this spectacular sight. From here you will continue to see pyramids of salt piled on the land by salt miners who harvest the area for its lucrative minerals.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9: Uyuni Salt Flats to La Paz

Depart the salt flats today after breakfast and transfer to Uyuni airport for your flight to La Paz, located 3,600 meters above sea level and known as 'the city that touches the sky'. Discover this dizzying city on a half-day tour, visiting the main square, Plaza Murillo, the historic center of La Paz and home to the Cathedral and Presidential Palace. Next continue to the 16th century San Francisco church whose mestizo baroque facade features carvings of masks, dragons and tropical birds. Take the stone tunnel stairway to the roof for views across the city's skyline, then visit the charming colonial street of Calle Jaen. Finally, the tour arrives at Valle de la Luna - a dramatic change of scenery where erosion has produced stone forms resembling the moon.

Breakfast

Day 10: La Paz to Puno

Today you will be transferred to Desaguadero to cross the border between Bolivia and Peru and arrive at Lake Titicaca, thought to be the birthplace of the sun and known to be the highest navigable lake in the world. Traveling by motorboat, visit the floating Uros Islands, constructed entirely by the buoyant reeds that grow plentifully in the lake below. Meet the Uros women in their brightly colored petticoat skirts who will be happy to sell you their charming handicrafts. Continue to Puno where you will spend the night.

Breakfast

Day 11: Puno to Cusco

Board the luxury Andean Explorer train after breakfast and begin the journey from Puno up to Cusco. Travel through rolling plains, mountainous highlands and low-lying clouds whilst enjoying the comforts of this exquisitely decorated twenties style train. Take lunch in the dining carriage and enjoy some fresh air in the outdoor observatory before arriving in the colonial city of Cusco for your overnight stay. Please note that from April 2017 onwards the Andean Explorer is not available and instead you will travel from Puno to Cusco by road and be able to appreciate the surrounding valleys' wonderful landscapes en route. The journey includes a stop at La Raya pass, 4,300 meters above sea level, from where you will be able to take in some amazing vistas of the Andean snow-capped mountains. You will also stop at the Raqchi ruins, known as the Temple of the God Wiracocha, and Andahuaylillas village where there is a beautiful church from the 17th century. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before arriving in Cusco and transferring to your hotel.

Breakfast & Lunch

Day 12: Cusco

Today's morning tour of Cusco will introduce you to this amazing colonial city built on the foundation of Inca Palaces. Visit the Temple of the Sun where you can appreciate the incredible masonry of the Incas, the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral with its carved woodworks, altars and paintings. Later you will drive to the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman whose peculiar huge granite stone slabs of up to six meters in length fit perfectly on top of one another. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure to explore the rest of Cusco.

Breakfast

Day 13: Cusco

Rise early in the morning to take a train to Aguas Calientes then continue by road to reach one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the awe-inspiring ruins of Machu Picchu. Only re-discovered in 1911 by the explorer Hiram Bingham, this 500 year old citadel is considered to be one of the most extraordinary examples of landscaped architecture in the world. Located on the saddle of a mountain, overlooking the deep canyon of the Urubamba River and in an area of lush tropical forest, it served as a place of worship, a site for stargazing and a private hacienda for the family of the Inca Pachacutec.

Breakfast

Day 14: Cusco to Lima

Following breakfast, your guide will transfer you from your hotel to the airport in Cusco for your flight to Lima. On arrival your local guide will commence a half day tour of the 'City of the Kings' - you will first visit the main square to see the Cathedral, Government Palace and City Hall. Next see one of the best-preserved monasteries in Lima, the beautiful Santo Domingo Convent and then on to visit the residential zone of San Isidro with its attractive city parks followed by Miraflores, a bustling shopping area with stupendous views of the Pacific Ocean. Retire to your hotel for the final night of your journey across Latin America.

Breakfast

Day 15: Lima to the UK

Transfer to Lima airport for your return flight to the UK via Sao Paulo, Brazil.