Gran Tour Perù e Colombia con estensione mare alle Isole del Rosario

Lima stretches along the desert coast of the Pacific, capital of Peru and the gateway to every journey through the Andean nation. Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 as the "City of Kings," it preserves a historic centre listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Spanish colonial legacy intertwines with the energy of a contemporary metropolis. The monumental heart revolves around the Plaza Mayor, framed by the Cathedral, the Palacio de Gobierno and the famous carved wooden balconies overlooking the streets of the old town. A few steps away, the Convento de San Francisco holds catacombs and an ancient library, while the Casa de Aliaga recounts five unbroken centuries of history. Moving toward the ocean, the districts of Miraflores and Barranco reveal the city's modern, bohemian soul: along the Malecón, clifftop paths run high above the sea, the Parque del Amor offers Pacific sunsets, and paragliders glide over the waves. Barranco, with its pastel-coloured houses, the Puente de los Suspiros and its art studios, is the haunt of artists and musicians. Not far from the centre rises the Huaca Pucllana, an adobe pyramid of the pre-Columbian Lima culture, a testament to a past that predates the arrival of the Europeans. Today Lima is recognised as one of the gastronomic capitals of Latin America: birthplace of fresh ceviche, fish marinated in lime, the pisco sour, nikkei cuisine blending Peruvian and Japanese traditions, and acclaimed restaurants ranked among the world's best. The markets of San Isidro and the refined eateries of Miraflores reflect a passion for food that defines the country's identity. Between museums devoted to pre-Columbian gold and Moche ceramics, ocean-battered cliffs and a lively nightlife, Lima invites you to discover it slowly, amid colonial history, unforgettable flavours and the boundless horizon of the Pacific.

Arequipa rises at over 2,300 metres, watched over by the three volcanoes Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu, and owes its nickname "Ciudad Blanca" to sillar, the pale volcanic stone of its elegant historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city's heart is the Plaza de Armas, framed by arcades and the grand cathedral, while nearby the Santa Catalina Monastery unfolds like a small citadel of ochre and indigo lanes. Don't miss the church of La Compañía, with its finely carved Baroque façade, and the districts of Yanahuara and Cayma, which offer spectacular views of the volcanoes. Arequipa's cuisine is among Peru's most celebrated, with dishes such as rocoto relleno and chupe de camarones. Gateway to the Colca Canyon, Arequipa blends colonial elegance, bold flavours and sweeping Andean landscapes.

The road to Puno crosses a wild and suggestive landscape that resembles the tundra, with small herds of llamas and alpacas, lakes and rare villages; stop at the Lagunillas pass at 4,410 m with a view of the lake populated by flamingos and other scenic spots. Puno stretches along the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, and is regarded as Peru's folklore capital. From its waters rise the famous Uros Islands, built entirely from totora reed that the inhabitants weave into their homes and boats, while further out lie the islands of Taquile and Amantani, where ancient traditions endure. The textile art of Taquile is recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. A meeting point of Quechua and Aymara cultures, Puno is at its best in February, when the festival of the Virgen de la Candelaria fills the streets with music, dance and vivid costumes. Amid vast waters and high-altitude skies, it is a place where Andean culture is still lived authentically.

A sheet of water shared by Peru and Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, at around 3,800 metres. On its waters float the Uros islands, built from totora reeds, while Taquile and Amantani preserve age-old traditions of weaving and hospitality. Puno is the gateway to this world, where Quechua and Aymara cultures keep their language and rituals alive. A landscape of light and silence suspended between sky and high plateau.

You cross the Andes Cordillera amidst magnificent landscapes, with stops in the village of Raqchi with the imposing walls of the Inca temple built to appease the wrath of the god Viracocha, in Andahuaylillas with a 17th-century church, a magnificent example of provincial colonial art, and in the village of Pucarà, famous for its colorful ceramics. The highest point of the journey is the La Raya pass (4,335 m). Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cuzco unfolds at over 3,400 metres above sea level among the mountains of the Peruvian Andes, holding within its very name — Qosqo, "the navel of the world" — the sacred role it played for centuries. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is a living palimpsest in which mighty Inca walls, perfectly fitted without mortar, form the foundations of Spanish colonial palaces and churches. Its beating heart is the Plaza de Armas, dominated by the Cathedral and the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, surrounded by arcades, cafés and craft workshops. Nearby, the Qorikancha — the Temple of the Sun, once clad in sheets of gold — bears witness to the architectural genius of the Inca, upon which the conquistadors built the convent of Santo Domingo. Climbing toward the San Blas quarter, cobbled lanes, flower-filled balconies and artists' studios reveal the city's most intimate soul, while the famous alley of Hatun Rumiyoc guards the legendary twelve-angled stone. On the heights above Cuzco rises the ceremonial fortress of Sacsayhuamán, with its enormous megalithic blocks, an ideal starting point to explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas. From here you reach the sites of Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, with their colourful markets and agricultural terraces carved into the mountains, and above all Machu Picchu, the mythical lost city among the clouds. Cuzco is also a sensory experience: markets such as San Pedro are fragrant with corn, Andean potatoes and tropical fruits, while local cuisine offers dishes such as cuy, alpaca and chicha de jora. Amid ancestral ceremonies, festivals like Inti Raymi and a spirituality that still pervades the streets, Cuzco welcomes the traveller into a journey out of time, where Inca history and colonial heritage coexist beneath the clear Andean sky.

The route crosses the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a region rich in archaeological sites and natural beauty. Among the most significant stops along the way are the Moray ruins, an Inca site believed to have been used as an agricultural laboratory, and the Maras salt mines, where salt is still produced today using traditional methods. Another important stop along the route is Chinchero, a picturesque Andean village famous for its artisan markets and ancient Inca ruins. An ancient Inca outpost in the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo preserves its urban layout intact, with paved streets and water channels still in use. Above the village rise the terraces of the fortress and the Temple of the Sun, built from enormous blocks of pink granite. It was here, in 1536, that the Inca won one of their few victories against the Spanish conquistadors. From Ollantaytambo departs the scenic railway leading to Machu Picchu, making it an essential stop on any Andean journey. A village where the past is still alive. Also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, Aguas Calientes is the town that serves as gateway to the world's most famous Inca citadel, reachable only by train or on foot along the Urubamba valley. Set between steep, forest-clad mountainsides where the Andes begin to give way to the Amazon, it owes its name to the hot springs that have long made it a place of rest. From here begins the climb to Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the new seven wonders of the world, where the trail leads to the Puerta del Sol and its legendary views. Among restaurants, craft markets and the ceaseless rush of the river, Aguas Calientes is the lively threshold to an unforgettable experience.

Perched at around 2,400 metres among the Andean peaks, Machu Picchu is the most famous lost city of the Inca, brought back to light in 1911 and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overlooking the valley of the Urubamba river, it reveals stone terraces, temples and palaces of remarkable precision, including the Intihuatana, the enigmatic solar clock. Those seeking breathtaking views can climb the peak of Huayna Picchu or reach the site on foot along the legendary Inca Trail. A timeless thrill in the heart of the Andes.

Bogotá rises at 2,600 metres on the Andean plateau, a vast and contrasting metropolis that is Colombia's political, cultural and economic heart. Its historic core is La Candelaria, a maze of cobbled streets and brightly coloured colonial houses where museums, universities and literary cafés cluster. At its centre lies Plaza de Bolívar, framed by the Catedral Primada, the Palace of Justice and the Capitolio Nacional. A short walk away stands the famed Museo del Oro, home to an extraordinary collection of pre-Columbian goldwork, and the Museo Botero, which gathers the rotund works of the great Colombian artist. Monserrate hill, reached by funicular, rewards visitors with a spectacular view over the sprawling city at the foot of the Andes. Bogotá is also dynamic and modern: the Zona G is full of fine dining, the Zona Rosa of nightlife, while on Sundays the ciclovías close the streets to traffic for cyclists and families. The cuisine ranges from ajiaco, the capital's chicken-and-potato soup, to specialities from across the country that converge here. Between altitude, art and creative energy, Bogotá reveals itself as a complex and captivating capital, the gateway to all of Colombia.

Armenia is one of the capitals of the Eje Cafetero, Colombia's coffee region declared a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. Surrounded by rolling hills planted with coffee, banana and wax palms, the city is an ideal base for discovering a land of lush greenery and rural traditions. Nearby, visitors tour haciendas that follow the whole coffee process from harvest to cup, and the Parque Nacional del Café, a theme park devoted to coffee culture. The nearby Valle de Cocora enchants with its towering wax palms, the tallest in the world, rising through the mountain mist. Among welcoming fincas and green vistas, Armenia is the authentic face of coffee-country Colombia.

Salento is the most picturesque village of the Eje Cafetero, famous for its houses with brightly painted façades and for its closeness to the magnificent Valle de Cocora. From here excursions set off among the towering wax palms, Colombia's national symbol, rising through the mountain mist. The streets of the centre, alive with craft shops, cafés and small restaurants, lead to the panoramic mirador over the valley. Salento is also a base for visiting coffee fincas and following the whole process from plant to cup. Among giant palms and colour, it is the romantic heart of coffee-country Colombia.

Cartagena de Indias unfolds along Colombia's Caribbean coast as one of Latin America's best-preserved colonial cities, a fortified port that for centuries guarded Spain's New World treasures. Its heart is the Ciudad Amurallada, a walled old town enclosed by mighty limestone ramparts now strolled at sunset, when the sky glows orange over the Caribbean Sea. Within the Centro Histórico, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, pastel mansions with timber balconies spill over with bougainvillea, shady squares such as Plaza Santo Domingo and Plaza de los Coches invite a pause, and stern colonial churches line the streets. The Getsemaní district, once working-class and now the city's creative soul, throbs with murals, salsa bars and courtyards alive late into the night. The skyline is dominated by Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the largest Spanish fortress in the Americas, while La Popa hill offers sweeping views over bay and islands. Cartagena is also a gateway to beaches, from the high-rise strand of Bocagrande to the crystalline waters of the Islas del Rosario, reached by boat for days of sea and snorkelling. The cuisine blends Caribbean and African flavours, from coconut seafood to the arepas de huevo sold on street corners. With its music, warmth and timeless architecture, Cartagena remains one of the continent's most seductive destinations.

The Rosario Archipelago is a group of coral islands off Cartagena, protected as a national park for the richness of its seabeds. The turquoise, transparent waters hold one of the most important coral reefs on the Colombian coast, a paradise for snorkelling and diving. Among islets, lagoons and mangroves, some islands host small resorts and eco-lodges while others remain wild. Boat excursions from Cartagena allow days spent between secluded beaches and crystalline sea. Away from the city, the archipelago offers the essence of the Colombian Caribbean.