18 days / 17 nights. This trip is easy to expand or adapt to your own wishes. If you love hiking and nature, go to Colca Canyon, for about 2 nights / 3 days.
The route by zones
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 · Arica – Putre / Lauca National Park (141 km – 2:15 hrs). Arica is the northernmost city of Chile. From here you can easily cross the border to Peru. Before crossing the border, it is definitely worth it to visit the beautiful national park Lauca. You can stay the first night in Putre to get used to the high altitude (between 3000m and 6300m) or you can stay in the National Park.
Day 2 · Lauca National Park. Drive and walk around and enjoy the beautiful nature with its typical animals like vicuñas, llamas, alpacas and guanacos. You will be amazed by the volcanos and lakes. Visit the village Parinacota which has just a few inhabitants and end your day relaxed in a thermal bath.
Day 3 · Putre – Crossing border – Coast in Peru (+/- 300 km – 4:30 hrs). Today you will cross the border to Peru. Start your day early in the morning because you never know how much time it takes to cross the border. You will notice immediately you are in Peru because of other road and traffic conditions. Follow the coastline and find a nice spot to camp.
Day 4 · Coastline – Mollendo, Playa Catarindo (+/- 145 km – 2:25 hrs). Continue the coastline and enjoy driving along the Pacific Ocean, which is the largest and deepest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. After Mollendo there is a beach called Playa Catarindo. It is a nice and quiet place to stay the night. On the beach is a nice restaurant where you can have dinner with a great view.
Day 5 · Mollendo – Arequipa (128 km – 2:25 hrs). After the tranquility of the beach, the beautiful colonial town of Arequipa is waiting for you.
Day 6 · Arequipa. Admire this beautiful city and visit the Plaza de Armas and Santa Catalina Monastery.
Day 7 · Arequipa – Laguna Langui (335 km – 6:15 hrs). Today you will drive through the Peruvian landscapes and end in Laguna Langui where you will have a beautiful view of this lake.
Day 8 · Laguna Langui – Cusco (181 km – 3:20 hrs). Arrive to one of the most beautiful cities of South America. Once it was the capital of the Inca Empire, and now it is known for its archaeological remains and Spanish colonial architecture.
Day 9 · Cusco. Visit the beautiful center, Plaza de Armas and San Pedro market. You should also buy your entrance to Machu Picchu if you do not have it yet and plan how you want to get there.
Day 10 · Cusco – Ollantaytambo or Santa Teresa (205 km – 4:20 hrs). If you book a tour from Cusco, you can leave the camper there. Otherwise you can drive to Ollantaytambo or Santa Teresa and organize a transfer who will bring you to the closest town of Machu Picchu: Aguas Calientes.
Day 11 · Aguas Calientes. Prepare your hike to the entrance of Machu Picchu. Buy enough water, food and snacks. The next morning your hike will start very early.
Day 12 · Machu Picchu. You will start your hike early in the morning. From Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu the trek takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. It's definitely recommendable to take a guide who will tell everything about this mysterious and beautiful place.
Day 13 · Aguas Calientes / back to camper. You probably will be tired but satisfied and fascinated after visiting Machu Picchu. Full of impressions you will pick up the camper and continue your trip.
Day 14 · Santa Teresa – Cusco surroundings (205 km – 4:20 hrs). Do you feel like a little rest or enjoying the center a bit more? If you feel like staying in nature, find a nice camping spot. If you feel like a delicious dinner in the center, Cusco is waiting for you.
Day 15 · Cusco – Puno (386 km – 6:11 hrs). Today you will drive through the beautiful landscapes of Peru until you arrive at your destination Puno. The city of Puno is located in the south east corner of Peru, at 3,809m in altitude, on the shores of the magnificent Lake Titicaca and only 126 km from the frontier with Bolivia.
Day 16 · Puno. Today you can visit Lake Titicaca and the Uros islands. The Uru are an indigenous people of Peru and Bolivia. They live on floating islands in Lake Titicaca. You will see and learn about the traditional culture.
Day 17 · Puno – Coast, Ilo district (346 km – 5:45 hrs). From the lake back to the beach. Arrive before the sunset so you will have a nice view over the Pacific Ocean.
Day 18 · Coast to Arica (178 km – 2:23 hrs). Today you will bring back the camper in Arica.
Tips for traveling by Camper
Chile and its neighbors offer much to discover with a Camper, pleasantly surprising you from end to end. So that you can plan your trip as well as possible, making the most of your trip to meet natural places that will captivate you, we have prepared information and suggestions that will help you organize your expedition.
Ready for this route?
Tell us your dates and we reply with a clear offer. Minimum rental of 15 days in high season and 7 in low season: real time to live it.
