Discover the highlights of Peru’s together with authentic experiences with the locals and the rich diversity in nature.
Start up with a day spent looking down at the jungle below from a Canopy Walkway. Enjoy a 4-day adventure in the Amazon river jungle where we may spot the Blue Butterfly! Visit the former Inca Capital of Cusco, filled with Inca ruins and it’s famous textiles. And of course make a 2-days visit to Machu Picchu, with or without walking Inca trails. Continue to Puno where you will stay overnight on an island in the highest Titicaca Lake, with a local family. Take in the beautiful landscapes with the llamas and vicunas passing by on the way to Arequipa. Finish in the stunning Colca canyon with its condors and natural hot springs and it’s unique climate, set within the Andes mountains.
In this trip you will:
- Make a 2-day Machu Picchu tour
- Explore Titicaca lake, highest and biggest lake of South-America. Here you will experience a native homestay with a local family
- Spend 4 nights in the Amazon jungle rainforest
- Make a Colca canyon tour
- Stay in Lima and Cusco city
NOTE
In Cusco there are longer trails to Machu Picchu. There are 4 days Lares trail, 5 days Salkantay or 4-day Inca trail can be added (extra cost, reservation needs to be made at least 3 months in advance). This means you only have 1 day to spend in Cusco city.
Day-to-day:
Day 1
We arrive in Lima, the capital of Peru and one of the world’s top culinary cultures. Stay at the Hotel Miraflores Lodge, or likewise, to meet the rest of the group. We have a dinner to get introduced to each other and to hear more details for the following days.
Day 2
Today you take a flight to Puerto Maldonado in the Southern Amazon jungle. You will be picked up from the airport and be transported to your hotel. You can get acclimated to the tropical heat and atmosphere. You will be spending the next 4 days in the jungle.
Day 3
Today we visit the Canopy Walkway, a ‘hanging bridge over the jungle’, in an authentic and new location. To get there, we will have an early breakfast and leave to Taricaya by boat. A full day is spent in the Taricaya area, which is a private nature conservation. You will take in the amazing sights and sounds of the many birds like the bamboo birds and other rare species. You will also meet many species of monkeys and pecaries. We arrive back to the town for a dinner and an overnight in the hotel.
Day 4
In the morning we leave the hotel to head for the Amazon jungle, where we will stay in the coming days. The Amazon jungle is one of the richest biodiverse areas in the world. Here you will find macaws and many other species of birds and insects like the giant bee. Monkeys, capybaras, giant otters and the world’s longest snake, the Anaconda live in this area. After a 1 hour car ride, we will take a boat on Tambopata river. On the way we will spot wildlife on the riverbanks. We arrive at the lodge and settle in. In the evening we will take our first night walk, using flashlights to spot the nocturnal life of the insect. After that we’ll enjoy a nice welcome dinner.
Day 5
Get up early to visit the Collpa clay lick, where we will see the parrots feeding off of the mud containing the sodium and minerals that they need. Back in the lodge we’ll have a breakfast and time to relax before lunch. In afternoon we will walk along a trail around the lodge.
Day 6
Today we will take a walk in the National Reserve, a protected jungle nature area. We will drink something hot, then leave by boat and take our breakfast on the boat. Here you can spot Macaws (ara´s’), harp eagles, jungle turkeys, monkeys and maybe even the elusive jaguar. In the afternoon we will visit a lake, where we can have a swim or fish piranha’s… If we are lucky, we will see giant river otters, one of the world’s unique bigger species. We return to the lodge. After dinner we will take a night tour on the river to spot Capybaras and Black Caimans. After this, we will prepare for leaving the next day. Enjoy a tropical drink and a good sleep.
Day 7
This morning we will leave the lodge to return to Puerto Maldonado. In Puerto Maldonado we take a fly to Cusco. After our flight to Cusco, there is usually time for an afternoon tour of the city. At 3300 meters (10826.8 feet). Cusco is an extremely high city and you may find yourself slightly short of breath upon arrival. Stay at the Puma Hotel close to the center with a beautiful view on the ancient city (or likewise hotel).
You can also choose to go by touring car to Cusco. It’s a fascinating 12 hours during the tour, climbing up the mountains on the new highway between Brazil and Lima. (This will reduce your cost with about 160 dollar). Then you will arrive in Cusco late in the evening.
Day 8-10
Free days in Cusco to discover the treasures of this ‘Inca’ city, beautifully set in the surrounding mountains. Optional excursions are a city tour, visiting Inca ruins and the Sacred Valley tour, which brings you to authentic villages around Cusco. We will make a special visit to the Textiles center in Cusco where you can learn more about ancient weavery, dying techniques and you can buy 100% natural handmade textiles. They are produced by women artisans in 9 villages around Cusco.
Day 11
Today we will leave for a 2-day visit to Machu Picchu, the Inca city which was kept hidden in high mountains and never discovered – or destroyed- by the Spaniards.
Machu Picchu is a World Heritage site. This 15th-century Incan citadel site is located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. Set high up in in the Andes Mountains in Peru, in the Cusco Region, it is in the Urubamba Province, above the Urubamba River Valley.
We take the bus from the hotel to the train station. Then it takes about 2 hours by train to Aguas Calientes. Here we will enjoy a good meal and time to relax. There is natural bath (hot springs) and there are many possibilities for a good (body) massage…
Optional: Walking the 2 Day-Short Inca Trail instead (at extra cost about 170 dollar) along an original Inca trail (10 km/6.3 miles). The trail is filled with rich flora and fauna and provides great vistas and scenery throughout. Visit the Inca Trail’s most beautiful site, Wiñay Wayna. It is an Inca site, a neighbor to Machu Picchu, on an elevated perch. You also arrive in Aquas Calientes and tomorrow’s schedule is the same.
Day 12
Early in the morning we take the bus up to Machu Picchu. We have a 2-hour guided tour through Machu Picchu, the famous hidden city of the Inca’s. After that you have the time to discover the World Heritage site on your own. You can visit Huayna Picchu, a top from which you can see the sunrise over Machu Picchu (separate ticket necessary). In the afternoon we pick up our luggage in the hotel and leave by train, back to Cusco city. Here we drop our luggage in our hotel, then have a rest, a good dinner and a nice sleep.
Day 13
Today we make a bus tour from Cusco to Puno (9 hours), through the Andes mountains via La Raya viewpoint, 4335 meter (14222.4 feet) above sea level, providing beautiful views of the Andes highlands. In Puno we will rest in our hotel and have a dinner in the city.
Day 14 The next morning we get up early to make a boat trip on the famous Titicaca lake, the highest situated sweet-water lake in the world, 3800 meter (12467.19 ft.) above sea level. We will visit the floating islands, made of reed, then continue to Amantani Island. Here we will sleep in the house of a local family, sharing their daily life. Women cook traditional meals on wood-fires and sell handmade textiles.
Day 15
We start the day with a traditional breakfast and say goodbye to our guest families. Then we return by boat to Puno. On the way we visit Taquile island, famous for its textiles. We’ll walk over the island and have a seafood-lunch in a local restaurant. After that return by boat (3,5 hours) to Puno and our hotel.
Day 16
Early in the morning we will take the bus for 5 hours to Arequipa. On the way we will enjoy beautiful landscapes with wild vicunas, llama-and alpaca-farms. This area is famous for its production of alpaca wool and knitting arts. We arrive in Arequipa and our hotel at 2 pm. Then you have free time in this ‘white city’.
Day 17
In the morning we can make a city tour by bus for about 4 hours, in which you will see Arequipa. It is the white city, as well as the agricultural heart for the South of Peru. After this enjoy a rest or explore the local restaurants or shops with the famous alpaca wool textiles.
Day 18-19 Early wake-up for a 2-days bus tour to the famous Colca canyon, the world’s longest canyon. You can discover the unique biosphere, spot the Condor and visit local villages and crafts markets. If you choose this 2-days bus tour, we sleep in Chivay.
You can also choose for a 3-day hiking tour into the Colca Canyon to this ‘oasis’ with its amazing waterways, fruits and birds. In this case, you start on day 16 and skip the city tour in Arequipa.
Both tours finish with a visit to the Natural hot springs, where you can enjoy the nature baths surrounded by Andes mountains. After that we enjoy a good lunch on the way and return to our hotel in Arequipa.
Day 20 Flight to Lima and international flights back home…
If you want to make this adventure on your own or add a destination or activity, please contact us. We can create your holiday according to your preferences.
Price: Indication $2900
What`s included: 3 local flights, hotels and breakfast, most entrances.
Departing dates 2015: June 28, July 26, August 23
- If you choose the 2-day Inca trail on Day 11, the extra cost is about 260 USD.
MIND: for this Inca trail trek, a reservation at least 3 months in advance is required.
- Choose to go by touring car to Cusco on day 7 (instead of a fly) will reduce your cost with about 130 dollar. Mind you`ll miss the afternoon time to spend in Cusco.
- Extra cost for a 2-day hike/trek in Colca Canyon is 20 USD.
Summary of Trip:
Day 1: Arrive by international flight to Lima. Stay overnight and meet the group.
Day 2: Local flight to Puerto Maldonado and transport to hotel.
Day 3: Visit the Canopy walkway in the jungle and head back to the hotel.
Day 4: Transport to Amazon river jungle lodge. Take a night walk.
Day 5: Clay Lick with macaws & jungle walk.
Day 6: Walk the national reserve, visit Oxbow lake, finish with night river tour.
Day 7: Flight (adds about 200 dollar extra to your cost) or bus to Cusco. Hotel in Cusco.
Day 8-10: Cusco, options: city tour, Inca ruins & textiles center, Sacred Valley tour.
Day 12: 2-day Inca trail (extra cost about 70 dollar) or Inca tour to Machu Picchu, walk to Aquas Calientes, have a massage. Overnight in hotel.
Day 13: Visit to Machu Picchu. Return by train to Cusco in the afternoon. Dinner and hotel in Cusco.
Day 14: Bus to Puno (9 hours), via Raya viewpoint. Hotel in Puno.
Day 15: Boat to Titicaca lake.Visit floating islands, head to Amantani Island. Overnight in house with a local family.
Day 16: Breakfast with the family, boat to visit & to lunch on Taquile Island. Hotel in Puno.
Day 17: Bus to Arequipa (6/7 hours), via Altiplano. Arrive 2 pm in Arequipa. Free time.
Day 18: Arequipa city tour.
Day 19-20: Colca Canyon, 2-days bus tour/ 3-days hiking tour (if you do the 3-days hiking tour you skip 1 day and the city tour in Arequipa; Visit villages, artisan market and Natural hot springs. Dinner on the way, bus to Arequipa.
Day 21: Flight back to Lima
