Amazon Rainforest & Machu Picchu

Lima, Peru’s capital and largest city, has a rich and interesting history – from pre-Inca civilisations, to the Inca Empire, the Spanish colonial rule and up to the present day where it has expanded to a metropolitan area with over 9 million inhabitants. This rich history includes times of great prosperity, devastating earthquakes, wars, colonisation, decline and mass emigration from the surrounding countryside … clues pointing to these periods of change can be found all over this expansive coastal city, which boasts pre-Inca ruins, picturesque traditional districts, modern skyscrapers and extensive shopping malls, world class restaurants, sprawling ‘barrios’, and one epic coastline – over which the more adventurous among us can go paragliding!

Your first day in Lima is free to allow you to arrive on any flight and have time to relax after your journey. If you arrive early and don’t think you’ll be tired from your flight then you have the option to ‘hit the ground running’ and tour the city in the afternoon to make the most of your time in Peru. In your half day tour of the city we will show you some of the key historic sites and buildings in the center of Lima, finishing with a visit to the excellent Larco Museum – one of the top attractions in Lima and rated as one of the top museums in the world. You will then have the afternoon to explore Lima for yourself – perhaps with a walk through the parks along the coastal cliff-top walkway known as El Malecon, a visit to the beautiful, traditional, and colourful district of Barranco, or you might like to stay at the Larco museum for lunch at their top rated restaurant – feel free to ask our travel team for suggestions on how to make the most of your time there.

Your Lima city tour highlights include: Miraflores, San Isidro, Huaca Huallamarca ruins, Plaza Mayor, Government Palace, Parque de Amor, Archbishop’s Palace, Municipality & Cathedral, Convent of Santo Domingo, & Larco Museum.

From the urban jungle to the Amazon jungle… what a contrast today will be! Today we’ll pick you up from the hotel after having a relaxing breakfast (late morning flight) and after just a couple of hours the landscape will change dramatically… from the plane you’ll see the desert coastal region of Peru transform into the western slopes of the Andes: passing over expansive green valleys, lakes, rivers, snow topped mountains and glaciers, before crossing the eastern slopes down into the fertile lowlands that mark the beginning of the mighty Amazon rainforest. This region of the Peruvian Amazon, in the department of Madrede Dios (Mother of God), is home to the Tambopata National Park, along with it’s adjacent more famous neighbor the UNESCO Manu National Park (recognised as one of the most bio-diverse regions on the planet). We like this area of the Peruvian Amazon because of it’s biodiversity and proximity to the city of Cusco, in Tambopata Reserve you get to see beautifully vibrant rainforest which is comparable with the virgin bio-diversity found in Manu – only without the added logistical problems involved in getting there.

Note: We can also help you plan a visit to the UNESCO listed reserve of Manu, or to Iquitos – where the Amazon river meanders on its way to the Atlantic cost, and luxury cruises are a popular attraction; but if you want to maximise your time and budget, then we can’t recommend Tambopata Reserve enough… it’s just 1.5 hours flight from Lima and 50 mins from Cusco, so it works perfectly with a visit to Machu Picchu.

You’ll fly into the jungle city of Puerto Maldonado where (after being greeted by the wall of hot jungle air as you leave the plane!) the guide from your lodge of choice will be waiting to take you to your motorised boat, which is the only way to get to the remote lodges in this area. We can help you organise a visit to any lodge in this region, our favourites are the Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion, the Posada and Refugio Amazonas lodges by Rainforest Expeditions, and the luxury Inkaterra Reserva Amazonas. A good budget option is the Eco Amazonia lodge or the Inkaterra Amazon Field Station, and if you’d like to visit the self-described ‘most remote Eco-Lodge in the Amazon’, then the Tambopata Research Center is the choice for you – it’s a favourite spot for scientists also!

Once at the lodge, everything will be taken care of for you – you’ll be informed of the activities for your next couple of days in the wilderness, some lodges even offer a menu of activities for you to choose from. The tours and activities are done in small groups, or you can request private tours also. Deliciously fresh Amazonian food and drink are all included also.

The all-inclusive lodge packages include: Accommodation at the lodge, group tours and activities in the surrounding jungle (private options are also available), all food and drink (minus alcohol), reserve entrance fees, and transport from and to the airport.

The day begins with an early boat ride back to the jungle city of Puerto Maldonado, in time for your quick flight to Cusco. We’ll be waiting for you when you arrive in Cusco with an English speaking guide and a private transfer to your hotel. After checking into the hotel and freshening up, it’s time see the city.

Your half day tour of this world famous UNESCO world heritage city includes several highlights within the historical center plus some surrounding Inca ruins,including the huge fortress of Saqsaywaman – the site of a key battle during the Spanish siege of Cusco in the early 16th century. This tour will give you a great overview of Cusco: with your knowledgeable, fully qualified and fluent English speaking guide, and with all your entrance fees included. At the tour’s end you will be dropped off at your hotel and the guide will let you know about tomorrow’s schedule (and give advice on the best places to have dinner – take full advantage of their local expertise!).

The tour includes: Koricancha ‘Temple of the Sun’, Plaza de Armas (main square) incl. Cathedral, ‘La Compañia de Jesus’ Church, Kenko, Puca Pucara (panoramic view), Sacsayhuaman Fortress.

Today we will discover the best and most culturally authentic aspects of the Sacred Valley with this full day tour which begins at the ‘Inca’s Balcony’: a beautiful terrace which gives you an impressive view of Chinchero – where twelve families still preserve their traditional customs, showing you the ancestral way in which they process & dye the wool to obtain those vivid colors for their textiles.

Later we will visit Ollantaytambo, one of the most monumental architectural complexes of the Inca Empire, and one of the few places where the Spanish Conquistadors lost a major battle. Very well known for its ‘andenes’ (terraces dug into the slopes of mountains for agricultural purposes), Ollantaytambo was a highly effective fortress that also served as a temple. After exploring the ruins we will continue to the town of Ollantaytambo, the oldest continually inhabited town in the Americas and one of the best surviving examples of Inca city planning, with its narrow cobblestone streets & unique architecture.

Your full day tour includes: Chinchero, ‘Inca Balcony’, traditional weaving families, Ollantaytambo ruins & town.
Lunch is included at a traditional restaurant.

In the morning we will drive to Ollantaytambo station to board your chosen train to Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo), the small town from which the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is visited. These breathtakingly spectacular ruins are located on a natural saddle between high mountains with steep terraced slopes falling away on either side down to the Urubamba River, which rushes around the mountain far below. There aren’t enough words to describe the impression these ruins have on you when you first see them up close, in person.

Once we get up to the ruins you will go on a full tour of all the main highlights of this New World Wonder, and after the tour you will have some free time to explore. It is possible to see Machu Picchu in just one day, but we don’t recommend it since it involves up to 8 hours of travelling in one day and just half a day at the ruins. Far better to see it over 2 days with an afternoon visit until closing time and then an early start the next day to catch the sunrise when there are fewer people around (and climb the optional Huayna Picchu or Montana trek if you’re feeling adventurous), giving you time to fully take in the surroundings.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant. Selected hotels also include dinner.

Today you will revisit the Machu Picchu citadel ruins, but this time you’re free to explore without a guide. Your tickets give you full access to the main ruins including Intipunku (the Sun Gate – where the Inca Trail finishes) – we recommend getting up early to be one of the first people at the gates when they open, weather permitting you will be treated to the spectacular site of the sun’s rays beaming in from over the mountains and slowly illuminating the ruins at sunrise.

We can also include the permits for the popular Huayna Picchu trek or the longer but just as rewarding Machu Picchu Mountain trek, both treks give you impressive top down views from opposite sides of the ruins, weather permitting. Return bus tickets to the entrance are included and your guide will inform you about the logistics on the day before so that you know when to be at the train station in time for your relaxing & scenic journey back to Cusco.

You will also have time to see more of the quirky tourist town of Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) – such as take a stroll near the rapids and take a dip in the thermal baths which gave the town its (original) name.

Your entrances, bus & train tickets are all included – today and throughout the whole trip.

For your last day you will have some free time to explore the many interesting & picturesque locations in & around Cusco’s historic UNESCO centre. The time you have will depend on when you will be flying home from Lima. We recommend a later flight from Lima, if possible, to maximise your time – since Cusco is a very interesting city, but you need to ensure you have at least 2.5 hours to check in at Lima.

You can use this free time to explore the arts & crafts markets to pick up some unique souvenirs, visit the art galleries, museums, restaurants & cafes, or simply walk through the picturesque streets & admire the fusion of Inca & Spanish Colonial architecture – very often with Spanish architecture built directly on top of impressive Inca foundations. You will already have a rough idea of the layout of the centre thanks to your city tour back on Day 1; feel free to ask us, your guide, or the hotel receptionist for recommended places to visit to help you make the most of your free time. At a pre-arranged time we will ensure your airport transfer is waiting for you at your hotel. Requesting a late checkout is advisable to give you a base for the day & have somewhere to freshen up before your flights, alternatively you can simply leave your luggage at the hotel reception until it’s time to head to the airport.

Homeward bound, or onward with you adventure? This tour package can easily be combined with extensions to Puno and Lake Titicaca, and onwards to Bolivia, Uyuni, the Atacama desert, and beyond! Ask us for more details about trip extensions.