Peru and its Wonders of the World.
Discover the Incan sites in the Andes with a guided tour of the Larco Museum’s pre-Columbian artifacts.Enjoy three nights at Reserva Amazonica, a world-renowned eco-lodge deemed best by National Geographic Traveler. Choose from a selection of naturalist-guided rainforest excursions by land and water to make your trip to the Amazon a unique experience. Travel by rail to Machu Picchu and marvel at the timeless landscapes of the Sacred Valley.
In addition to an expertly guided tour, you’ll have two nights at Machu Picchu to explore its grandeur at your own pace. In fact, you might even be able to hike to the Gate of the Sun during your stay! An enchanting riverside cloud forest surrounds the selected hotel as it lies in the shadows of Machu Picchu.
Day One & Two | Lima
Join our engaging guide, an in-the-know city native, to explore the Colonial landmarks, colorful neighborhoods and delightful city life of the Peruvian capital. Just outside your hotel’s front door, you’ll begin with a walking tour through the inviting district of Miraflores – popular with city residents who come here to stroll and enjoy the shops, restaurants and fine views over the Pacific.
Then tour the Larco Museum; with its highly-regarded collection of pre-Columbian artifacts, it’s a terrific introduction to the Inca sites you’ll explore later in the tour. You’ll enjoy lunch here at the enchanting Cafe del Museo.
Add-On Activities
Plaza Mayor | A popular gathering spot for residents and tourists alike, the plaza hosts landmarks including the Cathedral and the Archbishop’s Palace.
- Basilica of Santo Domingo | An impressive complex with lovely courtyards and Baroque paintings. In the evening, enjoy the chef’s 3-course tasting menu with wine at Amaz, a signature Peruvian restaurant.
Day Three | Amazon Forest
Following breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your included flight to Puerto Maldonado, a lively river port at the entrance to the Amazon basin. Your journey up the gently-flowing Madre de Dios River will begin with a warm welcome and escorted to the port. You’ll stay at the acclaimed Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Lodge, hailed by National Geographic Traveler as one of the world’s best eco-lodges, in the heart of a 42,000-acre reserve deep in the Amazon jungle. Relax in a spacious wood and thatch cabana designed to resemble the dwellings of the Ese’ Eja community.
You’ll enjoy a variety of included excursions and activities during your 3-night stay at the hotel, led by expert naturalists and designed to let you experience the beauty of the Amazon as well as its remarkable flora and fauna. Your first afternoon would be a great time to explore the unique rainforest environment with a guided nature walk.
Watch | Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica
A short introduction to this eco-lodge and its pristine rainforest setting on the banks of the Madre de Dios River deep in the Peruvian Amazon.
Day Four | Explore the Amazon
There are over a dozen naturalist-guided excursions available at the lodge suited to a wide range of interests and abilities. In the coming days, you can choose which ones best suit your style. With its forest trails, ox-bow lakes, and colorful birds and wildlife, the Amazon offers a wide variety of ways to observe and learn about its ecosystems. Adventures can take you over land and water – or even to the top of a forest canopy. There is nothing more exciting than encountering nocturnal animals during a twilight tour.
Among the Available Excursions
Rainforest Garden | Near the lodge is a native garden that was started by locals more than 10 years ago. Featuring native plants and trees, a guided discovery walk allows visitors to discover indigenous flora – including delicate orchids and medicinal plants found in indigenous rainforests.
Twilight River Expedition | Taking a guided boat ride in the late afternoon with a naturalist offers an opportunity to see the jungle transitioning from a diurnal to nocturnal state. See nightjars, owls, caimans, capybaras, and other jungle denizens in their natural habitats. This excursion in the Southern Sky also offers the opportunity to observe constellations as darkness descends.
Amazon Wetlands | From drier forests to rainforest swamps, this two-hour excursion explores Amazon Basin diversity. As you explore the various eco-zones and search for various species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles, you’ll experience these environmental transitions along jungle trails and elevated boardwalks.
Day Five | Another Day in the Amazon
On 42,000 acres adjacent to the lush Tambopata National Reserve, this award-winning eco-lodge offers unparalleled access to the Peruvian Amazon’s beauty and natural wonders. A variety of naturalist-guided expeditions are included today, allowing you to customize your exploration, fun, and learning.
Additionally Available Exursions
Gamitana Creek and Model Farm | In this half-day expedition, you will take a 90-minute interpretive walk along a rainforest trail that follows a dark-water creek home to piranhas, caimans, and turtles. Tropical birds can be found in abundance in the surrounding forest. On the way back, embark on a 1-hour canoe expedition along Gamitana Creek to a pioneering model farm that is bringing sustainable farming techniques to rainforest communities. Experience the joy of making the plantain flour that the lodge uses to make its fresh breads and take a tour of the farm.
Canopy + Wetlands | It takes only a few minutes in a motorized canoe to reach the Interpretation Center for the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway. A network of suspension bridges connects eight observation platforms 95 feet above the shadowy forest floor. Join your expert naturalist for a guided tour. Observe toucans, woodpeckers, colorful trogons, sloths, and monkeys as you walk through the lush forest canopy. An elevated boardwalk offers a chance to view various amphibian, bird, and mammal species in a nearby wetland ecosystem.
Lake Sandoval | During this half-day excursion, you will be taken deep into the Tambopata Nature Reserve in a motorized canoe. A 90-minute interpretive nature walk leads you to the edge of Lake Sandoval. Observe the endangered giant river otter, red howler monkeys, and prehistoric-looking hoatzins as you glide silently across the still waters of this ox-bow lake.
Day Six | Cusco
As you depart the Lodge after breakfast, you will be transported back down the river to Puerto Maldonado by boat for your included flight into the Andes. You’ll be welcomed in Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas, with a warm welcome from Breytzi Carrion, our expert Andean Trip Leader with whom you will spend five days exploring this ancient city.
Transfer to a 5-star hotel where guests enjoy special oxygenated rooms designed to facilitate their comfort in the high altitude city. Cusco’s historic center is right at your fingertips, so you can explore a bit before dinner at your leisure.
Add-On Activities
Centro Historico De Cusco | You can truly find everything in El Centro. Many restaurants to eat at, different types of stores, museums within walking distance, art galleries.
Visit Qorikancha | Once the most important temple of the Incas, the ‘Temple of the Sun’ ruin was later used by the Spanish as a base for the Church of Santo Domingo.
Choco Museum | Are you a chocolate lover? Come and live a truly chocolate experience at ChocoMuseo! In the chocolate museum you will uncover all the cocoa secrets while tasting the best artisanal chocolate made with the best organic Peruvian beans! Get ready to make your own chocolate in the Chocolate Workshops!
Day Seven | Ollantaytambo and Rail Journey to Machu Picchu
The Sacred Valley provides a vivid living illustration of Inca urban planning with its ancient town of Ollantaytambo. Many of the buildings and residences in the city date back more than 600 years and are built on a simple grid with cobblestone streets, stone walls, and canals.
On arrival in Aguas Calientes, you’ll have lunch before ascending to Machu Picchu – a region of quiet villages and terraced fields that have been cultivated for centuries. Then board the train to travel through the timeless landscape of the Sacred Valley. Discover the Inca and their once-mighty Empire as Breytzi guides you through this mighty citadel. After your visit, return to Aguas Calientes for 2 nights at the enchanting Inkaterra Pueblo.
Day Eight | Machu Picchu - The Lost City
Embark on your second guided tour of the Lost City early in the morning before the day-visitors from Cusco and the Sacred Valley arrive. A trip to Machu Picchu in the early morning will be one of your most memorable travel experiences, with fewer people and softer light as the sun breaks over the surrounding mountain peaks. Visit Machu Picchu at your own pace after lunch at Sanctuary Lodge, located on a mountaintop near Machu Picchu. Ascend Inti Punku, the legendary Gate of the Sun, and enjoy breathtaking views of the Lost City below. Afterward, return down the mountain for dinner and a second night at our wonderful resort hidden in a cloud forest below Machu Picchu.
Day Nine-Ten | Cusco
Visit the rustic Andean town of Chincheros in the Sacred Valley by train. This highland town is renowned for its weavers, who live in the shadow of the Vilcabamba Range. Take some time to explore Breytzi before returning to Cusco to learn more about the enduring traditions of its residents and observe the ancient weaving techniques still being utilized to create textiles that are of a higher quality and design.
Start your sightseeing tour outside town by visiting Sacsayhuaman. During the 14th century, the massive limestone blocks of this venerated complex were cut with such precision that they fit together without mortar like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. One of the greatest achievements in architecture and masonry in the world, Sacsayhuaman is composed of some of the world’s tallest and heaviest stones, some of which are more than ten feet tall.
Once back in the city, you’ll see more Colonial landmarks around the Plaza de Armas, including the Cathedral, which was completed 100 years after construction began. Breytzi offers an illuminating insight into the old Andean traditions that still exist here in Cusco in the San Pedro Market. The afternoon is yours for leisurely exploration, shopping, and relaxation.
