Discover the Best of Peru on a 19-Day Journey

Welcome to Lima, the “City of Kings”. Upon arrival to the airport, you will be transferred to your hotel. Your local Tour Leader will meet you for a welcome briefing & some tips during your stay in Lima.

Note: In case of flight cancellations, changes, if you experience severe delays at immigration, baggage collection or customs, or if you are not able to find the driver or representative, please contact our Operation Team at: +0051 984727547-973566194-984732267

Special Information: During your pick-up transfer from the airport, we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information. Please have this information handy. It’s very important that you provide this information.

Upon arrival to the hotel, the remaining of your first day will be free. While Peru’s capital officially began life in 1535, when Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded the city on the Day of the Three Kings, settlements had been scattered through the valley since before the Incas. The city was built on top of an existing palace and temples that belonged to the local chief who had little choice but to move on. Lima was in its prime during the Spanish colonial days and much of the city’s attraction now lies in its well-preserved historical center.

This evening, you meet your Tour Leader and head to dinner at La Huaca Pucllana Restaurant, one of the top restaurants in Lima. It has a unique setting overlooking pre-Incan ruins that once served as an important administrative and ceremonial center, many centuries ago. The restaurant offers a renewed meal whose foundation is Peruvian cuisine, with its rich variety of products, be it sea fish, shellfish, or what forms the immense range of vegetables, with all colors, textures, and flavors.

Note: Check-in at hotel – 03:00PM

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Group transfer from Lima airport to the hotel, in private service with English speaking Tour
• Set-menu Dinner at La Huaca Pucllana

On the morning you will start your exploration of the Peruvian capital with a city tour. Founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro, it was from Lima that all Spanish territories in South America

were governed. Few cities at that time could rival Lima’s power, wealth and opulence. However, its glory days ended in 1746 when the city was virtually destroyed by an earthquake. Many of the colonial buildings were rebuilt and you will get a first-hand look at several of them on the tour. The striking Plaza Mayor (Plaza de Armas), flanked by some of the most important buildings in town such as the cathedral, the huge Government Palace and the Archbishop’s Palace, constitutes the heart of the city. You will visit the nearby San Francisco Monastery, with its catacombs containing some 70,000 human remains.

Next, we will visit the Central market where we will take a walking tour. The market has a huge variety of fresh produce on offer including fruits, vegetables and even Guinea pigs. You will have the opportunity to try some local Peruvian fruits and street food. Then to China town which is close to the Market. Here you’ll have lunch at a “Chifa” restaurant, a mix between the Peruvian and Chinese gastronomy, very popular among the Peruvians.

In the afternoon, take a walk around the district of Barranco, where streets are lined with traditional casonas (colonial-style houses). Barranco is also home of vibrant areas full of artists, musicians, and writers. You’ll walk through areas full of street art and murals, stopping off every now and then to take some sweet photos that will make friends back home ooze with jealousy. You’ll know the traditional “Puente de los Suspiros” (Bridge of Sights), one of Barranco’s big tourist attractions. Legend has it that the wealthy owner of one of the neighboring houses forbade his daughter to see a lowly street-sweeper who she was in love with. She then spent the rest of her days sighing and lamenting the fate of her lost love thus the name ‘Bridge of Sighs’.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Half day city tour around the historical center of Lima & visit to Central Market, in private service with English speaking local tour guide.
• Lunch at Chifa restaurant (Peruvian Chinese fusion).
• Barranco district walking tour.

Early in the morning, you’ll be transferred to the airport to take your domestic flight towards Puerto Maldonado city, known as the “door” to the Peruvian Amazon! (Flight Tickets NOT included)

Note: Please note that the order and schedules of the activities may be modified according to weather and the wellbeing of the group. You will need to bring a small duffel bag to pack what you need for the next two nights, as your main luggage will not travel with you. It will be securely stored in the lodge’s office in town. Your lodge is eco-friendly, combining low-impact architecture with traditional native style. Rooms are simple but comfortable, with flush toilets (en suite), showers (cold water only) and mosquito nets. Usually, there is no electricity in the rooms. Electricity will only be available in the common areas, and likely at a designated time, not all day. Lodge staff are primarily local, including the multilingual guides who can teach you all about the area’s rich flora and fauna. The Amazon Jungle can be very hot and humid, so it’s important to drink plenty of water and wear light cotton clothing. Make sure you also bring tropical- strength insect repellent.

Arrive in Puerto Maldonado, capital of Madre de Dios, and join a 2 hours journey by bus and boat till the lodge. Your first taste of the Amazon culinary will be in the river while you let the city behind to enjoy the amazing jungle landscapes.

Posada Amazonas Lodge awaits – a spacious ecolodge, with bar, a massage center, and buffet service in the heart of a private concession own by the Native Community of Infierno, the guardians of the rainforest. Accommodation includes a 42 meters square room with a private bathroom and an open wall facing the forest. Your stay includes three meals daily, teas, coffee, guided excursions and activities, refreshments upon arriving, and transfers to and from the airport.

This afternoon join a first group hiking leads to the 40-meter scaffolding Canopy Tower. A banister staircase running through the middle provides safe access to the platforms above. From atop you obtain spectacular views of the vast expanses of standing forest cut by the Tambopata River winding through the middle. Now and then toucans, parrots or macaws are seen flying against the horizon, or mixed species canopy flocks land in the treetop next to you.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Transfer from Lima hotel to the airport, in private service with English speaking Tour
• Posada Amazonas 4D/3N Amazon Program, in shared service with other tourists

Wildlife in the Amazon takes advantage of the first lights of the day as it is cooler, so we do. Even you are on vacation there will be some activities that our guides encourage you to make it very early in the morning and it’s worth it.

Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake is thirty minutes by boat and forty-five minutes hiking from Posada Amazonas. Once there, paddle around the lake in a catamaran, searching for the resident family of nine giant river otters (seen by 60% of our lake visitors) and other lakeside wildlife such as caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers. Otters are most active from dawn to eight or nine AM.

The Centro Ñape is a communal organization that produces medicines out of forest plants and administers them to patients who choose their little clinic. They have produced a trail that explains the different medicinal (and other) uses of selected plants.

You will have the option of a night walk when most of the mammals are active but rarely seen. Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Posada Amazonas 4D/3N Amazon Program, in shared service with other tourists.

From a blind located about twenty meters away, you might see dozens of parrots and parakeets descend on most clear mornings to ingest the clay on a riverbank when visiting the Parrot Clay Lick.

Leaving from Posada Amazonas on a two-hour hike crowned by the largest tree in the vicinity: a giant ceiba tree. During the hike, you will focus on the natural history of the rain forest and its principal taxonomic groups. Visit the most complete farm in the community of Infierno. The owner grows a diverse variety of popular and unknown Amazon crops. In his garden, just about every plant and tree serve a purpose.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Posada Amazonas 4D/3N Amazon Program, in shared service with other tourists

It is time to say goodbye, as the expedition comes to an end. Your visit will make a direct contribution to the Native Community of Infierno in their efforts to protect Tambopata. You’ll take the journey back to the city to the airport for your flight to Lima (Flight Tickets NOT included).

Arrive in Cusco, historic heartland, and former capital of the Incan Empire.

Cusco is a favorite destination of many visitors to Peru. As you wander the streets and side alleys of the city you will witness the perfect tapering Inca stonework that provided the foundations for many of Cusco’s colonial and modern buildings. The city itself is the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city and was the home of the Inca Empire for two centuries before the Spanish built their first capital here. Today Cusco is a fascinating combination of both cultures. Take the time to acclimatize to the city’s 3450-metre high (11,150 ft) altitude.

At around 3:00PM, our Tour Leader will take you to an orientation walk around the highlights of the center of Cusco. On the way you’ll see the Stone of Twelve Angles at the Inca Roca Palace, on Hatun Rumiyoc Street and visit the Qoricancha temple, considered the most sacred Inca building. Then, you’ll head to the heart of the city, “the Plaza de Armas”, surrounded by colonial arcades and four churches. Here you’ll find the beautiful “Cathedral” of Cusco, built in the XVI.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Reserva Amazonica 4D/3N Amazon Program, in shared service with other tourists
• Transfer from Cusco airport to the hotel, in private service with English speaking Tour
• Orientation walk around the center of Cusco including Qoricancha, in private service with English speaking Tour Leader.

In the morning, you will learn more about Peruvians (and Peruvian food!) with a cooking class that will teach you to prepare traditional recipes handed down over generations. This Cusco food tour takes you to a beautiful cooking studio (or restaurant – depending of the availability). But before you go, you’ll stop at a local market to discover some Peruvian treasures (yes, we mean food — the best kind of treasures!). Explore a huge variety of fruits, vegetables, and fiery spices, and maybe make a purchase or two. Next, you’ll head to the studio where you will have a practical class and will learn to prepare nutritious and healthy dishes using our most representative ingredients guided by our Peruvian professional chef. Enjoy a refreshing drink and a three-course tasting menu. Come, join us and participate in this unforgettable experience during your stay in Cusco!

At the end of the tour, you will enjoy what you have cooked!

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Cusco cooking class & market visit

Today you’ll meet up with a local musician who will show you around San Blas the artisan’s neighborhood. Learn about the significance of music and art in Peruvian culture and history. Visit their home and have a go at playing traditional drums, string and wind instruments. You will also be shown how to make and play your own zampona, a traditional panpipe, which you can take home with you.

The rest of your day will be at leisure in Cusco.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Andean Music Workshop & Zampona Making at San Blas Neighborhood

In the morning, you will visit the huge “Inca Ceremonial Center of Sacsayhuaman”. This enormous structure overlooks the city of Cusco. Its constructions are amazing, with huge rocks perfectly fitted. It is said that it took over 10,000 workers 50 years to build it. The origin of the temple of Sacsayhuaman is still today unknown. The archaeologist attributed its construction to the Period of the Inca Pachacutec. Later, you continue visiting another important Inca site known as “Qenqo”. This is a place with subterranean passages and carved stone channels in a zigzag pattern. In its inner part there is a carved stone table where it is said the Incas mummified their dead. Afterwards you will do a short visit to the archaeological Inca sites of “Tambomachay” a temple dedicated to the God of Water and “PucaPucará”.

After these visits, you will return to Cusco.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Half day visit of the 4 nearby Inca sites, in private service with English speaking Tour

This day will be at leisure for you to explore Cusco on your own.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Free Day

Today, you’ll travel by private car through the Sacred Valley, on the outskirts of Cusco. Known as Wilcamayo to the Incas, the lush, fertile valley has long been the main source of food for the high Andes. Maize crops can be seen surrounding the river and covering the terraces carved high into the valley walls.

You’ll arrive to the small rustic town of Chinchero which is missed by many but has some interesting spots for visitors to see. There is a great display of Inca architecture, ruins and megalithic carved rocks. Chinchero is home to the famous Peruvian weaving and also has a colourful market. A beautiful adobe church sits on the plaza, which can be visited daily. You’ll then head to an authentic Andean community to learn about the weaving process where the women of the community will show you ancient techniques of weaving, dyeing,

management and production of South American camelid fibers. With this activity, women can support and help their families, providing food, home, health and studies to their sons. A typical and delicious lunch will be included in a home of a local family. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn about local lifestyle and activities.

You will arrive to Piuray Lake, for an amazing traditional culinary experience. You will taste our traditional Pachamanca, a Peruvian dish based on the baking with the aid of hot stones, of potatoes, lamb, mutton, pork, chicken or guinea pig marinated with Andean ingredients. You will see how the chef makes the Pachamanca. You will enjoy of this traditional dish while you relax in a unique Andean landscape, surrounded by mountains, farmlands and the Piuray Lagoon. After this great experience, you will be transferred to your hotel located in the Sacred Valley.

After this rewarding experience, you’ll head to ancient salt ponds of Maras where salty springs emerge from the hillside and the Incas built terraces to capture the flows and harvest salt. Then, you’ll continue the excursion to Moray, where huge circular agricultural terraces were built by the Incas on limestone sinks served to plant various crops. It is said to have a cosmological significance, however, the Incas used the terraces as an agricultural laboratory to determine the optimum conditions for each species in varying altitudes. At the end of the day, you’ll be transferred to your hotel located in the middle of the Sacred Valley of the Incas (2,871 meters high).

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Full day visit of the Sacred Valley of the Incas including Chinchero village, an Andean community, Maras Salt Ponds and Moray, in private service with English speaking Tour Leader.
• Pachamanca lunch at Piuray Lake

After breakfast, you’ll drive along the Urubamba River towards the town of Ollantaytambo, a magnificent example of Incan urban planning. It’s one of the few places where the Incas defeated the Spanish. Once you get there you will visit the ruins of Ollantaytambo, an important Inca construction built during the Inca’s heydays. This is an extraordinary Inca place where besides the ruins you may also see an amazing rock formation representing the Inca god Wiracocha.

Then, head to the local train station to board the tourist train towards Aguas Calientes, a modern little town close to the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The train ride to Machu Picchu is one of the most beautiful journeys that visitors can experience in our country. After passing the Sacred Valley of the Incas the train starts to descend gradually along the edge of the Urubamba River, till finally reach the cloud forest. After approximately 1 hour 45 minutes you will have arrived in Aguas Calientes town, where you spend the night.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Ollantaytambo ruins visit
• Train Tickets: Inca Rail “The 360” Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes (https://incarail.com/en/the-360- machu-picchu-train)

This morning, you will be taken to the Machu Picchu ruins starting with a short bus ride up the steep, zigzagging road to the impressive Lost City of the Incas.

This is one of those genuinely magical places, and your first glimpse of these ruins in the mist is something to remember. The site is perched high in the Andes, surrounded by verdant cloud forest, with the river Urubamba running through the gorge far below. Hidden away on a ridge, Machu Picchu is invisible from below, so it’s no surprise it remained a secret for so many years (until 1911).

Explore the upper terrace with your guide first, making sure to get that great portrait! You will then take a guided tour of the ruins, learning more about these 200 or so houses and temples. It’s fascinating to be able to gaze down on the city from above and imagine how it would have looked during the height of the Inca empire. Catch the bus back into town and enjoy some spare time to look around.

Note: INCA RAIL carriages / vans do not have luggage racks on board. Each travel ticket entitles its bearer to board the train / vans with only one piece of hand luggage (backpack, handbag, or briefcase) weighing no more than 08 kg/17 lb and with dimensions of no more 46 linear inches / 118 linear cm (height + length + width).

Note: According to Machu Picchu visiting regulations, all visitors must follow a pre-determined route within the site. This route must be followed in one direction only and once the guided visit commences, exiting and re-entering the site is not permitted. Once the guided visit concludes, visitors must exit the site and personal exploration of Machu Picchu is not permitted.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Shuttle bus tickets from Aguas Calientes town to Machu Picchu (Round trip)
• Machu Picchu Entrance Tickets & Guided Tour

This day will be at leisure for you to explore Cusco on your own.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Free Day

Today after breakfast, you’ll board the tourist train back to Ollantaytambo, followed by your private transfer to your hotel in Cusco.

The rest of the day will be free.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Train Tickets: Inca Rail “The Voyager” Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes (https://incarail.com/the- voyager-machu-picchu-train)
• Transfer from Ollantaytambo train station to Cusco, in private service with English speaking Tour

• Note: INCA RAIL carriages / vans do not have luggage racks on Each travel ticket entitles its bearer to board the train / vans with only one piece of hand luggage (backpack, handbag, or briefcase) weighing no more than 08 kg/17 lb and with dimensions of no more 46 linear inches / 118 linear cm (height + length + width).
• Note: According to Machu Picchu visiting regulations, all visitors must follow a pre-determined route within the site. This route must be followed in one direction only and once the guided visit commences, exiting and re-entering the site is not permitted. Once the guided visit concludes, visitors must exit the site and personal exploration of Machu Picchu is not permitted.

Today, you’ll explore “Palcoyo” known as the new mountain of colors.

Depart from your hotel at 5:30am, driving for about 1 ½ hours to Cusipata Town where we have the first stop to use toilets. Then continue the journey for 1 ¼ hours approx. until the community of Palcoyo (the starting point of the hike). On the way, enjoy an amazing view of the Andean landscapes, being able to see farm areas of potatoes, corn, alpaca farm as well as the “red river”, one of the most mesmerizing places in Peru.

Once in Palcoyo community, we will start hiking for about 45 minutes until we get to the viewpoint to appreciate three rainbow mountains (4900 meter-high), panoramic view of the Red Valley as well as the impressive Ausangate snow mountain (considered the highest mountain in Cusco). Then, continue walking for 20 minutes forward the “Bosque de Piedras” (Stone Forest), a stunning rocky attraction that dazzle its visitors. Here you’ll spend 2 hours exploring this place. Go back to Combapata (1.30 hours by van) to see a colonial bridge called Rumichaca built in 1604. Finish the tour at Checacupe village to appreciate three more bridges from different periods (Inca, Colonial and Republic times).

Finally, return to Cusco by vehicle, arriving to your hotel at 5:00pm approx. Minimum Altitude: 3.400 meters.

Maximum Altitude: 4,900 meters

Hiking time: Between 2  hours approx.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Full Day Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain Trek including box-

At the appropriate time, transfer to the Wanchaq train station to board the luxurious train towards the city of Puno. The once-in-a-lifetime adventure lasts approximately ten-hours-and-thirty-minutes.

At the start of the journey, you are welcomed at the train station, where local musicians will provide background music as you board the train. Once aboard, enjoy the two dining cars decorated in the style of the Pullman cars of the 1920s. Also, during the trip, enjoy the finest in gourmet food and indulgent afternoon tea. The quality of our personalized service is guaranteed. Absorb breathtaking landscapes in the open-air observation car, a dream for photographer’s keen to capture the quintessential panoramas. The route covered by the PeruRail Titicaca train is considered by many travel magazines to be one of the most beautiful in the world.

Welcome to Puno! Upon arrival to the train station, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to your hotel.

Notes:

The Titicaca train runs from Cusco to Puno on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays only

You can bring your carry-on bag aboard the train, and the rest of your luggage will be stored safely on the luggage car, where it will be carefully received and stored.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Transfer from Cusco hotel to Wanchaq station, in private service with English speaking Tour Leader
• Train Tickets: Peru Rail “Titicaca” Cusco / Puno
• Transfer from train station to Puno hotel, in private service with English speaking Tour

Today, you will visit and navigate over the Titicaca Lake, the highest navigable lake in the world. A full day tour by boat to the Uros Titinos and Taquile Island will show you the Andean culture. The lake contains numerous islands whose inhabitants continue to live as their ancestors have in custom and tradition.

“The Uros Titinos Floating Islands”, are a small community that has lived on these reed Islands for decades. Centuries ago the small indigenous Uros tribe conceived of the islands as a way to isolate and protect themselves from rival tribes, the Collas and the Incas. The Uros people harvested the reeds in the shallows of the lake, bundled them together tightly and built floating island platforms complete with reed houses and canoes, creating in this way their own little world.

After strolling around the floating Islands, you will continue towards the “Taquile Island” (1 hour approx.), about 2,200 people live on the island. Taquile is known for their kindness of their resident, their ancestral skill in weaving, their pre-Columbian constructions and lovely countryside. In this island you will find fine handwoven textiles and clothing, which are regarded as among the highest-quality handicrafts in Peru. Here, enjoy regional lunch.

By the afternoon, you will return to Puno by boat.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Transfer from Puno hotel to deck, in private service with English speaking Tour
• Full Day Lake Titicaca Titinos & Taquile including lunch
• Transfer from deck to Puno hotel, in private service with English speaking Tour

Pick up from your hotel and transfer to the western part of Puno. The bus ride to Sillustani lasts about 30 minutes and offers along the way fine wiews of the Titicaca Lake. At the archaeological site of Sillustani, our local guide will show you the most important sectors of the burial site and will give you a good insight into the Andean culture. Sillustani is a pre-Incan burial ground on the shores of Lake Umayo near Puno in Peru. The tombs, which are built above ground in tower-like structures called chullpas, are the vestiges of the Colla people, Aymara who were conquered by the Inca in the 15th century. The structures housed the remains of complete family groups, although they were probably limited to nobility. Your visit in Sillustani ends up with wonderful panoramic view if the Umayo Lake.

Finished the visit, you’ll be transferred to the airport to take your flight back to Lima. (Flight Tickets NOT included).

Upon arrival at Lima airport, you will be picked up by your guide and transferred to your hotel in Miraflores. Note: Check-out at hotel – 10h00AM.

<h3>Included Activities</h3>

• Transfer from Puno hotel to Juliaca airport, in private service with English speaking local tour
• Sillustani Ruins Visit
• Group Transfer from Lima airport to hotel, in private service with English speaking local tour.

<h3>Departure transfer</h3>

• Group Transfer from Lima hotel to airport, in private service with Spanish speaking local driver only.