Mystical Amazon & Andean Highlights

• Meet your transfer to the airport for an early flight from Lima to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon rainforest. Upon arrival, a representative will meet you at the airport and accompany you to the port for your transfer by boat to your jungle lodge. As you leave the city of Puerto Maldonado behind, you’ll soon be enveloped in the completely different world of the surrounding rainforest as you travel up the Tambopata River, the jungle’s canopy towering on either side.
• Upon arrival at the lodge, you’ll have time to settle in and relax as well as meet your guide and learn about the variety of activities that you will enjoy during your stay. Many of the lodges are located within the territory of the Ese’eja native community, and are built with the same materials and architectural techniques as those used by native communities throughout the Amazon. In the evening, you’ll enjoy a delicious dinner and have the rest of the evening at your leisure.

• Mornings in the jungle always start early and today you’ll set out at dawn for your first Amazon adventure. Today, you may be able to spot caimans, turtles, hoatzins, toucans, and–if you’re lucky–endangered giant river otters that can reach a length of six feet! Morning tends to be the best time of day to see a variety of wildlife. You’ll then return to the lodge for lunch, before setting out for another adventure with your expert naturalist guide. This afternoon will focus on flora, and your guide will walk with you through the forest, pointing out hidden jungle inhabitants and numerous indigenous plants.
• After dinner, you’ll head out into the jungle again for a night walk. Once the sun goes down, the jungle comes to life with a completely new assortment of nocturnal creatures that come out. Visitors often say that experiencing the jungle at night, on a dark trail with only a flashlight, is an unforgettable experience. Alternatively, you can simply relax to the sounds of the jungle in your cabana hammock.

Note: The exact order of activities may vary due to weather conditions and other considerations. Your Amazon guide will provide details about the activities that you will enjoy each day.

• After breakfast, you’ll go for a jungle hike to learn more about how the forest is used by the local communities in everyday life. During the hike, you may see toucans as well as numerous other species of birds, different species of monkeys and even occasional sloths.
• You’ll return to the lodge for lunch and will have time to rest and relax before setting out for another tour. This time, you’ll learn more about human life in the jungle, examining the type of fruits and vegetables that local communities grow. Return before dark to the jungle lodge for your last evening in the Peruvian rainforest.

Note: The exact order of activities may vary due to weather conditions and other considerations. Your Amazon guide will provide details about the activities that you will enjoy each day.

• Say goodbye to the jungle as you make your way back to town and the airport for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival at the Cusco airport, our representative will meet you for the drive to the historic center. On the way, spot examples of Spanish colonial architecture constructed upon the remains of ancient Inca palaces and temples.
• The city is at high altitude, so you spend the remainder of the day taking it easy as you acclimatize. Overnight in Cusco.

• Spend the morning at your leisure. This is a good time to explore some of Cusco’s less-visited attractions including the famous San Pedro Market, the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas, or one of Cusco’s many fine museums.
• In the afternoon, an expert guide will take you to some of the world’s best archeological sites, including the beautiful Cusco Cathedral, the sacred Temple of the Sun or Qoricancha, and the spectacular Sacsayhuaman fortress. In the late afternoon, you’ll return to your Cusco hotel. Spend the evening at your leisure enjoying the local cuisine, music, and the splendor of Cusco at night.

• Explore the beautiful Peruvian countryside with a full-day tour of the magical Sacred Valley, home to several royal estates of Incan emperors. First, you will visit the town of Pisac, famous for its bustling indigenous market and for the beautiful Incan ruins on the hillside overlooking the city. Following your visit to Pisac, you will stop for lunch (not included) at a buffet restaurant offering a variety of Peruvian and international food near the town of Urubamba, named after the sacred river that flows through the region.
• Next, you will visit the spectacular fortress of Ollantaytambo. These magnificent Incan ruins that were part of the royal estate of the Incan emperor Pachacuti. Later, you will be taken to your comfortable hotel in the Sacred Valley. If you’ve selected a hotel in Ollantaytambo, you can continue exploring the traditional Incan town at your leisure.

• After breakfast at your Sacred Valley hotel, you will take a train to Machu Picchu, the hidden Inca citadel. This hour-and-a-half to two-hour train journey is one of the most scenic in the world, winding through mountain, river valleys, high jungle and mystical cloud forests. Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu, you will be met at the train station and accompanied to the bus station for a 20-minute ride up to the citadel.
• Next, you will meet your expert, English-speaking guide for a tour of the most important sites in Machu Picchu, including the Intihuatana (Sun Stone), the Sun Temple, and the Room of 3 Windows. Plus you’ll be able to marvel at lush mountains that mystically conceal the ruins. In the late afternoon, you will take a comfortable train back to Cusco and then be transferred to your Cusco hotel for the evening.

Optional: If you would like to spend more time at Machu Picchu, this package can be customized to include an overnight stay in Aguas Calientes, which will allow you to make a second visit to the enigmatic citadel. On this second day, a Huayna Picchu and/or Machu Picchu Mountain hike can be added to your itinerary, to get a bird’s eye view of the ruins.

• After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the bus terminal for your journey to Puno.The bus ride lasts between 9 and 10 hours, and you will travel on a comfortable tourist bus that includes a stop for lunch, as well as guided visits to several ruins and tourist sites along the way.
• You will arrive in Puno in the early evening and our representative will meet you at the bus station and accompany you to your hotel. Many of our recommended hotels are located along the lakeshore, so you will be able to take in views of the lake as you rest and relax.

• Be sure to fuel up this morning, as this full-day experience will last around 9 hours. Your Lake Titicaca tour will take you to two of the lake’s most fascinating islands. First, the floating Uros islands are composed of about 32 islands constructed of many layers of totora reeds. While visiting the islands, you’ll be given the chance to learn about local customs, explore the reed homes, and ride on reed boats.
• This exciting tour continues to Taquile Island, located about 30 miles by boat from Puno. During the boat ride, you’ll be able to enjoy amazing views of Lake Titicaca, perched at 12,500 feet in elevation, and of the surrounding peninsulas. You will visit the most important sites of the island and embark on a rigorous hike to a jaw-dropping viewpoint. Next, you’ll have time to enjoy a local lunch (not included), before your return by boat to Puno. You’ll arrive back in Puno in the early evening and will have time to relax in your hotel at your leisure.

Note: Visiting Taquile requires a strenuous climb up 500 steps to the main part of the island. Elevation ranges from around 12,000 ft at the lakeshore up to 13,000+ ft at the highest point. Please take care with the high altitude..

• After breakfast at your hotel, meet your transfer to the airport for your journey home.

Alternatively, continue your exciting Peru vacation by choosing one of our additional exciting Puno tours, or browse our full range of Peru travel destinations to continue your exploration of this country’s wonders.