Peru Exploration with Southern Amazon

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Lima

  Welcome to Lima! Upon arrival, your local guide will greet you and escort you to the hotel. After checking in, you will then be free to settle the jet lag, relax or explore at your own leisure.

  Optional: You are highly recommended to join in a five-hour mouth-watering Lima Culinary Group Tour starting from 4:30pm.

  • Lima

• Day 2: Lima - Cusco

  After breakfast, you will be driven to the airport and take a 75-minute flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, a local guide will meet you at the airport and escort you to the hotel for checking in. You will then take a rest and get yourself adjusted to the altitude (Cusco is 3,400 meter/10,200 ft above sea-level).

  Later, you will have an afternoon Cusco City Tour to uncover the history of the mysterious city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas which once served as a Spanish colonial center. Your first stop is a Dominican monastery - the sacred Qurikancha. Referred to as the 'Golden Courtyard' in Inca times, it was literally covered with gold. Later, proceed to the city's massive Main Cathedral, featuring a unique collection of art from the Cusquena school. Followed by a visit to the incredible archaeological complex of Sacsaywaman, which is for its impressive stonework and superb workmanship. You will also explore various Incan religious and military sites during this trip.

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  • Cusco

• Day 3: Cusco City Highlights

  You will have a busy day ahead which will commence with a visit to Awanacancha, where you will learn more about Andean camelids as well as traditional textile production. At the mysterious Pisaq Archaeological Park, you will explore the ancient castles, temples and the impressive stone labyrinth. You will also not want to miss the bustling Pisac Market, from where the locally made handicrafts offer the best in Peruvian culture. The perfect end to a pleasant day - the Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park will serve as your last stop today.

  After the tour, you will take a high-speed train to Aguas Calientes by Peru Rail. Once you arrive at the Aguas Calientes station, you will be picked up by a hotel staff member who will escort you to the hotel for check-in.

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  • Cusco

• Day 4: Cusco - Machu Picchu Mountain

  For anyone with an interest in ancient civilizations, the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu Mountain is unmissable. The ruined city is perched high on a sacred mountain and has come to be symbolic of the ancient and mysterious pre-Columbian world of the Inca Empire. The elusive city ruins offer an insight into the culture, religious ceremonies and atmosphere of the Inca world. During the tour, you will explore the main areas of the Inca Citadel, such as the ritual baths, the Palace of the Princess, the main Fountain, the Intihuatana and the Temple of the Sun. Along with your formal touring, feel free to wander around and marvel at your own pace - a great way to appreciate the splendour of this famous site. In the afternoon, you will proceed to the bustling town of Aguas Calientes, where you can find a pleasant café for lunch, before returning to the hotel. Your local guide will then send you to the local train station for the connecting service back to Poroy Station. Upon arrival, you will be met and escorted to Cuzco for an overnight stay.

  Optional: A Climb to the top of the Huayna Picchu Mountain (Machu Picchu) ( 2-2.5 hours) is available but we'd remind you that this is a strenuous climb and please take your physical fitness into consideration in advance.'

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  • Cusco

• Day 5: Free at Leisure in Cusco

  Free at leisure in Cusco, the Inca capital of Peru. You will have a chance to relax and enjoy the area on your own.

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  • Cusco

• Day 6: Cusco - Puerto Maldonado

  Today, you will be transferred to Cusco airport for a 1.5 hours' flight to Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival, you will be greeted at the airport by a lodge staff member who will escort you on the 10-minute join-in bus to Puerto Maldonado headquarters. The city is known as the 'Gateway to the southern Amazon'. From there, you will be transferred to the lodge for an overnight stay.

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  • Puerto Maldonado

• Day 7: Puerto Maldonado, Oxbow Lake & Canopy Tower

  You will take the morning trip to paddle around the winding Oxbow Lake on a canoe or a catamaran, from where a plethora of lakeside wildlife, including hoatzin (an unusual exotic bird), caiman and horned screamers, will capture your attention - as will the noisy macaws flying above - a testament to the rich ecosystem here! This will be followed by a 30-minute walk from the lodge to the Canopy Tower built upon high ground, with the purpose of offering the visitor a splendid panorama looking out towards the Tambopata National Reserve, where you will admire mixed species of canopy flocks as well as toucans, macaws and other avian life.

  After lunch, head to a nearby farm to see a variety of prominent and lesser-known Amazon crops grown there. Following the ethnobotanical tour along the trail, you will find a variety of plants and trees which serve a variety of purposes for locals, among which you can gain some insight into the medicinal usage of Ajo-Sacha and Yuca de Venado, among several others.

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  • Puerto Maldonado

• Day 8: Puerto Maldonado, Parrot Clay Lick & Brazil Nut Forest

  A 15-minute morning boat ride and 1-hour walk will bring you to the charming Parrot Clay Lick, where you will see parrots and parakeets literally ingesting the clay on a bank when they are mostly active at dawn. At the clay lick, dusky headed and Cobalt winged Parakeet also descend here. It is possible to see some of the following species here, including Mealy and Yellow-crowned Amazons, Blue-headed Pionus, Severe macaw and so on.

  After lunch, a relatively short hike from your lodge is the beautiful old Brazil Nut forest, where the precarious remains of a camp used two months a year by Brazil Nut gatherers can still be experienced. You will take the chance to observe how the rainforest's only sustainable harvested product is collected and dried. And then walk to the nearby Mammal Clay Lick, with wild rainforest pigs showing up in herds of five to twenty - like the parrots, clay is also part of their diet. Other wild animals can also be seen, including deer, guan and parakeets.

  After dinner, opt to take a night walk when many nocturnal mammals are active, although colourful and noisy tropical frogs are probably more prominent.

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  • Puerto Maldonado

• Day 9: Puerto Maldonado - Lima

  Transfer to the Puerto Maldonado airport for your flight to Lima in the morning. Upon arrival, you will be escorted to your hotel in Miraflores. The remainder day is free for you.

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  • Lima

• Day 10: Lima, Departure

  This morning, you will spend about 3 hours on a Lima City and Huaca Huallamarca Tour. Firstly, get an impression of Lima by walking through the key landmarks including Lima's Main Plazas, the Presidential Palace, Convent of San Francisco and the Catacombs. After that, make your impression of Lima alive at the San Isidro District, an upscale neighborhood with the city's best restaurants, and renowned shopping districts. Later, you will visit Huaca Huallamarca, an archaeological site hidden in the modern buildings (closed on Monday).

  After the tour, drive back to Miraflores District. Stroll around the Park of Love and Larcomar and relax with the stunning view of the Pacific Ocean. Your private driver will pick you up at the agreed time and transfer you to the airport for your homebound flight.

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