The Unmissable of Peru (11D/10N)

DAY 1: WELCOME TO LIMA & VISIT THE CITY OF KINGS AND QUEENS

• Pick up from the airport at the agreed time and transfer to the hotel Casa Andina Premium. (Recommended flight arrival time: 10 am.)
• 2:00 pm: We are going to pick you up from your hotel and with our expert local guide we’ll take you to a fascinating walking tour around our historical center. It’s different as classic and unique, we will show you Palaces and castles our city hides, we are also going to take you to the great Saint Francisco Monastery and the impressive underground Catacombs!
• For sure we won’t miss the opportunity to visit the most important square in the whole country; “The Main Square (Plaza de Armas)” where you will learn together about the history of such a historic square! Beside this, you will get the best angles to photograph (from the outside) the Archbishop’s Palace, the City Hall of Lima and the Cathedral. Other great places to visit are: “San Martin Square”, “De la Union Pathway”, the lovely surrounded wooden balconies of the palaces and mansions and the highest tower (40m) in Lima that belongs to Saint Dominick Convent.
• After the tour we will take you back to your hotel.

Overnight in Lima
Meals included: none

DAY 2: LAST LITTLE WILDLIFE REFUGE & LIMA’S HIGHLIGHTS

• 9:00 am: Pick up from your hotel and transfer to the Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge.
• Located just at 40 minutes from the bustling city of Lima, lies a hidden natural paradise. Come with us and let´s escape from the big city! We will take you to discover the great variety of fauna and flora that this natural reserve treasures! During your tour, you will see impressive natural lakes and learn about native and migratory birds that have made from this nature reserve their cozy home.
• Besides, in this natural reserve exists a wide variety of reeds, marsh plants, fishes, reptiles, aquatic insects, etc. Great opportunity to learn about them!
• 1:00 pm: Lunch in local restaurant. The adventure continues in the afternoon.
• 2:00 pm: We are going to pick you up from your accommodation or meeting point and with our expert local guide we’ll take you to a fascinating tour. Our first visit will be to one of the highest points of the city, located in Chorrillos district to go towards the historical “Morro Solar” (300 masl), where an outstanding view will be waiting for us and we will be able to learn about the history of this spot and Peru in general.
• The next spot to visit is the bohemian and artistic district of Barranco which is the smallest district of Lima. We will visit the “plaza”, the romantic and mysthical “Puente de los suspiros”. In addition, we will take a look at the beautiful art murals on the very small and narrow street’s walls of this traditional neighborhood.
• After Barranco, our visit will take part in the colorful and famous district of Miraflores, where we will visit the romantic “Parque Del Amor” that has a very artsy sculpture made by a well-recognized local artist called Victor Delfín and it offers a panoramic view of the Peruvian sea. Then, we go towards “Parque Kennedy” for a walk throughout the park and to have a very nice conversation about the history of such a popular place and of course, watch and pet the cats living in this park and on the trees.
• Time for food! We go to a very traditional Local market in Surquillo district, where we will learn about many products we grow and harvest in our country and also learn about the Peruvian gastronomy, We will have a fruit tasting to enjoy the native and exotic products brought from different regions of Peru (Coast, Andes and Amazon) and then, have lunch at a very local restaurant where typical and native food is prepared and it is also very visited by locals.
• After the tour we will take you back to your hotel

  Overnight in Lima
  Meals included: lunch.

DAY 3: WELCOME TO TAMBOPATA (MADRE DE DIOS)

• Transfer from the Casa Andina Premium hotel to the airport. (Recommended flight departure time: 9:00 am, make sure to arrive before 12:30 hrs.)
• 12:00 pm Arrive in Puerto Maldonado, capital of Madre de Dios, and join a 1-hour bus and a 2.5 boat journey to the lodge. Your first taste of the Amazon culinary will be in the river while you leave the city to enjoy the amazing jungle landscapes.
• As we cross the confluence with the Malinowski River, we will leave the final traces of human habitation behind. Within the 700,000 hectares uninhabited nucleus of the reserve, sightings of capybara, caiman, geese, macaws and other large species will become more frequent.
• Tambopata Research Center awaits – a spacious boutique eco-lodge, with bar, a massage center, and buffet service in the heart of National Reserve of Tambopata, being the only lodge inside the reserve surrounded by dozens of macaw nests belonging to the Macaw Project.
• Accommodation includes rooms from 21 mts to 83 mts suites with a private bathroom and an open window 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. We assign guides on private small groups of 6:1
• This afternoon join the Overlook a three to five-kilometer hike will lead us to overlooks commanding magnificent views of the Tambopata winding its way into the lowlands. The forest on this trail, regenerating on the old bamboo forest, is good for Howler Monkey and Dusky Titi Monkey.
• You will have the option of hiking out at night when most of the mammals are active but difficult to see. Easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.

Overnight in Madre de Dios
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

DAY 4: JOIN A PARTY OF COLORS AND SOUNDS

• On most clear mornings of the year, dozens of large macaws and hundreds of parrots congregate on this large river bank in a raucous and colorful spectacle that inspired a National Geographic cover story. Discretely located fifty meters from the cliff, we will observe Green-winged, Scarlet, and Blue-and-gold Macaws and several species of smaller parrots descend to ingest clay. Outings are at dawn when the lick is most active.
• This five-kilometer trail covers the prototypical rain forest with immense trees crisscrossed by creeks and ponds. Amongst the figs, ceibas, and shihuahuacos we will go for a monkey search Squirrel, Brown Capuchin, and Spider Monkeys as well as peccaries. TRC is located within this habitat.
• Ten minutes upriver from the lodge explore the island where is a tiny pond with a platform in the middle. It is a great place to spot waterfowl such as Muscovy duck, sunbittern and hoatzin along with the woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers, and parakeets that call this pond their home.
• After dinner scientists will provide a night lecture, an in-depth look at the biology of macaws, their feeding habits, the theories for clay lick use, their breeding and feeding ecology, population fluctuations and the threats to their conservation.

Overnight in Madre de Dios
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

DAY 5 EXPLORE THE AMAZONIAN FOREST

• 

  Every morning is different at the clay lick, because of that you have another chance to join the morning excursion

• An entirely different habitat characterized by smaller, thinner trees atop hills and slopes is covered by this five-kilometer trail of terra firme forest. Saddleback tamarins are frequently found here. As we walk near the limits of the swamp we will also keep our eyes open for rare tapir tracks.
• Growing on the remains of an oxbow lake and providing both arboreals as well as terrestrial mammals with fruits throughout the year, the aguaje palms are one of the most important food sources in the rainforest. Demand for these fruits and great conditions for planting rice makes the palm swamp also one of the most threatened habitats.

Overnight in Madre de Dios
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

DAY 6: LET’S ADVENTURE TO THE CREEK

• A different kind of Terra Firme forest on a half-day activity is available daily. Crossed by several creeks that will eventually reach the Tambopata River, walk in the opposite direction of the river, where you will focus on forest and ecology on this creek trail.
• Twilight descends early in the jungle. Under the thick tree cover of the rainforest, darkness falls quickly, when the light cannot slip through the foliage any longer. Now, as afternoon slips into evening, you’re about to see one of the world’s most spectacular sunsets. The Sunset Cruise floats down the wide river, countless oranges and pinks reflecting off the water in lovely patterns.

Overnight in Madre de Dios
Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

DAY 7: THANK YOU! (TAMBOPATA)

• The boat departs around 6:00 hrs.
• We will leave you in the airport in Madre de Dios.
• Your visit will make a direct contribution to Wired Amazon and the National Reserve of Tambopata.
• Take your flight to Cusco.

Suggested flight schedule: Madre de Dios depart (08:40am) – Cusco arrival (10:00am)

ARRIVAL TO CUSCO 

• Cusco Airport Transfer: At your arrival in Cusco, we will assist you at the airport and transport to your hotel.
• The rest of the day is free to rest in order to avoid ill effects due to the high altitude.

Overnight at the Hotel in Cusco.
Meals included: Breakfast

DAY 8: TOUR TO THE SACRED VALLEY (PISAC & OLLANTAYTAMBO)

• Hotel breakfast; pick up from the hotel at 07:30 am. We embark on a journey to the Inca’s Sacred Valley, beginning in Pisac, 31 km from Cusco. The old Incan archaeological site is on the summit of a mountain. There have the chance to witness the impressive stonemasonry skill of our ancient ancestors.
• Afterward, go down into the quaint little town and wander through its colorful market to buy intricate, hand-crafted products.
• Next, have lunch at a nearby restaurant.
• We next go to Ollantaytambo, an Inca military, religious, and agricultural hub perched on a mountain. Unlike other little villages, this one has retained its original Incan architecture, with magnificent stone structures and winding alleyways.
• Following the tour, we go to the Ollantaytambo railway station to board the train to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival, guests will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel.

Overnight at the Hotel in Aguas Calientes.
Meals Included: Lunch.
Vistadome train — Ollantaytambo (19:04) – Aguas Calientes (20:45)

DAY 9: VISIT MACHU PICCHU

• Hotel breakfast; at 06:00 am. Take a bus to the Machu Picchu archaeological site (2,430m/7,972ft). Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, the mountaintop fortress earned every bit of its notoriety.
• Around 07:30 am, the guided tour begins; the guide expertly directs through the astounding ruins and main streets. Then wander around the town squares and climb the intricately carved stairways made of stone. Machu Picchu is considered the world’s spiritual center by esoteric wisdom.
• The guided tour takes around two hours and 30 minutes.
• From 12:30 pm to 13:30, take the bus to Aguas Calientes.
• From 13:30 to 15:00, take lunch at a local restaurant in Aguas Calientes.
• Return to Cusco: Board the train to return to Cusco later in the day. Arrive at Poroy station and then be picked up and transported to the Cusco hotel.

Overnight at the Hotel in Cusco.
Meals Included: Lunch.
Vistadome train — Aguas Calientes (15:20) – Cusco (19:05)
We attempt to book tickets on this train. However, we may need to book an alternative service if the timetable changes or the trains are unavailable.

DAY 10: COLORFUL CUSCO WALKING TOUR – FLIGHT TO LIMA

• Hotel breakfast; hotel pickup at 09:00 am. The walking tour starts in the colorful San Pedro market; there is probably no better place to witness Cusquean life. Enjoy a first-hand look at how residents live day-to-day outside the postcard perfection of Cusco’s main square. The guide explains this market’s history as its wanders through the narrow aisles laden with colorful fabrics, meals, fruit juice, bread, and shaman stalls.
• After, we visit Cusco’s main square. This busy and vibrant space marks the city’s colonial center, featuring wide stone pathways and well-kept colorful gardens.
• Afterward, we will go to Qorikancha, where Santo Domingo’s convent sits atop the ancient temple. For some unknown reason, numerous invaders were awed by the splendor of this temple when they first arrived because, according to tradition, it was fully gold-plated.
• The tour ends around 13:00.
• At 15:00, transfer from the hotel to the Cusco airport.
• This is the end of our service but if you would like to stay 1 or more days in Lima please let us know to send you the extra fee.

Meals Included: None
Suggested flight schedule: Cusco (5:30 pm) – Lima (6:50 pm)

*END OF OUR SERVICES*

• From 2 people up: 3410 USD each

• All transfers mentioned in the itinerary
• Guided in Spanish and English
• Meals mentioned in the itinerary
• Complete feeding in Tambopata Research
• All river transportation in Tambopata
• All entrance fees to the mentioned places
• Lodging in hotels as well
• 24/7 advice

• International or domestic flights
• Tips
• Meals not described
• Visa or Passport procederes
• Additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations
• Alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks,
• Insurance of any kind
• Laundry
• Guided in another language not described
• Souvenirs

• On Summer season; Sunblock, comfortable walking shoes and clothes, a hat, sunglasses, and water.
• On winter season; all named items plus wind jacket. and spare battery for your camera.