Lima, Amazon, Machu Picchu & Cusco - 8 Days

Welcome to Peru! On arrival at the airport in Lima, make your own way to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Enjoy the morning at leisure. In the afternoon, we tour through Lima’s historic streets and plazas. We begin at Love Park in Miraflores, which offers wide views over the Pacific Ocean, before continuing to Huaca Pucllana, an important ceremonial centre of the Lima culture. From here, we make our way to the Main Square, home to the Government Palace and the Town Hall. We visit the Cathedral and explore the Santo Domingo Convent, where the corridors once walked by San Martin de Porras and Santa Rosa de Lima in the 17th century are preserved today, along with their final resting places.

Lima - Puerto Maldonado - Amazon Rainforest. After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your included flight to Puerto Maldonado. On arrival in this gateway to the Peruvian Amazon, you will be met and taken to Puerto Capitanía. Here, a riverboat awaits to carry you along the Rio Madre de Dios to the jungle lodge, around 30 km from town. In good weather, you may spot bright heliconias on the riverbanks and look out for local wildlife, including capybaras, caimans, water turtles, herons, cormorants, carrion birds, and birds of prey.

On arrival at the lodge, enjoy a welcome drink made from Amazon tropical fruits before settling into your bungalow. A hearty lunch follows in the rustic, open-air dining room. In the afternoon, your specialist guide leads a hike among tropical trees, medicinal plants, and diverse rainforest flora and fauna to a Shiringuero Camp, where rubber tapping remains an important local livelihood. Here you learn how latex is collected and transformed into everyday products.

Back at the lodge, you can relax by the pool or in a hammock on your terrace, sip an exotic cocktail at the bar, enjoy a massage, browse the small shop for handcrafted souvenirs, or walk down to the river to watch the sunset.

Before dinner, we head out on a nocturnal boat trip to observe caimans and, with luck, other wildlife active along the riverbank at night. We return to the lodge by 8pm for a generous dinner served in the riverside dining room.

Wake to the sounds of birdsong and the distant calls of howler monkeys as a new day begins in the jungle. We start early, departing at 5:30 am for Lake Sandoval. Your guide will provide a bagged breakfast and snacks before we board a boat for a 30-minute journey along the Rio Madre de Dios. We then begin a 3 km hike from the landing dock, passing through wild vegetation as we enter the Tambopata National Reserve. Along the way, you may encounter towering trees, snakes, and several monkey species, including squirrel, howler, and capuchin monkeys, as well as birdlife such as hoatzins, kingfishers, and snakebirds.

On reaching Lake Sandoval, we board small rowboats to search for giant river otters and look out for other reptiles, mammals, and birds in their natural habitat. When the guide finds a suitable spot, we pause to enjoy breakfast while continuing to observe the wildlife. After gathering your belongings, everyone will row back to the pier for the return trip. We arrive back at the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, we visit one of the two lookout towers at Corto Maltès Amazonía, standing at 20 and 42 metres. These platforms are designed for birdwatching and spotting wildlife that lives high in the canopy, and they offer an excellent vantage point for enjoying the sunset. Your guide will adjust the excursion based on group preferences. We also visit a Brazil nut camp, where harvesters live during the season and where you can learn about this important regional trade.

Back at the lodge, you have free time to relax by the pool, enjoy a massage, stop by the bar for a refreshing drink, or browse the souvenir shop before dinner.

Amazon Rainforest - Puerto Maldonado - Cusco. We wake at 5:30 am for coffee or tea before a 20-minute walk to the clay lick, where you may observe three to five species of parrots. They gather here to ingest a particular clay found only in select areas of the region, which plays an essential role in their metabolic balance.

We return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast before travelling back to Puerto Maldonado by boat. A vehicle meets us at the port to take us to the local market, where residents shop for everyday produce. During a brief 20-minute visit, you can explore the typical foods and products of the region. Afterwards, your guide transfers you to the airport for your included flight to Cusco.

On arrival in Cusco, you meet your guide and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, our city tour begins at San Cristobal Plaza for a panoramic view over the city. We continue to San Pedro Market to experience its local flavours and learn about the regional produce that supplies Cusco. From here we visit Korikancha, the Temple of the Sun, whose Quechua name means Gold Enclosure, once famed for its walls covered in gold. We then visit the adjoining Santo Domingo Church.

Our walk continues from San Blas, the artisans’ quarter, to Hatun Rumiyoc Street, stopping at the Inca Roca Palace, now home to the Archbishop’s Palace, and at the renowned Twelve Angle Stone. We finish at the Main Square with a visit to the Cathedral, known for its remarkable colonial artworks.

Please note: Entrance fees to Korikancha and the Cathedral are not included.

Cusco - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo - Machu Picchu. In the morning, we transfer to Ollantaytambo Train Station and depart the city for one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. On arrival at Aguas Calientes, our staff assist you as we board the bus that winds its way up to Machu Picchu, offering striking views of the Urubamba River and its steep canyon.

Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, impresses with its terraces, ceremonial areas, stairways, and finely planned urban spaces. We explore the site on a guided tour and take in the remarkable atmosphere of this mountaintop sanctuary. Afterwards, we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. At the scheduled time, we take the train back to Ollantaytambo and continue by car to our hotel in Cusco.

Enjoy the day at leisure, with the option to book one of several suggested excursions.

Optional: Full Day Sacred Valley Tour with Lunch The Sacred Valley of the Incas offers sweeping views and excellent opportunities for photography. You begin with a stop at Awanacancha, a small complex where you can see Andean camelids such as alpacas and llamas and learn about traditional dyeing and weaving techniques. Later, explore the Pisac Market with free time to browse for handicrafts. If you feel like trying something traditional, stop by the wood ovens for a warm empanada or fresh bread. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to Ollantaytambo, a picturesque town inhabited since Inca times. Here you visit the main temple, once used as a fortress during the Inca resistance.

Optional: Half Day Biking This adventure takes you into the highlands above Cusco. You will be collected from your hotel and driven to the upper reaches of the city, where you can enjoy remarkable views. After testing your bike and receiving a safety briefing, you choose a descent route suited to your experience, ranging from paved paths to single-track roads. The route is adapted to your skill level. You return to central Cusco at the end of the ride.

Optional: Half Day Visit to the Archaeological Park of Sacsayhuaman (Group Tour) Escape the crowds as you visit Sacsayhuaman, an impressive citadel of massive stone walls surrounded by sweeping landscapes. Continue to Qenqo, an Inca shrine with a carved rock altar, before heading to Puca Pucara, a watchtower, and Tambomachay, known for its remarkable stonework. You then return to your hotel in Cusco.

Optional: Half Day Visit to the Archaeological Park of Sacsayhuaman (Private Tour) This private tour follows the same route as the group visit, offering more flexibility as you explore Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay before returning to your hotel.

Optional: Cusco at Night (Group Tour) Discover Cusco after dark, beginning with a visit to the Church and Convent of San Francisco, known for housing one of South America’s largest oil paintings, its choir, and its burial chambers. Continue to the Saint Christopher viewpoint for a panoramic night-time view of the city. The tour concludes with a Pisco Sour class.

Optional: Cusco at Night (Private Tour) This private version follows the same route as the group tour, offering a more personalised experience.

Optional: Full Day Premium Sacred Valley Tour with Lunch Explore some of the Sacred Valley’s most iconic sites. Begin in Chinchero, a picturesque Andean town known for its skilled women weavers. Visit a textile centre to see traditional dyeing and spinning techniques and explore the Inca archaeological complex and its colonial church. Continue to Moray, a remarkable Inca site with concentric terraces that once functioned as an agricultural laboratory. After lunch in a local restaurant, visit the archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo, an important Inca military, religious, and agricultural centre. Highlights include the Temple of the Ten Windows, the baths of the ñusta, and the Temple of the Sun. From the terraces, enjoy superb views that capture the essence of the Sacred Valley.

Optional: Half Day Andean Horseback Riding You will be collected from your hotel for a short drive to the starting point. Enjoy a two and a half hour ride through scenic fields, traditional Andean villages, and views of nearby Inca sites. The experience ends at the Temple of the Moon, where you leave your horse and drive back to the city. You then return to your hotel in Cusco.

Your tour comes to an end today, after breakfast and hotel check-out. No transfer is included, so make your own way to the airport or your next destination.