After a long trip from your home country, arrive at the Lima Airport from where we will transfer you to your accommodation. Take this opportunity to rest, order some good food, and get a good night’s sleep before your Peru adventure begins.

If you arrive earlier in the day, you may be able to squeeze in a Lima walking tour or visit one of the many parks along the Malecon from where you can enjoy some amazing views of the Pacific Ocean.

After breakfast, it is time to gather your things and head back to the airport from where we will fly deep into the Amazon Rainforest to the city of Iquitos. Once we arrive in Iquitos, it will be time to board our luxury river boat cruise ship. After we have an opportunity to meet the captain and crew and discuss our itinerary as well as some important things to remember when you are on the ship, we will get to enjoy an exciting nighttime safari.

The nighttime safari is the perfect opportunity to see some of the jungle’s nocturnal animals like bats, black caimans, frogs, and more. The first thing you will notice when embarking on the jungle night safari is how loud and intense the insects and various jungle wildlife can be at night. Also, the night sky in the Amazon is out of this world with stars that seem to number in the billions.  

After the night safari, you are free to rest in your cabin, visit with other passengers, or grab a cocktail at the ship’s bar. Tonight, we will sleep on the ship.

After spending some time enjoying the ship’s amenities and eating breakfast, it is time for our first Amazon excursion. Today, we will go with our guide to walk through Parque Natural Amazonas where we will learn about the various jungle plants that are used for medicine. The Amazon is home to some miracle plants that have been identified for their medicinal properties. Learn about the plants, their applications, and the benefits they can bring to modern medicine.

After learning about medicinal plants with our local guide, it is time for some adventure on the water. In the afternoon, we will be kayaking and paddleboarding along the Yanayacu Pucate River. Don’t worry, our captain and guides know exactly where it is safe to swim and where you may be able to spot some pink river dolphins.

Later on in the day, we will head to some parts of the river where swimming is no longer safe due to the presence of fierce piranhas. This is when we will switch to fishing poles to see what we can catch. Piranha fishing can be extremely fun with plenty of excitement.

After fishing, it is time to enjoy a first-class dinner aboard the ship before we break for the evening. Again, in the evening, feel free to take in the stars, drink some wine, and spend time with your group and others who may be traveling with you.

After another relaxing night on the ship, we wake up early for a quick breakfast before we head out on a jungle adventure. Today, we will walk through the jungle looking for picture-worthy flora and fauna along the way. Have your camera ready as we are on the lookout for capybaras, sloths, monkeys, macaws, toucans, and anything else we may stumble upon. After a few hours of meandering through the Amazon, we will visit a local indigenous community to learn about how they live, what they eat, and what life is like in such a remote region of the world. 

After our visit to the local community, it is time to return to the ship and head to the Union de los Rios. If you have not had a chance to see the majestic pink river dolphin, there is a good chance you will see some at this spot where the rivers converge. 

After a full day of adventuring, it is time once again to enjoy the exquisite five-star dining experience that the ship and its amazing crew have to offer. After dinner, it is time to relax once again and enjoy your last night on the ship.

We hope you slept well last night because today is going to be a long one. First, we will go to the market in Nauta and learn about the exotic fruits and the fishermen’s daily catch of native fish and how they are bought and sold. Next, we will disembark the ship and say goodbye to our wonderful captain and crew as we head to the airport. Before we arrive at the airport, we will make a stop at the Amazon Forever Rescue Center where we can see some freshwater river manatees that are being rehabilitated and released back into the wild. Although the center mainly focuses on manatees, there is a good chance you could encounter a number of other Amazon mammals — so again, have your camera ready to take some pictures.

Once we arrive at the airport, we will board our flight to the city of Cusco high up in the Andes. Arriving in Cusco, we will go by private transport directly to our hotel in the Sacred Valley. Don’t worry we will return to Cusco! We do this for your benefit so that you can more easily acclimate to the elevation in the lower-lying Sacred Valley. Cusco at 3,400 meters above sea level can be a bit tough for travelers just arriving from the jungle lowlands. 

Once at the hotel, we can relax and enjoy the beautiful mountainous surroundings and blue skies of the Valley.

After recovering from the first half of our Peru adventure, it is time to get back at it with a full day of exploring the Sacred Valley. After breakfast, we begin the day with a hike up to the archaeological complex above Pisac. These ruins and terraces are famous for their size and stunning views of Pisac and the Urubamba River. After spending some time in and around the ruins and taking pictures, we will hike back down to the quaint little village of Pisac. Pisac is a famous tourist destination known for its unique restaurants, crafts market, and friendly locals.

After lunch, it is time to head by private transport to the town of Ollantaytambo. The fortress of Ollantaytambo is an important tourist destination filled with historical and cultural sites including the two sets of ruins. Our guide will take us on a tour of the main Ollantaytambo ruins as well as give us a detailed explanation of what the structures were used for and how they became one of the last lines of defense against the Spanish during the Inquisition. 

After touring the town, we will head back to check in at our hotel and break for the day. Tonight, we sleep peacefully beneath the stars in the Sacred Valley as we prepare to head to Machu Picchu early the next morning.

After breakfast, we will head to the train station in Ollantaytambo to board one of the most famous trains in the world. Our 1.5-hour train ride will take us through the cloud forest to reach the picturesque village of Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is the small town that lies beneath Machu Picchu and it is where we will stay. After arriving in the town, we will drop off our stuff at the hotel and prepare only a small bag before catching the bus that will take us up to the gates of Machu Picchu. 

Once we arrive at Machu Picchu, our bilingual guide will walk us through the ancient citadel while explaining what life was like for one of the 500 inhabitants thought to live in the citadel. At the same time, we will learn about important Incan cultural and spiritual practices that took place during the time of Machu Picchu.

After our two and a half hour tour of the ancient citadel, it is time to head back down the mountain and return to the hotel. You are free to explore the town of Aguas Calientes, enjoy one of the many different restaurants near the center, or take advantage of some of the amenities of our accommodation.

Waking up in Aguas Calientes, you have a few options for how you would like to spend the first half of the day. If you would like to visit Machu Picchu again you are free to do so including one of the optional hikes to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain. If you do one of the optional hikes, keep in mind that you will need to leave early in the morning as they can take some time to complete. If more hiking is not what you prefer, then you can buy some handicrafts at the local shops, walk to hot springs at the edge of town for a soothing dip, or sign up for a relaxing massage.

At around lunchtime, we can gather our stuff and meet for a nice lunch before we board the train once again for our return to Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo, we will go by private transport to Cusco where we will spend the night.

After a wonderful breakfast, we will pack our day packs and head out for the Cusco City Tour. The Cusco City Tour starts by visiting the Qorikancha or Golden Temple, considered the most important religious center of the Incas. We will also visit the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral of Cusco, to admire its beautiful architecture and colonial paintings before we get on the tour bus that will take us to visit four nearby archaeological centers: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay.

After the tour, you are free to return to the hotel to rest or continue exploring the city of Cusco on your own. You will also have plenty of free time to explore the city as you wish and stock up on some gifts for friends and family back home. Also, be sure to ask our bilingual guide for some stellar restaurant recommendations or for a good place to grab a Pisco Sour. Tonight, we sleep in Cusco.

Today it is time to say goodbye. If you are returning to your home country, please coordinate with us ahead of time so we can arrange transportation for you and your group to the airport. If you are continuing your travels in Peru, don’t forget to ask us about any of the other tours that we can offer to guide you through the capital city of Lima, the world-famous Colca Canyon, or the stunning Lake Titicaca. If you will be traveling on your own, safe journeys and thank you for choosing to spend time with us during your Peru holiday.