After a long and tiring journey you’ll probably want to relax. We will pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel to get some well-deserved rest. If you arrive earlier in the day, feel free to enjoy some fine dining in the city or take a stroll along the Pacific coast. Miraflores, Barranco, and the downtown historic center are the three most popular districts for tourists looking to get a feel for the capital city. Make sure to get some rest tonight as we will be back to the airport tomorrow to head to the Amazon.

Your Peru itinerary gets exciting today. You will be flying from Lima to the airport in Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival, you will be taken to the tour office before we begin our jungle trip. You only need to pack the necessary items you want to take into the jungle, leaving the rest of your luggage in our secure storage. Once we are ready to set out, we will go by boat along the Rio Madre de Dios to the Tambopata Lodge. Along the way, you’ll get to see some wonderful sights from the colorful flora and towering trees to exciting wildlife on and off the water.

After being welcomed by the lodge manager, you will head out on an exciting night walk. It is darker and more difficult to see, but this is when some interesting animals come out of hiding to roam the jungle. If you’re lucky you’ll see some interesting species of frogs and insects as well as some other nocturnal animals, like praying mantis and giant spiders … just watch out for any caiman that may be sleeping along the river shores.

You have a very exciting day ahead today. One of the reasons why Peru holidays are so wonderful is that you get to experience so many different things. You will be journeying for four and a half hours this morning into the heart of the reserve to the research center. You won’t see any more people about, just plenty of intriguing wild animals. 

Once you arrive at the lodge, you will have your choice of many different activities. You are free to explore the grounds of the hotel, visit the spa, relax, or choose an excursion from the many options offered by the resort.

Choose from the following quarter and half-day excursions.

• Quarter day: Conception nature walk, twilight river ride at dusk, rainforest night walk, botanical garden, local farm visit, or wildlife viewing.
• Half day: Gamitana farm visit, cacao plantation, Brazilian nut farm, cocha, canopy elevated walkway, or a visit to Lake Sandoval.
• Additional excursion: Birdlife viewing and breakfast by boat.

After dinner in the evening, you will receive an informative talk about the macaws to help understand a bit more about the threats to their conservation. It can be quite an enlightening discussion for folks who are not familiar with some of the internal strifes that go on in the Amazon region.

Today is another day where you are free to explore the grounds of the resort, visit the spa, relax, or choose an excursion from the many options offered by the resort.

Choose from the following quarter and half-day excursions.

• Quarter day: Conception nature walk, twilight river ride at dusk, rainforest night walk, botanical garden, local farm visit, or wildlife viewing.
• Half day: Gamitana farm visit, cacao plantation, Brazilian nut farm, cocha, canopy elevated walkway, or a visit to Lake Sandoval.
• Additional excursion: Birdlife viewing and breakfast by boat.

Later in the evening and after dinner, you will get another chance to go on a night walk, if you wish. It’s a final chance to get to see any of the animals you may not have seen yet.

After a satisfying breakfast, you will be flying to the ancient city of Cusco. Upon arrival, we will transfer you right away to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It’s a truly stunning place located high up in the Peru mountains. We will head to the Sacred Valley directly from the airport to help everyone adjust to the altitude better since the Valley (2,900m/9,515 ft) is quite a bit lower than Cusco (3,400 m/11,155 ft). 

Once we arrive at the hotel, take some time to enjoy your new surroundings and adjust to the higher altitude. This may be a good time to enjoy some coca tea as coca does wonders for combating any symptoms of altitude sickness. Also, the leaves of the coca plant are something the Incas would use on a regular basis to give them energy as they worked or traveled through the Empire. Get a good night’s sleep beneath the incredible night sky before the next busy day of our Peru itinerary.

Once you are ready and have eaten breakfast, you will be off to visit some special sites in the Sacred Valley. Your first stop is the town of Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo is a quaint little town known for its historical significance, sprawling ruins, artisanshops, and incredible picturesque surroundings. We will spend some time exploring the area before heading to Maras and Moray. 

Maras is truly an incredible site to behold. In the middle of the Peru mountains are around 3,000 salt mines that have been in use for hundreds of years, if not longer. After some time touring Maras and purchasing some salt from the gift shop run by the local indigenous community, we will head to Moray. Moray is an Incan archaeological site that looks very different from anything else that comes from that era. It almost looks as though a UFO landed there! 

Moray is a collection of large terraced circles that are perfectly crafted, believed to be used as a kind of laboratory to determine which crops grow best at which temperatures and altitudes.After Moray, we will head back to the hotel where we can rest, dine, and have some free time. Enjoy your last night in the valley before we head off for your long-awaited Machu Picchu tour.

This morning you will be collected from your hotel to be taken to the train station at Ollantaytambo. From there you will depart to the town of Aguas Calientes. This is the town nestled along the Rio Pacaymayo at the base of Machu Picchu. 

In the afternoon, you will then go up to the ruins themselves by bus, or you could enjoy a Machu Picchu hike if you prefer and take on the 390-meter uphill climb of around 1,900 steps. After all, Peru treks are world-renowned, so it might be a good idea to walk in the footsteps of the Incas who built and inhabited Machu Picchu. 

Once inside the ancient citadel, you can enjoy a guided tour from our bilingual guide who can walk you through some of the history and cultural significance of this world wonder. Also, going to Machu Picchu in the afternoon means you get to enjoy the place without it being too crowded.

After Machu Picchu, we will return to the hotel where you can relax, have dinner in the town, and have a few celebratory Pisco Sours or Passionfruit Chilcanos before calling it a night.

This morning you will get another chance to see the ruins at dawn if you wish. It’s also a great time to take the opportunity to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if you bought tickets beforehand. If you want to do the extra hikes at Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, you will make sure that you are up before sunrise so you do not miss the train back to Ollantaytambo.

If you would prefer to stay in the town, this is also an option. You can relax and enjoy a coffee while writing a postcard or head off to the geothermal hot springs located just on the edge of town. This is a welcomed treat for those with sore muscles after their busy Peru itinerary.

In the afternoon and after some nice lunch, we will take the train back to Ollantaytambo before taking private transport back to the city of Cusco. Check in to the hotel and rest, grab some dinner, and simply reflect on the amazing experience you just had at one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

Today, we get to relax and take our time with a nice breakfast before heading out on 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 to your guides as the tour has come to an end. Be sure to leave some tips if you had a great time. If you are heading to the airport to catch a flight, please arrange transportation with the guides beforehand. Otherwise, if you plan to continue your travels in Peru, we hope you enjoyed your time with us and we wish you a safe journey as you continue to experience everything that Peru has to offer.