Tour Overview
Few destinations have as much to offer visitors as Peru. Here you’ll find panoramic mountain ranges, beautiful beaches, and tropical jungle, not to mention fantastically rich history, archaeology, wildlife and enduring indigenous cultures. The Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, which would be stunning anywhere, are truly spectacular in their Andean setting, high above the Urubamba River. And Cuzco, once the center of the Inca Empire and now a vibrant gateway to Inca ruins, is even higher in the Andes. An infinity of species of flora and fauna, many of which are not found anywhere else, live together in totally unique diversity in the Peruvian Amazon Basin. Add to all this a stunning landscape Whether it's the sunny costa (coast), soaring sierra (mountains) or remote selva (rainforest) overflowing with wildlife, there is something in Peru for all tastes.Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Lima, PeruUpon arrival in Lima, you are met for private transfer to your hotel and check-in. Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores is the newest of the Private Collection as it just opened in Jan 2008. Located in the heart of Miraflores – two blocks away from the Miraflores Central Park (Kennedy Park), the hotel is a great starting point from which to explore the upscale Miraflores area. The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded the city of Lima on January 5, 1535, the eve of the Epiphany of the Magi – from which it derived its evocative original name of La Ciudad de los Reyes or “The City of Kings”. It is a city of rare fascination and unexpected pleasures. Lima has decaying colonial splendor and the teeming vitality of an oriental bazaar; melancholy cloudy winters and warm breezy summers; impoverished urban sprawl and quiet elegant corners among ancient buildings where the night air is scented with jasmine. Meals today are under your own arrangements.
Casa Andina Private Collection Day 2: Lima- Cusco- Sacred Valley
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Cusco. NOTE: Domestic flight Lima-Cusco is not included in land price. Upon arrival in Cusco, you are met by a local representative and transferred by private vehicle to the “Sacred Valley of the Incas” for a full day tour. At an elevation of 8,500 feet, the Sacred Valley of the Incas was a historic heart of the Inca Empire. Small villages lined the valley floor, while the stone fortresses of Ollantaytambo and Pisac served the dual purpose of providing protection and serving as religious centers. Visit the small village of Pisac with its colorful market. After lunch, continue on to the massive fortress of Ollantaytambo The fortress, a formidable stone structure that climbs massive terraces reaching the top of a high peak, was the valley’s main defense against the Antis and was the site of the Incas’ greatest victory against the Spanish during the wars of conquest. Constructed of rose-colored granite, this huge installation was once a thriving complex of baths, temples and military barracks. Below the fortress lies a complete Incan town, also called Ollantaytambo, still inhabited and with its original architecture and layout preserved. Check-in to your hotel for overnight: Sol & Luna is located 1 km from the town of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a perfect place to start your visit to Peru. The Valley is a prime cultural and adventure destination in South America.
Breakfast, Lunch
Sol y Luna Day 3: Sacred Valley- Machu Picchu
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the Ollanta station where you will board the Vistadome train bound for Machu Picchu (NOTE: Your guide will meet you on the train). The 1.5-hour journey follows the ever-narrowing gorge of the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes. Outside the window, watch the picturesque Andean scenery as you pass the traditional villages. As you approach Machu Picchu Sanctuary, the valley turns into a canyon and the vegetation changes to a cloud forest. A late morning arrival gives you time to begin your exploration of this breathtaking Incan citadel. Accompanied by your guide, explore the city's ruins, and feel its pulse as you visualize the lives of the priests, craftsmen, and servants who inhabited this seemingly uninhabitable citadel. Excavations at the site have revealed skeletons, artifacts and woolen clothing, but no gold. The same precision of assembled stones exists here as in other Incan sites. Overlooking the raging Urubamba River and discovered in a hidden tangle of vines and trees atop the mountain, the city of Machu Picchu will forever hold the secret of its destruction - the Incas left no written record. Enjoy lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge before returning to your hotel. Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Miles of trails lace the grounds, winding past waterfalls and through the forest, and wandering through gardens rich with a dazzling array of 372 native orchid species, 172 bird species, 111 species of butterflies, and other natural wonders.
Breakfast, Lunch
Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel Day 4: Machu Picchu- Cusco
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then you may return to the ruins for a visit on your own. It is said that Machu Picchu is a place of great spirituality, and the ultimate spiritual moment of the day happens at sunrise. This morning therefore there is an option to rise early and view the world’s most spectacularly situated ruins at sunrise. In the afternoon, board the shuttle bus down to the Machu Picchu Village, where you’ll have a short walk to the train station. Here, board the train and return to Cusco. (Note: trains terminating in Ollanta Station provide shuttle transfers to Cusco.) Check in to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.
Breakfast
Casa Andina Private Collection Day 5: Cusco
After breakfast at hotel, enjoy a guided tour of the nearby Inca ruins including Kenko “The Labyrinth”, the ceremonial bath of Tambomachay, and the amazing Sacsayhuaman, a huge fortress of stones (one stone weighs 125 tons!) and a true testimonial to Incan architectural skills. At Sacsayhuaman, you are challenged to try to slip a piece of paper through the cracks in between these blocks, cut and fitted together with incredible precision without a single drop of mortar to hold them in place. This ancient fortress (where the greatest battle between the Spanish and Incas took place) overlooks the red-tiled roofs of Cusco and the breathtaking countryside surrounding the city. Return to the city for a walking tour. Sights include the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas; and the Santo Domingo Temple, a Dominican Church and convent built on the foundations of the Koricancha, the Incas principal religious building, dedicated to the worship of the sun. Return to your hotel and enjoy the afternoon at leisure.
Breakfast
Casa Andina Private Collection Day 6: Cusco
Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a full day at leisure in Cusco. Optional excursions to the Sacred Valley (rafting, mountain biking, and visits to markets, villages or ruins) may be arranged.
Breakfast
Casa Andina Private Collection Day 7: Cusco- Puerto Maldonado- Sandoval Lake
Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado. NOTE: Domestic flight Cusco-Puerto Maldonado is not included in land price. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the river port on the Madre de Dios River. A 30-minute journey down the Madre de Dios River by motorized canoe brings you to the riverside trailhead of Sandoval Lake Lodge. From here the trail takes you on a 2-mile (3.2 km) walk through the forest before reaching a small canal. Board the canoes and paddle through a flooded forest of 100-ft (30 m) tall Mauritia palms. As the canal opens onto the shimmering surface of the lake, transfer to a catamaran where you are leisurely paddled across the lake to the lodge. After lunch and a brief rest to avoid the early afternoon heat, board the catamaran once again and set off to explore the entire west end of the lake. Here, in the flooded palm forest drift to the sounds of hundreds of Red-Bellied Macaws as they return to the palm forest for the night. This macaw species is found locally in parts of the Amazon, always living in flooded palm forests. At 500-800 birds, this flock of macaws at Sandoval Lake is currently the largest reported in the world.
As night falls look for the large and extremely rare Black Caimans. If it is a clear starlit night, float in the middle of the lake and marvel at the brilliance of the sky as you listen to the sounds of the forest. Return to the lodge for a short presentation and dinner. Step out from the bar to admire the wide variety of nocturnal moths, beetles and praying mantis attracted to the black light in the lodge clearing. For those with lots of energy, take a guided night-walk into the forest behind the lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Sandoval Lake Lodge Day 8: Sandoval Lake
A pre-dawn wake-up call will get you out on the lake for sunrise and a hopeful encounter with the family of Giant Otters. Sandoval Lake offers abundant wildlife, including over 40 species of birds. Most of the fish-eating water birds actively fish in the early morning, and this outing should provide excellent views of the prehistoric-looking Hoatzins, These are easy to observe from the paddled canoes or catamarans. After returning to the lodge for a late breakfast, set off into the cool under story of the tall virgin forest near the lake. See towering wild Brazil nut trees and a demonstration of how our hosts collect, open and commercialize this important natural product. After lunch, relax for an hour before boarding the catamaran to explore the eastern part of the lake, where we might see one or more of the five species of monkeys that also live near the lake, such as the Brown Capuchin Monkey and Squirrel Monkey. Before dinner enjoy an informative natural history video or slide presentation. Head out once again after dinner and try your luck at spotting the rare Black Caiman, or to go on a short night walk through the primary forest.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Sandoval Lake Lodge Day 9: Sandoval Lake- Puerto Maldonado- Lima
After an early breakfast, take a final paddle around the west end of the lake to try and glimpse the Giant Otters before returning by motor canoe for the 35-minute return trip to Puerto Maldonado airport. Make sure to take advantage of the early morning wildlife activity along the river. Board your flight and arrive in Lima in time to connect with your onward flight home. NOTE: Domestic flight Puerto Maldonado - Lima is not included in land price.
Breakfast
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