Andes to Amazon - Detailed Itinerary
10 Day / 9 Night Small Group Tour (Max 8 Persons)
Departures every Sunday throughout the Year
from $1695 / €1130 / £850
Day 1 - Arrive Lima: Capital City of Peru and UNESCO World Heritage City
- You may arrive in Lima at any time time today.
- We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your choice of Hotel
- There are no planned activities today so you can simply relax in your Hotel, or go out and enjoy the City.
- There will be an orientation meeting with your Tour Leader today, in the early evening.
- Today if you would like include an optional Lima City Tour led by a qualified English speaking guide please ask your Travel Consultant for more details.
Day 2 - Fly Cuzco: Beautiful Unspoilt Colonial City and Ancient Inca Capital
- Today we will transfer to Lima airport for the one hour flight to Cuzco.
- Upon arrival to Cuzco airport we will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.
- Enjoy an afternoon small group guided Cuzco City Tour including Sacsayhuman, Cuzco Cathedral and Coricancha, the most important Sun Temple of the Inca Empire.
- Enjoy a free evening in Cuzco with its many restaurants, bars and night clubs.
Day 3 - Sacred Valley: Artisans Market, Pisac and Ollantaytambo Inca Sites
- The Sacred Valley is a lush agricultural region that continues to
supply the city of Cuzco with much of its produce.
- We will viist the vast Inca Ruins that overlook the town of Pisac followed
by the colorful artisan market and the lovely village itself.
- After our lunch, included today, the day trip finishes in the picturesque village of Ollantaytambo, with a visit to the impressive Inca site. Here you can catch your breath and spend the night.
- Overnight in Ollantaytambo.
Day 4 - 7 Inca Trail (non trekking Lake Titicaca Alternative is detailed below)
- The 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is physically challenging but
worthwhile.
- The excursion is within the ability of most reasonably fit people.
- Our local team of porters, cook and guide look after you well for the duration of the hike. Porters carry the majority of the gear for the hike, so those passengers doing the hike only carry a small daypack with water, rain gear, snacks, a camera, etc.
- As you walk the trail that linked this ancient empire, you will be admiring breathtaking views at every step as you move from high plateau areas to dense cloud forest. Depending on the season, you may see a great variety of flora, including miniature and large orchids, and fiery rhododendron bushes.
- You will pass several smaller ruin sites, the first of which is Llactapata.
- The second day you climb the long steep path to Warmiwañusca, or Dead Womans Pass. At 4198 m (13769 ft) above sea level, this pass is the highest point of the trek.
- The second pass of the hike is at 3998 m (13113 ft) where on clear days, we enjoy superb views of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba. The trail goes through some beautiful cloud forest on the gentle climb to the third pass, where you will walk through a causeway and a tunnel, both original Inca constructions.
- The highest point is the third pass is at 3700m (12136 ft). On clear days you are rewarded with beautiful views of the Urubamba Valley below.
- Soon you reach the serene ruins of Phuyupatamarca, or the 'Town above the Clouds', at about 3650 m (11972 ft) above sea level.
- You will camp for the final night close to Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young) ruins, a large terraced hillside site, with panoramic views of the valley below and just a short hike from Machu Picchu.
- On the final day of the hike you climb the steps to the Sun Gate overlooking the peaks that surround Machu Picchu. There is no way to describe the feeling of the first views of Machu Picchu, as the mist rises off the mountains early in the morning and the famous ruin appears in front of you.
- You have the better part of the day to explore the site. In the afternoon,you will have the chance to soak in the hot springs of Aguas Calientes before taking the train back to Cuzco.
Day 8-10 Amazon Jungle 3 Day / 2 Night Programme
- Today transfer to Cuzco airport for your 30 minute flight to Puerto
Maldonado, deep in the lowlands of the Amazon jungle.
- You will be met by your local jungle guides who will be looking
after you until you get your plane back to Lima and home.
- You will travel by motorized canoe to your lodge in the Tambopata Rainforest Area, which holds the world record for the most bird sightings in one area.
- The Tambopata area includes habitats ranging from the Andean highlands around the rivers' headwaters through some of the last remaining intact cloud forests to the lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin. The area is renowned for its diverse plant and animal populations and include over 1,300 bird species (including 32 parrot species - 10% of the worlds total), 200 mammal species including 4 species of primates, 90 frog species, 1,200 butterfly species and 10,000 species of higher plants all protected within the reserve. Some of the more famous residents are the Harpy Eagle, the prehistoric looking Hoatzin, tapir, peccary, jaguar, ocelot and playful river otters.
- The lodge itself combines native architectural style and materials with low-impact eco-friendly technology. Rooms are simple but comfortable, with mosquito netting for individual beds, flush toilets, showers (no hot water), and kerosene lamps for lighting (no electricity).
- Local community members make up the majority the lodge staff, including multilingual Naturalist Guides. Here you have the opportunity to learn from them not only about the areas rich flora and fauna, but also about their extensive practical uses for medicinal plants and other forest plant resources, through traditional techniques for building, fishing, and hunting.
Day 10 Fly Lima and Home
- Leave the jungle lodge and travel back for your flight to Lima airport.
- At Lima airport await your connecting flights home.
- Please ask your travel consultant if you wish to extend your tour.
IMPORTANT - Depending on your international flights you can connect directly and fly home or if you would like / need to stay an extra day in Lima please let us know so we can arrange the extra transfers and hotel for you.
Group Size: Minimum 2, maximum 8 people
For those not wishing to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu this is an alternative itinerary. You will take the train to Machu Picchu before transferring on to Puno and the amazing floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable Lake in the World.
Alternative Day 4 - Train to Machu Picchu
- Leave by train from Ollantaytambo and travel to Machu Picchu
- You will go up to Machu Picchu by bus with your local guide
for a 2 hour private guided tour.
- After your tour you will have the chance for some private time before
transferring by bus back to the train station for your train back to Cusco.
- You will alight at Poroy station before Cusco which will save around 45 minutes on the return journey time. Overnight Cusco.
Alternative Day 5 - Transfer by Sightseeing Tourist bus to Puno
- Today you will take the First Class sightseeing bus to Puno.
- This bus leaves at around 8.00am and arrives in Puno in
the late afternoon.
- You will visit several places of interest along the way and have guided tours.
- Buffet lunch and all entrance fees are included.
- Upon your arrival in the port city of Puno you will be transfered to your hotel
Alternative Day 6 - Lake Titicaca and the amazing Floating Reed Islands
- Today you will visit Lake Titicaca and visit the amazing
floating reed islands.
- Firstly you will visit the Uros floating islands and see the
fascinating way the local people live.
- There are no tress on the islands and therefore all their Houses,
Boats and the islands themselevs are constructed from knitted reeds
- Second stop is the large Taquile Island which you will walk across with
your guide and have lunch at the highest point.
- In the early afternoon you will return to Puno for a visit to the yavari Steamer or the Sillustani graveyard, whichever you have time for, maybe both.
Alternative Day 7 - First Class Orient Express Train to Cuzco
- Leaving Puno at 8.00am you will take the famous Andean Explorer
First Class train across the altiplano back to Cusco.
- The Andean Explorer is exquisitely decorated in the fine manner of
the great Pullman trains of the 1920’s and boasts a full fleet of refurbished
coaches including dining cars and an open-air observation bar car, which
is unique in South America.
- On the journey passengers are served a three course lunch in the dining car followed by coffee served in the observation-bar car.
- The Andean Explorer runs between Lake Titicaca and Cuzco. This service, full of romance and style, unites two of Peru’s top tourist destinations.
- You will re join the Inca Trail Trekkers in the evening of Day 7
Includes
6 nights accomodation with breakfast included (twin share basis unless single supplement paid)
3 nights camping while walking the Inca Trail (or 3 x extra hotels on the Lake Titicaca option).
Domestic flights Lima - Cusco, Cusco - Puerto Maldonado and Puerto Maldonado - Lima.
All ground transfers as stated until arrival in Lima at the end of the trip.
Private Cusco city and Sacred Valley tour, entrance fees for all sites, with lunch, all privately guided.
Visit to Machu Picchu on Vistadome train (First Class service) and including all buses and tickets and a private guided tour.
Amazon Jungle package including rooms, meals, guiding and transport.
Not Included
International flights to your destination (unless specifically booked with us).
Domestic air taxes.
End of tour arrangements (unless specifically booked with us).
Meals (other than those stated) and personal spending money.
International airport taxes.
