PERU
MACHU PICCHU & AMAZON ADVENTURE

Monthly Departures

The Andes & Amazon Tour Enjoy the very best of the Andes and Amazon in this exciting 10 day, action-filled holiday adventure! Imagine yourself trekking to isolated Inca ruins along the spectacular Royal Inca Highway leading to Machu Picchu.... Exploring ridge-top Inca temple sites high above the beautiful scenery of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.... Discovering the astonishing beauty of the Amazon rain forest. This program offers all these thrills, the remarkable Inca sites of Cuzco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, plus intriguing museums and excellent shopping in Lima. You stay in superior hotels and lodges throughout the program - there is no camping.

In the first part of our adventure, enjoy the magnificent Inca palaces and temples in Cuzco. Then join the excitement in a lively country market, and explore the timeless royal town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

On our overnight excursion to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, we arrive as the Incas did, via the Royal Inca Highway. The flowing lines of these Inca temples, fortresses, and highways mirror the sacred landscapes of the rugged, forest-cloaked granite peaks. At Machu Picchu, you enjoy the comforts of a 4-star hotel. In addition to our day of hiking along the Inca Trail, you have a full day to explore every facet of this inspiring site.

Finally, discover the intricate beauty and wonder of the Amazon rain forest at the Tambopata Jungle Lodge in the Tambopata-Candamo Wildlife Reserve. Easily reached by a 25-minute jet flight from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado, the Tambopata River is endowed with an astonishing diversity of wildlife even by Amazon standards - over 500 bird and 1,000 butterfly species have been identified. The lodge, some three hours upriver by motorized canoe, has an extensive trail system, and canoes for your use. Stay in a comfortable but rustic lodge, sleeping in individual bungalows with private bathrooms.

You may read more about the Tambopata River in a fascinating article on macaws in the January 1994 issue of National Geographic Magazine.

Our selected hotels are full of charm and local ambiance. You'll join an international group of travelers on these fixed departures. Look no further if you want a compact, high quality, value-priced adventure.

Detailed Itinerary

Day I (Friday) Travel to Lima
We meet your flight and transfer you to a comfortable hotel for overnight.

Day 2 Cuzco
Morning flight to Cuzco (3,310 rn/10,857'). After resting for several hours to adjust to the altitude, we tour the Inca palaces, colonial temples, and fascinating streets of the former capital of the Inca empire. We also visit Saqsayhuaman, the enormous Inca fortress. 0/N in Hotel Don Carlos. B (Meals included are designated B/breakfast, L/lunch, D/dinner.)

Day 3 Chinchero
The Sunday market transforms the quiet highland town of Chinchero into a vivid multi-cultural gathering. In the plaza, farmers barter their homegrown produce. Wander into the church with its 17th century murals, investigate the carved boulders on the Inca terraces, shop for souvenirs, or simply relax in the sun on an Inca wall overlooking the bustling scene. After lunch with a local family, we explore the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas. In the town of Ollantaytambo, many buildings display original Inca stone foundations. (Note: on some dates we will visit Pisaq on Day 3 and Ollantaytambo on Day 4). After exploring the fortified temple site, we overnight in a country inn. BLD

Day 4 Ollantaytambo / Pisaq
We spend the morning in the town of Ollantaytambo, where many buildings display original Inca stone foundations. The adjacent Sun Temple offers some of the finest stone construction we'll see on the trip. After lunch we explore the fortified ridge top temple site at Pisaq. BLD.

Day 5 Day hike to Machu Picchu
We board the train for the dramatic 90-minute ride down the rugged Vilcanota River gorge toward Machu Picchu. Descending opposite the ruins of Chachapampa, we cross the river on a suspension bridge, and follow a moderate trail past waterfalls leading up to Winya Wayna, a dramatic Inca site overlooking the river. Winya Wayna has an exquisite semi-circular temple and a cascade of ceremonial baths flanked by an extensive terraced agricultural site. After picnic lunch, we traverse through cloud forest to emerge at the Gate of the Sun for our first view of Machu Picchu (2,430m/ 7,970') from high above the city. Stroll down the royal road for a suitably regal entrance to the Lost City of the Incas. Total walking distance is around 7 miles. Tonight we are in comfortable hotel accommodation at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel or similar in Aguas Calientes. BLD

Day 6 Machu Picchu
We enter the ruins early to explore this unforgettable site. You have ample time to photograph the main city site in addition to exploring some of the peripheral trails. An exciting option today is the steep climb to the summit of Huayna Picchu, overlooking the main site. Return to Cuzco by train in late afternoon. Overnight in Hotel El Don Carlos. BL

Day 7 Amazon
We fly to the bustling Amazon town of Puerto Maldonado, and travel some 3½ hours upriver by motorized canoe with sunroof and comfortable seats to the Tambopata Jungle Lodge. After settling in to our bungalows, we take a short introductory nature hike in the forest. BLD

Day 8 Amazon
We have a long, rewarding morning excursion through varied terrain from upland terra firma to seasonally flooded forest. After two hours we reach an oxbow lake called Condenado. You spend part of the morning hiking and part in canoes, exploring the margins of the lake. A family of Giant otters, an endangered species elsewhere in the Amazon, may be seen from time to time in this lake. BLD

Day 9 Lima
We return down river to Puerto Maldonado and fly to Lima. After checking into our hotel, we tour the city. In addition to visiting the world-famous Gold Museum you'll have some time for last-minute shopping. B

Day 10 (Sunday) Home
Transfer to the airport for your flight home. B

2010 Departures - 10 Days/$1,994 (4+ passengers), $2,144 (2-3 passengers):
Mar 5-14, Mar 26-Apr 4, Apr 16-25, May 7-16, June 4-13, July 9-18, Aug 6-15, Sept 3-12, Oct 1-10, Nov 5-14,, Dec 17-26, 2010, Dec 24-Jan 2, 2011

Internal air cost: from $400 (Lima-Cuzco-Puerto Maldonado-Lima) airfare is subject to change

Included in the land cost: comfortable superior-class hotels (shared twin basis; single accommodation is available at extra cost): breakfast daily in hotels; airport transfers on scheduled arrival and departure days, tips for baggage handling: Cuzco multi-site entrance ticket; reconfirmation of flights.

Not included: International and domestic airfare, airport departure taxes; Tambopata Candamo Reserved Zone fee (currently $10.00, subject to change); gratuities for tour staff, immunizations, insurance, laundry, telephone, other personal items.

Single supplement: If you are traveling singly and prefer to share accommodations, we will pair you with another person of the same gender and there will be no supplementary charge.If you prefer to have guaranteed single accommodations, the surcharge is $525.

Check out our other Peru Tours:
Empire of the Incas : 15 day hiking tour includes 5 day trek and camping trip on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca and Cuzco
Andes and the Amazon Explorer: 15 day (no overnight trekking or camping) trip to Lake Titicaca, Cuzco, Machu Picchu and the Amazon.
Peru Bike Tour: 12 day biking tour from Lake Titicaca to the Sacred Valley of Machu Picchu includes 3 nights camping, 1 overnight on Taquille Island & 8 nights hotel, hiking tours in the Inca Ruins of Machu Picchu, Pisaq & Cuzco, and visits to the local markets in Chinchero and Pisaq.