ANDES & AMAZONE - PERU
Peru Andes & Amazon travel, experience the wonders
This journey is an absolute must for those who love nature and culture! Combine the diversity of the Amazon, the biggest rainforest in the world, with the spectacular panoramas of the Andes on the Cordillera Blanca. Experience the rich past of the Incas, who built the masterpiece of Machu Picchu, at the border of these two great wonders of nature. Wander through the Inca ruins and admire the splendid terraced fields in the Sacred Valley.
Day 1 - Lima
Day flight to Lima. Upon arrival at the airport, there’ll be a transfer to the hotel.
You are free to spend the evening as you wish. Did you know that Peru was voted best culinary destination in the world multiple times? In the evening, you can enjoy yourself at one of the great local restaurants or perhaps in one of the Michelin star restaurants that can be found in South America. Here, ingredients are still used in the same way as the inhabitants of the Andes used them centuries ago.
Day 2 - Lima
City tour of Lima: Historic centre, Pisco Sour tasting and Larco Museum
Our city tour takes you through 3 historical periods: Pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern. The tour starts with a panoramic view across the impressive Huaca Huallamarca. You visit the colonial centre where you view the Convent of St. Dominic, which has been declared a Cultural Heritage. At the end of the tour, you stop for a Pisco Sour tasting, the most delicious and famous drink of Peru. Lastly, you visit the beautiful Larco Museum, which shows the most beautiful collection of the pre-Peruvian art of the country. This helps you understand the 5000 year old history of Peru, giving an even greater appreciation of the country.
Day 3 - Iquitos
You’re picked up from Iquitos airport and brought to the motorised canoe that will take you to your lodge across the Amazon River. You’ll make a stop at a conservation project to protect endangered species of monkey in the Amazon. Here, you’ll see how the monkeys are reintegrated into their natural habitat. After a splendid boat ride of 1,5 hours, you’ll arrive at your lodge and a delicious Amazon lunch will await you.
In the afternoon, you’ll go on a jungle hike to the Yanamono Rainforest Reserve. A guide will show you tropical trees, medicinal plants and abandoned nature. You also have the chance to see different species of birds, monkeys and sloths. Back at the lodge, you can enjoy a magnificent Amazon sunset. After dinner, there’s an evening safari for wildlife observation with a deafening orchestra of night-time sounds. On a bright, clear night, you can see the clear moonlight and an immense starry sky.
Day 4 - Iquitos
After breakfast, you sail across the Amazon and Napo rivers to the large Amazon rainforest reservation of 250,000 hectares, where you will lodge for the upcoming two nights. After lunch, you walk across the dry land, the rainforest that hasn’t been flooded and visit the medicinal plant garden that borders the lodge. Take an evening excursion on an open boat, past the Sucusari stream to look for caimans and enjoy the nightly sounds and stars in the southern sky. Diner and overnight stay at the Lodge.
Day 5 - Iquitos
Early morning bird spotting excursion. After that, there’ll be a hike on the canopy walkway; on a network of walkways you’ll observe the flora and fauna from a birds eye position and get into contact with many rare animals at this higher altitude. Take an afternoon boat ride on the side rivers of the Napo, where you can spot sloths, squirrel monkeys and many species of birds as well as trying your hand at fishing for piranhas.
Day 6 - Huarez
In the early morning, you can go bird spotting by foot or boat. Morning excursion where you visit the local Amazon inhabitants, “ribereños”, whose houses and schools can be seen beside the Amazon river. They’ll happily show you how their lives exist at the pace of the river movements around them. Early lunch and departure back to the inhabited world by boat. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima. Afterwards, you travel to Huaraz by bus.
Day 7 - Cordillera Blanca
This 2-day trek provides you with a spectacular panorama of the Cordillera Blanca.
You leave from Huarez by bus and climb the Codillera Blanca along a zigzag road past turquoise lakes. until you reach the highest point, Portachuelo de LLanganuco (4,765m). The view here is fantastic with the snowy mountain peaks of the Huascarán Norte (6,650m), Huascarán Sur (6,768 m), Huandoy (6,395m), Chopicalqui (6,345m), Pisco (5,752m), Yanapaccha (5,460m). The 3-hour trek starts from Portachuelo. We descend to the Demanda Valley to the Mirador, from where the views are even more impressive. We keep walking to Cebollapampa, the campsite is hidden in a forest under the glaciers.
Day 8 - Cordillera Blanca
Today, we’ll walk to the head of the Demanda Valley and climb to Lake 69 (4,400m), below the impressive mountain peak of Chacraraju. On the way back, there’s the option of making a short trip to the Broggi glacier and to our campsite of Cebollapampa, to eventually drive back to Hueraz. Night bus to Lima.
Day 9 - Cusco
Today you will fly from Lima to lively and colourful Cusco.
Day 10 - Cusco
Cusco! Seductive, striking and natural. History is alive in the streets, squares, valleys and villages. In the ruins surrounding the city, you see the remains of refined architecture.
You will get a guided city tour through the old Inca capital, located at 3400 metres. You start at the Plaza de Armas square with its beautiful cathedral and walk through the narrow cobblestone streets with old Inca walls and nicely preserved colonial homes. After a short stop at the market, you’ll visit the Corichancha, the most important temple of the Inca empire, dedicated to the sun god Inti. The temple was, just like Machu Picchu, an Inca masterpiece.
Day 11 - Sacred valley
After a free morning you will have an afternoon trip to the village of Ollantaytambo. Steep terraces lead to the actual fort. In the village itself, many houses are now built on top of the Inca ruins. For the free morning, there’s ample choice of possibilities: 1) Pisac market: a large traditional market, is held here on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. 2) Moray and Maras: the excursion starts in Moray, the village that’s famous for the circle-shaped agricultural terraces that are laid out as an amphitheatre. Scientists think it used to be a farming station in the time of the Icas. The salt terraces of Maras are spectacular to see: the thousands of small basins, filled with salt spring water, are found in all stages from wet to dry. 3) Rafting on the Urubamba: rafting for one and a half hours at level 2-3. 4) Cycling in the Sacred Valley: go along trails past the Urubamba by mountain bike. How great is that! 5) Walk through the Sacred Valley. Level: hard. With a climb from the valley to the hills for beautiful panoramas!
Day 12 - Machu Picchu
At an altitude of 2430 meters, on the border of the misty Amazon and the high Andes is the location of the Inca’s masterpiece: Machu Picchu. The city was built around the year 1440 and inhabited for almost a century. The masterpiece is hidden in such a way that the Spaniards never discovered it and as such, the city is excellently preserved!
You don’t see much of it in the valley, but the drive towards it is therefore spectacular. With the Vistadome train, you’ll drive to the village of Aguas Calientes in a breathtaking ride. The train has panorama windows so you’ll become one with the landscape. From Aguas Calientes take a short bus ride to the gates of Machu Picchu. The guide will take you through the streets, down stairs and past alleys in the old city; a magical experience. You also have plenty of time to walk around by yourself. You travel back to Cusco in the same way.
Day 13 - Lima
Enjoy your morning in Cusco. In the afternoon you will fly back to Lima. Transfer to the aiport and hotel.
Day 14
Transfer to the airport for the international flight back home.
End of an unforgettable trip through Peru.
* All accommodations with breakfast
* Mentioned meals
* Domestic flights
* Transport like mentioned in the program
* Excursions like mentioned in the program, unless stated otherwise
Not included:
* International flights
* Not mentioned meals
* Entry fees national parks, unless mentioned differently
* Optional and not mentioned services and excursions
