Essence of Peru

Day 1: Arrive Lima

On arrival in Lima you will be picked up and a transferred to your hotel. The day is free to spend at your leisure.
To get a feel for colonial Lima, take a cab to the Plaza de Armas and watch the changing of the Palace Guard in the afternoon. Walk the streets surrounding the Jirón de la Unión for great examples of Spanish-colonial architecture and to get a taste for life in a large South American city.
There are many fine museums in and around the city, including the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera, which houses an equally impressive collection of pottery, mummies and textiles from the Paracas and Nazca cultures. An optional city tour visits many of the city’s highlights. The more affluent districts of Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro, which are on the coast, offer good nightlife and cafés all within walking distance. Limeños (Lima’s residents) are friendly, and the city is filled with excellent restaurants; seafood lovers in particular should be sure to try a ceviche, for which Lima is well known.

Day 2-3: Amazon Rainforest

Fly to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the lowlands of the Amazon jungle. Travel by motorized canoe and then start exploring on our hour long walk to our lodge in the Tambopata Rainforest Area, which holds the world record for the most bird sightings in one area. Explore the jungle with local guides who take you on a variety of nature walks.
About half of Peru is located within the Amazon Basin, however, due to its isolation, not a lot of it is available to the casual traveller. Puerto Maldonado is the region’s principal city and is serviced by air from the capital and from Cuzco.After a brief stop in the town we depart on an afternoon boat trip by motorized canoe to our jungle lodge. Depending on flight arrival times we have either a boxed lunch aboard the boat or lunch upon arrival at the lodge. During our voyage you will have the chance to see bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as Black Skimmers, Pied Lapwings, Capped Herons, Roadside Hawks and several species of kingfishers, swallows, and flycatchers. Some of the more famous residents are the Harpy Eagle, the prehistoric looking Hoatzin, tapir, peccary, jaguar, ocelot and playful river otters who live in the area’s oxbow lakes.
Our journey to the lodge is by motorized canoe followed by a scenic hour-long walk through the rainforest to the lake and a short canoe ride to the other side. 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, and a generator which provides electricity at some times during the day. 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 area’s 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.
Includes 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners.

Day 4-6: Cuzco

Travel by boat out of the jungle, fly over the Andes and into the heart of Inca territory to Cuzco. Spend the afternoon acclimatizing and getting to know the city. The next day we have a half-day guided city tour to learn the city’s fascinating past and present. The third day is free to shop for souvenirs and experience the sights and sounds of this colonial town.
Cuzco is the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city, and the hub of the South American travel network. The city attracts travellers who come not just to visit a unique destination but also to experience an age-old culture very different from their 20th century way of life; one could easily spend a week just in and around the area. Inca-built stone walls line most of the central streets and you don't have to go far to see other major Inca ruins. It is a city steeped in history, tradition and legend.
While most ruins are just outside of the city, the main ruin within is that of the Coricancha, once the Inca Empire's richest temple. Today the ruin forms the base of the colonial church of Santo Domingo. During Inca times this temple was literally covered with gold, but within months of the arrival of the first conquistadors this incredible wealth had all been melted down. It is left to the individual imagination to envision the magnificence of the original structure.
There are several good museums in Cuzco, including the Inca Museum, which also houses a small art museum, the Regional History Museum and the Religious Art Museum. Our best advice for exploring Cuzco is to wear a comfortable pair of shoes, arm yourself with a city map and set off to explore!
Includes 3 breakfasts

Day 7: Ollantaytambo

Travel with our local guide through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Visit the impressive Pisac ruins and the colourful artisan market (market days only). The day trip finishes in the picturesque village of Ollantaytambo, site of another large Inca ruin.
This major ruin site is known as the best surviving example of Inca urban planning and engineering. It is admired for its huge steep terraces guarding the Inca Fortress and for being one of the few places where the Spanish lost a major battle during the conquest. We spend the night in this small town before heading out for Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu the next morning.
Includes breakfast

Day 8-9: Machu Picchu / Cuzco

A morning train, on Day 8, takes us through the spectacular Urubamba Valley to the village of Aguas Calientes where we spend the night. In the afternoon, spend time touring the town, or relax in the natural mountain hot baths that gave the town its name. From here, on Day 9, we continue to the historic spiritual centre of the Incas, the "Lost City" of Machu Picchu. We tour the ruins and have the opportunity to hike to the peak of Wayna Picchu to check out the view from another perspective. Return to Cuzco by train that afternoon. Machu Picchu is both the best and the least known of the Inca ruins. It is not mentioned in any of the chronicles of the Spanish conquistadors and archaeologists today can do no more than speculate on its function. Despite these efforts, many unanswered questions remain
Includes 2 breakfasts

Day 10: Cuzco

Today there is free time to shop for souvenirs, visit museums and churches built on Inca ruins. Among the more adventurous optional activities available in Cuzco are: horseback riding around archaeological sites such as Sacsayhuaman, Tambo Machay and Puca Pucara; white water rafting on the Urubamba River; and mountain biking down to the Sacred Valley, perhaps visiting an Inca ruin along the way.
Cuzco is considered the mecca of Peru and rightly so. This beautiful colonial town offers much to the visitor with its nearby ruins, cobble-stoned streets, museums, churches and lively atmosphere.
Includes breakfast

Day 11-12: Puno / Lake Titicaca

Enjoy spectacular views of the countryside on this full day of travel from Cuzco to Puno, through the high Altiplano. The next morning head out by boat across Lake Titicaca for a visit to the floating reed islands of Uros. We stop at various islands to enjoy the lake's scenic splendour and to meet the friendly people of these communities.
Located at 3830 m above sea level, Puno is the highest night stop on the tour. As a result the weather can be extreme with very cold nights and a strong sun during the day. Puno is also known for its wealth of traditional dances: there are up to 100 different varieties, usually performed in the street processions celebrating Catholic feast days. If you are fortunate enough to be visiting at the right time you may even catch one of these celebrations. A popular optional activity in Puno is a visit to the spectacular chullpas (funerary towers) of Sillustani, a pre-Inca archaeological site.
Titicaca is also the largest lake in the world above 2000m, and the views from both Amantaní and Taquile Islands are stunning. Our first stop on Lake Titicaca is the floating islands of the Uros people.
The Totora reeds that grow in the shallows of the lake are used for making everything from the islands themselves to the model boats that the islanders sell. The islands are made up of layers upon layers of reeds; as the layers closest to the water start to rot, they are replaced with fresh reeds on top. The reeds are also used to build their boats, which if constructed well will last up to 6 months
Includes 3 breakfasts

Day 13: Lima

We make the short drive to Juliaca for our flight to Lima, the final stop on our journey. Enjoy one last night out on the town.
Includes breakfast

Day 14: Depart Lima

Includes breakfast