Day 1
Lima
Welcome to Peru! Your adventure begins in Lima with a free airport transfer to your hotel and welcome meeting at 6pm. If you arrive early, check in and head out to get a taste of the capital, which is full of Spanish colonial buildings. Sample some seafood such as ceviche or take a stroll around the Parque del Amor.
Day 2
Lima
Get to grips with Lima today on a five-hour guided tour, starting with the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History. Peruse the selection of ceramics, tools and artefacts from pre-Incan times, which date back to 1,000 BC. You’ll also get the chance to visit the main cathedral and stunning Baroque-style San Francisco Church, touring its eerie catacombs. The evening is yours to relax, there’s an optional dinner and folklore show.
Breakfast included.
Days 3 and 4
Amazon Jungle
Fly two-and-a-half hours to Puerto Maldonado for your trip to the Amazon Rainforest. You’ll be picked up by the tour company and store most of your luggage at their office, packing just what you need for the trip. Take a canoe ride upriver to your jungle lodge, located in the Madre de Dios area, a lush section of the jungle. You’ll stay in a simple, eco-friendly lodge with en-suite toilets, cold-water showers and kerosene lamps.
Over the two days you’ll explore the Amazon with a guide on boat rides and treks. Learn about the plants that are used for medicine and spot animals including monkeys, colourful toucans, river otters and even black caiman. There’s also the chance to take part in a night walk to see incredible bugs and spiders.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Day 5
Cusco
Say goodbye to the Amazon and take a one-hour flight to Cusco, the jumping off point for trips to Machu Picchu. The city features a mix of Spanish colonial and Incan architecture, with cobbled streets, plazas, churches and temples. Spend the day acclimatising, as Cusco lies 3,450 metres above sea level. Rest and drink plenty of water to combat any symptoms of altitude sickness.
Breakfast included.
Day 6
Pisac
Head into the Sacred Valley, a mountainous area of fertile land that was revered by the Incas. You’ll meet llamas, alpacas and vicunas at Awanancancha before arriving at the village of Pisac. If you visit on a Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday, you’ll also be able to shop in the local market for handicrafts and souveniers.
Tour a farm to learn about traditional life and see textile demonstrations including dyeing, spinning and weaving of alpaca wool. You’ll share a typical lunch with the community before a guided tour of the nearby Incan ruins, perched on mountains overlooking Pisac. Spend the rest of the day chilling out at your hotel, which has a swimming pool.
Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 7
Aguas Calientes
Your tour of the Sacred Valley continues, with an hour-and-a-half drive to Ollantaytambo. This pretty town was one of the few places where the Incas defeated Spanish forces and it features iconic Incan grid streets and an archeological site. These ruins are located on hillside terraces overlooking the town, which you’ll get to explore.
In the afternoon, board the train to Aguas Calientes, a journey that winds through canyon-like valleys alongside the Urubamba River. Rest up before your trip to Machu Picchu the next day or head out for a soak in the town’s natural hot springs.
Breakfast included.
Day 8
Machu Picchu – Cusco
Rise early for your trip to majestic Machu Picchu, the most famous Incan ruins and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Take a 30-minute bus ride to the site for a guided tour of the ruins of this lost city surrounded by Andean peaks, which is thought to date back to 1450.
Visit the remains of temples and houses and learn about Incan life on the two-hour tour. You’ll also get free time to take plenty of photos, don’t miss the view from the guard tower. Around lunchtime, you’ll take the train back to Ollantaytambo and a private transfer to Cusco.
Breakfast included.
Day 9
Cusco
Enjoy a morning of stand-up paddle boarding on Piuray Lake, just outside of Cusco, then spend the rest of the day as you please. Take advantage of your Full Boleto Turistico pass that gives you access to 16 sites in and around Cusco. Wander down to San Pedro Market for some shopping and sample some street food or check out the Museum of Inca Culture.
Breakfast included.
Day 10
Cusco
Your trip ends today and there are no activities planned.
Breakfast included.
