Machu Picchu & Amazon (9 Day)

DAY 1:  LIMA
Lima Accommodations
Arrival and transfer to your hotel.  If you arrive early, we can arrange optional tours to museums or to visit the city and surroundings sites.

DAY 2:  LIMA – PUERTO MALDONADO – AMAZON JUNGLE LODGE
Amazon Lodge Accommodations
Morning transfer to airport for flight to Puerto Maldonado.  Upon arrival, you will be welcomed at the airport and drive you ten minutes to the Puerto Maldonado headquarters.  While enjoying your first taste of the forest in our gardens you will be asked to pack only the necessary gear for the next few days and leave the rest safely secured at the office.  This helps keep the boats and cargo light.  Skirting Puerto Maldonado, we drive 20 kilometers to the Tambopata River Port, entering the Native Community of Infierno.  A boxed lunch will be provided.  The forty five minute boat ride from the Tambopata Port to Posada Amazonas will take us into the Community´s Primary Forest Private Reserve.  Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips.  Lodge guides are biologists, tourism professionals, or community members.  Unless noted otherwise, the guides speak English.  Guides to passenger ration is 10 to 1.  Canopy tower: A twenty minute walk from Posada Amazonas leads to the 30 meter scaffolding canopy tower.  From atop you obtain spectacular views of the vast expanses of standing forest cut by the Tambopata River winding through the middle.  Now and then toucans, parrots or macaws are seen flying against the horizon, or mixed species canopy flocks land in the treetop next to you.  Return to lodge for dinner.  Ecotourism Lecture. A daily presentation on the Infierno ecotourism project is available every night from a staff member.  Overnight in Posada Amazonas. (B,L,D)

DAY 3:  AMAZON JUNGLE LODGE
Amazon Lodge Accommodations
After breakfast, we go to Tres Chimbadas Oxbow lake.  It is thirty minutes by boat and forty five minutes hiking from Posada Amazonas.  Once there you will paddle around the lake in a catamaran, searching for the resident family of nine giant river otters (seen by 60% of our lake visitors) and other lakeside wildlife such as caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers.  Parrot clay lick: This clay lick is only a twenty minute walk from Posada Amazonas.  From a blind located about twenty meters away you will see dozens of parrots and parakeets descend on most clear mornings to ingest the clay on a river bank.  Species such as Mealy and Yellow- headed Amazon, Blue-headed Parrot and Dusky headed Parakeet descend at this clay lick.  The clay lick is most active at dawn and during the late mornings and mid-afternoons.  Return to lodge for lunch.  Ethnobotanical Tour: A twenty minute boat drive downriver leads you to a trail designed by the staff of the Centro Ñape.  The Centro Ñape is a communal organization that produces medicines out of forest plants and administers them to patients who choose their little clinic.  They have produced a trail which explains the different medicinal (and other) uses of selected plants.  Return to lodge for dinner.  Night walk. You will have the option of hiking out at night, when most of the mammals are active but rarely seen.  Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.  Overnight in Posada Amazonas. (B,L,D)

DAY 4:  PUERTO MALDONADO – CUSCO
Cusco Accommodations
Early return departure downriver to Puerto Maldonado, pick up stored luggage and transfer to airport for short flight to Cusco, center of the Inca Empire.  Airport pickup and transfer to your hotel.  The rest of the day is free to relax and acclimatize to the altitude (10,856 ft.).  Overnight Cusco hotel. (B)

Boat Transportation: Lodge departures are scheduled for airport flight departures with a maximum two hour wait.

DAY 5:  CUSCO
Cusco Accommodations
Guided walking tour to visit the local sites of Cusco, the colonial Cathedral and Koricancha, the impressive Temple of the Sun.  After we will depart for a tour of Cusco's temples and visit each distinct Inca sight – The fortress of Sacsayhuaman with its megalithic stone terraces; Kenko, with its carved stone surfaces and subterranean altars; the small fortress of Puka Pukara that protected the royal capital from attacks and the water temple Tambo Machay. (B)

DAY 6:  CUSCO – SACRED VALLEY
Sacred Valley Accommodations
Full day guided excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas.  Our first stop will be the picturesque town of Pisac and its open air market*, this is a great opportunity to enjoy the lively market and/or to visit the ruins above the town.  After lunch, we continue down the Urubamba valley to reach the charming town of Ollantaytambo (9,185 ft.).  Here we will have plenty of time to explore the town and the impressive Inca fortress that towers nearby.  The Urubamba valley was an important agricultural area in Inca times, as manifested by the many Inca remains dispersed throughout the valley.  Overnight in Sacred Valley.  *Due to its popularity, there is a market at Pisac every day, with the largest market day being Sun, as well as Tue & Thu. (B,L)

DAY 7:  SACRED VALLEY – MACHU PICCHU
Machu Picchu Accommodations
Morning transfer from your hotel to take the Vistadome train (8 am) from Ollantaytambo to the Aguas Calientes train station.  The scenery during the ride down the Urubamba gorge changes from mountain vegetation to cloud forest.  Arrival at the train station (9: 22 am) and a half hour bus ride will bring you to the mountain citadel of Machu Picchu (7,800 ft.).  Once here, you will have a guided tour of the ruins (3 hrs approx).  Lunch near the ruins at the Sanctuary Lodge.  Afternoon exploration of ruins and return to Aguas Calientes by bus at time of your choice.  Overnight Aguas Calientes hotel. (B,L)

DAY 8:  MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO
Cusco Accommodations
Early rise for those who want to experience the serene beauty of Machu Picchu in the morning (great opportunity for crowd less photos). Arrive early for the opportunity to climb the famous peak of Huayna Picchu (8,900 ft/2,720 m), which is beautifully situated overlooking the Machu Picchu ruins*. Rest of day you are free to explore the ruins at your leisure, hike to the Sun Gate or Inca Bridge. The mid-afternoon Vistadome train returns us to Ollantaytambo, where a private vehicle is waiting for the 1.5 hr transfer to Cusco. Overnight Cusco hotel. (B)

*Climbing Huayna Picchu (permit required) – Only the first 400 people who purchase permits are allowed to climb the peak, per day (subject to change by park administration at any time). Two opportunities for 200 people (400 total) are offered per day (7am or 10 am).

DAY 9: CUSCO – LIMA
Morning transfer to the airport for the return flight to Lima and your connecting international flight (End of Services).  Trip Extensions to other regions or Extra Days in Lima or Cusco can also be arranged. (B)

Key: (B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner

Physical Requirements: Involves easy to moderate walking in the jungle, at high elevations (above 10,000 ft.) and in varying temperatures.  Good walking/aerobic fitness is required.

Note: Any physical activity at high altitude can be a challenge.  It is the traveler's responsibility to best evaluate their physical ability to meet the stated Physical Requirements.