| Starts | Lima, Peru |
|---|---|
| Ends | La Paz, Bolivia |
| Region | South America & Central America |
| Duration | 14 days |
| Tour Operator | Peregrine |
Itinerary
Day 1 - Starting: Lima & Finishing: Lima
Welcome to Lima, Peru. On arrival at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport, you'll be transferred to your hotel in the well-known coastal suburb of Miraflores. In the afternoon around 2 pm, there will be a welcome briefing at the hotel with your Peregrine tour guide. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask reception where it will take place. We'll be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so ensure you bring these details to provide to your leader. If you're going to be late, please inform hotel reception. Later in the day your leader will take you on a walking tour of downtown Lima, including the city's historical centre. Flanked by streets of ornate mansions, palaces and churches, Plaza Mayor is the best place to start any exploration of Lima. Take a walk through the old streets to get a feel for colonial life. On one side of the plaza is the Cathedral of Lima, which houses the remains of Lima's founder, Francisco Pizarro. Visit the nearby San Francisco Monastery, with its catacombs containing some 70,000 human remains. Continue onto the Central market where you'll take a walking tour. The market has a huge variety of fresh produce on offer, including fruits, vegetables and even guinea pigs. You'll also have the opportunity to try some local Peruvian fruits and street food. The tour will finish in Lima main square, with the option to go for an included dinner in Down Town or back to Miraflores.
Day 2 - Starting: Puerto Maldonado (Amazon Jungle) & Finishing: Puerto Maldonado (Amazon Jungle)
Fly from Lima to Puerto Maldonado today, which should take around two hours. You won't be escorted during the flight, but you will be taken to the airport in Lima and met at the airport in Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival, the lodge staff will take you to their office in town where you'll leave the majority of your luggage in safe storage. You'll continue travelling with a small pack with only the necessary items for your next two nights in the jungle. Shortly afterwards, take a motorised canoe up river to your jungle lodge in the Madre de Dios region. Posada Amazonas is a rainforest lodge that's just a 45-minute boat ride from Puerto Maldonado. The lodge is owned by the indigenous Ese-Eja community of Infierno, offering a 30-metre canopy tower that provides spectacular views of the vast expanses of forest, Tambopata River and endless opportunities to witness Amazonian wildlife. Every room overlooks the tropical rainforest allowing guests to enjoy this unique ecosystem, even during their down time. The rooms are built with local materials such as wood, bamboo, adobe mud and palm trees, with each room having a spacious private bathroom with hot water. Use your evening getting to know the community and relaxing. Notes: Numerous kerosene lamps and candles provide lighting. Electricity and internet are only available in the common areas of the lodge.
Day 3 - Starting: Puerto Maldonado (Amazon Jungle) & Finishing: Puerto Maldonado (Amazon Jungle)
This morning, head into the jungle of the Amazon with your local, multilingual guides, encountering magnificent fauna and flora in their natural habitat. You may even spot an array of animals from macaws and monkeys to peccary, jabirus, otters and thousands of butterflies. The guides can also teach you about the medicinal properties and practical uses of the plants. After your hike finishes in the afternoon, you're then free to sit back and relax in the comfort of your lodge.
Day 4 - Starting: Cusco & Finishing: Cusco
Today, travel back to Puerto Maldonado before taking the short flight to Cuzco. This flight will be unescorted, however you will be taken to the airport in Puerto Maldonado and met at the airport in Cuzco. On arrival, your local guide will take you on a walking tour, including a visit to the Coca Museum - where you can learn about the infamous plant that has been an essential part of life for centuries in the Andes - and the local San Pedro market. Notes: Due to the high altitude of many of places we visit some people can suffer altitude sickness, regardless of age, gender or fitness. Please see the 'Is This Trip Right For You?' and 'Fitness' sections in the trip notes for detailed information.
Day 5 - Starting: Cusco & Finishing: Cusco
Start today by visiting some of the surrounding archaeological sites with your local guide, including Q'enqo, Puka Pukara and Sacsayhuman. For art and history, the Contemporary Art Museum, Regional History Museum and Qosqo Native Art Museum can only be accessed with a Boleto Turistico (a ticket that covers archeological and cultural sites), which is included in the cost of your trip. This ticket also gives you access to the impressive stone fortress of Sacsayhuaman, where massive stone blocks that form the walls of this site give you an idea of how highly developed Inca engineering actually was. For lunch or mid-morning coffee and cake, head to Yanapay restaurant at 415 Ruinas St. This restaurant uses all its profits to support children in Cuzco through Aldea Yanapay and its social projects.
Day 6 - Starting: Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo) & Finishing: Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo)
Travel by private bus for around two hours through the Sacred Valley, on the outskirts of Cuzco. Known as Wilcamayo to the Incas, this fertile valley has long been the main source of food for the high Andes. Venture to a community in the valley to learn about the local lifestyle. If your visit coincides with market day (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday), spend time browsing the stalls in search of hand-painted beads or warm ponchos. Continuing on, drive 20 minutes to Ollantaytambo. On your full day tour of the Sacred Valley, you'll see evidence of the Incas' engineering skills in the ruins of ancient aqueducts, irrigation canals, dams on the Urubamba River, imposing sets of terraces and centres of worship dedicated to Pachamama (Mother Earth).
Day 7 - Starting: Aguas Calientes & Finishing: Aguas Calientes
Nestled in the cloud forest at the foot of Machu Picchu, your destination today is Aguas Calientas. Travel by train for around 90 minutes through the winding Urubamba Valley to reach town, where you can spend some free time in the afternoon exploring. Take a wander, grab some food or just relax in the comfort of your hotel.
Day 8 - Starting: Machu Picchu- Cusco & Finishing: Machu Picchu- Cusco
In the early morning at 5.30 am, take a bus along the winding road for around 30 minutes to Machu Picchu. The city was built around 1440 AD as a country retreat for Incan nobility, but there’s evidence that the land had been a sacred Incan site for much longer. On arrival, take a one to two hour guided tour around the ruins of temples, palaces and living quarters, and enjoy some free time afterwards to wander around on your own. Looking at Machu Picchu for the first time, as it sits against a backdrop of forested mountains, is a truly breathtaking experience. After taking advantage of the seemingly endless photo opportunities, it's time to return to Cuzco for a well deserved shower and a Pisco sour. The rest of today and tomorrow will be free for you to continue exploring Cuzco. Notes: Due to Peregrine's internal safety policy, our leaders are specifically prohibited from recommending or assisting with booking trips to the mountaintop ruins of Wayna Picchu.
Day 9 - Starting: Cusco & Finishing: Cusco
Today enjoy free time to relax, shop or explore more of Cuzco's sights. Perhaps head to a cafe on the Plaza de Armas, or for those seeking an active adventure, try mountain biking in the hills surrounding Cuzco. Your included "full boleto turistico" will give you access to the archaeological sites of Qenqo and Tambomachay, on the outskirts of Cuzco.
Day 10 - Starting: Puno & Finishing: Puno
Travel by bus for around six hours to Puno, which will be more or less a full day's journey. This scheduled tourist service will take you on decent roads through spectacular mountain scenery, with the chance to stop at several sites along the way, including adobe Inca ruins. Along the way you'll also make a short roadside stop at La Raya, which at 4,335 metres is the highest point of your journey. Lunch will be included on a stop in the small town of Sicuani. Continue driving through the large sprawling town of Juliaca on your way to Puno. Located on the shores of Lake Titicaca, Puno is a melting pot of Aymara and Quechuan Indian culture and traditional Andean customs are still strongly represented here. The town is known as the folklore capital of Peru and is famous for its traditional dances. Many festivals are celebrated here, so if you're lucky your visit might coincide with one of the colourful evening parades, when the streets fill with costumed dancers and musicians.
Day 11 - Starting: Lake Titicaca Tour (Puno) & Finishing: Lake Titicaca Tour (Puno)
Puno sits on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Today take a tour of the lake by slow motorboat, stopping off to visit the Uros floating islands. The Uros people built these islands to isolate themselves from rival tribes in ancient times. They're built completely from multiple layers of totora reeds, which grow in the shallows of the lake. Later on visit Taquile Island, on the Peruvian side of the lake, and peruse its residents’ renowned handicrafts, including woollen items. Puno is the hometown of Kusimayo, a terrific local organisation that works towards improving the living condition of children and adults affected by poverty and malnutrition in this part of the world you have now come to know so well. Take a look at this short video for more information on this wonderful project: https://vimeo.com/154422813 Kusimayo is supported by the Intrepid Foundation which means you can donate to this project and your donation will be match dollar for dollar by the Intrepid Group. Please donate through our website: http://www.theintrepidfoundation.org/projects/kusimayo/
Day 12 - Starting: La Paz & Finishing: La Paz
Travel by minivan this morning to Desaguadero, where you'll cross the border into Bolivia. The first stop is the Peruvian migration office where you'll be asked to leave the bus and proceed through Peruvian migration. Then walk via a bridge to the Bolivian side, submit your passport at the Bolivian migration office and reboard the bus, which will continue to La Paz. About 30 minutes after crossing the border there's another stop where the army will again check your documents. Remeber to reset your watch, as Bolivia is one to two hours ahead of Peru. On your way to La Paz, stop at Tiwanaku for a guided visit. Tiwanaku archaeological site was where the Incas learned about building systems and agricultural practices. The sprawling ruins comprise of temples, courtyards, terraced pyramids, monolithic stone statues and gateways. The most famous structure is the Puerta del Sol (Gateway of the Sun). From the ruins it's less than a two-hour drive to La Paz, where you'll spend the night. Enjoy spectacular views of the city on your approach, due to its unique location in the middle of a vast volcanic crater.
Day 13 - Starting: La Paz & Finishing: La Paz
At around 3,600 metres, La Paz feels like the top of the world and vies with Tibet for the title of highest capital in the world. Although Sucre is the official capital of Bolivia, La Paz is the centre of commerce, finance and industry. Head out an included orientation walk with your leader today and get your bearings of this amazing city. Despite the abundance of colonial architecture, La Paz's indigenous roots run deep, and the atmosphere in the market-filled streets is both modern and traditional.
Day 14 - Starting: La Paz & Finishing: La Paz
Your Amazon and Inca Adventure ends after breakfast this morning. Flights can be booked to depart at any time, as there are no more activities planned.
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