Discover the very essence of Peru staying in the heart of the lush Amazon rainforest and journeying to the incredible Inca city of Machu Picchu with time in the country’s most vibrant cities.
Day 1: Lima
Welcome to Peru. After arriving to your hotel consider heading out to explore this exciting city. To get a feel for colonial Lima, take a cab to the Plaza de Armas and watch the changing of the Palace Guard at noon. Walk the streets surrounding the Jiron de la Union for great examples of Spanish-colonial architecture and to get a taste for life in a large South American city. Later this evening our group welcome meeting takes place. Overnight - Lima
Days 2 - 4: Amazon Jungle
Lima - Amazon Jungle (or free time in Cuzco) – Cuzco. Today the adventure truly begins! A short flight takes us to the jungle community of Puerto Maldonado, the starting point for our journey into the Amazon and a good place to pick up any last minute snacks in the busy markets. From here a bus followed by a motorised canoe ride downriver brings us to our jungle lodge. After lunch we take a short boat ride across the Madre de Dios River to Monkey Island with the possibility of spotting caiman from the boat. Monkey Island is renowned for its great variety of monkey species, as well as birdlife. Enjoy a wonderful sunset before heading back to the lodge for dinner.
After an early breakfast we set out on a guided walk of the rainforest. We’ll trek through dense jungle and marshland whilst our guide points out the various species of bird and plant found in the forest. We’ll learn about the delicate ecosystems of the Amazon and how plants are used in local medicine. There will also be the chance to take a canoe ride along one of the small lakes hidden away in the jungle. Keep your eyes peeled for caiman and, if you’re lucky, the rare giant otter. Later we enjoy the view of the lake and the canopy wildlife from a viewing platform. Here you’ll be able to see parrots, toucans, and herons as well as turtles and caiman. After lunch back at our jungle lodge we’ll spend the rest of the afternoon at the Gamitana River where you can try your hand at fishing or simply take a dip.
On our final day waking to the sounds of the jungle we head back to Puerto Maldonado for our return flight to Cuzco where the rest of the day is free to explore this fascinating ancient capital. For those who choose not to visit the Amazon Jungle, you will have free time in Cuzco and a portion of your tour price will be deducted.
Overnight - Amazon (2), Cuzco (1) (B:2, L:1, D:2)
Peruvian Poncho - 8 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
Day 5: Sacred Valley
Enjoy a full day of guided touring around the Sacred Valley of the Incas. First on the itinerary are the Pisac ruins. Marvel at the incredible views of the snow-capped mountains with its hilltop location. Next we visit the famous traditional Indian market of the same name. Enjoy the colourful atmosphere and stock up on souvenirs. We stop for lunch before continuing along the valley to the temple fortress of Ollantaytambo. Here, enormous Inca terracing sweeps down the side of a steep mountain and makes for a challenging climb. We return to Cuzco in the evening. Overnight - Cuzco
Day 6: Machu Picchu
Today we head to the legendary lost city of Machu Picchu, travelling by train to Aguas Calientes and continuing by bus. Once a completely self-contained city, Machu Picchu was surrounded by agricultural terraces with enough crops to feed the entire population and natural springs provided the city’s water. Today you can explore the remarkably preserved palaces, baths, temples, storage rooms and some 150 houses, surviving intact due to the city’s isolation. Our guide will bring the history of this enchanting place to life and later you may have the opportunity to climb up Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain). Although strenuous, the climb richly rewards you with spectacular views over the entire site. We later return to Cuzco.
Overnight - Cuzco
Day 7: Cuzco - Lima
Cuzco - Lima. This morning you will be transferred to Cuzco airport for your flight to Lima, also known as the "City of the Kings". Here you will be met and transferred to our hotel for one more night. You then have a free afternoon for last minute sightseeing and shopping. Overnight - Lima
Day 8: Lima
Today our exciting adventure comes to an end. If your flight doesn't leave till later in the day consider some final sightseeing our souvenir shopping. Happy Travels!
FROM USD $2,099
Prices & Departure Dates
Prices shown are per person travelling. 'Twin/Double' prices per person apply when there are 2 people travelling, sharing a room. The 'Single supplement' applies to travellers who would like the comfort of their own room and needs to be added to the 'Twin/Double' price (please note that single rooms may not be available at every overnight stop, refer to the Go Guide to see which nights this is applicable to). If travelling solo and you are happy to be paired up with another single traveller of the same sex on your tour, this can be arranged, thus avoiding the single person supplement.
When booking a trip that includes the Inca Trail, this section of the holiday can not be confirmed until an Inca Trail Permit is obtained. It is essential at time of booking that you provide us with your full name as it appears in your passport, date of birth, nationality and passport number. We will then reply to you within 72 hours as to whether the Inca Trail Permit has been obtained. Once the permit has been obtained we cannot make any changes to it what so ever. If amendments are required you would need to pay for the cost of a new permit.
Booking your holiday more than 3 months in advance greatly increases your chances of obtaining one on the 500 Inca Travel permits allocated per day!
If the Inca Trail is not available you will then be given options of hiking the Lares trek or visiting Machu Picchu by train.
Deposit - If trekking the Inca Trail or Lares Trek please note that you will need to pay our standard tour deposit plus a non-refundable Inca Trail/Lares Trek deposit. This is not an extra payment and will be deducted from your final tour payment. Please contact us for further details.
We offer a range of opportunities for you to get to know the locals and learn about their culture and lifestyle whilst travelling. The best way to learn about any culture is to live in the homes of the people, and participate in day to day activities. Whether its through community visits, accompanying Berbers in Morocco on their bi-annual migration or using homestay accommodation where you can experience real local warmth and hospitality.
Get off the beaten track on one of our trekking expeditions. Hike in the rugged High Atlas mountains and the lush valley terrain in Morocco, climb to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, through the stunning Annapurna region in Nepal or follow in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary to the base camp of mighty Mt Everest! Journey to South America and follow the legendary Inca Trail up to Machu Picchu, trek to the Rose City of Petra in Jordan, or up to the remote hill tribes of the beautiful Tonkinese Alps in Vietnam. We offer all these active adventures and more!
The beautiful Amazon rainforest covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America, the majority of which is contained with in Brazil, then Peru and smaller amounts in Ecuador and Bolivia and other South American countries.
Mysterious Machu Picchu, often called “The lost City of the Incas” is a stunning sight that will amaze and astound any visitor, and since it was not plundered by the Spanish when they conquered the Incas, it is especially important as a cultural site and is considered a sacred place. It was recently voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Highlights & Inclusions
Below is a list of key highlights and what is included on this tour. Further, where appropriate, we have listed the items that are not included in the tour price.
Trip Highlights
Lima - free time to explore the capital's vibrant markets and colonial museums
Cuzco - UNESCO listed and historical capital of the Inca Empire
Machu Picchu and the Sun Gate
Amazon Jungle - guided tour of the rainforest, trekking and Monkey Island
Inca ruins including Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo
What's Included
2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 2 dinners
Guided tour of the Amazon rainforest and boat trip
Guided tour of Machu Picchu
All relevant transportation by public bus, boat and taxi
Entrance fees to Amazon Jungle, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
7 nights hotels, hostels and guesthouses
Guided tour of Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo
Escorted by a tour leader (days 2 - 8) and specialist local guides in the Amazon and at Machu Picchu
Economy class flights from Lima to Puerto Maldonado, Puerto Maldonado to Cuzco and Cuzco to Lima
What's Not Included
International flights to/from our tour start/end points and visas
Items of a personal nature and additional meals
Postcards
Here's what some of our past travellers have written in to us and said about their experiences on this trip.
Peruvian Poncho - 8 days
A very enjoyable holiday with a good group & mix of people & a very
good tour leader who is obvioulsy very enthusiastic about his home
country of Peru. As well as they key activities such as Lake Titicaca, Inca Trail, Machu Picchu & Amazon Rain Forest also had the opportunity of experiencing the Peruvian way of life & culture. A great experience.
Dan Mansfield,
Peruvian Poncho - 8 days
The experience had great variety using different methods of travel.
It had just the right amount of activity with enough time to do your
own thing if you wanted. Saw awesome sights, it was an unforgetable trip!
Erica Crawshaw,
Peruvian Poncho - 8 days
Every day was different and exciting. Shiry, was an excellent guide
and made the trip even more enjoyable. The food was fantastic and the transport all good.
Jonathan Hill,
Peruvian Poncho - 8 days
Brilliant, I would recommend this trip to anyone. It was a full on trip
but I was never rushed. There was enough time to look round and take everything in. The knowledge of the tour guides was outstanding.
Thanks
Samantha Pocok,
Peruvian Poncho - 8 days
A very enjoyable holiday - would definitely recommend to friends.
Unforgettable experiences and a really good overview of Peru.